Ted Forbes – Discovering a Visual Voice Through Practice, Passion, and Photographic Language | Episode #231

Photography is about what you leave out just as much as what you include.

Ted Forbes

You can also listen to this episode with Ted on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Castbox, and Google Podcast

Join a global network of photographers and interact with the host, Perrin, gain access to monthly photo contests, discover daily inspiration, and much more!

Interested in contributing? Visit our Supporter page to find out more.

Long before the YouTube channel, the book, or the global audience, Ted Forbes was just trying to figure out video. At the time, he had a day job at the Dallas Museum of Art and a camcorder from Circuit City, and he needed a way to get better at filming. So, he started a weekend photography podcast, not because he had a grand plan, but because he wanted a space to experiment.

It was this side project that turned into something much bigger. Over the subsequent years, Ted’s ability to break down complex ideas and connect the dots between photography, music, and visual storytelling has built a loyal following. His new book, Visually Speaking, continues that mission, in the sense that it’s less about the camera settings and more about how to think like a photographer.

In this episode, Ted talks about how music composition helped shape his approach to images, what it means to truly “practice” photography. He also shares thoughts on gear, finding your visual voice, and how sometimes the best work comes from doing more with less.

Ted also opens up about the years it took to turn YouTube into a career, the decision to stick with one lens for two years, and the surprising lessons he’s learned from photographing dancers, sculptors, and even sumo wrestlers (or at least, trying to).

Here’s some of what we get into:

• The early experiments that led to a full-time creative life
  
• Why photography is a subtractive art and how that changes the way you compose
  
• How musical training influenced Ted’s ideas about rhythm, tension, and timing
  
• What photographers can learn from musicians about deliberate practice
  
• Tips for staying creative when everything feels oversaturated and algorithm-driven

Ted brings a grounded approach to the conversation as equal parts teacher, artist, and curious human. If you’re deep into your photography journey or just picking up your first camera, there’s something in this episode for you. Enjoy!

Q: You studied music, right? How does that background influence the way you approach photography?

Ted: I have a degree in music composition, and that’s shaped how I think about photography in big ways. There are so many parallels between the two. Music is a language, and I’ve come to think of photography that way, too. It’s not about just taking a pretty picture; it’s about saying something. In music, you can play scales all day, but if you don’t use them to express something, it doesn’t mean much. It’s the same with photography technique, which is a foundation, not the end goal.

Q: The book is called Visually Speaking. What do you mean by that- photography as a language?

Ted: Photography is a language. And like any language, you have to learn how to use it. You learn vocabulary, grammar, and structure, and eventually you develop fluency. But you also develop a voice, which is different. It’s how you choose to use the language. That’s where the creative expression comes in. My goal with the book was to help people start thinking about photography that way, not just technically, but expressively.

Q: What would you say to photographers who feel stuck creatively?

Ted: I’d say get out and shoot, but do it with intention. Change something. Switch your lens, your subject, your location-whatever it takes to make you see differently. And honestly, even just going for a walk without a camera can help. Sometimes we get so bogged down in trying to make the “perfect” image that we stop being curious. Curiosity is what keeps you moving forward. You’ve got to stay curious.

🔗 Connect with Ted

🎥 YouTube – The Art of Photography

📸 Instagram – @tedforbes

📘 Get the Book – Visually Speaking

🌐 Website – The Art of Photography

What We Talked About

🎼 Music, Museums & Finding a Voice

• Before photography, Ted was knee-deep in music composition, and that background shaped how he thinks about images, rhythm, and structure.
  
• Got started experimenting with photo and video while working at the Dallas Museum of Art Bought a little camcorder from Circuit City (RIP) and started making videos-just to learn.
  
• That weekend hobby became The Art of Photography, now one of the most thoughtful photography channels out there.

📖 Photography as Language

• Ted doesn’t just teach exposure and settings; he’s all about helping you find your visual voice.
  
• In his book, Visually Speaking, he makes the case that photography is a language, and like any language, it takes practice, fluency, and eventually, personal expression.
  
• Think: less “rules of thirds,” more “how do I say something with this frame?”

📷 Inside His Process

• Spent two years shooting with just one lens (a 50mm) to push himself creatively.
  
• Sees photography as subtractive: you’re not adding things, you’re carving away what doesn’t belong.
  
• Gets ideas from all over the place: jazz, dance, and even watching sumo wrestling.
  
• Loves constraints. Gear doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you use it.

🔁 Gear, Tools & Teaching Style

• Shoots both digital and film, but he’s not fussy; his setups are refreshingly simple.
  
• Not big on over-editing-he wants the image to stand on its own.
  
• On YouTube, he goes deep on topics like photobooks and intention in image-making.
  
• Encourages people to use the gear they already have and focus on seeing better, not buying more.

🌍 Inspiration & Influences

• Major influences:
  
  • Henri Cartier-Bresson – master of the decisive moment
    
  • Saul Leiter – painterly color and quiet street scenes
    
  • Daido Moriyama – raw, gritty, experimental work from postwar Japan
    
• Big believer in photo books, the physicality, the long-form stories, the tactile experience
  
• Has taught workshops around the world, always circling back to one question: What are you trying to say with your images?

🔮 What’s Next for Ted

• Working on new ways to expand Visually Speaking into more formats, maybe even courses or talks
  
• Exploring how emerging tech (yes, including AI) intersects with creativity and authorship
  
• Continuing to grow his platform as a resource for photographers who want to go deeper
  
• And always encouraging people to create more, consume less