Photography is Nothing

Episode 25 - Bringing you the best action and documentary photography from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games! 

Zach scoured the internet to find the greatest photos of the Olympics so he and Courtney could discuss the making, the meaning, and the impact they’ve had on our view of the games.

In this episode we talk about… 

Women showing up in numbers and making fantastic photos at the 2026 Olympics
Tech used by Getty including remote cameras, thermal images, composites, and an old Graflex camera.
Photos that set a scene and draw us in with excellent composition
Great moments caught on camera that will come to define these Olympic Games
Some of Zach’s favorite photographers from this Olympics: Kohjiro Kinno, Florence Pernet, Pauline Ballet, and Gabbie Bhaskar.

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson 

Index
0:00 - Athletes being photographed by the best photographers in the world
1:57 - Great women photographers at the 2026 Olympics
5:13 - 2026 Olympics photos with great composition
16:34 - Photography helps define the most important moments of the Olympics
25:24 - Photographers capturing the same moment from different angles. 
29:14 - Photography tech used at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games
30:11 - Remote cameras
32:00 - Thermal cameras at the Olympics
33:47 - Getty’s vintage Graflex camera with modern upgrades
34:51 - Composite photos from Getty photographers
38:06 - Kohjiro Kinno
39:52 - Florence Pernet
41:32 - Gabbie Bhaskar
43:44 - Pauline Ballet
46:29 - Wow! 25 episodes! Thanks for watching.

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.

Episode 24 - There is typically lots of fashion & editorial photography that surrounds the Olympics. For this year’s 2026 Winter Olympics, Zach & Courtney found three cool photoshoots, but feel like there should be a lot more!

In this episode we talk about… 

Win Tam’s high-fashion photos of Team China for VogueMan China
French photographer Mathieu Forget photographing Italian Olympians in a 5-star Milan hotel
Newel Odin’s sleek, modern images of Team France

We also take an historical look at Olympics editorial photoshoots by Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber, and Ryan McGinley and compare them to what we’re seeing today. 

PLUS, Courtney talks about how the Olympics are neither the time nor place for public wedding proposals and Zach gets up in arms about how photographers need to be credited correctly for their work.

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson 

Index
0:00 - Where are the photoshoots? Are major publications commissioning less work?
0:45 - Olympic fashion photography
1:58 - Win Tam’s photos for VogueMan China
8:13 - Mathieu Forget photographs Olympians in a 5-star hotel
13:51 - Nawel Odin photographs the French Olympic bobsled & luge team
17:39 - It seems like magazines are doing fewer photoshoots for the Olympics
20:59 - Where are the editorial photoshoots by women?
23:16 - Annie Leibovitz’s 1996 Olympic photoshoot for Vanity Fair
30:59 - Where are the big photoshoots of Olympians?
33:00 - Too much coverage of Breezy Johnson’s engagement
38:11 - The right way to give photo credits to photographers

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.

Episode 23 - What focal length lens do you use for backstage photography? Do you ever use “silent shutter” mode? Do you use fixed focal length? Do you have insurance on all your cameras & gear?

What do people who are actually from working class areas of England think of Martin Parr’s documentation of New Brighton?

In this episode, we answer questions and read comments from viewers and talk about retiring the Mystery Zine. We also address some of the most common questions we’ve received in the 4 years of printing our quarterly magazine. 

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson 

Index
0:00 - What happens when your camera gear damages property?
0:16 - Want to learn about photography? Ask us your questions!
3:05 - What do people think of Martin Parr’s The Last Resort?
9:30 - Should I use “silent shutter” mode on a DSLR?
11:16 - What is “rolling shutter effect”?
14:08 - What focal length to use when you’re close to people?
18:25 - Film vs Digital
21:06 - How important is the camera lens?
23:19 - Should I use the same brand camera & lens?
24:53 - Camera & general liability insurance for photographers
28:00 - What happens if I damage on a photoshoot (a story)
29:47 - Is a laptop or desktop better for photographers?
32:22 - What the sigma?
35:01 - How to start publishing a photography zine

Find the Mystery Zine
https://zachdobson.bigcartel.com/product/mystery-zine-17

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.

Episode 22 - This week we talk about going behind the scenes and photographing backstage at concerts, shows, and events. 

When attending a performance, what happens on stage is only one small part of the story. Going backstage to photograph the emotion, preparation, and all the moving parts offers a more complete sense of what it takes to make a show happen.

In this episode, we go through Zach’s backstage photography of concerts, comedy shows, dance performances and more. We also look at the work of photographers Sasha Gusov (ballet), Jim Marshall (music), and Marsha Bernstein (fashion).

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson 

Index
0:00 - Garry Winogrand’s wife was married to a lens.
0:25 - Today’s subject is backstage photography.
1:35 - Courtney says why it’s important for kids to perform.
6:49 - Why we’re talking about backstage photography.
10:14 - Zach’s first big behind-the-scenes opportunity: a comedy festival in LA.
15:42 - What Zach learned photographing Mel Brooks backstage.
20:46 - The kids got into dance, so now we are, too.
32:32 - Photographing our kids in Bye Bye Birdie.
37:10 - A photographer’s photo.
46:50 - Russian photographer Sasha Gusov photographs the Bolshoi Ballet.
50:55 - Iconic rock & roll photographer Jim Marshall.
54:32 - Fashion photographer Marsha Bernstein.
57:37 - Courtney’s opening night performance.

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.

Episode 21 - This week we talk about the late great Martin Parr. Starting in the black & white documentary tradition in the 1970s, Parr’s work took a bold turn to color accentuated by flash in 1982. 

While still documentary in nature, in that he didn’t stage or pose scenes, Parr acknowledged that his photos were more of a personal interpretation of reality than a strict document of fact. He said…

“I want to try and leave a set of images that sort of tell us about the times we live in and my relationship to it. My pictures are fictional in the sense that i'm often using flash so it's not something you would see with the human eye. I’m trying to ally it to my … feelings but it is still based on the reality that's out there so it's not lies, it's just an interpretation. So it's my personal interpretation of what i see in front of me, which is somewhat exaggerated.”

Zach & Courtney go through some of Parr’s most famous, and lesser known, works to talk about his influence on the photography world and on them personally. They also talk about the Martin Parr Foundation and its mission to give back to the photographic community at large.

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson 

Index
0:00 - “A dedicated enemy to everything I believe in.” 
0:35 - An introduction to photographer Martin Parr.
4:50 - I really love your early work.
9:36 - Prestwich Mental Hospital. 1972.
11:28 - The Non-Conformists. 1975-79.
19:47 - Why Martin Parr switched to color photography. 1982.
20:40 - The Last Resort. 1983-85.
27:27 - The Cost of Living. 1989-92.
29:47 - Photojournalist Philip Jones Griffiths doesn’t want Parr in Magnum Photos.
36:23 - Tourists at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 1990.
38:26 - Documenting leisure pursuits of the Western World.
40:05 - Tourists at the Grand Canyon, Arizona. 1994.
41:18 - Martin Parr photographed a lot of cell phones.
46:28 - A photo that Martin Parr regretted missing.
48:48 - How Martin Parr influences Zach today.

Interviews
The World According to Parr. 2003.
https://youtu.be/MCRyB2SFQZ4?si=JO_GUTdlclHZb5Rq

"First priority is to make an entertaining picture." | Photographer Martin Parr | Louisiana Channel. 2022.
https://youtu.be/ibqDOm3i0eA?si=he49WecFDjp-qR_3

Framelines: A Conversation with Martin Parr. 2025
https://youtu.be/S7ULlEIwqTs?si=CXHsz_3FBVJkyO2S

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.