Finding Faces in the Rocks, with John Paul Caponigro and Joel Simpson

2025-09-11

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“If you look very intensely and slowly things will happen that you never dreamed of before.” This Aaron Siskind quote neatly sums up the deeply contemplative discussion we had with landscape photographers John Paul Caponigro and Joel Simpson in this week’s podcast. Siskind’s name is mentioned several times in our chat—as are many other 20th century photography legends—making this show both an exploration of photo history and an exercise in a holistic way to envision and record the world around us. Our focus on landscape quickly diverges from realistic depictions ...

Siskind’s name is mentioned several times in our chat—as are many other 20th century photography legends—making this show both an exploration of photo history and an exercise in a holistic way to envision and record the world around us.

Our focus on landscape quickly diverges from realistic depictions in favor of terrain that celebrates abstraction and metaphor. Follow along as we unpack the unwieldy term Pareiolia—the tendency to see familiar things in otherwise random patterns—and discover unique pathways to relate to the natural world.

As John Paul Caponigro aptly points out, “I think of every exposure that I make as having a conversation with the subject and myself. I think of every move that I make in Photoshop as having a conversation with the image that started one way and is developing in another. And I ask, you know, what does the image want?”

Guests:

John Paul Caponigro & Joel Simpson

Episode Timeline:

3:30: Joel Simpson describes his early landscapes as a way to re-experience being elsewhere.
9:24: Pareidolia: what it means and its relationship to Joel’s photographs.
13:24: John Paul’s relationship to the term pareidolia: a way to find patterns and make sense out of chaos.
19:12: The influence of Gestalt psychology when interpreting abstract patterns and photographing the bare bones of the earth.
24:55: Differences between making pictures with the aid of pre-visualization vs going in empty and refining ones’ vision in post using digital tools. Plus insights about getting beyond the imitation phase to find a path to originality in your work.
35:58: How do you know when your unique vision from the pictures you make are ready to be released into the world?

42:12: Episode Break

43:24: John Paul’s approach to post-processing—using the tools as a laboratory to make multiple iterations.
47:00: Joel describes the discoveries he made when finessing photos of a wonderous landscape from Zhangjiajie, China.
50:21: How does AI factor into crafting an authentic vision, plus the mind as the original AI.
1:03:18: Using photography to tap into things that haven’t yet been discovered and elicit a sense of wonder from viewers’ responses.
1:06:50: Joel and John Paul talk about the places that inspire their respective photographic projects.

Guest Bios:

John Paul Caponigro is a digital media pioneer, combining his painting background with a variety of photographic processes using the latest in digital technology. His work is about the perception of nature and the nature of perception. Widely respected as an authority on creativity, photography, and fine art printing, John Paul’s images and writings are widely published in periodicals and books, and he’s been a contributing editor to a variety of magazines and websites. He’s also author of the video training series R/Evolution and the book “Adobe Photoshop Master Class,” now in its second edition. As a highly sought-after speaker and educator, John Paul has presented lectures and workshops around the globe. His art has been exhibited internationally, and his prints are housed in numerous public and private collections. Select clients include Adobe, Apple, Canon, Kodak, and Sony, and he is a member of the Photoshop Hall of Fame, Epson’s Stylus Pros, and X-Rite’s Coloratti.

Joel Simpson began making pictures as a teen in the 1960s, turning pro in 2002. Since that time, he’s had more than 50 exhibitions in the US and abroad. His work has also been widely published and received numerous awards, including a Nautilus Gold Award for Art and Photography for his 2019 book Earthforms: Intimate Portraits of our Planet. His new book, Faces in the Rocks: Beyond Landscape to Psycho-Geological Photography, organizes his discoveries about the aesthetics of abstract and figurative forms in the earth, concluding with a tongue-in-cheek collection of imagined extra-terrestrial landscapes and future cityscapes. In addition to his career in photography, Simpson holds a PhD in comparative literature, and spent 22 years as a professional jazz pianist. He lives in Union, New Jersey.

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