Beyond The Lens with Richard Bernabe

Scott Wilson is a Denver-based conservation photographer and photo advocate for America's wild mustangs. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, he spent over twenty years as a landscape photographer and corporate communications executive before a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis changed the course of his life. Sunlight restrictions during chemotherapy pushed him to photograph wildlife from the shade of his car, and that habit led him to Colorado's Sand Wash Basin, where an encounter with a wild pinto stallion named Picasso set him on an entirely new path.
What began as an artistic pursuit became an advocacy mission once Wilson witnessed the toll of a federal roundup on the herd he'd come to know. He is an independent conservation photographer and contributor to the We Animals photojournalism agency and Skydog Sanctuary. His black and white portrait "Anger Management" won Open Photographer of the Year at the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards, and his work has appeared in the BBC, the Daily Telegraph, and international galleries. In this conversation, Scott talks about the moment his lens turned from landscapes to advocacy, what he's learned photographing wild horses in their final free spaces, and why he believes the fight for their survival is really a fight for freedom itself.
Notable Links:

Scott Wilson Website
Scott Wilson Instagram
Image: Adonis
Image: Picasso
Image: Anger Management
Image: Wild Unfree
Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary
Photo Advocacy
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**MUENCH WORKSHOPS GIVEAWAY** Win a free workshop with me to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico in January, 2027. Application is free! CLICK HERE to learn more.
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This episode is brought to you by Kase Revolution Plus Filters. I travel the world with my camera, and I can use any photography filters I like, and I’ve tried all of them, but in recent years I’ve landed on Kase Filters.

Kase filters are made with premium materials, HD optical glass, shockproof, Ultra-Low Reflectivity, zero color cast, round and square filter designs, magnetic systems, filter holders, adapters, step-up rings, and everything I need so I never miss a moment.
And now, my listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Kase Filters, Capture with Confidence.

Follow Richard Bernabe:
Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

Living on Mars with National Geographic Explorer and Photographer, MacKenzie Calle.
Mackenzie Calle is a photographer and National Geographic Explorer based in Brooklyn. Her work has been recognized by institutions that include World Press Photo, Magnum Foundation, and the Sony World Photography Awards.  She’s a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Cinema Studies and was awarded the Director’s Fellowship to attend ICP’s Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program. 
Prior to her photography career, she was a Photo Producer at NBCUniversal across networks that include NBC, MSNBC, and Bravo. Clients include National Geographic, NBCUniversal, The Washington Post, GAYLETTER, Discovery, Versant, The Wall Street Journal, and Flair Airlines.
Richard and MacKenzie talk about doing photography, living, and traveling to Mars, the July 2026 National Geographic cover photo, and the World's Biggest Analog, funded and made possible by the National Geographic Society.
Notable Links:

MacKenzie Calle Website
MacKenzie Calle Instagram
The World's Biggest Analog
MacKenzie's TEDx Talk
National Geographic July 2026 Issue
National Geographic Society
*****
**MUENCH WORKSHOPS GIVEAWAY** Win a free workshop with me to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico in January, 2027. Application is free! CLICK HERE to learn more.
*****
This episode is brought to you by Kase Revolution Plus Filters. I travel the world with my camera, and I can use any photography filters I like, and I’ve tried all of them, but in recent years I’ve landed on Kase Filters.

Kase filters are made with premium materials, HD optical glass, shockproof, Ultra-Low Reflectivity, zero color cast, round and square filter designs, magnetic systems, filter holders, adapters, step-up rings, and everything I need so I never miss a moment.
And now, my listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Kase Filters, Capture with Confidence.
Follow Richard Bernabe:
Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

Photographer Art Wolfe on Acts of Faith, Religion, Culture, and Celebrations of Humanity Through Photography.
Art Wolfe is an American photographer and conservationist, internationally known for color images of landscapes, wildlife, and native cultures. He's photographed wildlife, scenes, and people on every continent.
Wolfe has published more than 120 books over his 50-year career including Vanishing Act, The High Himalaya, Water: Worlds between Heaven & Earth, Tribes, Rainforests of the World, and The Art of Photographing Nature. His newest book, Acts of Faith, will be released in October, 2026.
Notable Links:

Art Wolfe Website
Art Wolfe Instagram
Order Art's new book,  'Acts of Faith'
*****
**MUENCH WORKSHOPS GIVEAWAY** Win a free workshop with me to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico in January, 2027. Application is free! CLICK HERE to learn more.
*****
This episode is brought to you by Kase Revolution Plus Filters. I travel the world with my camera, and I can use any photography filters I like, and I’ve tried all of them, but in recent years I’ve landed on Kase Filters.

Kase filters are made with premium materials, HD optical glass, shockproof, Ultra-Low Reflectivity, zero color cast, round and square filter designs, magnetic systems, filter holders, adapters, step-up rings, and everything I need so I never miss a moment.
And now, my listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Kase Filters, Capture with Confidence.
Follow Richard Bernabe:
Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

Books That Matter for Photographers: Elizabeth Gilbert's ‘Big Magic' — Recalibrating Your Relationship with Fear While Living a Bold, Creative Life.
Fresh off a month in Botswana, Richard tackles Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert for the 'Books That Matter' series, and makes the case that fear isn't the enemy of creativity: it's a necessary ingredient. Seneca, mall cops, perfectionism, and why fear is just plain boring, all in service of one idea: stop waiting to feel ready and make the next frame anyway.
Big Magic (2015) is Elizabeth Gilbert's book on creativity and fear, arguing the two aren't opposites but constant companions, so the goal isn't to eliminate fear but to keep it out of the driver's seat. Organized loosely around courage, permission, persistence, trust, and letting go of perfectionism.
Notable Links:

Big Magic
Elizabeth Gilbert Website
Books That Matter: Episode 106 — Stephen Pressfield and 'The War of Art'
Books That Matter: Episode 114 — John Szarcowski and 'The Photographer's Eye'
*****
**MUENCH WORKSHOPS GIVEAWAY** Win a free workshop with me to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico in January, 2027. Application is free! CLICK HERE to learn more.
Follow Richard Bernabe:
Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

National Geographic Photographer, Anand Varma on Zombie Parasites, Wonder, Mystery, and Photographic Problem Solving.
Anand Varma is a National Geographic Explorer and photographer based in Berkeley, California. He has devoted years of his life to developing innovative and creative techniques to create intimate, dramatic and surprising images of nature most people never see. He earned a degree in integrative biology from University of California and he's become a photographic regular contributor to National Geographic.
Anand's ultimate goal is to spark a sense of wonder about our natural world. He highlights creatures whose incredible details typically go unseen, and discovers new stories behind the science along the way.
Notable Links:

Anand Varma Website
Wonderlab
Invisible Wonders by Anand Varma
TED Talk: The First 21 Days of a Bee's Life

*****
**MUENCH WORKSHOPS GIVEAWAY** Win a free workshop with me to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico in January, 2027. Application is free! CLICK HERE to learn more.
National Geographic Museum of Exploration - Discovery begins here.
Kase Filters - My listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10 
Follow Richard Bernabe:
Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto