Photography is Nothing

Indy 500 2026

Episode 37 - Zach & Courtney head to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for their annual trek to the famed Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, aka the Indy 500. This episode is a visual experience! You have to see the sights through video clips and photos. This is Neve’s first Indy 500, so we were all very excited to show her what it’s like, especially her older siblings Henry and Louisa, who are practically race pros by now. In this episode we walk and talk and take you into the crowds so you can get a firsthand look at the experience. And as usual, Zach documents the day, so his photos are throughout the episode, too. “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson  Index 0:00 - Intro: Zach & Courtney hide their beers. Sorta. 0:45 - Walking with the crowds to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 8:36 - Walking into the IMS and finding our seats in Turn One 11:27 - Exploring the infield before the Indy 500 starts 14:00 - We go on the track at the speedway 16:59 - Gasoline Alley and the Pagoda 24:10 - Pre-race ceremonies at the Indy 500 26:41 - The closest finish EVER at the Indy 500! 27:56 - Thoughts on the race and walking back to the car Find Zach Website: https://zachdobson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto Find Courtney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_ About the Podcast Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.  Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world. Fair Use Statement This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

Ruedi Hofmann - Photographer & Master Printer

Episode 36 - In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk with Ruedi Hofmann, photographer and master printer for Richard Avedon's In the American West. Ruedi Hofmann has worked as a professional photographer since the 1980s with regular clients like Giorgio Armani. But before that, Hofmann worked for 5 years with Richard Avedon as Studio Manager, First Assistant on the In The American West series, and finally as Master Printer for the artist’s most famous project. In this interview, Hofmann tells us stories about working with Avedon, how he reluctantly agreed to print In The American West, and his own career in fashion & portraiture. For his work as Master Printer, Hofmann received from Avedon one edition of each photo he printed, making him owner of one of only three complete sets of In the American West. “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson  Index 0:00 - Introducing Ruedi Hofmann - photographer and master printer 1:39 - How Ruedi got started in photography. 4:21 - What it was like working in Richard Avedon’s studio. 15:19 - How Avedon chose Hofmann to print his photos. 22:17 - Ruedi’s terms for staying on to the end of In The American West. 25:49 - Leveraging the Avedon name for products & services. 27:09 - Working your way up at Avedon’s studio. 28:53 - The importance of the master printer’s role in making a photograph. 31:06 - Ruedi tells us Avedon’s reaction to the first ~100 prints. 34:21 - Ruedi Hofmann’s career as a professional photographer. 43:59 - Richard Avedon and Laura Wilson worked together to find subjects. 47:43 - What it was like for Avedon’s Western subjects. 55:38 - The new Avedon documentary declined Ruedi’s participation. 58:14 - A photography project is bigger than just the photographer. 1:09:27 - Ruedi’s thoughts on Avedon’s destruction of his negatives. 1:15:33 - Ruedi feels a responsibility to the people he’s photographing. In this interview, we reference a video where Hofmann speaks with Richard Corman in great detail about the technical processes of printing In The American West. You can watch that here:  https://www.ruedihofmann.com/avedon-west-collection You can learn more about Ruedi's ownership of the Avedon prints in Zach's video here: https://youtu.be/StKEn_kjc5Q Find Zach Website: https://zachdobson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto Find Courtney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_ About the Podcast Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.  Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world. Fair Use Statement This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

Famous Photographers' Family Photos

Episode 35 - In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk about famous photographers photographing their own families.  After last week’s episode about documenting everyday life, Zach wanted to talk about some famous photographers who documented their own life, and specifically their family. Documentary photographers are known for telling stories about hard-hitting issues in the world. But some well-known photographers have very famous images that focus on their own family members or home life. Seeing how fine art, documentary, and street photographers chronicle their own family can show us how this type of work is important for any of us to do. “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson  Index 0:00 - Intro: Courtney helps Zach gain a deeper appreciate for Sally Mann 5:27 - Sabine Weiss & her husband Hugh Weiss 7:04 - W. Eugene Smith & kids 11:22 - Christopher Anderson w/ Atlas & Marion 13:31 - Inge Morath & Arthur Miller 15:39 - William Eggleston & his kids (MAYBE) 17:04 - Stephen Shore & his wife Ginger 18:11 - Sally Mann & her kids 24:26 - Nancy Sheung & daughter 25:12 - Larry Fink & his daughter Molly with the Sabatine family 27:21 - Garry Winogrand & his kids at the zoo 30:00 - Lee Friedlander & his wife Maria and their kids 34:17 - Following up on Documentary Photography is for Everyone 36:16 - Zach feels more connected to the world when photographing it 42:45 - It’s important to strike a balance between photographer & person  Find Zach Website: https://zachdobson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto Find Courtney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_ About the Podcast Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.  Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world. Fair Use Statement This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

Documentary Photography is for Everyone

Episode 34 - In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk about the importance of documenting our lives.  It’s could be easy to dismiss photographing everyday life and the world around us, but it’s an important practice. We learn a lot about the past from ordinary images, maybe even more than we learn from the major events that people might consider “photo worthy.” What did people really look like and dress like? How did they interact with each other? What did people do in their daily lives? What do the places where they live and work and interact look like? Photographers who document the world are not just making a record of their family, but also providing a view of our society as a whole. “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson  Index 0:00 - Intro: These pictures will matter. 3:12 - Barriers to entry for “documentary photography” 4:39 - When Zach started documenting everyday life 12:07 - We underestimate the wider value of photographing our families 21:36 - We need photos of daily life to know what the past was like 23:56 - William Eggleston’s photos weren’t well received at the time 25:24 - How do you do documentary photography 29:03 - Awesome photo of baseball player Jo Adell taken by a fan 32:04 - Documentary photography brings the story to a larger audience 39:16 - Just start taking photos. Don’t worry about making good ones. 47:25 - The only impact we have on the world is what comes from within us Find Zach Website: https://zachdobson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto Find Courtney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_ About the Podcast Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.  Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world. Fair Use Statement This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.

Baseball - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

Episode 33 - In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk about their recent trip to the ballpark and learn about a photographer from the golden age of baseball.  Charles M. Conlon photographed baseball between 1904-1941, taking absolutely gorgeous photos of some of the game’s most famous names. “Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson  Index 0:00 - Intro: Photographers need to share their photos 0:53 - Going to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game 6:15 - Photos of being a spectator at the baseball game 9:04 - One of the greatest baseball photographers: Charles M. Conlon 12:05 - Photo of Ty Cobb sliding into third base 17:49 - Portraits from the golden age of baseball by Charles Conlon 24:25 - Conlon photographs Shoeless Joe Jackson w/ Black Betsy 26:53 - Cornelius McGillicuddy aka Connie Mack 28:16 - Rube Waddell 31:14 - Charles Conlon focused on the people & personalities 32:48 - Masking photos the old fashioned way 40:07 - Charles Albert “Chief” Bender 41:01 - Photographing players’ wives and children 44:05 - Why Charles Conlon destroyed half of his negatives 45:51 - Part of being a photographer is sharing your work Find Zach Website: https://zachdobson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto Find Courtney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_ About the Podcast Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.  Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world. Fair Use Statement This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.