Pedro Thomaz Photography

17/06/2026

A young photographer charged $60 for a full shoot, 50+ edits and 6 hours of work, then the client trashed it as "unprofessional." Here's the hard truth: the price WAS the problem. 😤 Charging that low tells a client you don't know what you're doing, and they believe you. Never sell yourself short.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/you-charged-60-thats-why-theyre-treating?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The picky client isn’t the problem. The price tag is.

16/06/2026

A model answered a "model call" and got sent a $270 invoice. Backwards. 🤦 The rule is dead simple: whoever needs the other person pays. The photographer was hunting for models, so the model gets paid. Not invoiced.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/she-put-out-a-model-call-then-sent?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

15/06/2026

Do you need a dry box if you actually shoot? Almost certainly not. 20 years in Portugal, gear spread all over my house, lenses ruined by humidity: zero. Lenses I've broken by dropping or smashing them: about ten. 😅 Modern glass is tough. Stop babysitting it and go shoot.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/your-lenses-will-break-before-they?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

12/06/2026

Your kid's school photos came back muddy and underexposed and the darker-skinned kids barely look like themselves? That's not a hard technical problem. It's a cheap one. 💸 The fix is a colorchecker and someone who gives a damn about the boring part.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/your-kids-school-hired-a-088-an-hour?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

And the “diverse skin tones are hard” excuse is total bu****it

11/06/2026

A beginner on Reddit asked how to find people to photograph when you're just starting out. The answer is simpler than people make it: start with friends and family, then TFP groups, then friends of friends. 📸 But the part nobody tells you is what happens after, when your work gets good enough that strangers find you, and you start turning the pricing flywheel. Full breakdown here.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/how-to-find-people-to-photograph?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

A beginner asked the right question. Here’s the honest answer, and the part nobody tells you about what comes after.

10/06/2026

Confession time: my greatest photography sin is technically a criminal offense. 🚔 I shoot a lot of street, and sometimes recognizable faces end up in my work with no signed release. I'll defend that one to the end (public is public). The sin I actually regret? Leaving the camera at home more these days. Here's the full confession.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/my-greatest-photography-sin-is-technically?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Not serious. Not joking either. Let’s talk about it.

09/06/2026

NatGeo asked to use my photos and wanted to pay me in “exposure.” 🤡 Here’s the thing nobody starting out wants to hear: a logo on your invoice doesn’t pay your rent. They want your images? They pay for them. Full stop.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/natgeo-wants-my-photos-for-exposure?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Big logo, empty wallet. Here’s why “exposure” is a scam dressed in a fancy font.

08/06/2026

Street photography is one of the most pure forms of this craft — and one of the most misunderstood. 📷 Yes, you can shoot strangers in public. No, that doesn't mean anything goes. Here's my take — including a shameless plug about a certain Masterclass I apparently deserve. 😏

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/yes-street-photography-is-pure-that?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

On consent, Trevor Wisecup, and why I’m apparently a Masterclass-worthy photographer 😏

05/06/2026

A photographer just lost a major lifestyle client to AI — and honestly? It was always coming. The market is shifting fast, and the photographers who survive won't be the ones arguing about "authentic emotion" on Reddit. They'll be the ones using AI to run their business and focusing on the work AI genuinely can't fake. 📸

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/ai-is-coming-for-your-job-good?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Stop panicking and start adapting — it’s 2026, not 1995

04/06/2026

Rain is not a problem. It's a condition. And it creates some of the most interesting shots you'll ever take. 🌧️

There are two types of photographers: those who only shoot in ideal conditions, and those who shoot everywhere, always. The second group is usually the better one. New post on why.

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrpft/p/shooting-in-the-rain-i-love-it-end?r=2qvgk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Why bad weather is actually good news for your photography 🌧️