The Future Is Now with Dave Krugman

10/23/2026

Dave Krugman grew up on the edge of the Internet. Emerging from college into the first wave of Instagram, he became an OG of that platform before going on to found ALLSHIPS, a culture company with a mission to prove that a creative life is possible.

Above Photograph © Dave Krugman

In this week’s podcast, Dave joins Derek for a wide-ranging chat that includes insights into how Instagram shattered the magazine paradigm, giving photographers greater sovereignty as artists. He also draws parallels between the public’s current fear of AI and early skepticism toward platforms like Instagram.

Sunset over New York after a Rainstorm
Sunset over New York after a Rainstorm
Blue Hour from the Empire State Building roof
Blue Hour from the Empire State Building roof
Shoot for Japanese Tourism board
Shoot for Japanese Tourism board
Candid photograph of a stranger behind glass in a rain storm
Candid photograph of a stranger behind glass in a rain storm
EMBER, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
EMBER, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
WRAITH, from the SPECTERS collection
WRAITH, from the SPECTERS collection
APPARITION, from the SPECTERS collection
APPARITION, from the SPECTERS collection
Nexus, a photograph from the collection New York Noir
Nexus, a photograph from the collection New York Noir
VAPOR, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
VAPOR, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
REVENANT, from the SPECTERS collection
REVENANT, from the SPECTERS collection
SPIRIT, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
SPIRIT, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
SHADE, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
SHADE, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
The SPECTERS Collection
The SPECTERS Collection
HAVEN, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
HAVEN, from the NIGHTMOVES collection
Shoot for Taiwan Tourism board
Shoot for Taiwan Tourism board
Shoot for Japanese Tourism board
Shoot for Japanese Tourism board
Dave Krugman

Looking beyond the debate of whether AI-generated imagery will eat into the market for creative photography, Dave points to the many ways in which AI helps him to seamlessly communicate with his network and impress clients.

From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
From the DRIP DROP Collection
Dave Krugman

However, this episode is ultimately about the creative process, and the connections Dave makes related to projects such as his viral “Windows” collection really packs a punch.

Beam Walker, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
Beam Walker, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
In Sunlight and Shadow, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
In Sunlight and Shadow, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
Lightfall, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
Lightfall, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
From the CHIAROSCURO collection
From the CHIAROSCURO collection
Shadow Dancers, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
Shadow Dancers, from the CHIAROSCURO collection
Chevrolet El Camino (5th Gen), Token #023 from the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
Chevrolet El Camino (5th Gen), Token #023 from the DRIVE // LAP 1…
Chevrolet Fleetline (2nd Gen), Token #022 from the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
Chevrolet Fleetline (2nd Gen), Token #022 from the DRIVE // LAP 1…
Chevrolet Bel Air (2nd Gen), Token #024 from the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
Chevrolet Bel Air (2nd Gen), Token #024 from the DRIVE // LAP 1…
Chevrolet Bel Air (Second Gen, Two-Door Hardtop Sport Coupe), Token #028 from the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
Chevrolet Bel Air (Second Gen, Two-Door Hardtop Sport Coupe), Token …
GARAGE, From the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
GARAGE, From the DRIVE // LAP 1 Collection
Dave Krugman

“More people cared about this than anything else I’ve done so far,” he notes. “…But there’s nothing unique about me, I’m just another person trying things, and everyone out there, you are too … And as technology evolves, it recombines with every other technology, and new things become possible that have not been tried before. And so, I just encourage people, like, Go for it, just go for it.”

From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
From the Windows//NYC Collection
Dave Krugman in the podcast studio with host Derek Fahsbender, photo © Grace Massara.
Dave Krugman in the podcast studio with host Derek Fahsbender, photo ©…
Dave Krugman portrait, photo © Derek Fahsbender.
Dave Krugman portrait, photo © Derek Fahsbender.
Photos © Dave Krugman, except where otherwise indicated in captions

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format.

Guest: Dave Krugman

Episode Timeline

  • 0:00: Dave Krugman at the forefront of technology.
  • 1:44: Emerging from college into the first wave of Instagram.
  • 3:17: From growing up on the edge of the Internet to becoming a retoucher for Annie Leibovitz.
  • 6:15: Dave discovers sponsored Instagram posts & the possibility of building your own distribution network.
  • 7:07: How Instagram shattered the magazine paradigm.
  • 8:54: Repeating the Instagram pathway in the current AI scenario.
  • 13:50: Where is Instagram at in its current life cycle? Every tool is also a weapon.
  • 17:26: The future is now, and it accelerates in front of us.
  • 18:26: How technology allows you to build your own platform on sovereign ground.
  • 20:07: Dave on using AI to stay organized and create a custom branded calendar for client meetings.
  • 24:38: Will generated imagery eat into the market for creative photography?
  • 30:10: The evolution of the Internet, controlling the algorithms, and targeting your lizard brain.
  • 33:18: Community building and establishing the culture company ALLSHIPS.
  • 37:38: The underlying thesis of evolutionary psychology: We are a product of our environment of evolution.
  • 39:58: Applying evolutionary psychology to network theory within computing networks.
  • 41:59: How do you increase the size and influence of your node within your network?
  • 51:18: Dave on the photos he makes, working with typologies and pattern recognition.
  • 55:06: Dave’s Drive project and the creative behavior behind it.
  • 59:12: Using technology to create systems that haven’t existed before … there is an infinite fertile ground in front of everyone, so just do it!

Guest Bio

Dave Krugman is a New York based photographer, and the founder of ALLSHIPS, a creative community based on the idea that a rising tide raises all ships. His photography is a study of humanity's intersection with cities and how people are influenced by their immediate environment. Through his environmental portraiture and candid street photography he works to reveal the beauty at confluences of circumstance. For daily updates, follow his Instagram account, and for longer editorial coverage, his photo essays.

Host: Derek Fahsbender
Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
Technical Producer: Peter Maziarz
Editor:Dave Moncion
Social Media: Grace Massara
Music: Gabriel Richards
Executive Producer: Dana Glidden