Prime Lenses

135. James Popsys

What if the goal isn't to make photography easy - what if the difficulty is the whole point?

Guest: James Popsys. Photographer, YouTuber and author based in Snowdonia, North Wales · jamespopsys.com · YouTube and Instagram: search "James Popsys" (P-O-P-S-Y-S)

In this episode

James has been on my list of dream guests for ages, so I was thrilled to finally sit down with him. We start, as these things do, with lawnmowers and film scanners, before getting into the real story: a marketing job in London, weekend photo walks, a conceptual composite of the London Eye as a bicycle wheel, and a move to Sydney that somehow led to a YouTube channel he started almost by accident in New Zealand. James talks about guarding his own individuality by deliberately not watching other photographers' videos, connecting the dots backwards to find the worldview running through his work, and what it took to commit thousands of prints to paper for his book Human Nature. We get into his one-lens, one-body philosophy, why he thinks difficulty is a feature of photography rather than a bug, and why he'd still rather be surprised by an ordinary place than get the photo 3,000 other people already have. He's off to East Greenland in a few days to experiment with a more hybrid, video-forward workflow, and this conversation is a lovely primer for anyone who wants to know how he got there.

Highlights

[Opening] Film scanners, darkroom chemistry, and a cold open about finding surprise in unremarkable places

[Opening] A very serious digression into battery-powered lawnmowers

[First third] The London Eye as a bicycle wheel, and the Sydney-to-YouTube origin story

[First third] "You can't connect the dots going forward" - finding the worldview that was there all along

[Middle] Making Human Nature: watching the zeroes stack up on a 15-metre printer

[Middle] The horses-through-the-window print, and why James is a "one body, one lens" traveller

[Middle] A Leica SL3's peeling grip, and 21-year-old Leica R8 and R9 bodies that still work

[Second half] Guarding individuality by not watching other people's videos

[Second half] AI, disclosure scandals, and why nobody's asking for more of it

[Late] Street photography, Britt Bradley's Gen-AI-vs-wet-plate test, and heading to East Greenland

Chapters

Positions are approximate. The transcript has no timestamps.

Opening Cold open: finding surprise in unremarkable places

Opening Film scanning setups and darkroom chemistry

Opening Kit Young's 400-roll film habit

Opening North Wales weather and the lawnmower tangent

First third James's origin story: London, Sydney, and an accidental YouTube channel

First third Connecting the dots backwards to find a worldview

First third Guarding individuality; avoiding other photographers' and podcasters' work

First third Human Nature: starting the book, and the RISD-style question of what comes after book one

Middle Printing day: watching thousands of pounds turn into ink

Middle The horses-through-the-window print and limited-run prints

Middle A 140kg Canon PRO-2600 printer in the house

Middle Exhibitions, introversion, and whether James should "try anything once"

Middle Why a photo feels finished when it's printed

Second half The New York school-bus photo, 40mm, and shooting at "imperfect" times of day

Second half Not doing YouTube gurning thumbnails

Second half Dabbling in filmmaking and switching to DaVinci Resolve

Second half One body, one lens, and heading to East Greenland with Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove

Second half Gear rules, a Leica SL3's peeling grip, and the Leica R8/R9

Late AI disclosure scandals and the Ricoh promotional-material controversy

Late Britt Bradley's Gen-AI vs wet-plate test

Late Running a business to sustain people, not to maximise returns

Close Where to find James, and lawnmowers revisited

Mentioned in this episode

People

Thomas Heaton - landscape photographer and one of the first photography YouTubers James watched early on · YouTube · [First third]

Joe Allam - travel and street photographer and YouTuber James cites as an early influence · joeallam.co.uk · [First third]

Nigel Danson - landscape photographer and friend who reassured James his printer inks would last for years · nigeldanson.com · [Middle]

Ed Smith - photographer local to me, mentioned for his exhibition work · [Second half]

Josh Edgoose - London street photographer known for finding humour in the everyday, featured in a video with Sean Tucker that stuck with me · Fujifilm profile · [Second half]

Sean Tucker - photographer and YouTuber who filmed the Josh Edgoose video I mentioned · [Second half]

Jack Lodge - former guest and South Coast photographer known for returning to the same spot across every season · [Second half]

Cal Henderson - former guest whose film street photography I mentioned · [Second half]

Britt Bradley (Nitrate Fox) - former guest and wet-plate collodion artist who posted a Gen-AI-vs-real comparison that fooled me completely · Lens Culture profile · [Late]

Kit Young - former guest, film photographer who buys film in 400-roll packs and views his work exclusively as prints · [Opening]

Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove - landscape photographer and workshop leader James is running an East Greenland trip with · jvn.photo · [Second half]

Books

Human Nature by James Popsys - his first photo book, self-published in 2024, exploring the relationship between man-made structures and nature · [First third]

Tools and products

Valoi Easy120 - the film scanning rig Iain is using and James is considering · Valoi · [Opening]

Ilford XP2 Super - the black-and-white film James shoots that develops in a standard colour C-41 process · Ilford · [Opening]

Kodak Portra - the colour film Iain is buying more of · [Opening]

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 - James's 140kg, 24-inch-wide print studio-in-a-house · Canon · [Middle]

Leica SL3 - the camera James used briefly before its grip started peeling · Leica · [Middle]

Leica R8 / R9 - Iain's 21-year-old film SLRs, one fitted with a 10-megapixel digital back · [Middle]

Panasonic Lumix GX1 - a small Micro Four Thirds camera James recently rediscovered with an added viewfinder · [Second half]

DJI Osmo Pocket - the compact camera both James and Iain use for lightweight, all-in-one shooting · DJI · [Second half]

Peak Design sling - the camera bag both James and Iain independently landed on · Peak Design · [Second half]

DaVinci Resolve - the video editor James switched to after leaving Adobe's subscription model · Blackmagic Design · [Second half]

Ricoh GR - the viewfinder-less compact camera at the centre of a promotional-material AI controversy · Ricoh · [Late]

Places and events

Ammassalik / Tasiilaq, East Greenland - where James is headed days after this recording, to experiment with a hybrid stills-and-video workflow · jvn.photo workshop listing · [Second half]

New Zealand - where James shot his first, unplanned videos before starting his YouTube channel · [First third]

Chinatown, London - setting for the Josh Jackson/Josh Edgoose street photography video James remembered · [Second half]

Quotes

I found most joy in getting something that I think is really interesting in a place that isn't particularly interesting.

James Popsys, [Opening]

The idea of one day can quite easily slip away, can't it?

James Popsys, [Second half]

What if we just ran the business to sustain the people that work there and that's it, and we didn't worry about maximising returns?

Iain Farrell, [Late]

Mentioned but not linked

"The name of the car is a little bit." [Close] - the transcript's final line is garbled and I couldn't reconstruct it. Please check the audio.

Rico / Ricoh promotional-material story [Late] - James says he "heard" about this but didn't know the details; I couldn't independently verify which campaign is meant.

The Hasselblad competition "coke bottle" story [Late] - referenced in passing; I couldn't confirm the specific competition or year.

GoPro disclosure controversy [Late] - mentioned without a name attached, so I couldn't research or link it.

Credits

Hosted and produced by Iain Farrell.

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What do you do when the best trip of your life makes every photo after it feel smaller?

Guest: Daria Zlobinski. London-based photographer, macro and nature obsessive, never without a Leica · Instagram: @dariazlb (main) and @d.zlobinski (photography)

In this episode

Daria messaged me a while back to say she was burned out and worried she was falling out of love with photography, and would I like to talk about it. That sounded like exactly the right kind of Prime Lenses conversation. We start at the beginning: windsurfing holidays, her dad's cameras, a Tumblr surf blog, and a RISD summer workshop where everyone else photographed people and she found a plant house. Then the harder part: how an Antarctica trip set a bar she isn't sure she can reach again, what Instagram rewards versus what she actually loves, and the small, silly challenges that got her shooting again, from an iPhone walk in Regent's Park to Sunday mornings at a farmer's market. Along the way: a Leica Q3 that got rained on, a salt-crusted Canon 5D Mark II with a black strip across the sensor, the sound of a Leica R9 shutter, and a pop-up show she'd love to hold in the Barbican Conservatory before it closes. And yes, we carried on talking after I said we'd finished.

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Chapters

Positions are approximate. The transcript has no timestamps.

Opening Cold open: the iPhone challenge

Opening Intro and why Daria is here

First third Windsurfing, her dad's cameras, Tumblr, and a Canon 60D

First third RISD workshop, the plant house, Henry Horenstein

First third London, consent, and carrying a Leica everywhere

First third Travelling as a different version of yourself

Middle Q3 vs D-Lux 8 in Iceland

Middle My kitchen, a Spider-Man web made of wool, and Day One

Middle 200,000 photos, iCloud panic, and stock photography

Middle Prints, books, and making something just for you

Middle Slop reels, likes, and doing it for yourself

Middle Postcards, cyanotypes, and slow mail

Second half Burnout, comparison, and the self-criticism cycle

Second half Photo walks, small challenges, and Sunday farmer's markets

Second half Scotland trip talk, spontaneity, and projects that assemble themselves

Second half Photographers who shaped her, and Dolly Parton

Second half The pop-up dream and the Barbican Conservatory

Late The 5D Mark II story

Late The R9 and its shutter, favourite cameras, retro lenses, and Osmo Pocket video

Close Where to find Daria, and the customary extra ten minutes

Mentioned in this episode

People

Henry Horenstein - photographer, RISD professor, and author of Animalia, the book that clicked for Daria · Wikipedia · [First third]

Stephen K. Schuster - New York photographer behind City Kids, a years-long project photographing teenagers · Tribeca Citizen on the exhibition · [Middle, second half]

Mike Chudley - photographer and YouTuber who made a book just for himself after his China trip · Episode 124 · [Middle]

Anthony Prince Leslie (AP) - photographer and filmmaker I'd spoken to the day before · Episode 133 · [Middle]

Books and reading

Animalia by Henry Horenstein - close, abstract photographs of animals taken out of context (Pond Press, 2008) · UMass Dartmouth exhibition page · [First third]

City Kids by Stephen K. Schuster - the self-published book of the project (2025) · Le Grand J · [Second half]

Tools and products

Leica Q3 - the full-frame compact Daria carries and that got rained on in Iceland · Leica · [Middle]

Leica D-Lux 8 - the small zoom compact that became her Iceland camera · Leica press release · [Middle]

Canon EOS 5D Mark II - her dad's well-travelled camera, used in Antarctica and Iceland · Canon USA launch release · [Late]

Leica R9 with Digital-Modul-R - a film SLR turned 10-megapixel digital camera, my recent madness · DPReview on the announcement · [Late]

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - what I use for all my video · Launch coverage · [Late]

Day One - the journal app I use for its "On This Day" memories · dayoneapp.com · [Middle]

Foto - the photo-sharing app behind the global Foto Walks · fotoapp.co · [Second half]

Companies and institutions

RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) - where Daria took her first academic photography workshop · RISD Photography · [First third]

Places and events

Barbican Conservatory - Daria's dream place to show her work; it closes at the end of 2026 for a multi-year restoration · Barbican · The Guardian on the plant cutting giveaway · [Second half]

Foto Walks - the worldwide day of free photo walks; I host the Inverness one · Walks info · My chat with Michael Howard of Foto · [Second half]

Week of Walks - my own week of listener photo walks in July · Day one · [Second half]

Park Hyatt Tokyo - the Lost in Translation hotel, reopened after a 19-month renovation · TravelMole · [Second half]

Quotes

It's okay to stand out from other people.

Daria Zlobinski, [First third]

It has 3 million views. And for the past couple of months, it just garnered me like 300 followers or whatever.

Daria Zlobinski, [Middle]

If I make a plan, 99% it won't work out. So that's why I'm very spontaneous.

Daria Zlobinski, [Second half]

Mentioned but not linked

Daria's Instagram accounts [Close] - @dariazlb (main) and @d.zlobinski (photography). Spoken in the episode; I couldn't verify the profile URLs by search, so add the links by hand.

Brett Henriksen [First third] - Daria's RISD professor who introduced her to Horenstein; the spelling is unconfirmed.

"Lucas" [Middle] - former guest who has worked with scientists drilling ice cores; surname not given.

"Richard" [Middle] - former guest, Dutch, based in New York, who sends postcards through a small Patreon; surname not given.

"Torsten" [Late] - someone I talked to about the R9 with digital back; surname not given.

"Philip Reinhardt" [Late] - former guest who shot the Winter Olympics with a borrowed R9 and digital back; the spelling needs checking.

"The Carrier Print Club" [Middle] - my print club starting next month; the name in the transcript looks garbled.

"LSA" [First third] - the group Daria reached out to for event photography; possibly LSE.

"Kodak channel" [Middle] - the Antarctic spot Daria says she left a piece of her heart; possibly the Lemaire Channel.

Grandma's old "IXUS" camera [Late] - a 7-megapixel compact; probably a Canon IXUS.

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

My guest this week is Anthony Prince Leslie, a photographer and filmmaker from Brooklyn. He has made a name for himself shooting behind the scenes footage for films like The Drama and Spider-Man Brand New Day. I wanted to speak to him to learn all about shooting behind the scenes on a modern movie set, and on film. This conversation involves some fairly hard-core cameras of the stills and moving picture variety and an impromptu fit check so you might want to watch this one on YouTube.

Mentioned in this episode

People

Zendaya — connected AP to The Drama and later to Spider-Man: Brand New Day · Wikipedia

Law Roach — celebrity stylist AP worked with on the Bringing It Forward series, including a Tommy Hilfiger campaign · Wikipedia

Tom Holland — star of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, who told AP he loved the sound of his camera on set · Wikipedia

Sadie Sink — mentioned as the subject of new images AP is preparing to release · Wikipedia

Destin Daniel Cretton — director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, credited by AP for giving him access on set · Wikipedia

Greg Williams — behind-the-scenes photographer known for his work on the James Bond films, cited for a Matt Damon film image printed in Hollywood Authentic · gregwilliams.com

Films and projects

Spider-Man: Brand New Day — the film AP shot special unit stills for; his medium-format and Bolex images from set are the reason Iain invited him on · Wikipedia

The Drama — A24 film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, that first connected AP to feature productions · Wikipedia

Sugar Honey Iced Tea — AP's own feature film in development, about gentrification in Brooklyn, which he now plans to shoot on film

Bringing It Forward — AP's editorial series with Law Roach, including the Tommy Hilfiger campaign that helped lead to his film work

Gear and tools

Mamiya RB67 — AP's favourite stills camera, prized for its square format · Wikipedia

Bolex H16 — his hand-cranked 16mm film camera, used to steal moments between takes on set · Wikipedia

Fujifilm GFX 100 — his discreet, medium-format digital go-to for campaigns and editorials · fujifilm-x.com

Leica M11 — his everyday carry camera, paired with a Zeiss 35mm lens · leica-camera.com

Leica R9 with digital back — a film-era body converted to a 10-megapixel digital camera, which AP recently discovered · Wikipedia

ARRI 416 — the Super-16 camera AP calls his "graduation" from the Bolex, used briefly on the Spider-Man set · Wikipedia

Alexa LF — the large-format digital cinema camera at the top of AP's wish list · arri.com

Canon IXUS 75 — his low-key point-and-shoot for staying discreet on set · Wikipedia

Companies and institutions

Equator Studio — AP's creative studio and full-service production company · equator.studio

Rapid Eye Dark Rooms — the London film lab AP trusts for colour development and scanning · rapideye.uk.com

Kodak London — Kodak's UK film processing lab, credited for fast, high-quality 16mm and 8mm turnaround

Panavision — camera rental house that supplied and serviced AP's cameras on set

Hollywood Authentic — the large-format film photography magazine that printed Greg Williams' Matt Damon image · hollywoodauthentic.com

Music

"Interrogation (Skit)" by A$AP Rocky, from the album Don't Be Dumb — the source of the episode's title line · Wikipedia

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

A little mid-week episode to let you all know about some photo walks taking place this week in conjunction with Foto, the photo sharing app. You can join one of the many walks this weekend, 26th September, taking place all over the world. To find out more head over to their website or listen to my conversation with Michael from Foto.

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Mentioned in this episode

People

Helmut Newton — fashion photographer Geoff cites as having briefly worked in the Singapore press before his career took off · Wikipedia

Steve Jobs — referenced as an example of the "human factor" books Geoff reads about how people become exceptional · Wikipedia

Books and reading

Inside the Mind of a Photographer by Geoff Ang — his book distilling 20 years of workshop material into a guide to the psychological and business side of commercial photography · insidethemindofaphotographer.com

Tools and products

Phase One digital backs — the medium format system Geoff bought into in the late '90s and still shoots today · phaseone.com

Sinar 4x5 cameras — the large-format studio camera system he used for high-resolution transparencies · Wikipedia

Dicomed — the dedicated digital retouching system used before Photoshop matured · Wikipedia

Leica SL3 — his current mirrorless body; Geoff has been a Leica ambassador since the first SL · leica-camera.com

Fujifilm GFX — his second current system, chosen for faster autofocus at high resolution than his Phase One · fujifilm-x.com

Apple Vision Pro — discussed as a new, if "selfish," way of viewing photography · apple.com

Sony Alpha 7R VI — mentioned by Iain as a recent loaner, notable for combining high resolution with strong video specs · Sony product page

Godox — budget lighting-stand brand Geoff cites as part of the barrier-to-entry drop after 2010 · godox.com

Companies and institutions

GeoffStudio — Geoff Ang's studio and portfolio site · geoffang.com

Profoto — lighting brand Geoff has been a longtime workshop ambassador for · profoto.com

Leica Gallery Singapore — hosted his recent exhibition to launch his book · leica-camera.com

Places and events

Singapore — Geoff's home base for his entire career · Wikipedia

Bali — where Geoff lived semi-retired during COVID and wrote much of his book · Wikipedia

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Mentioned in this episode

People

Colin Prior — cited as one of the landscape photographers whose 1990s work first caught Graham's eye, before that kind of image became common in the social media era · colinprior.co.uk

Jocelyn Bain Hogg — London-based documentary photographer known for his books on British organised crime, The Firm and The Family · theviifoundation.org

Martin Parr — referenced as one of the few photographers who can "get away with" a heavy, unflattering flash aesthetic on his subjects · martinparr.com

James Popsys — landscape photographer and YouTuber based in Snowdonia, Wales, cited for his discipline of carrying a bag deliberately too small to fit his camera; a future guest on the show · jamespopsys.com

Places

Nethy Bridge — the Cairngorms village where both Graham and Iain live, and home to Graham's Arbor Gallery · Wikipedia

Torridon / Liathach — the mountain and viewpoint (seen from Beinn Alligin) behind Graham's punishing winter hike story · Liathach — Wikipedia

The Cuillins — the Skye mountain range referenced both as a backdrop and in Graham's composited "Madeira and Cuillin" image · Wikipedia

Coire an t-Sneachda — a corrie on the Cairngorm Plateau where Graham photographed wind-whipped snow and a reindeer herd · Wikipedia

St Kilda, including Boreray — the remote Scottish archipelago where Graham shot his well-known black-and-white sea cliff image from a boat · St Kilda — Wikipedia · Boreray — Wikipedia

The Buachaille (Buachaille Etive Mòr) — mentioned in relation to one of Graham's early-morning mountain shots · Wikipedia

Aviemore — mentioned in passing as the location of Graham's five-a-side football game · Wikipedia

Gear and tools

Olympus OM-1 — Graham's first camera, already 30 years old when he acquired it in the early 2000s · Wikipedia

Leica M (digital back on a film body) — one of two bodies Graham colour/black-and-white "loads" like film stock · leica-camera.com

Nikon — Graham's current system, chosen, by his own account, essentially by coin flip · nikon.com

DJI Osmo Pocket — his go-to for casual video, bought secondhand · dji.com

Ricoh GR — referenced as the classic "glove box camera" for always-with-you shooting · Wikipedia

Companies and institutions

Niven Photography / Arbor Gallery — Graham's studio and the small gallery he and his wife run on Dell Road, Nethy Bridge · nivenphotography.com

Monocle — cited as the magazine that adopted a flash-heavy portrait style for its diplomat and official portraits, to mixed effect · monocle.com

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Natasa Leoni is a photographer based in the UK who in addition to commercial work photographs causes she cares about in relation to climate and social change.

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Rachael Talibart is a photographer of coast and sea based in the UK.

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Dave Herring returns to the show this week to talk about his remit to educate and entertain. He’s a lovely guest with excellent taste in 35mm lenses :)

Support the show on Patreon.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.