It’s all been done before…

Hosted by Daniel j Gregory

November 15, 2021

Episode Number:

What the heck is this week's podcast about?

Episode 349

I recently got emailed a question about finding and shooting unique things in photography and if that is important. I, of course, think that uniqueness in photography is essential, but not the subject matter or subject. At this point, most of what is photographed has been photographed as a subject, subject matter, or concept before.

However, I believe that this sort of problem isn’t a problem at all. In many ways, the fact that it’s all been done before is worth celebrating. In this week’s podcast, I spend a little time talking about the importance of appreciating that what we are doing when we photograph is extending the conversations, responding to discussions and generating new ideas by combining influences and ideas. Rather than seeking out the new, we should instead focus on the newness that comes from seeing what has been done and how we respond to that when making our photographs.

Check out our sponsor Silly Dog Studios Herbal Studio for your holiday shopping.

As always, I hope you and yours are safe, and please remember to keep safe and wear your mask.

One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, but here is the current list of equipment that I am using. Also as an FYI and full disclosure, the links are affiliate links to Amazon.










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Gear used in the podcast

Rode Boom Arm
Rode PSM Shockmount
Rode Podcast Mic
Focusrite Scarlet 2i2
Adobe Audition (part of creative cloud subscription)
Macbook Pro
OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock
Headphones

Working With What the Photograph Wants

This episode explores the idea of working with what the photograph wants rather than forcing our intentions onto it. Once an image exists, it carries its own visual logic, weight, and rhythm. By slowing down, noticing what the photograph is already doing well, and letting accidents or imperfections remain, editing becomes a conversation instead of a correction. When we listen to the photograph’s internal voice, we discover a truer, more honest final image than the one we first imagined.

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Interpretation and translation

In this episode of the podcast I explore the idea of editing as translation. Rather than treating editing as technical cleanup, I look at how it becomes a way to interpret the lived moment of making a photograph. The camera captures facts but not the emotional truth, so editing bridges that gap. By shaping color, tone, and atmosphere, we translate experience into visual language and create images that feel honest, expressive, and connected to our intentions.

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What it means to share your work

In this episode of the podcast, we explore the quiet tension between the solitude of making photographs and the importance of sharing the work we create. Photography often begins in private moments of deep attention, yet that same solitude can drift into loneliness and self-doubt. We talk about why showing your images to others is a vital part of the creative cycle, how feedback and connection help clarify your voice, and why your work deserves to exist beyond your own hard drive. This episode invites you to embrace both the stillness of seeing and the community that completes the photograph.

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