B&h Photography Podcast

Guests: Frank Dabba Smith and Jill Enfield The oft-quoted line paraphrased for our headline and notably used in reference to Oskar Schindler and Chiune Sugihara can also be applied to industrialist and Leica camera manufacturer Ernst Leitz II, who used his influence to help many Jews and other subjugated people avoid persecution, maintain their jobs, or even escape Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Like any story drawn from a terrible era of oppression, heroes are painted with shades of gray, and humanitarianism can be found in small gestures, but historian Frank Dabba Smith creates a narrative derived from primary source research. Our other guest, photographer Jill Enfield, recounts her family’s direct relationship with this chapter of Jewish, German, American, and photographic history. Join us for this engaging conversation.

Guests: Harvey Wang and Todd Vorenkamp Have you ever shot film? Do you still shoot film? Does it make a difference in your work? Is your work defined by it? This episode of the B&H Photography Podcast addresses an issue that is still at the heart of photography—does the medium you choose affect the way you work and, ultimately, the images you produce? With the recent release of his book, From Darkroom to Daylight, we will talk with photographer Harvey Wang and with writer and photographer Todd Vorenkamp about the differences between shooting film and shooting digital images. From the perspectives of those who grew up shooting film and those who did not, we’ll discuss working process, technological developments, quality of images and yes—nostalgia. Wang will also recount from his book conversations on this subject with legendary photographers such as Eugene Richards, Elliott Erwitt, Sally Mann, and George Tice.

Guests: Jason Wallace and Chris Koentje Five years ago you could buy a quality 35mm film camera for the song playing in your head. Used medium format film cameras collected dust on store shelves. Today, if a Mamiya, Hasselblad, or Rolleiflex become available, they don’t last long before being snatched up by a zealous photographer. And those who regularly shoot digital SLRs know that buying an older model does not diminish the quality of your work, and it can save you hundreds of dollars, especially if you use them as roughly as some professionals do. Whether film or digital, the used camera market is alive and well and we will talk with photographer and camera collector Jason Wallace and member of the B&H Used Department, Chris Koentje on what is new in used gear. From the cameras that are hot in Argentina, to what to inspect when buying a used lens, and to just how important trust is between buyer and seller, we will touch on all aspects of the used camera market in this spirited conversation between ind

The Benefits of a Long Term Project For Your Photography Guests: Dennis Livesey and John Harris While their approaches are distinct, photographers Dennis Livesey and John Harris both have benefited from taking the long road. As their experience exemplifies, there are many joys and successes to be found in approaching a photo subject with a long-term commitment in mind. Relationships grow, errors are made and improvement is organic as you spend significant time working with one subject. Eventually, the harvests are reaped and the time put into your project is paid back many times over. Citing examples from their work (Dennis’s train photography and John’s documentary work), we distinguish between “series” and “projects” and discuss the benefits, foibles, and eventual outcomes of the long-term project.

The Latest on Aerial Photography Platforms Guests: Randy Scott Slavin and Dan Campo Drones are definitely a hot button topic and not only for photographers! Despite the controversy and legal conundrums, aerial photography is entering an incredible exciting era with the proliferation of drones. Director and photographer, Randy Slavin, founder of Yeah Drones and the New York City Drone Film Festival, provides his enthusiastic input, with product specialist Dan Campo, to a conversation about the use and misuse of drones. We talk about the legal and safety issues of flying drones as well as the practical applications of drone shooting and, of course, highlight the best and latest in gear for the drone photographer. Randy, Dan and our host Allan pepper our conversation with anecdotes from their experiences flying and filming with drones.

From Classroom to Real World- How Young Photographers Are Succeeding in a New Environment Former Director of Photography at New York magazine and renowned professor Jordan Schaps offers his insight, experience, and humor to a discussion on ‘what it takes to make it’ in the “new” world of photography where a popular Instagram account can open as many doors as a solid portfolio. New York Times contributing photographer An Rong brings stories from his own recent transformation from talented student to working professional and host, Allan Weitz keeps the conversation bubbling with anecdotes from his own lengthy resume. For all shooters, at any stage in their career, this is an engaging episode and a great way to kick off our new platform.