Visual Revolutionary

Celebrity photographer Randall Slavin joins the podcast to talk about growing up in the shadow of Hollywood with early dreams of rock stardom that would morph into dreams of the silver screen, and how that all shifted one day when he walked into a headshot studio across the street from a job he hated and had his life changed by the power of photography. During our conversation we talk about the struggle that was his early acting career and how he loved the immediacy of taking photos, how the early snapshots he took of his group of friends in legendary venues like The Viper Room would become some of his most cherished work, how going on a Safari with Charlize Theron would become a huge jumping off point to the career he’s known for today, how he's evolved over time and slowly thinned out his gear closet and returned to some of the simplicity he loved about photography in the first place, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own dreams. To Learn More About Randall Slavin Visit: https://www.randallsla

On this episode of the podcast I'm joined by renowed photographer Platon for a beautiful conversation ranging from the current state of photography to affecting social change and the need for creatives to come forward and tell the story of what's around them.  Platon has had a legendary career shooting compelling portaits of some of the most powerful world leaders and celebrity figures, as well as NGO work to tell the story of those figures who have had power taken from them.  During our converstion he talks about what it was like growing up in Greece as the son of an architect and art historian and the difficult move to London that would soon have him on his way to studying graphic design and finally picking up a Hassleblad camera that would one day become synonymis with his work.  We also talk about the muse and how he tunes into the energy of his subjects in a portait session, how you never get to a point in your career where you stop questioning your right to be there, and the advice he gives to others co

Fine art and commercial photographer Peter Andrew Lusztyk joins the podcast from his studio in Toronto to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Ottawa with a desire to create videos like his hometown hero Tom Green, to studying photography, to working as a first assistant in one of the biggest commercial studios in Canada, to venturing out on his own and finding his creative voice in both the commercial world, as well as the fine art world.  During our conversation Peter talks about all the ups and downs and self doubt that has persisted through an already successful career, how he found his way into the competitive world of fine art photography and what it's like knowing your pieces are gracing the walls of art collectors, how he continues to maintain a foothold in the commercial photography world and never bought into the idea of "choosing a lane", and the advice he gives to other visual creatives coming up now.   To Learn More About Peter Andrew Lusztyk Visit: https://www.peterandrew.ca And Follo

Award winning cinematographer Steve Cosens joins the podcast to talk about shooting HBO's new original series “Station Eleven” and what it was like trying to create a visually stunning post apocalyptic story that revolves around a pandemic, in the midst of an actual global pandemic, as well as how the story intertwines the message of hope, art, and community. During our conversation Steve talks about growing up in the plains of Alberta and finding his artistic voice in an art class in school, how he went on to study filmmaking at the prestigious Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, how his early job of creating karaoke videos ended up being a great learning experience for working on the fly, and how he created the career and body of work he is known for today. To Learn More About Steve Cosens Visit: https://www.stevecosens.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/cosenssteve/ Check Out the Trailer for Station Eleven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaAG-SwEa7k&t=37s To Learn More A

New York based commercial/editorial fashion and lifestyle photographer Jacob Pritchard joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Denver, CO with a love for the mountains and an early interest in photography, to working as an intern for pulitzer winning newspapers, to attending the Eddie Adams workshop, to moving to New York and sleeping on a stranger's couch, to finally finding his place in the ever growing world of professional photographers and building the body of work he is known for today. During our conversation Jacob talks about his recent project working with Acme Brooklyn on a shoot for Harpers Bazaar Vietnam, how personal work continues to drive most of his commissioned work, how he feels about the current pace of photography and how we both feel about slowing down and shooting for the meditational practice of it, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own photography dreams.   To Learn More About Jacob Pritchard Visit: https://www.jacobpritchard.com And Follow Hi

Artist Tim Biskup joins the podcast for a beautiful conversation about art and the life he's created around it.  You might know Tim's work from features in Juxtapoz Magazine, or from gallery shows he's done around the world, or from his own experiential gallery and book store Face Guts. But on this episode we talk about Tim's early creative inspirations from skateboarding and punk rock to cartoons and monster movies, and how that led to a disillusionment with the world of fine art and how he would set about finding himself as an artist and his own place in the business that surrounded it.  During our conversation Tim and I talk about how to find the muse and the resistance that can sometimes come in the search, we discuss our shared love of architecture and our feelings around how our spaces are an extension of our creative selves, what meditation and hiking brings to his art practice, and the advice he gives to others trying to find their own voice in the world of art.   To Learn More About Tim Biskup Visit:

Friend of the show and amazing surf, lifestyle, and commercial photographer/director Todd Glaser returns to the podcast to catch up on what's been going on since we last spoke.  Make sure to check out his original full length biographical episode back on Episode #144.  During this conversation we talk about how his world of travel and surf photography was interrupted by Covid and how that encouraged him to shoot commercial projects outside his wheelhouse like Golf.  We also talk about trying to keep a beginners state of mind, how running helps us to stay motivated in other struggles in our lives and careers, some of the expectations that social media platforms have introduced into the commercial shot list, the discipline of shooting what's in front of you, and what he's looking forward to shooting as he moves forward with his career. To Learn More About Todd Glaser Visit: http://www.tglaser.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/toddglaser/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit

On this episode of the podcast I'm joined by National Geographic photographer and adventurer Jody MacDonald where we talk about a life well lived, with so much more she still wants to experience.  From her early years as a Canadian growing up in Saudi  Arabia, to her days as a river guide in Alaska, to the tragic story of losing her boyfriend in a paragliding accident and being reminded of her own impermanence, to sailing around the world twice, to hopping trains in the Sahara Desert, we cover some of the many amazing adventures that are a recurring theme in her life.  During our conversation Jody talks about being open and present for where the adventure takes you and how that makes a more compelling photo and story in the long run, what it was like to circumnavigate the globe on a sailboat, how she fell in love with photography and how her career began to take off, the problems she sees with social media creating too much of the same, and the advice she gives to others out there wanting live out their own c

Photographer and director Justin Bettman joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up outside the Bay Area with a passion for music and the scene surrounding it would go on to start his own clothing brand in high school, which would slowly lead him to the world of photography and the advertising business around it.  During our conversation Justin talks about his early days working in an ad agency and what he learned on all sides of the photo industry, how he came up with the idea to start shooting the personal project "Set in the Street" and how that would help him achieve recognition as well a build an aesthetic and passion for personal projects, where he draws the most creative inspiration from, how he maintains a drive for shooting personal work in the midst of so much paid work, and the advice he gives to others out there chasing their own  creative dreams.   To Learn More About Justin Bettman Visit: https://www.justinbettman.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.c

Editorial and commercial photographer and host of The Photo Banter Podcast Alex Gagne joins the show to talk about growing up outside of Boston with a love of skateboarding and photography and how he chased that dream to California first before deciding to pursue an eduction in the medium at RIT and slowly start carving out a place for himself in the photo business.  During our conversation we talk about all the personal projects that he pursues and maintains and how that has helped him to never burn out on taking photos, what made him start his own podcast and what he's learned from talking to some of the legendary shooters he has had the opportunity to have on his show, what it's like dealing with the roller coaster ride that it can sometimes feel like in the professional photography business, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own dreams.   To Learn More About Alex Gagne Visit: https://www.alexgagnephoto.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/alexgagnephoto/ To Listen to

National Geographic Editor In Chief Susan Goldberg joins the show to talk about the beautiful new book "The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection" and the process of trying to visually tell the story of the last 21 years through the stunning photography that National Geographic is known for.  During our conversation Susan and I reminisce on some of the iconic images that you find inside the pages of the book and how they marked the passage of time that was sometimes wrought with anxiety.  We also talk about the undertaking of trying to narrow down the right images, what it's like to view the physical image archive in DC, how she got her start in journalism and built the career she is known for today, how she feels about the future of print media, and the advice she gives to young photographers, writers, and creatives who dream of one day seeing their work inside the iconic yellow frame.   To Get Your Copy of "The 21st Century: Photographs From The Image Collection" Visit: https://www.amazon.com

Well known and sometimes controversial fine art photographer, director, and visual provocateur Tyler Shields joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Jacksonville, Florida under the watchful eye of a military father with high expectations of always putting your best foot forward, to becoming a professional in-line skater at age 12, dropping out of middle school to tour the world as a skater, falling in love with making films, shooting music videos for people like Ghostface Killah, booking his first national photo campaign before he actually owned a camera, to finally finding his voice as an artist and his footing in the gallery world he is known for today.  During our conversation Tyler talks about the sacrifice and work ethic he was and is still willing to put into chasing his dreams, one of the biggest mistakes some artists make that keeps them from having longevity in the art world, and the advice he gives to others seeking their own creative existence. To Learn More About Tyler

Award winning commercial and editorial sports photographer Donald Miralle joins the podcast to talk about his journey from competitive swimmer to shooting his 10th Olympic Games in Tokyo and how he went about creating a long lasting and successful career as a well known figure in sports photography on both the commercial and editorial sides of the industry.  During our conversation Donald talks about his early love of art and the water as a kid, and how both of those passions led him to UCLA where he competed as a collegiate swimmer and eventually found his way to the art side of the campus.  We also talk about how he feels he has maintained a true passion for shooting after all these years, some of the practices he has put into place in his life that he feels support that longevity, and the advice he gives to others pursuing their own creative life and careers.  To Learn More About Donald Miralle Visit: https://donaldmiralle.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/donaldmiralle/ To Lear

Commercial, lifestyle, and travel photographer/videographer and former host of The Darkroom Podcast Dane Deaner joins the show to talk about his early years of chasing a creative life through improv acting, to working as a sound engineer, to finally settling into photography and videography and slowly making a name for himself in the competitive world of image making.  During our conversation we talk about how he initially found photography and why he ignored the possibility of it being a career for so long, what it was like to mix the sound for huge Disney/Marvel movies, his brief stint with commercial acting, and how all of that came together to form the creative tool kit he uses today.  We also talk about the challenge of trying to balance a busy shooting schedule with recording and managing a podcast, some of what we both do in our daily lives to keep us from burning out, and the advice he gives to other creatives out there trying to make a living out of it.   To Learn More About Dane Deaner Visit https:/

Commercial and editorial photographer Danny Weiss joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Brooklyn with artist parents, to a competitive swimmer that would end up following in the footsteps of his mother and chase the dream of becoming an actor for a decade of hard work and rejection before finally falling in love with photography and creating the career he's known for today.  During our conversation we talk about how endurance sports helped him create a work ethic and a drive that would allow him to never give up in the pursuit of what he's chasing, how the world of acting gave him the thick skin it takes to accept rejection in the creative space without taking it personally, and how he was able to create a thriving wedding studio that continues to generate income before making the switch to commercial and editorial work.  Lastly we talk about his newest passion of ocean photography and the joy a new personal project has bought to his career and life.   To Learn More About Danny

Adventure travel, lifestyle, and action sports photographer Tyler Ravelle joins the podcast to talk about growing up on the west coast of Canada with a love of snowboarding and the adventure the mountains offered, and how he turned that passion into a career as a photographer and content creator after years of trying to juggle a full time job while still chasing his creative dreams. During our conversation Tyler talks about his early days as a sponsored snowboarder and how photography helped him create solid working relationships with outdoor brands, how working construction jobs in the summer time helped fund his winter adventures and created the opportunity to build a beautiful portfolio that would attract clients, the number of amazing mentors that helped guide him to where he is today, and how Covid ended up providing him the opportunity to finally go all in with photography as a full time career.   To Learn More About Tyler Ravelle Visit: https://www.tylerravelle.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https

Award winning film and commercial director Jackson Tisi joins the podcast to tell the story of how he went from a kid growing up outside of Jackson Hole Wyoming with a devotion to competitive freestyle and big mountain skiing to studying filmmaking at NYU, to directing music videos with his creative friends, to working on advertising pieces for some of the biggest named brands in the country while also making beautiful documentary films.  During our conversation we talk about how he first got into filmmaking while chasing his younger brother around the mountain with a camera, his early love of New York street photography and how that inspired him to move to the city, how he made the transition into directing commercial and narrative pieces, where he draws the most visual creative inspiration, how he stays motivated in the competitive world of filmmaking, and the advice he gives to others trying to fulfill their own creative dreams.   To Learn More About Jackson Tisi Visit: https://www.jacksontisi.com And Foll

Fashion and portrait photographer Mark Elzey joins the podcast to talk about how a kid from Bogalusa, Louisiana with an early love of art and music ended up in New York shooting for some of the most respected publications in the world.  During our conversation Mark talks about falling in love with photography the moment he held a friend's camera in high school, making the move to San Fransisco at an early age to study photography and how that shaped the way he would pursue his career, how he was able to overcome his shyness and approach strangers on the street to take their portrait, and the way he set about creating a name for himself at New York Fashion Week.  We also talk about where he draws the most creative inspiration from, the challenges that people of color can sometimes face in the photography and fashion industry, and the advice he gives to others coming up.  To Learn More About Mark Elzey Visit: https://www.markelzey.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/markelzey/ To Learn

After a short break, the podcast returns with Season 5 and a conversation with the legendary photographer Albert Watson where we discuss how he built an iconic body of work consisting of over 100 covers of Vogue, as well as countless other top tier editorial covers, advertising jobs, world renowned gallery shows, and so much more.  From his beginnings in Edinburg, Scotland, to his early love of graphic design and then on to film school, to the move with his wife and children to Los Angeles in 1970 to begin creating a career that would eventually lead him to New York and have PDN call him one of the 20 most influential photographers of all time, we cover the story of his life and work.  During our conversation we discuss how Albert began to hone his craft and find his voice as an artist and how he has learned to trust that voice through years of shooting and a true dedication and passion to the craft.  We also talk about his latest book "Albert Watson : Creating Photographs", how he's managed to stay so motiva

Renowned photographer Mark Seliger joins the podcast to talk about his journey from a kid growing up in Texas with a love of the darkroom, to becoming the chief photographer of Rolling Stone Magazine for 10 years, shooting iconic portraits and incredible and sometimes hilarious conceptual ideas, before deciding to move on with his career working with Vanity Fair, GQ, and an amazing list of other clients.  During our conversation Mark talks about his newest book and beautiful personal project he worked on during the quarantine lockdown of NYC called "The City That Finally Sleeps" which is currently for sale and can be purchased with the link below.  We also talk about some of the behind the scenes moments of iconic images like his portrait of Kurt Cobain or what went into turning Jerry Seinfeld into Elvis. It's an amazing journey that I think you'll enjoy hearing.   To Learn More About Mark Seliger Visit: https://www.markseliger.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/markseliger/ To Purc