175 - Art Comes From the Soul: Analog, AI, and Authentic Portraits

Portrait photographer Craig Fleming has spent decades navigating the space between film and digital, celebrity commissions and working-class subjects, polish and truth. In this episode of The Nerdy Photographer Podcast, Craig joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his process, his philosophy, and two ongoing personal projects — Quiet Men and Circus — that are reshaping how he thinks about legacy and the purpose of his work.

We get into what it really means to balance film and digital photography, why Craig thinks returning to medium format gave him integrity back as a photographer — and made him better at digital. We talk about his strong feelings on AI and what it's taking from photographers and creatives. Craig also shares what he believes is the single most important element of a great portrait — and it has nothing to do with your camera.

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About My Guest

"Portrait photographer. Stuck in the mid 20th Century."

You can find Craig's workshops — in London, Rotterdam, and Venice — at https://craigfleming.net, and follow his ongoing projects on Instagram at https://instagram.com/craigflemingphoto

The Nerdy Photographer Podcast is written and produced by Casey Fatchett. Casey is a professional photographer in the New York City / Northern New Jersey with more than 20 years of experience. He just wants to help people and make them laugh. You can view Casey's wedding work at https://fatchett.com or his non-wedding work at https://caseyfatchettphotography.com

If you have any questions or comments about this episode or any other episodes, OR if you would like to ask a photography related question or have ideas for a topic for a future episode, please reach out to us at https://nerdyphotographer.com/contact