F-stop Collaborate And Listen

Chasing the Aurora Borealis is a dream for many photographers and a dream come true for those who can successfully do it. Of course, not all of us have the luxury of living in an area where it can be done with relative ease, so when we travel to locations where it is possible, we want to maximize our chances at seeing and photographing incredible solar storms. Today's guest on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast, Adrien Mauduit, has become an expert at chasing the Aurora and joined us to talk all about his workflows for maximizing success and fully understanding all of the variables that go into a successful Aurora chase. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Adrien got obsessed with photographing and filming the Aurora. Adrien's Aurora chasing workflow. Planning trips to photograph the Aurora. Debunking common myths and misconceptions about the Aurora, including the KP Index. Running a business solely dedicated to photographing and filming the Aurora. Advice for young photographers looking to make

For most photographers, the thought of trying infrared photography fills us with a whole list of questions. How do we even start? What is the point? Why should I even try infrared photography? What will my photographs look like? How much will it cost? Fortunately, the guest of today's podcast has already gone down this rabbit hole and has the answers to your questions. This week on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Ciccone, a Canadian landscape photographer living in Australia. Michael has recently been specializing in infrared photography and shared his knowledge with us on today's episode. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Michael got into photography and more specifically, infrared photography. How and why Michael started in street photography. How studying architecture has helped Michael in his pursuit of photography and vice versa. The different types of infrared photography (IR) that exist, including full-spectrum and 720nm. What we should know

Niche communities exist for the purpose of providing education, resources, and a sense of belonging. The need for these communities is greater than ever in our age of polarization on social media and the impersonal interactions often found there. In the nature photography space, no better community exists than on Nature Photographer's Network (NPN). On today's podcast episode, I sit down with the owner of NPN, David Kingham, and the Editor for NPN, Cody Schultz, to discuss photography communities, critique, and the launch of Nature Vision Magazine.  On this week's episode, we discuss: The meaning of community as it relates to nature photography. The value of belonging to a community. The benefits of becoming a member of Nature Photographer's Network, and a discussion on what has changed at NPN as of late. The value of critique and how to get the most out of it. Connecting with our audience in a community such as NPN. Outdoor Photographer Magazine's demise and how Nature Vision Magazine seeks to fill this vo

Creating personal work in our photography is harder than it sounds. One possible way to give us a path forward is to develop a set of guiding principles that help set the stage for our future work. On today's podcast episode, my guest, Ricardo Da Cunha, explains how this has helped him improve as a photographer.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Ricardo got into landscape photography. The role photography plays in Ricardo's day-to-day life. How his true passion for animal welfare intersects with his photography. How Ricardo goes about creating more personal work. Ricardo's goal with his photography. Why it is important for Ricardo to create images that are infused with a part of himself. The development of guiding principles and how to do it. The role collaborations have played in shaping his photography career. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Bruce Percy's e-books. Watch podcast episodes o

Innovation and design thinking are at the forefront of tech start-ups and lots of corporations looking to maximize profits and meet the demands of their customers. Interestingly, there's lots of profound parallels where these concepts can improve our landscape photography when implemented. Today's guest on my podcast, Jeff Zias, is a photographer who spends his time as an innovation coach. He's a thought-leader in the innovation space and we both thought his ideas would provide tremendous value to photographers looking to improve their images. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Jeff got interested in photography. What is "design thinking" and how does it relate to landscape photography? The concept of deep empathy and how it relates to our photography. The concept of self-empathy and how it can improve our work. Knowing when we have had a true emotional response with our subjects. Figuring our what our photography should be about. Narrow and rapid experimentation and how it relates to nature photograph

Including man-made objects in our landscape photographs is sometimes quite challenging! I personally find it to be one of the hardest things to do well in this genre of photography; however, today's guest on my podcast, Michael Blanchette, has mastered it.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Michael transitioned from his career in software engineering to landscape photography. Michael's proclivity for including "the hand of man" in his landscape photographs. Michael's approach for including man-made objects in his photographs. What Michael loves most about landscape photography. Michael's approaches to planning his photography shoots. The tools that Michael uses to maximize his success as a photographer. The pros and cons of social media and how it has changed over the years for Michael. Michael's thoughts on compositing. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Nature Photographer's Network - get 10%

Immersing ourselves in other cultures can be a very rewarding experience and can dramatically improve our photography.  On today's episode, I had a blast speaking with Kevin Pepper, a Canadian photographer and fellow Muench Workshops instructor. Kevin and I first met on my first trip with Muench last year to Antarctica and we really hit it off. I became deeply interested in his passion for Mongolia, which was largely the focus of today's podcast.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Kevin transitioned from working for Autotrader.com to being a FT photography instructor. Kevin's deep immersion into the Mongolian culture. Tips and tricks for telling stories with our images. How Mongolia has changed over the past decade. Kevin's approach to making images within a different culture. Mongolian Eagle Hunters - their history and why they exist. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Workshops with Kevin Pep

Nature Photography can be a powerful tool for self-expression, self-discovery, and personal transformation. The keys to leveraging this visual communication medium for these purposes can be elusive, but once they are tapped into fully, the impacts can be quite fruitful! On today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Astrid Preisz, a phenomenal photographer from Austria. Astrid has some of the most creative and mind-bending images I've seen and so it was great to get to know her through the podcast and get to learn what her approaches are to making her exceptional images. In this episode, you'll learn how her approach to photography has set her on a path of self-expression that has completely transformed her as a person. On this week's episode, we discuss: Astrid's journey into nature photography starting in 2015. How photography has aided her in finding a path for self-expression which has allowed her to shed her emotional armor. How we can encourage other photographers to place less pressure on them

The journey of nature photography can be amazing. Through it, we can learn to be better humans. Such is the case for today's guest of my podcast, Nic Stover. Nic has successfully managed to grow his online and physical photography business by aligning his core values and focusing on what really matters to him.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Nic has found a way to differentiate himself by aligning his core values. Why Nic isn't on social media and how he promotes his business instead. Finding the right framework to evaluate your creative journey. Lessons learned from his experience being in a gallery and being critiqued at FotoFest. How Nic has carved out a niche presenting to camera clubs and what he's learned along the way. Having a professional mindset. Nic's website, Nature Photography Classes and the Speaker Series - use the code "FSTOP" for a discount! How Nic is giving back through The Inspired Creator. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast

Development of a unique style in nature photography is something most of us strive for in our quests as photographers of the landscape. Sometimes it is hard to put into words what that even means or looks like, and there are a plethora of variables that impact one's unique style. On today's podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of my favorite Canadian nature photographers, Jason Pettit, about his journey and approach to the craft, including his approach for distillation of subject, which I found to be quite interesting. Sit back, relax, and enjoy our chat! On this week's episode, we discuss: Jason's journey into photography. What life is like in Prince Edward County, where Jason lives and grew up. Using photography as a vehicle for self-discovery and therapy. Why we choose nature photography over something else. Our evolution as photographers. Identification of a unique style and what even means in nature photography. Distillation of subjects for maximum impact. Making home a lifelong photo

Printing our landscape and nature photographs can bring a lot of joy and can provide tremendous opportunities for making money from your artwork. There's a lot to decipher before you start. What paper do you use? How do you calibrate your monitor? Why are my prints so dark? Fortunately, resources exist to make this process easier for you to figure out. As such, I was excited to record this week's podcast! On today's episode, I sat down with the legendary Australian print-maker and fine art educator, Les Walkling. Dr. Walkling has devoted his life to the arts, and taught contemporary fine art photography and history at RMIT University for many years. He is perhaps more well-known in the landscape photography community for his excellent YouTube videos that compare and contrast various fine art papers for printing. On today's podcast we talk about his research, how to evaluate and choose a fine art paper, and tips for monitor calibration. Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast

Photography is one of the most accessible artforms that exists and acts as a creative outlet and tool for personal expression for so many of us. Unfortunately, tapping into that creativity and modes of personal expression in photography doesn't always come naturally for all of us. Fortunately, there are techniques and strategies that exist to help us get there. On today's episode, I finally was able to speak with one of the most inspiring Canadian photographers of our time, Richard Martin. Richard is a creative powerhouse and I just love his approach to making images. Our conversation covers a huge plethora of topics revolving around his creative approaches for making images and there is a lot of actionable advice in today's episode, so I highly encourage you to listen all the way to the end. On this week's episode, we discuss: Richard's journey into photography. How growing up in the Thousand Island region near Lake Ontario informed Richard's interest in nature. How photography evolved into a vehicle for per

It happens to the best of us - we lose our mojo in landscape photography and can't figure out how to find it again. Fortunately there is a simple cure for this... In this week's podcast episode, I had a fantastic time speaking with one of my favorite UK landscape photographers, Lizzie Shepherd. We eventually do discuss losing our mojo but we also talk about how this is actually not a bad thing. Our chat covers a lot of important ground and it was a true delight speaking with Lizzie about her approach to making images. I highly recommend this podcast. On this week's episode, we discuss: Lizzie's journey into photography. Going a long time without taking images and how to get back into it. Cross-country skiing in Norway. Why Scotland is one of Lizzie's favorite places to photograph. Our role as photographers in protecting and promoting nature. Using social media as a photographer. Approaches to teaching workshops. Intimate vs. grand scenic approaches to making images. And a lot more! If you enjoyed our chat, w

Finding our people is something I think we all strive for. For some of us, this is easy and for others, it can be quite difficult. In the landscape and nature photography community, there are well-established cliques of people who photograph together frequently, often comprised of white men. Why this is the case has always been a mystery to me; however, I genuinely always want to put myself in the shoes of others who are not like me to understand what it is like to live like them. This week I had the pleasure of hanging out and chatting with Angela Ledyard. Angela is a landscape photographer living in Texas, originally from Ohio. She recently created a group called the Black Female Landscape & Nature Photographers, which has become a prominent community and beacon for African American nature photographers. It was awesome hearing her story and to hear about why and how she created the group. I think you'll enjoy our chat. On this week's episode, we discuss: Angela's journey into photography. Why Angela has

Using 2019 data, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 14.2 million adults over the age of 18 had a severe depressive episode in the past year, and 14.4 million struggled with alcohol abuse disorder in the past year. Clearly, both alcoholism and depression are quite prevalent in our society and it is something a lot of people struggle with. Finding ways to cope with these ubiquitous challenges can be crucial for the survival of so many of us, and nature photography is one such way that has been shown to help.  As such, it was a real honor recording a podcast with TJ Thorne, who first joined us way back on Episode 22! TJ has been battling both depression and alcoholism for quite a long time and he has found nature photography to be one way that he is able to fight back. In this episode, TJ and I talk about this journey and his relationship with the subject of water specifically, which is the focus of his new book. On this week's episode, we discuss: TJ's journey i

One of the best ways to differentiate ourselves as photographers is to fully engage in the creative process. As such, one sure-fire path to making more creative work is to experiment. Experimentation can help to unlock creativity and help us create more interesting work.  Since experimentation is something I think we can all learn more about, I was excited to record a podcast with one of my favorite photographers here in Colorado, Alfredo Mora. Alfredo works full-time supporting the NASA program and takes some absolutely splendid images, largely using experimental techniques. He placed third in the 2nd year of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards and has always impressed me with his modesty and level-headedness. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Alfredo got into photography. How Alfredo's background in architectural photography has helped him as a nature photographer. How Alfredo's cultural background has influenced his path and approach to making images. How Alfredo is able to balance a full-time j

Living close to our favorite photography destinations is a luxury that not everyone can afford; however, it has become a big part of my success in my own photography and I know it contributes to the success of others' work as well. Our relationship to place and how that connection fuels us and energizes our creativity can have a huge impact on the quality of our work. This week I had the pleasure of speaking to United Kingdom photographer, Matt Oliver. Matt makes his living as a commercial photographer but his true passion lies in landscape and nature photography. I have always been a big fan of his quiet work from the Peak District in the United Kingdom, so I was excited to talk to him about his connection to that place and how it was forged.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Matt got into photography. How Matt juggles his commercial photography with his landscape photography. How important it has been for Matt to live close to the Peak District. Advice for photographers that don't live close to their

Moving to a new country can be an incredibly daunting proposition, especially in the current geo-political environment; however, it can also open up doors to new experiences, cultures, and landscapes.  This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Julien Parrot - a photographer from France now living in Australia. Julien and I talked about how moving to a new country has completely changed his outlook and approach to photography. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Julien got into photography. How moving to a new country has re-shaped his photography. How he has adapted to living abroad as a photographer. How not doubting his photographer stunted his growth as an artist. How confidence can be a double-edged sword. How to objectively critique our own work. How photography competitions have helped him in his growth as a photographer. His approach to photographing fireflies. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. Join me over on Nature Photogra

Most photographers are given the advice to specialize in something in order to make it as a photographer. On the surface, this seems to make sense as it allows one to become an expert and to become known for one thing; however, it might not be the best advice to follow, especially if you live in a smaller town. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Viktoria Haack - a photographer living in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Viktoria has chosen not to specialize in any one form of photography and has instead chosen to see herself as a generalist, which has done wonders for her photography career. On this week's episode of the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast, we discuss: How Viktoria fell in love with photography while living on a 300-acre island for ten years. How living on an island helped Viktoria hone in on what types of subjects interest her as a photographer. How social media has played a role in her progression as a photographer. How Viktoria uses social media now to advance her business offerin

It is no secret that spending time in nature is good for your mental health. Time and time again, through conversations on my podcast, I learn about the role that nature photography has played in helping people battle depression, anxiety, and life's challenges.  This week I had an amazing time talking about photography with Shane Turgeon, who credits his discovery of nature photography for saving his life. Learn about Shane's journey into photography and the steps he took to leverage it to improve his personal outcomes after a series of unfortunate life events left him reeling.  On this week's episode, we discuss: How Shane discovered his passion for photography. How nature photography saved Shane's life. How others who are struggling with mental health challenges can leverage nature photography to improve their mental health. How curiosity plays a central role in curating personal happiness. Shane's strategies for staying happy as a photographer. How bringing his dog with him on his photography trips makes