The Perceptive Photographer

The Perceptive Photographer


Latest Episodes

Relational vs. Transitional Viewing
January 12, 2026

In this episode, I begin by asking photographers to consider not what a photograph shows, but how it is encountered. I frame the conversation around two different modes of looking one being relational and the other transitional. Transitional viewing desc

In Conversation with Rachel Demy
January 08, 2026

I am so excited for this episode of In Conversation, where the amazing Rachel Demy joins me to discuss the periphery in photography. I have known Rachel for years, and we had such a great conversation. I was thinking about our conversation over the past f

Why your best work might feel boring to you
January 05, 2026

As we start a new year, I want to talk about a feeling that almost never gets discussed openly, even though nearly all of us experience it. That moment when you look at your recent work and think, This is fine but it feels boring. Not bad. Not broken.

The Danger of Consistency
December 29, 2025

In Episode 564 of the podcast, Im thinking through an idea that comes up often in photography but is rarely examined closely: consistency. We tend to treat a recognizable style as a sign of maturity or a settled voice, a clear direction. And for a while,

When the Photograph Stops Explaining: Seeing Without Searching
December 22, 2025

In this episode of the podcast (episode 563), I want to first say Happy Solstice and how nice it is to start getting those longer days. I discuss the moment when a photograph and photographer stop explaining everything or at least trying to. Not because

Not Every Good Photograph Needs to Be Shared
December 15, 2025

In this episode of the podcast, I dig into an idea that feels increasingly important in a culture built around constant sharing. Not every good photograph needs to be shared. That may sound counterintuitive, especially when so much of contemporary photogr

Books for the giving season
December 08, 2025

In this episode of The Perceptive Photographer, I talk about book ideas for the holiday season, especially for photographers and creative folks. Thanks to a listener, David, I once again share some of my favorite reads or books for giving ranging from cre

Working With What the Photograph Wants
December 01, 2025

In this episode of the podcast, I explore the notion of what it means for a photograph to be something it wants versus something I like. We all spend time thinking about what we want our photos to be or be about. We might even have some unintentional expe

Interpretation and translation
November 24, 2025

this episode of the podcast we dig into the idea of editing as translation.I have been thinking a lot about what really happens once the shutter is pressed and the file shows up on the screen. For so many photographers, editing is framed as a technical c

What it means to share your work
November 17, 2025

Photography has always lived in that strange space between solitude and connection. This week on The Perceptive Photographer, we are exploring the delicate balance between the solitude that shapes our work and the community that completes it. We will look