If You're a Photographer, Listen to THIS Podcast....
- for those interested in gaining a wealth of knowledge when it comes to photography, cinematography, design, and similar creative endeavors + how to pursue the career of your dreams -
“Because we are interested in people’s story and not what type of gear they use... we are bringing you the backstory on how some of your favorite artists got to where they are today.”
When I began taking photography seriously, I looked toward my inspiration to know where to begin. For me, that was Chris Burkard. He's a ridiculously amazing action sports & outdoor photographer that has over 2 million Instagram followers. I figured if I could just hear his story and learn how he got to where he is, maybe I can start to emulate that. How do I hear his story? My first thought was a podcast.
I never really listened to podcasts before, but I wanted to learn straight from the source. I thought digging through podcasts to find a legitimate interview with Burkard was gonna be extremely difficult. Luckily for me, I was wrong. Really, the only podcast I found that was even related to photography was the Visual Revolutionary Podcast. What made this little victory even sweeter was that they had actually interviewed Burkard.
Here's a little backstory:
Ric Stovall and Kevin Banker (who recently left the project) host the show, and they're both great photographers in their own right. They're based out of Denver, Colorado and understand the inner workings of the business. This means...
They have a wealth of knowledge about the visual arts as well, and I often find myself learning as much from their comments as their guests'.
Because Stovall and Banker are entrenched in the subject, they have the ability to ask appropriate and intriguing questions to get the most out of their interviewee.
They do all of this for free. The guests aren't paid, and the show isn't currently sponsored with ads (though it probably will be soon.) This suggests that those who join the show actually give a shit about telling their story and positively influencing others. That's huge in my book.
Retrieved from Stovall Studio @ StovallStudio.com
Back to the Burkard interview.
“The good news is, I do have an interview to play you of Chris Burkard. The bad news is, it’s not the one that I wanted to play.”
Stovall goes on to apologize to Chris for losing the audio file. This is when I started to wonder how legitimate the show really was. My fears were quickly pushed aside, not only by this interview, but by the numerous ones to come. Though the audio wasn't perfect (Burkard was on the road,) the interview still impressed me. Stovall's and Banker's questions guided Burkard's passionate answers into educating the listener. We learn about Burkard the photographer, how we can progress from understanding his artistic undertakings, and we learn about Burkard the person. This is exactly what a podcast should be. It should be educational and insightful. Check and check.
“This is a show where we get a chance to sit down with some of the world’s leading photographers, filmmakers, and other visual artists...”
I don't want to paraphrase the interview, 'cause you should go check it out yourself, so I'll tell you how the show is normally structured. They generally go through the artist's background, how they broke into the profession, any big projects they're working on, and ask some crucial questions at the end.
“... We get a chance to hear about the journey that shaped them into the person they are today.”
Do you have any sort of ritual or routine to keep yourself from losing steam?
What advice do you have for young people in the industry?
Those questions are huge because their answers provide necessary information for young visual artists and experienced ones. But, the rest of the podcast serves this function as well. It truly is a resource that's waiting to be tapped. If you're attempting to break into the photography or visual arts professions (or just want to learn more,) you should be a regular listener. You won't regret it.
So, why am I writing this? I'm doing this because this podcast is amazing and has inspired me to push myself to be the artist I've long desired to be. It educates, informs, and forces you out of your comfort zone. It slaps in you in the face with information you wish you could ignore, but then it uplifts you by explaining how to utilize that information. Here's an example from the Burkard interview:
“... they don’t want to know that you can shoot everything decent - all they want to know is what your specialty is and how you have created a body of work around that specialty.”
Many of us make mistakes like this. We try and show a client how we're good at everything when we need to display that we're amazing at one or two things. It's not bad to spread your knowledge, but you get the point.
I'm also writing this because the show needs support from its fans. Stovall, who is now leading the show solo, doesn't get paid to do this. He doesn't pay the guests. He's currently working on monetizing the project. But, for now, it's support like this that may help get the show more listeners. This podcast deserves it for the amazing content that's shared.
So, if you're interested in photography or another visual art, you should go and listen to the
- Cullan
