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Commercial Photography·Season 2 · Episode 35·Nov 22

Todd Biss — Photography, Production Company Owner & Why Humility Is the Most Undervalued Skill

Todd Biss directing a commercial shoot with the team gathered around a tethered monitor, strobes and production gear visible in the background

Working the monitor on a commercial shoot at Todd Biss Productions. This is what the long game looks like. Photo Credit: Todd Biss Productions. Used with permission.

Todd Biss learned photography on film with zero latitude for mistakes. Today he runs Todd Biss Productions in Akron, a full-service commercial and documentary shop built on communication, client trust, and decades of deliberate practice.

In this episode Todd breaks down SAKI, the exposure framework he uses on every shoot, why humility matters more than gear, and what he looks for when he’s hiring.

Why It Matters

Gear makes people think they know photography. Todd calls that out without apology. The long game is mindset: respect the room, let the work speak, learn the business, keep learning yourself. That’s how you survive the lean years and still produce work you’re proud of.

About This Guest

Todd Biss is a photographer, director, and owner of Todd Biss Productions in Akron, Ohio. He started young, shooting and printing black-and-white in a basement darkroom, grew through yearbook, newspaper, and agency work, and has spent decades building a production company known for strong communication, client trust, and polished commercial and documentary storytelling. His SAKI framework, Shutter, Aperture, Kelvin, ISO, is the clearest plain-language explanation of manual exposure control you’ll find anywhere.

Todd’s Bonafides

“

Slow down and listen. Humility and attitude beat gear every time.

”

— TODD BISS, OWNER, TODD BISS PRODUCTIONS

Hear This Episode

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Episode Timestamps

  • 00:00 Welcome & guest introduction
  • 04:00 Basement darkroom, film, and learning exposure the hard way
  • 12:00 SAKI: Shutter, Aperture, Kelvin, ISO — the framework that simplifies everything
  • 21:00 Agency work, product shoots, and what high-end sets taught him about lighting
  • 30:00 Why he sold video once, then brought it back when the time was right
  • 39:00 Running Todd Biss Productions: communication, relationships, client trust
  • 47:00 What he looks for in interns and hires: humility over ego, every time
  • 54:00 Slow down to speed up: the mindfulness upgrade nobody talks about

Your ZoomPod — Exit Ticket

After this episode, you'll know:

  • Why humility is the most underrated skill in professional photography and production
  • How SAKI (Shutter, Aperture, Kelvin, ISO) gives you a repeatable framework for every shoot
  • What film taught Todd about discipline that digital photography skipped over
  • Why the best crews are built on trust and attitude before technical skill

Gear & Affiliate Links

Trick out your kit, and your wardrobe. Both Adorama and SmallRig are having sales right now. Or wear your photography mood, grab a ZWOF set-wear tee shirt. If you use a ZWOF link, we may earn a small commission that doesn’t increase the price of your item.

Todd’s whole career is built on slowing down, reading the room, and doing the unglamorous work consistently. Same discipline applies every time you raise a camera.

Stop Shooting From the Stands →

BUILD NOTE: Full transcript pending paste-in from Buzzsprout.