Mark Power - 14 Years Photographing America, The Democracy of Photography & Why Stillness Matters More Than The Decisive Moment, E114
Podcast: The MOOD PodcastPublished On: Wed Apr 15 2026
Description: In this episode, Matt sits down with Magnum photographer Mark Power for a wide-ranging conversation about long-term documentary photography, creative process, and what it means to spend 14 years photographing America as a foreigner. Mark discusses the origins of his landmark five-volume series 'Good Morning, America', why he's drawn to photographing the ordinary and overlooked rather than the spectacular, and how a woman quietly crying at a Don McCullin exhibition changed the trajectory of his entire career. From nearly quitting photography to becoming one of the most respected members of Magnum Photos, Mark shares honest reflections on self-doubt, creative longevity, and the discipline of looking slowly in a fast world.Other things we discussed:Why photography is more democratic than painting and what that means for artists todayThe moment Mark's father finally validated his career, just before his deathHow the Postcards from America project at Magnum evolved into a decade-long obsessionWhy Mark believes the most exciting subjects make the worst photographsHis thoughts on the word "storytelling" and why he thinks it's lost all meaningThe stillness and silence he deliberately pursues in every imageWalking into a room of his heroes at Chico Review and expecting nobody to know his nameWhy he spends far more time looking at photographs than making themEditing and sequencing five books as a work in progress without knowing the endingWhat's next: photographing Brighton by bus pass and an ambitious new project in ChinaMessage me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!Support the showThank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more. The MOOD Insiders Communityhttps://www.mattjacob.co/insidersLearn with mehttps://mattjacob.co/learnMy Newsletterhttps://www.mattjacob.co/archiveWebsite:https://themoodpodcast.comSocials:IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay
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