In this special extended episode, I spend the day with my good friend, documentary photographer Giles Penfound, once the head of photography for the British Army, now a passionate ambassador for the slower, more intentional world of film photography.

We’re in the darkroom together, where Giles takes the film I shot recently in India and brings it to life. If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on in that red-lit sanctuary, or what it means to wait, to watch, and to witness an image slowly emerge from nothing, this one’s for you.

Even if you’ve never stepped into a darkroom, there’s something in this about patience, process, and friendship that I hope might just land with you.

It’s part workshop, part fireside chat, and at times it gets deeply personal. Over a cooked breakfast in a feature I call In the Fryer, I ask Giles some tougher questions, the kind you only ask a friend you trust, and the kind that lead to answers you don’t always expect.

This is a story about time and about why film photography, with all its waiting and wonder, still has something powerful to teach us in a world that wants everything now.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to Arthelper and LOWA who sponsor this show, plus our Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.