The Perceptive Photographer

Ever get a song stuck in your head that you can’t seem to shake? Or, do you ever have a random fact that you can’t remember but can remember everything else about the fact? For example, you can’t remember the name of the singer of Margaritaville, but you can remember his name sounds like something at a restaurant, likes boats, eats cheeseburgers, writes books and has beach partie...

This week on the Perceptive Photographer, we are talking all about being bold about how you answer some of the simple questions people ask you about your photography and the types of images you make. 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...

This week on the Perceptive Photographer, we are taking at look at some key considerations or questions to ask yourself about your photographic compositions. Are the objects in your composition with purpose, or are they a distraction? And, more importantly, if they are a distraction, are they a distraction of purpose? Where to your leading lines lead? After all, lines move two directions. How do y...

In this week’s podcast, we take a look at how rushing and invoking our fight or flight responses to framing and composing our photographs can have an unintended detrimental impact on our work. And, how small steps like deep breaths, reimagining work and presence of mind can help us recognize compositional issues when they appear behind the lens. One of the questions I get asked frequently is...

This week’s podcast is a dive into a few listener questions that have come in over the past few weeks. We look at how to approach big projects and use the amazing Matika Wilbur’s Project 562 work as an example of how big projects often require lots of time, miles and small bits. We then look at how to answer the question: what will you do with that photo? And finally, we take a peak at...

In looking at photographs, there are a lot of ways to evaluate the work. Two of those approaches are content and concept. We can look at how well the concept is executed, and we can look at how well the content supports the concept. In the podcast this week, I dive into the importance of understanding a couple of key elements about content and concept in analyzing your work. Most important are und...

One of the great aspects of working in photography is the chance to work on projects. And in this case, by projects, I just mean a collection of similar themed work. Many of us start out taking images of things that capture our attention. They might seem random or grouped somehow, but they are often disjointed. Eventually, we might see a pattern or theme develop but still continue to click away so...

The podcast this week is a quick review of lessons observed in my last workshop out in the Palouse. 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 link...

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...

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 m...

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 ho...

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...

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 an...

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...

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, 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...

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 Summ...

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...

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 creativit...

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 pat...

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...

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), th...

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 c...

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 small...

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. Hopeful...