F-Stop Collaborate and Listen - A Photography Podcast

For episode 492 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Host Matt Payne welcomes photographer/director Scott McDermott, a New York City–based professional with 25+ years spanning sports, fitness, celebrity portraiture, commercial campaigns, directing, and fine art. McDermott describes learning through five years assisting across genres, then building a career by pivoting as opportunities changed, including ongoing cityscape images from his Queens window. He contrasts mindsets between commercial photography (client-driven deliverables), directing (big-picture storytelling for the edit), and fine art (freedom without external endpoints). McDermott explains his Backline fine art series, inspired backstage at a Red Hot Chili Peppers show, photographing road-worn instruments and gear as “modern relics,” plus a cassette-tape print project marketed via separate branding, galleries, art fairs, and Instagram. He discusses developing style through experimentation, differentiating over-photographed subjects, pricing uncertainties, balancing personal and commercial work, and sustaining longevity through stubborn persistence, risk tolerance, and adaptability, including surviving a year without work during COVID.

Links and Resources:

Get a copy of the Muench Workshops Destinations Magazine

Scott McDermott Commercial Photography

Scott McDermott Fine Art

The Backline Series

Scott McDermott on Instagram

Support the show on Patreon

Matt Payne's Book, The Colorado Way

Nadav Kander

David Westphal

Reuben Wu Podcast Episode

00:00 Show Intro 

00:51 Meet Scott McDermott

02:09 Career Path NYC

04:47 Queens Skyline Project

08:13 Generalist Skills Lighting

10:41 Photo vs Directing Art

15:10 Backline Origins

18:32 Cassette Tape Prints

21:17 Selling Fine Art Online

24:01 Finding Visual Style

27:21 Experimentation Weird Gear

30:08 Standing Out De Niro

33:32 Eiffel Tower Photo Rights

34:23 Balancing Art and Ads

36:17 Finding Patronage Again

38:12 Pricing and Budget Games

44:29 Commercial Skills to Fine Art

48:07 Landscape Adaptation Tactics

51:42 Authenticity Versus AI

53:54 Staying in the Game

57:42 Making Money in Landscapes

01:01:14 Guest Recommendations

01:04:40 Wrap Up

In episode 491 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, host Matt Payne talks with guest Meredith Fontana, a Denver-based landscape photographer and former paleontologist, about the journey toward discovering a unique photographic voice. Drawing on her scientific background, Meredith Fontana highlights how observation skills honed in paleontology have profoundly shaped her approach to photography, allowing her to notice and capture details that many overlook. The conversation explores why deeply personal connections to subject matter are vital for moving beyond technical mastery and instead creating work rooted in authentic experience rather than chasing trends or iconic locations. Meredith Fontana shares strategies for photographers struggling to find their own vision, including the importance of solitude, immersion in nature, and mindful inward reflection—citing practices such as journaling, meditation, and extended wilderness trips as powerful catalysts for creative growth. The episode also touches on challenges women face in outdoor photography, the benefits of community and mentorship, and the goals of her Nature Photography Academy, which helps photographers transition from technical proficiency to artistic expression. Throughout, both speakers stress the value of pursuing what excites you and allowing your authentic interests to guide your creative process, ultimately encouraging listeners to identify and lean into the unique elements that set their photography apart.

Resources and Links:

Meredith Fontana

Muench Workshops Giveaway

Nature Photography Academy

12 Inches Behind the Camera Substack

Colorado Mountain Club

Freedom App Digital Minimalism Tool

Cal Newport's Deep Work

James Evans

David Ulrich's The Mindful Photographer

PLOS ONE (journal)

Matt Payne's Book, The Colorado Way

Support the show on Patreon

Bonus episode on Photography Exhibitions

Questions asked at the end: 

What is one moment in your photography journey that you keep coming back to, and what do you think it has been trying to teach you?

What belief about your photography, your location, your gear, or your own ability have you quietly outgrown, but are still living inside?

What would your photography look like if you stopped waiting for the right conditions, the right destination, or the right season, and simply committed to where you are right now?

Who could you become as a photographer if you stopped telling the old version of your story?

Timestamped Overview:
00:00 Influence of paleontology on photography
08:45 Capturing passion in photography
11:46 Finding Answers Within Yourself
20:07 Recalibrating attention through nature
25:42 Dealing with constant work interruptions
30:20 Slowing down to observe nature
36:03 Types of Photography Academy Participants
41:45 Expressing your unique artistic voice
45:04 Discussing the experience of photography
50:16 Understanding Photographer's Intentions
56:28 Using questions to improve photography
01:00:41 Breaking from Traditional Photography
01:09:34 Finding inspiration outside landscape photography
01:13:11 Questions for photography reflection

In episode 490 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne talks with guest Mark Scheffer, a fine art photographer who transitioned from a thirty-year career in hospital operating rooms to focusing full-time on landscape photography. The discussion centers on the concept that self-imposed limitations, whether in gear, subject matter, or technique, can actually foster greater creativity and lead to a more sustainable and rewarding practice. Mark Scheffer shares his journey from chasing iconic landscapes around the globe to finding depth, freedom, and satisfaction by photographing local scenes, often in black and white infrared, and deliberately working with minimal equipment. Both speakers challenge the industry’s fixation on travel and gear, instead advocating for daily photographic practice, immersion in one’s surroundings, and the benefits of consistency over constant one-upmanship. The episode also addresses the pitfalls of social media-driven expectations and external validation, emphasizing the value of originality, personal growth, and authentic creative expression over conformity or chasing trends.

Links and Resources:

Muench Workshops Giveaway

Mark Scheffer

Support the show on Patreon

Matt Payne's Book, The Colorado Way

Michael Kenna

G.B. Smith

Natural Landscape Photography Awards

Enrico Fossati's Blog Post

Paul Zizka's The Canadian Rockies Rediscovered

Episode 489 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen features Mali Davies, a photographer, podcaster, and educator from Northwest England, newly transitioned from a decades-long graphic design career to full-time photography. Host Matt Payne and Mali Davies explore the motivations behind leaving the corporate world, with Mali Davies explaining how his daughter’s autism and mental health journey became a catalyst for reevaluating his priorities and embracing a more present, flexible lifestyle. The discussion moves beyond technical aspects, addressing how personal experience, mood, and family relationships deeply inform artistic work, and highlighting the transformative power of nature, especially woodlands, in Mali Davies's creative process. They also discuss the importance of mindset and practice over rigid compositional rules, emphasizing that enthusiasm, attitude, and personal connection drive photographic growth more than gear or formula. Mali Davies shares how his workshops and mentoring programs focus on empowering photographers to build self-belief and find their own voice, often providing what participants truly need rather than what they assume. The episode concludes with a thoughtful exchange about community, vulnerability, and the lifelong process of learning and creative development.

Links and Resources:

Muench Workshops Giveaway

Mali Davies Photography

Let's Create Let's Talk Podcast

Mali Davies YouTube Channel

Support Mali Davies on Patreon

Brendan van Son

Beth Moon

Christina Wilson Photography

Mark Adams

Support the show on Patreon

In episode 488 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne interviews Ajani Charles, a Toronto-based visual strategist, photographer, and Canon Canada ambassador, about sustaining a major creative project over nearly two decades. The conversation centers on Project TDOT, Ajani Charles' long-term documentary effort capturing Toronto’s hip hop culture, which started as an unfunded black-and-white street photography project and has grown into public art exhibitions, a nonprofit, a coffee table book, and a touchscreen archival database. Ajani Charles shares lessons from enduring years of rejection, discusses the importance of curiosity, patience, and playing the long game, and emphasizes how his project’s longevity is rooted in genuine reverence for the subject. The episode dives into the psychological and emotional skills that fuel creative longevity—such as emotional regulation, mindfulness, and self-awareness—alongside technical and business skills. Ajani Charles also discusses handling criticism, building trust within a community for authentic documentation, and the evolution of his work, including future plans in Tokyo and Copenhagen. The episode underscores that internal development, resilience, and a passion for the work itself are as crucial as external validation or financial reward.

Links and Resources:

Ajani Charles

Muench Workshops Giveaway

Project T-Dot

Canon Canada

Canon Ignite Program

Operation Prefrontal Cortex

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport

Claude Watson Arts Program

Jamel Shabazz

Ernie Paniccioli

Guy Tal's Article

The Colorado Way by Matt Payne

Support the show on Patreon