One of the joyous surprises for me in studying photography is the range of subjects invariably covered. Far from being a technical path where buttons are pushed and images printed, there is a history, culture, language, artistry and emotion to the subject. My study cannot be complete without all of it. Imagine my delight then when I discovered a single voice that does cover all of it.
Trolling online one day, I landed on a website called “The Art of Photography”, produced by a guy named Ted Forbes.
A photographer, media producer and film maker, Ted produces a series of video podcasts and specials that cover topics ranging from individual artists to film and digital techniques to being successful commercially. Initially, he delivered these gems while working full-time at a “real job”. Now he devotes his time to creating these.
Ted is articulate, thoughtful and devoted to putting out quality productions. He’ll present all sides of any discussion, and encourages viewers to get in touch to offer their own perspectives. I especially like that we also get the backstory or context of any particular point of view, since it helps us form our own opinions on a subject.
Ted’s profiles of the key figures in photography are terrific, covering either the range of their work or sometimes a single photograph. Recently, we’ve covered Ansel Adams, Arnold Newman, Frank Lopez, Chris McCaw, Charles Sheeler, Michael Kenna. My only recommendation: it would be great to profile more female photographers, Ted.
Additionally, we look at equipment, either newly released or coming to an end – the end of Rolleiflex cameras being a recent example. But I think the most enjoyable episodes for me right now are those that cover either more ethereal topics or more practical ones.
On the one hand, there is “Greatness in Photography” that looks at what defines success and the dues that need to be paid to get there. On the other hand, we also have “Building an Online Photography Portfolio” and “SEO for Photography Sites”, both of which have been very helpful to me personally.
So if you’re interested in an informed, broad perspective on this art we call photography, check out Ted’s website and podcast, the latter of which is also available on YouTube and iTunes.
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