# The Photographer The New York Times Keeps Calling: Erik Tanner & The Art of Photography

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-genius-of-design-7710439/the-photographer-the-new-york-times-keeps-calling-erik-tanner-the-art-of-photography
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-genius-of-design-7710439/the-photographer-the-new-york-times-keeps-calling-erik-tanner-the-art-of-photography.md
Podcast: [The Genius Of Design](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-genius-of-design-7710439)
Published: 2026-05-28T13:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e41435b43d18b8f98b646ec29a8362f5a7b710a3eca985b2668226325680b572/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJlMWY3ZDZjYi05MjhiLTQyZjgtYmMxMC04MmFiZDdkMjIxM2MiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI0MzdhYTJkYi0yMjA1LTQwZTktYjQ1Ny03OTJlY2MzMjBmNTAiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2ODRmNzAzNDkyYzFlZWZiNzkxZWRhODQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEwYmI0YTc4OTk0ZDRmN2JmYzQyOTJlL291c21hbi1kcy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi01LTE5X18yLTUzLTU5Lm1wMyJ9.mp3
Audio file: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e41435b43d18b8f98b646ec29a8362f5a7b710a3eca985b2668226325680b572/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJlMWY3ZDZjYi05MjhiLTQyZjgtYmMxMC04MmFiZDdkMjIxM2MiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI0MzdhYTJkYi0yMjA1LTQwZTktYjQ1Ny03OTJlY2MzMjBmNTAiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2ODRmNzAzNDkyYzFlZWZiNzkxZWRhODQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEwYmI0YTc4OTk0ZDRmN2JmYzQyOTJlL291c21hbi1kcy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi01LTE5X18yLTUzLTU5Lm1wMyJ9.mp3
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Duration seconds: 5229

## Resource

Erik Tanner has photographed Lizzo, Robert Downey Jr., Roger Deakins, Josh Brolin, and the NBA. Rolling Stone keeps calling. So does the Wall Street Journal. So does the New York Times. But Erik will be the first to tell you he's an introvert who isn't sure he belongs in the room — and that tension is exactly what makes his work extraordinary. In this episode, we get into what it actually takes to walk onto a set with one of the most recognized faces on the planet and still make the image yours. Erik breaks down his pre-shoot research process, why he keeps a notebook full of ideas with no home yet, and how a PR person dynamiting a concept ten minutes before a Josh Brolin shoot led to something better than what he'd planned. We talk about the Georgian Prometheus myth that became a photograph on an abandoned Soviet airfield. We talk about why reference isn't imitation — it's language. We talk about the "mental board of directors" every serious creator is quietly assembling whether they know it or not. And we get into what Erik thinks AI will do to image-making, and why he's still showing up to his Bed-Stuy studio either way. If you've ever wondered what separates someone who makes technically correct images from someone who makes images that stay with you — this is that conversation.

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## Transcript

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