In this episode of Bad Photographers, Griff takes a quiet, honest look at the line between passion and obsession—and what it costs to live on that edge as a creative. This isn’t a story about hustle culture or chasing perfection. It’s a reflection on the nights you can’t sleep before a shoot, the pressure to live up to your own expectations, and the way the craft can slowly take over more space than you meant to give it.

Through a personal story from early in his career—covering Air Force basic training in San Antonio—Griff explores what it means to be overprepared, overtired, and deeply invested in the outcome. The spiral of visualization, comparison, and self-imposed pressure. The gap between the image you imagine and the one you actually make. And the realization that dedication and delusion sometimes look a lot alike when you’re inside the work.

This episode is about creative obsession, burnout, and learning when to push—and when to pause. A reminder that growth doesn’t always come from doing more, and that reflection is as much a part of the process as effort. If you’ve ever lost sleep over a shoot, chased a perfect frame in your head, or wondered whether your love for the craft is carrying you—or consuming you—this one’s for you.

📍 Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 Passion vs. Obsession
01:21 Restless in the Frame
04:01 San Antonio Shadows
07:01 The Beauty and the Burnout
09:31 Keep the Shutter Open

LINK TO THE LONG ROLL

https://open.spotify.com/show/73uAJzT7ylWI75ezjoQmUx?si=7796b01ab78e4451

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-roll-photography-podcasts/id1693186194

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