The brutal truths, uncomfortable revelations, and hard-won wisdom that photography books won't tell you.

LESSONS FROM A TERRIBLE PHOTOGRAPHER

About the Book

This isn't another photography book. It's a creative survival guide for the rest of us.

Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is part memoir, part manifesto, part therapy session for anyone who's ever wondered if they're actually cut out for this creative life. It's not about gear, presets, or building your personal brand. It's about staying human in an industry obsessed with perfection.

Through brutal honesty, dark humor, and hard-won wisdom, this book tackles the stuff other photography guides won't touch:

  • Why chasing perfection is creative suicide

  • How to find your voice when everyone sounds the same

  • The real reason most photographers burn out (hint: it's not the work)

  • Why being "terrible" is actually your superpower

  • How to build a career that feeds your soul instead of crushing it

If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind, making the wrong kind of work, or wondering if you’re even cut out for this — this book is for you.

Because the real lesson? You’re allowed to be terrible.

That’s how you get good.

  • "The hardest truth about photography isn't about mastering exposure or understanding light. It's this: every great photographer, every artist who's ever made something worth remembering, started as a beginner, making work that would make them cringe today."

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 1 – Embrace the Terrible

  • "The more technical knowledge you have, the more creative freedom you have to create compelling and interesting work."

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 4 – Gear, Fear, & Peers

  • "The hard part isn't learning how to operate a camera; it's figuring out WHAT you want to say and WHY it matters. Unfortunately, camera companies haven't invented a button for that yet."

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 5 – Why Shapes How

  • "The most important images you'll ever make might not be the ones that build your career. They might be the ones that preserve someone's world when that world is about to change forever."

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 8 – Get Naked

  • If your work requires someone else to feel small so you can feel powerful, it’s not art. It’s cowardice in disguise.

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 17 – Rules, Power, and Responsibility

  • Sometimes, what you've built—the portfolio, the process, the way you work—is the very thing holding you back.

    Lessons From A Terrible Photographer – Chapter 16 – Burn It Down

Create Work That Actually Matters.

Photography is more than creating the sharpest image or owning the latest gear—it’s about the story you tell. When you join our community, you’ll receive:

  • First Chapter Free – Be the first to read the opening chapter before the book launches.

  • Exclusive Signed Book Giveaway – A chance to win a signed copy of Lessons From A Terrible Photographer.

  • Early Access to Book Announcements – Get first dibs on pre-orders, special editions, or launch updates.

  • Exclusive Discounts – Sign up for the updates and receive an exclusive discount code when pre-ordering.

  • Invitation to a private Discord community - launching in April.

Master the Art of Imperfection
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What’s Inside

This book is divided into three acts—like any good hero's journey.

Part 1: "The Wanderer" (Embracing the Creative Journey)
Break free from the myths holding you back. Learn why gear obsession is creative quicksand, why "terrible" is actually your starting point, and how to develop the mindset that separates photographers who grow from those who quit.

Part 2: "The Alchemist" (Transforming Technique into Voice)
Move beyond copying your heroes to finding your own visual language. Discover how constraints spark creativity, why vulnerability is your secret weapon, and the difference between taking pictures and making images that couldn't have been created by anyone else.

Part 3: "The Sustainer" (Building Longevity and Meaning)
Learn to show up professionally, price your work like you mean it, and build the relationships that actually sustain creative careers. Plus: when to burn it all down and start over, how to write your own rules, and what it really means to leave something behind.

You'll get:

  • Real strategies for breaking creative paralysis
    (not inspiration porn)

  • A framework for developing your authentic voice
    (beyond "find your style")

  • Honest talk about money, pricing, and building
    sustainable creative work

  • The truth about networking, critique, and professional growth

  • Permission to experiment, fail, and make weird work
    that matters to you

This isn't about perfect techniques or trending hashtags. It's about staying human while building something that lasts.

Chapter 6, The Voice Inside (pg. 63)

“An uncomfortable truth about my own creative identity came during a seemingly ordinary conversation with Alex, a New York photographer who approaches his work with care, emotion and intelligence.

One day, we were chatting and in a moment of pure honesty he said something that I'll never forget.

"Patrick," he said, his voice lowered but unmistakably clear, "you're not really an artist. You're more like a technician." He paused briefly, realizing how harsh that sounded, but went in for the kill anyway. "You can shoot anything, you're technically proficient—impressive even—but what you make isn't art."

The world around us seemed to go silent. I felt heat rise from my collar to my face, my hands instinctively tightening around my phone. I wanted to laugh it off. To tell him he was wrong. But I couldn't.

The truth is, I had started to feel it too. That hollow, gnawing question: What am I actually trying to say with all of this?

I had gotten good—clean, polished, dependable—but I had no idea if I had a point of view. And that terrified me. Because without a voice, I was just a camera operator with expensive taste.

But as the initial shock subsided, something more unsettling took its place: recognition.

I didn't have a comeback. Because, deep down, I knew he was right.”

The Podcast

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.

Meet the Author

Patrick Fore is a commercial and portrait photographer with a background in graphic design and art direction. Known for his bold use of color and storytelling through light, Patrick shares the lessons he learned the hard way so you don't have to. Patrick lives with his family in San Diego.

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