# 175 - Art Comes From the Soul: Analog, AI, and Authentic Portraits

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nerdy-photographer-podcast-1150322/175-art-comes-from-the-soul-analog-ai-and-authentic-portraits
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nerdy-photographer-podcast-1150322/175-art-comes-from-the-soul-analog-ai-and-authentic-portraits.md
Podcast: [The Nerdy Photographer Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nerdy-photographer-podcast-1150322)
Published: 2026-07-09T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://nerdyphotographer.libsyn.com/175-art-comes-from-the-soul-analog-ai-and-authentic-portraits
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/nerdyphotographer/Nerdy-Photographer-Podcast-175-craig-fleming.mp3?dest-id=780545
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-nerdy-photographer-podcast-1150322/episodes/175-art-comes-from-the-soul-analog-ai-and-authentic-portraits
Duration seconds: 5255

## Resource

Portrait photographer Craig Fleming has spent decades navigating the space between film and digital, celebrity commissions and working-class subjects, polish and truth. In this episode of The Nerdy Photographer Podcast , Craig joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his process, his philosophy, and two ongoing personal projects — Quiet Men and Circus — that are reshaping how he thinks about legacy and the purpose of his work. We get into what it really means to balance film and digital photography, why Craig thinks returning to medium format gave him integrity back as a photographer — and made him better at digital. We talk about his strong feelings on AI and what it's taking from photographers and creatives. Craig also shares what he believes is the single most important element of a great portrait — and it has nothing to do with your camera. Episode Promos Siteground Web Hosting - https://siteground.com/go/nerdy Stylecloud Website Templates - https://stylecloud.co/ref/380/ Luminar NEO Photo Editing Software - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/luminar Support The Nerdy Photographer Sign Up for The Power Up - https://nerdyphotographer.com/newsletter Get some artwork from the print shop - https://art.caseyfphoto.com Buy some Nerdy Photographer Merch - https://nerdyphoto.dashery.com Use our link to buy new gear from Adorama - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/adorama Use our link to buy used gear from KEH - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/keh Follow along with us on social media @thenerdyphoto About My Guest "Portrait photographer. Stuck in the mid 20th Century." You can find Craig's workshops — in London, Rotterdam, and Venice — at https://craigfleming.net , and follow his ongoing projects on Instagram at https://instagram.com/craigflemingp…

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