In today's show—our first full video release in our in-house studio—Austin describes the complex logistics involved in finding and photographing every last court, while also elaborating on his ingenious system for organizing all the data in a color-coded map that he can store on his phone.

We also touch on AI, as Austin shares details about the machine-powered analytics that helped him assemble all his New York-area courts into a magnificent rainbow-colored grid. Austin's latest undertaking is to update his collection of "concrete crop circles" across the five boroughs, with a plan to feature the top 10 courts from each borough on a deck of cards.

Austin's ultimate goal with this project is to "show people things that they're not going to get to see otherwise. "I think we all struggle with that need to make something uniquely ours as things get easier to produce," he notes. "But I think that drives us forward as artists. Part of creating is not mimicking. You want to go out there and actually create something that is yours."

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format.

Guest: Austin Bell

Episode Timeline:

1:02: Austin's Shooting Hoops t-shirt & being a basketball fan.

3:32: The flat lay approach to shooting with drones … plus crash stories!

9:06: Shoot logistics and collecting data in a spread sheet.

15:40: Creative aspects to photographing basketball courts.

20:55: Photo editing for Austin's Shooting Hoops book.

24:16: A tour of Hong Kong through its basketball courts.

29:38: Using AI to help with the edit.

33:51: People's personal relationships with their neighborhood courts.

43:10: Revisiting courts and keeping track of their current state.

49:07: The need to create something unique as things get easier to produce.

54:40: Austin's approach to shooting hoops as a very nonchalant obsession.

59:26: What's next for Austin and his Shooting Hoops project?

Guest Bio:

In this Welcome Back prequel, host Derek Fahsbender elaborates on some of the moving parts involved in our transition from audio-only to a fully-fledged video podcast. He also introduces the show's new technical producer Peter Maziarz, who adds his insights from behind the mixing board.

As Derek notes, our recent process in rebooting the podcast is not so different than "a typical day in the life of a photographer—figuring things out."

He also shares a deeply personal perspective on his evolution as a photographer by asking, "How has it made me a better person? How does life imitate art and art imitate life? And the two interconnect in a way that as I'm getting better as a photographer, I'm hopefully getting better as a person, and seeing the world in a different light."

Take a tour of our new studio space in the photos posted here. And for regular updates and inspiring chats in our new format, follow us on social media @bhpodcastnetwork.

Guest: Derek Fahsbender & Peter Maziarz

Episode Timeline:

0:19: Taking the leap from audio-only to a video podcast.

1:40: Challenges to building a rapport with guests without visual cues.

3:10: Updating the vision of the original B&H podcast pioneers.

5:42: The ultimate vibe check with our upcoming line-up of guests

9:13: Teasing our first podcast guest—Austin Bell and his Shooting Hoops project.

10:44: How Derek got involved with the podcast & introducing Peter Maziarz.

13:01: Derek's take on a new frontier and a collaborative vision.  

15:09: A show with the support of B&H as an industry leader.

16:09: Derek's parting words: "Just go out there, do it, figure it out as you go."

Guest Bios:

Derek Fahsbender is a photographer based in New York City. As Senior Producer for the B&H Event Space team, Derek works with a wide range of tech brands, as well as freelance creatives, and brand ambassadors, to develop content for educational programming. He also serves as host/moderator for the B&H Event Space's live events. Derek is an official Fujifilm Creator, Logitech Ambassador, Oberwerth Ambassador, plus host of the B&H Photography Podcast, part of the B&H Podcast Network.

Peter Maziarz is the producer of the B&H Podcast Network and the B&H Photography Podcast. He designed the network's brand new studio and has spent five years at B&H, following several years in video production. He's building the show he'd want to listen to: real conversations with industry leading creatives.

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