Photographer Interviews

On the developing the skills that enabled him to work with Sony PlayStation, Monster Energy, Husqvarna, Bosch Global, Fujifilm USA, and why you should always spit out your gum before shooting.

If you’ve ever looked at National Geographic’s “Your Shot” favorites and thought, “I could never compete with that,” you’re not alone—and you’re also probably aiming at the wrong target. Most photographers assume editors are hunting for the sharpest file, the cleanest composition, or the most technically “correct” exposure. A picture editor’s job isn’t to find the most perfect photograph. It’s to find the photograph that can carry attention, meaning, and credibility—fast—and still feels worth returning to later.

Lynsey Weatherspoon is a photojournalist and portraitist whose work has been featured in such publications as The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, and ESPN. A Canon Explorer of Light, she is often called on to capture heritage and history as it happens. Here, she shares why you should buy less stuff, question everything, and always pack a multi-tool.

Here are five podcasts you should be listening to right now. Hit play, grab your coffee, and get inspired. When I am walking or driving, I’ve got five that I always snare in my podcast catcher. You’ll love them no matter what kind of photography you do.

In 2025, photography has never been faster or more automated. Cameras track eyes at 60 frames per second and send 45-megapixel raws to your phone in seconds. Yet thousands of photographers are loading Kodak and Ilford rolls, proving film isn’t dead—it’s thriving as a cultural counterpunch.

Photographer Brownie Harris has spent five decades capturing both the famous and the ordinary, with a portfolio that stretches from John F. Kennedy Jr. to factory workers and Hollywood sets. Earlier this year, Harris released Brownie Harris Retrospective 1970–2020, a book that brought together a lifetime of images and stories.

There's a moment in every storm chaser's career when they realize they're no longer just documenting weather—they're bearing witness to something far more profound. For Hank Schyma, better known as Pecos Hank, that realization came gradually over three decades of pursuing supercells across the Great Plains, but it crystallized into something deeper: an understanding that storms aren't just meteorological phenomena to capture, but windows into the very nature of scientific truth and human humility.

Paris-born Mathieu Bitton, a Leica Ambassador, has photographed some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Quincy Jones, The Rolling Stones, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Bruce Springsteen, as well as designing and art directing albums, posters, books, and promotional materials — earning him three Grammys. Here he explains how to break through a creative block, why rules of composition are meant to be broken, and why he burns sweetgrass over used equipment.

Leica is observing a truly historic moment in 2025: the 100th anniversary of the Leica I camera. You might know the name Leica, but the introduction of the Leica I was more than just a product launch; it was an event that irrevocably altered the landscape of photography. 

Some photographers view the craft of photography as a creative pursuit that enriches their lives on a deeply personal level, while others are motivated by income or social media attention. Some are driven to use their cameras to effect change. Self-proclaimed “dogtographer” Kaylee Greer is one such person who uses photography to tell the story of shelter dogs in search of a loving home.

Finding originality in your photography isn't just about standing out—it's how you genuinely connect to what you're shooting. It shapes your vision and the authenticity of your work.

Canadian photographer Greg Girard left Vancouver in the 1970s to explore Southeast Asia with his camera. His colorful, atmospheric landscapes showed us a very different and unfamiliar part of the world that, for Westerners at that time, was much less traveled and even less well known.

I went to meet the founders of Lomography, Sally Bibawy and Matthias Fiegl, on an unseasonably warm Halloween morning in Brooklyn. For three decades, this unicorn of a company has maintained an unwavering commitment to analog long before analog’s recent renaissance, and I was eager to uncover what has fueled their commitment, what currently drives them, and how it might shape Lomography’s future.

Photography offers countless ways to explore creativity, and Nick Carver embodies this diversity. Known for his large format photography, Carver captures striking images of both natural landscapes and abandoned office buildings. His work highlights how settings, whether pristine nature or gritty urban spaces, can tell stories about their past and purpose.

For nearly 30 years, Canon U.S. has partnered with Yellowstone Forever, and I recently received a beautiful photography book based on Yellowstone National Park and Canon's short film "Seismic." In this article, I interview two of the amazing creators behind this project.

Live music photography is an area that intrigues many, yet few really find a breakthrough. We recently spoke with Kevin Kerr, who swapped his Silicon Valley profession for a career in live music photography. Find out what is in his gear bag and what goes into a great live music photograph.

Telling a story is more than taking pretty images. Here are five tips from photojournalist Natalie Keyssar that will help you build a better story.

Finding the creativity and inspiration to succeed as a premier fashion and editorial photographer is hard enough, keeping it up for more than three decades is a completely different story altogether. Rankin's new show at 180 Studios is a retrospective of Rankin's first decade of work at Dazed and Confused, one of photography's most influential magazines.

Elton John and his husband David Furnish have collected over 7,000 pieces of fine art photography over the past thirty years.

The Great Plains offer some of the most extreme and jaw-dropping weather on Earth, and those who venture there with their camera are rewarded with some of the most unique and stunning images possible. We interviewed Paige Vincent, a photographer capturing those phenomena.

What do you get when you pair an industry titan in creative beauty images with a campaign promoting psoriasis awareness? You get images you're anxiously curious to see, and an interview you want to watch. For the lucky New Yorkers, you also get the perfect outing for this weekend. I sat down with Adler to talk about the “Clearly Me” campaign she shot, which will be on display this weekend at Nine Line Galleries, NYC. If you follow my writing, you know we took rabbit trails into all kinds of tangents that will keep you learning, laughing, and hopefully leave you inspired with takeaways that will apply to your own photographic journey. 

Saturday mornings, for most people, are about errands or relaxation. But for photographer Kai Eason, Saturday mornings are spent at local coffee shops, photographing a film photography portrait series known as "The Coffee Shop Sessions."

Fujifilm is currently managing incredible demand for its X100 series of cameras. Despite the latest X100VI only being released a couple of months ago, the backlog has already grown to immense proportions. In our latest video, we speak to Fujifilm to see why this is the case.

Whether you've seen her speaking on stages for Adobe, or lining magazine articles such as Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” you surely have come across the legend and creative photographer that is Julieanne Kost.

The perceived glamorous life of a Hollywood unit still photographer is not all about meeting A-list celebrities and taking iconic cover shots of award-winning films. It's actually a challenging endeavor that requires grit, perseverance, and a plethora of social and technical skills.

As the year comes to a close and another begins, it’s a natural time to take stock. I like to look back on the past year and decided what lessons I’ve learned, and what I can do better next year. Perhaps it’s time to think about new habits – which immediately brings to mind the specter of resolutions. Do you make any? Want to share with us?

On the verge of a massive career retrospective that would see most sit back and bask in success and maybe take a foot off the gas, Michel Haddi is dedicated to continuing to develop his world-famous style and technique. How'd Haddi get to this level of success? What pushes him on to the next?

Embracing minimalism can offer a fresh perspective on composition and storytelling. For photographers, understanding the power of minimalism is not just about capturing less; it's about conveying more with simplicity and directness. This approach to photography is challenging, but it can be a game-changer in an artist's journey, offering a lens to view the world differently and to distill its essence into a single, impactful frame.

Winter photography is a realm where Kevin Bruseby excels, capturing the stark and serene beauty of winter. His journey reflects a blend of discovery and unique challenges associated with capturing the essence of the coldest season. Drawing from the tranquil Scandinavian winters, Bruseby describes his journey as one filled with discovery and challenges.

We catch up with photographer Simon Murphy who currently has a major exhibition of his work, having cast his lens on the Govanhill area of Glasgow over the last 20 years. Learn key insights into his methods, how he connected with members of this diverse community, and what advice he would pass on to photographers seeking to embark on long-form documentary projects.

For many photographers, the pursuit of passion is often overshadowed by the looming fear of financial instability. Visions of artistic fulfillment are frequently interrupted by sleepless nights, wondering if next month’s bills will be covered. In a saturated market where every other person with a camera considers themselves a photographer, standing out and making a comfortable living can seem like an elusive dream. But what if amidst these swirling doubts, you came across a story so compelling, it reignites the fire in your belly and renews your faith in the power of persistence and innovation?

Which image in the banner is a photograph, and which is computer generated? Can you even tell anymore? With the addition of computer generated imagery (CGI) and artificial intelligence, the process of creating images has provided commercial photographers more tools than ever. I sat down with award-winning food photographer Steve Hansen to discuss this topic and to delve into the question: "Is it enough to just be a photographer these days?"

Over 100 days ago, Russ Cook (aka The Hardest Geezer), who aims to become the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa, set off on this epic 15,000-kilometer journey. Join me in this article as I interview the filmmakers behind this epic adventure and find out what has happened.

Back in my college days, when I first started taking photographs, I pursued magazine photography because I loved seeing my name printed in the magazine. Often, I wasn’t being paid for my services and the photo credit was payment enough for me. When I incorporated my business some 20+ years ago, I named my company "photo: John Ricard, LLC" because it resembled a photo credit. 

Filip Majerčík, a diverse Slovak photographer, shares his incredible project that has taken six years to complete over 50 trips, resulting in 3 TB of data to process. His passion and dedication capture his country’s beauty from a sensitive, awe-inspiring perspective.

Generative artificial intelligence like Chat GPT, Dall-e, Midjourney, etc., what we are all now collectively referring to as "AI," has all but dominated almost every aspect of popular public discourse over the last year. And for good reason: it's kind of a big deal, though I would argue a lot of the conversation around AI is overblown at best and outright unwarranted panic at worst. But that's not to say we shouldn't be paying close attention to the advancements in this new technology. Quite the opposite, we should be paying very close attention, and making every attempt to understand this tech to the extent we possibly can. 

Jumping back to an article I just wrote on how to speed up your career by 10 years, We Eat Together suggested “finding your passion and photographing the hell out of it.” That is what exactly New Zealand-based photographer Charles Brooks did in his recent photo series, Architecture in Music.

Cinematographer Markus Mentzer offers advice for shooting on a fast-paced set, like Netflix’s “I Think You Should Leave.”

Ben Moore, Nikon Europe Creator, is an urban architectural photographer who understands the grind. His passion and tenacity for pushing himself have led to a career of stunning image creation.

Lara Jackson is an incredible wildlife photographer, conservation biologist, and children's book author. Over the last few years, Lara has had an incredible journey, becoming highly commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition to then becoming an ambassador with Nikon and Save The Rhino. I sat down with Lara to discuss this journey in more detail.

Brian McCarty, a self-proclaimed toy geek and an incredible photographer, tells the stories many people don’t want to hear in a way familiar to the world. He depicts children’s accounts of conflict and loss through toys as an advocation against the horrors of war.