This episode we're talking to the multi-talented, Bea Chu. Bea dives into how her content creator journey began and how she balances education and creativity. We talk about creator communities and tips for improving your audio game.

Guest Bio:

Bea Chu is a content creator who started her career as a theatre sound designer and audio engineer. She has over a decade of video-creating experience, and gained popularity with her viral video "How to Turn Your Headset into a DIY Lapel Mic." Since then, she has been educating and inspiring fellow creators through insightful content about the creator economy, as well as producing engaging videos on cinematography, personal branding, and growing on social media.

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Credits

• Host & Creative Producer: Deanna Tesa
• Creative Producer: Elena Maidebura
• Creative Editor: Larissa Mattei
• Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

"If you look very intensely and slowly things will happen that you never dreamed of before." This Aaron Siskind quote neatly sums up the deeply contemplative discussion we had with landscape photographers John Paul Caponigro and Joel Simpson in this week's podcast.

Siskind's name is mentioned several times in our chat—as are many other 20th century photography legends—making this show both an exploration of photo history and an exercise in a holistic way to envision and record the world around us.

Our focus on landscape quickly diverges from realistic depictions in favor of terrain that celebrates abstraction and metaphor. Follow along as we unpack the unwieldy term Pareiolia—the tendency to see familiar things in otherwise random patterns—and discover unique pathways to relate to the natural world.

As John Paul Caponigro aptly points out, "I think of every exposure that I make as having a conversation with the subject and myself. I think of every move that I make in Photoshop as having a conversation with the image that started one way and is developing in another. And I ask, you know, what does the image want?"

Guests:

John Paul Caponigro & Joel Simpson

Episode Timeline:

• 3:30: Joel Simpson describes his early landscapes as a way to re-experience being elsewhere.
• 9:24: Pareidolia: what it means and its relationship to Joel's photographs.
• 13:24: John Paul's relationship to the term pareidolia: a way to find patterns and make sense out of chaos.
• 19:12: The influence of Gestalt psychology when interpreting abstract patterns and photographing the bare bones of the earth.
• 24:55: Differences between making pictures with the aid of pre-visualization vs going in empty and refining ones' vision in post using digital tools. Plus insights about getting beyond the imitation phase to find a path to originality in your work.
• 35:58: How do you know when your unique vision from the pictures you make are ready to be released into the world?

42:12: Episode Break

• 43:24: John Paul's approach to post-processing—using the tools as a laboratory to make multiple iterations.
• 47:00: Joel describes the discoveries he made when finessing photos of a wonderous landscape from Zhangjiajie, China.
• 50:21: How does AI factor into crafting an authentic vision, plus the mind as the original AI.
• 1:03:18: Using photography to tap into things that haven't yet been discovered and elicit a sense of wonder from viewers' responses.
• 1:06:50: Joel and John Paul talk about the places that inspire their respective photographic projects.

Guest Bios:

John Paul Caponigro is a digital media pioneer, combining his painting background with a variety of photographic processes using the latest in digital technology. His work is about the perception of nature and the nature of perception. Widely respected as an authority on creativity, photography, and fine art printing, John Paul's images and writings are widely published in periodicals and books, and he's been a contributing editor to a variety of magazines and websites. He's also author of the video training series R/Evolution and the book "Adobe Photoshop Master Class," now in its second edition. As a highly sought-after speaker and educator, John Paul has presented lectures and workshops around the globe. His art has been exhibited internationally, and his prints are housed in numerous public and private collections. Select clients include Adobe, Apple, Canon, Kodak, and Sony, and he is a member of the Photoshop Hall of Fame, Epson's Stylus Pros, and X-Rite's Coloratti.

Joel Simpson began making pictures as a teen in the 1960s, turning pro in 2002. Since that time, he's had more than 50 exhibitions in the US and abroad. His work has also been widely published and received numerous awards, including a Nautilus Gold Award for Art and Photography for his 2019 book Earthforms: Intimate Portraits of our Planet. His new book, Faces in the Rocks: Beyond Landscape to Psycho-Geological Photography, organizes his discoveries about the aesthetics of abstract and figurative forms in the earth, concluding with a tongue-in-cheek collection of imagined extra-terrestrial landscapes and future cityscapes. In addition to his career in photography, Simpson holds a PhD in comparative literature, and spent 22 years as a professional jazz pianist. He lives in Union, New Jersey.

Stay Connected:

John Paul Caponigro

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• 1980's Guardian advertisement "Multiple Points of View"

Joel Simpson

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube

Credits:

• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
• Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

We're kicking off the B&H Creators Green Room with the very talented Shuang Hu. Shuang is a renowned actress, writer, director, producer, and viral content creator with over 12 million followers. Tune in to learn about her creative journey, inspiration, and what it takes to grow as a modern creator.

Guest Bio:

Shuang Hu is a talented Chinese-Australian actress, writer, director, producer, and content creator who has gained over 12 million followers since starting her online content in March 2020. Her YouTube channel, THEONESHU, was listed as one of the top 50 most viewed US channels by Tubefilter.com, and her most viral short-form video has received over 298 million views. Shuang has appeared in various TV shows, films, and plays. She also co-wrote, co-created, produced, and starred in Amazon Prime's first original feature film, "Five Blind Dates," launched in February 2024, and she aims to continue sharing engaging stories across different platforms.

Stay Connected

• TikTok
• Instagram
• YouTube

Credits

• Host & Creative Producer: Deanna Tesa
• Creative Producer: Elena Maidebura
• Creative Editor: Larissa Mattei
• Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

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The photo world is filled with remarkable young and up-and-coming talents. They often don't get the visibility they deserve, so we created Next Frame—a new monthly series aiming to shine a light their way. These bite-sized episodes are equally inspired by the guests we speak with and the invaluable contributions of local creative arts programs that have played a key role in their development.

We're launching this series with photographer, filmmaker, and boxing & music aficionado Josh Nass, an alumnus of Baltimore's Wide Angle Youth Media programs. From nailing his Photoshop skills while still in middle school to trading in his boxing gloves for a camera during college and beyond, Josh regales us with practical tips about both the successes and challenges all young creatives must face as they transition from trading pictures for access to molding media skills into a profitable career.

Looking back on his early days chasing both music and fashion scenes, Josh notes, "Your main role as a photographer—especially with talent and famous people—you know, I thought I was just making them look cool, but I'm making them money. I'm marketing them for their next tour, for their current tour. Looking back, I've learned a thing or two about how to get users' attention online."

Guest: Josh Nass

Episode Timeline:

• 2:04: Baltimore/DC-based photographer Josh Nass talks about first picking up a camera to fill his time after hanging up his boxing gloves.
• 3:40: Leveraging social media to get on stage and photograph his favorite Caribbean singer, then trading free pictures for ongoing access.
• 7:25: Navigating one's comfort level as an up-and-coming photographer, plus making a distinction between comfort with gear and social ease with subjects and clients.
• 9:08: Making pictures of cool moments, creative editing decisions to draw out the cool factor, and being first to deliver the files are all key to Josh's success.
• 14:02: Street hustling at New York Fashion Week to gain access to photograph top artists and celebrities, and the tough lessons Josh learned in the process.
• 19:06: Josh's connection to Baltimore's Wide Angle Youth Media and the formative role their programs have played in his early photography success.
• 22:50: Being referred by Wide Angle for a Comcast commercial, and the backstory to what transpired behind-the-scenes.
• 29:49: Josh weighs future career options and whether he'll choose to pursue photography full time.
• 35:40: Essential advice for emerging photographers: Prioritize building your skills and don't overvalue your work early on. Plus, a look at Josh's first big paid gig for a Keke Palmer concert and marketing campaign.

Guest Bio:

Josh Nass is a Baltimore/DC-based freelance photographer and a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he's pursuing a bachelor's degree in information science. As a high school graduate of The Baltimore School for the Arts and a participant Baltimore's Wide Angle Youth Media non-profit, he's honed his subject-based style to give each of his shoots, whether its celebrities, musicians, athletes, or models, a unique "wow" factor.

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Wide Angle Youth / Comcast Video

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Above Photograph © Matt Emond

Summertime is the season for travel. With that theme in mind, in today's show, we're taking you on a short trip around the block to revisit a few of our favorite encounters from B&H's 2025 Bild Expo.

During two days in June, we engaged with the many thousands of Expo attendees who converged at New York's Jacob Javits Center for the show. From our sleek podcast console/recording station adjacent to the Bild stages, we shared our favorite listens and offered advice to the many inquisitive creatives wanting to start up a podcast of their own. Amid all the noise and excitement, we also found the chance to record short interviews with a few of our visitors who had inspiring stories to tell, three of which we're presenting today.

So, sit back and enjoy these conversations with Philadelphia-based photographer, entrepreneur, and community organizer CJ Wolfe; New York-based filmmaker, producer, and podcaster Maria Clinton; and Canadian-born, globetrotting visual engineer and environmental activist Benjamin Von Wong.

Guests: CJ Wolfe, Maria Clinton, & Benjamin Von Wong

Episode Timeline:

• 2:32: Philadelphia-based photographer, entrepreneur, and community organizer CJ Wolfe talks about how a camera changed his life, leading him to found Immortal Vision Studios, and a related creative agency.
• 7:58: Reminiscing about how CJ's early love of coding inspired him to customize MySpace profiles for his friends as a youth.
• 12:58: CJ's creative goals for the future and the inspiration to get his studio on wheels to expand.
• 14:34: CJ talks about business shifts and the new ideas he gets from interns—rather than thinking, look to AI.
• 21:27: New York-based filmmaker, producer, and podcaster Maria Clinton riffs about generational shifts in the realm of content creation.
• 27:00: The underlying question of who you're creating for and why?
• 29:05: The difference between content creation and filmmaking.
• 32:21: Maria talks about The Little Souvenirs podcast, the types of stories she and her co-host tell, and where you can find the show.
• 33:45: Bild speaker, visual engineer, and environmental activist Benjamin Von Wong reminisces about his previous conversation with the podcast and the challenges he faced back then about continuing his journey as an artist.
• 38:06: Ben's recent projects, and his theory of activating change by finding the nexus of the right place, the right time and the right people.
• 43:02: Ben's accidental path to becoming an environmentalist, plus the need to shift his activism from a burden of duty to a place of love.
• 46:28: Ben talks about how community involvement has evolved within his work, to create engagement greater than the sum of its parts—what it takes to fix the world.
• 50:18: The economics of large-scale production and how fundraising has changed Ben's relationship to his art by helping him believe in his own work.

Guest Bios:

CJ Wolfe picked up a camera eight years ago, while pursuing college studies as a student-athlete. Since that time, he has made an impact both globally and within the Philadelphia creative scene, where he first got his start. A true staple in the city's culture, CJ has influenced sports, music, and lifestyle through his creativity behind the scenes and, most importantly, behind the camera. Wolfe has produced work for Red Bull, Footlocker, Ethika, Block Inc, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Meek Mill, and Allen Iverson to name a few. Throughout his journey, Wolfe recognized a major gap in Philadelphia—a lack of safe, inspiring spaces for photographers to refine their craft, showcase their talents, and build professional networks. In response, he founded Immortal Vision Studio in 2020, which has grown into a cornerstone of the city's creative community. Now operating two boutique studios totaling 6,000 square feet and booking over 2,000 appointments per year, Wolfe has built Philadelphia's most trusted rental powerhouse for photo and video production. Wolfe also has another layer to the business besides studio rentals and community. Immortal Vision Agency—a creative firm producing high-impact content for brands and businesses—bridging the gap to provide professional opportunities and elevate talent from his hometown to the world stage.

Maria Clinton is a New York-based filmmaker, podcaster, and educator. Her past freelance clients include About.com, Hudson Group, and various nonprofit organizations. As a filmmaker Maria's work focuses on finding and sharing untold stories that shed light on underrepresented groups of people, shattering stereotypes and reconstructing narratives. She co-directed the Emmy-Award winning documentary short The Love Bugs—about an entomologist couple who amassed the world's largest private collection of insects. As a podcaster, Maria is co-creator and co-host of The Little Souvenirs Podcast. She and co-host/writer Kimberly Mallory discuss a variety of topics with their guests including life's moments that gift us impressionable little souvenirs. They believe each episode is a reminder to celebrate the moments that matter most. It's time to enjoy the journey!

Benjamin Von Wong's work lies at the intersection of fantasy and photography and combines everyday objects with shocking statistics. It has attracted the attention of corporations like Starbucks, Dell, and Nike and has generated over 100 million views for causes like ocean plastics, electronic waste, and fashion pollution. In 2018, he was named one of Adweek's 11 content branded masterminds. He is also a creative advisor for the Ocean Plastic Leadership Network and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

Stay Connected:

CJ Wolfe

• Website
• Instagram
• Tiktok

Immortal Vision Studio

• Website
• Instagram
• Youtube

Maria Clinton

• Instagram
• The Little Souvenirs Podcast

Benjamin Von Wong

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• YouTube
• Benjamin Von Wong on the B&H Photography Podcast: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/building-and-maintaining-your-web-presence-alex-vita-ben-von-wong

• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
• Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

"That which unites us is far greater than what divides us." The first four words of this sentence are subtitle, and subtext, for "Path of Liberty," an immersive outdoor photo and media experience on view through fall 2025 at Freedom Plaza on Manhattan's east side.

The creative groundwork for this project was a mammoth effort involving an extensive crew both on the road and behind the scenes. In today's podcast, we catch up with two principals of this project's creative team—creative director Daniella Vale and director of photography, Scott Beardslee—to learn more about their daily lives during two months spent traversing the country by van to interview a broad group of everyday Americans.

From the founding idea of capturing the diversity of people across America to the curiosity and resilience of the crew when working on the road to the complexities of orchestrating the many sensory elements for an immersive experience in exhibition, our discussion is rich with creative insight.

As Daniella shares during our chat, "I always tend to make three films. There's the film I write, the film I shoot, and then, usually, I rearrange everything and make a totally different film in the edit. So, I've gotten pretty accustomed to non-attachment and rolling with things. That's where the magic happens too."

Guests: Daniella Vale & Scott Beardslee

Episode Timeline:

• 3:28: The inspiration behind Path of Liberty and Daniella's role as creative lead.
• 6:59: Daniella and Scott's respective backgrounds in photography and film, plus being curious and distinctions between finding the moment vs creating the moment.
• 12:02: Daniella and Scott's first introduction in the New York film world.
• 15:14: Building the crew for Path of Liberty and the challenges of traveling and conducting interviews on the road.
• 21:35: Daniella describes the three films she makes in the process of writing, shooting, and editing, plus the importance of learning to adapt on the fly.
• 26:54: Memorable stories from the Path of Liberty road trip.

30:56: Episode Break

• 31:30: We all want to be happy, but there's a difference between freedom and taking advantage of freedom
• 34:42: Daniella discusses her time in Japan, and the cultural contrast between American individualism and societies that put the group over the individual self.
• 41:00: The gear Daniella and Scott traveled with and how it affected the project.
• 47:59: The interview process with portrait subjects, plus making natural portraits in the moment.
• 58:32: The Path of Liberty installation in midtown Manhattan, the pride of subjects gathered from across the America, plus the complexities of the post-production process
• 1:05:39: The immersive aspects of the installation—from the sound design of the audio to the visual continuity between the photographs and the on-site terrain.
• 1:14:19: Scott and Daniella offer career advice for developing as a creative—leave room for being curious.

Guest Bios:

Daniella Vale is a New York City-based photographer, film director, and producer. Her creative passions began early, influenced by her uncles in Pittsburgh's avant-garde film movement. While attending university in Tokyo, Daniella worked on photography and documentary projects. She later moved to Bollywood, where she collaborated with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and Cannes-winning director Manish Jha. In New York, Daniella has worked for brands such as VICE, MTV, Google, and Prada, and with talent such as Alicia Keys, Deepak Chopra, and Lucy Liu. Her portfolio includes work in fashion, branded content, docu-series, and narrative films across various global locations. Career highlights include participating in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner and being featured in Allure magazine for her directing work. And of course, most recently, Daniella headed up the creative team for the immersive outdoor installation, Path of Liberty: That Which Unites Us, which we're here to talk about today.

Scott Beardslee began his career in photography, working as a 1st and 2nd assistant. Yet his passion for narrative filmmaking soon inspired him to take a different career route, focusing on shooting films, commercials, and music videos. Upon graduation from San Francisco State University with a film theory and production degree, he pursued cinematography and later attended graduate school at The American Film Institute in Hollywood. Before he became serious about filmmaking himself, Scott worked as a gaffer for many established A.S.C. cinematographers. Currently, Scott is a Director of Photography in the Union Local 600, working on commercials, music videos, and television.

Stay Connected:

Path of Liberty

• Website
• Instagram

Daniella Vale

• Website
• Instagram
• Youtube
• Vimeo

Scott Beardslee

• Website
• Instagram
• Vimeo
• Tiktok

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

"Live From New York, it's Saturday Night!" That single sentence has become a catchphrase for devotees of comedy and popular culture over the past 50 years—generations of fans who willingly turn their attentions from the height of weekend revelry to the televised antics of Saturday Night Live. Week in, week out for more than two decades, a single photographer has conjured visual magic behind the scenes, creating inventive and irreverent portraits that air for three seconds each as so-called "bumpers" that transition to and from the show's commercial breaks.

In this week's podcast, SNL's photographer in residence Mary Ellen Matthews regales us with details about what's undoubtedly the world's best photo gig—a position she's held for 25 years. From the fateful phone call she got in 1993, inviting her to assist the show's founding photographer, Mary Ellen offers candid insights into her journey from mentee to team leader. Along the way, we pull back the curtain on the creation of some iconic images and learn what it takes to be "in the driver's seat [with] a whole busload of very important people to take care of."

"My job is to make this easy and fast," she notes. "And I don't want anyone to be overthinking anything because they've got enough to worry about with all the sketches and all the pre-tapes and their responsibilities to the rest of the show, which is the most important thing."

Guest: Mary Ellen Matthews

Episode Timeline:

• 2:58: Living the dream as SNL's resident photographer while being creative under stressful deadline pressure.
• 4:50: Mary Ellen's early immersion in photography, at the side of her hobbyist father.
• 7:02: Arriving in NYC, early work for a record label, and the call to assist SNL's founding photographer in residence, Edie Baskin.
• 12:02: SNL's transition from film to digital, plus the cameras Mary Ellen shoots with today.
• 15:46: Conceptualizing the weekly portrait shoots and collaborating with subjects.
• 20:16: Behind-the-scenes of a dicey photo shoot, plus SNL's weekly production timeline.

27:35: Episode Break

• 28:22: Beyond portraits, the images Mary Ellen shoots as props for SNL sketches—sometimes with a 4x5.
• 33:20: The scheduling of SNL portrait shoots and getting portrait subjects to have fun.
• 36:44: Testing for shoots, the atmosphere on-set, and flying by the seat of your pants.
• 40:15: Communicating with a celebrity's team to get everyone on the same page about shoots and concepts.
• 42:40: The general workflow of SNL portrait sessions: from shoot preparation to editing and post-production.
• 45:17: Advice for emerging photographers looking for work or applying for an internship.

Guest Bio:

As a top entertainment portrait photographer, Mary Ellen Matthews is specialized in creating iconic images of well-known personalities—from pop stars to sports legends to rock gods. Since 1999, she has been photographer in residence at Saturday Night Live, where she's responsible for creating the distinctive look of the show's still images. Through her exuberant presence that puts subjects at ease, her creative and playful styling on set and intensive fine-tuning in post, Matthews produces unique and recognizable portraits under the manic deadlines of live TV. What's more, in 2010, she began directing SNL's video clips, including the show's opening title sequence.

Recent clients include Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Studios, and Prime Video, as well as publications such as Variety, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, and the Spanish edition of Harper's Bazaar. Most notably, in March 2025, Matthews's first book, The Art of the SNL Portrait, was released to mark the 50th anniversary of this revolution in late night TV.

Stay Connected:

• Instagram:
• Saturday Night Live Instagram:
• Saturday Night Live on YouTube:

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• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
• Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Industrial expansion has left an indelible mark on our natural world, fundamentally altering landscapes and ecosystems for the sake of material progress and modern convenience. This transformation has created an environmental challenge of unprecedented scale. In today's show, we'll connect the dots between the raw materials that make up our planet and the industrial forces visually altering our contemporary landscape in a chat with a photographer who's documented these profound global changes firsthand for the past 50 years.

Applying visual principals rooted in abstract expressionist painting, Edward Burtynsky has explored a wide range of photographic tools in his image making—from large format film to high-res digital cameras mounted to the most sophisticated of drones.

Included among our many discussion topics are his distinctive approach to translating a 3-D landscape to the flat plane of a photograph; his various methods for capturing aerials using either a helicopter, fixed wing aircraft, or various types of drones; and the early business epiphany that led him to open a photo lab as an income stream, rather than work as a camera for hire.

As Burtynsky shares during our chat, about the connection between nature and industry: "You know, materials are an incredibly key part of modern society. And yet we need to go to sources in nature, where these materials are found. And I'm just reconnecting a reality that we still live in a material world, and our cities are built of molecules that came from somewhere, and I'm taking you to those places that are vast and huge."

Guest: Edward Burtynsky

Episode Timeline:

• 2:58: Burtynsky's early interest in abstract expressionist painting combined with the magic and rituals of composing images with a large format camera
• 5:28: Planning for aerial views, the shift from using a minerals map in the past to Google Earth today, plus Burtynsky's shooting preferences between a helicopter and a drone and shooting open air.
• 10:22: Burtynsky's approach to translating a 3-D landscape to the flat plane of a photograph.
• 17:17: The planning and research behind Burtynsky's work vs the need to pivot in the field.
• 19:45: Adapting to technology over a 50-year career, and how it's shaped Burtynsky's process—from large format film to high end digital on a drone.
• 23:16: Episode Break
• 23:59: Burtynsky talks about permissions to access mines and industrial sites and how this has changed over time.
• 31:44: A wrong turn on the highway in 1981 and the photos that led Burtynsky to an epiphany about human-altered landscapes.
• 35:48: Burtynsky talks about forming his photo lab Toronto Image Works as a ballast to provide income in printing for other photographers while pursuing personal fine art photo projects.
• 43:38: Burtynsky's retrospective exhibit at the ICP in New York, his thoughts about the future of technology, plus recent collaborations with a young artist working in Artificial Intelligence.

Guest Bio:

Edward Burtynsky has spent more than 40 years bearing witness to the impact human industry on our planet. Regarded as one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers, Burtynsky's work is included in the collections of more than 80 museums worldwide and featured in major exhibitions around the globe.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1955, Burtynsky's early exposure to a nearby General Motors plant and ships navigating the Welland Canal in his hometown captured his imagination, helping to formulate his ideas about the scale of human creation he would later capture in photographs. These images explore the collective impact we as a species have on the surface of this planet. A select list of Burtynsky's many distinctions include the inaugural TED Prize, the title of Officer of the Order of Canada, the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award for Art, a Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellowship, and the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. Burtynsky currently holds nine honorary doctorate degrees, and in addition to his work in photography, he was a key production figure in the award-winning documentary film trilogy Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark, and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch. All three films continue to play in festivals around the world.

Stay Connected:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Linktree

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• Host: Derek Fahsbender
• Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
  • Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Every photographer dreams of publishing a book of their photographs. But what exactly does that entail? In today's show, we're going to peek behind the scenes of this complex and daunting process in a chat with two complementary figures who've spent their respective careers helping to redefine what a photo book can be.

Starting with three basic questions—Why a book? Why now? And what is the role of a book in your career at this time?—our discussion expands to cover a broad range of concerns. From distinguishing between the many different publishing models available today, to insights on sponsorship and publishing contracts, to tips about marketing and getting people onboard with your project, you'll come away with inventive strategies for publishing your work in book form. We've envisioned this show as an impromptu master class, so get ready to take some notes!

Guests: Mary Virginia Swanson & Rick Smolan

Episode Timeline:

• 4:45: Mary Virginia Swanson's basic advice to photographers interested in publishing their photographs in book form, plus the different publishing models available today.
• 10:22: Rick's start as a freelance photographer and the story behind his shift in roles to launch the Day in the Life book series.
• 15:04: The importance of sponsorship or in-kind donations, plus innovative strategies for negotiating such deals.
• 23:04: The two different categories of photo books: greatest hits with the photographer as subject and a book that has a separate subject and overarching story.
• 27:55: Tips for going on press, advice about publishing contracts, and suggestions for buying back a book before it gets remaindered.
• 34:54: The issue of vanity presses, and the matter of requiring a subvention from authors to help cover the publisher's costs.
• 43:03: Publicity and marketing: You are the best salesperson for your book. Tips for getting your book seen and heard about, from magazines to podcasts.

49:08: Episode Break

• 50:02: Should you create a full mock-up version of a book or just show a publisher a selection of photos?
• 59:22: Benefits to working with a literary agent when seeking to publish a photo book.
• 1:01:44: Slicing up the pie by hiring freelaners or finding a partner to share in the work.
• 1:07:38: The importance of publishing deadlines and many important markers tied to a calendar, plus the cover photo and book blurbs.
• 1:14:22: Swanson and Smolan on their picks for memorable photo books.
• 1:25:19: Parting advice about getting other people excited about your project.

Guest Bios:

Mary Virginia Swanson has spent her career helping artists find the strengths in their work, identify receptive audiences, and present their personal vision in an informed, professional manner. Her broad background as a photo educator, author, entrepreneur and advisor spans areas of exhibiting, collecting, licensing, and marketing photographs. A few career highlights include working with Ansel Adams to manage education offerings at the Friends of Photography in California, heading Special Projects for Magnum Photos in New York, and founding and directing Swanstock as a unique licensing agency for fine art photographers. Swanson is the recipient of many awards, including the Society for Photographic Education's Honored Educator Award and the FOCUS Award for Lifetime Achievement in Photography from the Griffin Museum in Boston to name just two. In 2011, Swanson co-authored Publish Your Photography Book with Darius Himes, which is now in its third edition. Currently, Swanson works independently from her home base in Tucson, offering classes, workshops and consulting services to artists and arts organizations, serving as an advisor for multiple nonprofits, and giving back through other community-minded activities.

Rick Smolan is both a photographer and an entrepreneur. A former contributor to Time, Life, and National Geographic, he is perhaps best known as creator of the Day in the Life book series, plus subsequent book projects of massive scope. As CEO of the multi-modal company Against All Odds Productions, Smolan designs and executes crowd-sourced, global projects that combine compelling storytelling with state-of-the-art technology. These projects capture the human face of emerging topics while engaging a wide range of media platforms to result in books, TV specials, social media apps, exhibitions, and hundreds of millions of media impressions.

One such project, based on Smolan's 1977 National Geographic cover story about Robyn Davidson's solo travels across the outback has enjoyed continued life in multiple books, plus the feature film Tracks, with Adam Driver cast in the role of Smolan. Other recent projects include The Human Face of Big Data, which looks at how all our devices are creating a planetary nervous system, and The Good Fight: America's Ongoing Struggle for Justice, which became one of Amazon's top 100 books within a week of its release.

Stay Connected:

Mary Virginia Swanson

• Website
• Instagram

Rick Smolan

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Against All Odds Website

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

In a world of perpetual motion, there exists a realm of profound stillness—where light doesn't simply illuminate, it transforms. Far from home amid Earth's frozen tundras, time itself seems suspended in crystalline air. In today's podcast, we'll visit these places where time hangs in the balance, and we'll explore the intrepid mix of endurance, patience, and vision it takes to make pictures there. Joining us for this conversation are polar photography specialists Acacia Johnson and Jonas Paurell.

From making distinctions between Arctic and Antarctic regions, to learning about the unique challenges involved with photographing there, our polar experts share many valuable insights. In addition to tips about packing and safeguarding camera gear in cold weather climates, we also discuss the importance of managing expectations during such trips, especially when faced with a long wait to see wildlife amid the barren stillness.

As Alaskan photographer Acacia Johnson puts it, "… I think going into a trip with kind of a sense of exploration, like the joy of the trip is that you don't know, and it's completely unique to your experience. And whatever you do see is kind of a gift."

Guests: Acacia Johnson & Jonas Paurell

Episode Timeline:

• 3:37: Acacia Johnson's upbringing in the wilds of Alaska and leaving the area for photo studies at the Rhode Island School of Design in the lower 48.
• 7:35: Jonas Paurell's youth in Sweden and the impact his first trek to Scandinavian Arctic regions had on his soul.
• 14:08: The differences between Arctic and Antarctic polar landscapes, plus Acacia's experiences during a winter in Arctic Bay, with no sun for four months.
• 29:13: Different approaches to storytelling about the Arctic based on subject matter, and capturing an emotion in images that does justice to the landscape.
• 37:31: The logistics of getting to Arctic and Antarctic locations, and expenses involved with working and living there.
• 43:19: The Jubilee Expedition Jonas organized to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a legendary Swedish polar expedition to Svalbard.

51:20: Episode Break

• 51:38: Preparations for a polar expedition and the camera gear Acacia and Jonas pack.
• 1:00:31: Using a large format camera on polar expeditions, plus managing gear in extreme cold conditions.
• 1:06:42: Managing expectations for travelers, misconceptions when planning trips, plus different types of vessels used during expeditions to polar regions.
• 1:16:42: Cultivating an authentic connection to place when photographing polar regions.
• 1:21:29: The changing ethics of photographing in polar regions, plus findings from Jonas's Jubilee Expedition

Guest Bios:

Acacia Johnson is a photographer, writer, and a 2023 National Geographic Explorer based in Anchorage, Alaska. Drawn to painterly light and otherworldly landscapes, her work focuses on the environment, conservation, and connections between people and place. Over the past 10 years, she has made more than fifty expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica as a photographer and a guide—always seeking to inspire wonder and compassion for these remote regions during a time of rapid change. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally and have been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic and TIME magazines, among other publications. In 2021, Acacia was awarded the Canon Female Photojournalist Grant, and in 2022 she received the ICP Infinity Award for Documentary Practices and Photojournalism.

Jonas Paurell is an explorer, conservation photographer, photo educator, and speaker from Gothenburg, Sweden. One of his most ambitious projects is a 25-year documentation of the Arctic. Through ski expeditions and icebreaker voyages, he has captured both the resilience and vulnerability of Arctic landscapes, emphasizing the fragility of the region and the urgent need for preservation. In 2022, Jonas launched The Jubilee Expedition, recreating the historic Swedish Polar Expedition of 1872 to highlight this region's rapid melting and the far-reaching impacts of climate change. Jonas is also founder of Terra Photography Expeditions, which offers immersive workshops in both Arctic regions and South American rainforests, helping photographers deepen their connection with nature while refining their craft. Additionally, before dedicating his life to photography, Jonas served as a human rights lawyer for the United Nations.

Stay Connected:

Acacia Johnson

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Jonas Paurell

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• Terra Photography Expedition
• Instagram
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Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens