There is no shortage of podcasts about photography. They cater for everyone from beginners to experienced amateurs, semi-pros and professionals. A quick search in Google returns so many options it can be a bit overwhelming. It’s impossible to listen to them all, so how do you decide which ones to download or subscribe to? The simplest answer is to follow recommendations from friends and colleagues. So, in no particular order, here are seven photography based podcasts that I currently subscribe to, that I think will be of interest to you as a photographer:
1. This Week in Photo
This Week in Photo (TWiP) has been on my playlist for a long time now. My listening goes back to when Scott Bourne was running it. I found the show early in its lifetime, and have enjoyed listening each week as the many guests and co-hosts share their knowledge and expertise. TWiP is now hosted by Frederick van Johnson. It’s a light hearted look at the major stories from the previous week. Frederick and his guest hosts get down to the nitty gritty of the photographic world. The show is topical, very relevant and usually delivered with just a smattering of humour. It’s one of those podcasts that hasn’t left my playlist from the time I first discovered it quite a few years ago!
Editor’s note: yours truly, Darlene Hildebrandt, has been a co-host on the show several times as well! Always a good time and great discussion.
2. TWiP Street Focus
Street Focus is a new podcast under the TWiP umbrella, hosted by dPS author, Valerie Jardin. She says on her website, “The day I picked up a camera I became a storyteller. Photography is my passion, my obsession, my addiction. I live and breathe in pixels!”
This is obvious when you listen to the Street Focus podcast. I listened to a couple of episodes and immediately subscribed. These days I have to think a podcast is very good before I subscribe because I always unsubscribe from another to make way for the new one. There just isn’t enough time to listen to all the great podcasts out there. This one was good enough for me to do just that! Valerie shares her knowledge about street photography openly, and freely, and has some great guests too.
Her interviews draw out interesting snippets of information from her guests. If you’re thinking of travelling somewhere for the first time, it might pay you to check out the Street Focus archives and see if Valerie has interviewed a photographer from the city you’re visiting. They always describe locations, often in areas not usually frequented by tourists, that offer great opportunities for street photography.
3. The Digital Story
The Digital Story is a short and pithy podcast hosted by Derrick Story. He usually covers a few topical stories at the beginning of each episode before getting into three more in-depth stories. His technical knowledge is very good and he distills that knowledge into language that everyone can understand. Derrick wears many hats as a photographer and technologist, and his stories cover all manner of subject matter that relate in some way or another to photography. Derrick is also known as the “Nimble Photographer” and enjoys sharing ways to make your life easier as a travelling photographer. He is also a semi-regular guest host on This Week in Photo.
4. The Candid Frame
I discovered The Candid Frame a couple of years ago and it is one of the most refreshing photography podcasts I’ve heard. You won’t find anything to do with the latest cameras or equipment. Nor will you find anything to do with technique. What you will discover is Ibarionex Perello, a man with a deep insight and understanding of the photographic world.
Each episode, Ibarionex interviews someone new and delves deep into their psyche to extract information about their thought processes. He has grown as an interviewer and is a pleasure to listen to. It’s obvious that Ibarionex does his research before each interview because his questions are not those you would normally expect to hear. They are insightful and deliver responses that go to the core of the interviewee.
5. Photobiz Xposed
The Photobiz Xposed podcast by Andrew Hellmich is well worth a listen for any photographer. Its primary focus is the business of photography, particularly for those specializing in portraits and weddings. To be honest though, any photographer can learn from the expert guests Andrew has on his show. In fact, I’d say many of the strategies and much of the information could be helpful to anyone running a business, no matter what it is. The principles explained during the podcast episodes could translate equally well across many platforms.
Andrew has a relaxed way of interacting with his guests and manages to elicit great information from them. There are two levels for this podcast – a free version and a subscription version. Those that pay the monthly subscription get the full interview, whereas those that subscribe to the free version get a shortened, but still very valuable, version. There are usually downloads for those who subscribe too. I’m a fan, and I do pay the monthly subscription.
6. Martin Bailey Photography Podcast
The Martin Bailey Photography Podcast is another long running show. Martin has been putting out weekly episodes since 2005. He hails from England originally, but has been based in Tokyo for many years and specializes in nature and wildlife photography. He’s also a regular guest host of This Week in Photo, an author, and a Master in The Arcanum. Martin is a font of knowledge and his relaxed attitude makes him easy to listen to each week. He covers many topics related to photography and the business of photography. Another must listen!
7. Tips from the Top Floor
This is probably one of the first, if not THE first photography podcast to hit the air. Hosted by Chris Marquardt, Tips from the Top Floor has been running since about 2005 and covers all sorts of photography related topics – from photographing the night sky, to answering reader / listener questions and shooting portraits. Each episode is relatively short and easy to listen to. Like the other podcasts in the list, Chris has an easy going approach and shares his knowledge freely.
Honourable Mentions
Although this is the list of seven podcasts I currently listen to, there have been many others I’ve subscribed to over the years. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to listen to them all, so I have to unsubscribe from some occasionally. That doesn’t mean they’re bad podcasts, or not as good as the seven above, it simply means that at this current time I find myself listening to these seven. So, here’s a few more that might be more suitable for you (check out them all and you decide):
TWiP Your Itinerary is a new addition to the TWiP network and I’ve listened to them all so far to check them out. I’m not sure I’ll subscribe at this point, but I’m certainly keeping my eyes and ears on it. The content is good and Rob Knight is well suited to the hosting role. The podcast covers topics related to travel photography.
TWiP All About The Gear is another one from the TWiP network. Frederick van Johnson has made some really good decisions with the format of the main show and then branching out into sub-genres. This one is no different. Host Doug Kaye and Frederick discuss the nitty-gritty of cameras and other related products. They delve into the heart of the subject to keep listeners informed about all the latest gear. This is a great podcast, but not one I subscribe to. I regularly visit their website to check what the latest episode is about and then listen if it’s of particular interest to me. So I pick and choose the episodes I listen to.
Ready Steady Pro is a podcast hosted by Michael Rammell out of the United Kingdom. It’s dedicated to those moving from amateur to pro and has some great information. The show has been on a bit of a hiatus lately but Michael is planning more episodes again soon. The podcast will be moving from weekly to bi-weekly when it resumes. I’m looking forward to listening to this one again as Michael always covers interesting topics.
Digital Photo Experience hosted by Juan Pons and Rick “Godfather” Sammon is a fantastic listen. Although I’m not currently subscribed, I highly recommend this podcast. Both Juan and Rick discuss all sorts of topics around photography. They’re easy to listen to and get the information across in a way that’s easy for beginners to understand, without being too simplified for the advanced amateur. I’m sure Rick’s mind only stops when he’s sleeping and I’m not sure it even stops then! There’s always something new and exciting on this show.
Adorama TV post numerous video podcasts covering quite a range of topics. There’s tutorials by Mark Wallace, Gavin Hoey, Tamara Lackey – there’s something for everyone under the Adorama banner. They’re well worth checking out. I tend to watch them ad hoc when I have some spare time because they’re video related and I usually listen to my regular podcasts while I’m driving.
Do you have any other favourite podcasts not on this list? We’d love to hear about them or if you listen to the ones mentioned tell us what you enjoy about those.
