LPV Show

Recorded June 19, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Ralph Smith went to RIT with Tom, so I’d met him a few times over the year. He was PDN 30 in 2014 and he’s photographed for Sotheby’s, Food Network Magazine, Field & Stream, Conde Naste Traveler, among several others. His still life photographs are meticulously lit, playful and colorful. He works in a part of photoland that I don’t know much about so I was curious to see what he had to say about hustling as a photographer. He also happens to be a fellow Minnesotan so it was nice relate from that perspective as well.

He brought some interesting books as well, which we’ve come to expect, but it’s always interesting to see the combinations. In this episode we get Duane Michels, Trevor Paglen, Star Wars and John Pfahl. I have a new appreciation for Michels after viewing his skewering of the photo world. I started to wonder if this podcast was satire? What would Duane Michels say about a photobook podcast? I don’t want to know the answer.  Enjoy!

Photobooks/Photography Discussed

Recorded June 13, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

The title caught my attention right away: ‘The Oldest Living Things in The World.’ It’s a perfect title for a book and a perfect headline for the internet age. The photographs at first look might not knock you out, but when you realize that the tree you’re looking at is 2,000 years old, the equation changes. Rachel Sussman’s book is a perfect blend of science and art. I can’t recall another book I’ve seen where the captions and the photos work in such harmony to create a powerful viewing experience.

I’ve been obsessed with this project from the first time I saw it. I was excited and nervous when she agreed to come on the show. I had so many questions and ideas I wanted to discuss that my mind nearly went blank…and you’ll hear that a few times in the show! Thankfully Rachel is an eloquent speaker and knows her work inside and out. It was the most illuminating conversation I’ve had this season. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as Tom and I did.

Recorded June 5, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Andrew Hetherington has the type of career most editorial photographers dream about. He’s photographed Bill Clinton, Jerry Seinfeld and many other celebrities, his photographs have been on the cover of popular magazines, he’s seemingly on a flight to a new shoot every other week, not to mention his blog What’s the Jackonary was one of the first on the scene in the early days of blogging.

I met him early when I moved to New York and it seemed like every time I was out at a photography opening in Chelsea, he’d be there socializing. He’s perhaps the most professional pro photographer I’ve encountered. We were excited to have him on the hear about his incredible career and the stories that come with it. He was kind enough to bring some killer books from his collection, including a few books that have had the most impact on him as a photographer. It was a memorable day for Tom and I in Bushwick.

Hope you enjoy!

Recorded June 3, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Mikael Kennedy gets to the point. I think I’ve had about 7 conversations with him in my life but each one has been packed with ideas and memories. Passport to Tresspass (2006-2011), his series of polaroids from his journeys across the United States is one of my favorite road trip projects. It’s a sprawling project, covering 9 volumes, so I haven’t seen all of it, but that’s sort of the point.

I was glad Mikael made time to join us early on a Thursday morning to discuss his pending move to Los Angeles, teaching a class on memory, making books and wandering around the country. There’s probably a few other ideas and stories as well, but I can’t remember. A good conversation is often like that, quick, intense, filled with ideas and over far too soon.

Recorded May 31, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

I’d met Patrick Gookin in 2007/2008 while I was living in Los Angeles but only vaguely remembered the night when he reached out last year to share his work. It’s a strange feeling when someone remembers a moment with you that you have trouble retrieving. One of the hazards of getting old I suppose.

Patrick was in town for a workshop with Todd Hido, but found enough free time to join us to talk about his book Los Angeles By Car, living and photographing in Japan, taking pictures out his window in Silver Lake, and “men flashing plants.”

He has been working on a new project about the California drought and each of the books he brought along were intriguing. As we like to say, we’ve set up a pretty good scam for checking out photobooks with this podcast.

I can safely say that doing this show is how I prefer to experience new photobooks. Each week is a surprise and that makes it fun and interesting for us, and hopefully for you as well.

Photobooks/Photography Discussed

Candid or staged? It’s one of those debates that often get photographers riled up. In the past, I would empathically state my preference for candid photography but as I’ve studied more over the years, I’ve come to appreciate a multitude of photographic approaches. This episode offers a photographer on both ends of the candid or staged spectrum.

I met Jennifer McClure while I was reviewing at PhotoNola a few years back. It turned out that we both live in the same neighborhood. I’ve yet to run into her while going to the grocery store but I have seen her at a few photo events over the years and have followed her progress online. It was great to see her win CENTER’s Editor’s Choice in 2013 after years of hard work. She continues to push forward with new projects and recently started photographing single people in New York City which may sound simple but as you’ll hear in the show, turns out to be quite challenging. The internet opens doors but often times when you walk through them you end someplace you never expected.

Amy Touchette is a photographer based in Brooklyn who explores themes of social connectedness through street portraiture. Trained at the International Center of Photography, she began her artistic career as a writer and painter, earning a BA in Literature and Studio Art and an MA in Literature. She is represented by ClampArt in New York City and Little Big Galerie in Paris, France.

Recorded May 15, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

I'd seen the work of artist Magali Duzant come across my radar a few times the last few years but it was here interview with Bird that finally prompted me to reach out to see if she'd like to come on the show.

In the interview, she talks about growing up in New York City, heading to Pittsburgh for school, taking a residency in San Francisco and then finally moving back to New York to pursue a career as an artist. Her Live Stream Sunset project intrigued me because it’s one of those projects that would be virtually impossible without the internet. I was intrigued by the variety of projects on her website and had a hunch she’d bring some interesting books to discuss. I’m happy she agreed to join us to discuss her art, photobooks and how the internet is impacting how we connect and engage with both and each other.

Recorded May 9, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Recorded May 1, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

A few weeks ago I walked over to 10×10’s Shashin Zine Fest in Long Island City. Outside the gallery, I ran into Yoshi, who introduced me to Brett A. Davis. Almost immediately, Yoshi said “You should have Brett on the podcast.” That’s a strong endorsement. Over the evening Tom and I chatted with Brett, and learned that he’s been working on an “ongoing photo/audio project documenting the culture of Catholic Sisters in the United States.” He’s also photographing the 

Recorded April 9th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

When I first discovered Gus Powell’s photographs on iN-PUBLIC several years ago I was immediately attracted to his sensibility as a photographer. He was making the type of candid photographs in public places that I wanted to emulate. I tried and tried, but there’s only one Gus Powell.

We’d corresponded over email after I wrote a piece in LPV Magazine a few years, and bumped into each other a few times at photo events. The last time was at an Aperture opening a few months ago where I invited him onto the show.

His new book 

Recorded April 5th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn

A few months ago I saw Sophie Barbasch’s Fault Line photographs on Lenscratch, and in the weeks after that they started to appear regularly on my Tumblr dashboard. I took a look at her website and was intrigued by the variety of projects she’s produced, particularly her monthly photobook series. For two years, she’s produced an original photobook which she has published through Blurb. Naturally this made a her a good candidate for the show. We were lucky she agreed to chat with us to share some insights into her process.

(You might notice a change in the audio quality. Yes folks, we’ve graduated to broadcast mics so hopefully that will make the listening experience more enjoyable)