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Photography is Nothing

Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken
Photography is Nothing
Latest episode

31 episodes

  • Yes, Michigan! - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

    15/04/2026 | 44 mins.
    Episode 31 - Zach & Courtney talk about a trip to Hoeft State Park located on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron in Rogers City, Michigan. They stayed in a 1929 Sears Roebuck house just 100 yards from the beach, visited 40 Mile Point Lighthouse and Rogers City Marina, and took in a super early morning sunrise.

    Zach & Courtney talk about the trip, life lessons they learned, and the photos Zach took along the way.

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

    Index
    0:00 - Intro: Adventures lead to personal growth
    0:55 - Visiting Lake Huron in Michigan
    2:32 - How to find an amazing cabin in Michigan
    10:55 - Courtney loves the Edmund Fitzgerald
    15:03 - All about the cabin at Hoeft State Park
    18:20 - Kids don’t care if the water is cold
    22:57 - Visiting Rogers City and the Marina
    24:10 - Zach’s favorite photo at the marina
    26:26 - Going fishing inland Michigan
    28:06 - Packing food for a whole trip
    29:30 - Why it’s important for families to have adventures
    31:36 - Our teen insisted on seeing the sunrise over Lake Huron
    33:50 - Visiting the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse
    40:27 - Telling a story in a photo
    41:10 - Taking a family photo during our adventures

    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.
  • Florida Keys Road Trip - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

    08/04/2026 | 39 mins.
    Episode 30 - Zach & Courtney talk about a favorite family trip: A roadtrip through the Florida Keys! In 2018, Courtney, Zach, and (then) 4 kids, drove nearly 3,000 miles from Indianapolis, IN to Key West, FL (and back, of course).

    On this episode we talk about the experience, including our favorite spots, things we learned, and the photos Zach took along the way.

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

    Index
    0:00 - Intro - He stitched two mattresses together to make a giant bed
    0:49 - Going on a Florida Keys Roadtrip
    1:44 - Planning to escape the Midwest in winter
    3:44 - Racing to beat a snow storm
    7:03 - Driving into the Keys from Miami is supposed to be quick
    8:48 - Are the Florida Keys kid-friendly?
    10:25 - There are very few natural beaches in the Keys
    11:10 - Plan to stay in motels in the Florida Keys
    15:18 - Zach had never seen water this color
    15:44 - Visiting Key West as a family
    24:10 - Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West
    25:28 - Kids are learning their own way
    28:12 - Easter Mass in Key West
    29:29 - Southernmost Point of the Continental US
    30:13 - Bahia Honda State Park
    31:03 - Marathon and Islamorada
    33:15 - The story behind my favorite Florida Keys photo
    35:15 - John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
    38:04 - We need a bigger car than a Chevy Suburban

    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.
  • All-Time Best Basketball Photos - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

    01/04/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    Zach & Courtney talk about Zach’s six selections for all-time best basketball photos. Plus, they take a look at the photography of Walter Iooss, Jr., who has photographed professional sports in 7 different decades!

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

    Index
    0:00 - Intro - Zach didn’t know he once worked for Atlantic Records
    2:16 - What is the criteria for best basketball photos of all time?
    7:33 - Some of the most famous/infamous photos of basketball in Indiana
    9:57 - Wilt Chamberlain photographed by Paul Vathis. 1962.
    14:32 - 16 year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabber photographed by Richard Avedon. 1963.
    20:41 - The Big Three. Miami Heat. Photographed by Morry Gash. 2010.
    22:39 - NC State Championship. Photographed by Malcom Emmons. 1983.
    32:46 - Dennis Rodman photographed by Sam Forencich. 1997.
    35:20 - Michael Jordan game-winning shot photographed by Fernando Medina. 1998.
    44:57 - The basketball photography of Walter Iooss, Jr.
    58:30 - Kobe Bryant photographed by Walter Iooss, Jr.

    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.
  • Basketball - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

    25/03/2026 | 44 mins.
    Episode 28 - Zach & Courtney take a look through Zach’s archive of basketball photography from around the state of Indiana.

    Indiana is of course the best state in the country for basketball. In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk about their own experiences with the sport as well as go in-depth on Zach’s photos and his approach to photographing basketball.

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

    Index
    0:00 - Zach & Courtney each played one season of basketball
    0:56 - Getting the NBA Finals patch on the Pacers jersey
    3:44 - In 49 states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana
    4:51 - The largest high school gyms in the country are in Indiana
    6:54 - What it was like in the 90’s
    9:58 - Zach’s basketball photography
    10:19 - Practicing free throws
    11:19 - Player intros in black & white
    14:19 - Photographing basketball above the rim
    16:50 - The crowd jeers during free throws
    18:58 - Why take photos from low angles
    20:01 - Zach is in the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame 
    21:39 - Inspiration from a photo of Babe Ruth
    22:47 - Photographing basketball behind the scenes
    24:57 - Why photographing with a wide lens is better
    26:03 - Photographers photographing photographers
    27:02 - Photographing the scale of the games 
    28:29 - Basketball is THE entertainment in small towns
    30:38 - Trey Lyles before he played in the NBA
    31:26 - Zach’s favorite cheerleader photo
    32:32 - Courtney says the physical closeness of sports is important for boys
    34:21 - A detail photo from a small town gym
    34:50 - A look of confusion from the head coach 
    35:50 - The Wigwam in Anderson, Indiana
    37:11 - The Indianapolis Indians are approved by the Miami tribe
    39:24 - Photographing for the Indiana Pacers
    41:25 - Basketball is the good part of Indiana

    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.
  • St. Patrick’s Day - Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson & Courtney McCracken

    17/03/2026 | 53 mins.
    Zach & Courtney take the family to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Indianapolis, IN. They talk about the experience while looking through Zach’s documentary photography from the event. 

    Courtney tells Zach what she learned about Irish photographer Jane Shackleton (1843-1909) and they go through some of her photos together.

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

    Index
    0:00 - Courtney wants to talk with Irish people
    0:56 - Zach, Courtney, and family at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
    2:40 - Where do you get a St. Patrick’s Day suit?
    4:49 - How do you get access to photograph a parade?
    8:15 - Photographing the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Indianapolis
    23:36 - Making sure to get a family photo at every event
    24:46 - Courtney’s advice to parents with small kids
    32:26 - The best Irish TV shows
    35:43 - Must Know Photographer: Jane Shackleton
    44:33 - Slideshows were the social media of the 20th century
    47:01 - Talking through our favorite Jane Shackleton photos
    52:04 - It’s not always easy to find historical women 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.

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About Photography is Nothing

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