Part of living a photographic life is also knowing when to take advantage of photographic opportunities when they present themselves.

Althought I've been (and still am) an advocate of project-based approaches to photography (if only to keep you engaged and making photography regularly), in this podcast I discuss some of the pitfalls to watch out for when using projects as a way to live a photographic life.

What do wedding photography and Henri Cartier Bresson's decisive moment have in common? It turns out lots as I discovered after photographing my sister's wedding this past weekend.

In this podcast I talk about some of the ways in which we photographers can sometimes veer from the photographic life for one reason or another and I offer up some suggestions that have worked for me to get back on track with my photography.

Which is better, black and white or color photography? I've gotten asked this question many times by listeners and I find the question to be kind of strange because it all depends on what you are trying to communicate or accomplish with your photography. Sometimes it comes down to how well you create and develop your photos in one process or another (your skill), sometimes it is a matter of personal preference, and sometimes your subject tells you how to proceed. The bottom line is to follow your instinct and preference and not let anyone (including the marketplace) tell you it must be a certain way.

Sometimes our photographic comfort zone (the typical subjects, tools, and places that we are most comfortable with in our photography) can be our biggest barrier to making creative leaps in our work. Finding the courage to occasionally leave your comfort zone behind can lead to the "next step" in your photographic life. This episode references the book "Art and Fear" by David Bayle and Ted Orland and is highly recommended.

In this podcast, I discuss how learning from other photographers and their work (sometimes through imitation) can be essential step towards learning how to see photography and contributes towards gaining inspiration for your own work and eventually your own vision.

In this podcast, I try to address the question of what it means to "live a photographic life", a term I frequently use in my podcasts.

Continuing a discussion started in Thoughts on Photography #16, which looked at developing a photographic style, I discuss an approach to selecting a subject to photograph.

In this podcast I define what a photographic style is and what it means to you as a photographer.

This podcast explores the concept of "flow." According to the definition on Wikipedia, flow is a mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. In photography, flow can be used to help achieve a sense of heightened creativity with your photography.

As a reference for this podcast, here is a simple chart that explains the four levels of flow:

Level 1
Low Skill - Low Challenge = Typically breeds apathy

Level 2
Low Skill - High Challenge = Typically causes frustration and anxiety.

Level 3
High Skill - Low Challenge = Can bring about contentment and can build confidence but the challenge must increase to encourage true engagement.

Level 4
High Skill - High Challenge = Desired focused state where flow is attained,