On Taking Pictures

This week, we discuss the magic of things and the legacy of genius. Is Winogrand’s camera, Clapton’s Stratocaster, Picasso’s brush or Hemingway’s typewriter somehow imbued with greatness? In choosing the same tools as our heroes, do we secretly (or not so secretly) hope that a bit of their magic will rub off on us? Photojournalist Nicole Tung is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a discussion around printing (spoiler: be sure to use the correct profiles) leads to the start of a larger discussion around the perceived value of signatures. Do you sign your prints? If so, why? If you don’t, why not? Also, looking for the one camera that does everything—even the things you don’t currently need it to do—is a fool’s errand. Better to look for the right tool for the job at hand and let the future sort itself out. Brad Goldpaint is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a discussion around the work and process of iconic Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama — specifically around the value of revisiting a place in order to refine your vision of it and how details often emerge through repetition. Also, how much time should you devote to your website? What are some “must have” features? Plus, do six-year-olds need to know about Daguerre? Eve Arnold is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, how do you know if you’re close to the target if the target hasn’t been clearly defined? We discuss the difficulty in embarking on a journey (creative or otherwise) without at least a direction. How to you calibrate your creative compass when there is no true North? Also, next week we’re talking about the work and process of Daido Moriyama, using a video in this week’s show notes as a reference. Plus, who was the nineteenth century’s most photographed individual? The answer may surprise you. Klaus Enrique is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a couple books about Saul Leiter show that great photography is not always about per pixel sharpness and bright, saturate color. The problem is, when do you know when it is and when it isn’t? Can a photographic style be plotted like a course on a map, or does it only happen in the rear view mirror? Also, video seems to be the “it” factor for much of the photography industry, but is it worth it, when you consider the gear, the time and the ability required to really do it well? Arthur Tress is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk about getting out of your own way and recognize that giving up control doesn't mean giving up the wheel. Also, we discuss a fascinating article on Chuck Close and what we sometimes leave on the studio floor in the name of art. Plus, photojournalist Ed Kashi is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re taking a look at the fact vs. the possible fiction around the myth of famed photojournalist Robert Capa — specifically, the photographs of the D-Day invasion in WWII. Also, a discussion around gear. What do you do when the camera is the limitation, not your vision, and you’re trying to decide whether or not you’re “pro” enough to justify a major upgrade? How much should passion play into the equation? Daniel Milnor is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, an article in the New York Times about Richard Avedon’s project “In the American West” has us discussing legacy. Who really owns your work after you’ve gone? Also, can you overshoot your own “creative sweet spot” only to end up in uncharted waters? We use the work of fantastic painter Andrew Salgado as an example. Plus, when do you give in to technology, even if it means changing a workflow that has worked for years? Janette Beckman is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a discussion around limited editions and perceived value. Does a false sense of scarcity make people want work more? And how does scarcity affect value if the demand isn’t there to begin with? Also, we talk about the notion of creative rivalry using the Pet Sounds and Rubber Soul as a jumping off point. Plus, some gear thoughts around Hasselblad’s new X1D medium format mirrorless camera. Bill Cunningham is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, you’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Spoiler: Not all of the answers are good. Great questions about motivation, focus, growth, the business side, finding balance and more. Plus a new assignment and Josef Hoflehner is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, are 10,000 hours alone really enough to be great at anything? Maybe, but the real answer is likely more nuanced. Experience does not necessarily equal expertise. Intent and purpose — not to mention innate ability — also play a role in chasing perfection. Plus, can analog tools make digital processing more efficient? Jim Brandenburg is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a discussion around the work of painter Jeremy Mann, via the documentary A Solitary Mann by Loic Zimmermann. How much does happenstance figure into your creative output? Is your current style intentional or the result of a “happy accident” that you now continue to refine? The recent killing of an NPR photojournalist in Afghanistan sparks a conversation around photojournalism and the multiple areas where importance figures into making. Plus, remembering Muhammad Ali through the incredible photographs of his life and career. Nick Brandt is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, baseball and theater inspire a discussion around making things that can’t be made and how the conversation between maker and audience is sometimes the exact context that is lacking. Also, a discussion around landscape photography prompted by a listener email. Plus, a wrap up (for now at least) of the current Steve McCurry snafu. Clayton James Cubitt is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re talking about memories, specifically the culling of photographic memories. If forced to choose, how do you decide which memories to keep? What single shot best captures your childhood, your wedding, your parents or children? In the deluge of photographic imagery, how you choose the right lifeboat? Also, Cindy Sherman has released her first new work in five years, but without any context, is it any good? Hiro is our Photographer of the Week.

We’re a day early and all over the map this week, with topics including rating photographs in a changing aesthetic, online vs offline creative communities, making vs. sharing and a continuation of last week’s discussion about post-processing — specifically, how much is too much? Michael Kenna is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk about the continuing evolution of photography from the perspective of seeing how genres are blending into one another and how so much of contemporary photography can fall under “lifestyle.” Also, two sides of a Photoshop discussion around retouching — one from the point of view of a model and the other from an icon of photojournalism. Plus, how do you feel about narrative in photography? Do you want to be told what a photo or body of work means, or do you prefer assigning your own narrative and/or backstory to the work? Bruce Davidson is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, after a quick teaser of next week’s show, we’re taking your questions and attempting to answer them. Topics range from gear to legacy to what makes a great photographer. We love doing these shows and if you didn’t get a question in this time, keep an eye out for the next one. Maurice Tabard is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, the unexpected passing of Prince has us starting the show discussing art from the perspective of both ownership and influence. We talk about priorities (artistic and otherwise) and to what degree our presence in the world allows us to experience the world. Plus, we discuss some of the differences between opinion and critique and how who you ask can be just as important as what. Alex Prager is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, Happy Anniversary to us! We talk a bit about four years of On Taking Pictures, which leads to a discussion on the value of output. There’s the idea of getting better with practice, which we’ve talked about several times, but also the value of the body of work as an object, independent of anything else. We also talk about meanings we associate to objects and share a wonderful email from a listener called “The Mythology of Things” in which he works through some reasons that objects become more to us than their component parts. Also, is the Photo Renaissance over or are we in a New Golden Age of photography? Former Baltimore Sun photographer A. Aubrey Bodine is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we start out talking about how as our creative goals change, our gear needs often change along with them and how the concept of “good enough” is nothing if not fluid. Also, The Next Rembrandt has us wondering how connected to your work do you have to be for it still to be yours? Can machines create art? Or is the human experience a necessary and fundamental component to make art? John Minihan is our Photographer of the Week.