What's A Podcast?

You DON'T need an iPod to listen to a podcast. You DO need a computer.

Put simply, a podcast is a radio show broadcast over the interwebs. Sometimes you can listen live through a feed, but mainly it's downloaded using something called a podcast aggregator or a "podcatcher." Lot's of commonly used apps have this ability. The most popular is probably iTunes.

So is it as simple as downloading an audio file? Well, yes and no. What makes it a podcast is the fact that you can subscribe to it (for free) and it comes to YOU. If it's just an audio file that someone posts on their web site, technically it's not a podcast. It works like this....

Let's say you manage your music files using iTunes (like me). iTunes has a section specifically for podcasts and you can subscribe to as many as you want by simply clicking on it. Then, whenever you open iTunes, it automatically checks to see if there are any new episodes of a podcast you're subsrcibed to. If there are, they are automatically downloaded. That's all there is to it.

I have my iPod set to automatically download any new podcasts to it when I plug it into the computer. So all I literally do is plug it in, unplug it when it's done, and listen to it at my own convenience.

No iPod? No problem. You can just as easily listen to the podcast right on your computer using iTunes.

So what's the connection to photography? There are a number of podcasts out there that are well worth your time if you're into photography. From beginner to advanced, history, equipment, news, interviews with the pros...you name it. Here are some of my favorites...

There is a gentleman named Jeff Curto who has two podcasts that in my opinion are better than almost anything else out there.

Camera Position - talks about the creative side of photography


History Of Photography - Jeff Curto is a Professor of Photography at the College of DuPage and records his class sessions. This podcast might save you a bunch of money if you were thinking about taking a course in the history of photography.

The other great thing about Jeff's podcasts is that they are enhanced, meaning there are visuals to go with what he's discussing.

Lightsource is by two photographers who talk about studio lighting and do interviews with working professional photographers.


This Week In Photography is a round table discussion about equipment, software, technique etc. Very informative.


There are many, many other photography podcasts out in cyberland, but those are my favorites.

I'm a little surprised that podcasting hasn't really taken off yet in a really big way. There's a wealth of information out there and it's all free. You can find podcasts that are about almost any subject you can think of. But be warned, it's not all good information, and some podcasts are just plain unlistenable. Anyone with a microphone and a computer can create a podcast, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they should.