AKG Podcast

In early 2024, I delivered a keynote at a photography workshop in Morocco, a talk that has become one of my favorites, especially in a time when the world needs more wisdom and less frivolity. Reflecting on my unconventional journey, I discussed what I believe to be the four cornerstones of art: Creativity, Compassion, Courage, and Commitment: Creativity thrives with risk, pushing beyond the average to deliver unexpected art. Compassion grounds our work in humanity, making our photographs a testament to people’s envisioned futures, answering fundamental questions about identity and value. Courage involves embracing imposter syndrome, daring to create beyond the familiar throughpersonal projects. Artists, unlike artisans, deliver the unexpected, pushing boundaries with emotional labor. Commitment means embracing failure and persistence. Ultimately, success combines good work, kindness, and a touch of luck, leading to unexpected journeys and achievements. As always, feel free to ask, comment, or suggest topics by emailing me at info@andreaskgeorgiou.com

This is a Special Episode - it is a partial narration of my FREE Pocket book for Second Photographers, which you can download for free here: https://andreaskgeorgiou.com/downloads-second-photographer-pocketbook/ It's a transformative 15-page pocketbook for anyone who cares enough to be the BEST Second Photographer they can. If you seek to better understand your role as a Second Photographer and use your experience to become an exceptional Lead Luxury Photographer, this is for you. It contains: ☑ 2 CASE STUDIES ☑ 5 ESSENTIAL SOFT SKILLS FOR YOUR TOOLKIT ☑ PRACTICAL ADVICE ☑ A FREE CHECKLIST FOR SECOND PHOTOGRAPHERS Download it for free here: https://andreaskgeorgiou.com/downloads-second-photographer-pocketbook/  

Welcome to Season 2 of my podcast! I thought the perfect starting place would be to discuss artificial intelligence and what it means for the future of photography, and, that of most creative jobs. - Can Ai replace Artists? - Can Ai replace photographers? - What does it mean to be an Artist? If nothing else, the rise of AI applications should be a wake-up call to Artists that, yes, we can acquire the skills, but it is our Vision that the world needs. Can we stop seeing ourselves as walking tripods? Can we look deeply into ourselves and wonder… how can we use all this power we possess as creators in order to bring the Future, better lives, and turn on a light switch for everyone to see better. Because we are humans. What a privilege! Unlike any other animal, at least any I am aware of, we possess the power to create the Future.

On one hand there are those clients who want you to do the standard. The safe. Their expectations have been normalised by the average mainstream market so much that they cannot even perceive any possibility to achieve anything beyond the average. On the other side of the spectrum there are the clients who challenge you to do better work, they talk about you and your work, are proud they hired you and they trust you enough to allow you the benefit to disagree with them - to right to say “you hired me for a reason and you need to trust me”.   How do we get less of the first and more of the second?

In a world of black headphones, why did Apple decide to go with white? And what can this teach us in the wedding industry? This episode is about social epidemics - or, why some services manage to spread where others don't.   Submit your own questions: andreaskgeorgiou.com/podcast

Good Marketing helps others become who they seek to become by giving them a place to belong in. Marketing, since its inception, has been making great use of status, which is humans’ constant effort to move up and down the ladder. And there are essentially two fundamentally different ways to do this. The first is by tapping on people’s need to dominate: to be smarter, prettier, more powerful. The second is by giving people a place to belong. Which one will you choose?

"Being authentic" is one of the most used phrases when it comes to branding. But what is "authenticity"? If authenticity is “the revealing of one’s true self” then, then, perhaps a better question would be 1. Is there ever a true self?; and 2. Do people even want to see it?

Originality sounds like a noble pursuit because all great thinkers appear to have been original. But is that true at all? If more of us acknowledged that originality is a flawed and over-glorified concept, the more we would feel safe to create. Our job, our mission, is to improve the familiar.

Ever noticed how the linguistic conventions of photography are tacitly embedded in an ideology of photography as a form of hunting? We load, check the viewfinder and shoot, and photographs seem to be our "trophies". If we stop seeing photography as a form of "taking", then we can begin to leverage photography's healing power as a form of conversation! Perhaps, even, as one of the most powerful forms of conversation ever invented by humanity!

There is scene in HBO's Succession where Logan receives a gift Patek Philippe. His son-in-law tells him: “It’s very accurate. Every time you look at it, it tells you exactly how rich you are.” Because... a Patek Philippe, just like any luxury product (or service), is not about the product itself. It’s about the price, and, much more than the price, it’s about the internal narrative. Pricing is a story. Once you do it right, then your price represents more than dollar value. It talks to the identity of your client in profound ways: For some, price may indicate a sign of excellence. For others, price may be a way to reinforce an internal narrative of social status. For others, price may be a mere number that gives them access a wonderful world of opportunity to build up to their ideal perceived self. For others still, price is a mere metric for analysis in a spreadsheet, a symbol of sensibility and practicality. So, what does the price mean? What is the unique psychology of consumers in the average market, and in the luxury market? And, importantly how does one leapfrog from the average to the luxury market?   This is a longer-than-usual episode, but it is one I believe is my most important one to date.