Outerfocus

I always like the conversations I have for the podcast to sound like just that, conversations. Sometimes it’s difficult to relax into it because of nerves, from myself and from the guest, but overall I think it’s the most natural way to find out about other photographers. It’s not necessarily about the work itself. 

I found my voice by understanding photographers, and relating to photographers, and I hope that this approach will do the same for you.  

This week’s episode is probably one of my favourites to date. I like Graeme’s attitude and that reflects in his work. It’s honest, and what more can we ask for in photography. 

Welcome to the Outerfocus Podcast!

© Graeme Oxby - The Kings of England

Full Show notes at outerfocuspodcast.com

“For a long time I thought that photographs showed the viewer what the world looked like. It wasn’t until college that I learned that a photograph could tell a story. While studying photography at Massachusetts College of Art I began a series of self portraits that now span 25 years. I was 18 years old when I began to take them. These self portraits helped me better understand who I was and what I hoped to become. I still continue to make these self-portraits, but in a new setting: in 2005 I married an Icelander and moved to a farm in the eastern part of Iceland” - Agnieszka Sosnowska

Full show notes - HERE

We’re 40! How did that happen? 

We grew up so quickly….. It doesn’t seem like two minutes ago that Bradley and I recorded the first, very shaky and nervous, episode back in January 2018. A lot has changed since then.

Outerfocus started as a way to introduce some photography history, in an easily digestible manner, and to have conversations with photographers, about photography. The two things that helped me most with my own photography were: An understanding of where photography came from, and, what drove photographers to practice. 

Although the photography history aspect of the podcast has dwindled somewhat in the past few months, I feel the conversations are becoming stronger, and that takes us on to the, ‘why’. The, ‘why’, is what helped me to understand myself and the world around me. I learned more about photography by understanding the philosophies of photographers than I did by looking at their photographs. It made me realise that the idea is important, and the photograph is just a consequence of our study and practice. Maybe not for everyone, but that’s how I came to understand it and it fundamentally changed me as a human being. It also freed me from not just the constraints of industry expectations, but societal expectations, too. 

So, Happy 40th to Outerfocus! I hope that me passing on some of what I think is important in photography, and life, can raise some questions and create some new ideas for you. I’m not doing this alone mind you. The guests are adding their own unique perspective to the Outerfocus archive, and I’m still learning, a lot, and long may that continue.

Hélène is a Swiss-French architectural photographer living in London, and she is one of the leading architectural photographers in the world. Best known for her work with architects Daniel Libeskind, Peter Zumthor and Zaha Hadid, she has published books on works of several architects. She is the recipient of many awards over her 30+ year career including an Honorary Fellowship of Royal Institute of British Architects, 2008.

Most recently she was honored with the Julius Shulman Institute Excellence in Photography Award in 2015, The Ada Louise Huxtable Prize 2019 ..........

Full show notes -

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/outerfocuspodcast)

This week Outerfocus welcomes the very excellent, Niall McDiarmid.

Born in Scotland, now living in London, Niall is a documentary photographer focusing on the people and landscape of Britain. 

I first came to Niall’s work through his exhibition, Town to Town, at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol and instantly became a fan. His striking portraits, keen observation and familiar landscapes are building a picture of what it means to British in our time. We talk books - including his own - his process, exhibitions and what he is working on now.
Niall's portraits are held by the Martin Parr Foundation, the Museum of London, the National Portrait Gallery and the Sir Elton John Photographic Collection. 

It’s a doozy!

If you are sending digital files to clients, I’ve not used a better service.

Full screen galleries on desktop and mobile devices, image rating, commenting, management and download. I’ve found PicDrop to be invaluable on collaborative projects, and my clients are loving the more personal experience it gives them. 

You can get 3 month of FREE PicDrop by using the code - outerfocus - on sign up, or by clicking on the link below. It’s an absolute no-brainer.

GET 3 MONTHS OF PICDROP PREMIUM FOR FREE

Full show notes - https://www.outerfocuspodcast.com

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/outerfocuspodcast)

This week Outerfocus welcomes, Barbara Peacock.

Barb is a commercial & documentary photographer living in Portland, Maine. 

In September 2017 she received the Getty editorial grant for her project, American Bedroom. A project that sees Barb travelling the country photographing people in their most intimate of settings. 

Barb’s commercial portfolio includes work for: Disney, Brookstone and Lever, and she has had images licensed by the likes of, Toyota, Kodak and Wells Fargo. 

We talk inspiration in the form of books and being tutored by Mary Ellen Mark, and we hit upon more photographers than any other episode before. 

A great talk with a very wonderful photographer. I very much hope that you enjoy this conversation.

Our continued support comes from the very excellent PicDrop. A file transfer service like no other. 

If you are sending digital files to clients, I’ve not used a better service.

Full screen galleries on desktop and mobile devices, image rating, commenting, management and download. I’ve found PicDrop to be invaluable on collaborative projects, and my clients are loving the more personal experience it gives them. 

You can get 3 month of FREE PicDrop by using the code - outerfocus - on sign up, or by clicking on the link below. It’s an absolute no-brainer.

GET 3 MONTHS OF PICDROP PREMIUM FOR FREE

Full show notes - https://www.outerfocuspodcast.com

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/outerfocuspodcast)

Ok, a couple of things before we get started.

Outerfocus has its first sponsor! Big news, I know. 

PicDrop contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d be interested in them sponsoring the podcast. Well, more supporting the podcast because they like it so much. I agreed to test their product to see if it would be of value to not only me, but you too. I don’t want outerfocus to be a platform for any old shit as long they are giving us money, and anything that is promoted should be of as much value to photographers as everything else we do.

I’m pleased to say, I loved it, and PicDrop are now onboard with Outerfocus. 

I’ve been using WeTransfer and Dropbox for years and PicDrop seemed to have combined the best bits, left out the worst bits, and have added some pretty useful features. 

Clients can see their high resolution files in full screen galleries, as well as thumbnails, rate images using a traffic light system, leave comments and make their own folders and selections for download. It’s a much more personal and involving experience than WeTransfer or DropBox. There is even Lightroom integration so you can upload directly to PicDrop.

You can get three free months of PicDrop premium using this link - https://www.picdrop.de/go/outerfocus

If you’re delivering digital files to your customers, I’ve not used a better product. 

Secondly, you’ll notice there is no Bradley on this episode. Moving forward I’ll be doing more in person and one to one interviews, just to see how it goes. I have other ideas for Outerfocus and I feel it needs to evolve and change, as to not become too formulaic, and I need to work on my interview/conversation skills to be able to do this. 

That’s not to say Bradley will never co-host again, or be involved in the facebook group, or that there won’t be guest co-hosts, but it’s just something I feel I need to do now. I hope we can carry on the growth of the podcast and take it on to bigger and better things. 

An on that note…….

Jens is a freelance photographer living in Stockholm, working on assignments for magazines and newspapers, mostly reportages and portraits.

Full show notes - https://www.outerfocuspodcast.com

I recently came across Vinca’s photography (No System) and was instantly connected to a time, and a scene, that I was almost part of. 

Our conversation cements the fact that Vinca is as genuine as her photographs, her experiences are real, and her photographs of not just the rave scene, but life itself, are as personal as any other photographer or artist I’ve ever seen. 

‘We’re not free, the way society is set up now. So my way of feeling free is to make fun, to play. It’s like jesting. I think that’s been taken away from images of people, and images of women especially. I don’t often see images of women looking comfortable and happy, in a non-extreme way. I want my pictures to be edgy and interesting, but people don’t have that much fun any more. So joy, and fun. That’s what’s important.’ - Vinca Perersen

Vinca tells us about the beginnings of the Rave scene in the UK, the Criminal Justice Bill that put a stop to it, and travelling with sound systems in Europe, among many other things.  

The Martin Parr Foundation has acquired a copy of No System, including dummy book, originally published by Steidl, and she has been featured in Tate Modern, I-D, Hero and Aperture to name but a few. 

2020 sees a large exhibition in Sunderland (which I’m pretty excited about) and a reissue of No System is imminent. 

We hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

This weeks history of photography was non-existent, but we were going to look at, Christina Broom.

Christina was a Scottish photographer, and credited as "the UK's first female press photographer

Christina was appointed official photographer to the Household Division from 1904 to 1939 and had a darkroom in the Chelsea Barracks; she also took many photographs of local scenes, including those at the Palace, as well as The Boat Race and Suffragette marches.

Collections of her photographs are held at the Museum of London, the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, London, the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.......

Full show notes - https://www.outerfocuspodcast.com

“I never, ever went out without my camera, even to buy bread” - Willy Ronis

"Le Bioule", Paris (1957) - Willy Ronis

Welcome to the Outerfocus Podcast!

This week we are joined the very wonderful, Gerard Uferas. Gerard is a personal favourite of mine and I came to his work more recently thorough a gift of his book, Paris d’Amour. Since then I’ve become a great admirer of his approach and photographs. From his work in opera houses to campaigns for Dior - his attention to detail, compassion for his subject and his love of photography allow him to make the most beautiful of photographs. 

Gerard has a kind heart. I very much hope that you enjoy our conversation.

It’s becoming a bit of thing to ask our guest about their first memorable photograph. Gerard made this photograph when he was young, and whenever he felt that things weren’t going to plan, or he was losing faith, he would look at this photograph to remind himself that he was actually onto something.

Bretagne 1974 - Gerard Uferas

We also take a look at, Willy Ronis. A personal friend of Gerard and the most important photographer that probably haven’t heard of.

Willy Ronis by Willy Ronis, is available in all of the usual places.

Guest Links:

Website

Instagram

Instants d’Amour Video (With su

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/outerfocuspodcast)

“The personality of the photographer, his approach, is really more important than his technical genius” - Lee Miller

Richard Kalvar. London - 2015

Happy New year to you all. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are all bloated from wine and cheese. Just like me. 

There are some new things on the horizon for Outerfocus, and I hope this year will be even better than last year. It was a good one, considering it was our first. 

A big thank you to everyone that has made donations to the podcast and to everyone who purchased the fundraising calendar. Your support is duly noted, and your hard earned cash is being invested back into the podcast so we can make it bigger and better.

Talking of bigger and better, this week we are blessed with the presence of the one and only, Richard Kalvar: member of Magnum since the mid seventies and all round good egg. It was photographers like Richard that helped me to see the artistry in photography, that made me understand that photography was as expressive a medium as any other, and that you didn’t have to take it all too seriously. This not only changed my perception of what photography was, but fundamentally changed me as a human being. Hopefully for the better. 

Richard tells us about his move to Paris in the 60’s for an acting job, his travels around Europe and how he became a photographer. 

This is the photograph that he mentioned, the one where he realised he was actually onto something.

Richard Kalvar. Paris - 1966

If you haven’t already, go check out his book, Earthlings. It’s a master class in observation and humour. Richard also has a Photofile book being released soon.

Photographer of note this week is, Lee Miller: Model, Fashion Photographer, Photojournalist, War Correspondent, Portrait Photographer, Surrealist and all round Bad Ass. 

Get it in your ears!

Ian’s Links

Website

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/outerfocuspodcast)

An original is a creation motivated by desire. Any reproduction of an original is motivated by necessity. To create is divine, to reproduce is human.” - Man Ray

Sleeping Woman 1929 - Man Ray

The amazing, and very wonderful, Outerfocus 2019 calendar is now available! 

12 of our guests from 2018 have kindly contributed photographs. Including:

Martin Parr, David Carol, Niki Boon, Paris Visone & Steven Bollman, to name but a few. 

Get your hands on some beautiful photographs and help to support the podcast. We’ll love you forever!