Stop! Listen! and Learn!

My interest in photography was peaked several years ago. I had started listening to The Tech Guy radio show hosted by Leo Laporte. I soon figured out that Mr. Laporte hosted many other technology shows. I started listening to these shows and often his guests would be photographers, which is what got me interested in photography. In this posting I'll write a short synopsis of some of my early and current photography and technology influences and why you should listen to these people as well!

Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com, @scottbourne on Twitter)

Mr. Bourne was a major influence on my decision to make photography a big part of my life. Mr. Bourne is a world famous photographer that takes some of the world's best photographs of animals, particularly birds, in their natural habitat.

Mr. Bourne has a podcast called Photofocus. When I started listening to the podcast, the format of the show was Q&A. Photographers (amateur, semi-pro and pro) would email in questions that Mr. Bourne and "Canon Explorer of Light" Rick Sammon would try their best to answer. You learn a lot listening to the answers. You would be surprised how many people out there have the same exact questions that you have!

The format of the podcast has changed I'm sad to say.  The show is now hosted by Richard Harrington and Mr. Bourne is a co-host once in a while. They do very few Q&A sessions now.  The show is still good, but it was better with the old format.

The best part of the old Q&A format was the guest co-hosts.  Mr. Bourne would have guest co-hosts every week.  The list consisted of such great photographers as Tamara Lackey, Bambi Cantrell and Kevin Kubota.  What made this part special was that each guest host would have a different answer or point of view on a particular subject than Mr. Bourne did.  This way you got both sides of the "story".  Having two answers to the same question allows you to take all the information in and make your own decision. 

Mr. Bourne is still active on many podcasts and his blog. I recommend following Mr. Bourne on Twitter and to visit his site regularly for great information on photography and to view some of his great images.  He has coined one of my favorite photography sayings: "Don't just take pictures, make pictures."

Rick Sammon (www.ricksammon.info, @ricksammon on Twitter)

I was first introduced to Mr. Sammon while listening to the Photofocus podcast referred to in the above paragraph. Mr. Sammon offered a lot of good advice on how to "see the light" when taking pictures. I found out a little later that Mr. Sammon is a Canon "Explorer of Light".  The "Explorer of Light" designation from Canon means that Mr. Sammon was chosen to join an elite group of 60 photographers and cinematographers who were selected to share their knowledge and expertise. Mr. Sammon is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of photography.  

Mr. Sammon, along with Juan Pons, host the Digital Photo Experience (DPE) podcast.  Mr. Sammon and Mr. Pons talk about the latest gear, software and news in the photography world.  They usually have a very insightful interview with a photography industry leader. The last part of the show is always spent on answering photography questions sent in by show listeners.

Listening to Mr. Sammon's advice will surely make you a better photographer. 

Leo Laporte (www.twit.tv, leoville.com, @leolaporte on Twitter)

Leo Laporte is not a photographer, but he is a tech guru and worth listening to just to get the latest tips, tricks and news in cutting edge technology. Mr. Laporte has a long pedigree in the technology industry. He hosted one of the first technology help shows, TechTV.  

I originally got "hooked" on Mr. Laporte while listening to his "Tech Guy" radio show. This is a syndicated radio show where people with computer problems call in and ask Mr. Laporte how to fix them. It is fascinating to hear people call in and ask for help with some of the same problems I was having. Without Mr. Laporte's help I would have never had the guts to upgrade the ram on my PC years ago.  

Mr. Laporte also runs the TWIT network which is a growing collection of daily and weekly shows on various subjects; technology, law, humor, just to name a few. The technology show that he hosts (This Week in Tech or TWIT) is a panel show with several guests. Mr. Laporte and his guests discuss the technology news of the week. Often times, these guests can be photographers, so it's always interesting to hear their take on the technology news of the week. Mr. Laporte, along with photographer Catherine Hall (www.catherinehall.net), host a weekly photography show called "TWIT Photo". I highly recommend any photographer at any skill level listen to this show. The show is always very helpful and informative. There is the added bomus of watching the show as well because Mr. Laporte streams his shows live. Watching the show is helpful when Ms. Hall does a photography demo. 

I highly recommend watching live or listening to any of the TWIT Network shows to become a more informed photographer and techie. 

Rosh Sillars (www.roshsillars.com)

Mr. Sillars is a recent addition to my podcast listening habit. I heard Mr. Sillars when he was a guest on the Photofocus podcast. Mr. Sillars is a veteran photographer who specializes in photojournalism of people, food and interiors. 

Mr. Sillars is now more of a social media maven, offering great free help on getting vistors to your blog or photo site.  He posts new podcasts and updates his blog quite often, sometimes several times in one week. His help is invaluable. If you care about building your brand, getting visitors to your site and more business, photography or otherwise, you would be wise to subscribe to Mr. Sillars podcast found under Detroit Creative Labs in iTunes.

Frederick Van Johnson (frederickvan.com, mediabytes.com, @frederickvan on twitter)

Mr. Van Johnson is a professional photographer and social media expert.  His photography business and knack for marketing has led him to start a marketing company for creative professionals called MediaBytes.

Mr. Van Johnson also hosts "This Week in Photography" or "TWIP", not to be confused with Mr. Laporte's "TWIT Photo" podcast. The podcast is always hosted by Mr. Van Johnson and several fellow photographers. They discuss the news of the day, play a pre-taped interview with a famous photographer and then do a Q&A session answering questions sent in by listeners of the show.

Mr. Van Johnson has an excellent personality for hosting the show.  He's very easy going and makes sure each co-host on the show is allowed to give their own opinion on the particular news story they are reviewing.  Of course they also review any new release of photography software or the latest camera that's been introduced on the market.

I recommend listening to the TWIP podcast to stay current on the latest news and current trends in photography.

These are, in my opinion some of the most important people and trend setters in the photography, technology and social media business. They not only have great shows but they are all great teachers who love sharing their knowledge with all of us.