The Soul of Photography - Why the change.

And you might ask yourself, well, how did I get here?

“Wait a minute, when did I subscribe to this? I don’t remember signing up for this.” Well, the truth is, you didn’t. You subscribed to a newsletter called The Scatterbrain Manifesto. And yet, here you are.

So, what happened?

Well, over the last few months, things shifted for me. Maybe you noticed I haven’t posted anything under The Scatterbrain Manifesto for a while. That’s because I’ve been in the middle of a transformation. I’ve been rethinking what I really want to write about and what I want to share with you. It wasn’t just a case of “writer’s block” or “losing focus” — in fact, quite the opposite.

I found a new focus, or maybe it found me. A focus on the thing I’ve loved for as long as I can remember: photography.

Photography has always been the greatest love of my working life, but I wasn’t giving it enough space in the newsletter or in my mind. Now that’s changing. The Soul of Photography is my way of blending my passion for photography with my ongoing obsession with creativity, focus, and productivity — the core themes that originally drove The Scatterbrain Manifesto.

At first glance, these might seem like two completely different subjects, but stay with me. The Scatterbrain Manifesto was all about how to overcome problems like distraction, lack of focus, and finding clarity in a chaotic world. Well, The Soul of Photography is about how photography — especially photography as art — can help us do exactly that.

Photography is more than just taking pretty pictures. It’s a tool for seeing the world in new ways. It can sharpen your focus, expand your perspective, and create a deeper connection to the present moment. It’s a way of teaching your brain to notice the things you’d otherwise miss. When you look at a photograph, whether you’re the one who took it or not, you’re experiencing a moment frozen in time. You’re invited to stop, to breathe, to observe.

And in that observation, you begin to see more clearly — not just what’s in the frame, but what’s outside it. The distractions start to melt away, the noise of the day fades, and you find yourself immersed in the now. This is the essence of focus. This is why photography matters.

In The Soul of Photography, I’m not just going to talk about shutter speeds or camera gear. I’m going to explore how photography can be a tool for mindfulness, creativity, and productivity. How the act of looking through a lens can teach you to see more clearly in your everyday life. How filling your walls with photographs that inspire you can impact your mood, your workspace, and ultimately, your ability to concentrate and create.

This shift isn’t just about me, it’s about you too. If you stuck around for The Scatterbrain Manifesto because you were interested in finding better ways to focus and navigate your creative work, I think you’ll find that The Soul of Photography is still very much in line with that mission — just through a different lens (literally and figuratively).

So, why should you stick with me on this new path? Because photography is not just about the image, it’s about seeing differently. It’s about learning to pay attention to the details that matter, and letting go of the noise that doesn’t. That’s something we all need, whether we’re taking pictures or not.

Thanks for being here. I hope you’ll continue this journey with me, as we discover together what it means to see, to focus, and to create with intention. But if not then thanks for listening and have luck in everything that you do, maybe our paths will cross again someday.

So for now let’s look a little closer at the world, and maybe, in the process, find a clearer way of seeing ourselves.

— Your Scatterbrain-turned-Photographer-in-Chief

Matthew Bingham