The MOOD Podcast

In this episode I’m joined by Emiliano Zúñiga Hernández, a Costa Rican photographer whose photobook Paraíso, published by Trespasser in 2023, grew out of one of the hardest chapters of his life. We talk about the healing community he helped to build in the hills of Costa Rica, how it fell apart, and how photography gave him his purpose back when depression had taken it away. Emiliano opens up about feeling like a fraud, the question at the Chico Review that changed how he saw his own work, an...

I'm joined again by Zahra Ciardi, a registered psychologist and the founder of Ascendant Bali, for a second conversation about the psychology behind photography and creativity. We talk about what happens when a photographer's identity becomes fused with their work, and why that turns making, editing, sharing and feedback into a constant threat. We also talk about how to hold a sense of self that is clear but flexible. Zahra explains the difference between creating from the wound and creating ...

This is a Q&A with questions sent in by photographers from my community. I answer whether your audience needs to understand your photography, if a project shot in a few days can have real depth, how to deal with perfectionism, the small steps behind my own work that nobody saw, and what to do when your work feels stagnant. If your photography feels stuck or you can’t say what it’s about, some of these answers might help. Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation! Sup...

THIS IS PART 2 OF A 2 PART CONVERSATION WITH MATTHEW GENITEMPO. In Part 2 of my conversation with photographer and publisher Matthew Genitempo, we go deep into his photobooks Mother of Dogs and Dogbreath, and into Trespasser, the small press he runs with Bryan Schutmaat and Cody Haltom. We talk about making Mother of Dogs on lockdown walks, why its pages are held together with packing tape, and the 3 smashed pennies on the cover. Then we turn to Dogbreath: photographing teenagers in the heat,...

THIS IS PART 1 OF A 2 PART CONVERSATION WITH MATTHEW GENITEMPO. I sat down with photographer Matthew Genitempo, the graphic designer turned photographer and publisher behind the photobooks Jasper, Mother of Dogs and Dogbreath. In part one we go deep into Jasper, the photobook he made largely in the forests of the Ozarks as his MFA thesis at the University of Hartford: the critique that told him to stay in one place, the Frank Stanford poems that shaped how he saw the landscape, the men who ...

I sat down with Andrea Modica, the ‘Italian Story’ photographer (as well many other books) who has made every photograph since 1980 with an 8x10 view camera and prints all her work herself. Andrea studied with Richard Benson at Yale, teaches photography at Drexel University, and has just published ‘Italian Story’ with L'Artiere, 40 personal years of large format photographs made in and about Italy. We talked about what makes a good photograph and why complexity matters more than beauty,...

In this week’s Moments of Mood episode, you’ll learn why I believe meditation is the most direct route to a photographic voice that is unmistakably yours, and exactly what it does to your attention, your creativity and the way you see. I make the full case for meditation as a photography practice. I share my own history with depression, anxiety, loneliness and cancer, the years of therapies and frameworks that never stuck, and how Sam Harris's Waking Up finally gave me a tool I could use anyw...

In this week’s podcast episode you'll learn why the photographs you're most proud of are probably the ones hiding you, and what a documentary photographer who has stood at 600 deaths says it actually costs to make work that changes something. I sat down with Richard Sharum, the American documentary photographer behind Campesino Cuba, Spina Americana and the forthcoming American Homicide, all published by GOST Books, to talk about photography as an act of empathy, why he believes the photo ind...

In this week’s Moments of Mood episode, you'll learn the 4 questions curators, juries, and publishers silently ask about every photography project, and how to answer them in 100 words so your work actually gets seen. I take apart the idea that photography speaks for itself, starting with the Vivian Maier story everyone gets backwards, and share what Shana Lopes, photography curator at SFMOMA, told me she actually needs to hear from an artist: why she has to defend every acquisition in front o...

Learn exactly what an SFMOMA photography curator looks for, what she passes over, and how to get your work seen without an MFA, a gallery, or a 6-paragraph artist statement. I sat down with Shana Lopes, Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), to find out how photography actually enters a museum collection. Shana has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Center for Creative Photography, holds a PhD in the history of photography, and has s...

In this Moments of Mood episode, I get into the question of whether we as photographers should explain our images or let them try and ‘speak for themselves’, why the readings you want to correct are actually a map to your photographic voice, and the two gaps every photograph has to cross, from Garry Winogrand's famous riddle to a passage in 'Art & Fear' by David Bayles and Ted Orland that reframes the distance between what you intended, what you made, and what people see. Other things I ...

On this episode, I sat down with David Chancellor, the award-winning documentary photographer behind ‘Hunters’, ‘Handle Like Eggs’, and the Taylor Wessing Prize-winning portrait ‘Huntress with Buck’, for a conversation about the moral grey areas of documentary photography, trophy hunting, wildlife conservation. David has spent decades photographing human-wildlife coexistence across Africa, sleeping beside trophy hunters for weeks at a time, documenting leopard hunting in Namibia that was late...

Attention has collapsed, and every photographer feels it. In this Moments of Mood episode, I make the case that this might be the best thing to happen to serious photography in a generation. You'll learn why the photographers who matter from here on won't be the ones who make the most, they'll be the ones who compress the best: one photograph dense enough to stop a stranger mid-scroll and earn the second look. I break down what has actually broken in visual culture (the capacity to stay, not ...

Odette England makes her photographs and then damages them, and this conversation is about why that is the most honest thing she has ever done with her voice. Odette is an Australian artist, writer and photography professor at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, whose latest book Isn't X Beautiful is an autobiographical reckoning with family, memory and the limits of what a photograph can hold. We talk about growing up on a 200 acre dairy farm in rural South Australia wh...

In this Moments of Mood episode I sit with a single photograph from my own archive, one I made by accident in under ten seconds, and use it to unpack an idea Cristina Mittermeier gave me: that the photographer is not a messenger but a membrane, a semi-permeable skin whose job is to let a conversation pass between the subject and the stranger who will one day stand in front of the print. I look at why the pressure to have a signature style is muting your photography, why your creative voice is...

Trent Davis Bailey spent 7 years photographing a remote farming valley in Colorado, convinced he was making documentary work. He wasn't. The pictures knew before he did: he was searching for the family he'd lost to a twenty-year estrangement, and by the end of The North Fork he had found his aunt, his cousins, and the woman who became his wife. Then he turned the camera toward something far harder. His new photobook Son Pictures, published by Chose Commune, reckons with the crash of United Fl...

In this episode you'll discover why beauty in photography is made by your attention, not found in your subjects, and how reading your own form reveals the photographic voice you've been searching for elsewhere. In this Moments of Mood, I sit with one idea from my recent conversation with photographer and writer Tim Carpenter: that beauty in a photograph is form, not subject matter. Drawing on Robert Adams' book ‘Beauty in Photography’ and Tim's book ‘To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die’, I ...

If you have ever felt technically capable but creatively lost, this conversation shows you how one photographer turned a decade of pictures, and the hardest years of his life, into a body of work that is unmistakably his own. In this episode I sit down with Rory King, an Australian photographer who works in black and white, prints by hand in the darkroom, and turned 10 years of images into his photobook 'Gumsucker', published by Charcoal Press after he won the 2023 Charcoal Publishing Prize a...

In this solo episode of Moments of Mood, you'll learn why the flood of AI images is about to make real, human photography more valuable, not less, and how to find the voice that's unmistakably yours. I break down what AI really means for emerging photographers, starting with VSCO's "your eye can't be generated" campaign and the paradox that the same company also builds the AI tools and sells the reassurance back to you. Drawing on Josef Koudelka's legendary photographs, the "revenge of the hu...

In this episode you'll learn how to tell whether your photography is actually art, why chasing technical perfection is holding your work back, and how to develop a photographic voice that's unmistakably your own. This week Matt chats with Ridwan Didot, a fine art documentary and wedding photographer from Indonesia who runs the studio Native Visual and approaches commercial work with the eye and patience of a documentarian. We get into one of the oldest debates in photography, whether there's ...

Matt sits down with photographer, writer, and educator Tim Carpenter, author of 'To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die' and photobooks such as 'Local Objects', 'Little' and 'Christmas Day, Bucks Pond Road', for a deep conversation on the philosophy beneath the photographic image. In this episode you will learn a way to understand why the form of a photograph, not its subject, is where its meaning and beauty actually live, and how working with a camera can teach you to make peace with a w...

Matt talks with psychologist Zahra Ciardi, founder of Ascendant Bali, to explore the inner life of the creative person: why so many photographers feel their work isn't truly theirs, the limiting beliefs that keep artists stuck, and how to put your work into the world without being ruled by validation. By the end of this episode you'll understand why your photography stops feeling like yours, and what it takes to create from your true self instead of your need to be seen. Zahra works in trauma...

Cristina Mittermeier is a National Geographic photographer, co-founder of SeaLegacy, and author of "Hope." Her work has been featured in National Geographic's series "Photographer" and in publications around the world. Cristinais the photographer who coined the term "conservation photography," co-founded SeaLegacy, and made the starving polar bear image seen by an estimated 2.5 billion people. In this episode Matt and Cristina discuss how to find your photographic voice that actually me...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Rich-Joseph Facun, a celebrated American documentary photographer, former photojournalist of 15 years, and founder of the independent publishing imprint Liars Corner. In this conversation we discuss his three monographs: Black Diamonds, Little Cities, and 1804, the ethics of street and portrait photography, photographing strangers in Trump-era Appalachia, walking away from photojournalism, finding your photographic voice, and why the global photo boo...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Miriam Schulman, professional artist, art business coach, host of the Inspiration Place podcast, and bestselling author of Artpreneur (HarperCollins). Miriam left Wall Street after 9/11 to build a six-figure art business and now teaches photographers, painters, and visual artists how to price their work, sell art online, attract collectors, and build a sustainable photography business without relying on social media. In this conversation we cover photograp...

In this Moments of Mood episode of The MOOD Podcast, Matt returns after a road accident left him physically immobilised for several weeks, unable to photograph, travel, or work, and uses that enforced stillness to examine one of the quietest but most destructive reflexes in modern photography: the need for proof. What happens to your photography, and to you as a photographer, when the images you make never leave the hard drive? When the algorithm stops rewarding your work? When self-doubt cre...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Magnum photographer Mark Power for a wide-ranging conversation about long-term documentary photography, creative process, and what it means to spend 14 years photographing America as a foreigner. Mark discusses the origins of his landmark five-volume series 'Good Morning, America', why he's drawn to photographing the ordinary and overlooked rather than the spectacular, and how a woman quietly crying at a Don McCullin exhibition changed the trajectory of hi...

Listen to part one here Watch part one here ________________________ In Part 2 of this special Chico Review 2026 episode, Matt continues documenting his week inside one of photography's most respected portfolio review events. Featuring conversations with Odette England, Daniel Arnold, Tim Carpenter, Matthew Genitempo, Jesse Lenz, and Lindokuhle Sobekwa — plus fellow attendees pushing the edges of documentary, photobook, and fine art photography. Notable topics: What Jesse Lenz actually looks...

The Chico Review destroyed my confidence. Then built it back... THIS IS PART 1 OF A 2 PART FEATURE ON CHICO REVIEW 2026 - SEE PART 2 NEXT WEEK. I arrived at the Chico Review 2026 thinking my work was ready. 10 formal reviews, 25 reviewers and speakers, publishers, curators, photographers and more — I was scrapping half of it by the end of day one. This is the first installment of 2, about my honest experience on what happened, what I learned, and why I'd do it all again without hesitation. ...

In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down with writer Brad Zellar, whose deep relationship to photography, photo books, storytelling, and visual culture makes this one of the most thought-provoking conversations I’ve had on the show. We talk about the future of photography, why obsession matters more than concept, the role of text in photo books, what makes an image unforgettable, how portfolio reviewers really think, and why the internet may be training a generation not to care about a...

In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore why self-awareness is the missing foundation behind meaningful photography. After spending a few days at a silent retreat in Bali, I began reflecting on something I’ve seen repeatedly in my own work, in conversations on the MOOD Podcast, and in our book club discussions. Many photographers spend years learning techniques, buying gear, and consuming endless education, yet still feel creatively stuck. The issue is rarely technical knowledge. More of...

Joe McNally, legendary professional photographer best known for his work with National Geographic, Life, and major commercial clients, and for his mastery of lighting and flash, joins me on the show to discuss an array of topics. We go deep on the future of photography, how the industry has changed from magazines to the digital era, what AI is really doing to trust in images, why craft is the foundation of art, and what separates a hobbyist from a working photographer through reproducib...

Tina Signesdottir is a Norwegian fine art portrait photographer and Hasselblad Master, known for natural light portraits with rare emotional intimacy. In her first ever podcast appearance, Tina speaks candidly about the origins of her work, the role photography played in survival and self-expression, and what it actually takes to build images that feel real in a world flooded with content. We go deep on photographing with honesty, why relationship and trust are the invisible foundations...

In this episode, I sit down with photographer Pie Aerts to unpack the philosophies, struggles, and decisions that have shaped his work over the last decade. Pie is a documentary and wildlife photographer whose practice sits at the intersection of human presence, conservation, and long-form storytelling. He is also the founder of Prints for Wildlife, a platform that has raised over $2.5 million for conservation initiatives worldwide. Our conversation focuses on how Pie thinks about photography...

What if your best work starts with a quiet cup and a clear mind? We kick off the year with an honest, unscripted 'Ask Me Anything' episode that explores how small rituals, sharper definitions, and a steadier inner compass can change both your art and your days. From an early morning espresso and two loyal dogs to the decision to ignore empty metrics, I trace a path from presence to better pictures, and hopefully a calmer life behind the lens. I talk about instinct, happiness, success, and the...

In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down with photographer, writer, and mentor Wesley Verhoeve for a grounded conversation about photography process, confidence, and learning how to make meaningful work without waiting for permission. We talk about why so many photographers struggle with self-doubt, why overthinking stalls creative progress, and how showing your work and sharing your process can demystify photography and make growth feel possible again. Wesley reflects on his app...

The year didn’t teach us to shoot faster. It taught us to go deeper. We close out 2025 by stitching together the most resonant moments from a season of hard questions and honest answers: why “quick fix” education fails creatives, how pricing for profit transforms freelancers into owners, and where empathy turns a portrait from performance into truth. Art stays at the centre. We explore ambiguity as a strength, and you’ll hear how long-form projects and photo books benefit from time and distan...

In this episode - the last guest episode of 2025 - I sit down with photographer, publisher, and curator Jesse Lenz for one of the most expansive and honest conversations I’ve had on the show - fitting to end the year with such a nice gift-wrapped present. What begins as a discussion about photography and photobooks quickly becomes a deeper exploration of obsession, taste, community, and what it actually means to build a life of artistry that lasts. Jesse speaks candidly about art not as...

Nobody cares about your photography. We don’t need more of 'any old' photographers. Yet survival as culture and society with soul is completely dependent on work that matters. In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore why indifference is the default in modern photography, what it actually means for someone to care about your work, why chasing attention is often the fastest way to lose meaning, and the deeper responsibility artists have in a world drowning in content. Listen if you're inte...

British photographer and environmental storyteller Nick Brandt joins the show for a raw, expansive conversation on art, climate collapse, sentience, and the role of photography in an age defined by distraction and decline. Across projects such as Inherit the Dust, This Empty World, The Day May Break, and his latest chapter The Echo of Our Voices, Brandt builds constructed realities that merge portraiture, environmental narrative, and human resilience. This conversation moves through philosoph...

Bryan Schutmaat is a photographer, publisher, and quiet poet of the American West. Known for books such as Grays the Mountain Sends, Good Goddamn, and Sons of the Living, Bryan’s work explores the uneasy tension between land and people, myth and memory, endurance and hope. He is also co-founder of Trespasser Books, a small but powerful imprint shaping the future of modern photobooks. In This Conversation We Explore Why photography feels so lonely and how community changes everythingBuil...

Kent Andreasen, a Cape Town-based photographer and filmmaker, joins me to talk about his new photobook Memory Bank (published by Witty Books), which tells the story over a decade shaped by doubt, discipline, and a complicated relationship with memory. Our chat together moves from South Africa’s creative landscape to therapy, trauma, and to this book that feels like a fever dream stitched into sequence. We discussed: The real story behind the attack that inspired Memory BankHow trauma tr...

”What if the stories that shape us are the ones we can't remember?" Marshall To, a photographer whose photobook 'Blank Notes' explores ancestry, memory, and identity through a deeply personal lens, grew up in rural Canada, the son of Chinese immigrants and a Taoist family who ran a small restaurant. His family believed the physical and spiritual worlds overlapped - that we live among spirits of our ancestors, those waiting for rebirth, and those still wandering, restless and vengeful. In Tao...

Phil Sharp, an award winning British portrait photographer, talks about the human core of portrait photography and why music, language, and time can turn performance into truth. We challenge received wisdom about headshots, explore photography books and business, look ahead to portraits in an AI world, and attempt to dismantle the myth that great images come from gear, tricks, or perfectly controlled sets. Phil's work relies on a deeper element: the moment a person stops performing. What's di...

Welcome to another episode of Moments of Mood, this time about how to monetise - even just a little bit - the wonderful parts of us that are creative. Turning your creative passion into a sustainable career possible, it's probable if you know where to focus and how to work smart. In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore how to make money as a creative professional without selling out your soul, and in the meantime dispelling the myth of the 'starving artist'. Whether you’re a photo...

“If you don’t value yourself, why should anyone else?” Chris Do is an Emmy-award-winning designer, founder of The Futur, and one of the most sought-after creative educators on the planet. With his huge audience and decades of experience building creative businesses, Chris helps designers, artists, and entrepreneurs master the business of creativity and the self-brand. In this episode, we explore the psychology of pricing, the future of content, and how creatives can build meaningful, pr...

What happens when the world is flooded with AI images, tools, and “perfect” feeds? In this episode of Moments of MOOD, I sit down to talk about what it really means to stay human in your work — and why your voice, your presence, and your lived experience are the ultimate creative edge. This isn’t a doom-scroll about AI taking our jobs. It’s an invitation. To look at what makes your art irreplaceable. To build a brand that AI can’t copy. To practice until your perspective becomes unmistakabl...

Step into the world of Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Vital Impacts, as she shares her journey from covering conflict zones to telling the most urgent conservation stories of our time. In this conversation on the MOOD Podcast, Ami reveals why hope and action matter more than despair, the ethical responsibilities of storytelling, and how photographers can shape narratives that inspire real change. She discusses her 17-year project documenting the nort...

Joel Grimes doesn’t just take photographs, he creates illusions that make the impossible feel real. In this episode, we dive deep into the mind of a true master, exploring how he uses light, shadow, and imagination to redefine what photography can be. From his early experiments with lighting to the techniques behind his most iconic images, Joel takes us behind the scenes of a creative process that blends art, science, and pure intuition. Whether you’re an aspiring photographer, a creator...

Ed Sykes has lived many chapters through photography — from the chaos of war zones and the rush of front-page news to the polished world of fashion editorials. Yet, recognition and success didn’t bring the fulfillment he was searching for. In this conversation, Ed explains how he moved away from chasing approval and found a practice rooted in landscapes, climate, and experimental processes. Today, his work goes beyond capturing images. He scorches film with blowtorches, dissolves prints...