Meet Ralph Apel

We were lucky to catch up with Ralph Apel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ralph, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

As an amateur photographer who wants to do it professionally, I find it incredibly tough to shake off imposter syndrome. The thing that keeps me going, and not giving into the fears that I’m an imposter, is by listening to friends and people’s feedback online. A lot of times, I will get anxious about doing an upcoming shoot turning out bad, but my wife always reminds me of how much of my worked is enjoyed by others and that I just have to trust my instincts. It’s a bit of a struggle, but I need to remind myself about how enjoyable it is to collaborate with someone on a shoot day.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I have been producing podcasts since 2006 and have recently started to do film productions. My first feature was a documentary about the television show LOST that I produced with director Taylor Morden titled “Getting LOST”. From there I have had a few offers to produce other features and short films. After being cooped up with my wife in our Anaheim apartment for a couple years, COVID lockdown was lifted and we wanted to get out of the house more. I took up film photography. My wife and I would go to interesting places and shoot around Southern California. In 2025, I decided that I wanted to do more than take pictures of places, so I set my focus on shooting portraits. Since January I have had the opportunity to do a lot of photoshoots with friends as well as professional models. It has been a blast getting to meet and collaborate with amazing people.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My grandfather was an amateur photographer. I am stunned every time I look at his photos. I love his black and white photography. He is a major inspiration on me wanting to shoot film portraits. When it comes to knowledge, I think the best skill anyone could have is paying attention to your surroundings. I haven’t been trained in photography, but I have been a lifelong film buff. I love watching movies, documentaries about film and hanging out with film lovers. I have learned so much from listening to advice from friends who attended film school, asking questions of colleagues on film sets and watching photography-centric YouTube channels. I’m not necessarily looking at tutorials on how to shoot, but rather watching photographer travel videos and observing how they go about composing shots. When it comes to my photography, composition is always my main focus. I love composing a shot more than anything.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I have met a ton of photographers since taking up film photography. The photography community can be really great at times. I have gone on a lot of photo walks the past few years. It’s nice to be able to find like minded individuals who aren’t judgmental about how you shoot. I’ve received a lot of guidance through various groups around Orange County, CA. As I have started to get into portrait photography, I have found a couple of really great groups that do photographer and model meetups. I’ve met a lot of incredible people and have been really great to collaborate with. Experience is the absolute key to improving my skills.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ralph D. Apel portrait by Kevin Nelson Photo

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