BRIAN PETERSON // Photography in a State of Wonder (#031)

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You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

When is the last time you, as a photographer, had a picture make itself in front of you? I know that sounds a little bit philosophical, but stay with me, it’s way more practical than you might think. I’m talking about the level of work and care that go into creating a photograph before the shutter ever clicks – Researching your location before you arrive to know the environs, determining the impact what time of day it is and how that shapes your image, just walking around in the space (with or without the subject of the photograph) to just take in the possible composition options. And then, after all of that, having the dedicated patience to just simply wait for the right decisive moment, peak action, or perfect emotion in the person you’re photographing to create that image (that might take hours of not-taking photos to capture that one ideal moment). That level of dedication to the craft is exactly what we’re talking about today with legendary Minnesota photojournalist Brian Peterson.

Brian Peterson was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and has enjoyed a 35-year career as a photojournalist covering stories he cares most about in his home state of Minnesota and around the world. He's best known for his work since 1987 for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but his photographs have also been published in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and the New York Times.

Brian has been honored nine times as Minnesota News Photographer of the Year and has been recognized nationally and internationally for his documentary photojournalism, including a Robert F. Kennedy Award, NPPA's Canon Photo Essay Award, and three regional Emmys for his video work. He has photographed the Winter and Summer Olympic Games five times and his sports photography has been honored by the national baseball and football Halls of Fame and the National Press Photographers Association.

Peterson is the author of two books, Minnesota State of Wonders (www.stateofwonders.com) and “Voices for the Land”, and the winner of three Minnesota Book Awards.

In today’s episode with Brian Peterson, we touch on the importance of connecting with your environment (on and off assignment), changes he’s experienced in the newspaper photography industry over the past three decades, and why so often the time we spend not taking photos with the people around us can lead to the greatest images in the long run.

So, as always — Keep seeing, keep shooting, and keep putting your best Photo Forward. LATER!

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PHOTOS FROM THE EPISODE //

SHOW NOTES // COMING SOON

PHOTOGRAPHERS MENTIONED //

QUESTIONS? // What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments!

WILL DESHAZER // The Art of Visual Style (#029)

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You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

When you’re scrolling through Instagram, what makes you stop? For some folks, it might be eye-catching colors, for others it’s unique locales or engaging video. For me and for a lot of other people out there, the answer to that is simply this – Style. Visual Style. You see a creator’s work on the platform, like the photo/project, enough so that you swipe over to their profile page and it All. Just. Clicks. It’s like you can experience their personality, their humanity itself seeping through the screen in every image, video, or story they’re posting. Whether it’s a high school sports match or an in-depth documentary project, the work FEELS like it was all created consistently and has the same heart behind it. That versatility to create across genres combined with a creative consistency can be the holy grail for editorial photographers and today’s guest exemplifies that.

William Deshazer an editorial and commercial photographer based out of Nashville, TN. He's a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. He worked in newspapers for 12 years before going out on his own and held staff positions at the Concord Monitor, The Commercial Appeal, and the Chicago Tribune.

He grew up in Louisville, KY and it will always be his home. Because of that he's partial to bourbon, horses, and baseball bats.

When not working he enjoys exploring Nashville with his wife, playing the guitar, buying records, or planning my next big trip.

Some of his wealth of Clients include: AARP, Best Buy, The Boston Globe, CNN, Hyatt Hotels, European Pressphoto Agency, ESPN Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Louisville Magazine, Maker's Mark, NPR, O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Runner's World Magazine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, TripAdvisor, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post,

In today’s episode with William Deshazer, he and I get into the process and progress of creating a unique visual brand as a photographer, building and maintaining relationships in your geographic area, and the ability to turn down work that turns you off to focus your time, energy and soul on the people and projects that you know you need to work on.

So, as always — Keep seeing, keep shooting, and keep putting your best Photo Forward. LATER!

LISTEN ON APPLE // LISTEN ON SPOTIFY // WATCH ON YOUTUBE

PHOTOS FROM THE EPISODE //

SHOW NOTES // COMING SOON

PHOTOGRAPHERS MENTIONED //

QUESTIONS? // What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments!

PAUL GERO // Pivoting Your Work to Find Your Worth (#025)

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You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Have you ever stepped back in your career, whether you’re a visual creator or not, and thought, “Well, shit… is this it? Is this really as good as it gets? Is this what I want to be doing for the next X years of my life?” Don’t worry, that’s a positive thing (despite however dark night of the soul it may feel like in the moment) And, you are definitely not the only one feeling that way.

In the business and corporate world, (yes I know a lot of you will bristle at the very mention of that word, but here me out) there’s a really common expression or phrase that so encapsulates today’s episode – “When you get to the top of the ladder you may find it is propped against the wrong wall.” Today’s episode is all about examining your ladder and things aren’t feeling right, knowing how to jump to the right ladder to take you to the top.

Paul Gero is a portrait and wedding photographer and has been working professionally for over 35 years.

Prior to creating a portrait and wedding business he was a photojournalist for two major metropolitan newspapers (The Chicago Tribune and The Arizona Republic) and photographed thousands of assignments from pro sports, business portraits, documentary stories to general assignment work. His images have been published in magazines around the world during his career.

He has been a Sony Artisan of Imagery since 2014 and speaks often about Sony mirrorless cameras at professional gatherings.

He and his wife Nicki run their business from their home base in Lake Mills, WI (his home state) after nearly 17 years in Southern California while raising their two children Kate and Sparky. Documenting their lives is his favorite and most personal photography project.

In today’s wide-ranging and beautifully encompassing episode, Paul and I explore his photographic career and transition from staff photojournalist to freelance business owner, how moving from California to Wisconsin taught him about the power of truly local visual storytelling, what mistakes younger photographers are constantly making, and how he created a beautifully simple execution of a personal project safely in the midst of a global pandemic.

So, as always — Keep seeing, keep shooting, and keep putting your best Photo Forward. LATER!

LISTEN ON APPLE // LISTEN ON SPOTIFY // WATCH ON YOUTUBE

PHOTOS FROM THE EPISODE //

SHOW NOTES // COMING SOON

PHOTOGRAPHERS MENTIONED //

QUESTIONS? // What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments!