Everyday Photography, Every Day
M.H. Rubin and Suzanne Fritz-Hanson
Everyday Photography (Every Day)" is a weekly podcast where you get to listen in on a chat between a photographer (Rubin) and a regular human (Suzanne Fritz-Hanson) with an eye on making your pictures amazing and helping you enjoy your photography more. No technical stuff. No talk of gear or software. Just photography for the fun of it. Rubin brings a unique perspective to consumer media: a student of Jerry Uelsmann; an amateur photographer for 40 years; formerly of Lucasfilm, Netflix and Adobe; director of The Rubin Collection of Photography; and founder of Neomodern, he's long been passionate about advancing the...
Episodes
144: Debating "Photography" in an AI World
We get a bit emotional on these topics, but photography is changing, again, and this time I think we need to start changing our language and expectations around what makes a photo a photo. Is it analog vs digital? is it studio vs real world? is it something about the craft? can it involve AI?
143: Jake and the Bridge
For six years, San Francisco photographer Jake Ricker has shown up at the Golden Gate Bridge almost every single day, shooting the people who pass through it on 35mm film. It's not a landscape project — Ricker treats the bridge as a stage for the "diverse human experiences" that unfold on it, an interior, lived-in view of a landmark most people only ever see from the outside. Ricker's path to this project wasn't conventional: originally from Mesa, Arizona, he moved to San Francisco about a decade ago and worked as a bike messenger, which put him on the city's streets daily and sharpened the observational instincts he later brought to the bridge. He describes the scale of the commitment bluntly: "I've walked half the surface of the Earth on that bridge." The project has come at real personal cost. Ricker has accumulated over 1,000 rolls of undeveloped film and has taken on credit card debt trying to sustain the work, at one point running a print sale specifically to fund processing costs and catch up on rent — a detail that grounds the episode in the realities of pursuing a long-term personal project without institutional support (he notes he'd hoped for a grant that never came). The work is headed toward a photo book titled "Strange Paradise," and the conversation situates Ricker's documentary approach alongside photographers Rubin and Fritz-Hanson clearly see as kindred influences: Jim Goldberg (raw, socially-embedded documentary work from 1980s San Francisco and Hollywood) and Mary Ellen Mark (empathetic, unflinching portraits of marginal lives). Those references suggest the episode's throughline is less about bridge photography specifically and more about sustained, immersive, documentary presence in one place over time. Topic Outline Intro Framing: why a 6-year daily bridge project is worth an episode; introducing Jake Ricker Origin story Ricker's move from Mesa, AZ to San Francisco Bike messenger years as a precursor to street photography The project itself Why the bridge — daily presence, 35mm film Capturing "interior" human moments vs. exterior/iconic shots The cost of the work 1,000+ unprocessed rolls of film Credit card debt The print sale Lack of grant support The book "Strange Paradise" — compiling six years of work into a photo book Influences / context Discussion of Jim Goldberg and Mary Ellen Mark as documentary touchstones Reflection Ricker's "walked half the surface of the Earth" quote — scale and meaning of repetition Close Likely wrap-up / where to find Ricker's work Where to see the work: jakericker.com / jakericker.bigcartel.com
142: Arthur Drooker, Staying Curious
Arthur Drooker spends his career photographing the quirky, overlooked corners of American culture — clown conventions, Bronies, Lincoln impersonators — treating them with documentary rigor but real affection, most notably in his project "Conventional Wisdom." He also works in more classical documentary registers, including "American Ruins" and his own bridge project, "36 Views of the Golden Gate Bridge." The episode touches on his creative philosophy — captured in his line "don't be afraid to go sideways, because it may turn out to be 'the thing'" — and situates his eye alongside photographers like Walker Evans, Elliott Erwitt, and Robert Frank. Topic Outline Intro Framing: introducing Arthur Drooker and his body of work Rubin's history with Drooker's "Conventional Wisdom" project Career overview Drooker's documentary style: quirky, overlooked corners of culture approached with humor and insight How his work reveals connection and identity within niche communities "Conventional Wisdom" project Photographing gatherings like the Association of Lincoln Presenters, World Clown Association convention, BronyCon The appeal of documenting subcultures without mockery Creative philosophy Drooker's line: "Don't be afraid to go sideways, because it may turn out to be 'the thing'" His friend's editing mantra: "Write with fire; edit with ice" Other bodies of work "American Ruins" — decayed architecture and abandoned spaces (e.g. Louisiana cottage ruins, Chichen Itza) "36 Views of the Golden Gate Bridge" — his own bridge project, sold out Influences / context Discussion of Walker Evans, Elliott Erwitt, and Robert Frank as touchstones Current show Mention of his gallery exhibition at The Image Flow Photo Center (running through April 4) Close Likely wrap-up / where to find Drooker's work Where to see the work: arthurdrooker.com
141: Wallace Wilson and the Victims of Paradox
This episode is a personal, career-spanning look at Wallace "Wally" Wilson, a photographer whose surreal, staged black-and-white work — cats, ruins, dirigibles, Victorian-costumed toddlers — Rubin encountered as a kid growing up around the University of Florida's photography department in the 1970s-80s. Wilson's own account traces his start to right after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970, when he was appointed an instructor of photography in the University of Kentucky's College of Architecture. The conversation situates his work — showcased at his "Victims of Paradox" exhibition, featuring large-format prints — against the eccentric, image-manipulating photographers of that UF era (Jerry Uelsmann, Evon Streetman, Doug Prince, Todd Walker) as well as earlier influences like Ralph Eugene Meatyard and child prodigy Jacques-Henri Lartigue. It's as much a piece of regional photographic history as it is a profile of one artist. Wilson was part of an exciting time in the history of photography, as well as being a cool example of what I would describe as "haiku photography" -- although he would never have described his work that way. Topic outline: Episode 141: Wallace Wilson and the Victims of Paradox — Topic Outline Intro - Rubin's personal connection: encountering Wilson's work as a kid around the University of Florida - Framing Wilson as part of an influential circle of image-manipulating photographers Wilson's biography - Graduated University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor's degree, spring 1970 - Appointed Instructor of Photography, College of Architecture, University of Kentucky (Lexington) - Clarifying an unclear part of his career timeline directly with the artist The work itself - Surreal, staged black-and-white imagery: cats, ruins, dirigibles, Victorian-costumed subjects - "Cat and Ruins" (1984), "Victorian Toddler" (1990/92), "Stallion" (1987), "Bleak Streets" (1988) - The "Victims of Paradox" exhibition and its large-format prints Influences / context - Ralph Eugene Meatyard (1963) as a touchstone for staged, uncanny imagery - Jacques-Henri Lartigue — photographing as a child prodigy (age 11 and 16) University of Florida photography scene, '60s-'80s - Jerry Uelsmann — pioneering multi-negative composite printing - Evon Streetman — Cibachrome and acrylic paint work - Doug Prince — layered acrylic box constructions - Todd Walker — silkscreen photographic work - The department as a hotbed of experimental, manipulated photography Close - Likely wrap-up / where to find Wilson's work Where to see the work: Instagram @walle9000
140: Can Composition Be Taught?
Today we're joined by John Lambert and William Loftus, successful tech professionals and excellent amateur photographers, who were recent students in Rubin's experimental "The Art of Composition -- Reimagined" workshop. The group discuss the difficult topic and what it means to be a photographer.
139: Elliott Erwitt, with Rick Smolan
Following Elliott Erwitt's death in November 2023, Rubin and Suzanne sit down with photographer Rick Smolan — Erwitt's son-in-law and a returning guest from episode 86 — for a personal remembrance of the Magnum legend, best known for his wry, human (and canine) street photography, including iconic shots of Nixon and Khrushchev and countless dog portraits. Few have had such a close vantage on this inspiration to so many photographers today. Smolan offers intimate, humor-filled recollections (including his line about the appeal of photographing dogs: they don't ask for prints), while the conversation touches on Erwitt's late-career project of revisiting seven decades of his own archive to surface previously unseen images, published as his final book "Found, Not Lost." It's less a career retrospective than a personal goodbye from someone with rare closeness to the man behind the camera. Topic outline: Episode 139: Goodbye, Elliott Erwitt, with Rick Smolan — Topic Outline Intro - News of Elliott Erwitt's passing (November 2023) - Introducing Rick Smolan, Erwitt's son-in-law and returning guest (previously episode 86) Remembering Erwitt the photographer - Iconic images discussed: "New York" (1946, 1974), "California Kiss, Santa Monica" (1955), "Krushchev and Nixon, Moscow" (1959), "East Hampton, New York" (1983) - Erwitt's dog photography and Smolan's line about why dogs make easy subjects Personal recollections - Smolan's close vantage point as family and longtime collaborator - Anecdotes from having known Erwitt personally, not just professionally Erwitt's final project - Revisiting 70 years of his own archive late in life - Discovering previously unseen images he was proud of ("At 90 years old I'm back finding gems") - The resulting book: "Found, Not Lost" Legacy and context - Nods to Erwitt's influence on street photography broadly - Reference to "the decisive moment" as a framing concept (linked essay by Rubin) - Mentions of Rick Smolan's own company, Against All Odds Productions Close - Likely wrap-up / where to find more on Erwitt's work and legacy Where to see more: magnumphotos.com (Erwitt's final book "Found, Not Lost") / againstallodds.com (Smolan's company)
138: "Pure Seeing" and the New Years Episode
Where we catch up and review some travel photography, the definition of photography, the passing of the great Elliott Erwitt, the nature of composition and other various rants.
137: The Great Debate: Pictorialism, Modernism and Generative AI
We're joined by professor and photographic artist Ed Bateman, from the University of Utah, to discuss Rubin's issues with "pure seeing" and the 100-years debate about how much modification can you do to a photo before you change it fundamentally.
136: The Hat
We're back and catching up on workshops, lessons from the summer, Rubin's new camera and, of course, Suzanne's hat.
135: The Very Personal Landscapes from Jason Pettit
Rubin and Suzanne sit down with emerging Canadian landscape photographer Jason Pettit to unpack how—after only a handful of years behind the camera—he’s already producing quietly powerful, introspective work. Pettit, who lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, describes his photographs as “emotional equivalents” of his own life; he wants viewers to feel nature rather than simply see it. Drawing inspiration from masters like Minor White, Guy Tal, Eliot Porter and others, he explains how slowing down, working close to home and embracing “border seasons” (those ambiguous weeks between autumn and winter or winter and spring) let him translate subtle landscapes into metaphors for the human condition.
134: Ambiguity in Paris—More Fun with Nina Welch-Kling
Nina and Rubin meet in Paris and go shooting. Rubin's haiku book is finished and Nina's Duologues book is ready for pre-orders! It's a fun catch up with Welch-Kling! Nina and Rubin discuss their approaches to photography and techniques they use to create meaningful images. They discuss pairing or juxtaposing images to create a story or narrative; They discuss the importance of a shift in scale and the role of adding "magic" or a personal touch to their images. The conversation touches on the theme of transforming everyday life and ordinary objects into something special through the photographer's interpretation and vision.
133: Dall-E and You, with Dr. Aaron Hertzmann
The hottest topic in AI is the new "art" creation tool called Dall-E, and after a few weeks of falling down the rabbit hole playing in this new world, and considering the implications on photography (as well as illustration) our hosts invite domain expert Dr. Aaron Hertmann--from Adobe's research team--to explore Dall-E and other aspects of computational photography.
132: Inside Photo Independent with Chris Davies
As Rubin explores the world of photo fairs, industry leader Chris Davies takes us into Photo Independent, Paris Photo and NFTs. A must-listen episode for photographers starting to sell their work.
131: The Emotional Architecture of Elizabeth Daniels
On this Memorial Day Weekend show, Suzanne and Rubin get familiar with the twisting photographic journey of LA architectural photographer Elizabeth Daniels. From her unusual college application (which resonates for Rubin) involving Annie Liebowitz, to her friendships and mentorship from many of the great, this is a fun episode!
130: Cartier-Bresson and the Real "Decisive Moment"
Suzanne and Rubin dig into the meaning of "the decisive moment" and how important the concept is for amateur photographers. And then they talk about sculpture.
129: Impossible... with Edward Bateman
A spontaneous gathering with Anne Kelly (of PhotoEye) and photographer and professor Bateman. Ed Bateman teaches at the University of Utah and has been a long-time explorer of time, creativity, photographs and history.
128: Our New Years Show on Photographic Purism
Our hosts catch up after a Covid holiday and dig into Rubin's struggles with "pure seeing" photography, as different from inorganic, studio, photographic creations.
127: Discovering Light with Janet Sternburg
Sternburg's book of Los Angeles during the lockdown, "I've Been Walking," was just released in the US, so we sat down to hear about the moments that have lead here and her work.
126: Santa Fe Live
125: "Photographic Haiku" and Zen Arts for Creative Photographers
Rubin and Suzanne go over the application of Zen Arts to learning photography, particularly for beginners, and how his workshop has become one of the more popular online courses at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. There's an intersection of haiku and photography, that once understood, will completely shift the way you take and look at pictures.
124: Leaning into Unpredictability: The Dreams of Susan Burnstine
She builds her cameras. She closes her eyes when she shoots. Susan Burnstine is processing her dreams into haunting and beautiful images--a fascinating photographer. Meet her.
123: Inside Photo-Eye, with Anne Kelly
For over 40 years Photo-Eye has been an institution of the photographic arts. Their bookstore and gallery is the stuff of legend. We sat down with Anne Kelly to get the scoop on their history, finding new talent, NFTs (!) and the changing nature of photography.
122: From Ski Bum to Celebrity Photographer: Hang with Jeff Lipsky
His roster of portraits is amazing--but his career path is inspiring. Meet Jeff Lipsky, who went from Telluride ski bum to Hollywood photographer.
121: Patiently Shooting Celebs (like Prince!) with Deborah Feingold
Her classic portraits of stars like Madonna and Prince have been popular from The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, People to book covers and movie posters--spend some time meeting the delightful Deborah Feingold.
120: Reid Callanan and the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
Our first guest of the season is Reid Callanan, the founder and director of the distinguished Santa Fe Photo and Writing Workshops.
119: Season Four Opener
Where Susan and Rubin catch up briefly on photography and geography, and Rubin debriefs on his first Zen Arts Workshops.
118: The Tenacity of Chris Burkard, Wilderness Photographer
A self-described "blue collar" photographer, Burkard's photos are some of the most beautiful and amazing wilderness images we've ever seen. His work ethic is legend, as his dedication to the environment. His photos, films, books and course are all part of his mission to educate as many people as he can about the wonders he sees on Earth. Meet Chris and be inspired.
117: Discovering Authenticity: Collecting with Michael Shapiro
For more than 40 years, Shapiro has been the dealer's dealer -- an expert on midcentury modernism (and partner to the Rubin family in developing our historic collection), we spend some time this episode discussing Robert Frank, Man Ray, Kertesz, Cartier-Bresson and the importance of prints.
116: The Hopeful Photography of Norma I. Quintana
Norma is a fine art photographer whose home—including her art collection, her own analog work, and her camera collection—burned in the Napa fires of 2017. In this episode we discuss the fire and her intimate work.
115: After the Fires
It's the start of Season 3 and we're warming up, catching up, talking about new projects and my Santa Fe Workshop class with Jason Langer. But yeah, also the fires around Santa Cruz and the real challenges of taking photos of this.
114: The Quirky World of Maggie Taylor
Maggie Taylor is a fine art photographer who transitioned from creating real-world still-life collages into being a master of Photoshop photo montages. Her whimsical creations have been called surreal, but her humor makes them more "quirky".
113: Catching Up: Kertesz, Home Projects
In which Suzanne and Rubin review their thoughts on Kertesz and her home project and generally catch up.
112: Inside Kertesz, with Curator Robert Gurbo
Andre Kertesz had a long and multi-faceted career producing some of the most iconic, modern, and often enigmatic photos in history. His influence is profound, and it was a pleasure to sit down today with Robert Gurbo, curator of the Kertesz estate and domain expert on this fascinating photographer.
111: The Power of Photography, with Gallerist Peter Fetterman
Peter Fetterman offers rich insights into photography collecting and being collected, and the sheer magic in great photographs. As one of the pre-eminent gallerists of photography for decades, his delightful personal tales about the artists is a joy. “What is a photo? I see an image… and i am changed by it; I’m incredibly moved by it. I’m haunted by it. I have to possess it. I learn something from it. I breathe it. I want it to be inside me. That’s a photo to me.” -- Peter Fetterman
110: Projects in Quarantine
Here's a short episode where we go over a few projects you can do at home, with no supplies but a phone, and practice key skills that will make your pictures better.
109: The Photographer of Santa Cruz, Shmuel Thaler
It's hard to think about photography in Santa Cruz without discovering Shmuel Thaler, the leading photojournalist at the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He's been documenting the community since the late 1980s: from earthquakes and fires, to surfers and dancers—the fabric and heart of the town.
108: Masterskills from Jeff Carlson
Jeff Carlson has written an astonishing array of books over his career, explaining a range of creative and technical topics—perhaps 20 of them related to photography. His newest book on Luminar4 is out this week, so it seemed a great time to say hi and hear what driving him!
107: The Duologues of Nina Kling
I'd never heard the term "rhyme" used so perfectly to describe a visual experience before... but the wonderful pairings NYC photographer Nina Kling are delightful, mysterious, and enormously satisfying.
106: A Walk Down Memory Lane with Angelica Glass
Angelica Glass decided on a whim to walk the length of every street in the county of Santa Cruz. Over the course of five and a half years, she walked all of the 4,121 streets in the county. After that, she continued the project in the form of walking every trail in the county. She took photos on each street and chose one to represent each street/trail and through this project fell in love with photography.
105: Life in Captivity: Free Workshops on Photography
It's a bleak time for many, and insane stress for us all -- but there are a few advantages to being forced to stay in. Rubin has converted Neomodern.com from a retail business to a free program of projects to build people's photographic skills: not tech skills but creative ones. Using the content from his Zen Arts curriculum, he's posting daily projects designed to help folks stuck at home.
104: Photography as a Zen Art
Rubin formally declares his upcoming book for beginners and pros -- finding a philosophical foundation for his disparate feelings about creative picture taking: the Zen Arts. There are lessons from haiku, kintsugi, enso, ikebana, bonsai and origami (and the principles of wabi-sabi) if you know how to find them. Not how to use photography to practice zen, but how to use zen arts to get better at photography! His recent Petapixel article on the subject is discussed, as is a pair of workshops in San Francisco in March.
103: Zero-Prep Shoot, a Valentine's Special
In this episode Suzanne grills Rubin on a recent shoot he did that he described as unusually good--what would make one shoot notably different or better than the hundreds that have gone before? Rubin discusses his improvisational approach and digs into some of the issues of being a hetrosexual man who frequently photographs women.
102: The Six Types of Photographers
After Rubin's Petapixel essay went viral a few weeks ago, he's been digging into photographic fundamentals; Suzanne and Rubin dig into the ways we compose and how it interacts with our basic tendencies. The show is practically therapy.
101: Natural Harmony with Foto Kammer
Our first anonymous guest, who has a day job in Silicon Valley, but has an alter ego, Foto-Kammer, who shoots luscious landscapes and nudes, and whose work explores the natural harmony of humans in the landscape.
100: Shiva and her Nudes
After a career as a fine art nude model, Shiva Sharifi today photographs nude and boudoir as well as organizes workshops to introduce photographers to this specialty, coordinating models and students in great settings. She has a wealth of experiences on both sides of the camera in this domain.
99: Creativity and the Creative Process
It's the 99th episode, and Suzanne and Rubin catch up on holiday events, the state of their photography, and Neomodern's current Kickstarter project for a new kind of photographer's frame.
98: Mysterious Stories of "Everyman" Stephan Sheffield
It's our New Years Show and we're joined by photographer and professor Stephan Sheffield. He describes his whimsical and noirish "selfies" as "more fun than deep" -- still his "Everyman" photos are a curious exploration of photographic storytelling. He's also turned his photographic work into a family project with his young sons. He has some thoughts for new photographers...
97: TWIP and Fred Van Johnson
For almost 8 years, "This Week in Photo" (TWIP) has been the go-to podcast for photo enthusiasts, lead by industry (and real) veteran Fred Van Johnson. Fred was not only a conflict photographer for the military, but later had stints at Yahoo, Apple and Adobe.
96: Nate in the Wild
Nate Luebbe is a commercial photographer who specializes in the wilderness. He has made a career out of going hiking and skiing and camping—with his camera—and by all accounts, is living the life. How does a guy go from the beer industry to professional photographer, shooting auroras in Norway and teaching classes across the country?
95: The Rubin Opening: One Print Only
Suzanne gets a preview of a rare Rubin show, with prints from four of his favorite projects: Nudes, San Francisco, Tikun Olam, and Alcatraz Windows. And somewhere in the conversation they're joined by Lorna Rubin, mother, publisher, and conspirator in the creation of the Rubin Photographic Collection, which she discusses, along with her parenting tips.