F-Stop Collaborate and Listen

Ethics is a subject that often gets a bad reputation in photography circles. People that discuss ethics are often wrongly seen as sanctimonious and elitist, when in fact, ethical considerations are really at the core of what makes us human. Ethics is an often misunderstood subject; however, it is paramount for us as nature photographers to be mindful of ethics when in the field. As this great article from Santa Clara University suggests, "ethics is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues." As it relates to wildlife photography, ethics can provide us with guiding principles to protect our subjects and to remain true to our personal values as photographers.  This week on the podcast I was joined by two amazingly talented wildlife and nature photographers, Pam Dorner and Jennifer Leigh Warner to discuss ethics in wildlife photography. This topic is one that is near and dear to me and I hope you enjoy both Pam and Jennifer's thoughtful responses to my questions relating to the challenges we face regarding wildlife photography and ethics. On this week's episode, we discuss: The contrast between landscape photography and wildlife photography, Our personal feelings about ethics in wildlife photography and why they are of import, Personal rules for ethical behavior as wildlife photographers, Respecting wildlife and wild places, Bear jams - what they are, and the pros and cons of them, The problems with using live bait in "wildlife photography," How to properly define wildlife photography and the problem with photographing captive animals, Spotting fake wildlife photographs, The importance of honesty in wildlife photography, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network. Use the code FSTOP10 for 10% off! Support the podcast on Patreon. Nature First. NANPA Ethics. Article about Pam & Nature Photographer of the Year. Winning image in Nature Photographer of the Year. Here is who Pam and Jennifer recommended on the podcast this week: Betsy Botsford. Alyce Bender. 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. Scroll down to see more of Pam and Jennifer's photography.

One of the best ways to monetize nature and landscape photography is to sell it at regional art shows across the U.S. Entering these art shows can either leave a photographer wildly rich or bankrupt, and the difference between the two is not very large. Fortunately, there are actionable steps that can be taken in order to maximize your success in selling your work at art fairs & art shows. This week on the podcast I had a great time speaking with Jay Rasmussen, a photographer from Minnesota. Jay is a retired college professor where he spent 30 years training other teachers. Jay is relatively new in the photography scene but has found wild success selling his work at art fairs. In this week's show, we talk about Jay's entrance into photography, how he arrived at selling his work so quickly, tips for other photographers looking to monetize their work, and some excellent discussion and practical insight relating to teaching photography. On this week's episode, we discuss: How Jay found himself as a photographer, How to decide which art fairs to apply for, How much to invest in selling your photography at art fairs, What kind of photography sells at art shows, Staying true to yourself as an artist selling at art shows, Tips for teaching photography to students, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network. Support the podcast on Patreon. Art Fair Sourcebook. Join us on Patreon for our bonus conversation where Jay talks about using a growth mindset as a photographer. Here is who Jay recommended on the podcast this week: David Barthel. Steve Wewerka. 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. See the full show notes here.

One of the most common questions I hear from other photographers is, "how can I monetize my photography?" It's a complicated question with many valid answers. Most importantly, it's crucial for photographers to understand some of the complex underpinnings, psychological challenges, ethical questions, and the impacts on creativity that often accompany monetization in landscape photography. This week on the podcast I had an amazing time talking with Israeli Landscape Photographer Ilan Shacham. Ilan is one of those photographers that flies under the radar and when you see their work for the first time you'll ask yourself why you have never heard of them before! Ilan made the challenging transition to becoming a full-time photographer in 2017 and in today's episode we delve deep into monetization and internal conflicts that can arise relating to monetization. On this week's episode, we discuss: Ilam's journey as a photographer, Why Ilan made the leap to become a full-time photographer and how that impacted his work, Ways in which monetization both helps and hinders his photography, Ways to overcome the challenges of monetization, Actionable ways to make money in landscape photography, Educating the public on the challenges of making good images, Photographing Israel as a landscape photographer, The implications of AI and photography, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. Here is who Ilan recommended on the podcast this week: Michael Kenna. Ian Bramham. John Leech. Alex Bazeos. 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. Scroll down to see more of Ilan's excellent work!

Learning about other subjects such as philosophy, psychology, economics, and geology can all make you a better photographer and also a better businessperson in your photography. I'm a strong advocate for cross-disciplinary study to make yourself a more well-rounded person, which I think makes you a better photographer. As such, this week on the podcast I'm happy to introduce you to Radomir Jakubowski, a German landscape, nature, and wildlife photographer. Radomir has a huge collection of awesome images in his portfolio and lots of interesting ways to think about the world that I think may help you in your journey as a photographer. On this week's episode, we discuss: Radomir's journey as a photographer, How studying other subjects can benefit your photography, How Radomir approached competitions early on in his career as a photographer, How Radomir thinks like an economist to improve his photography and photography business, Being a brand ambassador - how / why / what makes sense, Why and how Radomir uses his images to protect Europe, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network. If you enjoyed our chat, you can join us for a bonus episode on Patreon where we discuss ideas to making more evocative images for your portfolio. Here is who Radomir recommended on the podcast this week: Jan Wegener. Stefan Forester. Bence Mate. Jasper Doest. Zeitweise. Audun Rickardsen. 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.

Finding ways to engage with nature and landscape photography in a way that goes beyond simply capturing the natural beauty of nature can be a huge challenge that a lot of photographers struggle with. While there's certainly nothing wrong with simply capturing beauty, some photographers wish to go further with their work and use it as a vehicle for personal expression or to say something about themselves through the photographs. This week's guest on the podcast, Alister Benn, has coined his business expressive photography for a reason. He had an epiphany when photographing the Gobi Desert several years ago that completely changed the way he creates photographs. Ever since then, he's been sharing his approach with the world through his platform, Expressive Photography. On this week's episode, we discuss: Alister's experience that facilitated his epiphany, Actionable tips for creating personally expressive photographs, The challenges and realities of running your own photography business, Making tough choices as a business-person in photography, Challenges with mental health and how photography can help others, Alister's new book, Out of Darkness, how it was made, why it was made, and the challenges of making books in general, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network. If you enjoyed our chat, you can join us for a bonus episode on Patreon where we discuss the importance and value of relationships as it relates to photography. Here is who Alister recommended on the podcast this week: Dorin Bofan. Astrid Preisz. 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.

Focusing on one geographic area has many tremendous advantages for nature and landscape photographers. It can provide familiarity with your subjects, light, times of day, and so much more which is often overlooked by most folks. This week on Episode 291 of the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with landscape photographer Jon Norris about his obsession with Joshua Tree National Park. On this week's episode, we discuss: Jon's journey into nature photography, How Jon developed a relationship with Joshua Tree, How urban and abstract photography influenced his approach to making images, His approach called "Explore, Experience, Create," How revisiting a location over and over again helps his approach to photography, Recommendations for people that might get bored of a location, How his career in Engineer influenced his photography, Why he has decided to give back to organizations like Nature First, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. If you enjoyed our chat, you can join us for a bonus episode on Patreon where we discuss our Overlanding approach to making landscape and nature photographs. Here is who Jon recommended on the podcast this week: Chris Sale. Steve Bennett. Paul Cook. 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!

Dedication to a single area in your landscape photography can yield incredible results and keep you immersed and engaged as a photographer for a lifetime.  This week on Episode 290 of the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with  landscape photographer and canyoner Rich Rudow about his adventures in the Grand Canyon in Arizona and how he has developed a life-long relationship with this spectacular place. On this week's episode, we discuss: Rich's journey into nature photography, Why Rich has chosen to focus on the Grand Canyon. How Rich approaches photographing the Grand Canyon in a unique way. Keeping his gear lightweight for his adventures. Adventures gone wrong in the Grand Canyon. The human threats to the Grand Canyon Wilderness. Access issues for areas in the Grand Canyon including Tahatatso Point.  Canyoneering adventures in the Grand Canyon. And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. Into the Canyon Documentary. Grand Canyoneering Book. See our full show notes to see Rich's images and more.  Join us on Patreon for our bonus conversation where Rich tells us about his experience traversing the Grand Canyon in 57 days. Here is who Rich recommended on the podcast this week: Dan Ransom. Pete McBride. 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.

We are back with our third installment of the Artists Asking Artists Series on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast.  This week's podcast, Episode 289, features two of my favorite nature and landscape photographers, Guy Tal and Alex Noriega. When I first conceived of the idea of creating this series for the podcast, Guy and Alex were the first two photographers that came to my mind knowing that Guy has been such an inspiration to Alex and both of them have been such a huge inspiration to me. I honestly believe this might be one of my favorite episodes of the podcast ever recorded, so I think you will really enjoy it! Alex did a wonderful job coming up with questions for Guy and Guy was an amazingly humble and generous guest, as always.  On this week's episode, we discuss: Suffering, depression, and artistry, Choosing to live close to nature, The importance of confidence as photographers, How Guy developed his connection to Utah, Equivalence in nature photography, Grand Landscapes and creativity, Leaving a more meaningful life through photography, The relationship of money and creativity, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and landscape photography, Perfectionism in landscape photography, And a lot more! Relevant links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The Dark Side of Creativity book. Books by Guy Tal (listeners get 10% off anything in Guy's store using the code FSTOP10). Editing tutorials from Alex Noriega (Patreon supporters get 20% off by reaching out to Matt via Patreon). Seeking Questions gallery on Guy's website. The Whole Earth Catalog. Desert Images Book by Edward Abbey and David Muench. Here are the photographers that inspire both Guy and Alex (not an exhaustive list): Michael Gordon. Gregory Crewdson. Edward Burtynsky. Nick Brandt. Charles Cramer. William Neill. Chris Burkett. 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. See the full show notes on our website for more photographs and awesome info. 

Small scenes in nature photography are like finding little surprises to explore visually with the camera. They can lead to an enriching relationship with nature and photography and expand a photographer's appreciation for light, subjects, and field craft. This week on Episode 288 of the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with L.A. based photographer Martin Gonzalez. We discussed his attraction to smaller scenes, why he makes photos, how he balances his f/t job with photography, anxiety in photography, and so much more, so have some coffee, tea, or beer, and enjoy the chat. On this week's episode, we discuss: Martin's journey into nature photography, How Martin finds balance with his full-time job and photography, Why Martin thinks he will stay away from full-time photography, Anxiety and nature photography, Martin's diagnosis of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and its impact on his photography, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. The impact of making fine art photos and memory. Join us on Patreon for our bonus conversation on Martin's blog post entitled, "Invading Landscapes." Here is who Martin recommended on the podcast this week: Blake Simpson. Paolo Valdivia. Sigfrido Zimmerman. Michael Kenny. Saikat Chatraborty. 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.

Providing a platform for landscape and nature photographers to be able to engage with each other is one of the most amazing things that my podcast has afforded. As such, I developed the Artists Asking Artists Series and it was an honor facilitating our second installment! This week on the podcast I was joined by co-host Candee Watson to discuss all things Landscape Photography with David Thompson. On this week's episode, we discuss: How David Thompson developed as a photographer, Countless tips for photographers looking to improve, How David balances his role as a father and husband with his photography, Hilarious stories, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network. Support the podcast on Patreon. Eric Bennett's critique groups. David Thompson's editing and photo critique services. 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! Did you also know we have listener after-parties on Twitter Spaces? This is a great opportunity to interact with other listeners, guests, and the host (when I can) regarding your thoughts on the episode. 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.