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

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey are joined by landscape photographer Jon Norris to talk about Joshua Tree National Park, a place that has become one of Jon’s favorite subjects and creative escapes.

Jon shares what keeps pulling him back to Joshua Tree after hundreds of visits, from the strange character of the trees to the glowing rock formations, hidden corners, old mine workings, and the need to explore beyond the obvious roadside views. The conversation also gets into how learning more about a place, its geology, history, plants, wildlife, and people, can shape the way we photograph it.

They also talk about the challenges of leading photography workshops in national parks, including recent CUA restrictions in Joshua Tree that led Jon to step back from offering workshops there. From there, the conversation turns toward stewardship, responsible park use, volunteering, and the role photographers can play in helping people better understand and care for public lands.

And because this is Shutter Nonsense, the episode eventually wanders into social media, Substack, websites, and the ongoing question of where photographers should be sharing their work.

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 Joshua Tree, national park stewardship, workshops, social media, or anything else this episode brings up.

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

Highlights:

Related Links:

One year ago, we recorded the very first episode of Shutter Nonsense in the Great Smoky Mountains. For this bonus anniversary episode, we are back in the Smokies reflecting on the first year of the podcast, answering listener questions, and talking about what we have learned from recording the show, leading workshops together, and having regular conversations about landscape photography.

In this episode, Shutter Nonsense hosts Michael and Jeffrey talk about how working together has influenced their photography, why certain images become favorites because of the experience behind them, what happens when motivation to photograph fades, and how online photography communities can lead to real friendships and creative opportunities.

We also talk about the behind-the-scenes work of producing a podcast, including guest scheduling, systems, show notes, video editing, social media, Patreon, and why having a backlog of episodes has helped keep the show moving.

Join the Shutter Nonsense Patreon community to participate in post-episode conversations and share your own photography experiences! Available to free and paid members.  https://www.patreon.com/ShutterNonsense

Highlights:

Related Links:

Michael 4Runner Tour - https://youtu.be/coE_3kpf29c?si=VCetKMDTpvracOeu

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

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey are joined by nature photographer Brenda Tharp for a thoughtful conversation about finding your own creative voice in landscape and nature photography.

Brenda shares her perspective on the pressure to photograph popular locations, follow trends, chase social media approval, and balance personal expression with the realities of building a photography business. The conversation moves from iconic landscapes and intimate scenes to print sales, creative confidence, and the ongoing challenge of staying true to what actually excites you behind the camera.

Brenda also shares stories from her own career, life on the road, photographing beyond the obvious view, and why the most meaningful work often comes from slowing down, looking deeper, and trusting what resonates with you.

In this episode, we talk about:

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

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

Related Links:

Brenda’s website: https://www.brendatharp.com/

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

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey talk about one of the trickier decisions in landscape and nature photography - knowing when to keep working a scene and when it is time to move on.

Sometimes staying longer helps you find stronger compositions, better light, and quieter details you would have missed at first glance. But sometimes you are not really working the scene anymore, you are just standing there pressing the shutter over and over because you feel like you should be doing something.

We talk through the difference between patience and getting stuck, the temptation to keep photographing the same frame, how a second camera body can help you keep exploring, and the FOMO that comes with wondering if the best light is about to happen right after you leave. We also share a few stories from Death Valley, Lost Dutchman, Colorado, the Grand Canyon, and other photography outings where the decision to stay or move on shaped the images we came home with.

Highlights:

Related Links:

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

In this episode of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey dig into the idea of growth through limitation in nature photography. What happens when you intentionally narrow your options instead of keeping every possibility open?

They talk about one-lens outings, local shooting, black and white challenges, slowing down in the field, and how removing certain choices can actually help you see more clearly. The conversation also gets into the difference between a constraint that helps you grow and one that just leaves you frustrated.

If you have ever felt stuck, burned out, or too dependent on your usual habits in the field, this one may give you a few ideas to shake things up.

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

Episode Highlights

Related Links:

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

Learn more about Jeffrey's photography: www.jeffreytadlock.com

In Episode 25 of Shutter Nonsense, Michael and Jeffrey are joined by Cole Thompson and John Barclay to talk about color versus monochrome photography, and how to know when each one makes sense. The conversation goes way beyond editing choices and gets into vision, intention, creativity, and why black and white can be either a distraction-free tool or a deeply personal way of seeing.

Along the way, they talk about learning to see in black and white, how personal vision shapes the work we make, the difference between photographing for likes versus photographing for meaning, and why this choice often goes much deeper than simple aesthetics. There’s plenty of humor in this one too, which is probably exactly what you’d expect when these four get together.

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:

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