A Photographic Life

In the seventh episode of this monthly conversation series Grant Scott speaks with editor, writer and curator of photography Bill Shapiro. In an informal conversation each month Grant and Bill comment on the photographic environment as they see it. This month they reflect on the personal project. Bill Shapiro Bill Shapiro served as the Editor-in-Chief of LIFE, the legendary photo magazine; LIFE’s relaunch in 2004 was the largest in Time Inc. history. Later, he was the founding Editor-in-Chief of LIFE.com, which won the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital photography. Shapiro is the author of several books, among them Gus & Me, a children’s book he co-wrote with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and, What We Keep, which looks at the objects in our life that hold the most emotional significance. A fine-art photography curator for New York galleries and a consultant to photographers, Shapiro is also a Contributing Editor to the Leica Conversations series. He has written about photography for the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic, Vogue, and Esquire, among others. Every Friday — more or less — he posts about under-the-radar photographers on his Instagram feed, where he’s @billshapiro. Dr.Grant Scott After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018. Mentioned in this episode: Richard Sharum: @Richard_sharum Dr. Greg Gulbransen: @gulphoto Gulnara Samoilova: @gulnara.samoilova & @womenstreetphotographers Mary Ellen Mark: www.maryellenmark.com Mark Steinmetz: www.marksteinmetz.net Matt Black: www.mattblack.com Dorethea Lange: www.moma.org/artists/3373 Ralph Gibson: www.ralphgibson.com © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 256 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on two photographers who have recently passed and the reality of being commissioned by a national publisher. Plus this week, photographer Dennis Dimick takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which he answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Dennis Dimick is an American journalist, photographer, presenter and educator who grew up on a sheep and hay farm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. He holds degrees in agriculture and agricultural journalism from Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served for years as executive environment editor for National Geographic magazine, and was a picture editor for the National Geographic Society for more than 35 years until retiring in December 2015. He now serves in a consulting and reviewing role for the Society’s story-telling grant programme. Dimick is particularly interested in making visual the effects on earth of humanity's expanding presence in the emerging Anthropocene epoch and has written on these issues, and at National Geographic guided several major magazine projects on this idea. Between 2008-2012 he co-organised the Aspen Environment Forum and presented at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival and in 2015 moderated panels at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China. Dimick has been a faculty member of the Missouri Photo Workshop for 23 years, and in 2013 received the Sprague Memorial Award from the National Press Photographers Association for outstanding service to photojournalism. His picture and environmental project editing has received many awards from Pictures of the Year International and the Society of Environmental Journalists, where he served on the board from 2016-2019. Dimick has served as a juror for the Heinz Foundation Awards, and the Pare Lorentz Award for the International Documentary Association and is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Center of Photography. http://dennis-dimick.squarespace.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In this special extended episode 251 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed speaking with photographer Matt Black. They discuss the tradition of the American road trip, the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone, politics and photography and the ethical responsibility of the visual storyteller amongst many other aspects of the American photographic tradition. Matt Black lives in California’s Central Valley, a rural, agricultural area in the heart of the state. His work has focused on themes of geography, inequality, and the environment in his native region and in related places. Between 2015 and 2020, he travelled over 100,000 miles across 46 states for his project and subsequent book American Geography, named as one of TIME Magazine's top photography books in 2021. He is a member of Magnum and his work has appeared regularly in TIME magazine, The New Yorker, The California Sunday Magazine, and other publications. Back has been honoured three times by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Prize, including their top honour for journalism, he has received the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Award for Humanistic Photography and was named a senior fellow at the Emerson Collective. www.mattblack.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 254 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on the seven ages of the photographer, making a photo book and photography's relationship with mindfulness. Plus this week, photographer Juan Fable takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which he answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Juan Fabuel studied photography at the University of Valencia, Spain and is currently studying for a PHD at the University of Murcia. His work uses different mediums such as photography, video, ceramics and installation to speak about movement, home and representation instigating dialogues between disciplines such as anthropology, politics, archaeology, physics and neuroscience. He has been exhibited in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, USA, Taipei and across Spain. It is also collected by museums and foundations across Europe. www.juanfabuel.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 253 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on the mistakes made when staging a photography festival, the importance of developing a thick skin as a photographer and honesty in the world of generated photography. Plus this week, photographer Landry Major takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which she answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Landry Major's childhood summers were spent on a family dairy farm in Nova Scotia. Her ongoing series Keepers of the West takes her back to fields at dawn, and the family-run ranches of the American West.  She believes that visions of the American West have long been central to our culture, but the way of life of the cowboy and the family-run ranch is fast disappearing as over half of all family owned ranches in Montana are run by people over 65 and many of their children are not choosing to remain in ranching. The images she creates are made up of the places, people, and creatures that have welcomed her into their world to remind us of the arresting moments of grace and beauty found in a life lived under the wide-open western skies. Major's work has been widely exhibited including at the Griffin Museum of Photography Winchester and the J. Paul Getty Museum and she has received multiple awards. www.landrymajor.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In the sixth episode of this monthly conversation series Grant Scott speaks with editor, writer and curator of photography Bill Shapiro. In an informal conversation each month Grant and Bill comment on the photographic environment as they see it. This month they reflect on the role of the photo mentor, the importance of mentorship, what to expect and how to successfully find the right one. Bill Shapiro Bill Shapiro served as the Editor-in-Chief of LIFE, the legendary photo magazine; LIFE’s relaunch in 2004 was the largest in Time Inc. history. Later, he was the founding Editor-in-Chief of LIFE.com, which won the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital photography. Shapiro is the author of several books, among them Gus & Me, a children’s book he co-wrote with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and, What We Keep, which looks at the objects in our life that hold the most emotional significance. A fine-art photography curator for New York galleries and a consultant to photographers, Shapiro is also a Contributing Editor to the Leica Conversations series. He has written about photography for the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic, Vogue, and Esquire, among others. Every Friday — more or less — he posts about under-the-radar photographers on his Instagram feed, where he’s @billshapiro. Dr.Grant Scott After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018. Mentioned in this episode: Maggie Steber: Steber is an American documentary photographer whose work has documented a wide range of issues, including the African slave trade, Native American issues in the United States, natural disasters, and science. www.maggiesteber.com Raghu Rai: Rai is an Indian photographer and photojournalist, who was a protégé of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who appointed Rai, then a young photojournalist, to Magnum Photos in 1977. Rai became a photographer in 1965, and a year later joined the staff of The Statesman, a New Delhi publication. https://raghuraifoundation.org Alex Harris: Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1949, Harris is an acclaimed photographer, Duke University professor, and Pulitzer Prize finalist for River of Traps. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. https://alex-harris.com If you would like to read Bill's story about and with Raghu Rai and his photographer daughter, you can here: www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a40288478/raghu-rai-avani-rai-photographer/ © Grant Scott 2023

There is a renewed interest today in created photography and the world of spirits, ghosts and the supernatural but physical proof of such entities is rarely evidenced. A fascination with photographing the after-life and manipulated photography can be traced back to the early days of the medium, when Victorian photographers claimed to repeatedly capture proof that those that had passed remained among us. In this special episode UNP founder and curator Grant Scott uses research first completed by Bill Jay to explore the world of those photographers who claimed to photograph those that we cannot see. Dr.Grant Scott After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018. All music written and performed by Professor Laura Ritchie © Laura Ritchie 2018 © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 251 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on the importance of magazine photography, finding subject matter, respecting popular culture and possibly the first ever touring exhibition of contemporary photography in the UK. Plus this week, photographer Carolyn Mendelsohn takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which she answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Carolyn Mendelsohn originally trained as an actor and director, before moving into filmmaking, and then photography. Her practice is rooted in telling stories and amplifying the voices of those who are not always heard. Mendelsohn is recognised for her portraits, including her portrait series and 2020 book, Being Inbetween, and is the founder of Through Our Lens, a workshop and mentoring programme that enables people to tell their stories through the medium of photography. Her work has been exhibited internationally, with solo and group exhibitions in national galleries across the UK and Europe, and has been published by the BBC, in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, La Monde and the British Journal of Photography amongst many others. Mendelsohn’s awards include BJP Portrait of Britain 2017, 2019 and 2021, and she was the winner of the Single Image Award for Open Wall Arles.  She was the Finalist in the The Kuala Lumpa International Portrait Awards 2021, The Royal Photographic Society International Photography exhibitions RPS IPE 159 gold and finalist for RPS IPE 160. In 2020, Carolyn was named winner of the Portrait Series category for the 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. She is the Artist in Residence for Born In Bradford and a Nikon Europe Ambassador and an Ambassador for the Royal Photographic Society. www.carolynmendelsohn.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 250 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on making photography accessible, buying cheap cameras, encouraging the photographers of tomorrow and entering AI images to photo competitions. Plus this week, photographer Luke Stephenson takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which he answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Luke Stephenson was born on New Year's day, 1983 in Darlington, North-East England. Life in Britain and the British psyche are at the core of Stephenson's work, which ranges from prize budgerigars to the World Beard and Moustache Championships. He graduated in 2005 the same year he was awarded the Jerwood Photography Prize and in 2006 he was selected as one of ten photographers to showcase their work at the International Festival of Fashion and Photography at Hyeres, France. His work has been published in a variety of publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, Dazed & Confused, Foam, Art Review and Wallpaper*. Stephenson has published four photo books to date; his first Show Birds published in 2012 and the second published in 2014 a series exploring the wonderful world of the '99-ice-cream'.  In 2019 he published a book looking at the English Rose from the esteemed grower David Austin and his most recent book British Record Fish was published in 2021. www.lukestephenson.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023

In episode 249 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on the self-taught photographer, announcing a new Photographers Archive, and talking about the 'Photo Book Vandal'. Plus this week, photographer Greg Hunt takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which he answer’s the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?’ Greg Hunt is an American filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist based in Los Angeles who began making photographs in the mid-1990’s as a professional skateboarder when he was given given a Minolta X-700 and two lenses, a 50mm 1.4 and a fisheye. Shortly after he began making stills he began experimenting with motion picture film, eventually transitioning to work behind the lens full-time. Greg has since created some of skateboarding’s most seminal films, along with a multitude of documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Two books of his stills have been published Ninety-Six Dreams, Two Thousand Memories in 2018 and 20th Century Summer in 2021. The Ninety-Six Dreams, Two Thousand Memories and his Between the Lines bodies of work were exhibited in Tokyo in 2020. www.huntfilmwork.com Dr. Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, documentary filmmaker, BBC Radio contributor and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was first screened in 2018 www.donotbendfilm.com. He is the presenter of the A Photographic Life and In Search of Bill Jay podcasts. © Grant Scott 2023