Behind the Shot
188 episodes - English - Latest episode: 28 days ago - ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsGet inside the minds of great photographers by taking a look Behind the Shot.
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Episodes
Capturing Warbirds
June 06, 2024 21:52 - 62.1 MBI will never forget growing up hearing my dad talk about his days flying P-51 and P-40 planes. His walls were covered in model planes of classic war birds, as though he was trying to relive his youth. When he passed away, I inherited a bunch of model planes he'd never gotten around to building. He was in the Air Force his entire life, retiring as a Lt. Colonel, and talking with today's guest has brought back so many memories. Brett Schauf, the owner of T&J Studios, in Wichita, Kansas, is a c...
3 Guys Walk Into a Podcast
May 09, 2024 16:53 - 2 hours - 144 MBOne of the things I love about the podcasting world is the instant camaraderie you sometimes feel when talking with other podcasters. It's hard to explain the connection you get when you have something creative in common with someone, but it's a pretty cool feeling. So, when a few months back I got a text from Kersten Luts, of the 'Camera Shake Podcast', to see if I wanted to join him and Dave Clayton, of the 'He Shoots, He Draws Podcast', for a joint podcast I answered with a quick "YES PLEA...
Photographing Spirits of Carnival
April 25, 2024 22:20 - 55 minutes - 63.6 MBThe photographers I am exposed to by doing this show never cease to amaze me. Recently, my buddy Ian Spanier told a friend of his that he should be on the show, and gave him my contact info. At that point, Jason Gardner reached out to me, and when Ian, who has been on the show a few times himself, suggests someone I need to pay attention. Jason is an interesting photographer. He has galleries on his site for Editorial, Events, Personalities, and Lifestyle, and the work is fantastic. Honestly...
Product Photography
April 11, 2024 17:35 - 51 minutes - 58.4 MBI never used to go to photography conferences. It's not that they didn't interest me, it's just that none of them cover my genre of music photography. WPPI is all about weddings and portraits, and while Imaging USA seems to cover a bit more, it doesn't go anywhere near concerts. Still, a few years ago I went to WPPI with a friend, to cover it on the show, and I found out that I didn't care what the conference covered. What I enjoyed the most was meeting other photographers after hours to talk...
Artistic Macros
March 29, 2024 00:55 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBOne of my favorite parts of doing this podcast is that I get to discover and meet some amazing photographers, and L.A. based Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill is a perfect example. We've all joked about a photographer we know being able to "shoot anything", but in reality very few people can truly shoot any subject matter. There are a few out there though, Joe McNally comes to mind, that just get it. Their photography seems to breath it's own air, and be alive. Joey is one of those talents. His ...
Architecture Photography Tips & Tricks
March 15, 2024 00:55 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBI find guests for Behind the Shot in a number of ways. Sometimes it's a referral from a friend, sometimes it's a cold email I send after seeing an image I just need to know more about, and now and then it's through a photographer's PR company. Regardless of how I find them, more often than not I end up being introduced to an amazing artist I wasn't familiar with beforehand. That is the case today. Jiří Lízler was brought to my attention by the folks over at Wonderful Machine, a company I thi...
Portrait Composites
March 02, 2024 00:30 - 1 hour - 74 MBOne look at the client list at the bottom of Paul Mobley’s About page and it’s quickly apparent that he’s one of the best commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographers working today. It’s a list of A level celebrities & musicians, and Fortune 500 companies, that speaks volumes about the type of work Paul creates. Whether it’s a celebrity promoting his or her latest project or a 100-year- old farmer celebrating his family’s legacy, Paul has that rare ability to direct as well ...
Elevate Your Portrait Images
February 07, 2024 23:22 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBZoe Rain is one of those photographers in the rare group of artists that was born to do what she does. Some people can learn to become amazing artists, while others, people like Zoe, seem to have a natural gift for seeing the world through a lens. At the young age of 20, Zoe was already touring with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and that work brought a bit of notoriety, to say the least. Since then, her work has graced the cover of Rolling Stone, appeared on subway car ads, and been plastered on ...
StellaPro Reflex S Light Update
November 12, 2023 22:43 - 33 minutes - 37.9 MBBack in June I did a review of the StellaPro Reflex line of lights titled "Is This My New Favorite Light?". Well, today I've got an update. StellaPro has upgraded the hardware. The StellaPro Reflex lights are “Continuous Strobe Hybrid” LED lights. They allow you to do constant light, as you might do for video, or using digital burst mode you can use the lights like you would a flash. Technically, these are not flashes, they are LED lights, but they allow you to over-charge the LED and releas...
Tintype Photography
August 10, 2023 20:41 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBThere are times when I see a photographer's work that I have an emotional response, a feeling that I am seeing something special. That's what happened the first time I browsed through Victoria Will's website. Photo after photo there was something.... with impact. That doesn't happen very often. Victoria's career in photography began as a photojournalist, but has now moved to a focus on celebrity portraiture, editorial, and commercial assignments. That beginning, however, is readily obvious. ...
Musical Wildlife
July 27, 2023 21:46 - 52 minutes - 60.6 MBRegular watchers / listeners of the show will know Dave Williams. He's a great friend, and amazing photographer, and he has a skill I value... an eye for great guests. In fact, he has connected me to more potential guests than I think anyone else. Because of that, when Dave sends me someone, I pay attention. Today is the result of that process. Dave described Paul Kober's work to me, and I was immediately struck by how unique the concept was. Paul is what most would call a wildlife and natu...
What to Expect from a Photo Critique
July 13, 2023 20:52 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBIt never surprises me how often Scott Kelby's name comes up when I am talking about photography with someone. I remember, back when I started out in photography, how much I learned from watching his videos with "The Photoshop Guys". Scott, to me, is photography education personified. Scott has been on the show a few times, for Insights From Scott Kelby and Timeless Photography, but I still remember the first time I met him in person. It was at a Photoshop World in Vegas, and I was at the ho...
10 Questions with… Don Komarechka
June 29, 2023 20:15 - 32 minutes - 36.9 MB10 Questions with... Don Komarechka I have had a lot of guests on this show, but few I know as well as Don Komarechka. Don is a great friend, which seems odd considering we have never met in person. We did our critique shows together for about two years, in honestly, chatting with him is always a blast. for that reason, I figured he was a perfect guest for my new "10 Questions" series. Don has been on the regular show too, a few times. The first was way back in February of 2018, for "The Art...
What Goes Into Creating Launch Photos
June 15, 2023 09:41 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBMy guest today most likely needs no introduction. As Vice President of Operations for KelbyOne, Erik Kuna has been around the photography world for a long time, and he's been on the show before, for the episode titled Shoot for the Skies. His specialty is photographing rockets and spaceflight, but make no mistake, Erik could teach you a lot about almost any genre of photography. From behind the camera, Erik photographs launches for organizations like NASA, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and...
Is This My New Favorite Light?
June 01, 2023 08:23 - 56 minutes - 64.3 MBA few years ago I was walking around the WPPI Expo floor with a friend, when he suggested we stop by the StellaPro Lights booth. This friend does some work with StellaPro Lights, a division of Light & Motion, and he thought I might be interested in seeing their new product - the StellaPro Reflex. As the staff there showed me the lights, I immediately thought that these might be a game changer for some people - maybe even me. Since then, I've been able to see the lights, and meet the people f...
Photographing Deep Within the Arctic Circle
May 18, 2023 19:07 - 55 minutes - 63.7 MBMy guest for this show is none other than my buddy Dave Williams, making his third appearance on the show. On the chance that you haven't seen the other two shows I did with Dave, "Aurora and the Night Sky" and "The Traveling Photographer", let me take a moment to introduce one of my favorite creatives. Dave is a travel photographer based out of London, or wherever his tricked out van happens to be parked. Yeah, you heard that correctly. Dave lives in a van called "Kofifernweh", and this van...
Elevated Toy Photography
May 04, 2023 10:10 - 56 minutes - 64.2 MBSo, funny story... I get people pitch themselves for my show very often. It's usually some bizarre pitch, for a subject matter that has zero to do with what my show actually is about. Sometimes it's the potential guest emailing me, and sometimes it's their "representative", but it's almost always some "motivational speaker" that wants to help my listeners. In almost every case, when someone pitches themself it's not a fit, until the other day on Twitter. I had tweeted that sometimes the onbo...
F1: Through the Lens
April 19, 2023 19:24 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBI get guest suggestions sent to me regularly, and this show is the result of one of those. Dave Kallmann messaged me on Twitter to suggest a few motorsports photographers, and that instantly intrigued me. Dave is a sports reporter for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and he is one hell of a photographer himself. If he was suggesting someone then I knew I had to take a look, and man, I am so glad that I did. Jamey Price is a motorsport and automotive photographer from Charlotte, North Carolina, an...
10 Questions with… Jesse Feyereisen
April 06, 2023 18:44 - 11 minutes - 12.8 MBToday is a new type of show, its: 10 Questions with... Jesse Feyereisen I have been thinking a lot lately about doing some shows that are a bit different from the normal format. Something just for fun, and shorter than the usual style of shows. I've had the "10 Questions" idea for awhile, and while recording a show with Toy Photographer, and Platypod Pro, Jesse Feyereisen (for release on May 4th) I asked if he wanted to be the first guest on this new format. Lucky for me, he said yes! Calli...
High-Fashion Wedding Photography
March 23, 2023 09:10 - 1 hour - 80.1 MBI first heard about wedding and portrait photographer, and wedding videographer, Andre Brown through my buddy Ant Pruitt's show "Hands on Photography", when Andre was on for a Photographers' Go-To Tip. I knew I wanted to get him on the show, and once I realized he was an Ambassador for StellaPro - an amazing line of lighting - I worked my contacts there to help get him on Behind the Shot. Here's the thing, Andre's work is different, it's unique in a number of ways. The post "Finding My Succe...
Commercial Lifestyle Photography
March 09, 2023 17:22 - 51 minutes - 58.6 MBPRODUCTION NOTE: I unfortunately had some issues with the guest audio on this show, so you will hear some echo at times. My apologies to my guest, and to you - the viewers and listeners. Tim Gerard Barker is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker based in Hanoi, Vietnam, who I met through the folks over at Wonderful Machine. As soon as I saw Tim's work, I knew I needed to get him on the show. When you look at Tim's portfolio you'll see photography categories for Hospitality I Hotels a...
Capturing That Precise Moment
February 23, 2023 21:19 - 1 hour - 91.8 MBToday's guest, former White House photographer Pete Souza, is a bucket-list item for me. I started Behind the Shot because I am a fan of great photography, or more specifically great photographers. Through the over six years I have been doing the show, I have had a range of guests, in a range of genres, from legends, to people I wasn't aware of before asking them to be on the show. While I have discovered many amazing creatives through doing this podcast, when I started there were a few spec...
Photographic Shapes, Gestures, and Symbols
February 09, 2023 20:24 - 56 minutes - 64.1 MBI often talk about how much I love being a part of the photo community. I have made such amazing friends being around this world of creativity, and today's show is the product of those friendships. There are times that this community starts to feel like "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon", and I love that. A few weeks ago I had Kersten Luts on the show to talk about Creative Portraits & Headshots, and that show happened because of our mutual friend Dave Williams. Dave has been on my show a few time...
Photography in Mongolia
January 26, 2023 21:02 - 1 hour - 68.9 MBOne of the best parts of doing this podcast is getting to see the amazing photography community at work. I mentioned this a few weeks ago when I had Kersten Luts (Creative Portraits and Headshots) on the show. He had been suggested as a guest by my friend, and past guest, Dave Williams ( The Aurora & The Night Sky, The Traveling Photographer). Kersten then referred me to Nina Welch-Kling (Duolougues). Well, we are here today because of another connection. A few months ago I received an email...
Documenting the Golden Era of Motocross
January 12, 2023 19:31 - 1 hour - 73 MBI am so excited to have David Dewhurst back on the show again! David is one of those legends that I could talk to everyday. His work spans through multiple genres, and has consistently stood the test of time. The first time he was on was for the show on Getting Your Photos Up To Speed. When I learned he was creating a book about his days photographing the golden era of motocross I asked him to come back on the show once it was finished, and here we are. David has been at photography for mos...
Capture Better Wildlife Photos
December 29, 2022 20:09 - 49 minutes - 56.5 MBRick Sammon has been referred to as the Godfather of Photography, because he is one of the best there is. He jokes that he "specializes in not specializing", but the reality is that he understands light, his gear, and his subjects so well that he can photograph pretty much anything at a world class level. I've learned so much from this guy over the years, and I still learn something almost every time I talk to him. It's no wonder he is so in demand. His classes on KelbyOne are detailed, and ...
Using An iPhone As Your Vacation Camera
December 15, 2022 18:55 - 55 minutes - 63.8 MBJefferson Graham is a Manhattan Beach, California based writer-photographer, educator, and the host/producer of the travel photography series "Photowalks with Jefferson Graham", which streams on YouTube, Tubi and the Roku Network. I first met Jefferson the same day I met Frederick Van Johnson. I drove out to watch him record his Talking Tech podcast, a show he did for USA TODAY when he was one of their tech columnists. His guests that day were Frederick and tech journalist Mark Gurman. Righ...
Creative Portraits and Headshots
December 01, 2022 19:22 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBIt looks like I will owe Dave Williams a beer, or whisk(e)y. Dave is one of the best there is, and I am so lucky that he's been on the show a few times. Well, a few weeks ago Dave emailed me to introduce me to Kersten Luts, a commercial portrait and headshot photographer based in West London. I was already aware of Kersten, along with his amazing work and Camera Shake Podcast. Kersten is one of the most creative photographers in his genre, not only thinking outside of some hypothetical box, ...
Photo, Video & Audio Gift Ideas
November 18, 2022 06:23 - 48 minutes - 56.1 MBA few episodes ago I talked about how I edit and finish some of my images in the episodes on Dodge & Burn + and Photoshop + Nik Color Efex Pro + Nik Silver Efex Pro. After those shows went live I received a few comments from people that they didn't own some of the software I mentioned, like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or the DxO Nik Collection of plugins. That got me thinking that maybe some gift ideas might help some people. All of the things I mention in this show will make great gifts for...
Using Remote Cameras
November 03, 2022 10:14 - 1 hour - 80.7 MBDavid Bergman has been on the show many times. Along with twice on the normal shows, first back on Episode 48 for "Composition, Creativity, and Workflow", and then on Episode 137 for a "Making Better Action Photos", he was also a guest on Image Critique #9. His most recent spot was on the show about "The Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given". Today makes appearance number 3 on the normal shows. The other day David posted a shot to Instagram that immediately made me think of doing a show....
Photoshop + Nik Color Efex Pro + Nik Silver Efex Pro
October 20, 2022 17:36 - 29 minutes - 33.7 MBA few episodes ago I talked about masking in Lightroom, which is one of my favorite new features in the program. It wasn't a deep dive into masking, but a demonstration of how I use masks in Lightroom to add depth to my concert photography using what I call "Dodge & Burn +". It's a technique that's easy to do, and can be used on any genre of photography. During that show I mentioned that, for most jobs, I can usually finish all of my edits in Lightroom now, but that on occasion I may still f...
Creative Lighting
October 06, 2022 05:58 - 48 minutes - 55.3 MBThere are rankings in photography that I had no idea even existed. For example, the #1 Fearless Photographer in North America, and Top 3 in the World, for 2021 is Jason Vinson. He's also ranked as one of the Top 100 Fearless Photographers of all time. I am intrigued, and that alone makes me want to meet him. Jason is a multi-award winning wedding and documentary photographer, based out of Northwest Arkansas, and the awards list is impressive, with awards from Junebug Weddings, World Best Wed...
Focusing On The Moment
September 22, 2022 10:02 - 44 minutes - 50.4 MBI know a lot of photographers that work in multiple genres, but Kevin Jairaj is unique among them. One day he might be shooting a wedding, and a few days later college or pro sports. Then, on the days in-between, you might find him doing a fashion or boudoir shoot. What makes him unique is that he is very accomplished in each and every one of these fields. In just a few short years, Kevin has become one of the most sought after photographers working today, both in the USA and worldwide. He h...
Best Photo Advice You’ve Been Given?
September 08, 2022 20:57 - 37 minutes - 43.2 MBToday is another special episode, at least to me it is. In the almost six years I have been doing this show I have had guests share so much knowledge, and that got me thinking. "What is the Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given?" is a pretty open ended question. In fact, if you replace the word "photo" with "creative" it gets even more generalized. Still, it's an interesting one because for many of us there has been a moment where someone shared something with us that 'clicked'. It could ...
Dodge & Burn +
August 26, 2022 02:47 - 36 minutes - 42.3 MBI have always had a love / hate relationship with Lightroom, meaning 20% love and 80% hate. There are just parts of this app that drive me crazy, or seem like they're designed by someone that has never edited a photo in their life, or used a computer, or knows what a mouse is. Recently however, one feature has completely changed how I do my edits... Masking. Lightroom has had masks for a while, but a few recent updates have really taken them to the next level. On this episode I want to share...
Creating Better Corporate & Environmental Portraits
August 11, 2022 20:21 - 49 minutes - 56.9 MBCorporate portraits can be challenging. Everything from tight spaces and limited time, to a mix of personalities and desired goals, the photographer has to become the fixer. Adding to that, telling the story of what someone does in a single photo might be one of the most difficult things you'll ever have to do. When it comes to these types of commercial shoots, there are many possible directions you can go. Some people opt for the traditional portrait, the ones against a backdrop. Others try...
Favorite Light Setups
July 28, 2022 20:25 - 1 hour - 101 MBLA based photographer Ian Spanier was first on the show back in 2019 for a conversation about Classic Portraits & Classic Lighting, discussing a portrait of actor Jeff bridges. His lighting style immediately struck me as something so classic, and timeless. Since then, Ian and I have become friends, and when he was invited to do a lighting workshop for the photography students at California Baptist University in my hometown he invited me to sit in. Watching his laid back style was inspiring. I...
Complex Photo Shoots
July 14, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBI get guest suggestions often, very often in fact, and almost all of them are for amazing photographers, but on occasion the suggestion stops me in my tracks. On those very rare occasions, no matter where I am or what I am doing, the photographer is so good that I need to ask them to be on the show right then. This is an example... On April 13th I saw that I had a DM on Instagram from Jaime (@elespaiz) making a suggestion that I do a show about a specific image, a global publicity photo for ...
Adventure Photography
July 01, 2022 01:00 - 49 minutes - 56.9 MBAlex Buisse is an adventure photographer based out of Alberta, Canada, but it would seem that Chamonix, France has his heart - at least photographically. Alex is a climber, but around the same time he fell in love with that, he also fell into photography. The combination of those two passions allows Alex to create some absolutely stunning photographs. These two disciplines seem to feed each other, and by Alex's own admission have caused him to climb bigger and wilder mountains so that he wou...
Posing Tips
June 16, 2022 19:12 - 1 hour - 72.5 MBAt WPPI this year I ran into Vanessa Joy, my first time meeting her in person. We chatted about the classes and workshops she was doing at the conference, and the friend I was with suggested that I get her on the show again. I had such a great time when Vanessa was on the show the first time, talking about how to Elevate Your Wedding Photography, that when she agreed to do it I jumped at the chance. As I was thinking about this show, I knew that I wanted to do something different than the fi...
In Public: Street Photography
June 02, 2022 20:20 - 45 minutes - 51.9 MBGeorge Schaub is a photographer's photographer, and that may be the best compliment I can give anyone. George has a been a professional photographer since 1966, when he was the House photographer for promotion, brochures, and events at International House, NYC - and he's been a writer for almost as long. From the 1970s through the 2000s his career took off, with articles published in Studio Photography magazine, followed by articles and illustrations in the New York Times Sunday Arts and Lei...
Overpower Daylight
May 19, 2022 23:33 - 52 minutes - 59.7 MBRick Sammon has said that he specializes in not specializing, and I am seeing that approach to photography more often. Today's guest is Will Cadena, and his portfolio include Weddings, Bar / Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate Events, Commercial work, and Cinematography, and the entire body of work is world class. Will brings a sense of space to his images, with subjects that pop off the background. His lighting never leaves the subjects without their environment, while at the same time keeping the back...
College Wrestling Photography
May 05, 2022 15:19 - 42 minutes - 48.8 MBA few days ago Jeremy Lanthorn (@Snackem on Twitter) sent me a guest suggestion: @stevebrazill check out @LeviVentura_ and this shot of @GableSteveson at the NCAA wrestling tournament. Would make a great BTS episode. I get a lot of guest suggestions, and while I reach out to most of them, many never answer back. In this case, I replied to the tweet, Levi Ventura answered back almost instantly, and here we are with a new show. I wasn't familiar with Levi before this, but I hope more people wi...
Nikon Auto-Focus Explained
April 21, 2022 20:54 - 1 hour - 98 MBNOTE: This is not an official Nikon USA show. This is a podcast first and foremost, and Nikon was kind enough to allow my guest, Mark Cruz, to come speak about the Nikon AF system options. This is not intended to be a technical training, but a conversation with Mark to better understand the choices you have in customizing the current line of Nikon camera AF systems. Obviously, there are still some constraints here. I try to keep the shows at a reasonable length - for some behind the scenes re...
Choosing Black & White
April 07, 2022 19:06 - 57 minutes - 66 MBI don't think Dr. Larry Tiefenbrunn, or Dr. T as he's known to many, ever sleeps. Larry is a practicing pediatrician, and active photographer, and he's the founder and CEO of Platypod. I first met Larry through Rick Sammon, and we have been friends ever since. His company Platypod makes some of my favorite photo accessories - the larger Platypod Max and the smaller Ultra, one of which is next to me every show. Their most recent product is the Platyball, a unique bullhead available in the Erg...
Photographic Gesture
March 24, 2022 18:43 - 45 minutes - 52.3 MBI get guest suggestions on a very regular basis, and most of the time I actually do follow through on them. Unfortunately, I often don't get any response. Periodically however I not only get a reply, but we end up with a great show. That is the case with this episode, and describing my guest is going to take a bit of setup... A few days ago I received an email from a gentleman named Michael Ryno. I don't know Michael personally, but his email caught my eye. He mentioned a photo group that is...
Photographing History
March 10, 2022 09:39 - 56 minutes - 65.1 MBThese last few years of the pandemic have been an interesting time. While I would definitely hope to not do it again any time soon, there are a few things that have come out of the pandemic that have been amazing. One of those are the various virtual photographer hangouts I have been invited to, and the amazing people I have met through them. In one of these Zoom hangouts I met William Snyder, who was on the show with his Stevie Ray Vaughn album cover image, and in the same hangout I was also...
Canon Auto-Focus Explained
February 25, 2022 10:33 - 1 hour - 119 MBNOTE: This is not an official Canon USA show. This is a podcast first and foremost, and Canon was kind enough to allow my guest, Rudy Winston, to come speak about the Canon AF system options. This is not intended to be a technical training, but a conversation with Rudy to better understand the choices you have in customizing the current line of Canon camera AF systems. Obviously, there are still some constraints here. I try to keep the shows at a reasonable length - for some behind the scenes...
Master of Light
February 10, 2022 20:16 - 57 minutes - 65.9 MBI feel like I have been studying Joe McNally's work since I first picked up a camera, so this should be the easiest show post I have ever done. He is an absolute master of light, and I own his "The Language of Light" Volume One, I need to get Volume Two. I have watched classes through KelbyOne and CreativeLive, and twice I have sat at the end of his PhotoshopWorld Keynotes wishing it wasn't over. Yeah, this should be easy. But no, this is a tough one. Joe McNally is a legend, and most anyone...
Making Better Action Photos
January 27, 2022 18:44 - 1 hour - 91.3 MBDavid Bergman is a legend in the world of concert photography, and he is someone I have looked up to for a long time. That may be the best summary of David I can come up with, that I am a fan, and honored to call him a friend. For those not aware of David's work, David is a New York based commercial photographer and photo educator who specializes in action, music and portraiture photographer. David is one of the rare talents that can pull off any genre of photography. He is also a world clas...