Photography and Music - Lenses & Lyrics
Photography and Music: Lenses & Lyrics is a podcast for creators at the intersection of sight and sound. Hosted by Scott Wyden Kivowitz, it explores how musicianship shapes a photographer's eye and the technical parallels between the two arts. The show features deep-dive interviews with industry legends, covering topics like concert photography, creative storytelling, and the impact of AI. It provides actionable insights for musicians transitioning to photography and wedding photographers looking to enhance their craft.
Episodes
Visualizing Sound - The Storytelling Genius of Coheed and Cambria
What happens when the artist lets the monster take the pen? Discover how Coheed and Cambria’s iconic concept album blends rock fury, sci-fi spectacle, and personal heartbreak into an audio-visual experience unlike anything else.They turned the listener’s imagination into a movie screen where a creator and his creation fight for control of the pen.This episode peels back the layers of Clau
Visual Storytelling Without a Screen - Dream Theater’s Metropolis in Your Mind
Can music turn your mind into a movie theater? This week on Lenses & Lyrics, discover how Dream Theater’s "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory" transforms sound into vivid internal cinema. No screen required.Audio and visual art can merge at any moment, anywhere you are, because your mind is the ultimate projector.Listen to Dream Theater’s album in a quiet space, close your eyes,
Lenny Kravitz Builds a Consistent World with Music and Photography
What happens when creativity refuses to fit into just one form? This episode explores the powerful thread connecting Lenny Kravitz’s music, photography, and design, all woven from the same emotional fabric.Join us as we journey through the life and artistry of Lenny Kravitz, a figure who bridges the worlds of sound and image. Discover how his early fascination with his father’s Leica came
Singing the Story of Photography
Ever wondered what happens when artificial intelligence composes a song about the history of photography? On this episode of Lenses & Lyrics, we explore the intersection of music, technology, and the evolution of capturing images, all wrapped up in an original AI-generated folk pop song.Listen to the AI-composed "History of Photography Song" and share your thoughts! Leave your feedbac
Exploring AI Music
What if AI could compose the anthem to your life’s creative passions? Today we explore how artificial intelligence might inspire new expressions at the intersection of music and photography.After listening, share your thoughts on the AI-generated song! Leave a comment if you’re on Spotify or YouTube, or join the conversation through The Dojo.
This episode of Lenses & Lyrics is brought
The Analog Mix, Jason Momoa
Ever wondered what happens when the man behind Aquaman swaps his trident for a Leica camera and a bass guitar? Discover the pulse and passion behind Jason Momoa’s creative journey beyond Hollywood. This episode explores how rhythm shapes not just art, but life.instagram.com/oof_tatatainstagram.com/prideofgypsiesReady to find your own rhythm? Hit play and explore the intersection of photog
The Tempo of the Trenches - Jason Kelce’s Symphony of Sport
Are grit and creativity two sides of the same coin? Explore how discipline learned in one passion can spark greatness in another. This episode reveals why rhythm and routine matter. whether you're on a stage, at a wedding venue, a football field or picking up an instrument for the first time.I talk about retired Eagles legend, Jason Kelce, had at Rowan University on April 21, 2026. Jason
Photography Storytelling: Capturing Memories and Sharing Melodies with Elsa Thomasson
Learn how to capture deep emotional connections through music photography and visual storytelling. In this episode, photographer, singer, and ukulele player Elsa Thomasson joins the show to discuss the intersecting creative paths of visual and musical art.Elsa shares her journey from singing Édith Piaf as a child to performing at intimate acoustic weddings, detailing how a musician’s sens
Capturing Rhythm, Emotion and Movement with Chloe Ramirez
What happens when a deep love for music shapes a photographer’s creative process? Explore the intersection of sound and images in an episode that feels part backstage tour, part portfolio review.Chloe Ramirez shares personal stories, professional experience, and musical influences that shaped her vision behind the lens. She reflects on how being raised by creative parents surrounded by mu
Concert and Band Photography: Grit and Guts with Emily Hartmann
What happens when a love for concerts collides with a passion for capturing moments? Discover how one photographer blurs the lines between fan and documentarian, turning chaotic energy into unforgettable imagery, sometimes even at the risk of injury.This week, Emily Hartmann joins the show. A seasoned band photographer hailing from Long Island, Emily Hartmann made her name by simply showi
How Musicianship Shapes the Photographer’s Eye
Step inside the world where music and photography intertwine, and every moment hits a unique note. Journey through the emotional journey of photographing proposals from staking out the perfect spot and reading the cadence of nervous footsteps, to documenting the life-changing "yes." Discover how each proposal unfolds like a song: with verses, bridges, and soaring choruses, all captured th
Music Photography Legend Glen E. Friedman on Punk and Hip Hop
Discover how skate, punk, and hip hop culture got its visual identity through the lens of someone who lived the scene, not just observed it. This episode explores the gritty, genuine artistry of Glen E. Friedman and how his raw approach redefined music and skate photography.Through firsthand experience and street-level authenticity, Glen E. Friedman photographed legends before fame touche
Crafting Emotional Stories with Jared Mark Fincher
What happens when a seasoned musician steps behind the camera? Discover how rhythm, connection, and creativity from one art form shape another in this vibrant episode of Lenses & Lyrics. Scott sits down with Jared Mark Fincher - a talented filmmaker, and lifelong musician who brings his passion for sound to every visual story he crafts.From childhood piano lessons and church bands to
AI Photography and Music: How AI is Changing Creative Work
What if anyone with a computer could create lifelike photos or write music - no camera or guitar required? AI is rewriting the creative playbook for both photographers and musicians, and change isn’t coming, it's here.This episode of Lenses & Lyrics explores how AI is transforming both photography and music - from making it possible for anyone to generate lifelike images with a prompt
Crossing Creative Boundaries with Celebrities as Photographers
Who says creativity belongs in a single box? This episode reveals how celebrities from music, sports, and acting swap the spotlight for the shutter, uncovering a world where the person behind the camera wields just as much artistry as the person in front.Some of the world's most recognizable faces are picking up cameras and expressing their vision as credentialed photographers. Musicians
Balancing the Beat & Photography with Ash
What happens when your love for music literally shapes the way you frame the world? On this episode of Lenses & Lyrics, meet someone who’s spun tracks, engineered albums, and tells musical stories through every photo.This week, Scott Wyden Kivowitz sits down with Ash, a DJ, music engineer, producer, and concert photographer whose journey maps the rhythm between sound and vision.From D
A Well Orchestrated Musical Performance at a Photo Session
Picture this: you’re capturing a beautiful portraits, and out of nowhere, a full marching band fills the scene with unexpected energy. When photography and music collide, magic happens — and sometimes, it’s totally unplanned.In this short but memorable episode, Scott Wyden Kivowitz shares an incredible story from a recent proposal session at Princeton University. What began as a romantic
I'm Inspired By The Monumental Interiors of Musical Instruments
Ever wondered what the inside of a grand piano or violin looks like? This episode is your backstage pass to a breathtaking world where music meets architectural wonder, hidden inside the very instruments that create the sounds we love.The spotlight is on Charles Brooks, a professional cellist turned visionary photographer. I unpack Brooks's remarkable series "Architecture in Music," which
How Music Influences Photography Storytelling with Garret Torres
What happens when wedding photography collides with death metal, skate tapes, and heartfelt father-daughter dance songs? In this episode, I sit down with Garret Torres, a New Jersey-based wedding photographer and musician whose creative life is powered by passion and a drive for authentic expression.Garret blends storytelling and artistry to create photos that remind people why they love
Photography Creativity and Prisms with Sam Hurd
Can a childhood crush on a violinist lead to photographing a wedding? What if your passion for music and gear isn’t just a hobby, but the secret ingredient to your creative success?I sit down with photographer and musician Sam Hurd, whose journey from orchestra kid to wedding photographer is surprising to some and inspiring to many.Sam Hurd is a photographer who believes that true artist
Lessons Learned from a Snowy Street Sing-Along with Five for Fighting
Ever wondered how a snowy night, a missed concert, and an unexpected street performance could transform a musician’s life? In this heartfelt episode, hear a story where passion for music overcomes locked doors and cold weather.This episode has a story with a pub in Cambridge, Massachusetts, John Ondrasik from Five for Fighting, and a guitar.“While I’m not a singer and I typically would n
Finding Joy in Music Without the Pressure to Perform
Ever felt the itch to perform, only to be held back by self-doubt or expectations? What if you didn’t have to prove anything to anyone and could simply enjoy your craft, just for you?Fresh off a beach vacation, I reflect on being invited on stage by a musician friend, and why I chose to stay in the crowd. Revisiting my days at Berklee College of Music, I explore how even top musicians lik
From Hardcore Bands to Wedding Films with Jason McCutchen
Find out what happens when punk rock and hardcore meets the world of cinematic wedding filmmaking. Take a journey from sleeping on hoarder house beds while on tour, to crafting emotionally resonant wedding films. Where music, nostalgia, and artistry collide.Jason McCutchen is a wedding filmmaker based out of Boston Massachusetts, who currently owns three making brands, Merriment films, St
Listening Versus Hearing and Looking Versus Seeing with Rick Sammon
Ever wonder how the rhythm of music can shape a photographer’s vision? On this episode, a renowned photographer and lifelong musician shares how his creative paths have always been intertwined, revealing lessons and stories that just might change how you see (and hear) the world.Rick Sammon, a photographer, musician, author of 43 books, and educator, joins me to explore the profound conne
Zac Wolf’s Journey From Punk & Hardcore Shows to Weddings
What happens when the worlds of photography and hardcore music collide? On this episode, you'll get an inside look at how a love for live music turned into a thriving photography career—and the unconventional journey that led Zac Wolf from basement shows to wedding aisles.Meet Zac Wolf, a photographer who found his creative roots capturing the energy of the Boston hardcore scene before m
Photographs and Power Chords - The Creative Path of David Scott Bowles
In this episode of Lenses and Lyrics, our host speaks with David Scott Bowles, a seasoned photographer and musician, about his journey in the music industry and how it has shaped his career in photography. David shares stories from his time in various bands, his son’s budding musical career, memorable performances, and the creative transition to photography. He also discusses the influenc
From Broken Strings to Backup Solutions
In this episode of Lenses & Lyrics, Scott shares a personal story of improvisation when a string popped during a show, highlighting the importance of preparedness. From the pitfalls of early music performance to the critical lessons learned in photography, Scott dives deep into the art of backing up your life—both musically and photographically. Feel the tension between analog and dig
Discovering Musical and Photographic Connections in Unexpected Places
Embark on a nostalgic journey through the intertwined world of music and photography with host Scott Wyden Kivowitz, in the debut episode of Lenses & Lyrics. Discover how a clarinet's melody paved the way to capturing powerful photographic images, as Scott reminisces about his vibrant past as a musician and band photographer."I love music. I love photography... it is one thing that ha
Welcome to Lenses & Lyrics
Welcome to Lenses & Lyrics, where music and photography collide, and every frame tells a story. I'm Scott Wyden Kivowitz, your host, a father, a husband, a photographer, and podcaster and musician. This podcast dives into the crossover world of photographers who are or were musicians. Those whose passion for sound influenced the way they see through the lens.We'll hear from photograph
