The Photowalk

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#460 The English and alcohol! Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

My guest Peter Dench is a celebrated writer and photojournalist known for his wit and intimate storytelling. His expertise spans editorial, reportage, commercial, and portrait photography, with work published globally. An award-winning author and speaker, Peter records the quirks of modern life through humour and empathy.

Also today from the mailbag, Complaints Corner returns thanks to Extra Miler Colin Mayer in Australia, Bryan Patterson is planning a breakout, Daisei Ikatani shares a slice of English country garden from Yokohama, Eduardo Lara reflects on how photography connects with us deeply and to close, a tribute to two remarkable women: one in my family, the other a photojournalist who documented at great personal risk, the mafia, Letizia Battaglia. It's also the last call at the bar for November's one-word assignment set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#459 Bloodwork, NYC dive bars and shot down! Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Joe Madsen's visit to a doctor results in a street photography photo book project that could be described as lifesaving. Husband and wife team James and Karla Murray are bookmarking the great bars of NYC, and Valérie Jardin discovers the most extraordinary personal stories photographing centenarians.

Also, today in the mailbag, Cody Shultz on the phrase imposter syndrome, Anja Poehlmann introduces the concept of a long portrait, Bob of the Desert flourishes in Arizona, more mystery sofa sightings in nature by Marshall Rimann and Chris Pillings, Gert Jan Cole finds a creative life truism and Michael Brennan is finding comfort in his portrait of a truly great man, plus the assignment for November is set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#458 Imposter Syndrome: Let's solve this Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

This is a special episode where I try to unpick those inner battles that so many of us quietly fight. Imposter syndrome, confidence, perfectionism, self-doubt. These aren't just words; they're real feelings that can shape and even hold back our lives, creatively and emotionally.

Today on the show, I'm peeling back the layers with special guest Sean Tucker to uncover the reality behind these challenges, opening up honest conversation about how they impact us and what we can do to reclaim our confidence.

This isn't a show about quick fixes or easy answers. It's about exploring what really happens beneath the surface, where feelings of inadequacy, comparison anxiety, and fear of failure often lie.

Whether you're struggling with undervaluing your achievements or simply seeking ways to find peace with who you are, this conversation might help you see things refreshingly differently.

Also, today, your letters into the show about the subjects featured, plus the assignment for November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#457 Meeting SUPERMAN and why YES is your Superpower Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

For three decades, British photographer and filmmaker Chris Floyd has "Been privileged to photograph people who are the best in the World at what they do. Whether it's Stephen Hawking, Paul McCartney or David Hockney, these people have defined the era in which we live."

Today, I walk in Oxfordshire with this humble powerhouse of British photography whose work has appeared in some of the world's most highly respected publications, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine, among others.

We talk about how saying YES at important moments in his life has unlocked doors to people and experiences he might never have experienced if he'd followed an expected path into accountancy.

Also today, one of the most revealing answers to the question of WHY, with stories about photographing the Royal Family and 'our' Superman.

There's news about Scotland 2025, plus the assignment for November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#456: Pictures that share our deepest feelings Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

Today, Canon Canada Ambassador Jacquie Matechuk is my special guest as we chat about her extraordinary photographic transition from being at the top of motorsport photography to embracing a new wildlife adventure, a transition that has seen her win some of the most coveted photo awards, travel far and wide to destinations she might never have imagined, come face to face with giant bears, stared into the eyes of a silverback at close quarters, tracked polar bears and had conversations with an owl, all features of our conversation.

But also, and I think this is one of the most important parts of our discussion today, Jacquie has, I think, revealed a true why of photography, and if I could make a fender or bumper sticker large enough, is going to share some words with you during our conversation today, that will have you think perhaps differently about life behind a lens.

Also, news about Scotland 2025 plus a new assignment for the month of November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#455: "Miracles are happening all around us" Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

Alongside the letters I'm walking with today, my studio guest is Howard Barlow, a photojournalist who, for 50 years, has worked regularly for The Guardian, The Observer, The Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The Independent. He's picked up numerous photographic awards, including Newspaper Photographer Of The Year.

Also, today, a wondrous hatful of first-time writers, we talk about design that makes life easier, photography that makes life happier, and we learn how photography was an ever-present friend in the face of physical adversity. There are several whys of photography to answer, and atop that, Marissa Roth, a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist, answers a question of ethics. There's also the final chance to take part in this month's one-word assignment.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#454: Last meal requests: NO SECONDS! Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Today, I'm joined by Henry Hargreaves, a visual artist and food photographer known for his boundary-pushing photography projects that are often and sometimes literally deliciously simple, tackling complex social and commercial issues. One of his most thought-provoking works, No Seconds, explores the haunting last meals of death row inmates. With a unique blend of this simplicity and deep social commentary, this project invites us to reflect on mortality, choice, and humanity in unexpected and impactful ways.

Also from the mailbag, Adam Hanson finds renewed mental health through walking and photography, Mike Mixon is finding detail in his pictures he doesn't remember seeing when he took them, John Kenny has some thoughts about covert pictures of strangers for a street project, some news about The Photowalk on Substack and Mike Miller has found a song that 34 years before the first recognisable modern social media channel came into our consciousness was giving advice about how we could best deal with the demands of a life watched over by algorithms.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#453: There's more to a portrait than a face Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Today's guests and friends, Mali Davies, Wolfgang Strassl and Valérie Jardin each have stories about shooting on the street. Mali talks of embracing your neighbourhood in the dark for a forthcoming project called HOME, Wolfgang Strassl finds that there's more to a portrait than simply a picture of a face, and Valérie Jardin shares her thoughts about photographing people in a candid fashion.

Also, today from the mailbag, Myles Barfield has a story about legacy and how the simplest of pictures can be so effective plus I read from his book project that has become, I think, an autobiography accompanied by the most stunning photographs. Complaints corner is open for business, Chris Articulate is looking ahead to a more analogue way of sharing, Bill Marriott is going to help you feel and think VERY differently about what makes a truly expressive and emotive still picture, Harald Kahles has some ideas for specials and Maureen Bond is thinking about her why of creativity.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#452: The SECRETS of Vogue House Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

For decades, beyond the grand entry hall guarded by the infamous 'two Peters', Vogue House London was a creative hub where magazine layouts were crafted and the world's most famous photographers plied their trade.

Vogue House embodied the glamour of fashion's storied history in London. But that legacy came to an end when the building's lease was sold to a shipping billionaire in Monaco for a reported hefty £75 million.

Vogue House, in its Hanover Square form, is no more. Yet, such a landmark in editorial history can't disappear without so much a whimper. Today, I talk to someone who knows its secrets firsthand: Grant Scott, a former art director with Tatler, a title that shared the address.

He's penned a new book, "Inside Vogue House: One Building, Seven Magazines, Sixty Years of Stories," and he's here to share some stories from the book, plus a handful that didn't make it in. Steady yourself for a peek behind the scenes and the state of the magazine industry in 2024.

Also from the mailbag, inspiring letters on the emotional power of photography, show flasks on the beach, some surprise walkers encountered along the path, road trips across America and a new linguistic game!

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

#451: The BIG Scottish Retreat show Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Today is our annual Scottish retreat edition, featuring the voices and thoughts of those who joined me across two weeks in the glorious Highlands. The fifth Photowalk Retreat revelled in, I think, the spirit of our podcast community, and I thought you might enjoy hearing what we all got up to.

This year, we added some new experiences and micro-workshops into the weeks, such as a creative writing day led by a celebrated writer, Merryn Glover and a sound workshop to understand how potent images and sound can be as a storytelling tool together. We also went back into the darkroom and visited some of our favourite places including the beautiful Loch Maree.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

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