The Fine Art Photography Podcast

A short episode to recommend a video about the great portrait photographer Platon, who offers sage advice on the topic of simplicity in photographic compositions. To see Platon's books, use the Amazon links below. A full transcript of this episode can be found at https://fineartphotopodcast.com/a-lesson-on-simplicity-from-the-great-portrait-photographer-platon/ Sources and Links YouTube -- Abstrac...

In this episode we discuss the idea of photography as a form immortality. Photography preserves an instant forever. In a way, it immortalizes the both the subject and the photographer, as long as the images can survive into future generations. Sources and Links 1848 Daguerreotypes Bring Middle America’s Past to Life https://www.wired.com/2010/07/ff_daguerrotype_panorama/ Archaeologists Have Discov...

In this episode of the fine art photography podcast, five legendary movie directors who were photographers first. We will be talking about the work of Anton Corbijn, Stanley Kubrick, Gordon Parks, Agnes Varda, and Wim Wenders -- who all started out as photographers. Sources and Links Anton Corbijn Documentary, Anton Corbijn Inside Out , 2012, Directed by Klaartje Quirijns. Stanley Kubrick Book: Th...

In episode 28 of the fine art photography podcast, we talk about the amazing collection of photographs owned by Sir Elton John and David Furnish. Sources "The Radical Eye review – Elton John's ravishing photography collection," Adrian Searle, 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/nov/08/the-radical-eye-review-tate-modern-switch-house "Sir Elton John: ‘I collect for the beauty, not the...

In this episode -- a major Hollywood movie about two-time White House photographer Pete Souza, who worked in the White Houses of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Sources and Links Obama White House Flickr account, photographs by Pete Souza Books by Pete Souza (Amazon) The Way I See It  -- Official Movie Trailer Terry Gross, Fresh Air -- Interview with Pete Souza "Photographer Pete Souza Reflec...

I love fog in the landscape, but not on my camera lens. I recently spent a week in beautiful Charleston South Carolina, where I photographed historic architecture, and gorgeous coastal barrier islands and beaches. Charleston is known for historic architecture, gourmet cuisine, a vibrant art scene, numerous huge old churches with ancient cemeteries, palm trees -- and of course -- being a coastal ci...

In this episode, I'll walk you through a virtual exhibition of color photographs by the legendary Harry Callahan , hosted by Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta. Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Callahan Harry Callahan, Encyclopedia.com https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/photography-biographies/harry-callahan Howard Greenberg http://www.howar...

In this episode of the fine art photography podcast: a quick followup to my discussion of daguerreotypes from my previous episode (number 23 Southworth & Hawes) --  just how fragile were they? There's a common perception, supported by much early documentation, that daguerreotypes are easily wiped off the plate. But modern science seems to contradict that. The Daguerreotype: Nineteenth Cen...

In this episode of the Fine Art Photography podcast: the story of Boston-based Southworth & Hawes, the first American masters of daguerreotype portraiture. We will talk about the partnership between Albert Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes in the earliest days of photography that created some of the most beautiful portraits ever. We'll also take a dive into the daguerreotype process. Sources...

I've dedicated my career to black and white photography. In this episode, I discuss the four elements that I think are necessary to make a great black and white photograph. For me, it comes down to these four key parts: Emotion, Unique Artistic Vision, the Story, and the Print. Listen to my thesis and see if you agree or disagree with my assessment.

In this episode, I discuss the story behind a famous 1866 photograph by pioneering British photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. We know what camera and lens Cameron used to shoot the glass plate negative, but the captivating model Ms. Keene is an enigma -- almost nothing is known about her. Credits and useful links: The specific print I discuss is this one in the collection of the The Metropolitan...

What It's Like to See the World's Oldest Photograph in Person August 4, 2020 In this episode of the Fine Art Photography podcast, we discuss what it's like to stand before the world's oldest photograph and see it in person. Be sure to visit my blog post at icatchshadows.com , where you can see images related to this episode, and find links to all my sources. Sources PetaPixel https://petapixel.com...

On Location: Landscape Photography at a Cave Once Used by Moonshiners Episode 18 of the fine art photography podcast: In this episode, I'm bringing you along as I hike through the forest to make landscape photographs at the mouth of a former moonshiner's cave. With background sounds from the woods and the cave stream. Listen to the podcast ad-free on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/keithdotson See...

Pareidolia: Why We See Human Faces in Clouds, Rocks, Tree Bark, on the Moon, and even Mars In this episode of the fine art photography podcast, we discuss the psychological phenomenon of Pareidolia, or the tendency to recognize faces in random shapes, patterns, or noise, and sometimes in our own photographs! Cited in this podcast: My blog https://icatchshadows.com/ Merriam-Webster https://www.merr...

First of all thank you for listening! Talk to me: What photography topics would you like to hear discussed? Send a message here: https://anchor.fm/keith-dotson or here: https://icatchshadows.com/contact/

Photographing an Abandoned Ghost Town in Virginia: The Art and Business of Photo Road Trips In this episode of the fine art photography podcast, I take you along to photograph the abandoned main street of a ghost town in Virginia. In addition to painting a vivid picture in your mind of what the deserted town is like, I'll talk about the business realities of taking road trips like this for photogr...

Anna Atkins: England's Blue Lady of Photography In this episode, a brief biography of Anna Atkins, the first female photographer and the first person to create a photography-based book. She learned photography from some of its inventors and went on to become a master of the cyanotype print. New York Public Library copy of "British Algae" by Anna Atkins: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collecti...

The Aesthetic Appeal of Camera Shutter Sounds Have you ever given any thought to the sound of the camera shutter? I don't mean the loudness of the shutter, like during weddings or events . . . I mean the actual quality of the shutter sound. Is it important to you how the shutter sounds? I've realized since I started shooting with Sony cameras that I don't enjoy the sound of Sony shutters. This is...

Note to Self: Don't Perfect the Soul Out of Your Photographs In episode 12 of the fine art photography podcast, a reminder to myself that a technically perfect photograph is not always the most artistically moving photograph. Sometimes technical perfection creates a static, clinical photograph. My goal as an artist is to create an emotional connection with my viewers, and this is a lesson I have t...

The Extraordinary (but Sad) Life of Carleton Watkins, the First Great Photographer of Yosemite In this episode of the fine art photography podcast, we talk about Carleton Watkins, accidental photographer made some the first great photographs of Yosemite. His work let to protections for Yosemite and indirectly helped the establishment of the National Parks System. But even though he experienced hug...

How I Got My Photographs into Movies and TV Shows Like Grey's Anatomy In this episode, I explain how I got my black and white photographs into popular TV shows, like Grey's Anatomy, as well as movies, and TV commercials.

The True Story Behind William Eggleston's Shocking Blood Red Photograph The shocking true story behind the red ceiling photograph, "Untitled, Greenwood, Mississippi, 1973" by William Eggleston.

Paper, Prints, and Permanence In this episode of the Fine Art Photography podcast we discuss printing, paper, and how long your prints might last. As part of the discussion, we'll touch on dye-based printing vs. inkjet printing, OBAs, UV exposure, and other things that help or hinder the longevity of your inkjet prints. While this podcast mentions a few brand names, this is not a sponsored podcast...

Why Do Those Crazy Landscape Photographers Get Up So Early? On the road: In this short edition of my fine art photography podcast, we discuss good reasons to get up early and go out to make photographs.

First, let me apologize to my international listeners -- this is a U.S.-centric episode but similar laws apply in many other countries! This topic will probably be of most interest to landscape photographers, wildlife photographers, and nature photographers. I lived in this country for my entire life without ever knowing that it's a violation of federal law to possess bird feathers, even if you fo...