Photography is Nothing

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. 

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

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 the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

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’.

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 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 the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

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.

“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 the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

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.

“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_

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 the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

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.

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.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, 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 the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.