Negative Influence Podcast Podcast

This week I’m hanging out with my buddy Dave Fugue (@fugue.photo), and we get into some of the things photographers apparently aren’t allowed to have simple opinions about anymore.

We talk Adobe vs. CaptureOne, how we approach shooting black and white, and the increasingly bizarre relationship photographers have with social media. What actually matters, what we’ve convinced ourselves matters, and why we keep coming back to platforms that seem determined to make us feel bad about our work.

Basically, two photographers talking about photography and trying to figure out what the hell we’re doing.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

Matthew Young joins me on the podcast to talk about his new photo zine, Origin: Colombia, documenting the coffee trade in Colombia, specifically around the Tolima region.

We get into what it actually takes to build a photo project like this, from figuring out what you want to say, to putting in the work to make the thing actually exist. We also talk about the realities of photographing in another country, working with people and places you don’t necessarily know, and the extremely terrifying experience of trying to convince Colombian officials that your bag of film absolutely does not need to go through an X-ray machine without seeming suspicious for other reasons.

Origin: Colombia was released July 24th and features photographs by Matthew, with essays by Zack Burnett and Herbert Peñaloza Correa.

Check out the zine, or buy it!!

https://boldbeancoffee.com/products/origin-colombia-photo-book?srsltid=AfmBOoqFTMbfcQRrQ70ngI8ieGNIHUsiuswOt93BNilI0RzUGlXleZ4d

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

My buddy Chris from Land of the Lonesome is back on the podcast. If you’ve spent any time around film photography online, you’ve probably come across his incredible work documenting the American Plains and the West, usually with a healthy dose of Fujifilm and enough wide open spaces to make me want to pack my bags.

We catch up on where life and photography have been taking us, talk about his future goals, the photobook he’s been saying he’ll release for what feels like forever, and whether we’re finally going to stop talking about it and get me out to Colorado to hang out. We also spend some time discussing gear, our shared appreciation for the Canon A-1, the projects we’re chasing, and what keeps us motivated to keep making photographs long after the novelty wears off.

As always, it’s just two friends talking photography, travel, film, and everything in between.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

Award-winning photographer, educator, museum collections professional, and wet plate artist Britt Bradley, better known as Nitrate Fox, joins Negative Influence for a conversation about photography, creativity, and the craft behind one of the oldest photographic processes still practiced today. We talk about her journey into photography, preserving historic techniques, building community, and why slowing down can completely change the way we make pictures.

We also talk about the best gas station snacks.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

This week on Negative Influence, we’re joined by Dave Faulkner, founder of Alfie Cameras.

We talk about what it takes to build a camera company in today’s film photography landscape, the challenges of bringing new products to market, and the philosophy behind creating photographic tools that prioritize experience over convention.

We also dive into Alfie’s latest project, the BOXX, a handcrafted photographic system inspired by early photography that exposes directly onto photographic paper and allows photographers to develop images themselves using Alfie’s Pocket Darkroom system. From ground glass composition to creating your own prints, the BOXX is designed as a complete photographic experience.

Whether you’re interested in film photography, camera design, or the realities of building something new in a niche industry, there’s a lot to enjoy in this conversation.

Learn more about Alfie Cameras and the BOXX below.

Support their Kickstarter!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davefaulkner/alfie-boxx-camera

Visit Alfie Cameras!

www.alfiecameras.com

www.instagram.com/alfiecameras

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

Today I’m joined by Trev Lee from The Darkroom, one of the biggest film labs helping keep analog photography alive right now.

We talk about the current state of film photography, social media trends, photography education, beginner mistakes, the pressure of algorithms, and what it’s like seeing millions of images come through a lab while helping shape the culture around film online.

Trev also talks about how The Darkroom approaches education through their new Film School, community building, working with creators, and why film photography is making a comeback through the younger generations.

Follow Trev:Instagram: https://instagram.com/trevleePhotography: https://trevleephotography.com/

The Darkroom:Website: www.thedarkroom.comInstagram: instagram.com/thedarkroomlabYouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheDarkroomLab

Listen to Negative Influence on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else podcasts exist because I can’t remember all of them.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

This week on Negative Influence, I’m joined by Caleb Knueven , better known as Bad Flashes. We get into the reality of trying to grow as a photographer while also making content around it, developing a recognizable style without getting trapped by it, creative plateaus, YouTube pressure, and the youth of today stealing our style and music from the 2000s.

We talked about the frustration of repeating yourself, balancing creativity with consistency, the current state of film photography online, and the difference between people who genuinely want to improve and people just trying to look the part.

If you’re into photography, filmmaking, creative process, or just hearing an honest conversation about making things and trying not to stagnate creatively, this one is a good one.

Follow Caleb / Bad Flashes here:

Website: www.calebknueven.comYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BadFlashesInstagram: www.instagram.com/calebknueven

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

On this episode of Negative Influence, I sit down with Brian Blazer to talk about the current state, and uncertain future, of film photography.

We get into the influencer fueled resurgence of analog, whether social media is preserving the craft or turning it into performance, and how hype, scarcity, and rising prices are reshaping the community. We also talk about YouTube’s role in romanticizing the process, the line between education and selling, and whether the “film look” has become more about aesthetics than substance.

It’s an honest conversation about nostalgia, authenticity, and what survives when you strip away the gear, the trends, and the algorithm.

If you shoot film, think about shooting film, or just enjoy watching grown adults argue over grain structure, Brian is the guy for you.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/blazer.brian

Check out Photo Opp!

https://www.thephotoopp.org

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

My buddy Reid stopped by the podcast to talk about getting love from Kodak, the struggle of deciding when to monetize your photography, and theres a dog.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Reiders_Digest_

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com

This week, my dude Dan Helle (okayfoto) hops on the podcast and we get into the weird reality of having genuine friendships with people you’ve never actually met in person and how it somehow leads to planning a theoretical Canada trip like it’s completely normal. Also, how to start photo walks and film clubs without overthinking it into oblivion like I’m prone to doing.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/okayfoto

Leave Dan and Hanz a voicemail for their podcast CameraPhone: https://www.speakpipe.com/cameraphone

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit negativeinfluencepodcast.substack.com