Beginning with an iPhone and an “a-ha moment” in the beautiful San Francisco City Hall, photographer Arthur Drooker began a project that would last five years and take him across the United States to photograph the most impressive and interesting city halls in the nation. The project culminated with his wonderful book, City Hall: Masterpieces of American Civic Architecture, from Schiffer Publishing, and it brings him to the B&H; Photography Podcast to discuss photographing architecture, civic pride, research and interviews, book publishing, zoom and tilt-shift lenses, and a host of other subjects related to his photography. Join us for this practical and insightful episode. “To me, the best city halls are not just office buildings to administer services, they also use architecture and design to express something about civic pride, civic virtue, and democratic engagement.” – Arthur Drooker Guest: Arthur Drooker Photograph © Arthur Drooker

My Client Was Democracy – Photographing City Halls, with Arthur Drooker

Join us each week for a conversation with insightful and entertaining guests. From gear and technique to history, science and art, we discuss the topics most important to the contemporary photographer.

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Visual Arts

  Julia Blaukopf is not afraid to think big, particularly when it comes to her photographs. She’s also not afraid of blurring the lines between fine art and commercial enterprise. Equal parts photographer, designer, visual artist, and entrepreneur,  Julia is the founder of Fotografica—an arts-products venture with the goal of re-envisioning options for photography and photo-based products.    Top shot © Julia Blaukopf   In this week’s podcast, Julia leads us along her inspiring path—from her early days working with alternative processes and forging relationships with crafts people to her latest collaborations with architects, designers, and developers in the creation of  architectural-scale commissions and  custom photo-based installations.  When collaborating with professional partners and clients on huge projects, psychology is key, which we discuss in detail. Blaukopf also describes the critical importance of seeking out the best printers and installers. Besides a command over technical details such as sound absorption, color fading, and bubbling, she sheds light on lesser-known yet equally essential construction issues such as fire codes.  In addition to Blaukopf’s commercial work, she is also a documentarian with a passion for women’s empowerment and social justice. Towards the end of our chat she describes her work in that realm, offering insights about connecting with non-profits, and sharing  stories through photography that have the ability to galvanize change.  Guest: Julia Blaukopf For more information on our guest and the gear she uses, see:  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/larger-than-life-julia-blaukopfs-custom-photographic-wall-decor Stay Connected:  Julia Blaukopf’s Website: https://www.juliablaukopf.com/ Fotografica Website: https://www.thefotografica.com/ Julia Blaukopf’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliablaukopf/ Fotographica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fotografica_official/  Julia Blaukopf’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/juliablaukopf  Julia Blaukopf’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/julia.blaukopf/ North Bar Wall Covering:  https://www.thefotografica.com/north-bar  Julia’s book The Rain Parade:  https://www.abingdonsquarepublishing.com/rainparade.html

Larger than Life: Julia Blaukopf’s Custom Photographic Wall Decor

 How much do you know about New York City’s 1982 Loft Law, which established a process for artists to obtain legal occupancy of the raw industrial spaces they inhabited, while also providing rent stabilization and protection from future eviction? Or the pigeon fanciers who were once a fixture across the rooftops of Brooklyn and remain valued as neighborhood sentinels?  If these poetic vestiges from Gotham’s storied past have you dreaming about the good old days, then you won’t want to miss our podcast  with gen-Z New Yorkers (and good buddies) Joshua Charow and Josh Katz.  Their ambitious, self-assigned photo projects explore rarified mini-worlds featuring magical artist spaces and exuding West Side Story vibes.  While their respective explorations occupy opposite ends of the struggle for prized urban space, the insights they share when discussing both their working methods and their paths to publishing are instructive and inspirational. What’s more, their spirited camaraderie in conversation is infectious!  As Charow aptly notes toward the end of the episode, “I have to say, I don’t know if this book would exist without Josh Katz. Because I started this project towards the end of him finishing his, and as a close friend, he was able to basically show me the roadmap of how you get from idea to a finished book. And like he said, it’s really hard to understand how that works without someone in your life who can show you the steps you have to take.” And for bonus points, listen up to discover the former guest of the show who also sat down with Charow, and ultimately lined him up with a book agent! For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/nyc-artist-lofts-brooklyn-rooftops-with-joshua-charow-josh-katz  Guests: Joshua Charow and Josh Katz  Top shot  © Joshua Charow Stay Connected:  Joshua Charow Website: https://www.joshuacharow.com/  Joshua Charow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuacharow/  Joshua Charow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshcharow  Joshua Charow Twitter:  https://twitter.com/joshuacharow/  Joshua Charow YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@joshuacharow  Joshua Charow Loft Law book: https://www.damianibooks.com/en/collections/charow-joshua Joshua Charow Westwood Gallery Exhibit: https://www.westwoodgallery.com/exhibitions/loft-law-photographs-by-joshua-charowosh Katz Website: https://www.joshkatz.me/ Josh Katz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshkatz/ Josh Katz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/joshkatz Josh Katz Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshkatz/new-york-in-quarantine-rooftop-culture-through-crisis?ref=5bku66 Josh Katz On the Roof book:   https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/on-the-roof-new-york-in-quarantine-hardcover Josh Katz Skatefolio Project: https://skatefol.io/

NYC Artist Lofts & Brooklyn Rooftops, with Joshua Charow & Josh Katz

  The dictionary defines culture as “the way of life for an entire society.” But sometimes larger forces create rifts  within the whole, inevitably leading to a confrontation between factions. A prime example of this cultural struggle is playing out today within the cities and villages of Ukraine, the focus of today’s episode.  Above photograph © Maxim Dondyuk   In this sixth installment of our monthly series, Picturing World Cultures, we speak with  Ukrainian photographer and visual artist Maxim Dondyuk, and his wife and artistic manager, Irina.   Our conversation stretches beyond the current conflict, to encompass other aspects of Ukrainian society. From Maxim’s early series on a country doctor’s final visits with patients (which drew inspiration from the work of W. Eugene Smith) to his in-depth coverage of Ukraine’s TB epidemic, we witness the evolution of his working methods and his dedication to long term documentary projects.   Step behind the scenes of a military camp for children run by Cossacks, and gain insight into the cultural split between pro-Russian and pro-European factions, which Maxim photographed for his book Culture of Confrontation.   As he writes in this book, “One culture tried to cling to old times, old ways of living. They were nostalgic for a past that meant a lot to them, to their parents, and grandparents. Yet there was another culture that felt completely differently. They looked ahead to forging something new, a different country.”   Join us for this frank discussion about how such conflicting forces take visual form in Maxim’s powerfully arresting images.  If you haven’t already listened, check out all the episodes of our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here.  Guests: Maxim & Irina Dondyuk Stay Connected: Maxim Dondyuk Website: https://maximdondyuk.com/ Maxim Dondyuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximdondyuk/  Maxim Dondyuk  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/maximdondyuk  Maxim Dondyuk  Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/maximdondyuk Maxim Dondyuk Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_Dondyuk  Maxim Dondyuk‘s W. Eugene Smith Grant:  https://www.smithfund.org/2022-maxim-dondyuk

Picturing World Cultures: Maxim Dondyuk - Ukraine

 For anyone familiar with the photo industry, the mammoth lawsuit between The Andy Warhol Foundation and renowned music photographer Lynn Goldsmith should be no secret. This complex battle over the rights to her 1981 portrait of the artist formerly known as Prince lasted seven years and went all the way to the Supreme Court.     But do you know the circumstances behind her original portrait session with the famously reserved musician, and were you aware of all the misinformation about this case that was disseminated in both legal documents and the press?     Lynn is a longtime friend of the show, and  our 2017 episode about her extensive, long-term work with the band Kiss,  among other crazy stories, was a fan favorite. We invited her back  to discuss this case  in 2022, when the Supreme Court first agreed to hear  it, but heeding the advice of her legal counsel she wisely declined our offer at that time.      In May 2023, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in Lynn’s favor in a 7-2 decision, which has already been shown to benefit others seeking remedies for the misuse of their creative works.     Yet, while this landmark decision happened last year, the case itself was not officially resolved until very recently—Friday, March 15, 2024, to be exact—a day some might recognize as the Ides of March.     Now that the final resolution has been signed, sealed,  and delivered, we  felt it was a perfect opportunity for Lynn to give us  a recap of this  David vs Goliath  battle, with all its complexities  and underlying bias.   From details about the Fair Use doctrine, to the matter of copyright registration, to her thoughts about the current photographer community, to the importance of standing up for one’s rights, Lynn provides a clear and insightful assessment of one of the most traumatic and threatening experiences that any independent artist can face, as only she can.     To  her  very  core, Lynn believes creativity can make anything possible, an ideology  she sums up aptly at the end of our chat.     “I felt like some higher power picked me for this,” she says. “And that I had to make myself feel like a 1940s film with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, where there was going to be a happy ending, that everything would work out just fine, and that I was going to prevail.”    Guest: Lynn Goldsmith  Top shot © Lynn Goldsmith    Episode Timeline: 2:50: The backstory to Lynn Goldsmith’s 1981 photo session with Prince. 7:17: Shooting both color and black-and-white in the days of film, a separate camera for each option. 11:15: Vanity Fair’s 1984 use of Lynn’s black and white portrait for artist reference.   13:47: Lynn’s discovery of the original image use after Prince died in 2016.  19:50: The value of saving detailed records of licensing agreements for future reference. 23:14: The preemptive lawsuit the Andy Warhol Foundation filed against Lynn, and the misinformation contained in the Federal court filing. 32:15: Lynn discusses the Fair Use doctrine and the matter of copyright registration in relation to her case. 36:43: Episode Break 38:04: Meeting with the Andy Warhol Foundation and the deal on offer to resolve the lawsuit. 44:40: Lynn’s thoughts about the current photographer community and the importance of standing up for your rights. 48:09: The multiple rounds of the Prince portrait lawsuit, from the first Federal case to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. 56:29: Uneven reporting about the lawsuit in the press, with the photo press being fearful to write anything, and the art press releasing misinformation without fact checks. 1:00:27: Behind the scenes at the Supreme Court hearing, the effects of the 7 – 2 decision, as well as Justice Kagan’s written opinion. 1:08:48: Lynn’s thoughts about generative AI.  Guest Bio: Lynn Goldsmith is a multi-awarded portrait photographer whose work has appeared on and in between the covers of top magazines worldwide. Her subjects have varied from entertainment to sports, film directors to authors, and from top celebrities to the ordinary man on the street. Her forty years of photography are both an investigation into the nature of the human spirit, as well as the natural wonders of our planet. As the author of 12 major photo books, Lynn’s images are also featured in numerous museum collections, yet her professional achievements are in no way limited to the world of photography. She is the youngest member ever accepted into the Director's Guild of America (DGA), where she achieved several firsts—from the first rock show on network television to the first music documentary released as a theatrical short, and more. In the mid-seventies, Lynn stopped directing to concentrate fully on photography.  By the early 80s, she departed from both photography and film, to become the first ‘optic-music’ artist. Using the a.k.a. Will Powers, she produced the album "Dancing for Mental Health" on Island Records. Her debut album won critical acclaim and her single, Kissing with Confidence, reached #3 on the British charts.  The wide range of Lynn's talents, skills and achievements are products of a belief she holds constant: Creativity is based on breaking limiting thought patterns, thus making anything possible.   Stay Connected:  Lynn Goldsmith’s Website: https://lynngoldsmith.com/menu.html  Rock and Roll Photo Gallery Website:  https://rockandrollphotogallery.com/  Lynn Goldsmith’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynngoldsmith/  Lynn Goldsmith’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/goldsmithphoto  Lynn Goldsmith’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynngoldsmithartist/  Lynn Goldsmith’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lynn-goldsmith/  Lynn Goldsmith’s GoFundMe Campaign  Lynn Goldsmith’s Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Goldsmith Pelican 1510TP Carry-On Case: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1241003-REG/pelican_015100_0050_110_1510tp_carry_on_case_with.html

Lynn Goldsmith’s Prince Portrait and its Legacy in Case Law

  Professional tree planting is back breaking piecework—a combination of high intensity sport and industrial labor that requires both technical finesse and remarkable physical and mental endurance. Using techniques more often associated with high-performance athletes, experienced planters (commonly known as high-ballers) leap up and down through uneven and debris-strewn terrain, armed only with a shovel and 30-kg bags of seedlings on their backs. In recent years, tree planting has become a rite of passage among young Canadians not afraid of hard work and dirt under their fingernails.   As seasonal work, it attracts many students from Canada’s southern cities. Due to the brutal physical demands, most are under 30 years old. Out on the cut block inclement weather is common, and the swarms of biting insects are legendary. Working in—rather than on—the land for months on end, and sharing an isolated camp site creates a solid bond among planters. This has molded into a subculture of sorts, which is the subject of today’s show. My guest for this episode is Canadian photographer and filmmaker Rita Leistner. Rita documents communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade as a tree planter during her youth, Rita returned to the forest in 2016 to document a new generation. In 2021, she released her results as an Art Trifecta, featuring large fine art photographs, a 256-page photo book, and the documentary feature film “Forest for the Trees.”  Equally in her element in forests and war zones, Rita’s photographs and her writings about photography, art, and war have been published, exhibited, and collected worldwide. She is represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery for art, and by Green Planet Films for film.  Guest: Rita Leistner  Above photograph © Rita Leistner  For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see:  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/picturing-world-cultures-rita-leistner-canada  And if you haven’t already listened, check out all episodes from our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here.https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/promotion/picturing-world-cultures    Episode Timeline:   2:02: The backstory to Canadian tree planting as a business 5:21: Rita’s interest in photography and her early days as a tree planter. 12:43: Comparisons and contrasts between Rita’s early tree planting experiences and what she found when returning to the forest to document this subject. 18:21: A typical day in the life of a tree planter and the actual planting process 26:31: How Rita landed on her distinctive photographic style of capturing fast moving planters with a PhaseOne camera and Profoto lighting. 32:40: Rita talks about how the young planters responded to her sudden presence in the camp.  36:17: Rita’s lighting set up with Profoto B1 lights and coordinating with an assistant to carry all the gear.  41:56: Episode Break 43:10: Rita talks about power consumption, batteries, generators, workflow, and more when working in remote locations.   45:03: Inclement weather, dirt, and bugs when shooting both stills and video footage out in the wilderness. 48:41: The lighting details behind Rita’s enchanted forest nighttime images and timelapse footage. 53:38: How the work of tree planters is perceived by both the logging industry and environmentalists, and the effects this has on the planters themselves. 1:03:47: How Rita’s Tree Planter project has affected her sense of Canadian identity.  1:06:04: Rita Leistner answers our PWC Visual Questionnaire. Guest Bio: Rita Leistner  is a Canadian photographer and filmmaker who creates portraits of communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade of her formative years as a tree planter in the Canadian wilderness, she returned to this theme to document a new generation of planters from 2016 to 2019. In 2021, she released the project as an Art Trifecta, featuring fine art photographs, a 256-page monograph, and the 91-minute documentary film Forest for the Trees.  Additionally, Rita has been captured by insurgents, assaulted, and shot at, and she has run into gunfire to get a photograph. She has published four books of photography including Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq (2005), widely considered one of the most influential anti-war books to come out of the Iraq conflict. Rita’s photographs and her writings about photography, art, and war have been published and exhibited worldwide, and are in major corporate and museum collections. From 2010 to 2016 she served as Associate Professor in the History of Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the University of Toronto. She is represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery for art, and by Green Planet Films for film.   Stay Connected:  Rita Leistner Website:  http://ritaleistner.com/  Forest for the Trees Website:  https://www.forestforthetreesdocumentary.com/ Rita Leistner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritaleistner/  Rita Leistner Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ritaleistner/  Stephen Bulger Gallery Website:  https://www.bulgergallery.com/artists/45-rita-leistner/overview/  Green Planet Films Website:  https://greenplanetfilms.org/products/forest-for-the-trees?_pos=1&_sid=90a01a45d&_ss=r  Canadian photographer Lorraine Gilbert:  https://www.lorrainegilbert.com/

My Client Was Democracy – Photographing City Halls, with Arthur Drooker

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