B&H Photography Podcast

When one of the world’s most “followed” photographers is available for a conversation, you make the time to talk with him, and when that photographer is acclaimed adventure, landscape, travel, and surf photographer Chris Burkard, expect that conversation to include some serious insights into the passion and ambition that it takes to create the beautiful images he makes.  On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we speak with Burkard about a range of subjects—and this conversation does not disappoint. We get right into it by asking about his penchant for shooting in frigid locations and how stubbornness and even persistence can be the enemy of good photography when shooting in sub-zero temperatures. We discuss the composition of his photographs and how that is indicative of his views on nature, and we dig into his “origin story” and why clients began to come to him for the kind of photography he creates. In general, however, we stick to the nuts and bolts of his photography and learn why he prefers mirrorless cameras, specifically the Sony Alpha A7R IV, and how he organizes his commercial workflow to still make time for the adventures he craves and to be with his young family. After a break, we ask Burkard to walk us through the creation of a few of his more well-known images. Not only does he offer insight into the photographic aspects, but he elaborates to give us a better understanding of the remote locations he finds and the teamwork needed. To quote Burkard, “to better understand how the Earth was made, we must look at it from new perspectives.” Join us for this informative conversation and if you are in New York City this weekend, you can see Burkard speak at Stocked 2019. Guest: Chris Burkard Photograph © Chris Burkard

On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we revisit our conversation with Stephen and Bette Wilkes in honor of the release of Wilkes’s great new book Day to Night, and the accompanying gallery show at the Bryce Wolkowitz gallery, in New York. We also spend a bit of time reflecting on a few of the legendary photographers who have died recently. The Day to Night series that Stephen Wilkes has been working on for ten years has received much-deserved attention and has grown from its New York roots to encompass locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. These photographs, which capture a full 24-hour cycle in one frame, are awe-inspiring when viewed as a whole; fascinating when analyzed in detail; and monumental when considered as a production. On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we speak with Stephen Wilkes and Bette Wilkes—his wife, business manager, and the behind-the-scenes producer of these incredible photographs. Our conversation is easygoing and bounces back and forth between Mr. and Ms. Wilkes, emphasizing their intertwined working relationship. With Mr. Wilkes, we speak of the genesis of the project and the influences he finds in the paintings of the Dutch Masters and the Hudson River School. We also discuss his process, which is physically and technically demanding. He speaks of a desire to “get lost” in the moment and ultimately how his images are “a representation of his memory” from the day and place. With Ms. Wilkes, we speak of the knotty and time-consuming process of arranging a shoot that will last more than twenty-four continuous hours in some of the world’s busiest and most desolate locations. We discuss many photographs, but concentrate on two images from the Day to Night series to highlight their complicated productions—the first is a photograph of New York City’s Flatiron Building and, in the second half of the show, we visit a watering hole in the Serengeti Plain. To see these images, please visit our website, and, if you are in New York prior to October 26, 2019, check out the Day to Night exhibit at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery. Guests: Stephen Wilkes and Bette Wilkes Photograph © Stephen Wilkes

On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast we take a deep dive into one bag and then into another one, and another. We welcome Jeannette Garcia and Yaakov Katz, two experts from the B&H SuperStore, to discuss the materials, capacities, features, and styles of camera bags and cases that are available today. We start with a simple question for each of them: what should one ask when purchasing a new camera bag? Both offer simple yet insightful answers to that question as they walk us down the path to finding the right camera bag for our needs. From slings to messenger bags, holsters, and pouches, we examine the differences in materials and mention the features that might serve one’s particular photographic application.   We also consider rolling cases, hard cases, lens cases, designer camera bags, and inserts and run down a list of various brands to get feedback from Garcia and Katz, including several well-known bag companies that were founded by photographers, such as Think Tank, Tenba, and Domke. Join us for this informative and enjoyable conversation. Guests: Jeannette Garcia and Yaakov Katz

With the anniversary of the September 11 attacks upon us again, those of us in New York City, particularly, think back to that terrible day with great sadness, but also with a certain resolve and a sense of pride for the way we handled this tragedy, how we came together to support each other while fear, confusion, and anger swarmed. Mostly, we remember the friends, neighbors, and co-workers who lost their lives, and the families forever broken. In September 2017, we published an episode of the B&H Photography Podcast with photojournalist Richard Drew who, like many photographers, raced to the scene of the terrorist attacks that morning, not knowing what to expect nor if they would even return alive. Drew captured the photo that for many encapsulated the horror of that day, so horrible that many outlets refused to print it, but with time, this image—now referred to as “Falling Man”—has become one of the iconic images of our still young century.  Today we will republish our conversation with Richard Drew in memory of all who suffered on that day and in tribute to the journalists who risked their lives to cover this story and to all of the first responders who began the long process of building back our city. Thank you. Guest: Richard Drew

We have been hosting the B&H Photography Podcast Panasonic LUMIX S1 Sweepstakes for the past several weeks and, today, we are excited to announce the winners of the LUMIX DC-S1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 24-105mm lens and the LUMIX DC-G95 Mirrorless Camera with a 12-60mm lens. With that in mind, we’d like to thank all of our listeners who left ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts, and particularly those who subscribed to the podcast and mentioned a favorite episode. This kind of feedback is well appreciated and helps us to develop the kind of episodes we hope you enjoy.  Before we make that announcement, however, Allan, Jason, and I reflect on our “photography New Year’s resolutions” and discuss our personal photography projects from 2019 and the gear we have been using to make them happen. We start with Allan, who discusses his year-long process of culling his archive of images going back to 1969, including finding what he refers to as the very first “Allan Weitz photo.”  He also explains how he uses his Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera as his “Franken-slide copier” and some of the gear that has impressed him this year, including the 7artisans Photoelectric 50mm f/1.1 lens and the Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF lens, and his thoughts on the just-announced Leica M-E (Typ 240) Digital Rangefinder. John continues with a brief explanation of the resolutions on which he is procrastinating, and on his return to street photography and attempts to work with the FUJIFILM X100F Digital Camera, the Ricoh GR III, and the Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Digital Rangefinder. Finally, Jason updates us on his telephoto cityscapes, his abstract portraiture, the Sony Clear Image Zoom function and whether or not he purchased the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-56 GM OSS lens. Join us for this enjoyable chat and check out some of the previous episodes of the podcast which we mention during this conversation, including our talks with Jay Maisel and Stephen Wilkes, our discussion about hard drives, and our talk with landscape photographer Erin Babnik.

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we present two conversations from the 2019 OPTIC Photography Conference. Both chats are with photographers who understand the value of sharing their experiences and skills with other photographers and embracing the idea that to be a teacher is also a path for learning. Our first conversation is with travel and landscape photographer Elia Locardi, who is also well known for his photography tutorials with Fstoppers, photo tours, and YouTube series on travel photography. With Locardi, we discuss the true value of travel photography and the connections to people and cultures that a camera can grant you. We also discuss how he balances his role as an educator with his personal photography. After a short break, we welcome photographer Alan Winslow to discuss his editorial and grant-funded photo projects, including a series in development that utilizes interactive technology and his own photography to inform viewers about threatened and endangered species. Winslow is also a FUJIFILM photographer who recently used the new GFX 100 Medium Format Mirrorless Camera to shoot “alternative” landscapes in Yosemite National Park, and we hear his impressions of this camera. In addition to his photography clients, which include the New York Times and Forbes magazine, Winslow teaches at the International Center of Photography, The Maine Media Workshop, and NYCSalt. Balancing one’s own photography practice with making a living as a photography educator is becoming an ever more common practice and, on today’s episode, we gain an understanding of the challenges and benefits of this approach. Join us. Guests: Elia Locardi and Alan Winslow Photograph © Alan Winslow

Shiv Verma is a Panasonic LUMIX Global Ambassador, so it’s no coincidence that he is joining us to discuss the LUMIX S1 Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera—which is part of our current sweepstakes—and other cameras in the LUMIX line, but Verma is also a multi-talented photographer and educator who offers insight into the subtle aspects of light and narrative, as well as the technical know-how to achieve your desired photographic results. We start our conversation relating a William Faulkner quote that Verma uses on his website, and this leads us to speculate on the nature of photography and how images can tell stories and inspire emotion. From there, we dig into Verma’s body of work to understand more clearly the threads that connect his range of styles and abilities. What connects his wildlife and bird photography to his landscapes and the professional and technical product photography he creates? We also delve into the skill sets needed for macro photography and his specialty… time-lapse photography. In-camera time-lapse capabilities were what initially drew Verma to the LUMIX line, and we discuss how this function has evolved from model to model and, in addition to relating his experience shooting with the LUMIX S1 and S1R cameras, he provides insight into the best applications for the various LUMIX mirrorless cameras and lenses, including the GH5 and G9.  Join us for this informative episode and enter our B&H Photography Podcast Panasonic LUMIX S1 Sweepstakes for a chance to win an S1 with 24-105mm lens or a DC-G95 Mirrorless Camera with a 12-60mm lens. Guest: Shiv Verma Photograph © Shiv Verma

We are in the midst of our B&H Photography Podcast Panasonic LUMIX S1 Sweepstakes and encourage you to check the link to enter to win a Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 24-105mm Lens or a Panasonic LUMIX DC-G95 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 12-60mm Lens. For today’s episode, we present encore conversations with photographers Sisse Brimberg and Xyza Cruz Bacani. Sisse Brimberg is a veteran adventure and travel photographer who has more than thirty stories for National Geographic to her credit. Much of her work is devoted to historical and cultural stories, but our chat focuses on the informal portraiture she does in the streets, marketplaces, and country roads around the world. Brimberg relates how she is always “seeing” photographs, how she interacts with her subjects, and how to know when a photograph is worth taking. We also discuss her late husband and shooting partner, NatGeo photographer Cotton Coulson, and how her approach to work has changed since his death. Xyza Cruz Bacani, a Magnum Foundation fellow currently covering the civil unrest in Hong Kong, started taking photography seriously while employed as a domestic worker there. Her street photography blossomed into a career as a documentary photographer and photojournalist covering immigration, social justice, and human rights issues, but she still devotes time to “street.” We discuss the differences between the two disciplines, as well as her techniques and cameras and lens choices. Bacani has recently published the incredible book, We Are Like Air, about her mother and other migrant workers in Hong Kong. Join us for this insightful episode and don’t forget to enter our sweepstakes and subscribe to the B&H Photography Podcast. Guests: Sisse Brimberg and Xyza Cruz Bacani 

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome a true photography legend—curator, critic, and author, Vince Aletti.  Anyone who lived in New York in the 1980s and ’90s, and is interested in photography, will know of Aletti as the photography critic at the Village Voice. He went on to review photo exhibitions at The New Yorker until 2016. He has also curated exhibitions at the International Center of Photography and White Columns gallery, and has authored many books, including his latest, Issues: A History of Photography in Fashion Magazines, which he joins us to discuss. In addition to his writing and curating, Aletti is a collector, and has created a collection of the most important issues of fashion magazines from the past 100 years. The book, Issues, employs that collection to offer a history of fashion photography as it was meant to be viewed—in magazines, and our conversation focuses on the context of the magazine as “the ideal delivery system” for the best photography of several generations. We discuss the beginning of fashion magazines and introduction of photography to that format and we spend time discussing the work of Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Steven Meisel by looking at issues of magazines for which they were the primary, if not sole, photographer. The production of these magazines—Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia, The Face, for example—are mentioned, as are the creative directors, editors, and stylists, but the point of this enlightening conversation (and Aletti’s book) is how great photographers have used the specific format of the fashion magazine for their ground-breaking and ever-evolving images. Today also marks the beginning of the B&H Photography Podcast Panasonic LUMIX S1 Sweepstakes.  Follow the above link for the rules and entry guidelines and you’ll have two chances to win a new Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1 Full-Frame Mirrorless digital camera with 24-105mm lens or a Panasonic LUMIX DC-G95 Mirrorless digital camera with 12-60mm lens. Also, look for the upcoming special episode of our podcast with Panasonic Lumix Global Ambassador Shiv Verma. Guest: Vince Aletti Photograph by Erwin Blumenfeld. Courtesy Vince Aletti and Phaidon 

This week, we welcome two photographers who know the joys of spending a late afternoon waiting for super cells to form, or that perfect lightning strike to appear, as well as the perils of rising waters, golf-ball-sized hail, and projectile debris in flight. Our topic today is extreme-weather photography, and we welcome photographers from two different continents to tell us about their shooting styles, safety precautions, gear, and their general thoughts on weather, social media, and the photography business. We are joined first by photographer and filmmaker Jim Reed, who is a represented by National Geographic Image Collection. His work has been published in National Geographic magazine, the New York Times, Scientific American, and The Guardian, and has been featured on the Weather Channel, Discovery Network, and the Oprah show.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed 2007 photo book, “Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey.”  With Reed, we discuss his minimal gear setup, safety precautions, useful apps, and how his client base has shifted during his thirty-year career. After a short break, we welcome Jordan Cantelo, from the Western Australia town of Jurien Bay. Cantelo is a local wildfire officer who began photographing weather during long stints in the bush. With Cantelo, we speak about the specific weather and storm types in Western Australia, his use of lightning triggers, his preference for medium format cameras, landscape compositions, and how he follows weather systems to get the shots he is after. For many photographers, being a “storm chaser” seems like a thrilling way to earn a living, so tune in to the B&H Photography Podcast for our conversation with two seasoned weather and landscape photographers to get a better understanding of the dos, the don’ts, and the practical side of extreme-weather photography. Guests: Jim Reed and Jordan Cantelo     Above photograph © Jim Reed