The MOOD Podcast

In this week’s podcast episode you'll learn why the photographs you're most proud of are probably the ones hiding you, and what a documentary photographer who has stood at 600 deaths says it actually costs to make work that changes something.

I sat down with Richard Sharum, the American documentary photographer behind Campesino Cuba, Spina Americana and the forthcoming American Homicide, all published by GOST Books, to talk about photography as an act of empathy, why he believes the photo industry has abandoned the general public, and what happened to him after a year embedded with 4 homicide squads and 8 prisons. We go from his childhood in a mixed-race, low-income Texas neighbourhood to the night police framed him at 16, the week in a children's cancer ward that raised over $1,000,000, the Magnum editor who threw out 45 of his 50 best Cuba photographs, and the depression that stopped him shooting for a while. Richard is direct about team mirror versus team window, about why he refuses to go to Paris Photo, and about the sacrifice he tells every student to expect before they pick up a camera for documentary work.

Other things we discussed:

• Why he says photography was invented too early in our evolution
• Hurricane Katrina, 7 months after everyone left
• Cancer as an equaliser: a $10,000,000 house next to a trailer park
• Objectivity is a fallacy; photographing like jazz
• The grocery store practice for connection
• Childhood photos of victims and murderers in the same book
• The image is the receipt, not the experience
• The famous photographer who admitted lying for access
• How a documentary photographer actually earns money
• Of Thee I Sing: the American trilogy and American Avenue (2028)

Find Richard on his website and Instagram:
https://richardsharum.com/
https://www.instagram.com/richard_sharum/

American Homicide Book:
https://gostbooks.com/products/american-homicide

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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In this week’s Moments of Mood episode, you'll learn the 4 questions curators, juries, and publishers silently ask about every photography project, and how to answer them in 100 words so your work actually gets seen.

I take apart the idea that photography speaks for itself, starting with the Vivian Maier story everyone gets backwards, and share what Shana Lopes, photography curator at SFMOMA, told me she actually needs to hear from an artist: why she has to defend every acquisition in front of a committee, her test of whether she can write about a project, and why "I just thought it looked good" ends the conversation. Then I get into the difference between explaining an image and articulating a body of work, and why keeping the mystery in your pictures means taking it out of your artist statement.

Watch my full conversation with Shana Lopes here:
https://youtu.be/XCSvy5AIGsA

Watch part one of this commentary here:
https://youtu.be/bURDv2Jps4M

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Learn exactly what an SFMOMA photography curator looks for, what she passes over, and how to get your work seen without an MFA, a gallery, or a 6-paragraph artist statement.

I sat down with Shana Lopes, Assistant Curator of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), to find out how photography actually enters a museum collection. Shana has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Center for Creative Photography, holds a PhD in the history of photography, and has spent over 7 years at SFMOMA curating exhibitions, acquiring work, and reviewing portfolios.

We talked about how a curator decides which photographs get remembered, why she needs to be able to write about your work before she can acquire it, the one question every photography project has to answer, and the practical advice she gives emerging photographers trying to get exhibited, published, or noticed.

Other things we discussed:

• What a curator actually does day to day, from wall texts to installation choreography
• Why she thinks about exhibition layouts musically
• Curating photobooks versus curating walls, and why she reads books from the back
• Trends in museum photography, and whether documentary is disappearing
• How to write an artist statement a jury will actually read
• Portfolio reviews: what to bring, what not to say, and when to come back
• Why an MFA isn't necessary but a community is
• AI, analog revival, and the art schools closing in San Francisco

Find Shana on the SFMOMA website and Instagram:
https://www.sfmoma.org/about/eteam-curatorial-staff/
https://www.instagram.com/lopesshana/

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this Moments of Mood episode, I get into the question of whether we as photographers should explain our images or let them try and ‘speak for themselves’, why the readings you want to correct are actually a map to your photographic voice, and the two gaps every photograph has to cross, from Garry Winogrand's famous riddle to a passage in 'Art & Fear' by David Bayles and Ted Orland that reframes the distance between what you intended, what you made, and what people see.

Other things I mention:

• The moment someone misreads your photo and the correction rises up in your chest
• Why you're the one person who can't see your own work cold
• Repeated "wrong" readings as a pattern, not noise
• What happens if both gaps close completely, and whether a perfect photograph would be worth looking at
• Explaining an image versus articulating a body of work, and why timing is the difference

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

On this episode, I sat down with David Chancellor, the award-winning documentary photographer behind ‘Hunters’, ‘Handle Like Eggs’, and the Taylor Wessing Prize-winning portrait ‘Huntress with Buck’, for a conversation about the moral grey areas of documentary photography, trophy hunting, wildlife conservation. David has spent decades photographing human-wildlife coexistence across Africa, sleeping beside trophy hunters for weeks at a time, documenting leopard hunting in Namibia that was later stopped, and turning the personal cost of that work, including the collapse of his marriage, into his most intimate project. 

We talked about how beauty gets people to look at what they'd rather turn away from, why access matters more than gear, how a photographer builds trust over years instead of parachuting in, and his current project rewilding the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the National Center for Wildlife.

Watch this conversation and you'll understand how just one photograph can open a dialogue that could end an questionable pastime, and what it costs the person holding the camera.

Other things we discussed:

• Getting fired from foreign exchange dealing and talking his way into photography school with "below average" work
• The lion breeder who learned to see light and made the phone call behind the Taylor Wessing photo
• If it pays, it stays: the brutal economics of wildlife conservation
• The gamekeeper in Scotland whose hands kill deer and delivered his own son
• Whether he has gone numb after decades of watching animals die
• Photographing the birth, death, and compensation politics of community conservation in Kenya
• David Attenborough, his front door key, and the cost of a legendary life
• Film versus digital, the Mamiya 7, and why he shoots one consistent format
• AI, authenticity, and what photography loses when everything becomes content

Find David and his work online:
https://www.davidchancellor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/chancellordavid/

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

Attention has collapsed, and every photographer feels it. In this Moments of Mood episode, I make the case that this might be the best thing to happen to serious photography in a generation. You'll learn why the photographers who matter from here on won't be the ones who make the most, they'll be the ones who compress the best: one photograph dense enough to stop a stranger mid-scroll and earn the second look. I break down what has actually broken in visual culture (the capacity to stay, not the capacity to look), why posting more is a hiding place, and how a single ambassador image is the doorway that gets your photobook, sequence, and body of work found.
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Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Socials:
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Odette England  makes her photographs and then damages them, and this conversation is about why that is the most honest thing she has ever done with her voice.

Odette is an Australian artist, writer and photography professor at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, whose latest book Isn't X Beautiful is an autobiographical reckoning with family, memory and the limits of what a photograph can hold.

We talk about growing up on a 200 acre dairy farm in rural South Australia where her father made Polaroid portraits of newborn calves for their birth certificates and her mother typed captions into family albums, and how those 2 modes of picture keeping shaped everything she has made since. We go into her definition of beauty, which is broken, rusty and forlorn rather than pretty, the year she asked her elderly parents to walk their lost farm with her negatives strapped to the soles of their shoes, why she believes photography is drenched in want, and what writing gives her that photography cannot.

Odette talks openly about doubt, about being the least confident person in her own practice, about the drawers of failed work she now calls her box of potentials, and about the daily sentence habit that turned into something she never intended. We finish inside the critique room, on the questions she asks photographers who bring her work they cannot yet explain.

Other things we discussed:

• Being refused entry to her school darkroom because she was a girl
• Being the only woman in her class
• Why the letter X sits at the centre of her book, and why the title ends in an exclamation mark
• The 170 English words for the act of seeing
• The folly of memory, wrong captions, and choosing to remember the fiction
• Her image-based retelling of Susan Sontag's On Photography
• Why she thinks moving forward is not always the right next step
• What she sees in students of every age that worries her most

Find Odette on her website and Instagram:
https://www.odetteengland.com
https://www.instagram.com/odetteengland
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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this Moments of Mood episode I sit with a single photograph from my own archive, one I made by accident in under ten seconds, and use it to unpack an idea Cristina Mittermeier gave me: that the photographer is not a messenger but a membrane, a semi-permeable skin whose job is to let a conversation pass between the subject and the stranger who will one day stand in front of the print. I look at why the pressure to have a signature style is muting your photography, why your creative voice is not a possession you transmit but the shape of what you let through, and how ego, not lack of talent, is what fragments an emerging photographer's work.

There's a version of your portfolio where every frame is competent, consistent, technically strong, and somehow says nothing, and if you already know which images I mean, this episode is about why that happens and what your voice actually is instead.

I also get into the book launch that turned Cristina from marine biologist into one of the most seen photographers alive, why technically flawless photographs can be strangely silent, the unnamed photographer whose prints sell the man rather than the animal, the division of labor between vanishing inside the frame and showing up loudly outside it, why a style can be copied by a preset pack while permeability cannot, and a one-frame practice to try this week.

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Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Trent Davis Bailey spent 7 years photographing a remote farming valley in Colorado, convinced he was making documentary work. He wasn't. The pictures knew before he did: he was searching for the family he'd lost to a twenty-year estrangement, and by the end of The North Fork he had found his aunt, his cousins, and the woman who became his wife. Then he turned the camera toward something far harder. His new photobook Son Pictures, published by Chose Commune, reckons with the crash of United Flight 232, the disaster that killed his mother when he was 3 years old, through his own photographs, family snapshots, newspaper archives, and the eerily premonitory artworks his mother made as a girl, including a drawing of a plane falling from the sky, made decades before she boarded one.

This is a conversation for any photographer who has ever suspected their work is about something they haven't admitted yet. We follow how a photography project becomes a mirror, how a photobook gets edited and sequenced when your heart is too close to the pictures, and how grief, memory and image-making feed each other over a decade of work.

Other things we discussed:

• Being tied to a tree for his first ever photographs, and why he's glad the negatives were destroyed
• The camera as a passport for a shy kid, and photography as a search for belonging
• Why he hides many of his subjects' faces, and the 4-foot constraint that shaped The North Fork
• Editing 60 pictures down to 46 with Trespasser, and handing his grief to the right publisher
• Rebecca Solnit's essay, walking as a way of seeing, and why "capture" is the wrong word for photography
• Watching a Hollywood reenactment of the crash at 7 years old, and how cinema colonises memory
• Becoming a father, and the New York Times op-ed that revealed what Son Pictures was really about
• Humor as an antidote to grief, and protecting play inside the heaviest work
• Robert Adams, reusing photographs across books, and what follows a decade-long project

Find Trent’s work here:
https://trentdavisbailey.com
https://www.instagram.com/trentdavisbailey/
______________________________________________________

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this episode you'll discover why beauty in photography is made by your attention, not found in your subjects, and how reading your own form reveals the photographic voice you've been searching for elsewhere.

In this Moments of Mood, I sit with one idea from my recent conversation with photographer and writer Tim Carpenter: that beauty in a photograph is form, not subject matter. Drawing on Robert Adams' book ‘Beauty in Photography’ and Tim's book ‘To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die’, I unpack what form actually is, why we have a bodily response to it, and how the way you meet the world is pressed invisibly into every frame you make. If you're an emerging photographer struggling to find your voice or make cohesive work, this one reframes where beauty, and your signature, actually live.

Other things we discussed:

• Why photographs of beautiful subjects can still feel empty
• Tim Carpenter's confession about being subject matter driven early in his career
• Robert Adams on form as an answer to the fear that life is chaos
• Why the most moving photographs hold together barely, not perfectly
• How your body decides the photograph before you do
• Mindfulness and attention as trainable photographic skills
• A practical assignment for photographing the most ordinary place in your life

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Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

If you have ever felt technically capable but creatively lost, this conversation shows you how one photographer turned a decade of pictures, and the hardest years of his life, into a body of work that is unmistakably his own.

In this episode I sit down with Rory King, an Australian photographer who works in black and white, prints by hand in the darkroom, and turned 10 years of images into his photobook 'Gumsucker', published by Charcoal Press after he won the 2023 Charcoal Publishing Prize at the Chico Review. We talk about how photography found him, the darkroom as an emotional practice, his mental health struggles that nearly ended his life, and what it actually takes to find your own photographic voice.

Other things we discussed:

• Why he refuses to scan film and prints everything by hand
• Photographing the same friends for over 10 years
• Handing close to 2,000 scans to his publisher and not seeing Gumsucker until years later
• The bushrangers and Ned Kelly project he first presented at Chico
• Whether the photography and publishing world is elitist and gatekept
• How to share your work and find community
• The role of family, friends, and sad music in his recovery
• Momentum, and why taking the picture matters more than the picture itself

Rory's links:
www.roryking.net
www.instagram.com/kingroary
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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

In this solo episode of Moments of Mood, you'll learn why the flood of AI images is about to make real, human photography more valuable, not less, and how to find the voice that's unmistakably yours.

I break down what AI really means for emerging photographers, starting with VSCO's "your eye can't be generated" campaign and the paradox that the same company also builds the AI tools and sells the reassurance back to you.

Drawing on Josef Koudelka's legendary photographs, the "revenge of the humanities," and his own work in a disappearing place, I argue that the crisis was/is never AI, it was handing the verdict on your work to everything outside yourself, and that scarcity, taste, and lived experience are about to become a photographer's most valuable assets.

Other touch points in this commentary:

• Why your photography voice feels fragmented, and the real reason behind it
• The 2am fear that your eye might be "ordinary"
• Why a machine can render anything but can't be the witness
• What an AI company founder says about the value of the humanities
• The single reflection to find the one photograph that's truly yours

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Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

In this episode you'll learn how to tell whether your photography is actually art, why chasing technical perfection is holding your work back, and how to develop a photographic voice that's unmistakably your own.

This week Matt chats with Ridwan Didot, a fine art documentary and wedding photographer from Indonesia who runs the studio Native Visual and approaches commercial work with the eye and patience of a documentarian.

We get into one of the oldest debates in photography, whether there's such a thing as photography that is art and photography that isn't, and where that line actually sits. Ridwan shares why a photograph that still works in 50 years matters more than one that just looks good today, how 6 years photographing his own grandparents trained his eye more than any client job, and why he believes copying another photographer, or even copying your own past work, is genuinely impossible.

This is a conversation about intention, sensitivity, function over aesthetics, and the slow work of finding a creative voice that's truly yours.

Other things we discussed:

• Why your mother's old family photos might teach you more than any workshop
• The "demolition" theory of creativity: learning to construct a photo so you can destroy it
• What Rick Rubin's The Creative Act gets right about making work without needing approval
• How Diane Arbus reframed the relationship between the subject and the photograph
• Why insecurity, used honestly, can be a tool rather than a weakness
• Alfred Adler, the "neutral position", and how psychology shapes the photographer
• The Photographer's Playbook and the danger of photographing feelings badly
• Why the love and care you put into a frame is visible in the final image
• The one question Ridwan asks every artist he meets

Ridwan's profile: https://www.instagram.com/ridwandidot/

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Matt sits down with photographer, writer, and educator Tim Carpenter, author of 'To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die' and photobooks such as 'Local Objects', 'Little' and 'Christmas Day, Bucks Pond Road', for a deep conversation on the philosophy beneath the photographic image. 

In this episode you will learn a way to understand why the form of a photograph, not its subject, is where its meaning and beauty actually live, and how working with a camera can teach you to make peace with a world that will never bend to your wishes.

We explore the 'broken self' and the gap between the real and the ideal, why form is everything that is not in front of the camera, the difference between the depicted and the detected, how the body and the camera move through the world as a single instrument, why beauty in a photograph is a fleeting moment of equilibrium, and how a photographer can build a meaningful body of work and a real audience without chasing scale.

Other things we discussed:

• Why great art resists interpretation, and the ethics of meeting a subject as something singular
• The exposure test that reveals whether you truly care about form
• How Tim moved from being subject-matter driven to understanding structure
• Reading his own emotional distance in the photographs of Local Objects
• The pinned butterfly problem in portrait photography
• What Robert Adams wrote in a two-page handwritten letter
• Why Susan Sontag and Roland Barthes may not help working photographers
• The anti-solipsism machine, and how the camera refuses your projections
• The loss behind Bucks Pond Road and the books that became a loose trilogy
• Why you do not need a big audience to make work that matters

Tim's links:
Website: https://www.timcarpenterphotography.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timcarpenter

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

Matt talks with psychologist Zahra Ciardi, founder of Ascendant Bali, to explore the inner life of the creative person: why so many photographers feel their work isn't truly theirs, the limiting beliefs that keep artists stuck, and how to put your work into the world without being ruled by validation.

By the end of this episode you'll understand why your photography stops feeling like yours, and what it takes to create from your true self instead of your need to be seen.

Zahra works in trauma recovery and peak performance, and she breaks down the psychology of high achievers, the anatomy of avoidance, the inner critic, and how childhood shapes the way we create as adults.

Other things discussed:

• The "bus" model of the self and why the inner critic ends up driving
• Highly sensitive people and why creatives feel everything so intensely
• Over-diagnosis, self-diagnosis, and the bigger problem of under-treatment
• Self-neutrality as the realistic first step before self-love
• Graded exposure for photographers afraid to share their work
• Using social media intentionally instead of being used by it
• Whether healing costs you your creative edge
• How childhood memory is stored in the body, not just the mind
• The single values exercise Zahra says works every time

Zahra's links:
www.ascendantbali.com
www.zahraciardi.com
https://www.instagram.com/zahra_ciardi/

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Cristina Mittermeier is a National Geographic photographer, co-founder of SeaLegacy, and author of "Hope." Her work has been featured in National Geographic's series "Photographer" and in publications around the world. Cristinais the photographer who coined the term "conservation photography," co-founded SeaLegacy, and made the starving polar bear image seen by an estimated 2.5 billion people. 

In this episode Matt and Cristina discuss how to find your photographic voice that actually means something, why a point of view separates an artist from a craftsman, and the one principle Cristina has built her life around: to show up.

- Join the Mood Insiders for ad-free extended episodes, monthly masterclasses, the weekly book club, and much more (link in notes below) - 

Other things you will take away from this episode:

• The "glorious amateur" and why expertise is not a prerequisite for meaningful photography
• The full story behind the starving polar bear photograph and the backlash that followed
• How the social media algorithm punishes beautiful and important photography
• The idea of the photographer as a "membrane" rather than a messenger
• Why storytelling now matters more than the photograph itself
• "Enoughness" as a personal answer to consumerism
• Building a real portfolio of physical work instead of living on Instagram
• A personal handbook of ethics for photographers
• Why AI will make human-made photography more valuable, not less
• Legacy, ego, and shedding the need to be exceptional
• SeaLegacy and the next decade of conservation photography
• Practical advice for emerging photographers starting out today

____

Cristina’s platforms:
Website - https://www.cristinamittermeier.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mitty/
SeaLegacy - https://www.sealegacy.org/

____

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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In this episode, Matt sits down with Rich-Joseph Facun, a celebrated American documentary photographer, former photojournalist of 15 years, and founder of the independent publishing imprint Liars Corner. 

In this conversation we discuss his three monographs: Black Diamonds, Little Cities, and 1804, the ethics of street and portrait photography, photographing strangers in Trump-era Appalachia, walking away from photojournalism, finding your photographic voice, and why the global photo book industry urgently needs more marginalised and Indigenous voices.

Other things we discussed:

• Street portraiture, approaching strangers, and consent in documentary photography
• Growing up in a Southern Baptist military family and door-to-door evangelism as training for portrait work
• Photographing Trump-supporting Appalachia as a person of colour with a trans child
• The viral portrait of a stranger with a damaged forehead tattoo crying on the street
• Quitting photojournalism after 15 years and the identity crisis that followed
• Why he stopped using Rembrandt lighting and the decisive moment in his portrait work
• How to find your photographic voice after mastering the craft
• Self-publishing a photo book vs pitching to independent publishers
• The making of Black Diamonds, Little Cities, and 1804
• Launching Liars Corner as an Indigenous-owned photo book imprint in Appalachia
• Elitism, gatekeeping, and barriers to entry inside the global photo book publishing industry
• Mentoring emerging documentary photographers and funding their first monographs
• Why awards, accolades, and staff photographer positions stopped mattering

Rich-Joseph Facun
Instagram: https://instagram.com/facun
Website: https://facun.com
Imprint: https://liarscorner.press

____________________________________

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Socials:
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In this episode, Matt sits down with Miriam Schulman, professional artist, art business coach, host of the Inspiration Place podcast, and bestselling author of Artpreneur (HarperCollins). Miriam left Wall Street after 9/11 to build a six-figure art business and now teaches photographers, painters, and visual artists how to price their work, sell art online, attract collectors, and build a sustainable photography business without relying on social media. In this conversation we cover photography pricing strategies, how to sell prints at higher prices, the psychology behind luxury art buyers, why charm pricing kills photography sales, how photographers can find art collectors, the truth about Instagram engagement rates for artists, AI's impact on professional photography, and how to transition from hobbyist photographer to full-time professional. 

So if you are learning how to make money as a photographer, how to price photography prints, or how to build a photography business in 2026, this episode delivers the frameworks Miriam uses with her six-figure photography and art coaching clients.

Other things we discussed:

• How to price photography prints using prestige pricing instead of charm pricing
• The belief triad every photographer needs to sell high-ticket prints
• Signal excavation: how photographers find their unique artistic voice
• How to build an email list as a photographer (and why it beats Instagram)
• The $40 champagne pricing study and what it means for photography sales
• AI and photography: why photographers face more risk than painters
• LinkedIn for photographers: the most underused platform for selling art
• How to use local press and PR to sell photography prints
• The five biggest mistakes photographers make when pricing their work
• How to identify a production problem vs a pricing problem in your photography business
• Why marketing matters most when you believe your photography matters
• The wishy-washy pricing mistake that loses photographers paid bookings
  
  

Find Miriam and everything she offers on her website:
https://www.schulmanart.com/
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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Socials:
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In this Moments of Mood episode of The MOOD Podcast, Matt returns after a road accident left him physically immobilised for several weeks, unable to photograph, travel, or work, and uses that enforced stillness to examine one of the quietest but most destructive reflexes in modern photography: the need for proof. What happens to your photography, and to you as a photographer, when the images you make never leave the hard drive? When the algorithm stops rewarding your work? When self-doubt creeps in because no one has seen the photograph yet? 

Matt draws on a recent conversation with fellow photographer Pie Aerts, a decade-long meditation practice, and the uncomfortable weeks spent away from the camera, to ask whether photography is a destination we're trying to arrive at, or a pilgrimage we're already walking without realising it. 

_____________________

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this episode, Matt sits down with Magnum photographer Mark Power for a wide-ranging conversation about long-term documentary photography, creative process, and what it means to spend 14 years photographing America as a foreigner. Mark discusses the origins of his landmark five-volume series 'Good Morning, America', why he's drawn to photographing the ordinary and overlooked rather than the spectacular, and how a woman quietly crying at a Don McCullin exhibition changed the trajectory of his entire career. From nearly quitting photography to becoming one of the most respected members of Magnum Photos, Mark shares honest reflections on self-doubt, creative longevity, and the discipline of looking slowly in a fast world.

Other things we discussed:

• Why photography is more democratic than painting and what that means for artists today
• The moment Mark's father finally validated his career, just before his death
• How the Postcards from America project at Magnum evolved into a decade-long obsession
• Why Mark believes the most exciting subjects make the worst photographs
• His thoughts on the word "storytelling" and why he thinks it's lost all meaning
• The stillness and silence he deliberately pursues in every image
• Walking into a room of his heroes at Chico Review and expecting nobody to know his name
• Why he spends far more time looking at photographs than making them
• Editing and sequencing five books as a work in progress without knowing the ending
• What's next: photographing Brighton by bus pass and an ambitious new project in China

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_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Listen to part one here
Watch part one here
________________________

In Part 2 of this special Chico Review 2026 episode, Matt continues documenting his week inside one of photography's most respected portfolio review events. Featuring conversations with Odette England, Daniel Arnold, Tim Carpenter, Matthew Genitempo, Jesse Lenz, and Lindokuhle Sobekwa — plus fellow attendees pushing the edges of documentary, photobook, and fine art photography.

Notable topics:

• What Jesse Lenz actually looks for as a publisher — and why finished work is a turn-off
• Daniel Arnold on 13 years protecting his creative spark and why he dreads making books
• Tim Carpenter's review philosophy: never say good picture or bad picture
• ⁠Odette England on slow processing and what makes her eyes change during a review
• Matt Genitempo's approach to giving reviews and spotting talent
• ⁠The broken economic models of editorial, photobooks, and commercial photography
• "Commercial documentary" as a survival strategy for photojournalists
• How feedback on "poetry vs narrative" shifted one attendee's entire practice
• A photographer who enrolled in photojournalism school at 48 after surviving cancer
• Grief, bookmaking as chemistry lab, and dismantling perfectionism
• ⁠Closing reflection on ego death, creative identity, and thinking about a project like music
• Why the shutter is only 10% of the work — and what happens after
• Practical advice for future Chico attendees: go deep, not wideListen to part one here

Listen to part one here
Watch part one here

________________________

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_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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The Chico Review destroyed my confidence. Then built it back...

THIS IS PART 1 OF A 2 PART FEATURE ON CHICO REVIEW 2026 - SEE PART 2 NEXT WEEK.

I arrived at the Chico Review 2026 thinking my work was ready. 10 formal reviews, 25 reviewers and speakers, publishers, curators, photographers and more — I was scrapping half of it by the end of day one. This is the first installment of 2, about my honest experience on what happened, what I learned, and why I'd do it all again without hesitation.

In this video:

• What the Chico Review actually is (and who it's for)
• My 10 portfolio reviews: the breakthroughs, the brutal moments, and the one that made me cry
• Why cohesion matters more than individual images
• How the week changed my approach to sequencing, editing, and book-making
• What my project looks like now vs. what I brought to the table on day 1.

About the Chico Review:
The Chico Review is an annual photography portfolio review held in Chico Hot Springs, Montana. 80 photographers. Reviewers from Magnum, L'Artier, TIS Books, Deadbeat Club, Tresspasser, SFMOMA, The New Yorker, and many more. 6 days of formal reviews, informal conversations, and everything in between. It's one of the most respected portfolio review events in the world — and one of the most humbling.

If you're a photographer questioning your work, your direction, or whether feedback is worth seeking — this one's for you.

PART 2 DROPS NEXT WEEK — subscribe so you don't miss it. And for more deep, reflective photography conversations in the meantime, subscribe to The MOOD Podcast 🎙️

---
📸 https://mattjacob.co
🎙️ https://themoodpodcast.com
📷 @mattyj_ay
📷 @the_moodpodcast

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

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Socials:
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In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down with writer Brad Zellar, whose deep relationship to photography, photo books, storytelling, and visual culture makes this one of the most thought-provoking conversations I’ve had on the show. We talk about the future of photography, why obsession matters more than concept, the role of text in photo books, what makes an image unforgettable, how portfolio reviewers really think, and why the internet may be training a generation not to care about art in the same way.

Other things we discussed:

• Brad’s childhood in a small working-class town and the library that changed his life
• The photo books that first opened up the world for him
• Why boredom, curiosity, and challenge shaped his creative mind
• His collaborations with Alec Soth and how words and images can work together
• What he looks for in photography portfolio reviews and artist statements
• Why some photo projects feel alive and others feel forced
• The difference between a strong print and a strong book edit
• Why poetry rarely works inside photo books
• The collapse of journalism and why Brad is more hopeful about photography than writing
• The danger of fake online community and what in-person culture still gives us
• Why print, books, and real-world encounters still matter more than ever

Find Brad on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bradzellar

______________________________________________

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_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

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https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore why self-awareness is the missing foundation behind meaningful photography. After spending a few days at a silent retreat in Bali, I began reflecting on something I’ve seen repeatedly in my own work, in conversations on the MOOD Podcast, and in our book club discussions. Many photographers spend years learning techniques, buying gear, and consuming endless education, yet still feel creatively stuck. The issue is rarely technical knowledge. More often, it’s a lack of self-awareness. 

In this episode I explain how meditation and mindfulness changed the way I understand my own creative process. I talk about the difference between traction and distraction, why many forms of self-development can quietly pull us off course, and how photography often becomes a mirror of the person behind the camera. 

Better photography doesn’t begin with better gear or more information. It begins with understanding what governs your attention. When you learn to observe your own patterns, impulses, and motivations more clearly, your work becomes more coherent, more intentional, and more authentic. Without that awareness, even the best technical knowledge rarely translates into meaningful work. 

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Joe McNally, legendary professional photographer best known for his work with National Geographic, Life, and major commercial clients, and for his mastery of lighting and flash, joins me on the show to discuss an array of topics. 

We go deep on the future of photography, how the industry has changed from magazines to the digital era, what AI is really doing to trust in images, why craft is the foundation of art, and what separates a hobbyist from a working photographer through reproducible results, storytelling, and ethical responsibility.

Other things we discussed:

• Why a truly great photograph can change you foreve
• The camera as a “visa” and the privilege, access, and responsibility of photographing people
• The collapse of durable editorial outlets and why modern campaigns disappear fast
• How smartphone photography and in-house content have impacted rates and rights
• Building a personal photography voice instead of copying lighting setups
• Tenacity, failure tolerance, and why awards are “temporary”
• What makes an image “good” and how to stop viewers mid-scroll with emotion
• Research, rapport, and making subjects feel safe in portrait photography
• Mentorship, gatekeeping, and why photography skills should be passed on
• Food for the table vs food for the soul, and how photographers stay alive creatively
• The isolation of the modern photography workflow and the loss of communal learning spaces

Find Joe on the following platforms:
Website: https://joemcnally.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joemcnallyphoto
Online Teaching Platform: https://betterpictureswithjoe.com

________________________________

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Socials:
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Tina Signesdottir is a Norwegian fine art portrait photographer and Hasselblad Master, known for natural light portraits with rare emotional intimacy. In her first ever podcast appearance, Tina speaks candidly about the origins of her work, the role photography played in survival and self-expression, and what it actually takes to build images that feel real in a world flooded with content. 

We go deep on photographing with honesty, why relationship and trust are the invisible foundations of portraiture, and how Tina thinks about awards, rejection, and the pressure that follows recognition. Tina also shares how she directs people into stillness, why she avoids performance in front of the camera, and what she believes photographers must protect if they want a lasting voice. 

Other topics we discussed:

• Hasselblad Masters 2018 and what winning changed (and did not change)
• Natural light portrait photography and “tracing” window light
• Finding your photographic voice versus chasing style
• Competitions, judging, and what makes an image stop a panel
• Rejection, resilience, and the “it factor” in a saturated industry
• Medium format cameras and why gear is never the starting point
• Social media, authenticity, and the danger of creating for likes
• Commercial photography, client comfort, and building trust fast
• Photography as escape, healing, and creative obsession
• Tina's upcoming project: Colliding Walls (Iceland collaboration + book) 

Find Tina on her website and Instagram:
https://www.tinasignesdottir.com
https://www.instagram.com/tinasignesdottir/
______________________________________________________

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this episode, I sit down with photographer Pie Aerts to unpack the philosophies, struggles, and decisions that have shaped his work over the last decade. Pie is a documentary and wildlife photographer whose practice sits at the intersection of human presence, conservation, and long-form storytelling. He is also the founder of Prints for Wildlife, a platform that has raised over $2.5 million for conservation initiatives worldwide.

Our conversation focuses on how Pie thinks about photography beyond aesthetics. We talk about self-doubt, ethics, money, responsibility, and what it actually takes to stay committed to a story over many years. A central thread is his 6-year project in southern Chile (titled COIRÓN), documenting the lives of the Puesteros, and how that work has evolved from an idea into a deeply personal body of work.

My discussion with Pie was reflective for photographers who are thinking long-term, questioning their motives, and trying to balance meaning with sustainability.

Other stuff we talk about:

• Pie Aerts’ background in documentary and wildlife photography
• His six-year long-term project with the Puesteros of Chile
• Ethical responsibility, power, and care in long-form photography
• Self-doubt, anxiety, and uncertainty as part of creative life
• Why deep, meaningful photography rarely pays on its own
• Building expeditions and community as a funding engine
• Authenticity, AI, and the future of photography.

During the part where we discuss his project 'COIRÓN', Pie shares details about his current Kickstarter campaign to fund the publication of his upcoming photobook COIRÓN on the Puesteros, produced with GOST Books. The book is scheduled for release in 2026, alongside a feature-length film developed from the same long-term project. Find kickstarter link below for you to support the project.

Links for Pie and his work:
Kickstarter Page here
Instagram: @because.people.matter
Website: pieaerts.com
__________________________

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_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Website:
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Socials:
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What if your best work starts with a quiet cup and a clear mind? We kick off the year with an honest, unscripted 'Ask Me Anything' episode that explores how small rituals, sharper definitions, and a steadier inner compass can change both your art and your days. From an early morning espresso and two loyal dogs to the decision to ignore empty metrics, I trace a path from presence to better pictures, and hopefully a calmer life behind the lens.

I talk about instinct, happiness, success, and the quieter realities of building a life around photography. We also move through what it actually takes to get better without burning out, why alignment matters more than attention, and the long game of creating work and communities that genuinely care.

I hope it helps, and thanks for all of you who sent in questions.

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down with photographer, writer, and mentor Wesley Verhoeve for a grounded conversation about photography process, confidence, and learning how to make meaningful work without waiting for permission. 

We talk about why so many photographers struggle with self-doubt, why overthinking stalls creative progress, and how showing your work and sharing your process can demystify photography and make growth feel possible again. Wesley reflects on his approach to learning photography through participation, not perfection, and explains how confidence is built by doing, not by being 'ready'. 

We also explore the philosophy and process behind Wesley’s photo books 'NOTICE' and 'NOTICE Journal Vol. 1', including how routine, attention, and slowing down shaped both bodies of work.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why process matters more than talent in photography
• Why photographers often hate their own work
• How overthinking blocks creative momentum
• Where to start when photography feels overwhelming
• Showing your work as a way to build confidence
• The role of community, feedback, and shared growth in photography
• Making photo books and long-term personal projects
  
  

Follow Wesley and his  work:
Website: wesley.co
Instagram: @wesley
His Books: wesley.co/shop

__________________________________

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_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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The year didn’t teach us to shoot faster. It taught us to go deeper. We close out 2025 by stitching together the most resonant moments from a season of hard questions and honest answers: why “quick fix” education fails creatives, how pricing for profit transforms freelancers into owners, and where empathy turns a portrait from performance into truth.

Art stays at the centre. We explore ambiguity as a strength, and you’ll hear how long-form projects and photo books benefit from time and distance, how technique and tone evolve across a decade, and why music, language, and psychological safety can unlock authentic portraits. We examine the record-making power of photojournalism and face its mental health tolls with tools that actually help: self-care rituals, supportive networks, and realistic recovery in hostile environments.

Threaded through everything is a humbling sense of place—grief and hope living side by side, and nature reminding us the story isn’t finished. If you’ve felt the pull to slow down, to price honestly, to build community, and to let your work breathe, please take stock and listen.

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs depth over dopamine, and leave a review telling us where you’ll choose craft over shortcuts in the new year.
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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
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Socials:
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In this episode - the last guest episode of 2025 - I sit down with photographer, publisher, and curator Jesse Lenz for one of the most expansive and honest conversations I’ve had on the show - fitting to end the year with such a nice gift-wrapped present. 

What begins as a discussion about photography and photobooks quickly becomes a deeper exploration of obsession, taste, community, and what it actually means to build a life of artistry that lasts. Jesse speaks candidly about art not as a career path, but as something closer to devotion; something you shape your life around rather than extract from.

Here's what we talk about:

• Why art is an addiction
• Discovering photobooks
• Why most projects fail
• Editing and sequencing of art
• Making work for yourself before others 
• Charcoal Press and publishing work
• Chico Review
• Longevity over visibility

Follow Jesse and his incredible work:
Website: www.jesselenz.com
Instagram: @jesselenz
Charcoal Book Club: www.charcoalbookclub.com
Charcoal Press: www.charcoalpress.com
Chico Review: www.chicoreview.com

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Nobody cares about your photography. We don’t need more of 'any old' photographers. Yet survival as culture and society with soul is completely dependent on work that matters.

In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore why indifference is the default in modern photography, what it actually means for someone to care about your work, why chasing attention is often the fastest way to lose meaning, and the deeper responsibility artists have in a world drowning in content.

Listen if you're interested in:

• Being tired of chasing validation and wonder why no-none sees or takes notice of your work
• Why nobody is waiting to care about your photography, but how you can create from a deeper place that invites care.
• What “caring” really means in art and visual storytelling
• Why meaning matters more than visibility
• How photobooks create depth in a disposable image culture
• The 5 conditions that make people genuinely care about photography
• Why slow, intentional work outlasts viral success

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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British photographer and environmental storyteller Nick Brandt joins the show for a raw, expansive conversation on art, climate collapse, sentience, and the role of photography in an age defined by distraction and decline. Across projects such as Inherit the Dust, This Empty World, The Day May Break, and his latest chapter The Echo of Our Voices, Brandt builds constructed realities that merge portraiture, environmental narrative, and human resilience. This conversation moves through philosophy, ethics, creative fear, the collapse of attention, and the emotional cost of a lifetime spent documenting loss.

We discuss:

• Nick's core philosophy.
• Why the project 'The Day May Break' exists.
• How historical worldviews shaped modern cruelty.
• Climate change as human injustice.
• The tension between beauty and devastation.
• The conceptual and emotional logic behind 'The Echo of Our Voices'.
• The collapsing photobook and print ecosystem.
• AI as an existential threat.
• Why Nick refuses to create purely for audiences.
• The impact of social media on photography as a whole.
• Medium format film vs digital.
• Advice for emerging photographers.

Follow Nick and his incredible work:
Website: www.nickbrandt.com
Instagram: @nickbrandtphotography

This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code 'MOOD' for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Bryan Schutmaat  is a photographer, publisher, and quiet poet of the American West. Known for books such as Grays the Mountain Sends, Good Goddamn, and Sons of the Living, Bryan’s work explores the uneasy tension between land and people, myth and memory, endurance and hope. He is also co-founder of Trespasser Books, a small but powerful imprint shaping the future of modern photobooks.

In This Conversation We Explore

• Why photography feels so lonely and how community changes everything
• Building meaningful creative connections in a solitary craft
• The making of Sons of the Living and the stories behind the images
• Navigating narrative, ambiguity, and emotional truth in photography
• Why photobooks still matter and how sequencing shapes meaning
• The philosophy behind Trespasser and independent publishing
• Curiosity, discipline, and the struggle to stay creatively alive
• The American dream, the American West, and the reality between them
• How to make work that does something rather than pretending it does
• The inner journey of becoming an artist with a distinct point of view

Follow Bryan and his incredible work:
Website: www.bryanschutmaat.co
Instagram: @bryanschutmaat

This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code 'MOOD' for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Kent Andreasen, a Cape Town-based photographer and filmmaker, joins me to talk about his new photobook Memory Bank (published by Witty Books), which tells the story over a decade shaped by doubt, discipline, and a complicated relationship with memory. 

Our chat together moves from South Africa’s creative landscape to therapy, trauma, and to this book that feels like a fever dream stitched into sequence.

We discussed:

• The real story behind the attack that inspired Memory Bank
• How trauma transforms into art
• The tension between truth and memory in photography
• South Africa’s complex creative landscape
• Finding authenticity in commercial work
• How AI is challenging what it means to “see”
• Why photography is still a tool for healing

Order Memory Bank at the Witty Books website here: https://witty-books.com/Memory-Bank-Kent-Andreasen

Follow Kent and his work:
Website: www.kentandreasen.com
Instagram: @kentandreasen

This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code MOOD for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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”What if the stories that shape us are the ones we can't remember?"

Marshall To, a photographer whose photobook 'Blank Notes' explores ancestry, memory, and identity through a deeply personal lens, grew up in rural Canada, the son of Chinese immigrants and a Taoist family who ran a small restaurant. His family believed the physical and spiritual worlds overlapped - that we live among spirits of our ancestors, those waiting for rebirth, and those still wandering, restless and vengeful.

In Taoist tradition, during the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the Gates of Hell open - releasing the 'Hungry Ghosts' back into our world to seek food and remembrance. Families burn paper offerings, pray for protection, and leave food for the dead. It’s both a celebration and a warning: walk gently, because the ghosts are hungry.

In his debut monograph, Blank Notes, published by Charcoal Press, Marshall explores the space where the natural and supernatural meet - where photography becomes ritual, and images serve as offerings to both the living and the dead. His work blurs culture, memory, and the unseen, inviting us to question how the spiritual and the physical intertwine in our everyday lives.

What we discussed:

• The origin story behind Blank Notes
• Grief, Taoist ritual, and ancestral storytelling
• Making art from illness, memory, and dual identity
• The power of “noticing” in photography and cooking
• Creative process behind sequencing a photobook
• How to honour invisible subjects through visual storytelling
• Why Marshall believes creativity is compulsion, not choice
• The intersection of food, art, and healing

Pre-orders and signings with Charcoal Press at Paris dates: I arrive in Paris November 10th and I'm there until the 17th

Follow Marhsall and his work:
Website: www.marshalljamesto.com
Instagram: @marshalljamesto

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This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code MOOD for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Phil Sharp, an award winning British portrait photographer, talks about the human core of portrait photography and why music, language, and time can turn performance into truth. We challenge received wisdom about headshots, explore photography books and business, look ahead to portraits in an AI world, and attempt to dismantle the myth that great images come from gear, tricks, or perfectly controlled sets. Phil's work relies on a deeper element: the moment a person stops performing.

What's discussed in this episode:

• Portraiture as human connection, not just technique
• Creating safe space with empathy and careful language
• Using music to trigger sincere emotion
• Balancing performance and authenticity in front of camera
• Session pacing, energy, and knowing when to stop
• Pricing, packages, and word-of-mouth workflow
• Books, prints, and the pros and cons of publishing
• AI’s impact and why presence still matters
• Finding voice over style through repetition and reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Phil - a long time fan of his, it was good to have a conversation about photography as human connection, not necessary technical domination.

Subscribe to the MOOD Podcast for more conversations with the world’s leading creative thinkers.

Follow Phil and his work:
Website: www.philsharp-photo.com
Instagram: @philsharp

___________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code MOOD for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Welcome to another episode of Moments of Mood, this time about how to monetise - even just a little bit - the wonderful parts of us that are creative. 

Turning your creative passion into a sustainable career possible, it's probable if you know where to focus and how to work smart. In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore how to make money as a creative professional without selling out your soul, and in the meantime dispelling the myth of the 'starving artist'. Whether you’re a photographer, designer, filmmaker, or writer, this video breaks down real strategies to monetize your art, diversify your income streams, and build a creative business that lasts.

Learn how to:

• Build multiple creative career income streams
• Develop a brand and portfolio that attract real clients
• Balance art, money, and meaning without burnout
• Build a portfolio career for artists that gives you freedom and stability
• Take your creativity from passion to plan — and get paid doing what you love

References from this episode:

• My conversation with Chris Do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrdCEH5TXA&t=37
• Amie McNee https://amiemcnee.substack.com
• University of Zurich Study – “Happiness in the Arts: International Evidence on Artists’ Job Satisfaction” https://www.bsfrey.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/happiness-in-the-arts-international-evidence-on-artists-job-satisfaction.pdf
• University of Warwick Study – Follow-up on Creative Job Satisfaction https://theartcareerproject.com/link-between-happiness-art/
  - Nesta UK Report – “Creativity vs Robots” https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/creativity-vs-robots/
• Nesta UK Working Paper – “Creative Occupations and Subjective Wellbeing” (Fujiwara, Cornwall, Dolan) https://www.nesta.org.uk/documents/412/creative_employment_and_subjective_wellbeing_1509_1.pdf

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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“If you don’t value yourself, why should anyone else?”

Chris Do is an Emmy-award-winning designer, founder of The Futur, and one of the most sought-after creative educators on the planet. With his huge audience and decades of experience building creative businesses, Chris helps designers, artists, and entrepreneurs master the business of creativity and the self-brand. 

In this episode, we explore the psychology of pricing, the future of content, and how creatives can build meaningful, profitable careers without selling out.

What we talk about:

• How to price your creative work with confidence
• The mindset shift that changed everything for Chris
• Why the algorithm rewards authenticity
• The real reason most creatives burn out
• How to turn content into clients
• AI, abundance, and staying relevant
• Why storytelling is your most powerful business tool
• How to move from freelancer to entrepreneur
• Building your audience one post at a time

Subscribe to the MOOD Podcast for more conversations with the world’s leading creative thinkers.

Follow Chris and his work:
Website: www.thefutur.com
Instagram: @thechrisdo
YouTube: @ChrisDo

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can also watch this episode on my YouTube channel (link below) where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as my social media, so make sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Threads and TikTok or check out my website for my complete portfolio of work.

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@mattyj_ay

Learn with me
https://mattjacobphotography.com/voice-alchemy

My Newsletter
https://mattjacobphotography.com/newsletter

Website:
www.mattjacobphotography.com

Socials:
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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
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The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
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Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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What happens when the world is flooded with AI images, tools, and “perfect” feeds?

In this episode of Moments of MOOD, I sit down to talk about what it really means to stay human in your work — and why your voice, your presence, and your lived experience are the ultimate creative edge.

This isn’t a doom-scroll about AI taking our jobs. It’s an invitation. To look at what makes your art irreplaceable. To build a brand that AI can’t copy. To practice until your perspective becomes unmistakable.

If you’ve been feeling the anxiety of this “AI flood,” this episode is a reminder: your humanity is the moat. 

Keep showing up. Keep telling stories. And keep making art that only you can make.
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References in the video:

Things that changed everything for me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQ5i28TD38&t=1s

My Core Brand Narrative Process
https://mattjacobphotography.com/core-brand-narrative-process

MIT study on brain vs. ChatGPT
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872
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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Step into the world of Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Vital Impacts, as she shares her journey from covering conflict zones to telling the most urgent conservation stories of our time.

In this conversation on the MOOD Podcast, Ami reveals why hope and action matter more than despair, the ethical responsibilities of storytelling, and how photographers can shape narratives that inspire real change.

She discusses her 17-year project documenting the northern white rhino’s fight for survival, the role of AI in creativity, and how grants, mentorship, and authentic voices are reshaping the future of photography.

If you’re a creator, conservationist, or simply someone who believes in the power of stories to change the world, this episode will leave you rethinking your role in shaping the future.

👉 Subscribe to the MOOD Podcast for more conversations with the world’s leading creative thinkers.


Follow Ami Vitale
Instagram: https://www.amivitale.com/
Website: https://www.instagram.com/amivitale/

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(00:00) Intro
(02:06) Finding Hope Amid Global Despair  
(07:11) Why People Don’t Care About Environmental Crises  
(12:22) Embracing Discomfort to Reconnect With the World  
(15:17) Balancing Photography With Responsibility to Communities  
(18:10) The Ethics of Storytelling 
(23:13) Documenting Tourism’s Impact on Rural Landscapes  
(24:28) Pitching the Northern White Rhino Story  
(28:06) How Grants & Vital Impacts Support Emerging Photographers  
(36:30) Why Authenticity in Storytelling Beats AI-Generated Work  
(40:02) From War Zones to Conservation Photography  
(45:22) Including Local Communities in Wildlife Conservation Stories  
(48:17) Environmental Storytelling  
(50:40) How Media Narratives Shape Fear & Engagement  
(53:29) The Northern White Rhino Conservation Effort Explained  
(1:02:01) Ami’s Creative Process: Balancing Planning & Spontaneity  
(1:05:01) Redefining Success: From Front Covers to Supporting Others  

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

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Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
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Joel Grimes doesn’t just take photographs, he creates illusions that make the impossible feel real.

In this episode, we dive deep into the mind of a true master, exploring how he uses light, shadow, and imagination to redefine what photography can be.

From his early experiments with lighting to the techniques behind his most iconic images, Joel takes us behind the scenes of a creative process that blends art, science, and pure intuition.

Whether you’re an aspiring photographer, a creator chasing your own signature style, or simply someone who loves the magic behind incredible imagery, this episode will change the way you think about capturing the world.

Prepare to see photography in a completely new light and discover the secrets that have made Joel Grimes an icon in the world of visual storytelling.


Follow Joel Grimes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelgrimesworkshops/
Website: https://www.joelgrimes.com/

_________________________

(00:00) Intro
(01:59) Why Joel Grimes is Called an “Illusionist”  
(06:01) Composites: Balancing Artistry and Commercial Work  
(13:23) How Gatekeepers and Purists Respond to Composites  
(20:01) Building Resilience Against Criticism in Photography  
(23:26) Why Learning Rejection is Key for Photographers  
(26:25) Photography in the Age of AI and Social Media  
(38:33) Techniques for Creating Larger-Than-Life Portraits  
(47:35) Behind Joel’s Navajo “Portrait of a Nation” Project  
(54:00) The Role of Books in a Photographer’s Career and Legacy  
(58:01) What Teaching Photography Taught Joel Grimes  
(01:04:34) What’s Next After 40+ Years in Photography  
(01:07:26) Joel Grimes’ One Core Principle for New Photographers  

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

Ed Sykes has lived many chapters through photography — from the chaos of war zones and the rush of front-page news to the polished world of fashion editorials.

Yet, recognition and success didn’t bring the fulfillment he was searching for.

In this conversation, Ed explains how he moved away from chasing approval and found a practice rooted in landscapes, climate, and experimental processes.

Today, his work goes beyond capturing images.

He scorches film with blowtorches, dissolves prints in water, and even uses seaweed in the darkroom, allowing the natural world to shape the art itself.

This episode is about reinvention, resilience, and creating work that feels truly authentic.

If you’re struggling to find your voice as an artist, this one’s for you.


Follow Ed Sykes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edsykes/
Website: https://www.edsykes.co.uk/

_______________________

(00:00) Introduction
(02:20) Finding Your “Voice” As A Photographer
(10:41) Why Ed Chose Journalistic Photography
(17:22) The Business Side of Photography
(20:07) The Importance of Discipline
(22:59) Life at ‘The Independent’
(25:55) Ed’s Journey as a Global Photojournalist
(33:28) Ed’s Pursuit of Finding Purpose
(39:04) Transitioning to Fashion and Editorials
(46:41) Why Ed Chose to Leave Fashion
(51:04) Exploring Environmental Consciousness
(53:41) Finding Stability as a Photographer
(59:07) How to Earn a Living as a Photographer
(01:08:07) Ed’s ‘Voice’ as a Photographer
(01:12:19) Ed Sykes’ Most Exciting Projects
(01:14:40) The Creatives Dilemma
(01:25:46) The Next Era of  Photography

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Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

I’m answering your questions about photography, creativity, and what keeps me motivated in this AMA. 

We dive into the real stuff. What inspires me, the struggles I’ve faced, and how I’ve grown as both a photographer and a person. 

No filters, just honest thoughts and insights. 
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(00:00) Intro
(01:42) Favorite genres of music or video games?
(03:46) Favorite Tiramisu Recipe?
(04:47) How do you stay connected to your purpose when no one's watching?
(09:57) How did you first get into photography?
(11:46) How did you first take interest in art?
(13:27) Do you believe artists are born or made?
(16:34) What inspires you?
(20:40) What are your travel plans?
(22:45) What does success mean to you these days?
(26:36) What's one belief you've outgrown that shaped you creatively?
(30:36) Are you rich?
(35:02) What do you think about humanity? 
(37:57) How’s your adventure going?
(41:38) Do you ever get into an editing slump?

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

She’s built a photography business that spans decades, continents, and platforms — but behind the portfolio is a deeper story.

In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down in person with Vanessa Joy — award-winning wedding photographer, educator, speaker, and creative entrepreneur — for an unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to build a career that blends art, business, mentorship, and meaning.

We unpack how her relationship with control, creativity, and leadership has evolved — from the early days of flash photography and client chaos to building an ecosystem of retreats, masterminds, and passive income that supports both her family and her students. We talk about the emotional weight of capturing life’s most fragile moments, the quiet value of print in a digital world, and why she’s leaning harder into legacy than ever before.

This is a conversation for the creatives who want to last — not just go viral. For the artists learning to sell without selling out. For the ones building something that still feels like them.

Watch, reflect, and share it with someone building something that matters.


Follow Vanessa
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/vanessajoy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessajoy/
Website: https://vanessajoy.com/

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(00:00) Intro
(01:59) Recent Photography Retreats
(04:53) The Role of Photography in Vanessa's Life
(06:21) Managing Client Expectations as a Photographer
(09:52) Photo Insiders vs. Mastermind: What’s the Difference?  
(12:18) How a $20K Coaching Investment Changed Her Business  
(13:24) How Podcast Interviews Boosted Vanessa’s Brand  
(17:42) Overcoming Burnout by Restructuring the Business  
(19:28) What Success Looks Like After 20+ Years in Business  
(22:16) Staying Visible in the Age of Social Media  
(23:10) How to Be Authentic Online 
(25:15) The Power of AI and the Authenticity Crisis  
(32:47) The Pressure of Photographing Timeless Moments  
(35:29) Staying Relevant as a Photographer in The Digital Age
(41:13) Vanessa Approach to Storytelling  
(43:17) Why Artists Need to Choose Passion Over Profit  
(46:48) Why YouTube and Content Still Matter in 2025  
(50:32) Why Vanessa Shares Everything…
(53:48) How to Build a Brand as a Creative

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

If you're building something and wondering how to do it without losing yourself, or if you're a creative caught between vision and survival, this one is for you.

Joining me today on The MOOD Podcast is Shane Vitaly, the rebellious designer and founder behind Clocks and Colours, Vitaly, and Etah Love. His jewelry brands have built a cult following by rejecting the polished and embracing the raw.

We go back to where it all started—a few dollars left on a student credit line, a solo trip to Bali, and a handful of handmade rings. Shane shares how that moment turned into a creative empire, and why success often comes at the cost of your nervous system.

This conversation digs into what most people never see. 

The anxiety of being a CEO. 
The risk of turning passion into a product. 
The struggle to stay authentic when the business starts demanding more than you can give. 

Shane opens up about stepping away from the top seat, reclaiming his creative voice, and why every great brand starts with a clear archetype.

Follow Shane
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanevitaly/
Website: https://www.clocksandcolours.com/

_______________________

(00:00) Intro
(02:58) How Shane Got Into Jewelery Design
(05:52) Shane’s Biggest Inspirations
(09:07) Was Formal Education Worth It?
(14:10) Pivoting to Entrepreneurship
(20:14) The Reality of Scaling a Business
(24:44) Shane’s Most Valuable Learning Lessons
(29:18) The Real Impact of AI
(33:47) Managing The Creative Side of Business
(42:36) Finding Purpose in Chaos
(46:48) Balancing Creativity and Business
(51:47) Exploring The Creative Dilemma
(56:33) Shane’s Vision for The Future
(59:49) The Mistakes I Won’t Repeat…
(01:04:51) Dealing with Anxiety

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

"My photographs don't grow up dreaming of being pixels."

What does it mean to make timeless work in a digital world obsessed with speed, algorithms, and saturation? 

In this episode, we explore the philosophy and craft behind one of the most respected names in interior and architectural photography.

Stephen Karlisch is a master of interior photography whose refined eye has helped shape the way we experience some of the world’s most beautifully designed spaces. With work featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda, and beyond, Stephen has spent the past two decades translating architectural form into imagery that feels sculptural, soulful, and enduring. Beyond his photography, he’s also an educator and community builder, helping the next generation of photographers grow through craft, connection, and clarity.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The differences between architectural, real estate, and interior photography
• Why stylists are often the unsung heroes of publishable imagery
• The evolution of the interior photography industry from pre-internet to AI
• What it takes to consistently get published in major design magazines
• Building emotional mood through light, space, and timing
• How to work collaboratively with designers and stylists on set
• Why Stephen prioritizes timelessness over trends in his editing style
• The value of printing your work—and why most photographers skip it
• His definition of creative success after 25 years in the business

Find Stephen's work on his platforms:

Website: www.stephenkarlisch.com
Instagram: @stephen_karlisch_photo

____________________________________________

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

That familiar question we all dread - "So, what do you do?" - is more than small talk. It's a sorting mechanism that triggers our instinct to perform rather than connect. We scramble to sound impressive, to land in the 'interesting' pile, polishing our titles and subtly flexing our achievements. But this performance comes at a cost: the more we perform, the more we forget our authentic voice.

Childhood creativity gives way to adult performance so gradually we barely notice it happening. One day you're drawing in your sketch book; the next you're color-coding spreadsheets and wondering when you last created something not measured by metrics. Creativity gets replaced by correctness, expression by efficiency, and authenticity by applause-seeking. Yet this creativity - this ability to make, imagine, and see possibilities - isn't just for artists. It's a birthright we all possess, not something we achieve, but something we remember.

What if the secret to finding your voice isn't adding more credentials, techniques, or polish? What if it's about stripping away the performance, the masks, the need to impress? When we create from truth instead of performance, something profound shifts. People respond differently - not because we're technically perfect, but because we're genuinely present. In a world drowning in information but starving for imagination, creativity isn't indulgent - it's revolutionary. Because when people reconnect with their creative voice, they don't just make better work, they live more honest lives. They challenge broken systems, speak truth when silence is expected, and imagine possibilities beyond current paradigms. Your creativity isn't lost; it's just buried under expectations and fear. Stop asking what others want to hear and start asking what you actually want to say. The world doesn't need more performance. It needs more of you.

Happy Shooting.

__________________________________________

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

"I was one of those kids who really struggled at school... creativity was my saviour."

Jake Paul White is a British painter whose earthy, soulful work explores the space between the natural world and the emotional self. Using handmade pigments, natural materials, and a deep inner process, his paintings feel more like memories than objects. In this conversation, Jake opens up about his winding path from design and yoga to full-time artist—reflecting on purpose, perfectionism, healing, and the tension between artistic purity and playing the game of success.

Whether you’re a creative trying to find your voice or someone yearning for deeper meaning in your work, this episode is a heartfelt invitation to slow down and reconnect with what’s real.

What we covered:

• How school systems disconnect us from creativity (and how to unlearn that)
• The emotional truth behind working with natural pigments
• The obsession with originality—and why “unique” doesn’t have to be forced
• Creating from intuition vs. creating for success
• The sacred role of boredom, slowness, and space in making art
• How to hold purity and professionalism in one hand
• The difference between making art that’s true and art that performs
• Why voice isn’t found—it’s remembered

Find Jake's work on his platforms:

Website: www.jakepaulwhite.com
Instagram: @jake_paul_white

__________________________________________________________

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

Welcome back to another episode of Moments of Mood, and this week I break down how I would actually learn photography if I were starting over today. Not from theory — from experience. I reflect on my own path, critique the broken systems of education, and offer a mindset-first, meaning-driven approach to building your photography from the ground up.

You won’t find a checklist of gear. You’ll find an invitation to slow down, tune in, and start making images that reflect something honest.

***Want to watch the 6-hour FREE photography course video that follows this episode? Yes, that's right, I have given away the first 6 hours of my photography course FREE for you to watch on YouTube!***

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/PZ-ePEf26vA

Some things I touch upon:

• Why traditional education fails most creatives
• How to build your artistic identity, not just technical skill
• The importance of books, long-form learning, and mentorship
• What to ignore (gear hype, comparison, validation traps)
• What to lean into (honesty, curiosity, community)

If this resonates, I guide photographers through this process every day. Not with a blueprint, a practice. Not a course, a path. If you want to find more, click on the link below under 'Learn With Me' to find out more about my highly tailored and individualized mentorship program.

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Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

_________________________________
Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

Join The Community - extended episodes & bonus features
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

The App That Transformed My Art & Mind
https://wakingup.sjv.io/c/7738181/3958771/54965

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay