B&H Photography Podcast

Tati Bruening and Anya Anti are two rising stars at the confluence of photography, digital assets, and social influence. In this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we get the lowdown on their burgeoning careers in fashion / beauty and conceptual / fine art portraits in part two of our chats from B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference. Above photograph © Tati Bruening We start with Tati Bruening, who shares how her plea to “Make Instagram Instagram Again” became a global meme, ultimately prompting a response from the platform’s head. Learn how she spent the pandemic focused on daily DIY shoots with friends, allowing her to quickly master her Canon 5D Mark IV inside and out. Today, Bruening is supported by a powerhouse management team. Hear how she made these essential connections, get tips on working with a manager, and learn which pitfalls to avoid. After a break, we shift gears to Anya Anti, who fills us in on the intricate set design and attentive compositing work behind her whimsical portraits, which seamlessly bridge fantasy and real life. She distinguishes between shooting self-portraits for a more personal approach and posing models as alter egos for more control behind the camera. We also tackle the elephant in the room—artificial intelligence in photographic creation—with Anti weighing in on both the significant ethical issues posed by AI and its positive aspects as incorporated in Adobe’s smart selection tools. Guests: Tati Bruening and Anya Anti For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/confronting-algorithms-and-ai-tati-bruening-anya-anti-at-depth-of-field-2023 Top shot © Tati Bruening Episode Timeline: 2:38: Tati Bruening’s offhand Instagram post that turned into an international viral movement, emphasizing the value of stills over video.  6:13: Bruening’s preferences for lighting tools, modifiers, and lenses. 11:52: Making an initial connection to a manager and assembling a wider team. 14:04: Bruening’s 5-year plan to stop being controlled by social media algorithms. 15:33: Bruening’s tips for seeking and working with a manager and pitfalls to avoid. 18:50: Episode Break 20:44: Anya Anti’s approach to self-portraits vs. photographing other people to use as alter egos in her pictures. 25:20: Concept development and preproduction process for Anti’s portraits. 28:27: Concerns about AI technology and its related ethical issues. 32:31: The beneficial aspects of AI and using Adobe smart selection tools. 34:22: Upcoming projects, a series of editing tutorials, and animation pieces. Guest Bios: Tati Bruening rose to fame by making personal portraits of some of TikTok's most recognizable stars, celebrating the individuality of her subjects. She made headlines in 2021 by posting a simple request to ‘Make Instagram, Instagram Again’ and the rest of the world echoed her sentiment by adding over 300,000 signatures on her Change.org petition. She consults on Gen Z with various companies and has been a featured speaker on photography and social media at events such as VidCon 2022, among many other conferences. Anya Anti specializes in on-location fine art and conceptual portraiture. An internationally published, award-winning photo artist, Anti strives to go beyond traditional portraiture to tell imaginative stories through her art and share her passion for beauty and a craving for everyday enchantment. An international speaker and workshop instructor for companies such as Broncolor, Adobe, and Nikon, Anti has been a featured presenter at events like Adobe MAX, Adobe Live, PPE, WPPI, CES, among others. Stay Connected: Tati Bruening Website: https://www.illumitati.com/ Tati Bruening Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illumitati/ Tati Bruening Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tati.tutu.5/ Tati Bruening Twitter: https://twitter.com/illumitatiana Tati Bruening TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/tati-bruening Anya Anti Website: https://anya-anti.com/ Anya Anti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anya_anti_art/ Anya Anti Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnyaAntiArt Anya Anti YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnitaAnti Anya Anti Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnyaAnti Anya Anti Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/anya_anti/ Anya Anti TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anya_anti

Sam Hurd and Dixie Dixon may target different photo markets, yet they both prioritize craft and emphasize a human connection to their subjects. In this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we get the lowdown on their respective careers in wedding photography and fashion/lifestyle assignment work as part of our coverage of B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference. Above photograph © Dixie Dixon We start with Sam Hurd, who shares the story behind his decision to shift from photographic storyteller to craftsman. He also describes how switching to mirrorless cameras has changed his process. Sam’s superpower is his inventive Ring of Fire technique for creative flare, and we discuss this in depth, while also touching on everything from image quality and lens design to the promise of AI-generating tools and the elements that get lost in the exchange. After a break, we chat with Nikon Ambassador Dixie Dixon, who describes how making a connection with your subjects begins with detailed research well before the shoot day. She regales us with tales from major advertising projects, including how her efforts to get a release for a Ford Mustang led her to the company’s CEO. Get a first alert on her next book project and hear how her recent forays into video and directing tv commercials earned her a coveted advertising award. For more information on our guests and their photos, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/photographic-craft-connections-sam-hurd-dixie-dixon  

“Do I really replace lenses or just buy more of them? That’s the major question,” says Kevin Rickert, B&H Photo’s Senior Sales Trainer for cameras and lighting, in the heat of discussion for our Notable Lens Releases of 2022 and 2023 episode. Listen in as we assess the latest crop of optics from Canon, FUJIFILM, Hasselblad, Nikon, OM SYSTEM, Sigma, Sony, and Tamron. The full list makes for a lot of glass, so we’ve narrowed things down to a focused selection of primes and zooms spanning medium format, full frame, cropped sensor, and Micro Four Thirds formats. As in our annual Cameras of the Year show from December, we mix up the tech talk with practical anecdotes to help match lenses and customers based on user experience. Among the many threads of our chat, we commend the release of some new and different focal lengths—from Nikon’s 26mm pancake to Sony’s 20-70mm f/4 G-series zoom to Tamron’s 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 telephoto. “Maybe the 26mm will be the new 28, which is great,” says Rickert. “We like choices, and a lot of brands are going this route with their lens offerings.” Guest: Kevin Rickert Episode Timeline 1:45: Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM lens and its unique cat-eye bokeh. 6:32: Four new Canon RF-S lenses for APS-C cameras, plus RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM and RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM super-telephotos for wildlife and sports. 9:20: FUJIFILM XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR for portraits, XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR for wildlife and sports, XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR for everyday use, XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR, and FUJIFILM GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR lens for medium format. 12:42: Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 V, XCD 55mm f/2.5 V, and XCD 90mm f/2.5 V lenses. 18:49: Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens, Z 85mm f/1.2 S for portraits, 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, and Z 600mm f/4 TC VR SZ super telephotos for wildlife and sports. 25:06: Episode break 25:58: OM SYSTEM 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS Pro lens, and the benefit of IP53 weather sealing. 31:43: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art for L-mount and E-mount systems, plus rerelease of lenses for X-mount and Z-mount systems. 36:06: Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G, FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, FE 20-70mm f/4 G lenses. 43:58: Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD, 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD lenses. Guest Bio: Kevin Rickert is B&H Photo’s Senior Sales Trainer for Cameras and Lighting. It’s Rickert’s job to collaborate with camera and lens manufacturers to create curriculum for training B&H’s world-renowned sales staff. He knows his stuff! Born and raised in New York and self-described as a ballpark journeyman, Rickert has traveled to—and photographed—all Major League baseball stadiums in the United States since 2008. Earlier this year, he helped to represent the B&H Sales Team, in Nashville, at Imaging USA 2023―where he discovered how hot Nashville hot chicken, really is! Stay Connected: B&H Photo Video Website: https://www.bhphotovideo.com B&H Photo Video Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhphoto B& Photo Video Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhphoto B&H Photo Video YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BandH B&H Event Space YouTube: https://bhpho.to/BHEventSpaceYT B&H Photo Video Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bhphoto B&H Photography Podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001107823418353

No matter how you slice it, wedding photography is a fancy business. On this week’s podcast, we take that fancy up a notch in a conversation about luxury wedding photography with James Christianson and Otto Schulze. These former competitors took a giant leap to reinvent themselves as the collaborative partnership James x Schulze, while also adapting their sales strategy to a marketplace where the driving force is want rather than means. Listen in as they describe how they balanced economic risk with the creative freedom to chase small moments and beautiful light. You’ll also gain insight into how a luxury client’s buying psychology differs from the norm, and the essential importance of taking a client-first approach to projects.   “Confidence is the currency of the successful,” explains Christianson about the necessary shift in mindset. “If you can bring confidence in who you are and what your skills are—whether that’s with a camera, or skills with people, or both—that will take you a long way in being able to move through any room.” Guests: James Christianson and Otto Schulze Top shot © James x Schulze Episode Timeline   2:55: The logistics of and locations for the luxury wedding photography market.   6:38: Balancing the economics of a collaborative business with the creative freedom and flow of chasing small moments and beautiful light.   10:42: Shaking the middle-class sales mentality and adapting to the buying psychology of luxury clients.   14:45: Put your client first by asking open-ended questions and taking a genuine interest in connecting to best identify their wants.   17:56: The logistics of working with wedding planners in the high-end photography market.   21:40: Destination weddings in a post-COVID world, and the luxury client as a recession proof market for wedding photography.   26:10: James X Shulze’s go-to camera gear—from the medium format FUJIFILM GFX to the Leica Q—yet always being mindful of the special atmosphere of the venue.   31:27: Episode break   32:32: Introducing James X Schulze’s education brand Sage. Tap into the mindset and confidence needed to cultivate luxury wedding photography clients.   37:14: Distinguishing between premium and luxury wedding clients, and the relative budgets for each 40:10: Develop the story the client wants to tell with their wedding, rather than approaching the wedding as just a photo shoot.  45:14: James and Otto’s approach to education involves more than great photographs. Equally important is being a better business owner, and consistency in putting in the work. Guest Bios: James Christianson started his career as an educator and entrepreneur. He has more than 20 years of photography experience under his belt combined with a business and education background that brings a distinctively clear voice to his work. Otto Schulze traveled the globe as a documentary photographer, spending the past 20 years in pursuit of the “decisive moment.” His ability to see outside the box makes him an inspirational and visionary imagemaker and educator. Working together, James x Schulze have achieved world-class brand recognition as luxury wedding photographers, combining editorial, documentary, and fine-art styles. Named as one of the world’s top 50 wedding photographers by Harpers Bazaar, they are hyper-focused on communicating each client’s unique story through a final portfolio of unparalleled images. Most recently, they launched the online education platform Sage, and the online course “The Business of Luxury Weddings” to inspire other wedding professionals seeking to take their business to the next level. Stay Connected: James x Schulze’s Wedding Website: https://www.jamesandschulze.com James x Schulze’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesandschulze James x Schulze’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesandschulze James x Schulze’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesandschulze James x Schulze’s Education Website: https://www.sagejourney.co Business of Luxury Weddings Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessofluxuryweddings Sage Journey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagejourney.co

Women photographers take center stage in this week’s show, in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. We reveal the blind spot of photo history in a chat about the book A World History of Women Photographers, with photo historian and co-author Luce Lebart and contributing writer Pauline Vermare. Gracing the pages of this book’s 500-page heft are images and stories behind 300 women photographers, spanning both photo history and geographic reach. Listen in to learn about the exhaustive process Lebart and co-author Marie Robert undertook to find this range of talent and then commission essays from 160 women writers and curators. We also discuss how the position of women within photography has changed over time and across cultures. There are fresh discoveries to be made by even the most ardent photography devotees, as illustrated by the many photographer names and related resources we mention during the episode, also listed below in our show notes.  Guests: Luce Lebart and Pauline Vermare Top shot © The National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik Episode Timeline   4:17: Luce Lebart describes the editorial statement behind the book A World History of Women Photographers as a manifesto to complete a history that already exists.   10:14: Back stories about women working as picture editors, art directors, designers, and art buyers in photo industry trenches, with male photographers as hunter gathers in the field.  13:32: The international network behind the research for this book. Which came first—the contributing writers or featured photographers?   21:21: The matter of women photographers who stayed in the shadow of a master or did not receive equal recognition as her spouse.   26:45: Avoiding the pitfall of a western centered approach in the geographical representation of photographers selected for the book   30:56: Additional book projects and databases of women photographers.   33:44: Episode break   34:38: Pauline Vermare describes differences between France and America in their respective approaches to photography.   38:36: Pauline discusses the Japanese women photographers she wrote about for the book.   45:00: American photographer Nancy Burson’s stature as a forerunner of current trends for AI generated photographs. 49:40: How A World History of Women Photographers encourages questions of readers, inspiring Pauline to create a forthcoming book on Japanese women photographers. Guest Bios: Luce Lebart is co-author, with Marie Robert, of A World History of Women Photographers. A photography historian and curator currently based in Paris, she is a researcher for the Archive of Modern Conflict, a collection and publishing house based between London and Toronto. Luce served as director of the Canadian Institute of Photography from 2016 to 2018, after spending five years directing the collections of the French Society of Photography in Paris. Pauline Vermare is a French photography curator and historian based in New York. A contributing writer to A World History of Women Photographers, she was formerly the cultural director of Magnum Photos in New York, a curator at the International Center of Photography and the Museum of Modern Art. From 2002 to 2009, she worked at the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, in Paris.  Stay Connected: A World History of Women Photographers English language edition: https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/a-world-history-of-women-photographers-hardcover A World History of Women Photographers French edition: https://www.editionstextuel.com/livre/une-histoire-mondiale-des-femmes-photographes Luce Lebart Website: https://lucelebart.org/ Luce Lebart Facebook: ? Luce Lebart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucelebart Luce Lebart Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucelebart?lang=en Mauvaises Herbes (Weeds) exhibit: https://www.cpif.net/ Photo Europea Photo Festival: https://www.fotografiaeuropea.it/fe2023/en/concept-2023/ Pauline Vermare curated Kunie Sugiura Exhibit at Alison Bradley Projects: https://www.alisonbradleyprojects.com/kunie-sugiura-show/ Recently curated exhibition of Northern Ireland photos by women photographers: https://photomuseumireland.ie/pauline-vermare-protest Co-curated exhibition of 10 contemporary Japanese women photographers: https://matterport.com/discover/space/LQT8wCUrWuE Recent interview on Pauline’s Japanese women photographers project: https://www.truthinphotography.org/japanese-women-photographers.html Women Photographers mentioned in the podcast: Anna Atkins - United Kingdom, 1799 - 1871 Amilie Guillot-Saguez -1810, France – 1864, Algeria Constance Talbot - United Kingdom, 1811 - 1880 Julia Margaret Cameron - 1815, India – 1879, Sri Lanka Alice Seeley Harris – United Kingdom, 1870 - 1970 Clara Sipprell - 1885, Canada – 1975, United States Tsuneko Sasamoto – Japan, b. 1914 Tokyo Tokiwa – Japan, b. 1930 Claudia Andujar - Switzerland, b. 1931 Yildiz Moran - Turkey, 1932 - 1995 Sara Facio - Argentina, b. 1932 Hilla Becher - Germany, 1934 - 2015 Abigail Heyman - United States, 1942 – 2013 Nancy Burson - United States, b. 1948 Lesley Lawson – South Africa, b. 1952 Marilyn Nance - United States, b. 1953 Pushpamela N. - India, b. 1956 Pior Arke - Greenland, 1958 - 2007 Angele Etourdi Essamba - Cameroon, b. 1962 Dina Templeton - United States, b. 1969 Zanele Muholi – South Africa, b. 1972  Databases featuring Women Photographers: WOPHA, Women Photographers International Archive: https://wopha.org/ Women Photograph database (and new book): https://www.womenphotograph.com/ 10x10 Photobooks: https://10x10photobooks.org/ Fast Forward: https://fastforward.photography/

Website designer Alex Vita shares best practices and pet peeves, while photographer Ben Von Wong discusses his web strategy and staying relevant in an oversaturated creative climate. They also touch on the future of AI in the visual world and the importance of websites for photographers in a world of social media.

We’re all about flower power on this week’s podcast, in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Joining us in discussion are photography curator Danae Panchaud, co-author of the recent book Flora Photographica, along with contributing photographer and audience favorite Abelardo Morell. After describing the book’s genesis and scope, Danae delves into the extensive research process she and co-author William Ewing employed to sift through many thousands of photographs celebrating this wide-ranging subject. From sumptuous floral still lives to delicate blooms photographed in service of an activist cause to conceptual treatments depicting flowers as imposters of real life and beyond—this magnificent book offers fertile ground for consideration and debate. After a break we continue the conversation with photographer Abelardo Morell, whose featured images from the series Flowers for Lisa evolved from a single photograph created as a gift for his wife to encompass a wide-ranging exploration of and homage to great artists of the past.  As an alternative to a floral bouquet, we invite you to consider the enduring value in the gift of a photograph—or better yet an entire book of floral photography—to make a photoholic’s heart flutter. Guests: Danae Panchaud and Abelardo Morell Top shot © Abelardo Morell For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts Episode Timeline   4:52: Danae Panchaud explains the research process for Flora Photographica and describes the joy in discovering the innovative methods photographers have used to explore this wide-ranging subject.   10:16: Distinctions between the new edition of Flora Photographica and an earlier volume by William Ewing sharing the same title, published in the 1990s. 13:53: The effects of digital tools and technologies on both the images themselves, and the research methods used to source images for the book.   16:31: Insights about Flora Photographica’s nine intriguing chapter titles: Roots, In Situ, Enquiry, Arrangement, Essence, Imposters, Hybrids, Fugue, and Reverie.   21:00: Incorporating floral pictures with political themes and conceptual work on floral subjects, and the use of captions to help convey these messages.   23:55: Using the element of surprise in picture selection and sequencing to highlight unexpected images and allow readers to discover new artists.   32:50: Episode break   34:20: Abe Morell’s first flower photograph was a double gift: A birthday gift for his wife and a gift for Abe to embark on a new challenge.   38:19: The benefits of working at home in the studio to use as a breeding ground for new ideas.   39:55: The incorporation of painting with photography, and Abe’s efforts to reinterpret and transform past works from art history. 42:34: How work on this photo series enhanced Abe’s perception of flowers as a common object. Guest Bios: Danae Panchaud is a photography curator, lecturer, and museum professional based in Switzerland. After studying photography at the widely acclaimed Vevey School of the Arts, she turned to curatorial practices at Geneva University of Art and Design. She has since held positions in the fields of contemporary art, design, and science at several Swiss institutions. From 2018 to 2021, she served as director and curator of Photoforum Pasquart in Biel. She was appointed director of the Centre de la Photographie Genève in 2021, where she explores the medium as a tool for constructing knowledge through both contemporary and historical photographs. Danae is actively involved in a number of Swiss associations for photography and the arts, currently serving as president of Spectrum – Photography in Switzerland.   Abelardo Morell is a repeat visitor to the podcast, having previously appeared in the show Abelardo Morell: Alchemist of Photography in 2022. Born in Havana, Cuba, Morell immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 14. After earning a BFA from Bowdoin College and an MFA from Yale, he had a distinguished career as a photography professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design from 1983 to 2010. Morell has received many awards and accolades for his work, including a Guggenheim fellowship in 1994, an ICP Infinity Award in 2011, and a Lucie Award for achievement in fine art in 2017. He is the author of 8 books, including Flowers for Lisa, the subject of today’s discussion, and his photographs have been exhibited and collected by galleries, institutions, and museums worldwide. Stay Connected: Flora Photographica book: https://thamesandhudson.com/flora-photographica-the-flower-in-contemporary-photography-9780500024584 Danae Panchaud Website: https://danaepanchaud.net/ Danae Panchaud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danae.panchaud/ Danae Panchaud Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaepanchaud/ Danae Panchaud Medium: https://medium.com/@danaep Centre de la Photographie Genève Website: https://www.centrephotogeneve.ch/ Abelardo Morell Website: https://www.abelardomorell.net/ Abe Morell’s Flowers for Lisa book: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/flowers-for-lisa_9781419732331/ Abe Morell’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/abelardomorell/ Abe Morell’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelardomorell  

"Selecting photos is a different skill than making them,” explains renowned picture editor Mike Davis in this week’s podcast. This essential understanding forms the core of Davis’s new book Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer. Davis approaches this topic with a mix of clarity and candor, to offer deeply engaged yet highly accessible insights about making photos—and making sense of those photos—while also discussing the elusive art of selecting and sequencing pictures and other ways to create visual narratives. Some of the key points covered in our chat include the visual vocabulary Davis assigns to photographs, his ideas about elevating pictures beyond simply informational content, how making multiple passes through a photo edit can help a photographer remove themselves from the experience of making the work, and his three different approaches to image sequencing. Listeners will also gain a fresh understanding of ways in which both the art of creating visual narratives and the photo industry itself have evolved over time, to raise the bar on creative expression. In presenting this book, Davis’s goal echoes the response he has received from hundreds of photographers he’s helped to tell stories with their pictures, “I never would have thought of things that way, had we not had this engagement.” Guests: Mike Davis Photos © Mike Davis Episode Timeline 3:26: Photography as a visual vocabulary, and distinctions between, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. 6:25: What are informational photographs and how to make photos that rise above this basic level. 9:08: Davis’s definition of composition: the full realization of light, and color, and distance in conveying a 3-dimensional space. 18:33: How the photo industry and relationships between photographers and photo editors have changed over time. 30:42: Davis discusses his photos published in the book and shares thoughts about photographing with intention. 39:34: Episode break 44:18: Three approaches to image sequencing and how they work within the full spectrum ofrafting a narrative 46:17: Mike Davis’s most visually successful book project and a general timeframe for image sequencing. 48:06: Davis’s approach to working with photographers on sequencing a book.   51:46: Davis describes his picture editing process using multiple passes through a set of photographs. 56:40: The primary audience and Davis’s ultimate goal in writing Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer. Guest Bio: Mike Davis is a visual consultant, editor, author, photographer, and professor emeritus. He has worked independently with hundreds of photographers as well as in staff positions for organizations as diverse as National Geographic, The White House, and several of America’s visually powerful newspapers. Mike was twice named newspaper picture editor of the year, and he received The Sprague Award from The National Press Photographers Association, its highest honor. He has edited more than 40 books as an independent consultant, judged a wide range of photography competitions and grant programs, lectured widely, and served as a member of various workshop and review faculty. Most recently, Mike spent eight years as an endowed faculty member at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, where he taught visual storytelling courses and directed The Alexia Grants. Stay Connected: Mike Davis website: https://www.michaelddavis.com/ Mike Davis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedavis_mnpls/ Creating Visual Narratives Book: https://www.routledge.com/Creating-Visual-Narratives-Through-Photography-A-Fresh-Approach-to-Making/Davis/p/book/9781032262857      

Creating and sustaining a successful photo career is no easy feat. To help aspiring young imagemakers acquire the needed creative concepts and business skills, two New York-based organizations—ASMP NY and BKC—have teamed up to offer the innovative mentorship, education, and industry immersion program The Bridge. Open to individuals from 18- to 26-years-old, The Bridge embraces diversity and offers opportunity to underserved communities, regardless of formal photography experience. Best of all, this four-month, real world program is free to accepted students. We first learned about The Bridge during a chat with program co-founder Liam Alexander for the show ASMP-NY and the Future of Photo Trade Organizations in February 2022. Since the program’s second year recently wrapped with a gallery exhibition in Brooklyn, and plans are in the works to expand The Bridge to other ASMP chapters in 2023, we wanted to learn more about this valuable initiative in advance of the next application window this spring. For this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Alexander, who sheds light on The Bridge program’s inner workings and educational goals during the first half of the show. After a break, we speak with 2022 Bridge graduate Eli Edwards, who describes what he learned through the program, and the resulting shift in the pictures he makes, as well as in his creative point of view. To discover how to futureproof your career and learn how to apply for this free program, make sure to listen in! Guests: Liam Alexander and Eli Edwards ASMP Bridge Program photo © Saad El Amin For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/celebrating-asmp-nys-mentorship-program-the-bridge Episode Timeline 3:50: Application and selection process for The Bridge Mentorship, a program designed to fill the gap in existing educational models. 9:27: Introduction to The Bridge program partner BKC, and program co-founder Justin Lin. 17:13: The Bridge Program coursework: Developing Your Creative Point of View. 20:52: Bridge Mentorship Program Core Supporters: The ASMP Foundation, Sony, and Freelancers Union, and a widening network of additional supporters. 25:17: A five-year vision for the program: Producing the future of the photo industry every summer. 26:50: Episode break 27:24: 2022 Bridge Program participant Eli Edwards and his easy application through Instagram. 32:42: Effects of the program on Eli’s pictures and his new confidence in making project-based work. 36:40: Is YouTube University an effective tool for learning the ropes of photography? 40:56: How Eli’s shift from social media to photography changed his creative point of view, and some social media tips. 46:38: Ways to support The Bridge program and application window for the 2023 Bridge program mentorship. Guest Bios: Liam Alexander is a fine artist and creative director who seeks to catalyze social change through artistic expression. As the current president of ASMP New York, he co-founded the ASMP NY Bridge program in 2020 with Justin Lin of BKC. He has also been instrumental in building other community focused creative projects designed to educate and inspire, such as IThou at NYU’s Kimmel Galleries, The Exchange at Rush Arts, and #StrokeofGenius. Liam’s own work has been featured in gallery exhibitions and art fairs throughout the US, and at the second annual Toolkit Festival in Venice, Italy. His work has been published in magazines including Nylon and Rolling Stone, and he creates projects with major brands like Wix.com, Samsung, SAP, Renaissance Hotels, and the city of New York. Eli Edwards is a photographer, videographer, writer, producer, and director. Born in Los Angeles, Eli currently resides in New York City, where he works as a freelance videographer and photographer for brands, events, and musical artists. He was a 2022 participant in the ASMP Bridge program, where he produced the photo series ‘A Community of Hoops’, which is about the dedicated group that frequents New York’s iconic West 4th Street basketball court. Eli is a 2019 graduate of NYU’s Steinhart School, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in Media, Culture, and Communication. After college, he worked as a social media editor for Turner Sports in Atlanta as part of the Emmy-Award winning NBA on TNT team, doing content creation work with the NBA. Stay Connected: The Bridge Program: https://www.wearebkc.com/bridge Donate to the Bridge: https://asmpfoundation.betterworld.org/campaigns/bridge-program ASMP National website: https://www.asmp.org/ ASMP New York website: https://www.asmp.org/newyork/ ASMP New York Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmpny ASMP New York Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmpny/ ASMP New York Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmpny Bridge Program partner BKC website: https://www.wearebkc.com/ BKC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearebkc/ BKC Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearebkc Eli Edwards Website: https://www.eliedwardscreative.com/ Eli Edwards Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwards_eli/ Eli Edwards Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZenGeeks Eli Edwards TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nbathoughtseli Liam Alexander Website: https://www.liam-alexander.com/ Liam Alexander Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liam.alexander.rules Liam Alexander Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeumrulez/ Liam Alexander Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiamAlexander0  

In some locales, the period between Christmas and the New Year is known as the Wild Nights, where mischief reigns in the darkest days of the northern hemisphere. We’re digging into this theme for our last show of 2022, in a chat with photographer and producer of this very podcast, Jill Waterman, who has been documenting New Year’s Eve traditions and exploits around the globe for the past 38 years. We first spoke with Jill about this project in the two-part show Legacy and Commitment in January 2022. Since she’s now a full-fledged member of the podcast team, we thought we’d investigate some of her more memorable experiences a bit further. Jill is still shooting this series primarily with film, so our conversation ranges from the whys and wherefores of making that choice, to how the growth of the Internet became an essential research tool in the lead up to the Millennium and beyond. We also shed light on the elusive Austrian Perchten and Bulgarian Kukeri, and discuss parading Philadelphia Mummers, Bahamian Junkanoo figures, and Cape Town, South Africa’s legendary Minstrel Parade. To learn about the most rewarding aspect of Jill’s project and find out where she’ll be ringing in New Year’s Eve 2023, pull up a seat, pop some bubbly and listen in! Guest: Jill Waterman Photos © Jill Waterman Episode Timeline 2:35: The beginnings of the New Year’s Eve Project 4:28: Evolution of the project and approach over time 5:34: Shooting black and white film instead of monochrome digital captures 8:12: Opportunities of the Millennium 9:04: The growth of the Internet as a research tool and discovering locations for New Year’s Eve rituals 10:00: Documenting “Perchtenlaufs” in Austria during the Wild Nights 10:59: Common themes in different cultures: Mummer’s Parade in Philadelphia; Junkanoo in Nassau, Bahamas; and the Minstrel Parade in Cape Town, South Africa 14:48: The spread of oral New Year’s traditions and rituals: Burning Effigies and New Year’s Widows in Quito, Ecuador 16:32: Bulgarian Kukeri and New Year’s parade to scare away evil spirits in Razlog 17:28: Advance planning before arrival and proceeding with boots on the ground 18:46: The value of spontaneity and capturing action in the moment 19:58: Working through anxiety, emotional spikes, and physical challenges 21:09: Assessing coverage and reviewing images after the fact 22:12: Underwhelming celebrations, and New Year’s Eve during COVID lockdown 25:50: Episode break 26:35: Jill’s analog camera kit: Nikon F3 HP, a 35-70 mm f/2.8 zoom and 24 mm f/2.8 prime lenses 27:45: Black and white films used—Ilford HP5, Delta 400, FP4, Delta 100—and diluted development to minimize contrast 29:23: The most rewarding aspect of the New Year’s Eve Project 30:41: Working through language differences and being open to communication 32:15: Experiencing the Pied Piper syndrome 32:45: Big crowds and safety issues on New Year’s Eve 35:36: This year’s destination, recent New York Foundation for the Arts award, and project links Guest Bio: Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jill Waterman has been based in New York since 1985. Her personal work is centered in long-term photo projects, such as the ongoing New Year’s Eve Project and other aspects of her focus on night photography. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally and widely featured in press and media. Highlights include a 1997 arts documentary for Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin, Germany; a 2003 Today Show interview with Katie Couric; and a 2015 documentary for the web TV show Culture Connect. Waterman’s first book, the technical volume Night and Low Light Photography, was released by Amphoto books in August 2008. Her professional background includes a past career in image licensing, editorial positions in custom publishing, and her current role as creative producer for the B&H Photography Podcast. Stay Connected: New Year’s Eve Project Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLqZ_PIEugA New Year’s Project Silvester Stories NFT: https://opensea.io/collection/silvester-stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightpix/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jill.waterman