While my normal commute to work is only a couple of miles from home, a couple of times each week I spend about 40 minutes in the car – morning and afternoon – taking our dog Lily to a local doggie day care center. She enjoys being there – and we’re able to get her grooming done as part of a regular visit, etc.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve filled that car time by listening to podcasts on my iPhone. I use the Instacast podcatcher app on my iPhone to download new editions of the podcasts I subscribe to – and dial one up each time I head down the driveway with Lily in the backseat.
My interests – and what I listen to in terms of podcasts – include both technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership – along with photography. So much to listen to, so little time!
But I’ve found a routine that works well for me – especially for the photography related podcasts I’ve come to enjoy. So, that said, here’s my list of favorites – along with my rationale for why they work for me.
- The Digital Story – Derrick Story’s regular weekly podcast is the first photography podcast I listened to when I got back into podcasts – and photography. Derrick’s style is a personal one that works very well for him – and which I enjoy. Very few guests – just him sharing what’s on his mind in the world of photography as he lives his life as a professional shooter, instructor, etc. He’s brief (25-30 mins) and keeps it moving. A bit too much about gear for my taste – he does a lot of gear reviews – and, as with many, affiliate links seem to be an important part of his business model so I’m not surprised he’s often talking about gear. When I find he’s at his best, he’s not talking about gear – but about the other aspects of photography – shooting, post-processing, etc. I also recommend Derrick’s great photography workshops – I think I’ve taken three from him over the last couple of years and benefited greatly both from his teaching and watching him work.
- On Taking Pictures – A few weeks ago I started listening to this wonderful podcast by Bill Wadman and Jeffrey Saddoris. Wadman is a professional portrait photographer based in New York City – and acts like one. Saddoris is based in southern California and runs the Faded + Blurred blog – which focuses on the best of photography. Listening to this podcast is like being at dinner with these two guys every week. It’s very personal, not at all gear focused – I find it just a delight. The chats are typically 90 minutes long – and best suited for longer drives! I recently attended a superb landscape photography workshop in Bend, Oregon taught by Sean Bagshaw and Zack Schnepf and spent much of the 8+ hours each way driving listening to earlier editions of the On Taking Pictures podcast!
- The Candid Frame – Ibarionex Perello’s one on one interviews with photographers are just superb. He’s got a wonderful interviewing style and I really enjoy and have learned from his conversations. It’s not about the gear for Ibarionex – it’s about the creative process and it’s a delight. For a first listen, check out his interview with Bill Wadman of On Taking Pictures above.
- This Week in Photo – Perhaps the granddaddy of photography podcasts is TWIP hosted by Frederick Van Johnson. Frederick usually has a couple of co-hosts (sometimes my photo buddy Doug Kaye) who share their insights into the photography news of the week. I enjoy hearing their perspectives – but the news of the week format that seems to be the basis of TWIP is one that I find pretty dull – so my finger is often on the fast-forward button as I’m listening. That said, I very much enjoy the 1:1 interviews that Frederick sometimes adds to the end of TWIP – where I seem to learn a lot more – as well as the “tip of the week” segment where each co-host offers up a photography-related tip/product/etc. that they like. I wish Frederick would downplay the traditional TWIP news of the week format and focus on more interesting topics – but this “news of the week” style seems to be the basis for this podcast!
Those are my favorite photography podcasts – the ones I listen to every week! How about you? Any favorites I’ve overlooked?