S2, Ep 2. The Beauty In “The Wait”: Manning Sumner and Stephen Wilkes

The Big Dawgs

In this episode of The Big Dawgs podcast, Manning Sumner sits down with the revolutionary changemaker Stephen Wilkes—an accomplished photographer, photojournalist, director, and fine artist renowned for his groundbreaking project that started in 2009: Day to Night. With two Ted Talks dedicated to this world-changing series, Stephen shares his unique process of capturing a location over 24-36 hours, weaving the images into a single comprehensive photograph. His extensive portfolio includes impactful collaborations with major brands such as Netflix’s Stranger Things, Nike, and editorial giants like the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and National Geographic. As an honorary National Geographic Explorer, Stephen’s mission is to inspire others by sharing the profound moments and messages he captures through his lens, as well as what he witnesses and experiences, giving people a journey on what it is like to walk in his shoes during his one-of-a-kind photographic shoots.

Whether you're a creative, an athlete, a business professional, or someone seeking to be inspired, this episode will CHANGE the way you look at the world. In this podcast episode, the two of them talk about Stephen Wilkes’s journey and unique process as an artist, where they unravel the beauty in waiting for something to happen, being present, and the crucial elements of resilience, consistency, work ethic, and timing in order to bring an idea to LIFE. The conversation extends to the interconnected relationship between art and science, the transformative power and experience of being in the creative “zone”, and the shared pursuit of pushing creative boundaries. They also share their experience collaborating on the project for NDO H2O’s Water Dog, reflecting on the outcome and highlighting the importance of working with people who BELIEVE in the same vision as you to help execute it.