B&H Photography Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Photographic Innovation: Steve Sasson's Invention of the Digital Camera Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." There is no better role model for this Thomas Edison quote than Steve Sasson, the electrical engineer fresh out of grad school who was hired to work in a Kodak research lab, in 1973. With a passion for scavenging parts and a penchant for invention, he developed the world's first self-contained digital camera just two years after his arrival in the lab.

In honor of National Camera Day, we invited Sasson to the podcast for an in-depth discussion about his invention of this revolutionary device. Listen in to hear about the surprising reception Sasson's prototype received from Kodak executives during early demonstrations of its use, the complicated mix of cultural and business factors confronting a company in the throes of innovation, the many years that elapsed before Sasson was allowed to speak publicly about the camera, and much, much more. In addition to being a storyline worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, our conversation offers rare insight into the inner workings of a long-established, successful company that knows a lot about the problem but doesn't like the answer. Stay to the end to hear Sasson make a comparison to a groundbreaking technological development in the corporate world today.

Guest: Steve Sasson

For more information on our guest and the gear he uses, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/invention-of-digital-camera

Above photograph © Courtesy of the George Eastman MuseumStay Connected

Steve Sasson Profile at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: https://eng.rpi.edu/about/alumni-achievements/steven-j-sasson Steve Sasson at the National Inventor's Hall of Fame: https://www.invent.org/inductees/steven-sasson Steve Sasson at the National Science & Technology Medals Foundation: https://nationalmedals.org/laureate/steven-sasson/ The George Eastman Museum: https://www.eastman.org

The Business of Family Portraits: Michele Celentano & Monica Sigmon at Depth of Field 2023 Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Family portraits have come a long way since the heyday of department-store setups. In this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we examine business and creative factors at work in this constantly evolving field, recorded on location at B&H's 2023 Depth of Field Conference. Listen in for fresh insights on family portraiture from two specialists serving very different market segments.

Above photograph © Monica Sigmon, Sigmon Taylor Photography

Our first guest is Michele Celentano, a serial entrepreneur who's shifted from weddings to families to her latest focus on the big business of school and sports portraits. After getting the scoop on her career trajectory, Celentano describes how she's modernizing and redefining this very lucrative market.

After a break, we chat with Monica Sigmon about the central role that formal family portraits can play in establishing a visual legacy and building self-worth among your clients, while she also elaborates on the complex economic factors involved in pricing your work.

Guests: Michele Celentano & Monica Sigmon

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://blogd7.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/business-family-portraits-michele-celentano-monica-sigmon

Top shot © Monica Sigmon, Sigmon Taylor Photography

Episode Timeline:

3:37: Celentano's early mentors, professional groups that helped coach her in business, and early advice she received.

9:55: Reinventing yourself, from weddings to portraits to school and sports photography.

14:25: Adapting a business to the volume market for school sports portraits.

16:52: Differentiating between school sports portraits and senior portrait styles and modernizing the approach to deliver a clean contemporary look.

19:28: Believing in the work you do to manifest a value-based experience for your clients.

24:58: Episode Break

26:14: The power of a family portrait to change the way that children and families see themselves, and the value of formal printed portraits that lock in time as part of family history.

34:14: The shrinking of the family portrait specialty as a full-time career.

36:00: Sigmon's Black Label portrait series as a premium style of formal portrait.

37:42: Explaining a family portrait shoot to kids to get them on board with the concept, while minimizing studio clutter and props to keep the focus on the portrait session.

44:25: The importance of taking control of the shoot and the experience. You are hired for being an expert in what you do.

Guest Bios:

Michele Celentano has enjoyed a professional photography career of more than 30-years, from her start photographing weddings in New York City, through a shift to newborn, children, and family portraiture to her recent focus on the school and sports portrait market. Widely known as the "Queen of Group Posing," Celentano has a passion for teaching and giving back to the photographic community. Her artwork has been published in numerous books and in a wide range of professional photography magazines.

Monica Sigmon is on a mission to revitalize family portraiture. After opening her Williamsburg, Virginia, photography studio, in 2000, she quickly built a successful business with a reputation for excellence and cutting-edge imagery. The recipient of two prestigious degrees from the Professional Photographers of America, she is a popular speaker, traveling nationwide to offer entertaining programs on marketing, building your brand and running a luxury studio with authenticity. Sigmon is also co-host of The f-Stops Here podcast.

Stay Connected:

Michele Celentano Website: https://www.michelecelentano.com/

Michele Celentano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelecelentanophotographer/

Michele Celentano Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MicheleCelentano.photographer/

Michele Celentano Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michcelentano/

Monica Sigmon Website: https://www.sigmontaylor.com/

Monica Sigmon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigmontaylor/

Monica Sigmon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SigmonTaylorPhotography

Monica Sigmon Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicaandmike

Monica Sigmon Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/monica_sigmon/

#Kittens & Picturing Pets, with Karen Hoglund & Nancy Borowick May 25, 2023

Show notes

Humans and pets have shared a deep bond for centuries, yet our animal companions are now considered more a part of the family than ever. So, it's no surprise that pet photography is a blossoming niche, and a perfect subject for this week's podcast—especially since it's National Pet Month!

Above photograph © Nancy Borowick

We start by chatting with pet photographer Karen Hoglund, who alerted us to her work in response to Allan's musing about using the hashtag "kittens" to generate traffic on social media. After noting that #kittens only yields a 20 percent bump over #photographer, Hoglund offers advice on the dos and don'ts of posing pets, and picking up on their non-verbal signs of anxiety or stress.

After a break, we switch gears from posed pet portraits to learn about Sony Artisan Nancy Borowick's candid editorial-style coverage of the Westminster Dog Show, and her long-term project, "Part of the Pack." Primarily known for telling intimate stories about people, Nancy explains how an invitation to photograph the dog show helped her process the loss of both her parents to cancer. She talks about the challenges of covering the show's frenetic atmosphere, describing how she maintains focus by seeking out telling details.

As we all agree, pets are truly a gift in our daily lives, and learning how to capture their unique personalities in pictures can only deepen this bond and enrich our experience.

Guests: Karen Hoglund & Nancy Borowick

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://blogd7.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/kittens-picturing-pets-karen-hoglund-nancy-borowick

Top shot © Nancy Borowick

Episode Timeline:

2:06: Does #Kittens or pictures of cute pets help to drive traffic on social media?

4:28: How to recognize signs of stress and anxiety in pets, and tips for posing pets during a photo session.

7:48: Giving treats to a pet so they'll behave during a photo shoot and behavior differences to keep in mind when photographing dogs or cats.

16:06: Tips for photographing groups of pets and people, plus advice for photographing darker-colored pets.

21:32: Hoglund's pet photography gear bag and her thoughts on using mirrorless cameras and lenses.

25:57: Episode Break

27:04: Nancy Borowick's love of the Westminster Dog show and the challenges of working in such a fast-paced, frenetic environment.

36:11: Difficult breeds to photograph, the benefits of real-time eye autofocus for animals in Sony lenses, and Borowick's favorite dog breed.

39:25: Borowick's love for close-up details as storytelling tools, and her favorite lens: a Sony G series 85mm f/1.4.

42:30: Evolution from photographing at the dog show to Borowick's long-term project "Part of the Pack," and the differences between dogs and owners at a top competition setting and in a home environment

54:30: Final thoughts from Borowick and Hoglund about owning pets today.

Guest Bios:

Karen Hoglund started out as a graphic designer, art-directing photo shoots for ad agencies and commercial clients. After honing her camera skills by photographing children and families, she shifted focus to her true love—dogs and cats. After starting a pet photography business in 2012, she hasn't looked back, working from her home base in Denver, Colorado with a squeaky toy in one hand, a camera in the other, and fur all over her clothes.

Nancy Borowick is an internationally renowned photographer, author, teacher, and speaker. A graduate of the International Center of Photography, she is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a Kickstarter Thought Leader. Working regularly with the New York Times since 2013, Borowick has told intimate stories of people, places, and pets from every corner of the globe. Her break-out project about her two parents in parallel treatment for stage-four cancer has received major accolades and awards such as The Arnold Newman Prize and the Humanitarian Award from the organization Women That Soar. This project was published in 2018 as the monograph The Family Imprint. Borowick currently resides on the island of St. John, USVI with her husband, two sons, and her dog, Einstein.

Stay Connected:

Karen Hoglund Website: https://karenhoglundphotography.com

Karen Hoglund Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhoglundphoto

Karen Hoglund Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHoglundPhotography

Karen Hoglund Twitter: https://twitter.com/khoglund_photo

Karen Hoglund Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/khoglund/

Karen Hoglund YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenhoglundphotography/

Karen Hoglund TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karenhoglundphoto

Nancy Borowick Website: https://www.nancyborowick.com

Nancy Borowick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancyborowick/

Nancy Borowick Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.borowick/

Nancy Borowick Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyborowick

Confronting Algorithms and AI: Tati Bruening & Anya Anti at Depth of Field 2023 May 11, 2023

Show notes

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

Photographic Craft & Connections: Sam Hurd & Dixie Dixon at Depth of Field 2023 Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

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

Notable Lens Releases of 2022 & 23, with Kevin Rickert Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

"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

The Business of Luxury Wedding Photography with James x Schulze Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

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 among the top wedding photographers in the world 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

A World History of Women Photographers with Luce Lebart and Pauline Vermare Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

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/

Building and Maintaining Your Web Presence with Alex Vita and Ben Von Wong Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

When was the last time you updated your website? Despite the popularity and traction of social media sites, having a stand-alone website to promote your work and build your brand is key to connecting with your given audience. In this week's podcast, we explore the dynamics of building and maintaining a professional caliber website with insights from both sides of the coin.

We start by chatting with website designer Alex Vita, who shares pet peeves as well as the best practices he's honed over more than 13 years of work with photo industry clients. All will benefit from Alex's insights on building a client-focused website as a way to build trust. After a break we get the artist's perspective from the illustrious photographer, environmental activist, and creative whirlwind Benjamin Von Wong, who also happens to be one of Alex's clients. Listen in as Ben and Alex discuss his web strategy and take a deep dive into the challenges of staying relevant and getting noticed in an oversaturated creative climate. We also dip into thoughts about how the evolution of AI is likely to change the future of the visual world, to make photographs the starting point for a conversation rather than its final purpose.

Guests: Alex Vita and Benjamin Von Wong

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, click here.

Episode Timeline

3:55: What role do stand-alone photography websites play in a world of viral social media sites?

12:16: Alex's pet peeves in photography websites. Two general categories: poor content and poor user experience.

20:55: Bounce rates, Google analytics reports, and how to determine the success of your website.

26:17: What are the most important considerations for good SEO and how have best practices for SEO changed over time?

31:59: Alex's recommendations for image size and compression for fast performance and readability on a wide range of devices—from mobile to retina screens.

35:55: Episode break

36:56: The varied roles that Ben Von Wong's websites and web presence play in communicating his environmental message.

41:40: How Ben's various microsites and social media presence helps with virality in marketing his work.

47:25: Ben's position as an environmentalist in a world full of advertising and boosted content—Ethics and principals come first.

52:30: How the evolution of AI and integration with Chat GPT is about to change the future of the visual world.

1:02:33: Ben's recommendations for what to look for when seeking to work with a web designer.

Guest Bios:

Alex Vita is a professional website designer, specialized in crafting sites for photographers and photo agencies. Working from his home base in Bucharest, Romania, Alex's super-power is thinking outside the box to grasp the big picture, helping photographers to structure their web presence by prioritizing maximum impact.

Ben Von Wong is a Canadian artist, photographer, social influencer, and activist, best known for his hyper-realistic style, bridging photography and fantasy. His storytelling targets environmental issues such as ocean plastics, fashion pollution, and electronic waste, fueled by an extensive viral component that has generated more than 100 million views to date.

Stay Connected:

Alex Vita's Website: https://www.foregroundweb.com/

Alex Vita's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foregroundweb

Alex Vita's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foregroundweb/

Alex Vita's Twitter: https://twitter.com/foregroundweb

Alex Vita's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@foregroundweb

Benjamin Von Wong's Website: https://www.vonwong.com

Benjamin Von Wong's Blog: https://blog.vonwong.com

Benjamin Von Wong's Case Studies: https://unforgettablelabs.com

Benjamin Von Wong's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevonwong

Benjamin Von Wong's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vonwong

Benjamin Von Wong's Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevonwong

Alex Vita's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Vonwong%20

Flora Photographica A Potpourri of Pictures with Danae Panchaud and Abe Morell Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

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

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