Sandstone doing awesome sandstone things. =)

This week on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen: Scott McCook believes photographers need to truly understand their subject, especially when documenting landscapes marked by industry or change. That kind of intention shapes the images we make and the conversations they start.

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like when seen from above? Meet Scott McCook, an aerial photographer from Western Australia whose work challenges us to see both the beauty and impact of human presence on the landscape.

I figured since I have nothing better to do with my time (HAHA!), I'd start a Substack. My plan with it is to share my own thoughts on podcast episodes, in the hopes of generating thoughts from others. open.substack.com/pub/mattpayn...

This week on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast: Ever noticed your photography shifting as your life changes? Reflecting on Rick Bebbington’s journey makes me look at my own photos in a new light.

Meet Rick Bebbington. When Rick joined me on the podcast, we explored not only what holds photographers back but why it’s often about much more than the camera itself. Tune into the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast to hear about his journey. One of my favorite episodes I've recorded.

This week on F-Stop: Discover Garrett Hess' journey into art and photography! Learn how consuming creative works passively builds composition fundamentals, leading to a deeper understanding of what makes a photo truly shine. It's about finding purpose and expressing yourself through the lens.

This week on F-Stop, we're exploring the power of going deeper, not wider. Discover the advantages of focusing locally for more sustainable and engaging photography.

Here are four wildly different scenes all captured in Western Australia (W.A.). These are part of my project which aims to document abstraction and tie it to a variety of concepts impacting place in W.A. Interested in seeing or learning more? Shoot me over a message.

Here are a few glimpses into the world of Garrett Hess, this week’s guest on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen. Garrett has built his life and practice around Erie, Pennsylvania, photographing the Great Lakes and the ever-changing moods just outside his door.

What would your photography look like if you had to press pause on the endless scroll? This week’s conversation on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen features Ben Maze and Murray Livingston - two photographers who remind me what it means to dig deeper.

This week on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen: When you’re always the new kid or stationed far from home, you learn to look at things from many points of view. Nichole Vild’s story reminded me how photography can be an ally in that way: encouraging us to pause.

I recently led a super fun workshop out at White Pocket in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument - for sure one of my favorite places to photograph in the SW. I revisited some old favorites and showed our awesome students how to capture some sweet night sky images.

"The Arrival (2026)" Look up. They are coming. Do they have good intentions? These forms drifting across a crimson and blue sky don't have a satisfying earthly explanation. Your brain cycles through clouds, jellyfish, leaves, perhaps alien life?

I believe some guests on my podcast offer a lived wisdom that only experience and vulnerability can teach. Nichole Vild is one of those people. Her years moving across continents as an Army officer, then choosing to start over as an artist, brought a perspective I felt we all needed.

This week on F-Stop: Sometimes life asks us to reinvent not only what we do, but who we are. This week, I spent time with Nichole Vild, a photographer, Army veteran, and someone who has learned to embrace change on both the inside and out. We also discuss the exciting and emerging topic of Neuroarts

I spent the better part of the past month working on a photography project featuring the landscape of Western Australia from the air. I wanted to explore the intersection of indigenous impacts, beauty, toxic mining, economics, and more. It was a blast capturing the photos!

What drives someone to create a new photography magazine when the world seems to have moved on from print? I wanted Jason Bradley back on the podcast because he isn’t chasing trends, he’s rebuilding community, honoring conservation, and putting art first - in Wild Eye Magazine.

This week, Jason Bradley re-joins the F-Stop podcast — publisher of Wild Eye magazine, founder of Bradley Photographic, and someone who has spent decades surrounded by the photography legends and landscapes of Monterey, California.

This week on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen: Some photographers leave you with more questions than answers, and that’s why I invited 📷 Grant Swinbourne. His willingness to talk about learning, change, and what it means to be “a different photographer” after decades of experience is rare.

This week on the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast: Slow down and notice! That’s at the heart of my recent conversation with 📷 Grant Swinbourne, a Sydney-based photographer whose approach has evolved alongside his life changes. Tune in where you find podcasts.

I recently returned from Western Australia with some work that surprised me. Salt, bacteria, mineral crust, and light doing things I didn't plan for. More to come soon.

Ever wonder what it looks like when a photographer’s work becomes a catalyst for actual change? This week on F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, we chat with Ian Wood- his story made me rethink how images can trigger conversation and sometimes even policy.

Death Valley was a real treat this past year. I've been back a few times to lead workshops and every single time I find something new that captures my heart. What a magical place to photograph. Happy to be returning twice in the coming year to lead workshops!

What happens when a photo sparks public change? Meet this week's F-Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast guest: Ian Wood: wildlife photographer and conservationist using images to inspire action on rewilding and wildlife protection.

Have you ever thought about what your photographs say about who you are? In this week's podcast conversation, Hanneke Van Camp suggested that looking for patterns in your images can reveal emotional connections and personal values.

Witnessing this sunrise through the cloud gap in New Zealand recently was certainly a highlight from my trip!

Sometimes a body of work stops you in your tracks. I invited Hanneke Van Camp to the podcast after seeing her Sapmi Living Landscapes project—an intimate exploration of land, culture, and belonging in Northern Scandinavia. Tune in to the F-Stop Collaborate and Listen show wherever you find podcasts

Flew past this on the helicopter and honestly had to remind myself to actually take the photo. Mount Tasman, New Zealand.

What does it mean to be truly present in a landscape? Listen to Hanneke Van Camp on the F-Stop podcast: deep Arctic stories, nature, and photography. Tune in wherever you find podcasts.