Photography Explained Podcast

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Ever opened a RAW file on your computer and thought you'd ruined the photo? You haven't. In this episode I explain exactly what RAW and JPEG actually are, why your camera's screen has been showing you something that isn't your real file, and why I shoot RAW myself - plus the genuine irony that every RAW file ends up as a JPEG eventually anyway. Perfect if yo...

Send us Fan Mail 🔺 Ever felt like the exposure triangle needs three hands and a maths degree just to take one photo? It doesn't. In this episode Rick explains aperture, shutter speed and ISO in plain English — what each one actually does, how they work together, and which two settings he actually controls himself on every real shoot. If you're new to cameras, or you've never quite...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Turn on image stabilisation, they said. It'll save your photos, they said. Nobody mentioned you'd need to turn it off again. You've been told to always leave image stabilisation switched on. But put your camera on a tripod, and that same advice flips completely. In this episode, I explain exactly what image stabilisation does, how many extra stops it can buy you,...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Your 50mm lens isn't really a 50mm lens — and once you know why, you'll never buy a lens with the wrong expectations again. In this episode Rick explains crop factor in plain English. No maths degree required. If you've ever wondered why your lens doesn't seem to do what the numbers on the barrel suggest, this one's for you. What's Covered ●       ...

Send us Fan Mail 🎯 Your kit lens has something printed on the barrel. 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Confident. Specific. And absolutely meaningless — unless you know what any of it means. This episode fixes that. In episode 239 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I explain every number and letter on your kit lens barrel. In plain English. Without the irrelevant detail. Including why the aperture numbering...

Send us Fan Mail There is a LOT of camera gear out there. Bodies, lenses, bags, tripods, filters, memory cards, drones, studio lights — and it can feel like you need to spend thousands of pounds before you've earned the right to call yourself a photographer. You don't. Not even close. In this episode I cut through all of it and tell you exactly what a beginner photographer actually needs...

Send us Fan Mail 🧹 Your camera gear is dirty. And dirty gear is quietly affecting your photos in ways you might not even notice — a smudge on the lens that softens everything, a speck of dust on the sensor that shows up in the same spot on every single sky you shoot. In this episode I cover exactly what to clean, how to clean it safely, and — probably most importantly — what not to do. Because th...

Send us Fan Mail 🎒 Did you know there are 31 types of camera bag? One of them is a sandwich bag. Yes, really. I used to carry a massive bag full of gear to my local park. Waterproof zips and everything. For boats I never went on. Seven lenses. Four batteries. Two speedlites. Snacks for a week. I was 10 minutes from home. The penny dropped in Delph Woods in Poole on 30th December 2016 at 15:37. I...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Do you actually need a tripod? Not the answer every photography guide gives you — the honest one. Sometimes yes. And sometimes, genuinely, no. In this episode, I'll tell you exactly when each is true, what to look for if you decide to buy one, and the single most common tripod mistake — and it has nothing to do with the tripod itself. Whether you're thinking about buy...

Send us Fan Mail 📷 Another blurry photo? Before you delete it — zoom in. In this episode I walk through the three types of blurry photo — camera shake, subject motion, and focus blur — how to diagnose which one you've got, and exactly what to change to stop it happening again.  What We Cover Diagnose First — What Kind of Blurry Are You Looking At? Three types, how to tell them apart, and why...

Send us Fan Mail Are you holding your camera like a cheese and pickle sandwich? 🥪 One hand, casual, not really thinking about it?  In this episode, Rick covers six practical techniques that will make your photos sharper — starting the moment you pick up your camera. No kit required. No settings to change. Just how to hold, how to stand, and how to breathe. All of it free. All of it doable today....

Send us Fan Mail 📸 About This Episode   You’ve come home from a shoot with hundreds of photos on your camera — and no system for what to do next. This episode is that system. Seven practical steps you can follow in about thirty minutes after every shoot. By the end, your photos are safe, organised, selected, and improved. And you’ve learned something for next time.  📋 The Seven Steps   1.    Get...

Send us Fan Mail 📸 You’ve got the camera. You’ve found something worth photographing. Now what? In this episode, Rick walks through the seven steps that happen between picking up your camera and pressing the shutter — the process that determines whether your photo is sharp, well composed, and actually what you intended. Practical, in order, and immediately usable.  🎟️ In this episode:  1.    Hold...

Send us Fan Mail  📸 About This Episode   You’ve just got a new camera. The excitement is real — but most cameras come out of the box in a state that will cause you problems at exactly the moment you most want to take photos. In this episode, Rick walks you through seven quick setup steps — about twenty minutes in total — that get your camera properly ready before you take a single shot. Perfect f...

Send us Fan Mail 📸 Think you need an expensive camera to take great photos? You really don't. In episode 229 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I take my entry level Canon R100 to Mexico for two weeks — kit lens only — and come back with portfolio-worthy images. Under £500 of gear. Real conditions. No tricks.  In this episode I reveal 7 things an entry level camera can genuinely do brilli...

Send us Fan Mail 📸 Is your phone holding your photography back — or is it you? In episode 228 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I’m sharing seven honest signs that tell you whether now is the right time to move from your phone to a camera. And if it isn’t quite the right time yet, I’ll tell you exactly what to do instead.  In this episode you will learn:  📱 Sign 1. You keep running into the...

Send us Fan Mail Your photos are sharp and well-exposed — but they look weirdly orange or horribly blue. Here's how white balance works and how to fix it. 📸 This is one of those photography settings that nobody really explains to beginners. But once you understand it — and it really doesn't take long — you'll stop wondering why your photos look a bit off and start knowing exactly w...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why your photos come out so dark you can barely see what you shot? You take a photo of something brilliant - a stunning sunset, your mate pulling a funny face, your dinner that actually looks restaurant-quality for once - and when you look at the result, it's so dark you might as well have taken it in a cave. Frustrating, right? 📸 This episode explains exactly wh...

Send us Fan Mail You've just unboxed your first proper camera and honestly? It's a bit overwhelming. All those dials, buttons, menu options - where do you even begin? 📸 This episode walks you through exactly what to do in your first week with your new camera. No jargon, no technical overwhelm, just practical, actionable steps that'll have you taking photos you're proud of by n...

Send us Fan Mail You've taken what you thought was the perfect shot, but when you look at it later, it's blurry. Frustrating, right? 📸 This episode breaks down all seven main reasons your photos might be blurry and gives you practical fixes for each one. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How camera shake ruins photos (and the proper technique to eliminate it) ✅ The reciprocal rule...

Send us Fan Mail Want to take better photos in 2026 than you did in 2025? 📸 This episode gives you five simple, practical things you can start doing today that will genuinely improve your photography. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How to properly clean your camera gear and why it matters for sharp photos ✅ The smart way to learn camera settings without getting overwhelmed ✅ Why shootin...

Send us Fan Mail Over 221 episodes, thousands of tips, and hundreds of hours of content. Today, I've distilled everything down to the most important photography tips I've ever shared. This is the episode you'll want to bookmark. 🔖 Here's the thing about doing a podcast for over 221 episodes: you accumulate a lot of advice. Some of it's specific—how to photograph buildings...

Send us Fan Mail 📸 Photography Explained Podcast - Episode 221 🎯 Composition Made Simple: The Rule of Thirds for Beginners Host: Rick McEvoy 🇬🇧 | Duration: ⏱️ 23 minutes ⚡ What Is This? The Rule of Thirds is a cheat code 🎮 that instantly makes your photos more interesting. Divide your frame into 9 equal parts (like noughts and crosses), place your subject on the lines or intersection points, a...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why some photographers spot amazing shots everywhere while you're standing in the same place seeing nothing? 👀 They're not lucky—they've trained their photographer's eye, and you can too! Host Rick McEvoy reveals the exact skills that separate snapshots from photographs. Learn to see light, composition, and decisive moments BEFORE you press the shu...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered why your photos don't look as good as the scene you remember? 🤔 The answer isn't a new camera or expensive software—it's mastering seven simple editing adjustments that transform flat photos into stunning images. ✨ Host Rick McEvoy reveals the exact editing workflow professional photographers use on EVERY photo. Learn how to make your images pop with...