Alex Gagne, host of the Photo Banter Podcast and editorial/commercial photographer, returns to the podcast for our 3rd annual holiday special and year-end recap.  During our conversation we talk about what we've been up to this year, some of our favorite episodes we've recorded, how stepping outside of our comfort zones is a good practice, the 3 cameras we would currently pick if money wasn't an option, new year's resolutions we have, and so much more.   Make Sure To Subscribe to The Photo Banter At: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tGIEpY38SC7kHTzIODESh?si=cdc73730fa7b47d2 And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/thephotobanter/?hl=en To Learn More About Alex Gagne Visit: https://www.alexgagnephoto.com/Commissions/Men's-Health/thumbs And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/alexgagnephoto/?hl=en To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary  

Advertising and documentary photographer/director Will Saunders returns to the podcast to catch up and talk about all the amazing shoots and adventures he's been on since his first appearance on the show in 2020, and how his career has continued to evolve and grow.  During our conversation Will gives a behind the scenes look at some recent shoots with companies like Toyota and Ariat and what it looks like from planning to production, where some of his favorite shoot locations around the world are, how to achieve the client's visual goals in advertising while still trying to find the time to think outside the box, how the industry has changed since his days assisting Tim Kemple, and the advice he gives to others dealing with their own commercial projects.   To Learn More About Will Saunders Visit: https://www.willsaundersphoto.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/willsaundersphoto/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/

Photographer, Filmmaker, and Leica Ambassador Jason Roman (aka Stockezy) joins the podcast to talk about his journey growing up in New York City and a young life that was mostly dedicated to surviving until finding a job at the Bowery Hotel which would lead him to acting and slowly but surely to photography and filmmaking.  During our conversation Jason talks about what made him make the decision to walk away from his dreams of being an actor and dedicate himself to the craft of photography, how YouTube helped him form all kinds of creative collaborations, including his longtime relationship with Leica, how he befriended Jason Momoa many years ago and the types of adventures they've been on together lately, what made him want to work on a personal project of photographing pigeons in New York City, where he draws the most creative inspiration from, and the advice he gives to others chasing their own creative dreams.   To Learn More About Jason Roman Visit: https://www.jasonromanphotography.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/stockezy/?hl=en And Subscribe To His YouTube Channel At: https://www.youtube.com/@Stockezy To Watch the recent Leica Video About His Pigeon Project Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S05OpvdzyLQ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

The one and only Arto Saari returns to the podcast to talk about his new sold out book "Bike Path" and how a personal project that helped make him fall back in love with photography turned into a beatiful new book published by Super Labo. During our conversation Arto talks about his recent photo exhibition "Concrete Currents" at the beautiful Aalto2 Museum in Finland, how the Bike Path project ended up becoming a book, what it's been like trying to curate and sequence two big projects in a row, how family life on the North Shore has been treating him, earning the trust and respect of the local population, and the important life lessons he's learned from living in Hawaii.   To Learn More About Arto Saari Visit: https://www.artosaari.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/artofoto/ To Watch "Let It Kill You: The Untold Arto Saari Story" Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYmIEZKc6uY To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/

Photographer and Leica Ambassador Russell Shakespeare joins the podcast from his home on Austrailia's Gold Coast to talk about how he found his way from carpentry to photography and how a terrible car accident would end up changing the course of his life and send him on a creative journey through India that continues to this day and can be seen in Leica's short film "Streets of Varanasi".  During our conversation Russell talks about his early days in the Newspaper and Magazine world and how that shaped his photographic style, what he's learned from all the years he has spent traveling India and why he has continued to be so drawn to Varanasi, how he values the practice of being in the present moment and how it has influenced every aspect of his life from photography, to fatherhood, to surfing, where he draws the most creative inspiration from, and the advice he gives to others trying to find their voice as artists.   To Learn More About Russell Shakespeare Visit: https://russellshakespeare.com.au And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/russell_shakespeare_india/ To Watch Lecia's "Streets Of Varanasi" Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhSw0XL6rc To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/

Photographer, brand ambassador, and mountain athlete Drew Smith joins the podcast to talk about his wild journey of growing up on a ranch in Montana and working jobs that varied from welding, to construction, to commercial fishing, to guiding, to search and rescue, to finally ending up with a camera in his hand and documenting the amazing adventures he was a part of, and slowing but surely developing a portfolio that would land him Clients like Patagonia, Roark, The North Face and so many more.  During our conversation Drew talks about how a 5 month road trip to Baja after dropping out of college would end up changing the course of his life, and how he worked his way through an insane list of jobs in order to fund the pursuit of the next adventure and his insatiable appetite for travel.  We also discuss how he found his niche in the world of outdoor adventure photography, started working with brands like Patagonia and Roark, what the behind the scenes of documenting alpine climbing adventures looks like, finally settling down after years of living in trucks and vans, what he's learned about life from the mountain characters he gets to be surrounded by, and the advice he gives to others hoping to one day have the chance to live out their own creative dreams.   To Learn More About Drew Smith Visit: https://www.drewsmithmedia.com And Follow Him On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/_drew_smith_/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/ And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/  

Architectural and Interior photography and filmmaking team Arturo + Lauren join the podcast to talk about their individual journeys into the space of architectural image and motion capture and how they would end up coming together as creative partners, as well as a couple, to form the brand and portfolio they are known for today, as well as the social network of other architectural and interior photographers they created with The Shifter Community.  During our conversation we talk about what first attracted them to architecture and design, how they go about uniquely marketing and branding themselves, the importance of seo as well as in person events, the differences between real estate photography and architectural work, and the advice they give to others trying to carve out their own spot in an ever growing industry.   To Learn More About Arturo + Lauren Visit: https://arturoandlauren.com And Follow Them On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/arturo.and.lauren/ To Learn More About The Shifter Community Visit: https://www.shiftercom.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/shiftercom/ To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/

Celebrity portrait and commercial photographer and Sony Ambassador Tom Oldham joins the podcast from his London studio to talk about his journey from growing up in the small rural town of Dorset to photographing some of the most recognizable faces in the world, and earning awards like Amateur Photographer Magazine's 2023 "Hero Of Photography" and Sony's "World Open Photographer Of The Year" in 2020.  During our conversation Tom talks about how the burgeoning rave scene of the UK would end up changing the course of his life and put a camera in his hand to begin documenting the culture he loved so much and all the amazing ups and downs his career has brought him since.  He also gives a behind the scenes look at what it's like to photograph subjects like Rick Rubin, Nick Cave, Liam Gallagher, and so many more.  Lastly we talk about longevity in a career as fickle as photography and what he feels has been his secret to not burning out, how he approaches all the personal projects he has become known for over the years, and the advice he gives to other creatives chasing their own dreams.   To Learn More About Tom Oldham Visit: http://www.tomoldham.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/tommyophoto To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit: https://www.visualrevolutionary.com And Follow On Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/ And YouTube At: www.youtube.com/@visualrevolutionary      

Sam Jones, a talented director and photographer, returns to discuss his fascinating recent projects, including documentaries on Tony Hawk and Jason Isbell, available on Max. He shares insights on the art of being a present conversationalist, which helps him uncover deeper narratives in his films. The importance of passion and continuous learning is a key theme as he reflects on the lessons gained from countless conversations with creative luminaries. Sam also opens up about the complexities of filmmaking, ambition, and the sacrifices that often come with greatness.

Legendary music photographer and Grammy nominated director Danny Clinch joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in a blue collar family in Toms River, NJ to falling in love with photography and music at an early age, to pursuing an education at the New England School of photography, to working with and assisting Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Mary Ellen Mark, Timothy White, and others, to finding his own voice as an artist and building an incredible career as one of most sought after photographers in the music business.  During our conversation Danny talks about his early days with Spin Magazine, shooting the record cover for Nas's "Illmatic", being on tour with Blind Melon, booking shoots for Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen on the same day, building long lasting relationships and friendships with some of the most well known musicians in the world that has given him a level of access all music fans dream about, and so much more.  It's a beautiful conversation on a life well lived.  So sit back and enjoy.   To Learn More About Danny Clinch Visit: http://www.dannyclinch.com And Follow Him on Instagram At: https://www.instagram.com/dannybones64/ To Learn More About the Transparent/Clinch Gallery Visit: https://www.instagram.com/transparentclinchgallery/ To Learn More About the Sea/Hear/Now Festival Visit: https://www.seahearnowfestival.com