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The MOOD Podcast
The MOOD Podcast is a long-form conversation series exploring photography, creativity, identity, and the inner life of artists. Hosted by Matt Jacob, the show moves beyond technique and trends to examine why people make work, how creative voices are formed, and what it takes to sustain a meaningful artistic life.
Through thoughtful, unhurried conversations with photographers, filmmakers, and creative thinkers from around the world, the podcast explores themes of process, mental health, ethics, purpose, legacy, and the tension between art and industry. Episodes are grounded, reflective, and often philosophical, offering listeners provocation of thought rather than formulaic answers to copy.
The MOOD Podcast is less about instruction and more about understanding, aimed at emerging and established creatives who care not just about what they make, but why they make it.
At its core, The MOOD Podcast is the art of conversation, one frame at a time.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattyj_ay
Instagram: @the_moodpodcast / @mattyj_ay
Website: https://themoodpodcast.com.
Episodes
132 episodes
Why Most Photographers Never Begin - Wesley Verhoeve, E107
In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down with photographer, writer, and mentor Wesley Verhoeve for a grounded conversation about photography process, confidence, and learning how to make meaningful work without waiting for permission.&nb...
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1:05:52
The Best Bits of 2025
The year didn’t teach us to shoot faster. It taught us to go deeper. We close out 2025 by stitching together the most resonant moments from a season of hard questions and honest answers: why “quick fix” education fails creatives, how pricing fo...
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1:22:07
Why The Only Reason You Should Be a Photographer is Obsession - Jesse Lenz: E106
In this episode - the last guest episode of 2025 - I sit down with photographer, publisher, and curator Jesse Lenz for one of the most expansive and honest conversations I’ve had on the show - fitting to end the year with such a nice gift-wrapp...
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1:51:09
Why Nobody Cares About Your Photography
Nobody cares about your photography. We don’t need more of 'any old' photographers. Yet survival as culture and society with soul is completely dependent on work that matters.In this episode of Moments of Mood, I explore ...
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23:29
The Photographer Who Puts Humanity on Trial: Nick Brandt on Sentience, Power, and Responsibility.
British photographer and environmental storyteller Nick Brandt joins the show for a raw, expansive conversation on art, climate collapse, sentience, and the role of photography in an age defined by distraction and decline. Acros...
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1:22:59
The Collapse of the American Dream - Photography as Witness: Bryan Schutmaat, E104
Bryan Schutmaat is a photographer, publisher, and quiet poet of the American West. Known for books such as Grays the Mountain Sends, Good Goddamn, and Sons of the Living, Bryan’s work explores the uneasy ...
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1:35:03
What Can We Trust About The Past And Why It Still Shapes Our Work: Kent Andreasen, EP103
Kent Andreasen, a Cape Town-based photographer and filmmaker, joins me to talk about his new photobook Memory Bank (published by Witty Books), which tells the story over a de...
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1:11:50
How Photography Helped Him Survive Not Belonging Anywhere: Marshall To, EO102
”What if the stories that shape us are the ones we can't remember?"Marshall To, a photographer whose photobook 'Blank Notes' explores ancestry, memory, and identity through a deeply personal lens, grew up in rural ...
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1:03:44
Why Photography Works Better When You Stop Faking It - Phil Sharp, E101
Phil Sharp, an award winning British portrait photographer, talks about the human core of portrait photography and why music, language, and time can turn performance into truth. We challenge received wisdom about headshots, expl...
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1:19:33
Do you need a massive following to build a sustainable creative career? Moments of Mood 3.0
Welcome to another episode of Moments of Mood, this time about how to monetise - even just a little bit - the wonderful parts of us that are creative. Turning your creative passion into a sustainable career possible, it's probable i...
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28:27
Is Creativity Enough? Chris Do's advice for creatives, content, and The Futur - E100
“If you don’t value yourself, why should anyone else?”Chris Do is an Emmy-award-winning designer, founder of The Futur, and one of the most sought-after creative educators on the planet. With his huge audience and decades...
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1:10:08
How to Stay Relevant as a Photographer in the Age of AI , Moments of Mood 2.9
What happens when the world is flooded with AI images, tools, and “perfect” feeds?In this episode of Moments of MOOD, I sit down to talk about what it really means to stay human in your work — and why your voice, your presence, and your...
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Episode 100
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33:24
Ami Vitale's Vision to Use Photography for Real-World Impact, E099
Step into the world of Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Vital Impacts, as she shares her journey from covering conflict zones to telling the most urgent conservation stories of our time.In this con...
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Episode 99
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1:09:17
The Secret Behind Joel Grimes’ Iconic Photography Style, E098
Joel Grimes doesn’t just take photographs, he creates illusions that make the impossible feel real. In this episode, we dive deep into the mind of a true master, exploring how he uses light, shadow, and imagination to redefine what phot...
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Episode 98
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1:12:03
The Reality of Finding Your Voice as a Photographer - Ed Sykes, E097
Ed Sykes has lived many chapters through photography — from the chaos of war zones and the rush of front-page news to the polished world of fashion editorials. Yet, recognition and success didn’t bring the fulfillment he was searching f...
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Episode 97
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1:27:27
Ask Me Anything: Everything You Wanted to Know About Life & Photography - Moments of Mood, 2.8
I’m answering your questions about photography, creativity, and what keeps me motivated in this AMA. We dive into the real stuff. What inspires me, the struggles I’ve faced, and how I’ve grown as both a photographer and a person.&n...
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44:38
The Truth About Building a Career in Photography - Vanessa Joy E096
She’s built a photography business that spans decades, continents, and platforms — but behind the portfolio is a deeper story.In this episode of The MOOD Podcast, I sit down in person with Vanessa Joy — award-winning wedding photographe...
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Episode 96
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54:18
Why Most Creatives Burn Out While Building a Business - Shane Vitaly, E095
If you're building something and wondering how to do it without losing yourself, or if you're a creative caught between vision and survival, this one is for you.Joining me today on The MOOD Podcast is Shane Vitaly, the rebellious design...
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Episode 86
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1:08:02
What Happens When Architecture Meets the Camera? - Stephen Karlisch, E094
"My photographs don't grow up dreaming of being pixels."What does it mean to make timeless work in a digital world obsessed with speed, algorithms, and saturation? In this episode, we explore the philosophy an...
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1:08:23
The Performance Trap and Creative Amnesia - Moments of Mood, 2.7
That familiar question we all dread - "So, what do you do?" - is more than small talk. It's a sorting mechanism that triggers our instinct to perform rather than connect. We scramble to sound impressive, to land in the 'interesting' pile, polis...
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18:37
Searching for Lost Color: Jake Paul White, E093
"I was one of those kids who really struggled at school... creativity was my saviour."Jake Paul White is a British painter whose earthy, soulful work explores the space between the natural world and the emotional self. Us...
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1:06:12
How I’d Learn Photography in 2025 (If I Were Starting from Scratch) - Moments of Mood, 2.6
Welcome back to another episode of Moments of Mood, and this week I break down how I would actually learn photography if I were starting over today. Not from theory — from experience. I reflect on my own path, critique ...
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14:51
If You Feel Blocked Creatively, This Might Be Why: Ryan Moresby-White, EO92
"If you're not waking up excited about your path, it might be time to ask different questions."Ryan Moresby-White explores how unresolved childhood wounds shape our creative expression and why healing our nervous system u...
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1:11:52
The number one reason you can't find your voice as an artist, and how I found mine - Moments of Mood, 2.5
In this special episode of Moments of Mood, I’m sharing my keynote speech from the Global Possibilities Summit, where I spoke on a topic close to my heart: How to Find Your Voice as an Artist. This is the story of how cancer, depres...
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24:44
