Shutter Nonsense: A Nature Photography Podcast

What would make your photography feel successful if nobody could see the like count?

We welcome Australian photographer Grant Swinbourne, host of Landscape Photography World, to look at what four years of interviewing photographers have taught him about creative growth. The answers reach beyond making better-looking pictures: they touch on why we photograph, how we learn, and what we want the work to mean.

We talk about the value of those first familiar photographs, the move toward personal expression, and the mindset that helps you find another subject when the planned view isn't working. Grant shares how listening to other photographers has changed his own thinking, while we compare notes on learning to see and recognizing progress that isn't measured by an audience.

The conversation also considers the realities behind a photography income and why honesty about how you create your work matters.

Come tell us what success looks like for you in our free Patreon community! 

👉   https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Focused Fan members and above get new episodes before the public release and without the public-release ads. Free followers can still join the conversation and upgrade any time if they want early, ad-free access.

This is a special excerpt from the bonus episode we released on Patreon. We share some exciting updates about our 2027 workshops and we didn't want to keep them from you!

How much can you change a nature photograph before it becomes something other than a photograph of the moment you experienced? There is no clean line, and that is what makes the question useful.

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, we dig into the spectrum between documentary and interpretive nature photography. We talk about why even a highly representational photograph still involves choices, how RAW processing and composition already shape a scene, and where our own comfort levels change when editing moves from emphasizing what was there to creating what was not.

We also get into the ethics side - audience expectations, sky replacements, composites, generative AI, digital art, disclosure, and why authenticity matters more to us than trying to force every photographer into the same rules. Michael explains how his own editing became more restrained as his field craft improved, while Jeffrey makes the case for experimenting with techniques before deciding they do or do not belong in your work.

The conversation is not an argument that representational nature photography is morally superior. It is a framework for thinking about your intent, your audience, your creative process, and the promises your finished images make to the people viewing them.

Join the free Shutter Nonsense community on Patreon and tell us where your line is. Are sky replacements fair game? Do abstracts change your rules? Is disclosure enough, or do you think nature photography should stay closer to the scene?

👉   https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Focused Fan members and above get new episodes before the public release and without the public-release ads. Free followers can still join the conversation and upgrade any time if they want early, ad-free access.

Continue with the educational guide for a practical framework you can use to define your own line between representation and interpretation, decide what deserves disclosure, and write a simple personal ethics statement for your photography:

https://www.shutternonsense.com/post/documentary-vs-interpretive-nature-photography

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

Can a landscape photograph do more than show people a beautiful place? And if you care deeply about wilderness, how do you move beyond saying it matters and actually become useful to the work of protecting it?

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, we sat down with nature photographer, author, and conservationist Eric Bennett to talk about the relationship between photography and conservation. Eric shares how years of exploring Utah changed both the way he photographs and the way he thinks about wilderness, why he believes affection and reverence matter alongside legal protection, and how photographers can help people care without pretending a photograph can solve every environmental problem.

We also get into the harder parts of advocacy: misinformation, audience fatigue, choosing issues you actually understand, and resisting the pressure to weigh in on everything. Eric explains why he focuses close to home, how writing and self-initiated projects led to relationships with conservation organizations, and why sending one email can sometimes be more useful than waiting around for an invitation.

A major part of the conversation centers on something that is easy to leave outside the frame entirely - natural silence. Eric talks about the ideas behind Space, Stillness, Silence, his work with Quiet Parks International, and why protecting a place should include more than preserving what it looks like.

Join the free Shutter Nonsense community on Patreon and tell us about the place you feel most protective of. What changed your relationship with it, and have you found a way to contribute beyond making photographs there?

👉  https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Focused Fan members and above get each new episode before the public release and without the public-release ads. Free followers can upgrade whenever they want early, ad-free access while still joining the same community discussion.

We may earn a small commission from purchases made through the provided links.

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

Does landscape photography need a dramatic sky to be worth the trip? And what happens when chasing rare light becomes the only reason you pick up the camera?

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, we take a deliberately balanced look at epic landscape photography - why dramatic conditions are so appealing, the real skills the chase can build, and the creative tradeoffs that can appear when great weather or rare light becomes a requirement.

We talk about weather forecasting, scouting, route planning, remote locations, social media expectations, and the value of simply getting more repetitions with the camera. Michael looks back at the year he stopped chasing sunrise and sunset and how that helped lead him into woodland photography. Jeffrey explains what repeated failed sunsets at Lindy Point have taught him about patience, adaptability, and finding photographs when the sky refuses to cooperate.

Join the free Shutter Nonsense community on Patreon and tell us your thoughts. Do you love the planning and adrenaline of the epic chase, or has your photography become more reactive over time?

👉  https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Continue with the educational guide, where we turn the conversation into a practical framework for balancing epic conditions with regular practice, adaptability, creative experiments, and a definition of growth that still leaves room for joy.

👉  https://www.shutternonsense.com/learn

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

What happens when a place becomes more than a backdrop for your photography?

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, we sat down with nature photographer Andrew Baruffi to discuss his relationship with Zion National Park and the role the park, photography, and writing have played throughout his struggles with mental health.

Andrew shares how repeated visits to Zion gave him a place to redirect his attention, why small scenes offered a manageable sense of focus, and how adding context to his photographs eventually led to his book, Heal. 

We also talk about returning to familiar routes, seeing beyond Zion's grand landscapes, the importance of creative community, and why the process of photography can matter as much as the finished image.

Join the free Shutter Nonsense community on Patreon and tell us about a place that has become meaningful to you, whether or not it is famous or far from home.

👉  https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of depression and experiences with mental health, including a brief reference to suicidal thoughts. If you are struggling, consider reaching out to a qualified mental health professional. If you are in crisis or concerned that you may harm yourself, call or text 988 in the United States. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Andrew Baruffi Photography

https://www.andrewbaruffiphoto.com/

Continue with the educational guide, where we explain how to build a gentle relationship with a familiar place through repetition, attention, creative practice, community, and clear boundaries around when more support is needed:

👉 https://www.shutternonsense.com/learn

Wildlife photography can create a deeper connection with nature, but what happens when that connection begins before bad habits have a chance to take hold? In this episode, Shutter Nonsense hosts, Michael and Jeffrey, are joined by Utah wildlife photographer and conservation advocate Shauna Hart to discuss her work helping young photographers learn photography, understand wildlife, and develop ethical habits in the field.

Shauna shares how a personal experience with a moose changed the direction of her photography and eventually led to her involvement with the Utah Wildlife Federation. The conversation explores her Lessons Through the Lens: Kids for Conservation program, why understanding the “why” behind wildlife guidelines matters, how to recognize signs of stress in animals, and how photographers can use their work to support conservation. They also discuss equipment barriers, wildlife crossings, local advocacy, and the small steps each of us can take to make a difference where we live.

Join the Shutter Nonsense Patreon community to participate in post-episode conversations and share your own photography experiences! Available to free and paid members.

👉  www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Highlights:

Related Links:

https://www.utahwildlifefederation.org/

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

What happens to the photographs that do not make your first edit? In Episode 32 of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey take on the archive dilemma. Defining what a photo archive actually is, deciding what is worth keeping, and explaining why older files are often more valuable than they first appear.

They talk through the practical and creative sides of holding on to your work. That includes revisiting older images with a more experienced eye, using newer editing tools to rescue files that once felt unusable, and accepting that a technically imperfect image can still be a successful photograph. They also compare their very different approaches to Lightroom ratings, folders, collections, storage, and backups.

Have a different archive workflow? Join the conversation with us over on Patreon. Free members can participate in the post-episode discussion, while paid supporters help keep Shutter Nonsense going and get early access, bonus episodes, and more.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

Carbon transfer printing is one of those processes that somehow feels more complicated the longer you talk about it, and that is exactly why we wanted to have Michael Strickland on the show.

Michael is a photographer and printmaker based in Kansas who specializes in carbon transfer printing, platinum-palladium printing, and drum scanning. He joins Michael and Jeffrey to break down what carbon printing actually is, how pigment, gelatin, UV light, and multiple transfers come together, and why the finished prints have a depth that is difficult to describe until you see one in person.

But this is not just a technical conversation. Michael also talks about the challenge of building a business around a demanding handmade process, balancing the studio with family life, stepping back from his own landscape photography for a while, and finding creative satisfaction in helping other artists bring their work to life.

From printing with soil collected from meaningful places to experimenting with gold leaf, glow-in-the-dark pigments, glass, and dimensional textures, this one goes well beyond what most of us think of when we hear the word “print.”

Join the conversation over on Patreon. Free members and paid supporters can jump into the post-episode discussion, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on culling, editing, critique, printing, creative growth, or anything else this episode brings up.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Highlights:

Related Links:

Learn more about Michael's photography: www.michaelrung.com

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey talk about the messy, subjective, and sometimes frustrating process of evaluating your own photography.

They dig into what happens after a trip, from the first Lightroom pass to choosing which images deserve more attention, which ones fall short, and which ones might have potential even if they do not immediately jump off the screen. The conversation gets into culling, sharpness, composition, edge patrol, raw files that look flat, and the role gut feeling plays when deciding whether an image is worth editing.

They also talk about feedback, including when it helps, when it becomes overwhelming, and how to decide whose critique is actually worth listening to. From one-on-one input to camera clubs, Discord groups, and online critique communities, Michael and Jeffrey discuss the balance between staying open to outside perspectives and trusting your own creative instincts.

The episode also covers knowing when an edit is done, the danger of chasing perfection, why printing can reveal flaws that are easy to miss on a monitor, and how looking back at your larger body of work can help you see growth, stagnation, and changes in your photographic style over time.

Join the conversation over on Patreon. Free members and paid supporters can jump into the post-episode discussion, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on culling, editing, critique, printing, creative growth, or anything else this episode brings up.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense