Creativity is a subject that rightfully gets a ton of attention in the nature and landscape photography community. Making seemingly "creative" photographs is a high bar that we set for ourselves as photographers and artists; however, it can be a nebulous descriptor that is difficult to define. As such, it is often discussed without giving it proper thought or consideration as to what it actually means to "be creative," or to create something that demonstrates "creativity."

This week on episode 297 of the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I was joined by a landscape photographer living in St. Louis, Missouri, Nick Becker. Nick is someone who continually writes thoughtful articles that I have greatly enjoyed over the years and his photography is quite contemplative and enjoyable to look at, so I thought he would make for an excellent guest on the podcast. Nick and I talk quite extensively about creativity and neuroscience that supports various theories on creativity, so sick back and enjoy our conversation.

On this week's episode, we discuss:

• Creativity!
• Why Nick makes photographs,
• How becoming a new dad has influenced Nick's thought processes as a photographer,
• How Nick's background as a computer scientist has impacted his photography and vice versa,
• Nick's article, "What Neuroscience Tells Us About Creativity and How to Use It To Our Advantage,"
• The Two models of creativity,
• How to make creative nature and landscape photographs,
• Nick's article, "The Experience is Everything,"
• Nick's software called, ColorTools - and his tutorial for using it,
• Roger Beaty’s article that discusses idea generation/evaluation model of creativity,
• And a lot more!

Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week:

• Support the podcast on Patreon.
• Guy Tal's article, "On Artistic Usefulness."
• Sign up for Nick's newsletter.
  
• Natural Landscape Photography Awards.

Join us on Patreon for our bonus conversation about the importance of photographing areas close to home, and Nick's project showcasing his growth as a photographer.

Here is who Nick recommended on the podcast this week:

• Paulo Valdivia.
• Michael Forsberg.
• Donna Doyle.
• Adam Bolyard.
• Saikat Chakraborty.

I love hearing from the podcast listeners! Reach out to me via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you'd like to be on the podcast or if you have an idea of a topic we can talk about. We also have an Instagram page, a Facebook Page, and a Facebook Group - so don't be shy!

We also have a searchable transcript of every episode!

Thanks for stopping in, collaborating with us, and listening. See you next week.

P.S. you can also support the podcast by purchasing items through our B+H affiliate link.