B&h Photography Podcast

This is an encore episode, originally published in 2018, before the death of basketball player, Kobe Bryant.  Today we welcome two of professional basketball’s best photographers, and that’s not just me talking. Nat Butler is Senior Photographer for NBA Entertainment and has worked the last thirty-three NBA Finals. He is also the official photographer for the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Andrew Bernstein is the longest-tenured official NBA photographer, the photographer for the L.A. Lakers and L.A. Clippers, a recent inductee to the NBA Hall of Fame, and the photographer of the new book, The Mamba Mentality, by Kobe Bryant. So, enough of the bona fides, these two photographers are also great friends, and they bring their easy-going banter and the ultimate insider’s perspective to the B&H Photography Podcast. Our conversation covers a wide range of topics, from the gear they use (and what they don’t), the lighting systems they’ve developed, the intimacy of basketball photography compared to other spo

It is important to be reminded of the power of photography to educate and explore, and to be a vehicle of self-expression, even self-realization. Equally crucial—through process and through memory—photography’s ability to bring people together, to share and to collaborate, is vital.  On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome a photographer who has built her life’s work around this idea of education through creative collaboration. For more than forty years, Wendy Ewald has lead documentary “investigations” and collaborative projects that encourage the participants to use cameras to examine their own lives, families, and communities, and to make images of their fantasies and dreams. During these projects, she also photographs—normally with a 4 x 5 camera—and asks her students and subjects to then manipulate her images and negatives, further engaging with the process and adding to the authorship of the final work. With support of the most prestigious fellowships, from universities, NG

For the headline of this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we lifted a line from our guest’s own Instagram bio. It would have been too easy to title a show with Walter Iooss, Jr. “Sports Photography Legend” or some such, but that pigeonholes Iooss too easily, and does not recognize the scope of his engagement with photography and with the creative process. Yes, Walter Iooss, Jr. is sports photography. He has over 300 Sports Illustrated covers to his name, his first professional gig was at age 17, and for six decades he has photographed several Hall of Fames’s worth of athletes, including names like Arnold, Mary Lou, Muhammad, and Tiger, and his work with Michael Jordan is unparalleled. Also—every Super Bowl. But he has also photographed rock stars, models, fashion and commercial assignments, portraits, and documentary series. And he tells us of his love for music and that if not for a twist of fate, he might have been a musician. The man is a creator for life, a photographer for life. With Io

As museums in New York and around the world begin to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a brand-new museum is facing the challenge of its grand reopening in the competitive New York City art and culture world. We welcome to the B&H Photography Podcast the inaugural Director of Exhibitions of Fotografiska, Amanda Hajjar, to discuss the unique model of this for-profit arts center and their plans to make a mark on the photography scene in New York. After opening in December 2019, Fotografiska New York was forced to close after just ninety days, and of course, we will also ask Hajjar how they handled the quarantine disruption and are adjusting to the new protocols placed on museums. Fotografiska New York is the third of three like-named museums, with more scheduled to open around the world. The original began in Stockholm, Sweden in 2010 and adopted a different paradigm than the traditional museum—it displays a wide range of photography styles, it has no permanent collection, and it works with the a

This is a wonderful conversation for fans of mirrorless cameras, of classic lens design, of the venerable M-mount, and, really, of photography. The joy that our host Allan Weitz exudes while discussing a few of his current favorite lenses is as contagious as it is educational. And I feel that this episode provides a bolt of creative curiosity that might infuse my own photography. For this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we asked Weitz to draw up a list of 10 favorite lenses from his personal collection. To be sure, these are not lenses sitting on a shelf or behind glass; these are accessible, affordable lenses that he incorporates regularly into his photography practice, but each has a certain signature or special feature that merits recognition.  Most, like the Voigtländer VM 40mm f/2.8 Heliar Lens for Sony E-Mount or the 7Artisans Photoelectric 50mm f/1.1 Lens for Leica M can be purchased new, while some, such as the Zeiss Hologon T* 16mm f/8 lens, are still readily found in the used ma

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome editor, educator, and photographer Joan Liftin and Michelle Dunn Marsh, founder and publisher at Minor Matters. In the first half of the show, we speak with Liftin about her latest book, Water for Tears, and then we focus on Minor Matters and the unique business model this publishing house utilizes. We also discuss the person who brought them together, the late photographer Charles Harbutt.  Liftin was married to Harbutt and was his collaborator, and Marsh has recently published a book of Harbutt’s work and words, titled The Unconcerned Photographer. With Liftin we relate the genesis of Water for Tears, which is a sort of photo memoir—images from travel and family and fleeting impressions that tie together a lifetime. We discuss editing, sequencing, collaboration, and the subtle difference between narrative and story. We also talk about editing Harbutt’s work and, along with Marsh, about the making of The Unconcerned Photographer. After a

One of the remarks that stuck with me from this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast was Alison Rossiter’s casual mention, “I know how to rock a tray.” Rossiter is noted for her cameraless fine art photo prints, often made on expired photographic paper, some sheets dating back one hundred years or more. Her comment was a simple reference to how she guides developing solution over paper in the darkroom, but understanding the time and dedication she has put into her darkroom techniques, it seemed the ideal understatement for her refined yet simple processes, which include traditional photo printing, photograms, light drawings, and her current exploration, which enables vintage photo paper to speak for itself, processed and fixed, but free from the bullying dominance of projected light. With her ongoing exhibit, Substance of Density 1918-1948, at the Yossi Milo gallery, through September 26, 2020, Rossiter presents a “chronology of assemblages” made of expired photographic papers from her personal c

We present a fun conversation on this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast,, perhaps due to the midwestern charm of photographer Julie Blackmon and the matter-of-fact discussion of her wonderful tableau vivants of family life in middle America.  We also welcome back to the show gallery owner Robert Mann, who is currently hosting an exhibit of Blackmon’s photographs titled Talent Show. Mann was a guest on our show in 2018 when we spoke about the work of Australian photographer Murray Fredericks. Blackmon also has an exhibit at Fotografiska New York titled Fever Dreams, which runs until October 18, 2020. The medium format compositions of Julie Blackmon infuse innocent playtime with a creeping sense of danger to create works with a wonderful dark humor. There is also a welcomed D-I-Y spirit to her work and we talk about the creation of her photos and the involvement of her own family and friends in the images; even photos that have up to twenty-five subjects are produced and organized with her sist

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome Kevin Rickert, who is a camera and lighting sales trainer for B&H. In other words, he teaches and updates the Pro Photo staff on all the features and specs of new cameras and often gets these cameras in his hands well before anyone else. Could there be a better guest for this episode, in which we discuss the many recent camera and lens announcements from the major manufacturers? Much of the chatter in new camera circles has been about the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6, as well as the Nikon Z5 and the Sony Alpha a7S III, but Olympus and Leica have also put out impressive new cameras in recent weeks. There have in addition been several interesting lens announcements over the course of the summer, including the HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mm f/1.4 ED SDM AW lens and affordable fixed-aperture telephoto lenses from Canon and Tokina. We also take a look back at the XT-4 and X100V cameras by FUJIFILM that were announced toward the beginning of the

With great thanks to Vikki Tobak and the Contact High Project, we welcome three photographers to our studio who are responsible for some of the most iconic images from the history of hip-hop. Janette Beckman, Eric Johnson, and Danny Hastings join us to tell the stories behind their photos of RUN-DMC, Wu Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, and many others. We also speak about issues important to photographers, from on-set technique, to artistic collaboration and influence, to gear, to networking and, of course, licensing of images. For us, this was a highly anticipated recording and it did not disappoint. Whether you are a hip-hop fan interested in behind-the-scenes stories or a photographer looking for insight, join us for this incredible conversation. Janette Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock in the U.K., photographing The Clash, Sex Pistols, and Boy George, as well as three Police album covers. Moving to New York in 1982, she was drawn to the underground hip-hop scene and photographed pioneers such as R

On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we present a conversation with two photographers. We start with Aaron Turner, who is also a scholar, an archivist, and the host of the podcast “Photographers of Color.” Turner will stay with us as we later speak with Laylah Amatullah Barrayn about her street portraiture during the COVID-19 outbreak in New York and  the recent uprising in Minneapolis. With Turner, we talk about the genesis of The Center for Photographers of Color, which is currently located at the School of Arts at the University of Arkansas, and how it grew from a Twitter feed as an attempt to recognize and connect the many African-American photographers both currently working and of historical significance and influence. We discuss the Center and its research, exhibition, archiving goals, and overall mission to develop and maintain a community of photographers. We also chat with Turner about his personal photography and how that has evolved over the years from photojournalism to docu

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 th

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 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 advent

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

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. W

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 young

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 Al

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 al

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 st