B&H Photography Podcast

Whether photographing your own garden or the sculpted acreage of the Rockefellers, following the light and finding infinite new angles to present the flora is time well spent. That is the clear takeaway from this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast with photographer Larry Lederman. However, we also discuss practical tips on bracketing, histograms, tripods, and zoom lenses for medium format cameras. It really is a nice chat with a photographer who has found pleasure in photographing not only his own garden, but some of the most immaculate gardens, both public and private, on the East Coast. Lederman is the author of six books featuring his botanical and horticultural photography, including the upcoming Garden Portraits: Experiences of Natural Beauty, which will be published by The Monacelli Press on October 13, 2020 and is available for pre-order. He has photographed for the New York Botanical Garden and other famed gardens in the New York area and brings a perspective that, forgive me, sees the forest for the trees.  He understands blending the universal with the personal and capturing his impression of the natural and designed beauty while also illustrating the unique essence that the gardener, landscape architect, or owner has created. Largely self-taught as a photographer, Lederman discusses his transition from using Leica M system cameras to the Nikon D850 and the Pentax 645Z system.  We also talk about his preference for zoom lenses, the relationship he feel between architecture and landscape photography, his technique when approaching a new space, and the need to return to a garden in all four seasons, often starting in winter, in order to fully understand and depict these spaces that are both natural and human-made.  Join us for this informative chat and let us know in the Comments section the tricks and techniques you use to photograph the gardens in your life. Also join Larry Lederman as he leads a webinar for B&H on October 28, 2020. Guest: Larry Lederman Photograph © Larry Lederman  

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we discuss lighting gear from the best, with the best, Shar Taylor and Cliff Hausner of Profoto. Taylor is a past guest on our show and Hausner is one of the most recognized people in the New York photo industry, having worked for a variety of companies and events, and being an established photographer in his own right. While we do talk specifically about Profoto’s latest light modifiers and AirX updates for iPhones, we also take a minute to get to know the work of our guests, including Hausner’s work lighting the annual team photo for the New York Giants football team and his biannual trip to Washington D.C. to light the official photo of the U.S. House of Representatives. During the second half of our conversation, we really dig into the range of lighting options that Profoto has to offer for the professional studio photographer, including the Pro-10 Power Pack, and for the photographer who needs portable lighting solutions, such as the C1 Plus. Our guests also offer insights as to why Profoto’s emphasis on simple design and ease of use attracts new customers who might be timid venturing into the world of off-camera lighting as well as seasoned professionals who recognize the value of a proven system. We discuss the incorporation of LED lighting into their systems, the advantages of TTL, and compatibility across lines. You can be sure that both the incredible B10 and B10 Plus Flash Heads are discussed, as is the D2i Industrial Monolight. Join us for this very informative and, at times, hilarious conversation. Guests: Cliff Hausner and Shar Taylor

Our conversation on this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast is with the fabulous and innovative Duane Michals. Of the many comments he made about his photography practice, a practice that has been commercially and artistically successful for almost sixty years, one that stood out was his aside that “photography has failed [him] as an art form.” The comment comes late in our conversation but refers to the idea that his goal of pure expression is not accommodated by photography alone, he needs to turn to sequential narrative, to writing on photo prints, even to painting on photos to get to the expression that he wants to convey. For anyone looking for how-tos or technique tips, you’ve come to the wrong episode, but to light the path to a true artistic self-expression, Michals’ words hold much promise. We spoke with him about a range of subjects, from how a constant curiosity combined with good work habits fueled his work and success. We talk about his working-class upbringing, his youthful adventures to Texas and later, to the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War, where he first took photos in earnest. About specific images, we asked about his “Death Comes to an Old Lady,” and he also related a story about photographing Warren Beatty in a New York hotel room. We even spoke about Canon cameras and the references he draws upon for his work, from Walt Whitman and William Blake to Pierre Bonnard and Robert Frank, but mostly we discuss his creative instincts and process, which seem to start and end with the idea, “if you already know what you’re going to do, then you’re not being creative.” Join us for this insightful conversation with a true photographic innovator. Guest: Duane Michals Photograph © Duane Michals, Courtesy DC Moore Gallery, New York  

This week on the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome two old friends of the podcast to talk about the latest gear from their respective companies. First up is Rudy Winston, Technical Advisor at Canon USA, and then we welcome Marc Farb, Technical Rep from Sigma. Both Winston and Farb are breaking records with this, their fifth visit to our show. With Rudy Winston, we discuss a few cameras that were released last year or earlier in 2020, such as the EOS 6D Mark II DSLR and the EOS 1D X Mark III DSLR, in order to get a sense of how they are being received, and then we briefly discuss what may be the most-anticipated camera of 2020, the upcoming Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera. In addition, we talk about the latest Rebel T8i DSLR, CF Express memory cards, and the incredible RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens. After a short break, we start our conversation with Marc Farb, discussing the impressive Sigma fp Mirrorless Camera, which was announced almost a year ago but has become the latest big deal for those wanting a compact full frame camera that can be the basis of both a complete photo or cine system. From there, we talk lenses. Sigma continues to produce incredible lenses in all categories and for most major camera systems, including the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Lens for the Sony E system and the just-announced 16mm f/1.4 DC DN and 30mm f/1.4 DC DN for L-mount systems. After a quick mention of Sigma’s adapters and their new UD-11 USB Dock for Leica L-mount lenses, Farb relates an all-time favorite lens of his that is ideal for sports, wedding, and concert photographers, among others: the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports Lens. Join us for this informative and practical discussion of the most interesting new gear from Canon and Sigma. Guests: Rudy Winston and Marc Farb

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome Margit Erb and Michael Parillo, of the Saul Leiter Foundation, to discuss Saul Leiter’s career and their work preserving the art and the legacy of this pioneer of color photography. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Leiter veered from the traditional religious path his parents desired for him and moved to New York City to follow his own calling. Met with early success in the 1950s—Leiter’s photography was included in exhibits at MoMA and he built a steady career as a fashion photographer for Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar—by the 1980s, he was forced to give up his studio and struggled financially, but late in life his huge archive of color street photography, much of which was unseen beyond a few curators and colleagues, became a treasure chest of fine art photography. A painter and photographer, he left behind a tremendous amount of work, including hundreds of rolls of unprocessed film, that has been entrusted to Erb and the Leiter Foundation. We talk with Erb and Parillo about Leiter’s early life, his growth as a photographer, his shooting style, his work in fashion, and even how he turned down an invitation to be included in the legendary “Family of Man” exhibition at MoMA. After a break, we discuss the nuts and bolts of organizing and maintaining an archive that is at once massive and unwieldy and a never-ending source of inspiration. Join us for this fascinating conversation about a photographer whose complete body of work is yet to be fully appreciated. Guests: Margit Erb and Michael Parillo Photograph © Saul Leiter Foundation, courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery

Today on the B&H Photography Podcast we are joined by Craig Semetko, a documentary and street photographer who is much more than those two descriptors. He came to photography from a career in performance and comedy and that makes a lot of sense, noting the observational skill and humor found in his compositions. His first book, UNPOSED, published in 2010, with a forward by Elliott Erwitt, was followed by India Unposed, in 2014. Sly, ironic, absurd, all come to mind when you see the moments he captures and we talk about how it’s hard to photograph “funny,” about attitudes and techniques, and the difference between laughing with someone and at them. We also ask about the work he has done during the pandemic shutdown. After a break, we welcome photographer Ashly Stohl. A Leica Ambassador, Stohl’s best known work concentrates on her family, particularly her three children. She is also the publisher and co-founder of Peanut Press, begun in 2015 with her first book, Charth Vader, which takes a look at her youngest son, clearly a big fan of Star Wars. Her second book, Days and Years, follows up with an intimate portrait of her three children. A quote from Stohl sums up why she is a welcome judge for our Leica Photo Challenge: “There is a saying that all portraits are really self-portraits. So, what are portraits of your kids? They are portraits of a parent. I take pictures of my kids, and if you’ll look closely you’ll also see me in there—my worries and fears, my attempts to correct the problems of my own childhood, my heart and my struggles.” Join us for this inspiring and enjoyable episode. Photograph © Craig Semetko

We encourage all of our listeners to register for the free digital online edition of the Outdoor Photo/Video Travel Imaging Conference (OPTIC) 2020 hosted by B&H and sponsored by Panasonic, Sony, Nikon, Canon, FUJIFILM, Godox, and many others. As most of you know, the B&H Photography Podcast has regularly attended this annual conference, in New York, and recorded wonderful interviews with the likes of Michael Kenna, Joyce Tenneson, and Ron Magill. This year, the conference will be held online, but still with an incredible lineup of photographers and speakers, including keynote speker Clyde Butcher. On today’s episode of the podcast, we offer a taste of the photographic insight found at OPTIC. First, we welcome wildlife and bird photographer Lisa Langell, who is also at Tamron and FotoPro Ambassador. With her photo gracing the cover of the current issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine, Langell discusses creating wildlife photography for the home and hotel décor market, about her favorite places in Alaska to photograph bear, and about the personal and interactive way she hosts seminars and webinars. She provides food for thought to those looking for new ways to photograph wildlife. After a break, we welcome National Geographic photographer and Sony Artisan of Light Pete McBride. McBride speaks of his amazing 750-mile walk across the Grand Canyon, which became a NatGeo story, and also a book and a feature-length documentary. At OPTIC you will get the full story—from “River to Rim”—along with images, but we also spoke with McBride about his long-term work shooting the world’s river systems; we gained some insight into aerial photography; and learned how his Sony a7RII weathered a year in the Grand Canyon—and with which he created not only a magazine story, but a book and a movie with that one camera. Guests: Lisa Langell and Pete McBride Photograph © Lisa Langell

Today we welcome a special guest to the B&H Photography Podcast: actor and comedian Jeff Garlin.   Jeff Garlin is well-known as a stand-up comedian and, of course, as a star of the hit television shows, The Goldbergs and Curb Your Enthusiam. About fifteen years ago, he turned a love for photography, for the work of the masters—Alfred Eisenstadt, Jim Marshall, Mary Ellen Mark, to name a few—into his own photographic practice, and we are all the beneficiaries of his engaged eye. In March, Garlin debuted his series, “A Big Bowl of Wonderful,” at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles, and we talk to him about how this series of portraits of his co-stars and friends in the television community—many taken on set or backstage—developed over a long curve, one founded in respect for the medium and applied with a simple stratagem: see something interesting and frame it in the most creative way possible. With that in mind, we talk about trusting your gut, not overthinking a shot, being comfortable with your subjects, but also about gaining the confidence to take photos, especially of those you know and respect. Garlin also talks about his affinity for Leica, especially the M system, about the difference between actors and comedians, and talking photography with Jeff Bridges. We also ask him about his role as executive producer on the film, Finding Vivian Maier. This really is a photography lover’s conversation, summed up best by one of Garlin’s comments: “I’m taking a picture because it brings me joy.”  Join us for a great episode. Guest: Jeff Garlin Photograph © Jeff Garlin

As an industry and as a hobby, the numbers indicate that drone flying and drone photography are still primarily the domain of men, but sustaining this disparity is ridiculous and it should and will change. Our two guests today are part of bringing about that change, and they do so by being good at their craft, by spreading the joy of flying, and teaching drone operation and photography to women and girls. Our first guest today is an Emmy Award-winning camerawoman for CBS News and F.A.A. licensed drone pilot Carmaine Means, who incorporates quadcopter footage into her news coverage and, of course, flies for fun. After a break, we are joined by Yasmin Tajik, a documentary photographer and F.A.A. licensed drone operator who is also the Brand Ambassador Director for the educational and advocacy group Women Who Drone. We get to know the work of each guest, asking Means how and when she decides to use aerial footage in a news segment, what her personal guidelines are for putting up a drone, and what the planning stage is like with her producers. We also talk about the value of certain aerial shots in telling a story, about the equipment she uses, and handling the drones in various conditions. Currently, she flies with a DJI  Phantom and an Inspire. With Yasmin Tajik, we mention the Federal Aviation Administration licensing process and she recommends the FAA Drone Zone as a good place to start. We also ask her about using drones in documentary work and some of the restrictions placed on flying in the U.S. and other countries. As a resident of Arizona, she discusses some of the advantages of flying in that state, as well as unique guidelines they have established. We also speak about how she learned to fly after initially being hesitant, the work done by Women Who Drone, and taking her Tello Quadcopter into schools and the interest it generates from the next generation of flyers. Tajik also points to the many industries and services that are incorporating drones and the growing opportunities available for licensed pilots, but we don’t forget to talk about the joy she gets by using her DJI Mavic 2 to provide a perspective on the world that our land-based cameras can never match. Join us for this enjoyable and inspirational conversation and if you are a female drone flyer, we’d love to hear your experiences and see your images. Guests: Carmaine Means and Yasmin Tajik Photograph © Yasmin Tajik

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we talk about food photography with photographer Chelsea Kyle and food stylist Drew Aichele. There are few photography disciplines that are as complicated as food photography. With the pressure of time, heat, cold, color, and light, a small team must work together to create an image that realistically illustrates the sumptuousness of a dish, but also is a visually striking composition. Collaboration is key and, in this case, it’s fortunate that Kyle and Aichele are also a couple, engaged to be married. We are grateful they were able to join us today. We discuss aspects of the professional process from client and editor, to recipe experts, to the stylists and photographers, and ask who determines what the “look” will be and how that is played out on set. We also discuss camera and lenses, lighting gear, and all accessories that are used in this space, which is part kitchen, part workshop, and part photo studio. Kyle stumps host Allan Weitz, mentioning a piece of grip gear with which even he is not familiar. Because our guests live together, and despite the huge hit the industry has taken, they have been able to work during the shutdown, and we discuss how they have adapted to handling all aspects of a shoot within their own kitchen. We talk about sourcing supplies when many stores and bakeries are closed, about using Zoom to direct a remote shoot, and speculate on the future of this very collaborative profession. Join us for this insightful episode and let us know how these tough times have affected your photography… and your cooking. Guests: Chelsea Kyle and Drew Aichele Above photograph © Chelsea Kyle