On Taking Pictures

This week, we begin with a warm thank you to everyone who made it out to the DC meetup. It was really terrific to get to meet you all and we will definitely be doing more of these. The big discussion centers around a question from a listener who asked whether talking so much affects the doing—and both the quality and quantity of what we actually are able to ship. Also, giving yourself permission to fail. Icelandic shooter, Ragnar Axelsson is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, the dangers of letting yourself become defined by what you produce or how much (or how little) it is worth. Also, you can’t make iconic work, but you might be able to make it good. The problem is, is good good enough? Plus, Instagram as a platform for buying and selling art. Ben Thomas is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, do creatives always have a responsibility to practice their craft? Or, should we get to choose when and how we let inspiration move us into action? Also, do you work better alone, or when surrounded by others who may be on a similar creative journey? Plus, we discuss a couple photography-related iOS apps and a terrific Kickstarter photobook project that uses a unique printing method to beautifully complement the theme of the subject matter. Michael Borek is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, Bill is on his honeymoon in Europe, so we’re doing another Q&A show that we actually recorded last week before he left. Ironically, we did the show on Back to the Future Day, which means that while we were recording it for the future, you’re really listening to it in the past. Science!

This week, we start with a terrific discussion around self-promotion. How do you decide how to best represent yourself and to whom? Is there a difference between the “personal” you and your public brand? Should there be? Also, some final thoughts on the discussions around Magic Lessons. In two weeks, we’re talking about truth and ethics in photojournalism, so check the show notes for the link. Tabitha Soren is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we continue our platform discussion from last week and expand on it into areas of reach and archiving. Do you look at your website as long term storage of ideas or a snapshot of where you are in the moment? Also, an interesting story around whether art is personal property or a ward of the state. The Elizabeth Gilbert discussion has been moved until next week. Check the link in the show notes so you can follow along. Tatiana Gulenkina is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re talking about influences, using the terrific Keith Richards Netflix documentary Under the Influence as a starting point. How do we want to be influenced and to what extent should we allow our work (or art) to change because of it? Too little and the influence may be wasted. Too much and the work may cease to be our own — and ultimately less authentic. We also talk about art as a vehicle for moving us towards attentiveness, as explained wonderfully by Milton Glaser. Plus, we’ve got some links that we will be discussing next week about inspiration and what we could or should expect from it. Conceptual photographer Daisuke Yokota is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk a little about the iPhone 6s and the iPhone’s impact on photography for both amateurs and professionals. Also, we discuss the Bruce Gilden photos that have been making the rounds lately from his recently released book, Face. Should intent be a factor in viewing or appreciating photography, or is it all about the end product? Also, a few teasers for next week, when we'll be discussing influence and the question of whether or not something is art, simply because it moves you to attentiveness. Linden Gledhill is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re back in our respective cities and begin with a bit of follow up on the discussion around tools and process started in last week’s “walk and talk” episode. We also ask ourselves and each other “what’s my creative hurdle or bottleneck?” Here’s a question for you listeners: How directly do the tools you use affect your final product? Can you ONLY get the results with a DSLR and “big lights”? Or would mirrorless and natural light be just as good? Hiroshi Sugimoto is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re going West Wing and doing a walk and talk LIVE from the National Mall in Washington DC. We’re talking about the connection between tools and process and their effect on the work we produce and we wonder whether it’s better to just keep using the tools that are familiar, rather than always chasing the latest pieces of kit. Since we are on the Mall, home to the many of the Smithsonian museums, our Photographer of the Week is the first photographer and curator of photography for the Smithsonian, Thomas Smillie.

This week, are film shooters just better photographers? Also, we discuss a TIME article that suggests the idea that traditional photographs will soon become relics, out of time with the future of photography. Plus, a listener asks what we think of the classic “nifty fifty.” Pedro E. Guerrero is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we unpack some of the challenges around deciding that something is not art, just because you don’t agree with it or understand it. Does making art an “ism” stifle growth and innovation? Also, long before drones surveilled us, there were...pigeons? Plus, a tease of next week’s show, where we will be talking about what some believe to be the future of photography. Ilse Bing is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk a little about gear and the ongoing debate over megapixels, using the new Sony A7R II as an example. We also talk about film and why it’s ultimately pointless to keep having the “film v digital” discussions. Spoiler: they’re just different. Use what challenges you and gets you out taking pictures. Grete Stern is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, inspired by a recent NPR story, we talk about the idea of art as an experience, where the mechanics of viewing objects become almost more important than the objects themselves. We also discuss some of the opportunities that young people have today, with regard to the viewing and sharing of their experiences, that we simply didn’t have when we were growing up. Plus, with so many cameras on the market, how do you recommend one to a friend who just wants to take good pictures? Lee Friedlander is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, on our first all east coast edition of the show, we’re taking a stab at answering some of your questions. You have asked some really great questions this time around - around process, gear, where we think art is going, even asking about some of our favorite things. Anuar Patjane is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk about the temporal nature of the things we make. Should they be preserved for the future or allowed to decay to a natural end, whatever that means? We also discuss transitions and how making the decision to leap can come from a variety of sources and happen for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is fear. Plus, an interesting looking trailer has emerged for a new biopic of Eadweard Muybridge. Lorena Lohr is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, prompted by a member of the OTP G+ Community, we begin with a bit of follow up on the discussion from last week about the influence of Robert Frank. Also, there is no best, but there just might be a best for you. Plus, a terrific photographer that neither one of us had ever heard of. Pinup photographer Bunny Yeager is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re discussing a recent New York Times article about Robert Frank, specifically the breadth of his influence on photography and the degree to which he either pursued or avoided fame and celebrity. We also discuss a few news items sent in by listeners, including an interesting piece about a new book by David Bailey which seems to be comprised mostly of mistakes from the darkroom. Rebecca Norris Webb is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we geek out a little over the New Horizons images of Pluto. Think about this: it will take four months to receive all of the data from nearly 4 billion miles away. We also discuss Chris Arnade’s photos from Hunt’s Point and whether or not being a good person is unethical. Plus, can you sell out as an artist anymore? Magnum photographer Alex Webb is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk about change and some of the things that means for photographers in a market that never seems to stop. How do you view your own work and are there ways that viewing it differently could lead in new or exciting directions? Also, an interesting discussion around the NY Times article we teased last week with Cindy Sherman and Laurie Simmons. Larry Sultan is our Photographer of the Week.