Documentary Photography

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Photographers have a magical ability to transport us to hidden worlds, giving us intimate access to facets of society that would otherwise go unnoticed. Above photograph © Marcela Taboada In today’s podcast, we sit down with Mexican photographer Marcela Taboada, whose long-term documentary projects offer revealing glimpses into under-recognized communities, for Picturing World Cultures. Combining a passion for making pictures that let her “see backstage,” with a knack for “knocking doors” and the tenacity to win over resistant subjects,
by Bjorn Petersen ·Posted
When it comes to choosing the best camera for wildlife, sports, and action photography, three key factors to focus on are speed, reliability, and autofocus performance. In the past, with SLRs, the flagship models usually translated to being the top models for action photography. The same is still true today, with mirrorless cameras, but speed is now more
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In today’s podcast, we’ll be talking with Norwegian photographer Naina Helén Jåma about her documentation of indigenous South Sami culture in Norway and her career as a press photographer in Scandinavia. Above photograph © Naina Helén Jåma Jåma details her childhood growing up in the small rural village of Snasa, where, at the age of 15, she began her career while working as a cultural interpreter and archivist at the Saemien Sijte Museum. From there, Naina takes us on a journey through her fascinating career as a photographer, from her
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In today’s podcast, we’ll be talking with Long Island-based pediatrician and self-taught photographer Dr. Greg Gulbransen, whose newly released book Say Less documents the three years Gulbransen spent embedded with Malik, the paralyzed leader of a Crips’ set in the Bronx. Above photograph © Dr. Greg Gulbransen Gulbransen details his journey from wildlife and fashion photography to documenting the lives of at-risk members of the Bikes Up Guns Down club to his most recent (and most daunting) project: photographing members of a violent street
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Most people’s perception of prison life revolves around sensationalized news stories and Hollywood movies depicting drab, inhospitable environments far outside our reach. In today’s show, we’re challenging that view in a chat with two educators who use photography as a framework for teaching visual literacy and the art of storytelling to incarcerated men.
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“The eye should learn to listen before it looks.” – Robert Frank Australian photographer Wayne Quilliam used to consider his camera as a tool, but today it’s become his “companion.” This is just one of the inspiring takeaways from our chat for the new monthly podcast series, “Picturing World Cultures.” Above photograph © Wayne Quilliam Listen in as Quilliam describes his journey—from growing up on the island state of Tasmania knowing little about his indigenous roots, to gaining a fascination with culture while traveling with the Royal
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1950s America proved fertile ground for photographers Robert Frank and Todd Webb, who both received Guggenheim Foundation grants to traverse the country in 1955 and record their respective visions. While Frank’s resulting book, The Americans, eventually made him a legend, Webb’s photographs remained unpublished, and were all but lost to history due to a 1970s-era business deal gone bad. The saga of Webb’s unaccounted-for archive and its eventual recovery is one of the juicier tidbits from today’s show, which focuses on the long-awaited
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Have you ever struggled with editing your images to present in a portfolio or as a story pitch? If so, our conversation in this podcast might be of some help. We recently had the great fortune to speak with one of the finest picture editors in the business, former National Geographic photographer, photo editor, and director of photography, Sarah Leen, who we interviewed as part of our coverage of B&H’s 50th Anniversary Bild Expo 2023. Leen has worked all sides of the table, starting
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As Deanne Fitzmaurice describes it, a photojournalist's job is part sociology and part archeology, but most important, it's being on the cutting edge of what's happening, telling stories about people. It's this combination of varied disciplines, connecting with subjects, and learning something new every day that has held her fascination from her very beginnings at the San Francisco Chronicle through to the rich tapestry she's woven as a visual storyteller today. We recently sat down with Fitzmaurice to gain insights into the many facets of her
by Leah Judson ·Posted
Introduction   Who knew chasing a dream would entail renovating a bus to be my home and mobile studio? From daily mechanical disasters to a Home Depot bucket toilet, living a life of luxury has been far from my reality as I tackle producing, directing, and creating my first documentary, Before We Could Drink.   Leah Judson and her renovated bus The past 90 days on the road have made me reflect
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This is an encore presentation of an episode first published in November 2018. When we finished recording this episode, Jay Maisel asked us which podcast episode was our favorite. It didn’t take Allan a second to answer, “This one!” While we now have recorded more than three hundred, there is no doubt that this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast is very
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It’s worth the time to see the work of photographer Mandy Barker before listening to this episode. Take a glance at the B&H Photography Podcast homepage or Barker’s website to get a sense of the simple but imaginative images she creates; it will certainly enrich the experience of hearing her speak about photographing plastic garbage, which is what she has found to be her calling. Of course, we’re being a bit facetious but, as we
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There are many talented people who work at B&H Photo, and the connections to photography and photo history run deep. We have welcomed many B&H staffers to the B&H Photography Podcast over the years, and today we are particularly excited to speak with two members of our team on the B&H Explora blog. We start our conversation with Howard Gotfryd, Senior Copy Editor at Explora, and learn about the incredible
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We try to maintain a global perspective at the B&H Photography Podcast and speak with photographers from around the world, but we are New Yorkers at heart and it’s hard to deny the love we have for our city and its history. With that in mind, we are pleased to welcome photographers Anders Goldfarb and Larry Racioppo to the show―two
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Conflict photography of the past twenty years is a subject we have discussed in previous episodes with photographers, psychologists, and scholars, but