Links mentioned in this episode: http://ibarionexperello.squarespace.com http://thecandidframe.com https://www.youtube.com/user/lafotoboy https://brentbergherm.com/workshops/oregon-coast-2019/ https://brentbergherm.com/course-info/ The Interview Please tell us a brief history of yourself, your background, interests, hobbies, photography, anything you want to share. You’re known for your “street photography.” That’s pretty much all that’s in the book. And also one reason I really wanted you on the show, I like to think of street photography as a “secret passion” of mine. Secret because I hardly do any of it, but I’ve had this incredible desire to do more of it. I’m sure there’s some listeners out there that are interested but are timid, afraid, or just plain shy. What can you tell us to help us get over that hump and get out there and do it? Let’s go to the very beginning of the book. In the introduction of the book you write, “I believe the thing that makes it difficult to improve your photography is the ease with which you are able to make photographs. Raise the camera to your eye, press the button, and there you have it: a photograph.” How does this make the improvement of our photography more difficult? Creativity and perfectionism. In the first chapter you talk about unreasonable expectations. How you’d consider yourself “all that” if you came back with some amazing photographs and if you didn’t, you were a hack. I can certainly identify with that. I distinctly remember when I had this revelation of sorts. I was planning another shoot in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area, more waterfalls. It was after a string of failures. I was kinda down and I just got to thinking, my priorities are all wrong. My plan was tunnel falls. It’s seven miles up Eagle Creek and there’s a few falls along the way. When I finally got there I just sat there for about 30 minutes, not only recovering from the hike, but also enjoying this amazingly beautiful nature all about me. I didn’t create any good photos that day, but from then on my perspective changed. Do you happen to remember your “aha!” moment, when your perspective changed, or was it more of a gradual thing? Let’s talk about journaling. That’s something I’ve never done but I do require various journaling exercises from my students. Take us through your process and what the journaling exercise does for you and your creativity. Software: Day One If we may, I want to talk gear for a moment. You shoot Fujifilm cameras. And towards the end of the book you talk about the importance of always having a camera with you. A camera that’s not your phone anyway. I’ve long considered a move to Fujifilm from my Canon 5dMk4, which is a fine camera. While I like to get on the bandwagon of saying “gear doesn’t matter” in this case, I think for me it might. The canon is huge, heavy and I never take it with me unless I’m going on a shoot. I think the Fujifilm system would also change my mindset a bit because I’m looking to get only primes, at least to begin with. I’ve almost exclusively shot zooms for the last 20 years, and I think the gear restrictions might help ignite something in me and my photography. Am I crazy in thinking that? At the end of each chapter you have an assignment. Let’s talk about one of those assignments from Chapter 8.