Above Photograph © Chase Jarvis

We’ve all heard the saying “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” But do you know how this catch phrase ended up as a mantra of the mobile economy? In today’s show, we speak with Chase Jarvis, the man behind Best Camera—the wildly successful photo sharing app that predated Instagram—to get an inside look at his wild ride. 

A born entrepreneur and self-made photographer with a hunger that always worked against the grain, Chase’s meteoric rise in action sports/lifestyle photography dovetailed with the dawn of the sharing economy, leading him to a moonshot idea. The ensuing saga of Best Camera’s viral success, subsequent demise, and Chase’s quick pivot into his next visionary business model—Creative Live—is both a cautionary tale and a redemption story. All told, you’ll gain fascinating insights into the nexus of creative innovation and big business at the highest levels. 

When asked about his biggest take away from Best Camera given the benefit of hindsight, Chase doesn’t miss a beat, responding, “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Guest: Chase Jarvis

Episode Timeline:

3:44: How Chase’s mastery of sports and the gift of his grandfather’s camera gear led to a passion for teaching himself photography.

9:33: Channeling real-world examples from his grandfather and father into early pictures, along with library books about the masters’ and photographic techniques.

15:35: The development of Chase’s early entrepreneurial spirit and how his second-grade teacher stifled these efforts.

22:50: Bucking trends and connecting with the uniqueness you bring to your images as a creative style.

26:32: Embracing social media and the sharing community early on and the ability to see around the corner as an entrepreneur.

35:53: Chase’s fast track to commercial success, technological innovation, and developing the Best Camera App.

46:20: Episode Break

47:48: The lessons learned from the Best Camera failure and how Chase channeled these lessons into the success of the first livestreaming learning platform, Creative Live.

52:24: Making the pivot from the first live photo feed to building Creative Live as a way to answer questions the questions asked by a massive global audience. 

1:00:51: Creative Live’s pioneering approach to a freemium business model, plus offering access as a core company value.

1:05:29: The most popular offerings at Creative Live: the fundamentals, the business of classes, and the big name thought leaders.

1:12:38: Chase’s views on the current—and future—landscape in social media, creativity, and AI, plus advice for getting comfortable being uncomfortable. 

1:20:43: What success means to Chase, and the message in his recent book Never Play it Safe: A Practical Guide to Freedom, Creativity and a Life You Love.

Guest Bio: 

Chase Jarvis is an award-winning artist, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and one of the most influential photographers of the past 20 years, whose diverse portfolio spans from advertising campaigns for Apple, Nike, and Red Bull to collaborations with athletes like Serena Williams and icons such as Lady Gaga and Sir Richard Branson. As an early adopter of social media and the sharing economy, Chase created Best Camera (the first photo-sharing app) in 2009 and co-founded the online education platform CreativeLive in 2010. Chase has spoken on six continents and advised Fortune 100 companies, with invitations to both the Obama White House and Buckingham Palace. Based in Seattle with his wife Kate and their dog Bodhi, he hosts the widely successful Chase Jarvis LIVE podcast (over 50 million downloads) while serving on several nonprofit boards. 

Stay Connected: Chase Jarvis Website: https://chasejarvis.com/ Chase Jarvis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis Twitter: https://x.com/chasejarvis Chase Jarvis YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChaseJarvis Chase Jarvis Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Jarvis Chase Jarvis Best Camera App: https://chasejarvis.com/project/the-best-camera/ Chase Jarvis Creative Live: https://www.creativelive.com/instructor/chase-jarvis Chase Jarvis Never Play It Safe book: https://chasejarvis.com/never-play-it-safe/

End Credits:

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Photographers often react instinctively against artificial intelligence, typically focusing on controversial generative AI. Meanwhile, a different branch of AI technology—machine learning systems—has been making remarkable progress helping photographers manage overwhelming image workflows under tight deadlines.   In today's show, we explore this trending topic in a discussion with Justin Benson and Sam Hurd, both accomplished wedding photographers and tech entrepreneurs.   Justin begins by clarifying the distinction between machine learning and generative AI before taking us behind the scenes of Aftershoot, the workflow tool he co-founded. He highlights the key advantages of culling and editing images locally rather than using cloud-based alternatives.   We also explore the question of trusting automated workflows and discuss how aesthetics factor in, particularly since machine learning systems adapt to a photographer's culling and editing preferences over time.   Our conversation naturally addresses the ethical concerns surrounding AI. Sam's posing tool, Insight, uses generative AI to offer photographers fresh creative suggestions, but importantly, it trains exclusively on images from his own extensive collection. You'll hear about his journey developing this tool initially for personal use before scaling it as a service for others.   By the end, you'll have gained fresh perspective on how these AI-powered tools can enhance your current workflow, along with hearing some thought-provoking predictions about what the future may hold.

Guests: Sam Hurd & Justin Benson Episode Timeline:

3:34: Sam’s background in the creative arts complimented his love of technology in developing his photography career. 

7:26: Justin’s busy wedding workload and how his photography knowledge became an asset in developing an AI-powered culling & editing software.

9:35: Differentiating between machine learning and Generative AI, plus ethical concerns related to companies using cloud-based systems.

12:49: The influence of AI-related processes to a photographer’s creative output, plus the significance of the human element in generating new creative content.  

18:43: Factoring for aesthetics when it comes to AI-powered culling and editing software, plus how much to trust the process.

30:34: Implementing an AI-powered software program in a photographer’s overall workflow process, and reallocating time to details that really matter.

42:00: Episode Break

42:50: The backstory to Sam Hurd’s AI-powered posing tool Insight, plus why posing people is so hard.

54:59: Staying ahead of the curve with various AI-powered workflow tools, plus essential differences to Insight as a text-based service instead of an app.

1:02:57: How the increasing use of generative AI is causing a shift in assumptions about posting portrait pictures to the Internet.

1:07:30: Debating future advancements to AI technology, image generation at the pixel level, and comparing this to the shift from analog to digital.

1:12:23: The importance of the user community in making further advances to AI-powered software tools.

1:17:34: What’s next with AI, a real-world comparison to the original Blade Runner movie, plus the dynamic of scary vs cool.  

Guest Bios:

After starting as a political news and celebrity portraitist in Washington, DC., Sam Hurd was quickly drawn to wedding photography as a way to explore more inventive ideas. He focuses on deceptively simple photographic techniques with the potential to transform difficult or uninspiring environments into unique creative visions.  A hallmark of his work are several in-camera techniques he developed such as Prisming, Lens Chimping, Color Spreading, and his Ring of Fire effect for in-camera flare.

In addition to his long-held passion for photography and creative reinvention, Sam is equally skilled in information technology and computer science since majoring in this field during college. That background, combined with a belief that modern AI tools can offer new avenues for creative exploration when thoughtfully leveraged, has led Sam to build several services to assist and inspire photographers. These include Insight, which analyses images in real time, returning visual pose ideas based on the actual environment and subjects in front of the lens - an entirely new process for breaking through creative blocks while working. 

Justin Benson started out photographing sets and location scouting for film and TV. But in 2011 his life changed after he answered a last-minute call from a family friend in need of a wedding photographer. Justin quickly discovered wedding photography was his true calling and he’s been at it ever since, with his wife joining him as a second shooter in 2016. Based in Connecticut, Justin works in a modern traditional style, combining a hint of candid moments with posed scenes. 

In 2019, just before COVID started shutting things down, Justin learned about an enterprising developer who was seeking photographer input to incorporate in an AI-powered image culling app he was cooking up. After much discussion and advice about how to improve this product, Justin signed on and became a co-founder of the AI-based software company Aftershoot. 

Stay Connected: Sam Hurd Website: https://samhurdphotography.com/ Sam Hurd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamthesam/ Sam Hurd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samhurdphotography Sam Hurd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamsamhurdphotography Sam Hurd Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/iamthesam Sam Hurd Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samhurd Insight Photo Website: https://www.insight.photo/  Sam Hurd on the B&H Photography Podcast: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/photographic-craft-connections-sam-hurd-dixie-dixon Blade Runner movie clip: https://youtu.be/IbzlX43ykxQ?si=g9NG8TPkRskGsvW6’

Justin Benson Website: https://jbensonphotography.com/ Justin Benson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Jbensonphotography/ Justin Benson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jbensonphotography Aftershoot Website: https://aftershoot.com/ Justin Benson & Aftershoot on the B&H Explora blog: 

Above Photograph © Claudio Edinger

When it comes to photography, Claudio Edinger has a Midas touch. Equally celebrated for his immersive photo series, the intimacy of his portraits, and his aerial views that conjure a sense of the eternal through selective focus, his compulsion for research drives adjustments to his photographic strategy from one project to the next.

In today’s show, we unpack the many facets of Claudio’s storied career, from his arrival in New York and early documentation of Brooklyn’s Hasidic community in the late 1970s to the environmental portraits he made inside Manhattan’s infamous Chelsea Hotel, and beyond. 

Learn the backstory to his fortuitous connection with master portraitist Philippe Halsman, and the influence this had on his photographic vocabulary. We also discuss Claudio’s aerial imagery made from helicopters and drones, and debate the slippery slope between noteworthy content, image quality, and resolution.

As a longtime disciple of meditation, Claudio’s approach to photography is equally influenced by the underlying flow of energy essential to life on this planet, which led him to state, “I'm open to whatever the universe brings my way. But the universe has to conspire in your favor. My whole life has been like that. I've been guided. My intuition brings me to places, and the place drags me into it.”

Guest: Claudio Edinger Episode Timeline:

3:03: Claudio’s beginnings in photography while studying economics in Sao Paulo, and his first exhibit at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art.

4:55: A move to New York in 1976 and a two-year project on Brooklyn’s Hasidic community.

8:42: Connecting with master portrait photographer Philippe Halsman, and how this expanded Claudio’s vocabulary as a photographer.

15:35: A move to the Chelsea Hotel and a new photographic strategy to make environmental portraits of the building and its residents.

19:52: The influence of August Sander’s work, and Claudio’s pursuit of intimacy to create images with universal meaning.

25:22: The organic path of Claudio’s photographic approach, and how he developed his selective focus technique. 

28:15: Episode Break

29:06: The predictable visual effect of a Hasselblad’s square frame, combined with a tripod and flash for portraits of patients in a Brazilian insane asylum.

33:06: Using the same techniques to capture the insanity inside an institution, as well as to photograph the institutionalized insanity of Brazilian Carnival. 

37:51: Claudio’s assignment work, plus his time as a New York paparazzo and the lessons this taught him. 

39:28: Claudio’s experience as a war photographer in El Salvador, and the urgency of living connected to war. 

43:42: Shifting to a 4x5 Toyo camera to further explore the tilt-shift look of selective focus.  

48:57: The shortcomings of large format that forced Claudio to shift to digital and then discover aerial photography.  

54:17: Comparing aerial photos from a helicopter with those made from a drone, plus Claudio’s thoughts on viewing the world from the point of view of eternity.

Guest Bio: Claudio Edinger is one of Brazil’s preeminent photographers. After studying economics at Mackenzie University in São Paulo in the early 70s, he turned his attention to photography, and he hasn’t stopped since. 

Edinger moved to New York City in 1976, and during the 20 years he spent in the US, he completed immersive photo essays about the Hasidic community of Brooklyn, the denizens of Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel, and habitués of LA’s Venice Beach. He also freelanced for Brazilian and North American publications such as Veja, Time, Life, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times Magazine, among many others. 

The author of more than twenty books, Edinger’s photographs have been collected worldwide and exhibited by institutions such as New York’s International Center of Photography, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Maison Europeénne de la Photographie in Paris, and the São Paulo Museum of Art, to name but a few.

Edinger has received many honors for his work, including the Ernst Haas Award, the Hasselblad Award, the Higashikawa Award, and the Leica Medal of Excellence, which he received twice. 

Always seeking new approaches to his work, Edinger has explored a wide range of camera formats and photographic techniques over the course of his career. In 2000, he began working with a large format camera, using selective focus to approximate human vision, and in 2015, he started an exploration of aerial photography—a theme that continues to this day.

Stay Connected: Claudio Edinger Website: https://www.claudioedinger.com/ Claudio Edinger Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudioedinger/ Claudio Edinger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claudio.edinger/ Claudio Edinger Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Edinger Claudio Edinger Chelsea Hotel book: https://www.abbeville.com/collections/just-released/products/the-chelsea-hotel

End Credits:

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Above Photograph © Lou Jones

Africa is the cradle of our civilization. Yet, most Westerners see this massive continent from a distance, and often through a scrim of largely negative headlines. 

For more than a decade, Boston-based photographer Lou Jones has sought to challenge this misperception. In 2013, he launched an in-depth photographic documentation of individual countries across Africa under the title the panAFRICAproject. 

Jones joins us on today’s podcast to recap his efforts to date, which currently encompasses a third of Africa’s 54 nations. 

Listen in to learn how the project came to be—growing from a solo endeavor to travels with two assistants and enough photo and lighting gear to illuminate an airplane factory. We also discuss the delicate mix of diplomacy and six degrees of separation Jones employs when negotiating access to photograph—plus much, much more.

“We're talking about contemporary Africa,” Jones points out. “Talking to people local—not academics in America—to tell us what's important to their culture, what's important to their country, what's important to their community, what's important to their company. Directly from people living there.”

Guest: Lou Jones Episode Timeline:

2:58: Lou’s earliest trips to Africa predating the panAFRICAproject, then traveling to Ghana to start the project.

7:26: The logistics of travel as a solo photographer and the six degrees of separation that informs his photographic process. 

11:33: The substantial diplomacy required in meetings to negotiate access, while avoiding cliches and stereotypes.

19:29: The value of Lou’s images as currency in gaining access to photograph business environments.

26:18: The evolution of Lou’s photo crew, planning and packing for multiple purposes, plus the art of trading down with project costs.

32:10: The contents of Lou’s gear bags, and how he packs everything from cameras to Speedlights to lighting accessories.

39:53: Photography as a bridge to cultural sensitivity and the relationship between a photographer and his or her subjects.

43:08: EPISODE BREAK

44:00: The evolving process of planning each trip to Africa and the constant work when boots are on the ground.

48:12: The complex algorithm Lou and his team use in planning which African country to document next.

53:56: Technological advances and cultural trends coming full circle in Africa, plus cell phone use and fin tech.

59:45: Two cultures side-by-side. Documenting the parallel worlds of contemporary society and indigenous traditions in daily life.

1:05:56: Use of photographs from the panAFRICAproject and maintaining connections with photographic subjects. 

1:08:12: Kickstarter and crowdfunding campaigns to support panAFRICAproject travel and books.

1:16:03: Next steps in the panAFRICAproject and the project’s impact on a local, grass roots level.

Guest Bio: The eclectic career of Lou Jones has spanned every camera format, film type, artistic movement, and technological change, while simultaneously evolving from the commercial to the personal. Recognized by Nikon as a “Legend Behind the Lens” and honored as a Lowepro “Champion,” Jones has maintained a photography studio in Boston for more than 40 years, all while traveling to over 65 foreign countries on assignment.

Jones works primarily with advertising agencies and design studios for corporate clients such as Nike, Mobil, and Federal Express, as well as influential publications like Time, Fortune, and National Geographic, among many others.

The author of more than a dozen books, Jones is also an esteemed educator and has served as a board member for organizations such as ASMP National, the Photographic Resource Center and the Griffin Museum of Photography. 

In tandem with his busy assignment career, Jones pursues long term projects on subjects as diverse as death row inmates, the Summer and Winter Games, and his most recent endeavor, The panAFRICAproject, a contemporary visual portrait of the entire continent, to establish an archive representing its 54 individual countries devoid of the preconceived, western notions of distress.

Stay Connected: panAFRICAproject Website: https://panafricaproject.org/ Lou Jones Photography Website: https://www.fotojones.com/ Lou Jones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loujonesstudio/ Lou Jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fotojones/ Lou Jones Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jones_(photographer) Lou Jones 2018 presentation at the B&H Event Space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plVb_EFMcQM Lou Jones on the B&H Explora blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/lou-jones-takes-a-long-term-approach-from-jazz-portraits-to-the Lou Jones’s book Speedlights & Speedlites: Creative Flash Photography at Lightspeed: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1025994-REG/focal_press_978_0_240_82144_3_book_speedlights_speedlites.html

End Credits:

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Top shot © Kristof Ramon   The dynamic arena of competitive cycling photography is not for the faint of heart. This grueling specialty requires a mix of split-second reaction times, intuitive technical mastery, and the ability to anticipate—and even more important—embrace risk. It takes a special breed of photographer to continuously capture every ounce of emotion packed into this sport, from bruising injuries and bitter disappointments to the exaltation of a win.    For today’s show, we’ve brought together two passionate cycling aficionados, former competitive cyclist and renowned street photographer Phil Penman and Kristof Ramon, a cycling photography specialist who recently released his first book on the subject. While they’re introduced as strangers, get ready to be wowed by the synchronicity of their shared experiences, and the remarkable chemistry that grows between them over the course of the show.   Most people’s awareness of competitive cycling revolves around coverage of the Tour de France or other major races shown on TV. Our conversation delves much deeper than this, to reveal what happens behind the scenes, and show both the intensity of purpose and the many stages of suffering that’s a hallmark of this sport. Kristof’s book is titled The Art of Suffering for a reason. As he aptly sums up in the book’s opening quote: “Where the conditions get grimmer and the riders start to suffer, that’s when the more interesting stories begin.”   Guests: Phil Penman & Kristof Ramon   Episode Timeline:   3:56: Phil Penman’s connection to the competitive cycling world and how his insight as a cyclist informs his photography of the sport.    7:45: The logistics of photographing competitive cycling and the perils of damaging photo equipment.   10:36: The creative aspect to photographing competitive cycling and how to think outside the box to get impactful shots.   15:16: The many stages of suffering involved in competitive cycling, and the pride riders take in having this documented visually.   20:35: Photographer access, the difference between training rides and race days, and the distinctions between agency access and working independently.   26:26: Changes to Kristof’s photographic approach and the influence of social media in the sport’s evolution.   31:31: Technical aspects of cycling photography, understanding light, capturing speed, and putting in the time so to react intuitively to picture opportunities.   43:44: Episode Break   44:53: Communication strategies, building rapport with riders and teams, and people skills given the sport’s international reach.   47:51: Cycling’s rich history as a professional sport, and recent changes initiated by British Team Sky that helped the sport evolve.   54:45: The back story to Kristof’s Art of Suffering book project and how his collaboration with cycling writer Matt Rendell helped identify suffering as a narrative element.   58:40: Working with clients, balancing that work with personal projects, and developing a distinctive voice as a photographer.    1:06:15: How to start out as a competitive cycling photographer, questions about credentials, and adapting to new networks to distribute your work.   1:13:23: Balancing technical aspects of action photography with the desired emotional response while building in certainties and calculating risk.     Guest Bios: British-born, New York-based photographer Phil Penman has documented the ever-changing scene of New York City’s streets for more than 25 years. and he has quite a bit of experience in the world of professional cycling himself.   In his career as a news and magazine photographer, Phil has photographed major public figures and historical events. His reportage following the 9/11 terrorist attack was featured in major print publications and media broadcasts worldwide, and his work covering New York City’s pandemic lockdown is in the collection of the U.S. Library of Congress.    In addition to exhibiting at Leica galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and London, Phil’s signature street photography has appeared in international exhibitions as far afield as Venice, Berlin, and Sydney. He also tours the world teaching photo workshops for Leica Akademie. Phil’s books, "Street" published in 2019, and "New York Street Diaries" published in 2023 both became best-sellers and have been featured at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.   Kristof Ramon is a pro-cycling photographer who covers some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’ Italia, the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Born and raised in Belgium, Kristof discovered photography while attending film school at age 19. He eventually followed his passion for cycling and photography and has focused exclusively on this sport since 2011.    Working under the name Kramon, his talent for storytelling and his ability to capture the atmosphere and raw emotion of racing makes his images stand out from typical race photography. Kristof’s reputation has earned him the respect and trust of many of the biggest racing teams and riders - which is why he’s able to capture such extraordinary in-between moments and behind-the-scenes images. The riders are always his primary focus, as evidenced in his close-up portraits of racers caked in sweat, mud, dust, snow, and grime. Kristof’s first book, The Art of Suffering, was released in June 2024 by Laurence King Publishing.   Stay Connected: Phil Penman Website: https://www.philpenman.com Phil Penman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philpenman/ Phil Penman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philpenmanphotography/  Phil Penman Twitter: https://x.com/Penmanphoto  Phil Penman Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Penman   Kristof Ramon Website: https://kramon.be/ Kristof Ramon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kramon_velophoto Kristof Ramon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kramon/ Kristof Ramon Twitter: https://x.com/kristoframon  Kristof Ramon Photoshelter: https://kramon.photoshelter.com/ Kristof Ramon Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoframon/  Kristof Ramon at Lawrence King Publishing: https://us.laurenceking.com/products/the-art-of-suffering  

 

Allan Weitz had little idea of the grand photographic adventures in store when he signed on as host of the B&H Photography Podcast shortly before the show’s debut in October 2015. As a self-described big mouth, and with more than 40 years as a working pro fueling his curiosity about all things photographic, Allan quickly honed his chops to become the voice of the show. Today’s episode marks a crossroads, as Allan passes his hosting mic to the show’s incoming host, Derek Fahsbender, producer and host of the B&H Event Space. During a lively chat, we celebrate Allan’s long and successful career, both on assignment and at the helm of the podcast, with some never before told stories and audio clips from memorable interactions with guests. A few of the many topics we cover include, how a kid from Sheepshead Bay made a name for himself photographing classic yachts, the ways in which Allan’s time behind a New Jersey deli counter enhanced his ability to engage with people on a human level—among other benefits to career reinvention—and how his shift into podcasting taught him to use his voice as an instrument. As Allan aptly summarized for attendees of the podcast team’s 2018 presentation of Podcasting 101: “It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.” Guest: Allan Weitz Episode Timeline  3:38: Allan’s B&H Event Space segment from Podcasting 101. 8:35: The back story to Allan’s one-word podcast intro “Greetings!” 10:44: Allan’s chat with digital camera inventor Steve Sasson about their shared Brooklyn roots.  13:56: Allan’s hosting skills as a court jester—or Tummler in Yiddish. 16:12: Gear talk, and a clip from Allan’s chat with Bellamy Hunt of The Japan Camera Hunter. 21:19: Allan waxes poetic about his love for the Hasselblad Superwide, plus his early adoption of digital gear.  28:24: Branching out from commercial assignments to tech writing and other things.

38:18: Episode break

39:27: Memorable stories and life lessons from Allan’s assignment career. 44:22: Allan’s entrée to the world of yachting photography and portfolio tips. 50:44: Allan’s career evolution in the rarified 1980s photography landscape. 57:31: The art of the interview and the value of collaboration among the podcast team.  59:53: Getting beyond difficult pictures during an interview with Bruce Gilden  1:03:50: Upcoming plans and Allan’s Kodachrome book project. 1:10:31: Allan offers listeners his Tusen Takks for their trust in his time behind the mic. 

Guest Bio:

Allan Weitz started taking pictures when digital meant doing something with your fingers. A graduate of New York City’s High School of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts, Allan is the founding host of the B&H Photography Podcast, one of the highest-rated photography podcasts in Apple's Creative Arts category. 

For more than 50 years, Allan’s photographs have graced the covers and inside pages of dozens of publications, including New York magazine, Esquire, GQ, Yachting, and Nautical Quarterly. Many of these images have won him awards from the New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey Art Directors Clubs, the Graphic Artists Guild, Art Direction Magazine, Print, and Graphis, among others. 

More recently, Allan has had great success exhibiting—and winning awards for—his photos as fine art prints, as well as dabbling with artificial intelligence using the traditional photos from his vast image library as source material. 

Stay Connected: Allan Weitz Website: https://www.allanweitz.com/ Allan Weitz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allanweitz/ Allan Weitz articles on the B&H Explora Blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/users/allan-weitz Podcasting 101 with the B&H Photography Podcast Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2KDaNSjGI Steve Sasson Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/invention-of-digital-camera Japan Camera Hunter Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/podcast-the-japan-camera-hunter Graham Nash Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/graham-nash-ace-photographer-digital-printing-pioneer-music-legend-the-bh Bruce Gilden Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/closer-look-bruce-gilden

End Credits: Founding Host: Allan Weitz

Incoming Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Top shot © Ron Tarver

Cowboy lore has deep roots in American culture. Yet, black cowboys have lived pretty much under the radar until recently, when songs by pop culture icons Lil Nas X and Beyoncé went viral and catapulted the black western aesthetic into the limelight.

In today’s show, we’re getting the inside scoop from two photographers who’ve been fully immersed in these vibrant communities since long before they became a top fashion trend. Separated by a generation in age and with pictures spanning from film to digital, we follow Ron Tarver and Ivan McClellan from their early years in Oklahoma and Kansas, to the urban stables of Northern Philadelphia, the legendary Roy LeBlanc Rodeo in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and beyond.

Listen in and discover how the popularity of a single newspaper assignment led Ron to the pages of National Geographic and a career defining body of work.

In a similar manner, Ivan’s hunch to act on a chance invitation morphed into a passion project that reconnected him to his midwestern roots and ultimately expanded his role from photographer to that of an entrepreneur and rodeo boss. 

Ever wonder about the funding and stamina required to compete as a rodeo athlete? We take that bull by the horns at the end of the show.

Guests: Ron Tarver & Ivan McClellan Episode Timeline:

4:09: Ron Tarver and Ivan McClellan’s early memories of cowboy culture during their respective youths in Kansas City and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

9:19: Ron’s early story for the Philadelphia Inquirer and his subsequent documentation of black cowboy culture.

15:06: The camera gear and film stock Ron used for his pictures, plus digitizing analog slides using a digital camera, macro lens and bellows system.

20:15: Technical limitations Ron faced when shooting film, and his editing process when working with National Geographic.

23:19: Ivan’s start as a designer, his introduction to photography and the world of black cowboys, and his shooting process at the rodeo.

33:40: The dominance of women within black rodeos, a female horse whisperer, and tips for photographing horses in a rodeo context.

44:34: Episode Break

45:35: The journey behind our guest’s respective books, and Ron’s collaboration with a noted editor to create The Long Ride Home.

51:19: The back story to Ivan’s book—from a self-published Kickstarter release to the editor he worked with to get Eight Seconds published by Damiani.

57:10: Ivan and Ron discuss each other’s finished book projects, questions about model releases, plus the current hunger for black cowboy culture. 

1:05:23: Ivan’s work to promote black rodeo athletes and the economics of competing in this arena.

1:10:39: How Ivan’s life has changed since founding the Eight Seconds rodeo in Portland, Oregon.

1:16:04: The impact of Ivan’s work on the lives of rodeo athletes, and the maximum number of bulls a rodeo athlete can ride in a single day. 

Guest Bios:

Ron Tarver was born and raised in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, and is now based outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During 32 years as a staffer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, he was nominated for three Pulitzer’s and shared the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for public service, in addition to many other accolades.

Tarver’s photographs have been exhibited internationally. His pictures can be found in private, corporate, and museum collections, and have appeared in major publications both in print and online. 

In 2004, he co-authored the book We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, published by Harper Collins, accompanied by a traveling exhibition.

A recipient of a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship and a 2001 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Tarver has also received funding from the NEA, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and an Independence Foundation Fellowship. 

He currently serves as Associate Professor of Art at Swarthmore College. His book, The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America was released by George F Thompson Publishers in September.

Ivan McClellan is a photojournalist and designer originally from Kansas City, Missouri. These days he calls Portland, Oregon home. 

His work reveals marginalized aspects of black culture, challenging broad assumptions and myths about racial identity in America. 

His project Eight Seconds, focuses on elevating narratives about American Black cowboys, and transforming the culture of the American West by ‘re-centering’ black women and men back as an integral part of our historical narrative. 

After initially self-publishing his photos in book form, Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture was released by Damiani books in April 2024.

The winner of the 2022 Getty Inclusion grant, McClellan’s photos have been presented in and collected by Museums and cultural spaces across the United States. His work has also been featured in ESPN: The Undefeated and Fast Company. 

As an experience designer for Adobe Lightroom, he has led projects for Nike, Adidas, Disney, and the U.S. National Soccer Team. And most recently, he founded the Eight Seconds Rodeo in 2023.

Stay Connected: Ron Tarver Website: https://www.rontarverphotographs.net/ Ron Tarver Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rontarver/ Ron Tarver Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Tarver Ron Tarver The Long Ride Home book:  http://www.gftbooks.com/books_Tarver.html

Ivan McClellan Website: https://eightsecs.com/ Ivan McClellan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightsecs/ Ivan McClellan / 8 Seconds Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/eightsecs Ivan McClellan at Damiani Books: https://www.damianibooks.com/en/collections/mcclellan-ivan

End Credits:

Host: Allan Weitz

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Well, 2024 has certainly come and gone in a flash, meaning it’s time once again for us to reflect on new photo offerings in our annual Cameras of the Year episode, now renamed Photo Gear of the Year. Featured in our discussion are new releases from Canon, FUJIFILM, Leica, Mint, Nikon, OM SYSTEM, Panasonic, Ricoh Pentax, and Sony.

In the words of our recurring guest, Kevin Rickert, B&H’s Senior Sales Trainer for Photography and Lighting, “Everything old is new again” at least when it comes to this year’s most sought-after camera releases. A penchant for pocketable, fixed lens cameras led us to organize our camera offerings by type rather than in an alphabetical laundry list. Along with debating the current craze for “the digicam look,” we consider whether manufacturers will respond to consumers’ increasing appetite for midrange point and shoots.

After the break, we shift to the newest crop of flagship cameras that are built for speed, while also discussing notable updates to other new releases. We also shed light on the essential role served by firmware updates, both in trimming a new camera’s time to market and allowing you to get more out of the camera you already have. As Kevin points out, “It's an important part of having a camera. Much like if you have a car, you need to get oil changes.”

We wrap things up with some predictions for 2025, including Kevin’s hopes for a continued resurgence of point and shoot models, plus some intriguing new photo accessories that caught his eye this year. Stay to the end to learn about the inventive new Fjordan camera control for the iPhone, recently acquired by Leica.

Guest: Kevin Rickert

Episode Timeline

2:30: Kevin Rickert’s role as a B&H sales trainer for photography and lighting.

9:34: What camera stood out the most this year: FUJIFILM X100VI

18:02: Ricoh GR III HDF / Ricoh GR IIIx

20:00: Nostalgia for midrange point and shoots and the digicam look

29:36: Leica D-Lux 8

31:42: Leica Q3 43

35:52: Fujifilm X-T50 (a baby Fujifilm X-T5) 37:30: Fujifilm X-M5

41:54: Pentax 17

48:52: Mint Camera Rollei 35AF

 

51:17: Episode break

 

52:22: Canon EOS R1 55:50: Sony a1 II

59:31: OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II 1:02:35: Nikon Z6 III 1:05:48: Canon EOS R5 Mark II

1:14:40: Leica SL III

1:17:55: FUJIFILM GFX 100 SII

1:20:31: Nikon Z 50 II

1:21:28: Sony ZV-E10 II

1:23:19: Panasonic Lumix S9

1:27:19: Kevin’s predictions for 2025

1:33:36: Peakto Image Management Software

1:35:06: Capture One 16.5 with Match Look

1:35:49: Fjordan iPhone camera grip

 

Guest Bio:

Kevin Rickert is B&H Photo’s Senior Sales Trainer for Photography and Lighting. It’s Kevin’s job to keep in touch with camera and lens manufacturers and get details about all the latest releases and updates. His role is to make sure the world-renowned B&H staff has all the information to answer your who, what, why, and other questions that you may ask, so they can satisfy all your wants and needs.

Born and raised in New York, Kevin is an intrepid street photographer, an avid traveler, and a baseball fan with 22 years in electronic retail, the last 10 of which have been spent as a sales trainer at B&H.

 

Stay Connected:

• B&H Photo Video Website: https://www.bhphotovideo.com
• B&H Photography Podcast landing page: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts
• B&H Photography Podcast on B&H Photo’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BandH/podcasts
• B&H Photography Podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001107823418353
• B&H Photo Video Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhphoto
• B&H Photo Video Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhphoto
• Micro 4/3rds YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m072i-jDSg4
• Peakto Image Management Software: https://cyme.io/peakto-photo-organizer-software/
• Fjordan iPhone Camera Grip: https://shop.fjorden.co/en-us/pages/about

Photographers have a magical ability to transport us to hidden worlds, giving us intimate access to facets of society that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Above photograph © Marcela Taboada

In today’s podcast, we sit down with Mexican photographer Marcela Taboada, whose long-term documentary projects offer revealing glimpses into underrecognized communities, for Picturing World Cultures.

Combining a passion for making pictures that let her “see backstage,” with a knack for “knocking doors” and the tenacity to win over resistant subjects, Marcela gained rare access to photograph the daily lives of Mexico’s cloistered nuns. Follow her painstaking process and learn the secret to her acceptance as the nuns’ photography godmother during our chat.    

We also discuss her series “Women of Clay,” documenting the enterprising women of a Mixtec village, who singlehandedly rebuilt their homes after an earthquake using Adobe bricks and a process taught by a Mexican architect.

Along the way, Marcela shares insights about the challenges of pursuing a photography career as a single mother with young children and reveals the lessons she learned from seeing aspects of her own story reflected in the lives of her subjects.  If you haven’t already listened, check out all the episodes of our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here. Guest: Marcela Taboada Episode Timeline:

2:21: Marcela’s process in making pictures that let her “see backstage.” 

5:15: A childhood memory and her fascination with viewing the stars from an observatory built by her great uncle. 

10:16: Marcela’s introduction to cameras and the darkroom by photographing family trips.

13:24: University studies and a photo series inspired by her great aunt entering a Mexican nursing home. 

18:13: Marcela’s photo gear and juggling her early photo career while raising two children as a single mother.

22:52: Marcela’s photo series Women of Clay, about a community of enterprising women who rebuilt their homes after an earthquake.

35:19: Episode Break

36:30: Marcela’s project Consecrated, and some background on Catholic monasteries in Mexico.

43:46: The seven orders of Mexican cloistered nuns, Marcela’s long process to gain access to photograph, and the miracle that finally convinced the nuns to let her in.

53:51: Marcela’s role as photography godmother for the Conceptionist order, and her approach to photographing the lives of the nuns.

1:00:38: The decision to photograph in color with a lightweight Sony RX camera for quiet operation and a contemporary look. 

1:02:31: The nuns’ reaction to Marcela’s pictures and the ways in which they’ve adapted to 21st century life.

1:08:09: Marcela Taboada answers our PWC Visual Questionnaire.

Guest Bio: Marcela Taboada is a freelance photographer based in Oaxaca, Mexico since 1986. After initial studies in graphic design, she became drawn to photographing diverse communities for long-term stories that let her see backstage. Marcela has received both national and international accolades, including a Hasselblad Foundation scholarship, a National Geographic All Roads Photography Award, and Mexico's most prestigious art grant, the National System of Art Creators Award, which she received twice. Her photographs have been featured in solo and group exhibitions within Mexico and the United States, Europe, and Asia. Marcela has taught photography at universities, in high schools and in specialized workshops. Additionally, for 16 years she served as producer for American photographer Mary Ellen Mark’s Annual Oaxaca Photo Workshops. 

Stay Connected: Marcela Taboada Website: https://www.marcelataboada.com/ Marcela Taboada’s National Geographic story: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/photo-story-consecrated-mexico-monasteries/

End Credits: Senior Creative Producer & Host: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Theme Music: Gabriel Richards

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

What is the role of landscape photography in a post-industrial world?

In today’s podcast, we consider some possibilities in a chat with Jade Doskow, current photographer in residence for Staten Island’s Freshkills Park, and Cal Flyn author of the book Islands of Abandonment.

Above image: © Jade Doskow

While our two guests work in different disciplines, which leads to divergent approaches to the pictures they make, their shared purpose tells similar stories.

Among the topics we discuss are a distinction between romantic landscapes of the past and a more ambivalent attitude to the subject today, and a photographer’s responsibility to make pictures that go beyond merely decorative intent. You’ll also discover how dedication to a fine art passion project can lead to career advancement through paid assignments.

Join us for this fascinating discussion about recording the gradual process between post-industrial decay and engineered regeneration, or other states of rewilding

Guests: Jade Doskow & Cal Flyn

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/reclaiming-a-natural-landscape-with-jade-doskow-cal-flyn

Stay Connected:

Jade Doskow Website: https://jadedoskowphotography.com/  Jade Doskow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_doskow/ Jade Doskow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jade.doskow/ Jade Doskow at Freshkills Park: https://freshkillspark.org/os-art/jadedoskow Jade Doskow Lost Utopias Documentary: https://www.philipshane.com/lost-utopias Jade Doskow Urban Omnibus Project: https://urbanomnibus.net/2022/11/extra-terrestrial

Cal Flyn Website: https://www.calflyn.com/Cal Flyn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calflyn/ Cal Flyn Linktree: https://linktr.ee/calflynCal Flyn Islands of Abandonment: https://linktr.ee/IslandsofAbandonment