On Taking Pictures 5by5

They said it would never happen – that we were through, done for, washed up. Turns out, all it took was a new Mac Mini, Macbook Air, and an iPad Pro for us to dust off the mics and smash that record button. Is it a one off? Will there be more? Time will tell...

This week, we close the loop on 325 episodes of talking about photography, creativity, and sometimes just the ups and downs of life in general. It has been such a privilege to be a small part of your lives for the past six years. Speaking for myself, I am a better person for having done this show, though I would imagine Bill feels the same. This show has—in no uncertain terms—changed my life and whether you have listened to one episode or all of them, thank you for making time in your lives for us each and every week. I don’t think either one of us know what’s next, but I do know that we would love to keep the conversations going. Thank you again for six amazing years.

With only one more episode of OTP left, this week we actually start with a discussion around photography—specifically, focusing on the tools (either hardware or software) you need or will actually use in your creative workflow. Sometimes we get caught up in looking at all of what a camera or piece of software does or is capable of doing without looking at what we actually need it to do. Also, a continuation of last week’s discussion where we talk about Don McCullin’s view that at least some of his professional life was wasted documenting the human suffering associated with war. Alfred Stanley Johnson is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a discussion around knowing (or thinking we know) when it’s time to change directions, whether in a body of work, a relationship, where to live, etc. Also, what happens when the dream you wanted isn’t the reality you get? Plus, according to a federal judge, photos on the internet are fair use...yes, even yours. Don McCullin is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, a pre-show discussion spills over into the show as we dive into the idea of myth and reputation and wrestle with the evolving definition of success. Also, episode 324 will be the last episode of OTP. We are grateful for the time that we’ve spent with you and with each other—logging well over 600 hours talking about photography and creativity—but we both feel like it’s time to explore some other areas. We’ll do one more regular show and then the final episode will be a Q&A, so send us your questions! Girma Berta is our Photographer of the Week.

This week, sometimes hardware fails or at least doesn’t perform the way you think or hope it should We start the show with a couple stories about dealing with what happens next. Also, at what point to upgrades no longer make sense. Plus, a fascinating body of work from a very unexpected source. Kenji Toma is our Photographer of the Week.