This week's guest is Ruth Guest, a photographer and cyberpsychologist who's spent a lot of time thinking about what's really going on when we make pictures in a world that never seems to stop producing them. We explore the topics of losing your spark with photography, the pressure of everything we see online, and what happens when you start copying others without even realising it. It's less about cameras and more about what's happening in your head when you pick one up. We also touch on why we shoot in the first place, whether it's for work, for memory, or just to hold on to something that matters, plus what changes once those images are shared with the world. If you've ever questioned your own reasons for taking pictures or felt a bit lost in all the noise, this is an episode for you.

In the mailbag this week, Jeff Smeraldo writes in about photographing family and why it matters more than we often realise, especially when it comes to legacy. Hegaard the Dane is stepping into what he calls a "proper grown-up job," which somehow leads us to news of a brand-new meet-up. Dennis Linden introduces a YouTuber who came to photography later in life, someone who didn't follow the usual path, and the photo assignment returns, set by photographer and artist Gael Hillyard.

Read more about our photographic adventures on our photography travel website, The Journey Beyond.

Links to all guests and features will be on the show page, my sincere thanks to our Extra Milers, without whom we wouldn't be walking each week and Arthelper.ai, giving photographers smart tools to plan, promote, and manage your creative projects more easily.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.