Shows
Closing The_GapTurning Pro, part IIThis week we pickup where we left with the previous episode. There are so many things to say about the topic of turning pro that we just couldn't fit them all into one episode.On this one, we talk about:Turning pro is a journey of self-discovery.Clients care for the experience more than anything else.How good you need to be start?Why you don't need to justify your prices.Learning how to run a business.Specialists vs. generalists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2020-06-1034 minClosing The_GapTurning ProIn these uncertain times, many people are being furloughed, have lost their jobs, ot are struggling financially. It they have been considering becoming a professional photographer for some time, they might think now is the time to do it.Taking this step, if not done with the right mindset, can be dangerous, however.In this episode of the podcast, the first in a series about turning pro, Fabrizia and Ugo discuss what it takes to become a pro and the mistakes to avoid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...2020-05-2031 minClosing The_GapEyewitnessIt is said that our brains only remember things in three ways:Through highly emotional connection, like deep joy or deep traumaThrough repetitiveness over a long period of time Through photosWhen one of these ways isn’t available, the memory will fade and eventually get archived, deleted from consciousness. We only remember our lives through one of these “anchors”Unfortunately, when photos are simply digital files, they’re hardly ever looked at, and often end up lost, deleted, or corrupted. Even when we save photos on a cloud service, that’s where they end up: literal...2020-03-1132 minClosing The_GapThe Importance of Writing, Part TwoIn last episode we discussed why photographers and all creatives, even if they are not writers, should start writing and we listed some of the way that creativity and productivity can benefit from writing.This week we continue the conversation on the topic of writing. We give you some more practical tips on how to develop and maintain a writing habit. We analyze and debunk some of the typical objections, like “I am not a good writer”, “I don’t know what to write about”, and “People will laugh at me.”Mentioned in this episodeSuperpowers...2019-08-1439 minClosing The_GapThe Importance Of Writing, Part One17 – The Importance Of Writing, Part OneIf you want to be a great photographer, you need to learn how to write.We know this is counter-intuitive, but it actually makes a lot of sense and we hope that listening to this podcast will convince you that it’s actually true.This week, we talk about the reasons why you should be writing. Stay tuned for next week’s episode, when we will give you some very practical tips on how to start developing a writing habit.The Benefits Of Wri...2019-07-3133 minClosing The_Gap"Create" with Marc SilberAfter a hiatus of a few weeks, the show is back, but for this week’s episode we have something different from our usual format.A few days ago, our good friend, photographer, educator, and writer Marc Silber informed us that he was about to publish his latest book, titled “Create: Tools from Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life”.We thought that the topic of the book–creativity and the tools and processes that help creative people produce their best work–would be perfectly appropriate for out podcast. So we asked Marc to be our speci...2019-07-2448 minClosing The_GapThe Green-Eyed MonsterThis week on the podcast we talk about jealousy and why being envious of the success of others is yet another manifestation of the Resistance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-05-2929 minClosing The_GapOn MediocrityIn today’s over-competitive world, the word mediocrity has taken on a decidedly negative connotation. When we say something is mediocre, we mean it is not good, even worse than average.In reality, on any scale by which we can measure the quality of what we produce, something that is of median quality is, by definition, better than 50% of the rest. Is that such a bad place to be? We don’t think so.There are some photographers whose work we admire greatly. Looking at our bookshelves right now we can see books by Steve McCurr...2019-05-1528 minClosing The_GapMake Friends, Don't NetworkThe topic of today's episode was inspired by an article on artsy.net that presents the results of a research on the relation between the degree of success that many famous artists enjoyed and the number of their connections.The conclusion of the research is that "for successful artists, making friends may be more important than producing novel art."We discuss the importance of making connections in today's world, be it in person and virtually, on social networks. It turns out that there are some behaviors that would be considered normal, if not absolutely expected...2019-05-0137 minClosing The_GapIgnore the CriticsUnsolicited critiques are the bane of online photography forums. In this episode of the podcast we argue that you should ignore the criticism you receive online, unless it’s coming from someone you admire and respect and who you know has your best interests at heart.Most critics have a tendency to put others down for purely selfish reasons and they should be ignored at best.It also follows that you should refrain from criticizing the work of others, because it’s highly unlikely that you’re not doing it for purely selfless reasons.As S...2019-04-0328 minClosing The_GapDon't Fear the AmateursA day doesn’t go by in online photography circles without some professional decrying the fact that amateurs are driving prices down, ruining the market, and basically killing photography and everything that’s good and fair.We don’t think professionals should worry about what the amateurs are doing and we try to explain why we believe so in the latest episode of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-03-2736 minClosing The_GapOn Personal ProjectsThe importance of pursuing personal projects to revitalize one’s creativity cannot be overstated.Whether photography is your job, a side gig, or just a hobby, it is important to do what you love, or the well of creativity will soon dry up.We discuss this topic in the latest episode of the podcast and give practical tips on how to find personal projects to work on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-03-1328 minClosing The_GapWhat Next?For this episode of the podcast, we give voice to one of our listeners and a great friend of us, Pia Parolin.Pia used the button we put under every episode to record her question for us, which can be summarized as “Now that I have become proficient with my photography and started showing my work, what next steps should I take to be more successful and appreciated?”We believe that Pia is already doing great with her photography and taking all the right steps towards closing the gap, but we tried to answer her quest...2019-02-2739 minClosing The_GapThe Myth of Time ManagementOn this week's episode of the podcast, we continue the discussion we had last week about reclaiming your time to pursue your passion and artistic endeavours.Time is a fixed quantity and you can't really manage it. You can only manage the work you have to do, by assessing priorities, blocking time slots, using systems, and more.This episode is chock-full of practical tips about this topic that so many struggle so much with, so you sure don't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-02-2033 minClosing The_GapLearning To Say NoWe all like to say we're busy and overwhelmed with too many things to do. Managing your time can be really tough, but it becomes easier when you realize that you can't really manage time: all you can do is just managing the work you have to do.One way to do this is to learn to say no to the constant barrage of demands that work, society, friends, and even ourselves put on us.We discuss this topic in the latest episode of the podcast. This is the first of two episodes about time...2019-02-1335 minClosing The_GapQuantity Over QualityIf you’re not making a lot of bad photos, you’re not trying hard enough. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-02-0633 minClosing The_GapMotivation, Inspiration, and RoutineIn this episode of the podcast, we go deeper into the conversation about deliberate practice and try to answer the question:Where does one find the motivation and the inspiration to continue practicing, every single day?We argue that we cannot expect that those two elusive things will somehow float down the river, when we are laying on the grass, watching the clouds in the sky.Motivation and inspiration don’t materialize out of thin air, but must be nurtured. Finding the resolve to practice every day takes courage and determination. Rituals, routines, and...2019-01-3034 minClosing The_GapPracticing DeliberatelyDoes it really take 10,000 hours of practice to get really good at something?Where do you find the motivation to keep practicing?Are all kinds of practice equally good and what does it mean to practice deliberately?We ask ourselves these questions in the latest episode of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-01-2330 minClosing The_GapThe Curse of KnowledgeSometimes people believe they are not ready to take the next step towards closing the gap because they lack knowledge. Is that a legitimate concern?We take our inspiration from the following quote by James Clear and discuss the relationship between knowledge and practice:“It can be easy to assume that the gap between where you are now and where you want to be in the future is caused by a lack of knowledge. This is why we buy courses on how to start a business or how to lose weight fast or how to le...2019-01-1635 minClosing The_GapThe Myth Of TalentDo you really need innate talent and special genes to be an artist or successful in any field?We discuss this topic in the latest episode of the podcast.Despite what many people think, the science is pretty clear on this: "the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain."We also believe that, most of the time, it's not a lack of knowledge that stops people from closing the gap.So, what's really needed to close the...2019-01-0925 minClosing The_GapIntroducing the Closing The_Gap PodcastThe title of this podcast was inspired by Ira Glass, the public radio personality and the host and producer of the show This American Life.On the topic of the struggles all creatives face, Glass once said the following:Nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish somebody had told this to me — is that all of us who do creative work … we get into it because we have good taste. But it’s like there’s a gap, that for the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so...2019-01-0229 minClosing The_GapThe EndJust a short announcement to let everyone know that this is the last episode of my photography podcast in its current form.Starting January 2nd, 2019, this podcast will transform into the Closing The_Gap Podcast, a new show that I will be doing with my friend Fabrizia Costa.We plan to publish weekly episodes on Wednesdays and we will be covering much the same topics I've been talking about here: how to live a fulfilled life as an artist and how to be successful with photography.If you are subscribed to this show...2018-12-2802 minClosing The_GapJack Of All Trades, Master Of SomeIn the past, through articles and emails and speeches, most notably in the recent talk I gave at the Out Of Chicago Photography Conference, whose recording you can find here, I mentioned the Helsinki Bus Station Theory, first introduced by Finnish photographer Arno Rafael Minkkinen.The theory is a metaphor of the life of an artist and of a photographer in particular. The moral of the story is that, if you find something that inspires you and if you want to pursue a specific genre of photography, you should stick to it. You should not jump off t...2018-08-0105 minClosing The_GapSuperpowers, with Fabrizia CostaIt's a great pleasure to have back on the show my good friend Fabrizia Costa, whom I had previously interviewed in episode 2, where we talked about the importance of talent.This time, we had a conversation about superpowers and how to achieve them.If you wonder what superpowers have to do with photography, listen to the episode to find out or check out http://www.fabriziacosta.com/superpowers.html. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2018-07-0224 minClosing The_GapBetter Living Through Social MediaI was inspired to record this post by reading a post on Facebook by a friend of mine, who recently wrote:“I belong to a LOT of photography groups here on FB. I thought they would help me to become better at my art. Really all they’ve done is make me want to quit. If you haven’t noticed I haven’t been posting a lot(well, except from the gym because that’s been fun). I’ll still be taking photos and doing shoots but I’m no longer going to pursue this as my sole professio...2018-04-1704 minClosing The_GapNobody Cares How Much Your Bills CostThe other day I saw a photographer post the following rant online (paraphrasing):For a single shoot, professional photographers spend on average:1+ hours talking with customers and preparing a session,1 to 3 hours for the session,10 to 30 minutes on post-processing and retouching each photo,5 or more hours on travel, printing, binding, and deliveryThey will spend thousands of dollars on equipment, maintenance, and software; countless hours studying how to create beautiful images.They have no paid vacations, sick leave, bonuses, benefits, or company provided insurance.50% of what they make, they pay in...2018-04-0505 minClosing The_GapQuitting Social MediaYesterday on my facebook stream I kept seeing this video shared and it’s a video where photographer Dave Morrow talks about, giving up on social media, essentially quitting and deleting his facebook, twitter and instagram accounts. Quite ironically I discovered that by using my facebook account. So if it hadn’t been for facebook I would never have known about this. But anyway, I’m digressing.So what’s Dave is saying is that he had a huge following combining all those channels. He had like a million and a half followers there and he was using th...2018-03-2309 minClosing The_GapThe GapThese days I often catch myself reflecting on ways that we can get better at our work–be it photography or any other creative endeavor–that go beyond the simple advice you can find in online forums and YouTube videos.Consequently, I am more receptive than ever to learning about the meaning of art, psychology, self-improvement, the life, the universe, and everything! It is with this disposition that I collect what little nuggets of wisdom I can find online. Occasionally I find some that are so good that I can't help but sharing them, in the...2017-10-2308 minClosing The_GapNever Criticize Other People’s WorkI was recently on an Internet forum where people usually post their own photos. There, somebody had commented on a photo that somebody else had shared and the entirety of their comment was “Truly horrible.” That's what they wrote, literally.Reading such comments never fails to upset me and, whenever you tell those people that their comments are out of place, they invariably retort that they have a right to their opinions and that if somebody publishes a photo, they willingly expose themselves to critique and even to harsh criticism even if such criticism is not constructive in a...2017-10-0303 minClosing The_GapThink Like a Magazine EditorMagazine editors want to see a story develop through pictures. I think a little example here will serve well to illustrate the concept. You can also take this as an exercise and do it on the next occasion.Imagine you are commissioned to shoot photographs to illustrate a story about a restaurant that has recently become popular or has received some prestigious award. Now think, rather literally, about the story of a person going out to dinner in that restaurant.You could start with a photo of the restaurant’s front from across the street, as...2017-08-1505 minClosing The_GapTalent is Overrated. A Conversation with Fabrizia CostaSubscribe on iTunes.The subject of today's podcast is a little pet-peeve of mine, the myth of talent, something about which I already ranted in the past. This topic was brought to my mind again by reading a blog post by my friend Fabrizia Costa.Fabrizia mentions that someone left her a comment saying basically that talent is necessary to get anywhere in photography and her reply is as follows:“This is the view held by many photographers, and to some extent it's true but I believe that talent is overrated. Yes, you do...2017-07-1924 minClosing The_GapEmbracing the ClichéSubscribe on iTunes.According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a cliché is“A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.”Examples of usage include:‘that old cliché ‘a woman's place is in the home’‘the usual worn-out clichés about the English’We can certainly apply this concept to visual arts as well, including photography. Anyone of us can certainly think of photographs that have been taken so many times that they have become clichés: most photos taken at sunset at Horseshoe Bend...2017-07-1105 minClosing The_GapIntroducing the Ugo Cei Photography PodcastWelcome to my new photography podcast!I can already hear some of you say: “Hey, wait a minute, don't you already have a photography podcast?” Well, as a matter of fact I do. It's called The Travelling Image Makers and I co-host that one with my buddy Ralph Velasco. Every week we publish an interview with a travel photographer and we've been doing so for more than 80 weeks. It's a very high production value, very structured podcast and you can count on an episode to be published every week for the foreseeable future. I am...2017-07-1002 min