Help Your Photos Take Flight

Help Your Photos Take Flight

Author: Steve Brazill June 6, 2019 Duration: 52:05

I have to admit, I am at a loss for words – something my family would be happy about, but something that’s not great in this situation. This is a “pinch me” situation for me.

I first heard of Scott Bourne on Leo Laporte’s MacBreak Weekly. He was a regular on the tech podcast, and as far as I knew that his main gig – a tech person. Periodically someone would mention his photography, but I was new to photography at the time and it just really never sunk in. Years later when I got into photography Scott had moved on from MBW and I stumbled upon a photo podcast of his. I remember thinking “is this the same Scott Bourne? It sounds like the Scott Bourne from MBW, but that Scott Bourne is also a world renowned photographer?”. Yeah, It was the same guy, and yeah, he is literally one of the best photographers on the planet. His bird photography is just amazing. Small world is right. From that moment I listened to every show Scott was on – Every. Show. He had a podcast with Rick Sammon, he started PhotoFocus, he worked with Skylum to greatly increase the footprint of Luminar in the photo world. I even won my first photo printer from Scott – a PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II – with a stack of Illford paper.

So again, I’m at a loss of words on how to accurately sum up what it mans to have Scott on my show, let alone to describe Scott Bourne’s photography life in a blog post. Let me start here…

Scott Bourne is an Olympus Visionary and professional wildlife photographer, and he’s an author and lecturer who specializes in birds. He’s been involved with photography for more than four decades and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications.

He is a pioneer in the digital photography and online space, and was named one of the 30 most influential photographers on the Web by Huffington Post.

In addition to being a trainer on lynda.com, Scott’s led workshops and seminars, taught for or spoken at conferences or events sponsored by Palm Beach Photographic Center, Cooperative Communicators of America, Apple, The National Association of Photoshop Professionals, CreativeLive.com, the National Association of Broadcasters, North American Music Merchants, MacWorld, Washington Professional Photographers Association, WPPI, PartnerCon, Imaging USA, Seattle Art Center, Marketing Essentials International, The Consumer Electronics Show, Photo Plus Expo, Festival of the Cranes, Florida’s Birding & Photo Festival and Olympic Mountain School of Photography.

Are you starting to get the idea? Scott Bourne knows more about photography than I will ever know, and he is going to be on Behind the Shot. (Steve does a happy dance here that hopefully no one can see)

Scott was one of the first photographers ever to receive the designation Apple Certified Professional Trainer (T3) for Apple’s Aperture. He also previously held the designation Certified Adobe Photoshop Instructor and Professional Photographers of America’s Certified Professional Photographer designation.

Scott was recently awarded the designation Signed Master with the Studio Of Masters in China.

Along with his namesake website scottbourne.com, Scott owns EaglePhotographs.com. If you want to lose a good part of your day looking at amazing photos go check those sites out.

As I mentioned before, my introduction to Scott was through the lens of podcasting, and I am happy to say Scott is still at it. Scott is the publisher of PictureMethods.com, a photography education website that has a ton of great content, and along with the site he has launched the Picture Methods podcast which you can check out here. I was honored to be one of his early guests on that show in fact, and you can listen to that here.

Join wildlife photographer and educator Scott Bourne and me as we take a deep dive into his bird photography by taking a close look how he captured a once-in-a-lifetime Cardinal image, on this episode of Behind the Shot.

Connect with Scott

Personal: scottbourne.com
Eagle Photographs: eaglephotographs.com
Instagram: @bourne.scott
Facebook: @scottbourne
Twitter: @scottbourne
Flickr: @scottbourne
LinkedIN: @scottbourne

Scott’s Picture Methods Website and Podcast

Picture Methods Website
Picture Methods Podcast


Steve Brazill hosts Behind the Shot-Video, a series that goes far beyond gear lists and camera settings. Each conversation is a deep exploration of the creative and technical journey behind compelling images. You’ll hear working photographers unpack the entire process-from the initial spark of an idea and the challenges of the location to the critical decisions made in post-production. This podcast sits at the unique intersection of art and practical technology, offering tangible lessons for anyone looking to improve their visual storytelling. Rather than abstract theory, these discussions provide a real-world look at problem-solving under pressure and the artistic choices that define a signature style. Tune in for honest, detailed breakdowns that reveal how memorable shots are truly built, layer by layer. It’s an essential resource for visual artists seeking both inspiration and actionable knowledge, all grounded in the lived experience of accomplished creators.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 200

Behind the Shot - Video
Podcast Episodes
Making More Creative Portraits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:46
I have always been fascinated with the education side of photography. I don’t have a formal photography education myself, and I am very aware of what skill sets I wish I had been exposed to earlier in my photo journey. I…
Concert Photography Photo Releases [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:59
This is a show I have been thinking about doing for a while, and that I believe is an important subject for both new and veteran music photographers…. BUT even if you’re not a music photographer, this subject should matt…
Capturing Warbirds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
I will never forget growing up hearing my dad talk about his days flying P-51 and P-40 planes. His walls were covered in model planes of classic war birds, as though he was trying to relive his youth. When he passed away…
3 Guys Walk Into a Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:11
One of the things I love about the podcasting world is the instant camaraderie you sometimes feel when talking with other podcasters. It’s hard to explain the connection you get when you have something creative in common…
Photographing Spirits of Carnival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:49
The photographers I am exposed to by doing this show never cease to amaze me. Recently, my buddy Ian Spanier told a friend of his that he should be on the show, and gave him my contact info. At that point, Jason Gardner…
Product Photography [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
I never used to go to photography conferences. It’s not that they didn’t interest me, it’s just that none of them cover my genre of music photography. WPPI is all about weddings and portraits, and while Imaging USA seems…
Artistic Macros [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:22
One of my favorite parts of doing this podcast is that I get to discover and meet some amazing photographers, and L.A. based Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill is a perfect example. We’ve all joked about a photographer we kno…
Architecture Photography Tips & Tricks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:44
I find guests for Behind the Shot in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s a referral from a friend, sometimes it’s a cold email I send after seeing an image I just need to know more about, and now and then it’s through a pho…
Portrait Composites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:53
One look at the client list at the bottom of Paul Mobley’s About page and it’s quickly apparent that he’s one of the best commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographers working today. It’s a list of A leve…
Elevate Your Portrait Images [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:51
Zoe Rain is one of those photographers in the rare group of artists that was born to do what she does. Some people can learn to become amazing artists, while others, people like Zoe, seem to have a natural gift for seein…