Guest author Kale Friesen joins us today to share something I think everyone will love. It's an invaluable list of podcasts that span multiple genres, from photographers, arts, to history and more!

Podcasts will keep your brain learning while you are staring at photographs all day

I’m Kale Friesen. I’m a fashion and beauty photographer based in New York City. I spend a ridiculous amount of time on my computer and phone, be it at home, at the airport or at hotels. 

If you are a freelancer like me, or a person that spends a lot of solitary time working it can be mind numbing. I’ve listened to pretty much every one of the 5000 more songs in my music collection, binge watched every old episode of X-Files, and re-watched the Lord of the Rings series at least a dozen times. 

So I’m here to tell you instead of sitting in silence staring at your computer, feed your brain some podcasts !  

Even 4 or 5 years ago Podcasts were a relatively new thing for many people, but since then you can pretty much google any topic you want and there’s a podcast to tell you all about it. I even started my own, The Photographers Life Podcast last year, I’m speaking with a wide range of artists and professionals that use photography in one way or another to work and make art. Sadly, I’ve not been able to update in 6 months with a new episode ( on the to-do list for end of 2017 and into 2018 ), but check out the 6 episodes that are up right now.  

I’m someone that truly believes that knowledge is power and I’m always seeking new perspectives, interesting stories and more often than not, laughs. My list of podcast subscriptions is all over the place, just like my own interests. From Daoism to Rock and Roll history, podcasts have become an integral part of my work life and entertainment. Check out the different categories and list of my favourite podcasts. Share yours with me on Twitter @kalejfphoto, also check out my work at www.kalejf.com and Instagram @kalejfstudio. PS. A lot of these podcasts are NSFW and NOT for those who have no sense of humour or are easily offended. 

PODCASTS

Entertainment/ Comedy:

Comedy Bang Bang – Improv comedy hosted by Scott Aukerman from the tv show of the same name. 

Your Mom’s House Podcast – Stand up comedian’s Tom Segura and Christina Pazstizky. These two have no shame in talking about bodily functions and laughing at the bizarre world we live in. 

Duncan Trussell Family Hour – Stand up comedian and all around strange guy. His earliest shows have some of the best opening monologues I’ve ever heard. 

The Church of What’s Happening Now –Hosted by Comedian Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt. These two are not for the faint of heart, a lot of insane stories about drugs, comedy and music. 

WTF with Marc Maron – Stand up comedian a renowned interviewer with guests ranging from musicians to political figures.  

Spontaneanation – Sketch Comedy hosted by Paul F. Tomkins

The Joe Rogan Podcast – Not always my cup of tea but always interesting chats with a huge range of people from MMA fighters to Scientists. Some of the episodes are upwards of 3 hours long. 

History:

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – Long form engaging episodes covering some of history’s greatest figures. Dan has such a passion for history and it really comes through in his show. Highly recommend !  

Tides of History – Join PhD historian and host Patrick Wyman as he discusses how the tides of history have shaped up into the civilization that we are today.

BBC In Our Time , In our Time Philosophy – I find these super relaxing to listen to at night before bed or on the plane. Host Melvyn Bragg has a sublimely boring voice that lulls me to sleep. The topics are very diverse and his guests are some of the academic world’s foremost experts on many historical topics.  

Photography/Film and the Arts:

American Cinematographer Podcast – I’m a huge fan of cinema, and this show interviews some of cinemas greatest cinematographers. Covering, not only the technical but the artistic side of film making. Highly recommend for photographers and those interested in film making. The Wally Pfister episode is a masterclass on film making !  

The Cinematography Podcast – Interviews with cinematographers that work on all range of budget films. 

The Kodakery – Podcast sponsored by Kodak talking about all aspects of film photography and cinema. 

The Candid Frame – I know Ibarionex personally and he is not only an incredibly nice person but a photographer in the truest sense. The Candid Frame goes in depth when a huge range of photographers from all over the world, I even had the luck of being a guest a few years back. From the technical to the fun of it, The Candid Frame is another highly recommended podcast on my list. 

BBC Radio 3 Arts and Ideas - Great panel show with experts on all types of art and life history. From the pros and cons of Swearing to the Russian Revolution, a lot of very interesting topics in this show. 

Political

Chapo Trap House – A personal favourite for an often comedic look at the insanity of today’s political landscape. The New Yorker called them “The Dirtbag Left” enuff said.   

The Discourse Collective – Group of podcasts that discusses in depth, leftist theory, current events and culture.   

Story telling/True Crime:

Serial – From This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. One story unfolds over the course of an entire season. There’s only 2 seasons and I’m obsessed with this show. You’ll get through it quick and wish there was more. 

Criminal - Criminal Is A Podcast About Crime. Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.

S-Town From This American Life -  The story of, John, who despises his Alabama town, which he’s nicknamed “Shit Town”and the mystery surrounding his life. A personal favourite story. 

In The Dark- The first season of In the Dark looks at the case of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted in a small Minnesota town in October 1989. Over nine episodes, American Public Media reporter Madeleine Baran looks at the long-standing case that wasn’t solved until late 2016.

Music:

Let There Be Talk- Hosted by former musician now stand up comedian Dean Delray is a brilliant interview series focused on musicians, comedians and American cultural artisans. Dean is incredibly candid and manages to pull out amazing stories from his guests. 

The 5049 Podcast – Hosted by Jeremiah Cymerman, personal and poignant interviews with experimental musicians from all walks of life. 

Inspiration/ Motivation: 

The Tim Ferriss Show – Tim talks with a wide range of extremely successful individuals. Billionaire tech entrepreneurs to actors, Tim does a great job sharing the secrets of finding success not only in work but life. I don’t agree with all his guests definition of success but well worth the listen. 

The Tony Robbins Podcast – I’ve never attended any of Tony’s events nor subscribe to all his ideologies but there is definitely some very inspiring guests on this podcast that I’ve found helped me to push myself and envision my work and life in a much bigger picture.

Insomniacs:

I have a terrible time shutting off my brain at night and getting to sleep. Usually I’ll throw on BBC In our Time and lulled to sleep by a panel of people discussing the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.
 
I recently discovered the Game of Drones podcast, imagine the most boring teacher in school you could imagine but he or she’s rambling on for an hour about Game of Thrones, taking you on a coma inducing adventure. 

Well. I hope you guys enjoy this list. Happy listening !