The Perceptive Photographer

Photography has always lived in that strange space between solitude and connection. This week on The Perceptive Photographer, we are exploring the delicate balance between the solitude that shapes our work and the community that completes it. We will look at why so many photographers thrive in the quiet, how loneliness creeps into the process, and why sharing your work, even when it feels imperfec...

As photographers, it is easy to get caught up in the technical parts of our craft: camera settings, lenses, editing workflows, and all the details that make up the process. Every once in a while, though, something reminds us that the real heart of photography lies beyond the gear and the techniques. In episode 557 of  The Perceptive Photographer , I shared how a simple act of cleaning my studio tu...

In this week’s podcast, we talk about burnout verse resting. Creative burnout and creative rest may look similar on the surface, but they come from very different places. Burnout is the slow unraveling of connection to your work . It shows up when the camera feels heavy, ideas feel stale, and even looking at images becomes tiring. It often shows up after long periods of constant output or co...

In this magical episode, cause it has 555 as the episode number, we are looking at the everyday of life, because in photography, it is easy to fall for the idea that creativity lives somewhere else. We scroll through endless images of faraway places and imagine that if we could just get there, we’d finally make the work that matters. But often, the most profound photographs come from right where w...

As the days get shorter, I find myself paying more attention to how light changes this time of year. The low angle of the sun, the long shadows, and the quiet warmth that hangs in the air all ask for a slower kind of seeing. In this week’s episode of  The Perceptive Photographer , I talk about using this shift in light as an opportunity think about how we approach our work and to build a small qui...

In this episode, I wanted to slow down and reflect on five essential but straightforward ideas that can help keep your creative life moving forward. So much of what we do as photographers, artists, and makers comes with pressure always to do more, do better, and never fall short. But often, the real growth happens in the small, imperfect, and even uncomfortable moments of our process. The first id...

In this episode of the Perceptive Photographer podcast, I discuss what it truly means to trust your eye as a photographer. It is a similar concept to reading and writing. When we learn to read and write, we start by copying letters, following patterns, and sounding out words. Over time, that repetition gives us the ability not only to read but to understand and interpret meaning. Photography works...

In this week’s episode of  The Perceptive Photographer Podcast In conversation series, I sit down with my good friend Ken Carlson again to talk about something that many photographers eventually face: the move from making single images to creating projects that hold together as a body of work. For a lot of us, there comes a moment when the thrill of a single ribbon from the camera club or one-off...

In Episode 551 of  The Perceptive Photographer , I share how what I don’t know often means more than what I do. The pressure to know exactly what belongs in a photograph can be overwhelming, but I have found that leaving space for the unknown creates stronger images and deeper connections. Rules like the horizon line or the rule of thirds can be useful, but they are not requirements. Breaking them...

In this episode of the Perceptive Photographer podcast, I explore the idea of silence or being quiet as an essential part of our photographic practice. With constant noise, distraction, and visual clutter, silence is more about being present and learning that when we let go of noise, we make the space where true seeing begins. By slowing down and inviting silence into our practice, we start t...

When it comes to growth in photography, it’s easy to get caught up in the wrong metrics. It coudl be likes, followers, number of frames, new gear or whatever. Even though we’ve shot so many frames this week, the real question is: do those things actually reflect what matters in your work? In this week’s episode, I dig into the idea of measuring progress in ways that might make for better growth in...

In this episode of the podcast, I got to dig a little into how much we hear about the importance of telling a story through photography. As I was thinking about it recently, I remembered sitting in an English class years ago, learning about  Freytag’s Pyramid —that classic story arc with an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Stories have a rhythm and flow, a sense...

For episode 547, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we keep our photography both exciting and sustainable. Too often, we either make things so easy that we get bored, or we push so hard that we burn out. Somewhere in between is the sweet spot I like to call your creative “spice level.” This idea came to me over Thai food. If you’ve ever ordered curry, you know how “medium spice” means something di...

In this episode of the podcast, we dig into storytelling with multiple images. Think about the last time you looked through a photobook or exhibition. Chances are it wasn’t just one photo that stuck with you, but the way the series unfolded—the rhythm of quiet and busy moments, the recurring themes, the way the story began and ended. A strong sequence transforms images into something bigger than t...

In photography, there are the skills you know you need, and then there are the skills you don’t think you’ll ever use. In episode 545 of the podcast, I spin up the idea that you should spend some time learning or dipping your toes into an area that you don’t normally focus on in your work. It’s easy to stay in the lane of what feels comfortable: the camera settings you know, the type of ligh...

If you are like me, you know the frustration of returning from a day out wtih the camera to find that the images do not match the magic of the moment. In this episode of The Perceptive Photographer, I dig into seeing and looking, a challenge that every photographer faces. It often comes from moving too quickly, letting the camera dictate choices, or assuming the viewer will feel what you felt. Clo...

If you’ve ever looked at one of your photos and wondered, “What does this  mean ?”—you’re not alone. In episode 543 of  The Perceptive Photographer , I dug this very question through the lens of thoughtful critique, drawing inspiration from Sylvan Barnet’s  A Short Guide to Writing About Art . I try to focus on how to move beyond simply describing what’s in a photograph and begin to...

‘If I put something out there that is truly meaningful to me, that truly engages with me, I want to be understood.’ If you’ve ever shared a photograph and felt that nobody “got it,” you’re not alone. we’ve all been there. In this conversation of  The Perceptive Photographer , Ken Carlson and I dig into Roland Barthes’ famous essay,  The Death of the Author , and what it means for...

In episode 542, I explored a topic that I have discussed on more than one occasion. While it’s easy to skip over naming your work—maybe leaving images untitled or defaulting to file names. They’re a powerful way to deepen your understanding of your work and offer viewers a richer way into your images. One hesitation I often hear is, “Won’t a title limit how others see my photo?” I get it. We want...

In episode 541 of the podcast, I dig into something that’s been a swirl of ideas, conversations and reactions from different things over the past few weeks. Each one was a little about balance, symmetry and living in an imperfect world. All those got me thinking about the notions of wabi sabi. It’s a Japanese aesthetic rooted in Zen Buddhism, and it’s all about finding beauty in imperfection, impe...

Composition comes up all the time in photography conversations—and honestly, it’s one of those topics that can be both helpful and frustrating. Like a lot of folks, I started out learning the so-called “rules”: rule of thirds, leading lines, foreground interest… you know the list. They’re easy to teach, easy to check off. But over time—and with influence from people like Robert Adams, Paul Caponig...

In this episode of  The Perceptive Photographer , I explore three ideas that have been shaping my creative process lately: truth, wonder, and trust. A recent chat with my friend Bruce and a stack of good reading got me thinking about how these elements are often at the core of meaningful work. When they’re all in balance, photography becomes more than just technical execution—it becomes a spa...

In this week’s episode of the Perceptive Photographer podcast, I dig deep into a topic, prompted by a thoughtful question from a long-time listener, Dennis. His struggle is one I know many of us share: Are we creating for ourselves, or for others? In this post, I want to break down the main themes from that episode, offering nuanced insights for photographers and creatives who are navigating...

In the first episode of my new  In Conversation  series, I sit down with my friend and fellow photographer Ken Carlson to talk about his decision to pursue an MFA in photography. Ken’s path to grad school isn’t the usual one—and that’s exactly what makes his story so insightful. From a career in veterinary medicine to deep dives into critique and artistic voice, Ken brings a unique persp...

In this episode of  The Perceptive Photographer , I spent some time digging into a concept that’s easy to overlook but deeply important: the point of entry in photography. It’s that first moment of connection—the thing that makes you stop, raise your camera, and engage. Sometimes it’s obvious: striking light, bold color, or an expressive face. But often it’s more subtle, like a mood, a memory, or...