The Stop Down Photography Podcast

In the past several weeks, I had two different conversations with my fellow photographers in which flipping an image, either horizontally or vertically, came up. The factors and considerations for each type of flip were different, yet there was a common theme. Fliping an image can trigger a different response from our viewer - and from ourselves. In today’s podcast, I explore how flipping an image...

Today’s episode, Learning To See, grew from a listener question about how to improve one’s eye for photography. If you have a question or an idea for an episode, please send me a note using the contact form on stopdownpodcast.com and share your thoughts. A common challenge all photographers face is recognizing a photo opportunity. The good photographers see an opportunity and capture the frame. Th...

As a photo educator, I field a lot of photography questions. And I love questions - keep ‘em coming! Many of these questions are of the form “What is the best … ?”. Most of the time, these questions are about gear, software, or accessories. Rarely are the questions about advancing as a photographer, pushing your craft ahead. Gear can play a role in that - provided you think that way. In today’s po...

To say that 2020 has been a tough year for creatives is putting it mildly. I have certainly struggled throughout the year to keep active with my camera, keep moving forward with my photography. This past week, I made a promise. A reaffirmation, really. I commit to the pursuit of photography. In today’s episode, I share my story and why I think the pursuit of photography is the right phrase. It’s n...

Learning composition did not come easy for me. It took a lot of studies, measured practice, and repeated effort to improve my skills. When I review my work, I pay extra attention to composition. There are a few compositional tips I think are less commonly used by landscape photographers: Implied Leading Lines Composing Open versus Closed Spaces Blurring Focus To Compose I discuss these techniques...

Vincent Van Gogh wrote, “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.” That beautifully describes the photographer’s journey. Artistry does not happen in leaps and bounds. It is a series of small steps, each one adding upon the last. In today’s episode, let’s talk more about Van Gogh’s thoughts on making great art and how it re...

I received many, many questions about artificial intelligence, or AI, last week after Sklum’s announcement of Luminar AI. Today’s episode is inspired by those questions. Rather than discuss this specific product, let’s instead take a step back and look at AI in photography at a higher level. AI is clearly here to stay. And chances are, you are already using AI in your photography - even if you don...

In the summer of 2019, I took a drive on California’s Route 1 from San Diego to Big Sur. I recently revisited my photo library looking at all of the captures from that trip. I found several very solid photos that I had never worked on before. They simply didn’t “make the cut” when I first culled them a year ago. That’s interesting. I see something in those photos now I didn’t see before. It also u...

I’ve enjoyed some very interesting conversations with listeners of the show over the past few weeks. Some have been about camera technique, others about post processing, a few about asset management. Back in Episode 30 I asked you to share your thoughts about the things you find most challenging with your photography. And consider that an open invitation - I’d like to hear from you! I thought a qu...

I think there are two things that are true for every photographer. Number one, we want to improve our photography. Number two, we consume the work of other photographers. Straightforward, right? These two things are complimentary if you have the right mindset when you’re looking at other photos. In today’s podcast, I talk about how we consume photos and some pitfalls to avoid. I also share a perso...

Photo projects are beneficial in and of themselves. A group of photos tells a very different story than a single image. Photo projects don’t need to be weighty either. If you’ve ever created a collection or album in your computer, you’ve got a photo project. There are several creative benefits to having many photo projects running in parallel. I share more thoughts in today’s podcast. I also share...

Feedback is very important to growth as a photographer. We need feedback. We need to know how we can improve our art. There are two pieces of feedback. The first piece is the feedback itself. Is it constructive? Is it actionable? The second piece is the rate of application. How quickly can you put the feedback into practice? Today’s episode talks about how different sources of feedback have differ...

What is the most challenging aspect of your photography? Share your thoughts using the contact form on scottdavenportphoto.com . It may just be the topic for the next episode. The concepts of negative space vs. dead space can be confusing for photographers. Both sound bad. I wrestled with negative and dead space for a long time. I was recently reminded of this compositional conundrum during an onl...

Our relationship with most of our photography is transitory. Yes, there is time spent capturing the photo and time spent in post-processing. After that, most of our photos get little attention. A social media share, perhaps a glance when reviewing past work, and that’s about it. Yet there is great value in spending more time with a photo. Bringing it into the physical world. Living with it. I have...

When the creative groove grows too deep it becomes a rut. Today is a discussion of one of the ways to keep your creative mind engaged. Inject a little randomness into your process. It really does wonders. A method I like to use is Brain Eno’s Oblique Strategies. Yes, it’s a strange name … but give a listen. These strategies have a lot to offer. I also mention some new training courses coming soon....

It is July 2020 and it is feeling like a “lost year” already. I’ve felt somewhat aimless at times, drifting about. The phrase “lost year” reminded me of John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend”, actually an 18-month period. During this time he drifted a bit and wasn’t really rooted anywhere. He bounced around a variety of recording studios and had lots of collaborations. Yet John was incredibly creative durin...

I have noticed - maybe realized is a better term - that my default mindset when I look at photos is that of a critic. I’m immediately dissecting the photo. Is the composition strong? How is color used? Is the subject in focus? How would I do things differently? Can the photo be better? There is nothing wrong with critique. Critique is good. It’s a great way to learn and grow as a photographer. Sel...

Every photographer has a signature style - whether you know it or not. Join me for a talk about George Harrison’s musical style and what it has to teach us photographers about developing our own style. From loose musical timing to using “naughty chords”, George’s style has a lot to inspire a photographer. You might also enjoy: What George Harrison Taught Me About Photography f/4 , The Stop Down Ph...

Joel, a friend of the show, sent me an article about creativity and expertise. A passage in the article on cross-training reminded me of a story about the mathemetician Paul Erdos and his renowned creativity. In today’s podcast, I connect these two things with each other, and with our photography. Let’s talk about how “cross-training” can bolster our creativity. And maybe just keep us out of the n...

I make plenty of mistakes in my photography. And I know I’ll do so again. Yet there are 4 mistakes I make an extra effort to avoid. Why? These mistakes impact my creativity - and not for the better. The mistakes I try to avoid are: Settling For The Walk-up Shot Dismissing Things Without Thinking About Them Overcommitting Valuing Technical Execution Over An Emotive Image Listen to today’s podcast a...

After nearly 3 months in quarantine, I stepped back out into the landscape for some photography. In the first half of the podcast, I talk about three different photoshoots I went on, what went well, and what didn’t go so well. Also, there were several things that surprised me about returning to landscape photography after such a long break. Virtual planning has gotten more difficult. There appears...

Today we collective answer a question. What has photography given you beyond just photographs? I asked this question a few episodes ago and thanks to everyone that wrote in and shared your stories and thoughts. As it turns out, photography gives us a lot more than just photos. Today I’ll run down 5 things that photography gives us in addition to great photos. Photography gives us… A different way...

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept many of us from making the type of photos we want. My camera has been essentially untouched for 9+ weeks. Thoughts about the future of my photography and how I would overcome the inertia of such an extended break led me to a fundamental question. Why do we make photos? Join me in this week’s episode for thoughts about what drives and motivates us to create new work w...

Opening question - What has photography given you beyond just the images? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or send a private message using the contact form . Today’s topic is influence. The influence we have on other photographers and the ideas and artists that influence our work. Many years go while hosting a workshop a student asked me, “How do you see yourself fitting into another phot...

Limitations on our photography can be a source of inspiration and creativity. I recently learned of a story about jazz musician Keith Jarrett that exemplifies this idea. Constraints may be uncomfortable yet they can also shake loose new ideas and unexpected successes. I talk about this topic in today’s episode. Here are 5 ways to practice embracing constraints. Listen to the episode for more detai...