INTRODUCING CREATIVE TRADECRAFT: JAMES BOND MEETS THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S MINDSET
What do James Bond and a serious photographer have in common?
More than you'd think.
Focus. Precision. Awareness. Ritual.
They both step into the field with clarity—and they don’t wait for luck to strike.
For years, I’ve built quiet habits into the way I work. The way I pack my bag. The gear I bring. The clothes I wear. Over time, I realized I wasn’t just prepping—I was shifting. Mentally stepping into something sharper. More focused. More tuned in.
I started thinking of it as field protocol.
A kind of creative tradecraft.
And eventually, that led to this little book.
Creative Tradecraft is a short, cinematic field manual for photographers who want to work with more intention.
It’s not about spy fantasies or roleplay. It’s about using mindset and ritual as tools to get present—to see more clearly, move more deliberately, and create with clarity.
This isn’t a gear talk. It’s not a checklist.
It’s a suggestion: a new way to show up.
The idea began years ago—partly influenced by the attention exercises my dad taught me growing up, partly by the action films I grew up on, and partly by years of trying to manage my inner state in the field.
Somewhere along the way, I realized: we don’t always have to wait for inspiration or focus to find us. We can create the conditions for it. Through mindset. Through preparation. Through small rituals that shift our energy and sharpen our attention.
That realization became the seed for this book.
Inside, you’ll find chapters like:
The Mindset Shift
Listening Without Ears
Mission Planning
Editing Is Debriefing
Each one is designed to sharpen your perception, steady your attention, and help you move through the field with more clarity and intent.
The book is available now.
It’s short. Built to be read in one sitting.
Designed to travel with you.
No fluff—just mindset.
→ Download Creative Tradecraft
Take it into the field.
Let it sharpen the way you work.
And if it hits—let me know. I may have more to say along this stream.
Hi, I’m Scott Reither—fine art photographer, educator, and the founder of The Curated Landscape.
I created this space to share reflections and tools for photographers who want to go deeper—into their craft, their process, and how they connect with the world through the lens.
