Head across to The Camera Life - YouTube to listen and view the images as they are discussed and to CAST YOUR VOTES FOR THE PEOPLES CHOICE AWARDS!

HOW TO VOTE:

Head across to YouTube and in the comments of the show vote for your favourite photos!

All photo numbers are linked in the show notes under the chapters.

The Camera Life Podcast reveals the winners of the 2025 Photo of the Year Competition in this special live episode. Join the hosts as they review every shortlisted image, unpack the powerful stories behind them, and debate what truly makes a photograph great. From emotional personal moments to breathtaking landscapes, this episode celebrates photography, creativity, and community—culminating in the announcement of the overall winners and what’s next for the competition.

In this final Camera Life episode of 2025, Justin and Greg reflect on the biggest photography lessons, community milestones, and creative breakthroughs from the past year. From BFOP highlights and podcast growth to personal projects, pet photography, and setting goals for 2026, this episode is a heartfelt, honest look at what it really means to grow as a photographer. Packed with listener stories, laughs, and inspiration, it’s the perfect way to close out the year and reset your creative focus.

To enter the Photo of the Year Competition email your favourite photo of 2025 to [email protected] with the subject line 'photo of the year' and include your camera settings plus why it is your favourite photo of the year.

Rules:
Submit your photo by 4th Jan 2026
Images displayed at 7:30pm Jan 5th 2026
Photo MUST be taken in the 2025 calendar year
No AI, or else!
One entry per person
Include metadata or your camera settings (or film stock, editing techniques etc)
Winners will be chosen based on subjective opinions of podcast hosts, this is not a professional competition!

In this special Christmas episode of The Camera Life Podcast, Justin, Greg, and Bruce Moyle reflect on what photography truly gave them in 2025—beyond the images. From powerful community stories and photo critiques to camera news, creative inspiration, and personal projects, this episode captures the heart of photography as connection, memory, and experience. A perfect end-of-year listen for photographers looking to slow down, reflect, and feel inspired heading into the holidays.

To enter the Photo of the Year Competition email your favourite photo of 2025 to [email protected] with the subject line 'photo of the year' and include your camera settings plus why it is your favourite photo of the year.

Rules:
Images displayed at 7:30pm Dec 29th 2025
Photo MUST be taken in the 2025 calendar year
No AI, or else!
One entry per person
Include metadata or your camera settings (or film stock, editing techniques etc)
Winners will be chosen based on subjective opinions of podcast hosts, this is not a professional competition!

Australian Geographic 2023 Nature Photography of the Year winner Samuel Markham joins The Camera Life to unpack the terrifying Black Summer firestorm behind his image “My Country Burns,” including the moment he decided to photograph it. Samuel also shares how he built a community-driven Australia landscape location app, how he plans aurora missions, his wilderness workflow, Sony kit choices, and an authenticity-first editing philosophy in the age of AI. Expect practical landscape insights plus a powerful story of resilience.

===================================================

Samuel Markham is a self-taught landscape and wilderness photographer based in Canberra, ACT, Australia Photography entered his life in 2011, transforming the way he perceives the world and instilling in him a profound gratitude for nature's intricate details that he once overlooked. His artistic endeavours are grounded in a profound respect and awe for both nature and its almighty creator, seeking to convey reverence through the images he captures. Over the years he has developed a fascination with dramatic light and atmosphere. Driving him on an endless journey to capture those elusive moments that encapsulate the essence of freedom. In 2023 he was crowned the Overall Winner of the ’Australian Geographic 2023 Nature Photography of the Year’ for his image "My Country Burns" taken during the horrific 2019 / 2020 Black Summer bushfires that devastated Australia.

https://www.samuelmarkham.photography/
https://www.instagram.com/samuel.markham/
https://www.facebook.com/samuelmarkhamphotography/
https://www.youtube.com/@samuelmarkham5283

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================

Lucinda Goodwin joins The Random Photography Show for a lively, late-night mix of photography news, community chat, and real-world shooting stories. The crew digs into printing and paper talk, camera quirks (including Pentax and Fuji chatter), social media strategy, and gig/festival shooting numbers—then wraps with detailed listener image critiques covering texture, composition, and editing choices. Expect laughs, practical takeaways, and plenty of inspiration to pick up your camera and shoot.

To enter the Photo of the Year Competition email your favourite photo of 2025 to [email protected] with the subject line 'photo of the year' and include your camera settings plus why it is your favourite photo of the year.

Rules:
Images displayed at 7:30pm Dec 29th 2025
Photo MUST be taken in the 2025 calendar year
No AI, or else!
One entry per person
Include metadata or your camera settings (or film stock, editing techniques etc)
Winners will be chosen based on subjective opinions of podcast hosts, this is not a professional competition!

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================

Architectural photographer and film educator Nick Carver joins The Camera Life to talk big negatives, bigger prints, and why 6x17 panoramas still excite him. He breaks down C-type vs inkjet printing, gallery workflow, and the realities of shooting large format and 6x17 in the field. Nick shares honest advice on choosing panoramic systems, getting started with 4×5, balancing YouTube with client work, and picking the right Canon bodies for architecture and video. The conversation wraps with creative style, packaging “vibes,” and why you should just pursue that project you can’t stop thinking about.

===========================================

Justin and Greg are very excited to have Nick Carver on the show this week! Join us live and ask your own questions in the live chat. We will be talking all things film, large format, fine art printing and even the early days of YouTube.

Nick Carver is a working photographer and photography instructor based in Orange County, CA. His professional work centers primarily on architectural photography for commercial properties (office buildings, industrial buildings, retail centers, hospitality), and through his online photography courses Nick delivers instruction to hundreds of students in over 30 countries.

Nick’s career reflects a deep-seated dedication to the craft of photography with an enthusiasm for traditional analog film. You may recognize him from his YouTube channel wherein he takes viewers into the classroom and out in the field to share the process behind his work.

https://www.nickcarverphoto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nickcarver
https://www.youtube.com/user/nickcarverphoto

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================

Justin and Denis freewheel through a packed Random Photography Show: India street photography, minimalist travel setups and surviving Delhi Belly, a deep dive on the Sony A7V, megapixels and high ISO, plus 360 drones and using UAVs to scout shoots. Denis reveals his Aussie Park Barbies cooking series, counselling journey and how photography supports mental health, then shares new salt lake light-painting work. The community rounds things out with killer street, wildlife, macro, pin-up and surreal composite images.

Landscape and wildlife photographer Matthew Trabold joins The Camera Life to unpack his journey from college sports and motorsport photography to fine art prints, polar bears and black cockatoos. He shares how he actually earns a living from prints and calendars, why he pays for specialist wildlife guides, and how he balances Sony and Fuji GFX systems in the field. Expect honest talk about burnout, video pressure, markets, image critiques, and a month-long tall-ship voyage to Antarctica—plus the one camera and lens he’d choose to shoot the end of the world.

===========================================

Matthew Trabold is a professional travel, landscape, and automotive photographer whose work has taken him around the world, including documenting the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and strong technical ability, he creates images that are both visually striking and rich in story.

Through Trabold Photography, he explores adventure in all its forms—from the vast beauty of natural landscapes to the intimate moments of everyday life. His photographs capture the world at its most extraordinary, preserving fleeting moments that reveal the power, beauty, and capability of both nature and humanity.

https://www.traboldphotography.com/
https://www.instagram.com/traboldphotography
https://www.youtube.com/@traboldphotography/videos

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================

Justin's got a box full of gear plus we go over the latest in camera news, rumours and finish off with reviewing your images!

In this packed Random Photography Show, Justin live-unboxes the Canon R6 Mark III and the new RF 45mm f1.2, compares it to a whole family of 50s, and debates Canon’s zoom trinity rumors. Greg shares fresh Melbourne street photography (and a spectacular fall), while Justin battles printer calibration live. Plus: Ricoh GR4 and Sony F2 zoom chatter, Fujifilm conversion lenses, film-shot RAAF jets, macro magic, hot rods, drift cars and festival frames from the community. A proper two-hour camera nerd hangout.

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================

Portrait, commercial and fine art photographer Vicki Bell joins The Camera Life to unpack a lifetime behind the lens. From high-volume graduation shoots and stress-free corporate headshots to wedding stories, optical snoots and Nikon Z6II portrait setups, Vicki shares practical tips for working fast while keeping sessions fun and human. She dives into art-school darkroom days, award-winning charity images, her home-studio fine art projects and how she’s thinking about AI in photography. A warm, insight-packed conversation for anyone who photographs people.
===========================================

Vicki Bell is an award-winning Melbourne photographer with over two decades of experience. With a bachelor’s degree in education (art and craft) from The University of Melbourne, she combines artistic training with a warm, energetic approach to her work. Known for her attention to detail and genuine care, she creates portraits rich in personality and depth.

A Master Photographer (AIPP M.Photog II) with additional merit recognition from WPPI in the USA, Vicki has been acknowledged through awards, judging roles, and speaking engagements. Her professional work spans corporate and commercial photography, where she produces confident, authentic headshots and branding portraits that help clients elevate their presence across digital and marketing platforms.

Alongside her client work, Vicki pursues fine art photography as a space for creativity and exploration. Her personal projects allow her to experiment, express ideas, and push artistic boundaries, resulting in imagery that communicates emotion, perspective, and story.

https://www.vickibellphotography.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/vicki_bell_photography/
https://www.facebook.com/VickiBellPhotography/

===========================================
THE CAMERA LIFE - LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST
===========================================
➡Blog: https://luckystraps.com/the-camera-life
➡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_camera_life
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_camera_life_podcast
➡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dC4kPNrLORz2ASrukyOS5?si=18c6fd2534cf4d97
➡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-camera-life/id1760304677

===================================================
LUCKY STRAPS - THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS ON THE PLANET
===================================================
✅ Quick Release System
✅ Anti-Theft, Cut-Resistant and Safety Lock
✅ Super Comfortable Genuine Leather
✅ Australian Made and Lifetime Guarantee a
✅ Personalise with Your Name or Logo
✅ Owned, Designed and Used by Working Photographers

SHOP NOW https://luckystraps.com/
(Use code for 15% off - Codes are JUSTIN JIM or GREG - Which host do you like the most?)

================
CONNECT WITH US
================
Greg Cromie - Writer and Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/gcromie/
➡Greg's Blog: https://gregcromie.blog/

Justin Castles - Photographer and Founder of Lucky Straps
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/justincastles

Jim Aldersey - Wedding and Boudoir Photographer
➡IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimaldersey/
➡Wedding IG: https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbyjim_/
===================================================