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F-Stop Collaborate and Listen

F-Stop Collaborate and Listen

Matt Payne 475 Episodes Sep 14, 2026

This photography podcast takes you well beyond camera gear each week with weekly interviews and panel discussions with professional photographers, industry insiders, enthusiasts, and hobbyists alike. Our candid but laid-back conversations deeply explore the craft of photography, and psychological drivers relating to creativity, motivation, inspiration, and workflow. We also discuss social media, photography business practices, marketing, sales, and hot topics impacting photographers from all genres, with a particular focus on landscape, nature, and wildlife photography. The show is hosted by Matt Payne, a professional full-time nature photographer and the co-founder of the internationally renowned photography competition, the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Matt is also a mountaineer, climbing the highest 100 mountains in Colorado. Matt leverages skills he gained in pursuit of his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology to dig deeply into the hearts and minds of his passionate guests, revealing secrets and inspiration in every episode.

Episodes

Your Special Sauce: How to Find Your Unique Photographic Voice | Meredith Fontana
Your Special Sauce: How to Find Your Unique Photographic Voice | Meredith Fontana Sep 14, 2026 4477 In episode 491 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, host Matt Payne talks with guest Meredith Fontana, a Denver-based landscape photographer and former paleontologist, about the journey toward discovering a unique photographic voice. Drawing on her scientific background, Meredith Fontana highlights how observation skills honed in paleontology have profoundly shaped her approach to photography, allowi
The Freedom of Limitations in Photography | Mark Scheffer
The Freedom of Limitations in Photography | Mark Scheffer Sep 7, 2026 4018 In episode 490 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne talks with guest Mark Scheffer, a fine art photographer who transitioned from a thirty-year career in hospital operating rooms to focusing full-time on landscape photography. The discussion centers on the concept that self-imposed limitations, whether in gear, subject matter, or technique, can actually foster greater creativity and lead t
The Chaos and the Calm in Photography | Mali Davies
The Chaos and the Calm in Photography | Mali Davies Aug 31, 2026 3951 Episode 489 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen features Mali Davies, a photographer, podcaster, and educator from Northwest England, newly transitioned from a decades-long graphic design career to full-time photography. Host Matt Payne and Mali Davies explore the motivations behind leaving the corporate world, with Mali Davies explaining how his daughter’s autism and mental health journey became a c
The Soft Skills of Creative Longevity | Ajani Charles
The Soft Skills of Creative Longevity | Ajani Charles Aug 24, 2026 4568 In episode 488 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne interviews Ajani Charles, a Toronto-based visual strategist, photographer, and Canon Canada ambassador, about sustaining a major creative project over nearly two decades. The conversation centers on Project TDOT, Ajani Charles' long-term documentary effort capturing Toronto’s hip hop culture, which started as an unfunded black-and-white s
What Photography Can Still Do | Marc Asnin
What Photography Can Still Do | Marc Asnin Aug 17, 2026 4010 In episode 487 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne interviews acclaimed documentary photographer Mark Asnin, whose deeply personal and collaborative approach has shaped seminal works such as his thirty-year project "Uncle Charlie" and the curated volume "Final Words", which presents the last statements of executed inmates alongside their mugshots. Mark Asnin discusses his Brooklyn upbring
Telling Your Story with the Monochrome Collective Community | Darren Pellegrino
Telling Your Story with the Monochrome Collective Community | Darren Pellegrino Aug 10, 2026 4410 Episode 486 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen features Darren Pellegrino, a Boston photographer known for headshots and his new project, the Monochrome Collective. Darren Pellegrino discusses the challenge of balancing profitable commercial work with personally meaningful projects, sharing how building a community around black and white photography has provided fresh creative energy. They address i
Infrared Travel Photography | Nevada Wier
Infrared Travel Photography | Nevada Wier Aug 3, 2026 5037 Episode 485 features photographer Nevada Wier, an expert in infrared (IR) photography. We discuss the technical and creative aspects of shooting in IR, including camera and lens choices, scene selection, and the heavy post-processing required, especially for vibrant 590nm images. Nevada shares how her adventurous background and transition from black-and-white to color inspired her IR work and emph
The Ansel Adams of Yellowstone | Tom Murphy
The Ansel Adams of Yellowstone | Tom Murphy Jul 27, 2026 3638 Episode 484 features legendary Yellowstone photographer Tom Murphy. We explore how Murphy’s ranching and anthropology background shapes his unique style and storytelling. Murphy shares advice on pursuing personal passion, observing nature deeply, and building a body of meaningful work. He emphasizes photographing wildlife in context, not just what an animal is, but who it is, and discusses the evo
Artful Aerial Photography & Mining Truth | Scott McCook
Artful Aerial Photography & Mining Truth | Scott McCook Jul 20, 2026 2208 In episode 483 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, host Matt Payne sits down in person with aerial photographer Scott McCook at the end of a photography tour through Western Australia. Known for his abstract aerial images capturing both the region’s dramatic coastlines and its vast mining infrastructure, Scott McCook discusses his journey to aerial photography, balancing a career in construction, an
Create Photographs Fearlessly | Rick Bebbington
Create Photographs Fearlessly | Rick Bebbington Jul 13, 2026 4035 Episode 482 features Rick Bebbington, a UK-based photographer, discussing how personal growth and life experiences deeply impact creative work. The conversation focused on overcoming common blocks like perfectionism and imposter syndrome by letting go of expectations, shifting away from external comparisons, and embracing photography as a fulfilling, evolving process, rather than a pursuit of perf
Making Extraordinary Photographs in Ordinary Places | Garrett Hess
Making Extraordinary Photographs in Ordinary Places | Garrett Hess Jul 6, 2026 4200 On this episode (481) of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Garrett Hess, a colorblind photographer from Erie, Pennsylvania, talks with Matt Payne about building a creative practice centered around photographing the Great Lakes region, an area often overlooked by landscape photographers. They discuss how embracing local landscapes, weather extremes, and personal limitations like color vision deficienc
The Journey of the Emerging Professional Photographer | Ben Maze & Murray Livingston
The Journey of the Emerging Professional Photographer | Ben Maze & Murray Livingston Jun 29, 2026 4856 In episode 480 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, Matt Payne is joined by photographers Ben Maze and Murray Livingston, who share their journeys in landscape photography, growing up during the rise of social media and how it has influenced their artistic development for better and worse. The discussion covers their approach to intentional image-making, the importance of seeking inspiration beyond I

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