Episodes

In the podcast this week, I offer up five challenges each with 10 outcomes to try that will help push you forward as a photographer. While some of them seem simple on the surface, each of these challenges can be a deep dive into your creative process and how to quickly understand the why and how of your work. So if you are up for it: Pick your 10 best images Pick your 10 most important images Give a physical print to 10 different people of at least one of the photographs from your best or mos...

I have had several conversations about what to do with bad images lately. So, in this week’s podcast, we revisit a classic topic for organization and working with your images–what to do with all those bad images. I am not a just delete and burn person; I think there are some reasons to really consider what you are deleting and why. Not only does experience shift over time as we learn more about what makes a good photograph meaning what was once skipped might be found, but we also can learn from ...

This past week I was asked a lot about the new generative AI tools in Photoshop and how they will impact my workflow. To be honest, I am not yet sure how they will completely impact my workflow, but they will cause a shift for sure. At the same time, the quote, “I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them” by Diane Arbus got me thinking about how we might be asking the wrong question about all this new technology. In this week’s podcast, I discuss how what you...

In this week’s podcast, we dive into the importance of details and how the small things in our photographic practice can make all the difference in getting the work we want and hope to create. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, but here is the current list of equipment that I am using. Also as an FYI and full disclosure, the links are affiliate links to A...

In this podcast, I talk about how much faster you can achieve your goals when you start by failing and how failing is a great indicator of action. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, but here is the current list of equipment that I am using. Also as an FYI and full disclosure, the links are affiliate links to Amazon.

In the latest podcast episode, I discuss the significance of balancing not only our visuals but also our mindset toward our work. This approach can positively impact our appreciation for our work and our journey towards achieving it. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, but here is the current list of equipment that I am using. Also as an FYI and full discl...

I lost one of my best buddies this past weekend. My cat Batman left for the Rainbow Bridge. He was a big part of my life for the past 12 years, and he and I had one of the best bromances of all time. After he passed and we were taking him to the vet, a few amazing things happened that gave me pause about the connection to the universe, our emotions and how we see when emotions are in the forefront. In this week’s podcast, I tell you a little about my best bud and the final lesson he gave me as h...

In this week’s podcast, we dive into the importance of listening to your voice. Voice is one of the key aspects of making more meaningful images. It can sometimes be a challenge to focus on our voice and sort out how it will apply to our work. Most of this work comes down to trusting yourself and following your energy to what matters to you, even when faced with uncertainty and doubt. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have use...

I often get asked in interviews or classes, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself, knowing what you know now, when you first got started in photography. In the podcast this week, I jump into that topic and talk about how staying true to your voice and your vision can be hard but is worth it in the end. Also, don’t forget that April 17-20 is the Photoshop Creativity Virtual Summit. A free week of classes on creativity and photoshop. You can register here if you like. One of the qu...

In the podcast this week, I dive into the importance of an image having multiple meanings, not just at the time of creating or processing but over time as well. As you change in life, the meaning of your work will change as well. This change is a wonderful way to see how you have grown and how powerful your photography can be when it supports you no matter what stage of life you are in or when you created the work. Also, don’t forget that April 17-20 is the Photoshop Creativity Virtual Summit. ...

This week’s podcast is quick discussion about the impacts of nature verse nurture in our photography. Specifically, we jump into the importance of nurturing the best of what we do and not reinforcing the self-doubt and negative speak we all have bouncing inside our heads. Also, don’t forget that April 17-20 is the Photoshop Creativity Virtual Summit. A free week of classes on creativity and photoshop. You can register here if you like. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort o...

Dennis, a good friend of mine, has been working on making more meaningful work in his photography. He sent in an interesting question for me to think about. He wanted to know how you know if you are on the path to making more meaningful work. How do you mark your progress? In this week’s podcast, I offer up my opinion on a couple of the most important ways we consider and think about the path to more personal and meaningful work. Also, don’t forget that April 17-20 is the Photoshop Creativity V...

In the podcast this week, we are diving into some listener questions that have come in over the past few months. I grabbed five of the most common or more interesting questions that have come in and share my two cents on them. Do I have a favorite paper to print with? Do I have any tips on staying motivated? What is the difference between reading a photograph and looking at a photograph? How do I deal with a challenging photograph? Do I have a best or favorite photograph? Also don’t forget...

As I was organizing the bookshelf, I came across one of my favorite books on understand photographs, Stephen Shores The Nature of Photographs. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this book, it is well worth it. It is a simple read and very approachable. In the book, Stephen talks about how to read and view photographs. He breaks this process down into the physical level (the print), the descriptive level (flatness, frame, time and focus), mental level, and mental modeling. In this week’s ...

In the podcast this week, we take a look at five cliches that can make a difference in your photography. Any while cliches can be bad, these five are some great ways to shift your thinking and approach to photography at all the stages of working with images from creating to editing to viewing. I am sure there are many more that can apply as well, but for this week here are the five that made the cut. Rome wasn’t built in a day Don’t judge a book by it’s cover Can’t please everyone Good thing...

In this week’s podcast, I talk about how sometimes the simplest of acts can make a huge difference in the quality and meaning of our photography. Simple acts like micro-mediation breathing exercises, working with images that are upside down and backwards, or even focusing on how focus and clarity are different. No matter what small steps you try in your photography, sometimes it is the smallest acts that make the biggest difference. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of eq...

I was recently asked why I do landscape photography. I thought it was an interesting question. A simple question really. But, as I started to answer, I realized that my answer went much deeper into the reason I create me work. In this week’s podcast, I talk about the importance of why we photograph what we photograph and how I answer the question of why I am a landscape photographer. Hopefully, after listening to this episode, you will spend some time to find a meaningful answer for yourself on ...

Several months ago, I started to really think more and more about artificial intelligence and machine learning in photography. I did a podcast on it. Since that time, I have continued to think more an more about that form of art and how it is both good and different from light captured photography. In this week’s podcast, I continue to talk about the impacts on AI on photography and how it shifts our communication about photography; and how it, at its core, is different enough from photography t...

In this week’s podcast, we spend some time talking about how various aspects of our work and approach to photography as impacted by 10%. From an article years ago where Brooks Jensen talked about how we see a decrease of 10% in our selection of great images from 1000 to 100 to 10 to 1, I expand that idea to talk about how our approaches to seeing, thinking, and approaching our photography can be impacted by 10% in both good and bad ways. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort ...

In this week’s podcast, I dive a little into a method for evaluating photographs. In working with others, I have found that all of us can be overly critical of our work with no real rhyme or reason. So today, we focus on a few simple steps to evaluate images and how to be more effective at judging our work. Questions like What did I do in the image, what would I do differently and how will I prepare next time are simple to understand and apply. Still, each offers a wealth of information about h...

My good friend Ken Carlson was a lacrosse coach. In several of our conversations over the years, he has said that in his view the purpose of playing the game was to evaluate how well you practiced. The practice was the most important part of the process. Not the winning of a game, but rather how well did you prepare. In this week’s podcast, I dive a little into this topic and how it can be applied to our creative approach to photography. From working at a team to knowing what to practice and whe...

In this week’s podcast, I talk about how projects ideas develop and what is the best method for working with and dealing with projects in your photography. Also in the podcast this week, if you purchase a gallery print of mine from either the Alex Ferrone Gallery for the SAM Gallery, I’ll give you 10% off any workshop. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, ...

In this week’s podcast, quantity is the name of the game. One of the best things you can do to improve your photography is to increase the amount of work you are creating. That increase in volume will give you more data points to understand some of the key elements of your work like voice, vision, signature and style. Also in the podcast this week, if you purchase a gallery print of mine from either the Alex Ferrone Gallery for the SAM Gallery, I’ll give you 10% off any workshop. One of the qu...

After my traveling recording issues last week, I am back in the studio and have cut together a new intro and tacked on last weeks podcast to start the new year. So this should get us all caught back up on the schedule. In this week’s podcast, I talk about how setting goals can help you keep focused and move your photography forward. In an effort to help you get some goal setting started, I dive a little into some common goals that I have seen work for myself and others. From making books, portf...