Welcome back to the Random Photography Show, the most interactive podcast on the planet! In Episode 136, hosts Greg and Justin open the phone lines and dive into the live chat to tackle a diverse range of questions submitted by their loyal community of photographers. From the latest gear debates and philosophical approaches to image-making to a live image critique session, this episode is packed with real-world advice and unscripted chat. It’s a true variety show for news, reviews, and interactive community engagement.
Clickable Timestamps / Video Chapters:
- 01:48 - Upcoming Interview: Vicky Bell
- 09:33 - Live Call-In: Lucky Pizza? (Checking the Phone Line)
- 12:47 - Discussing Lucas Packet: Protest & Live Music Photography
- 15:17 - ChatGPT Answers the Most Common Photo Questions
- 21:00 - Question 2: Why Do Monochromatic Cameras Exist?
- 32:08 - Question 3: Archival Storage for Negatives & Prints
- 50:00 - The "20 Questions" Gear Challenge Begins
- 1:36:31 - Viewer Image Critiques Start
The Great Gear Debate: Asking an AI 'What Camera Should I Buy?'
The hosts kicked off the technical discussions by testing the wisdom of the machine: what does **ChatGPT** suggest when asked the most common beginner question, "What camera should I buy?". The results were, to put it mildly, infuriatingly predictable. The AI’s initial response was a generic cop-out, emphasizing a match to one’s budget and needs, leading to some colorful commentary from the hosts.
The best camera is the one that fits your needs and budget. [The AI’s answer]
Click to hear this quote at 16:38
Despite the lack of creative insight, the AI did provide a suggested 'arc of photography' where photographers progress from beginner (entry-level mirrorless like a Fuji X-S20 or basic Canon/Sony) to travel (A7C2 or Canon R8) to professional (A7IV, suggesting good dynamic range). Justin found one particular progression from the AI highly amusing, noting an inherent contradiction in the suggested path:
As you progress from beginner, you progress into travel and then as you progress, it gets a professional, you have to stop traveling.
Click to hear this quote at 17:11
Still Shooting Film, Still Shooting DSLRs: The Enduring Power of Older Gear
The conversation quickly turned from future-tech to the value of enduring, proven tools. Reviewing a previous interview with documentary photographer **Lucas Packet**, the hosts highlighted his powerful work capturing both intense protest scenes and vibrant live music. Lucas’s ability to remain impartial while documenting dramatic situations is remarkable, but what's equally impressive is his choice of gear: a **Canon 5D Mark III**.
Lucas’s images are praised for being “tack sharp” with “insane detail,” serving as a powerful reminder to all photographers that the latest and greatest gadget is not a prerequisite for brilliant work. The hosts underlined this point firmly:
Proving that you don't need the latest and greatest crazy.
Click to hear this quote at 14:34
The Philosophical Side of Photography: Why Monochome Matters
One of the most engaging questions of the night explored the **Leica Monochrom** and the very existence of black-and-white-only digital cameras. Why would anyone invest in a camera that intentionally removes color data? The hosts moved beyond the technical advantages (sharper images due to no Bayer filter) and dove into the creative philosophy behind the choice.
For many, shooting in **black and white** forces a heightened sense of artistic discipline. It removes the easy distraction of vibrant color and instead demands a focus on the essential elements of composition, light, and form. It’s an approach that emphasizes a mindful, deliberate process, paying close attention to light fall-off and how shadows and highlights tell a story.
I think it elevates that mindfulness of photography. You're not distracted by color and you just focus really on how the light falls and how the tonal values tell a story.
Click to hear this quote at 22:31
Greg recently attended a talk by renowned photographer **Peter Adams**, whose work focuses heavily on photo book curation. This, too, touches on the deeper, philosophical choices in photography—what images matter, and how they work together as a cohesive body of work. The process of culling, editing, and sequencing is just as important as the capture itself.
Viewer Q&A and Image Critiques
The episode’s interactive nature shone through with a range of technical questions, including the **best archival storage** methods for film negatives (archival boxes and acid-free sleeves are a must) and how to get the most out of a full-frame lens on an APS-C body (it simply uses the sharpest, central part of the lens's image circle). The live audience interaction was also cemented with a successful live call-in to test the phone line, even if the caller was just ordering an "Aussie with prawns" pizza.
The hosts then launched a fun segment where Greg and the chat played **'20 Questions'** to correctly guess the camera and lens Justin used to capture a set of black and white images he shot at the Peter Adams event. This segment showcased the fun, gear-nerd side of the community. Greg managed to successfully guess the gear in just 16 questions.
Finally, the show capped off, as always, with the **Viewer Image Critiques**. The submissions this week were exceptional, ranging from a beautifully composed "influencer shot" at F9 to a stunning, long-exposure landscape. One particularly noteworthy image came from Dennis Smith, who captured an eerie, beautiful full-moon landscape of a salt lake with a **3 minute and 49 second exposure** on a 5D Mark III. The hosts praised the dedication required for such a shot, emphasizing the purity of the single capture:
The photo for me is like, open the shutter, close the shutter. That's the photo. I love the Dennis's are always like, even. Even if it was open for three minutes, it was one shot, you know.
Click to hear this quote at 1:52:19
Before signing off, Greg gave a shout-out to his latest acquisition, The Photographer's Playbook, a thick, chunky book of project ideas that was recommended by a listener in a previous episode. It's a great resource for anyone looking to push their creative boundaries, reinforcing the idea that photography is an endless journey of learning and new projects.
Don't miss the next episode, which is a highly anticipated interview with Vicky Bell. Join Justin and Greg every Monday evening (7:30 PM AEDT) for the Random Photography Show and every Thursday morning (9:00 AM AEDT) for a fresh interview with a professional photographer.
