On Taking Pictures

This week, we discuss the TED talk we mentioned last week by Jimmy Nelson and how things aren’t always as they seem or as we want them to be. Also, we’re all making stuff and it’s okay to want it to be liked. Plus, generational changes in the art market: important or just theater? Rondal Partridge is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, an article sent in by a listener gets us discussing the idea of doing what you love. Is it a fantasy or can you really love doing something and still call it work? If everyone does only what they love, who does the work that nobody loves? Also, we talk a little about gear, including the allure of Petzval and Helios lenses and the new DxO One add-on camera for iPhone. Another suggestion from a listener is this week’s Photographer of the Week, cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

This week, where do the lines of completionism, perfectionism and obsession intersect? Can you be one and not the other? Also, we talk about compromise—what can come out of it and how much is too much. Plus, we chime in on a couple entries from the Crit Wall. Stan Douglas is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, do the memories imprinted on us in our youth define the experiences of maturity? Are we somehow aesthetically tethered to our past? Also, visiting a museum with the co-curator of the show is a good thing. "The photographer of Paris par excellence," Willy Ronis is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a brief follow up on the Atlantic article about creative entrepreneurs. Also, how a single photograph (in this case, a magazine cover) can still be a cultural watershed moment. Plus, a clever response to the recent Richard Prince fiasco. Masataka Nakano is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we discuss an article from the Atlantic on the changing role of the artist and the rise of “creative entrepreneurs.” Have you ever thought about taking a year off? We talk about Stefan Sagmeister’s creative sabbaticals. Also, get ready for Mad Max Fury Road in black and white. Jacques Henri Lartigue is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we do some follow up on last week’s show, including a bit about chasing perfection, happiness, normality, etc. We also discuss the Radiolab episode we mentioned last week involving the photojournalist and the fallen soldier and who should have the say over viewing the resulting photographs. Music photographer Gregory Nolan is our Photographer of the Week.

This week’s discussion goes a little off the reservation. Should the idea of making a living from your creative endeavors factor into whether or not you pursue them? How do you decide between should and must? Also, it’s hard to live in the present when you can’t stop worrying about the future. Instagram photographer Last Suspect is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, standout work from last weekend’s Paris Photo LA and some observations on the growing trend of really big prints and really banal subject matter. Also, abstraction and alternative processes in mainstream photography. Plus, a revision on the “through the window” debacle from a few weeks ago. Scottish photographer Bill Anderson is our PotW.

This week, we’re testing Mixlr for doing live episodes of OTP. We begin the first episode of Year Four (can you believe it?) with an email from a listener talking about the relative value of “formal” groups and associations with regard to photography and the visual arts. Does belonging to an “official” group, such as ASMP help your career? If so, how? Also, we discuss an interesting article talking about the differences between fact and fiction in photojournalism and how the new storytelling is driving what direction the genre is taking. Landscape and architectural photographer Franco Fontana is our Photographer of the Week.

This week marks the end of three years of bringing you OTP every week. We start out the episode discussing your poll responses to last week’s court ruling around photography and privacy. We also talk about the DUFFY documentary and wonder about impact and legacy. Who are your most iconic photographers? Plus, a discussion around the recent Sally Mann essay in the New York Times magazine. Christopher Marley is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we discuss a recent ruling around privacy and art—what that could mean to you not only as a photographer, but also as a citizen. Also, we attempt to weigh in on some ideas around content vs. curation, using a recent MoMA show as an example. Plus, a link to a fantastic documentary that we’ll be discussing in next week’s show. Pentti Sammallahti is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we’re talking footprints...social footprints and how, for some types of photography, being a good (or even great) photographer is no longer enough. It’s also about how many eyes you bring along with you. Bill shares his recent experience judging selections for a camera club in NYC. Joni Sternbach is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, we talk a bit about the democratization of photography vs demonetization, not from the point of view of making money but from simply making pictures. Also, how can social media impact photography as an individual pursuit? When did photography become a social activity? Francesca Woodman is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a question sent in for last week’s Q&A show around deciding how to know when something just isn’t working sparks a terrific discussion on purpose, intent, cutting through the noise and even throwing in the towel. We also talk about how to give your own work value, when value is so subjective. Harold "Doc" Edgerton and Gjon Mili are our first dual Photographers of the Week.

It’s Q&A time and we do our best to answer the questions you’ve sent in. We got a ton of great questions this time about gear, process, business and even a few that were too big to tackle, so we’ll get them in the mix for larger discussions next week. William Albert Allard is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a memo written by David Mamet sparks a discussion around the meaning and importance we give the things we make. Also a follow up on the Norman Seef video and how, for some photographers, the connection with the subject is the point and the photographs are merely a byproduct of the experience. Leonard Freed is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, what a difference a week makes. We begin with some followup to last week’s show and discuss expectation, process vs product and how for some (me) Artist is not the same as artist. Also, iconic photographers don’t always make iconic photographs. Plus, we reflect a bit on the life of Leonard Nimoy both as an actor and as our Photographer of the Week.

This week, what do you do when the motivation just isn't there? We may love what we do, but sometimes it’s hard to hold on to whether loving the process is enough. Also, are the rich kids taking over the arts? Photojournalist Melissa Lyttle is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, should there be standards defining what is and isn’t considered photojournalism? Plus, are labels important, necessary or just noise? We also take a look at a potential alternative to Photoshop, the new Affinity Photo. Spencer Tunick is our Photographer of the Week.