On Taking Pictures

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276: Gas Money and a New Alternator Aug 09, 2017

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This week, what is the purpose of your work? What does it mean to live with purpose? Is purpose a necessary component to making good work? Also, the web is filled with reviews of everything you can imagine, but how do you know the unbiased ones from the affiliates and who do you trust? Gus Peterson is our Photographer of the Week.

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275: The Good, Fast, and Cheap of Photography Aug 01, 2017

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This week, we discuss the work of photographer Chris Killip, whose photographs of Northern England from the 1970s and 1980s manage to embody the spirit of the people as well as the landscape. Who are some of your favorite photographers who perfectly capture the feel or the energy of a particular time and place? We also talk about David Hockney, from the perspective of his ability to constantly explore and embrace new processes and techniques. Plus, the pros and cons of cropping. Olive Cotton is our Photographer of the Week.

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274: The Unatographer Jul 25, 2017

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We begin this week with a little tech talk around monitors. Is 4K the way to go, or is an ultrawide 1080 the better play? In the end it’s just pixels, but most photographers want as many as they can get. We also talk about elevating photography into an art form, exemplified by the career of John Szarkowski, an iconic photo curator who recently passed away. Plus, what makes a portrait? Robert Freeman is our Photographer of the Week.

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273: Kenneth Is Funded With Advice Jul 18, 2017

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This week, a listener asks for advice on how to fund a print project, which leads us on a discussion around potential solutions as well as options for compromise on what the end product looks like — something anyone who has made anything will likely be able to relate to. Also, a few stories that re-open the discussion around copyright and what a slippery slope it can be to navigate on both sides of the equation. Plus, “fake” is the new “it” word — fake news, fake photos, fake fame — but what happens when we really do lose our ability to tell fact from fiction? Martin Munkácsi is our Photographer of the Week.

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272: If I Stand Still, That’s When the Cobwebs Grow Jul 11, 2017

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This week, we discuss the possibilities of stepping outside our comfort zones. Sometimes, the beginning of a project seems too far out of reach — maybe even more than we can handle — but we find that the sweet spot in the Venn diagram between challenge and uncertainty is exactly what we need to take the work somewhere it couldn’t have gotten to any other way. Also, where have all the Renaissance men gone? William Christenberry is our Photographer of the Week.

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This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks cloud accounting software. Remember to enter "On Taking Pictures" in the where did you hear about us box when signing up for your free 30 day trial.

271: Hanging Out With The Other Kids Drinking Cristal Jul 05, 2017

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This week, for all of the “improvements” in the creative tools we use — specifically around software — have they really gotten noticeably better? Faster, yes. But are we more productive and is the work we produce better because of the tools or is it something else? Also, nepotism might get you in the door, but it doesn’t keep you in the game. Plus, should an artist be allowed to destroy his or her work from beyond the grave? Jason Lee is our Photographer of the Week.

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270: The Luster Dulls Over Time Jun 27, 2017

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This week, we’re talking about inherited meaning, specifically related to last week’s discussion around using tintype to capture older blues musicians and how that process seemed to “fit” the subject matter. Does the process give the photographs more meaning? Is the fact that they are actual tintypes “better” than if a similar effect had been achieved with a preset or a filter? Also, a terrific story about a husband and wife, their Hasselblad, and the Moon. Lilian Day Thorpe is our Photographer of the Week.

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This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks cloud accounting software. Remember to enter "On Taking Pictures" in the where did you hear about us box when signing up for your free 30 day trial.

269: Breadcrumbs To Find Your Way Home Jun 21, 2017

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This week, a discussion around long term projects, inspired by the work and career of Ed Gold, a photographer who often spends years on a single body of work. Also, art and politics have had a long shared history, but has the current political climate allowed art to cross the line? Plus, choosing the right medium for the job and advice on printing your images. Khadia Saye is our Photographer of the Week.

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This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks cloud accounting software. Remember to enter "On Taking Pictures" in the where did you hear about us box when signing up for your free 30 day trial.

268: The Similarities Are Too Similar Jun 13, 2017

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This week, we discuss what happens when the results of a project just don’t seem to match the effort we put into making it. Is “giving your best shot” really good enough? Also, a follow up on a previous discussion on how certain places seem to enable or at least play a part in what we make in them. Wolfgang Suschitzky is our Photographer of the Week.

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267: What’s Left For Humans To Do? Jun 06, 2017

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This week, what happens when machines learn enough to not only sort pictures, but make them? Is creativity just an algorithm after all? Also, a discussion around self-publishing using a cookbook as an example as well as a reader who’s life was changed by it. Michael Wolf is our Photographer of the Week.

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