350: Ian Gaston - Falling in Love with Small Scenes

Refining our voice and vision as nature photographers is an ongoing process of discovery, experimentation, failure, and struggle. Fortunately, those who stick to what excites them about photography can tap into some really exciting photography that differentiates them as artists.

One such artist that I have come to appreciate is this week’s F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast: Ian Gaston. Ian is based in Santa Cruz, California, and has moved away from cinematic grand landscapes. He now focuses his work on smaller scenes found in nature such as intricate wood grain and patterns found on sandy beaches.

On this week's episode, we discuss:

• Ian's journey in landscape photography which began in the 500px era of cinematic grand landscapes,
• Ian's process for finding smaller scenes in nature,
• How Ian's processing of photographs has shifted since he began,
• The importance of letting go of expectations that may increase anxiety about what one finds in the field as a landscape photographer,
• And a lot more!

Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week:

• Support the podcast on Patreon, or make a one-time donation on PayPal.
• David Southern.
• My Spain coastal photographs.
• Discord server for landscape photographers.
• Join us on Nature Photographer's Network.
• Watch podcast episodes on YouTube.

Here is who Ian recommended on the podcast this week:

• Tania Malkin.
• Patrick McDonald.
• Elvis Dallie.
• Klaus Axelsen; my article about Klaus in On Landscape.
• Kavin Chawla.

I love hearing from the podcast listeners! Contact me via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you’d like to be on the podcast or have an idea of a topic we can discuss. We also have an Instagram page, a Facebook Page, and a Facebook Group - so don’t be shy!

We also have a searchable transcript of every episode!

Thanks for stopping in, collaborating with us, and listening. See you next week.

P.S. You can also support the podcast by purchasing items through our B+H affiliate link.