The recording of the presentation from David W.Shaw titled “The Concept of Flow” given to the Focus Camera Club on January 14, 2026.
Apologies for having David E. Shaw in the title slide of the video instead of David W. .Our video editor obviously fat-fingered it since the letters are right next to each other on the Keyboard.
Program Description
Creative photography is not about gadgets, light, or jiggling your camera a certain way — it’s about how we decide to see the world. In this talk, professional outdoor photographer David Shaw will discuss the science and art of creative photography, how to find a productive flow, and use it to improve your image-making.
David Shaw is a professional outdoor photographer, workshop leader, and wilderness guide. His images and articles have appeared in hundreds of photography, conservation, and science publications all over the world. With both an undergraduate and masters degree in wildlife biology, Dave is a strong believer that a strong understanding of the subject matter will lead to better images. After 23 years of living in an off-grid cabin in interior Alaska he now resides with his partner, Amy, in Salida, Colorado. You can check out more of Dave’s work and learn about his series of popular photography workshops here: www.explore.david-w-shaw.com
Timestamps
0:00 Club News and Intros, 13:30 Flow and Creativity, 14:55 Reality check, 16:40 Creativity defined, 18:27 Obstacles to Creativity, 20:25 Selective Attention, 23:58 Repetition Suppression, 25:14 I missed that/Tunnel Vision, 27:05 I’ve already seen that/Habitual Seeing, 28:24 How do we fight back Brain System 1, 29:41 Brain System 2, 30:31 The Key to Creativity happens thru Mastery, 33:40 Flow is a complete immersion in an activity or task, 36:51 Your Brain during a flow state, 39:25 What to do while out in the field, 47:35 Paul Nicklen’s 20-60-20 rule and some examples from David, 52:46 Resources
53:44 Outro and David’s trips, 55:18 Q & A