My Favorite Talks Given by Photographers

Are you looking for inspiration to grow or change the direction for your photography? I hope these talks from other photographers that I'm sharing on this page would be a helpful step in the direction that you want or need to go.

When circumstances don't permit me to photograph life outside my home, I tend to rely on looking at photobooks or watching talks given by photographers for which their work inspire me creatively.
In the same way that I'm passionate about collecting photobooks for my personal library to find new and interesting perspectives that challenge any preconceived ideas around my photography, I tend to also bookmark interviews and presentations given by other photographers to fuel my inspiration for this art.
In this blog post, I will share some of my favorite talks given by photographers. I hope that you will enjoy them and that they will help build upon your creative foundation as much as they've helped me.
I will do my best to keep this page updated as I find talks worth spreading and sharing with other fellow photographers.

Jonathan Jasberg introduces the 7 most common photographic elements he uses in his work to create complex images, beyond just standard layering. Jonathan discusses his mental workflow for envisioning a scene.


In this lecture renowned photographer Sam Abell answers the question, 'What makes a lasting photograph?' In compelling slide-by-slide sequences Sam shows how many of his world-famous photographs were made. This is not a 'greatest hits' slide show but a hands-on, step-by-step demonstration of how--through simplified technique and critical vision--lasting photographs are made.


Fashion and wedding photographer Jerry Ghionis is obsessed with light, and he stresses the need to consider the correct lighting when choosing location and subject matter for a shoot. He also emphasizes that the use of shadows and lack of light is what gives photographs a sense of depth, dimension, and beauty.


Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, war photographer James Nachtwey shows his life's work and asks TED to help him continue telling the story with innovative, exciting uses of news photography in the digital era.


Jerry will show you how to use conventional and non-conventional light sources resulting in striking images in any location. Known as the "MacGyver" of photography, Jerry has the innate ability to turn ordinary situations into extraordinary images. Jerry will show you how easy it can be. After this seminar, you will never complain about having to work with an ordinary location ever again.


Most photographers think gear is the key to better photos. But the truth is: your camera doesn't matter—until you learn to see. In this video, we explore how Ernst Haas—a pioneer of color photography—used light, shape, texture, and emotion to turn ordinary scenes into visual poetry. Haas didn’t chase perfection or sharpness. He chased feeling.


This is a 90-minute documentary on James Nachtwey's thought process and live action when documenting wars with his camera.

A conversation with color photographer Arthur Meyerson in which he shares about his photographic life, from his early beginnings to both his commercial and personal work along with the stories behind many of his photographs.

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