Photography is Nothing

Afleveringen

1. Interview with Adger Cowans

   28 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 25 min

   Afspelen
   In Episode 55 of Photography is Nothing, Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken sit down for a wide-ranging conversation with legendary photographer and painter Adger Cowans. At 90 years old, Cowans reflects on a lifetime of making art, following his intuition, and finding meaning in the world around him. Lees meer

   Cowans studied photography at Ohio University, assisted Gordon Parks, and built a remarkable career spanning fine art, photojournalism, and motion picture photography. He is also a founding member of the Kamoinge Workshop, the influential collective founded by Black photographers to support one another and expand the possibilities of their work.

   But this conversation goes far beyond photography. Cowans shares his deeply personal philosophy of creativity, describing the artist as a translator of spirit and emotion. He talks about the importance of courage, the challenges of rejection, the difference between making images with film and digital cameras, and why artists must learn to trust their own vision rather than create work simply to please others.

   The conversation also explores his love of jazz, his experiences with legendary musicians, the importance of community, and the energy that connects people through art and life. Throughout it all, Cowans offers an inspiring perspective on creativity, purpose, and the freedom that comes from defining your own path.

   In this episode:

   Adger Cowans on a lifetime of photography and painting

   Creativity, spirituality, emotion, and trusting your intuition

   His experiences assisting Gordon Parks and learning from photography's greats

   Film, darkroom printing, digital photography, and the changing nature of the medium

   Overcoming rejection and finding the courage to make your own work

   The Kamoinge Workshop and the importance of community among Black photographers

   Jazz, artistic expression, and the energy shared between artists and audiences

   Aging, staying creative, and continuing to explore new possibilities

   Why you must b…

2. The Photography of Adger Cowans

   21 oktober 2026 · 31 min

   Afspelen
   In Episode 54 of Photography is Nothing, Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken explore the remarkable photography of Adger Cowans, a pioneering photographer whose work spans street photography, documentary photography, portraiture, jazz, fine art, and more than 30 motion picture sets. Lees meer

   From his early days in Columbus, Ohio, to assisting Gordon Parks in New York City, Cowans built an extraordinary career documenting everyday life, capturing cultural icons, and finding beauty in unexpected places. We look at some of his most compelling images, including his evocative street photographs, expressive portraits, experiments with light and abstraction, and behind-the-scenes photographs of legendary actors and filmmakers.

   Cowans was also a founding member of the Kamoinge Workshop in 1963. The group continues to this day and is dedicated to supporting Black photographers providing a more well-rounded look at the experiences of Black Americans.

   Cowans has a spiritual approach to making art. His work is a reminder that photography can be about more than documenting events — it can be about expressing how we experience the world.

   This episode is an introduction to Cowans and his work ahead of our upcoming conversation with him.

   In this episode:

   Adger Cowans' early life and photographic beginnings

   His time assisting the legendary Gordon Parks

   Cowans' work in street photography, everyday life, and fine art

   Photographing Hollywood film sets, actors, jazz musicians, and cultural figures

   His abstract work with light as the subject

   The relationship between photography, painting, and artistic expression

   Building a creative life and continuing to explore new possibilities over time

   *CORRECTION* - Zach said "Serpico" as one of Adger's credits, but the film he photographed starring Al Pacino was "The Panic in Needle Park."

   Photography is Nothing is a video podcast hosted by photographer Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken, exploring photography, creativity, and life.

   Subscribe…

3. First Time in New York City

   14 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 14 min

   Afspelen
   Zach & Courtney take the family to New York City for the first time. Over the past few years, Zach has been working regularly in New York, but the rest of the family (Courtney included) had yet to visit the city. Lees meer

   In this episode, we talk about experiencing New York with our five kids. We visit spots like Times Square, Battery Park, Chinatown, the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History, and more!

   This show is packed with photos from Zach, video clips from Courtney, and some images by the kids, too.

   “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

   Index

   0:00 - Photographing what’s in front of your camera

   2:27 - Zach has been leaving his family behind

   4:34 - Driving into New York on September 11th

   10:26 - Visiting Times Square at night

   16:37 - Central Park felt the most “New York”

   21:22 - Starting our first day in Battery Park

   23:54 - Visiting the 9/11 Memorial

   27:39 - Every city has more than you expect

   30:04 - Chinatown, NYC

   33:13 - Accepting exhaustion

   34:12 - Bichon owners meetup

   35:39 - Courtney says let the kids pull us forward

   39:25 - Kids love climbing rocks in Central Park

   45:03 - Courtney’s birthday in New York

   46:25 - Visiting the American Museum of Natural History

   1:01:02 - Back to Central Park & Belvedere Castle

   1:03:06 - Popular spots in Central Park

   1:04:49 - 5th Avenue

   1:06:03 - Takeaways from visiting New York City for the first time.

   Find Zach

   Website: https://zachdobson.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Find Courtney

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_

   About the Podcast

   Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Cou…

4. Interview with Tajette O'Halloran

   16 september 2026 · 59 min

   Afspelen
   In this interview with Australian photographic artist Tajette O’Halloran, we talk about the inspiration behind her projects like In Australia, The Quarry, and Regional Rituals. She talks about her difficult upbringing in the Northern Rivers area, and how that put her on a path to tell the stories of adolescence. Lees meer

   We also talk about parenting, incorporating our kids into our art, and her practice of incorporating both film & digital into her work.

   Based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Tajette’s photography ranges from documentary to portraiture to conceptual. The common thread is examining adolescence and identity; both her own and others’.

   Tajette’s projects include In Australia, where she revisits her hometown and creates scenes reminiscent of her youth, and the ongoing The Quarry, a series of portraits of young people at a local swimming spot. Her most recent project is Regional Rituals, commissioned by Powerhouse, a museum in Sydney, Australia.

   “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

   Index

   0:00 - Introduction to photographer Tajette O’Halloran

   1:52 - Tajette’s photo series In Australia

   10:35 - How In Australia started

   13:59 - Tajette’s narrative approach to In Australia

   17:08 - Growing up in Lismore, NSW, Australia

   17:55 - Regional Rituals, a new photo series

   22:36 - Tajette knew as a kid her childhood wasn’t typical

   26:02 - Processing difficulty though photography

   29:01 - Tajette’s photos remind Zach of Sally Mann

   34:18 - Mixing black & white and color in a series

   36:55 - How COVID affected photographers

   40:26 - Tajette’s Earth and Water photos feel like parenthood

   43:48 - Does Tajette feel like she’s rejecting mainstream society?

   46:48 - Growing up in a mix of cultures in Lismore, Australia

   48:40 - How Regional Rituals came to be

   54:54 - The Quarry is an ongoing series of portraiture

   Find Tajette

   Website: https://www.tajetteohalloran.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tajette.ohalloran…

5. The Photography of Tajette O'Halloran

   9 september 2026 · 27 min

   Afspelen
   Tajette O’Halloran is a photographic artist based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. Her work ranges from documentary to portraiture to conceptual. The common thread is examining adolescence and identity; both her own and others’. Lees meer

   Tajette’s projects include In Australia, where she revisits her hometown and creates scenes reminiscent of her youth, and the ongoing The Quarry, a series of portraits of young people at a local swimming spot. Her most recent project is Regional Rituals, commissioned by Powerhouse, a museum in Sydney, Australia.

   This episode is an introduction to Tajette’s work leading up to our interview with her next week.

   “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

   Index

   0:00 - Meet photographer Tajette O’Halloran

   3:30 - În Australia - Tajette examines her adolescence

   5:15 - The photo that first caught Zach’s attention

   14:00 - The Quarry - An ongoing series of portraits and observations

   17:23 - Earth & Water - photographing childhood

   23:20 - When are you a part of the story?

   24:53 - Regional Rituals - Project commissioned by Powerhouse Museum

   Find Tajette

   Website: https://www.tajetteohalloran.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tajette.ohalloran

   Find Zach

   Website: https://zachdobson.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Find Courtney

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_

   About the Podcast

   Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.

   Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photog…

6. What We've Learned So Far

   2 september 2026 · 1 uur 9 min

   Afspelen
   In this 50TH episode, Zach & Courtney talk about what they’ve learned so far from running a photography business, starting a podcast, raising 5 kids, homeschooling, and just being generally busy making things for 20 years. Lees meer

   “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

   Index

   0:00 - Grow or die

   1:40 - Starting a business

   4:31 - Courtney & Zach had the same idea

   5:57 - Starting a life after college

   12:46 - We had abandoned our intuition

   17:04 - Starting our own business worked

   23:50 - You have to do other things to support the Big Thing

   25:40 - Would Zach recommend this lifestyle?

   33:04 - Dealing with ego death

   40:35 - Getting back to the original vision

   45:45 - Choosing joy

   49:53 - Unexpected skills Zach has learned

   54:42 - Learn to photograph the everyday & make it interesting

   57:00 - Courtney is here to go beneath the surface

   1:03:56 - Learn and change and grow or die

   Find Zach

   Website: https://zachdobson.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Find Courtney

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_

   About the Podcast

   Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.

   Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.

   Fair Use Statement

   This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of…

7. Football

   26 augustus 2026 · 53 min

   Afspelen
   Episode 49 - In this episode Zach & Courtney talk about how football and photography came up together since the late 1800s. We can see how as the technology advanced, the style of photography changed as well. Lees meer

   “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

   Index

   0:00 - Film becomes the subject of the photo.

   3:49 - The oldest football photo I could find. Old division football.

   5:06 - Earliest football photos were mostly posed & portraits.

   7:29 - Early action photos, college and professional football.

   11:10 - A photo from the first football game at University of Oregon - 1905.

   13:12 - 📷 Neil Leifer “The Greatest Game Ever Played” - 1958 NFL Championship .

   16:00 - Neil Leifer’s contact sheet from the 1958 NFL Championship.

   18:20 - 📷 Neil Leifer 1962 - Close up wide angle of game action.

   21:31 - LIFE Magazine photos of the first Super Bowl. 1967.

   27:20 - Walter Iooss, Jr. and manual focus on a telephoto lens.

   29:14 - 📷 Walter Iooss, Jr. - Joe Namath, Poolside, Galt Ocean Mile Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 1969.

   33:52 - How camera technology changed in the second half of the 20th century .

   35:02 - 📷 Michael Zagaris behind the scenes photos of the 49ers.

   37:43 - The portraits of Walter Iooss Jr. make athletes look heroic.

   41:23 - 📷 Walter Iooss, Jr. - “The Catch” 49ers vs. Cowboys. 1982.

   42:29 - How camera tech of today affects sports photography.

   47:37 - How to set yourself apart as a sports photographer in 2026.

   49:39 - Documentary photography always has value. Photos by Magnum photographers.

   Buy, Sell or Trade with MPB:

   https://shorturl.at/Szqs2

   Find Zach

   Website: https://zachdobson.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Find Courtney

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_

   …

8. Copyright

   19 augustus 2026 · 1 uur

   Afspelen
   US Copyright laws exist to protect artists and their art. Zach & Courtney take copyright seriously and have retained the copyright for all of Zach’s photography since the beginning of their business. Lees meer

   In this episode of Photography is Nothing, Zach & Courtney talk about famous court cases involving photographers protecting their copyright as a means to teach how these laws benefit photographers and other artists.

   Cases discussed include:

   Photographer Carol Highsmith suing Getty images for a billion dollars for selling 18K of her photos.

   Photojournalist Daniel Morel sues AFP & Getty for selling his images of the 2010 Haitian earthquake

   The famous “monkey selfie” case with photographer David Slater. Who owns a photo taken by an animal?

   Architecture photographer Scott Hargis wins perhaps the largest copyright settlement ever.

   The conversation moves well beyond the lawsuits and gets into topics like:

   Registered works vs un-registered works

   Public domain

   Fair Use

   Always get a contract, even when no money is exchanging hands

   Getty Images sells photos that are public domain (free to everyone)

   **NOTE** Zach & Courtney are not attorneys and nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.

   Index

   0:00 - A monkey took the photo

   4:29 - Why we always retain copyright ownership

   9:10 - Carol Highsmith sues Getty

   15:22 - Royalty Free vs Rights Managed

   20:39 - When you create something, you own the copyright

   21:51 - Photographer Scott Hargis’s big win

   28:02 - Why register copyrights

   30:56 - Setting a precedent that we pursue infringement

   37:20 - Daniel Morel sues AFP & Getty

   41:26 - David Slater and the Monkey Selfie dispute

   55:15 - A little bit about model releases

   Buy, Sell or Trade with MPB:

   https://shorturl.at/Szqs2

   Find Zach

   Website: https://zachdobson.com/

   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

   Find Courtney

   Instagram: https://www.i…

9. Interview with Christopher Morris

   12 augustus 2026 · 2 uur 6 min

   Afspelen
   Zach & Courtney interview Christopher Morris, a documentary photographer who has covered war, politics, and fashion since 1981. Lees meer

   In this interview, Morris talks about being mistaken for a CIA agent, living with the consequences of witnessing atrocities firsthand, working to make sure his vast archive lives on, and more.

   Christopher Morris got his start with the Black Star agency covering conflicts in the Philippines, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Yemen, Iraq, and more.

   Largely leaving war photography behind in the early 2000s, Morris covered the Bush and Obama administrations for Time Magazine. He left Black Star in 2001 and was one of the founding members of VII Photo Agency.

   In recent years, Morris has photographed for fashion magazines & brands, worked as the personal photographer for Princess Charlene of Monaco, and continued to take breaking news & editorial assignments around the world.

   Index

   0:00 - Interview with Christopher Morris

   3:50 - TIME said stop photographing Republicans in black & white

   7:25 - Going through 40 years of photo archives

   16:47 - Chris was hired by the Princess of Monaco

   18:40 - Keeping your copyright

   22:30 - Stephen Shore as an influence

   25:58 - 1981 on the New York Subway

   28:22 - What he learned from Susan Meiselas

   30:50 - Don’t stay in hotels as a documentary photographer

   33:09 - Taking photos behind the handler’s back in Saudi Arabia

   37:56 - Are photojournalists capitalizing on suffering?

   44:16 - Winning awards for war photography

   47:49 - The toll it takes on the family of a war photographer

   58:05 - Taking portraits & maintaining journalistic integrity

   1:03:14 - The influence of W. Eugene Smith’s Country Doctor

   1:23:22 - How does a conflict photographer get to the front lines?

   1:37:27 - Getting the best seat in the house without a pass

   1:42:04 - How Morris got to the front lines in Iraq

   1:47:14 - When photographing the government means you’re one of them

   1:57:30 - PTSD: No one asked if he…

10. The Photography of Christopher Morris

    5 augustus 2026 · 48 min

    Afspelen
    Christopher Morris is a documentary photographer who has covered wars, politics, and fashion since 1981. In this episode, Courtney & Zach introduce Morris’s photography ahead of next week’s interview with the photographer. Lees meer

    Christopher Morris got his start with the Black Star agency covering conflicts in the Philippines, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Yemen, Iraq, and more.

    Largely leaving war photography behind in the early 2000s, Morris covered the Bush and Obama administrations for Time Magazine. He left Black Star in 2001 and was one of the founding members of VII Photo Agency.

    In recent years, Morris has photographed for fashion magazines & brands, worked as the personal photographer for Princess Charlene of Monaco, and continued to take breaking news & editorial assignments around the world.

    Index

    0:31 - The Photography Christopher Morris

    6:36 - How Christopher Morris got started in photography

    10:35 - Photographing the conflict in Chechnya - 1990s

    18:25 - Documenting American politics in the early 2000s

    23:15 - Books by Christopher Morris: My America and Americans

    29:24 - Archiving decades of film photos

    32:00 - Moscow in the 1990s

    34:01 - Fashion photography paired with war and politics

    40:00 - New York City subway in 1981

    41:31 - How Christopher Morris’s photos have influenced Zach

    43:25 - How do you decide to be a war photographer

    Buy, Sell or Trade with MPB:

    https://shorturl.at/Szqs2

    Find Zach

    Website: https://zachdobson.com/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

    Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

    Find Courtney

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happylifelessons/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

    About the Podcast

    Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, …

Alle 55 afleveringen →