153 - Structure & Spontaneity: Realizing Your Vision While Staying Flexible

Want to take better photos? The secret isn’t just planning every detail or just winging it. Great photography comes from balancing structure with spontaneity. In this episode of The Nerdy Photographer Podcast, I talk with photographer Jonathan Pitts-Wiley about how building a framework for your work while staying open to unexpected moments can transform your images and your creative process.

We dive into:

• The power of structure – why routines, systems, and preparation keep you growing.
• The importance of flexibility – how to capture magic when plans change.
• Training adaptability – staying creative when conditions aren’t perfect.
• Finding the balance – using both structure and spontaneity to fuel creativity.

If you’ve ever felt torn between rigid planning and going with the flow, this conversation will help you find the sweet spot. Learn how to stay intentional and adaptable, so you’re always ready when the perfect moment unfolds.

Tune in now and discover how flexibility and structure work hand-in-hand to make you a better photographer.

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About My Guest

A Rhode Island native and 2007 Yale graduate, Jonathan Pitts-Wiley is a portrait photographer whose work seeks to reflect humanity at the intersection of strength and vulnerability. In 2020, he co-founded The Vanta Guild, an RI-based Black photographers collective. In 2021, he collaborated with renowned documentary photographer Mary Beth Meehan to produce Witness, an exhibit on the life and times of his late grandmother, Annye Raye Pitts. In 2022, one of his works was selected for Providence’s “Who We Are Now” public art banner project. In 2023, Jonathan’s first solo show, All the Worlds, opened at Providence’s World’s Fair Gallery. In 2024, he was named an Elected Artist Member with visual arts organization Art League RI and in the spring of 2025, he was invited to participate in NetWorks RI’s Growing the NetWorks exhibition at Providence’s WaterFire Arts Center.

You can learn more about Jonathan and view his work on his website - jpittswiley.com - or on Instagram https://instagram.com/JPITTSWILEY

About The Podcast

The Nerdy Photographer Podcast is written and produced by Casey Fatchett. Casey is a professional photographer in the New York City / Northern New Jersey with more than 20 years of experience. He just wants to help people and make them laugh. You can view Casey's work at https://caseyfphoto.com

 

If you have any questions or comments about this episode or any other episodes, OR if you would like to ask a photography related question or have ideas for a topic for a future episode, please reach out to us at https://nerdyphotographer.com/contact