Creativity is not left brain or right brain, you need a whole brain.

Hosted by Daniel j Gregory

August 3, 2020

Episode Number:

What the heck is this week's podcast about?

Episode 282

There are a number of aspects of photography that fall into two camps. There are artistic decisions and technical decisions. For some people, you might think of this as left-brain (technical) and right- brain (creative) decisions. However, to be successful, you need both sides of your brain to make a good photograph. Not only both sides but also some language around how both sides work together to make a successful photograph.

When we can talk about how our camera decisions help or hinder the experience of a photograph, we can make better photographs in the future. We can, with this enhanced language, also provide better feedback to other about there work. Rather than focusing on what f/stop, we could focus on the effects of sharpness in an image as it relates to how the image is seen. So much of photography is about learning to translate what we see in the world into the image even when what is in front of us is shifted by the camera options. When we lack the language to describe what we want, we can make decisions with the camera resulting in work that often feels empty. Learning to be able to have a language to describe what we want and how to get it with the camera makes the artistic side of our work easier. This week’s podcast is a deep dive into the important distinction of these two sides of our language and how to balance them for the greatest impact.

 










Affiliate Links

This website may use affiliate links. This means when you purchase something through links marked as affiliate links (usually noted by a *), I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally use or have tested.

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

Books for the giving season

n this episode of The Perceptive Photographer, I talk about book ideas for the holiday season, especially for photographers and creative folks. Thanks to a listener, David, I once again share some of my favorite reads or books for giving ranging from creative practice and photography theory to memoirs and photo books. The goal of this week’s episode (561) is to hopefully help you find meaningful books for yourself or the photographers in your life.

read more

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.

read more

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.

read more