On Taking Pictures

This week, we’re talking about context and meaning in the work we create using Sally Mann’s new show at the National Gallery as background. Within the discussion, we address changing creative directions, the relationship between process and outcome and, despite repetition how sometimes taking a dramatic creative leap comes down to timing. Also, advice on creativity, courtesy of famed portrait and landscape photographer Nadav Kander. Elsa Dorfman is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re talking about planning purchases — specifically, how do you determine what gear you want, versus what you need? Also, a recent gallery show inspires a discussion around editioning work and the value (or potential caveat) of arbitrary editions in a digital world. Plus, a new social media platform is gaining ground, but is it the new Instagram? Finally, a bit of gear talk musing over the latest offerings from Fuji and Sony. Isabel Magowan is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re wrestling with the concepts of “good” vs “different” and whether one is better than the other, both as an end product and as a prime mover. What’s more important to you, good or different? Also, a couple interesting items around copyright and how others can or can’t share your images. Plus, preserving Disney cels and documentaries about William Eggleston and Ansel Adams. Thomas Struth is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, making art because you have to and how context can elevate humble materials to something extraordinary. Also, connecting to the past through the tangential experiences of the present. Plus, why is serious subject matter taken more...seriously as important work? Donna Ferrato is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we start with a question we missed on last week’s Q&A show around balancing available light and flash using speedlights. Also, a discussion around accepting not only who, but also where you are on your creative curve. Plus, what do you look for from a podcast? Eugene Richards is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, questions and answers from YOU, the listeners. Topics range from the business side of photography — including social media and marketing — to how to approach subjects who may not “get” your vision on the shoot. We’re also talking about how art can sometimes be overwhelming to look at and even a few technical questions around gear. A couple questions were too big to answer here and we’ll tackle them on the next show. Hugh Kretschmer is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we start with a discussion around the often finicky nature of inkjet printing—between random clogs and the cost of ink and paper, is it better to just job it out? Also, a talk around taking risks, inspired by an interview with Gail Bichler, Design Director of the New York Times Magazine who says that if your work is “consistently pretty good, but you don’t have anything great,” you may not be taking enough creative risks. TWO Photographers of the Week this week: FC Gundlach and Bert Hardy.

This week, we’re discussing “iterative ideation” — process whereby you course correct more often as a project develops — as a means of failing forward. Along the way, we wonder if “failure” is really the most productive way of thinking about our creative missteps. Also, we talk about some of the struggles of balancing our personal and professional lives on social media. Plus, 11 minutes for 3 setups with an icon. Emmet Gowin is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re talking about the importance of mentors and how changing our focus can sometimes lead to incredible exchanges that would not have happened otherwise. Also, a discussion around workflow and the potential of using more of a mobile-first approach to post-processing images. Plus, are camera manufacturers simply releasing slighting different versions of the same cameras and trying to pass them off as new? Karl Baden is our Photographer of the Week.

Happy New Year! This week, we’re talking about various ways to approach 365 (or any long term) projects, inspired by some questions from a listener. Topics include: approach, overall goals and how to mark your progress when single pieces may take longer than a day to complete. If you’re starting a new project this year, we would love to check it out. We also discuss an article on Kotaku highlighting some incredible shots from video games. With so many “real” photographic principles being applied to modern gaming, do screenshots count as photography? Also, we’re going to try ending each month with a Q&A/Crit Wall show. If you have questions, or would like us to discuss a photo or two, email us at podcast at ontakingpictures.com

Questions, questions. Whose got the questions? Turns out, it’s YOU, the listeners! This week, we tackle conundrums about favorite museums, sources of inspiration, archiving strategies, finding the theme of your work, and a whole lot more. Brett Weston is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we geek out a little over the new non-upgradeable iMacPro and talk about hardware and workflow. We also discuss how deadlines can affect how we define (or redefine) good. Affinity teases a new piece of software for publishers and we discuss the new Annie Leibovitz Masterclass, which leaves us asking “What do you expect from online training?”. Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber are our Photographers of the Week

This week, we’re talking about the question of “what comes next?” and how adapting your skills to something completely unexpected may be the difference between moving forward or being left behind. Also, getting out of our own ways and realizing that you can’t get anywhere without taking that first step. Plus, would you show up for a “professional” job with a bag full of point and shoots? Peter Lindbergh is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, Jeffery is back from Paris and is wrestling with whether seeing so much art is inspiring or depressing. Is there a point where experiencing the creativity of others is actually counterproductive? Also, we’ve said it many times...back up your photos. Southern California is on fire and photos still top the list of what people take first. Plus, a few gift picks for both the photographers and the non-photographers on your lists. Billy & Hells are our Photographers of the Week.

This week, we discuss walking the line between creativity and productivity. How do you approach getting your creative work done? Are you a planner, or do you fly by the seat of your pants and go where the muse leads? Also, what would prompt you to walk away from social media if you had more than a half-million followers? Plus, we weigh in on a couple listener emails. Vitas Luckus is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we discuss a recent article talking about “capitalist realism,” an idea that suggests that the work of Annie Leibovitz and Gregory Crewdson are two sides of the same coin in terms of the worlds they represent. Also, we weigh in on a photographer who decided to make an editorial decision on a photograph that didn’t go well. Plus, Fuji is being sued by Polaroid over Instax. Robert ParkeHarrison is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, with the actual hardware making so many drastic changes and computational photography gaining more interest and capability, we discuss the potential future of photography, beginning with the question “what is a photograph?” Does that definition change depending on your entry point into the medium? Also, a reprint of a collaboration between Richard Avedon and James Baldwin inspires a discussion around how and why we critique art. Plus, is augmented reality the future or simply tomorrow’s 3d? Be sure to check the show notes for an article we will be discussing next week. Pierpaolo Ferrari is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If you could recreate any single photograph, which one would it be and why? Does everything in a museum really “deserve” to be there or was Sturgeon right and 90% of everything is just crap? Plus, with modern cameras so dependent on software, should camera makers turn to the open source community? Virginia Thoren is our Photographer of the Week. Connect with us! Leave a message at: (347) 687-9411 or email us at: podcast@ontakingpictures.com

This week, happy Halloween! What constitutes a cultural experience for you? A museum? A gallery? Going bowling? Also, what motivates you to look at art? Plus, we talk about managing expectations of creative endeavors when they are just outside of your comfort zone. Four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carol Guzy is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, when do great cameras (or any other tools for that matter) cease to be great? Many of us chase the latest and greatest, but even the older version was great once. Also, some thoughts on photos as objects, courtesy of Wim Wenders and his collection of thousands of Polaroids. Plus, managing expectations about what we put out into the world. Taryn Simon is our Photographer of the Week. As a teaser for next week, what defines a “cultural experience” for you?