“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

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 as one of the world’s top 50 wedding photographers 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

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: women-photographers.html__;!!IPNdO0S_!ed2flxCsdKM38_zMYO-z3bE1Zl1bHWqpblsJQybf_VcicRXV8J-s3sUerUOrqpHFfIYIcN2gx7W-t12Vq58LJI8%24">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/

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

Top shot © 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

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

Top shot © 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 in-switzerland.ch/">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

"Selecting photos is a different skill than making them,” explains renowned picture editor Mike Davis in this week’s podcast. This essential understanding forms the core of Davis’s new book Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer.

Davis approaches this topic with a mix of clarity and candor, to offer deeply engaged yet highly accessible insights about making photos—and making sense of those photos—while also discussing the elusive art of selecting and sequencing pictures and other ways to create visual narratives.

Some of the key points covered in our chat include the visual vocabulary Davis assigns to photographs, his ideas about elevating pictures beyond simply informational content, how making multiple passes through a photo edit can help a photographer remove themselves from the experience of making the work, and his three different approaches to image sequencing.

Listeners will also gain a fresh understanding of ways in which both the art of creating visual narratives and the photo industry itself have evolved over time, to raise the bar on creative expression. In presenting this book, Davis’s goal echoes the response he has received from hundreds of photographers he’s helped to tell stories with their pictures, “I never would have thought of things that way, had we not had this engagement.”

Guests: Mike Davis

Photos © Mike Davis

Episode Timeline

3:26: Photography as a visual vocabulary, and distinctions between, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

6:25: What are informational photographs and how to make photos that rise above this basic level.

9:08: Davis’s definition of composition: the full realization of light, and color, and distance in conveying a 3-dimensional space.

18:33: How the photo industry and relationships between photographers and photo editors have changed over time.

30:42: Davis discusses his photos published in the book and shares thoughts about photographing with intention.

39:34: Episode break

44:18: Three approaches to image sequencing and how they work within the full spectrum ofrafting a narrative

46:17: Mike Davis’s most visually successful book project and a general timeframe for image sequencing.

48:06: Davis’s approach to working with photographers on sequencing a book.  

51:46: Davis describes his picture editing process using multiple passes through a set of photographs.

56:40: The primary audience and Davis’s ultimate goal in writing Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer.

Guest Bio:

Mike Davis is a visual consultant, editor, author, photographer, and professor emeritus.

He has worked independently with hundreds of photographers as well as in staff positions for organizations as diverse as National Geographic, The White House, and several of America’s visually powerful newspapers.

Mike was twice named newspaper picture editor of the year, and he received The Sprague Award from The National Press Photographers Association, its highest honor.

He has edited more than 40 books as an independent consultant, judged a wide range of photography competitions and grant programs, lectured widely, and served as a member of various workshop and review faculty.

Most recently, Mike spent eight years as an endowed faculty member at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, where he taught visual storytelling courses and directed The Alexia Grants.

Stay Connected:

Mike Davis website: https://www.michaelddavis.com/

Mike Davis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedavis_mnpls/

Creating Visual Narratives Book: https://www.routledge.com/Creating-Visual-Narratives-Through-Photography-A-Fresh-Approach-to-Making/Davis/p/book/9781032262857

Creating and sustaining a successful photo career is no easy feat. To help aspiring young imagemakers acquire the needed creative concepts and business skills, two New York-based organizations—ASMP NY and BKC—have teamed up to offer the innovative mentorship, education, and industry immersion program The Bridge. Open to individuals from 18- to 26-years-old, The Bridge embraces diversity and offers opportunity to underserved communities, regardless of formal photography experience. Best of all, this four-month, real world program is free to accepted students.

We first learned about The Bridge during a chat with program co-founder alexander.com/">Liam Alexander for the show ASMP-NY and the Future of Photo Trade Organizations in February 2022. Since the program’s second year recently wrapped with a gallery exhibition in Brooklyn, and plans are in the works to expand The Bridge to other ASMP chapters in 2023, we wanted to learn more about this valuable initiative in advance of the next application window this spring.

For this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Alexander, who sheds light on The Bridge program’s inner workings and educational goals during the first half of the show. After a break, we speak with 2022 Bridge graduate Eli Edwards, who describes what he learned through the program, and the resulting shift in the pictures he makes, as well as in his creative point of view. To discover how to futureproof your career and learn how to apply for this free program, make sure to listen in!

Guests: Liam Alexander and Eli Edwards

ASMP Bridge Program photo © Saad El Amin

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/celebrating-asmp-nys-mentorship-program-the-bridge

Episode Timeline

3:50: Application and selection process for The Bridge Mentorship, a program designed to fill the gap in existing educational models.

9:27: Introduction to The Bridge program partner BKC, and program co-founder Justin Lin.

17:13: The Bridge Program coursework: Developing Your Creative Point of View.

20:52: Bridge Mentorship Program Core Supporters: The ASMP Foundation, Sony, and Freelancers Union, and a widening network of additional supporters.

25:17: A five-year vision for the program: Producing the future of the photo industry every summer.

26:50: Episode break

27:24: 2022 Bridge Program participant Eli Edwards and his easy application through Instagram.

32:42: Effects of the program on Eli’s pictures and his new confidence in making project-based work.

36:40: Is YouTube University an effective tool for learning the ropes of photography?

40:56: How Eli’s shift from social media to photography changed his creative point of view, and some social media tips.

46:38: Ways to support The Bridge program and application window for the 2023 Bridge program mentorship.

Guest Bios:

Liam Alexander is a fine artist and creative director who seeks to catalyze social change through artistic expression. As the current president of ASMP New York, he co-founded the ASMP NY Bridge program in 2020 with Justin Lin of BKC. He has also been instrumental in building other community focused creative projects designed to educate and inspire, such as IThou at NYU’s Kimmel Galleries, The Exchange at Rush Arts, and #StrokeofGenius. Liam’s own work has been featured in gallery exhibitions and art fairs throughout the US, and at the second annual Toolkit Festival in Venice, Italy. His work has been published in magazines including Nylon and Rolling Stone, and he creates projects with major brands like Wix.com, Samsung, SAP, Renaissance Hotels, and the city of New York.

Eli Edwards is a photographer, videographer, writer, producer, and director. Born in Los Angeles, Eli currently resides in New York City, where he works as a freelance videographer and photographer for brands, events, and musical artists. He was a 2022 participant in the ASMP Bridge program, where he produced the photo series ‘A Community of Hoops’, which is about the dedicated group that frequents New York’s iconic West 4^th Street basketball court. Eli is a 2019 graduate of NYU’s Steinhart School, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in Media, Culture, and Communication. After college, he worked as a social media editor for Turner Sports in Atlanta as part of the Emmy-Award winning NBA on TNT team, doing content creation work with the NBA.

Stay Connected:

The Bridge Program: https://www.wearebkc.com/bridge

Donate to the Bridge: https://asmpfoundation.betterworld.org/campaigns/bridge-program

ASMP National website: https://www.asmp.org/

ASMP New York website: https://www.asmp.org/newyork/

ASMP New York Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmpny

ASMP New York Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmpny/

ASMP New York Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmpny

Bridge Program partner BKC website: https://www.wearebkc.com/

BKC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearebkc/

BKC Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearebkc

Eli Edwards Website: https://www.eliedwardscreative.com/

Eli Edwards Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwards_eli/

Eli Edwards Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZenGeeks

Eli Edwards TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nbathoughtseli

Liam Alexander Website: alexander.com/">https://www.liam-alexander.com/

Liam Alexander Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liam.alexander.rules

Liam Alexander Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeumrulez/

Liam Alexander Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiamAlexander0

In some locales, the period between Christmas and the New Year is known as the Wild Nights, where mischief reigns in the darkest days of the northern hemisphere. We’re digging into this theme for our last show of 2022, in a chat with photographer and producer of this very podcast, Jill Waterman, who has been documenting New Year’s Eve traditions and exploits around the globe for the past 38 years. We first spoke with Jill about this project in the two-part show Legacy and Commitment in January 2022. Since she’s now a full-fledged member of the podcast team, we thought we’d investigate some of her more memorable experiences a bit further.

Jill is still shooting this series primarily with film, so our conversation ranges from the whys and wherefores of making that choice, to how the growth of the Internet became an essential research tool in the lead up to the Millennium and beyond. We also shed light on the elusive Austrian Perchten and Bulgarian Kukeri, and discuss parading Philadelphia Mummers, Bahamian Junkanoo figures, and Cape Town, South Africa’s legendary Minstrel Parade. To learn about the most rewarding aspect of Jill’s project and find out where she’ll be ringing in New Year’s Eve 2023, pull up a seat, pop some bubbly and listen in!

Guest: Jill Waterman

Photos © Jill Waterman

Episode Timeline

2:35: The beginnings of the New Year’s Eve Project

4:28: Evolution of the project and approach over time

5:34: Shooting black and white film instead of monochrome digital captures

8:12: Opportunities of the Millennium

9:04: The growth of the Internet as a research tool and discovering locations for New Year’s Eve rituals

10:00: Documenting “Perchtenlaufs” in Austria during the Wild Nights

10:59: Common themes in different cultures: Mummer’s Parade in Philadelphia; Junkanoo in Nassau, Bahamas; and the Minstrel Parade in Cape Town, South Africa

14:48: The spread of oral New Year’s traditions and rituals: Burning Effigies and New Year’s Widows in Quito, Ecuador

16:32: Bulgarian Kukeri and New Year’s parade to scare away evil spirits in Razlog

17:28: Advance planning before arrival and proceeding with boots on the ground

18:46: The value of spontaneity and capturing action in the moment

19:58: Working through anxiety, emotional spikes, and physical challenges

21:09: Assessing coverage and reviewing images after the fact

22:12: Underwhelming celebrations, and New Year’s Eve during COVID lockdown

25:50: Episode break

26:35: Jill’s analog camera kit: Nikon F3 HP, a 35-70 mm f/2.8 zoom and 24 mm f/2.8 prime lenses

27:45: Black and white films used—Ilford HP5, Delta 400, FP4, Delta 100—and diluted development to minimize contrast

29:23: The most rewarding aspect of the New Year’s Eve Project

30:41: Working through language differences and being open to communication

32:15: Experiencing the Pied Piper syndrome

32:45: Big crowds and safety issues on New Year’s Eve

35:36: This year’s destination, recent New York Foundation for the Arts award, and project links

Guest Bio: Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jill Waterman has been based in New York since 1985. Her personal work is centered in long-term photo projects, such as the ongoing New Year’s Eve Project and other aspects of her focus on night photography. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally and widely featured in press and media. Highlights include a 1997 arts documentary for Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin, Germany; a 2003 Today Show interview with Katie Couric; and a 2015 documentary for the web TV show Culture Connect. Waterman’s first book, the technical volume Night and Low Light Photography, was released by Amphoto books in August 2008. Her professional background includes a past career in image licensing, editorial positions in custom publishing, and her current role as creative producer for the B&H Photography Podcast.

Stay Connected:

New Year’s Eve Project Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLqZ_PIEugA

New Year’s Project Silvester Stories NFT: https://opensea.io/collection/silvester-stories

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightpix/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jill.waterman

For anyone seeking a new camera to gift or to hold this holiday season, we present the eighth annual installment of our Cameras of the Year episode! Featured in our discussion are 16 new cameras from Canon, FUJIFILM, Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, OM SYSTEM, Panasonic, and Sony—presented in alphabetical order.

In addition to a detailed review of each camera on our list, we also discuss trends such as the shift from separate cameras for photo and video to a single camera geared to content creation, recent advances in high resolution EVFs, the benefits to cameras with internal memory, an increasing prevalence of AI technologies, the continued relevance of Micro 4/3rds and APS-C models when full frame cameras are shrinking in size and weight, and much more. Along the way, we even come up with some new terminology—Exit Level Cameras! Tune in for yourself and find out what it means.

Guest: Kevin Rickert

Episode Timeline

3:30: Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera

4:29: From separate cameras for photo and video to one camera for content creation

5:30: Canon EOS R7 Mirrorless Camera

6:42: A question about image stabilization

7:58: The increasing use of dual card slots

8:50: Newer Canon cameras have a different hotshoe

11:18: Canon EOS R10 Mirrorless Camera

12:25: The legacy of the Canon Rebel series name

14:25: Canon R5 C Mirrorless Cinema Camera

15:43: What constitutes a Netflix-approved cinema camera

17:08: FUJIFILM X-H2S Mirrorless Camera

18:12: FUJIFILM X-H2 Mirrorless Camera

18:20: FUJIFILM X-T5 Mirrorless Camera

19:43: Recent advances in high resolution EVFs

20:55: New FUJIFILM lenses mean faster full-time autofocus

22:15: Hasselblad X2D 100C Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

2400: The benefits to cameras with internal memory

24:38: Medium format 16-bit color gives you more crayons to play with in the box

26:02: Episode break

27:13: Leica M 11 Rangefinder Camera

30:24: US-B Type C connection allows downloading pictures to a phone

30:59: What is pixel binning and why is it useful?

32:12: Nikon Z 30 Mirrorless Camera

35:44: OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mirrorless Camera

37:08: The continued relevance of Micro 4/3rds and APS-C sensors when full frame cameras are shrinking in size and weight

39:54: OM SYSTEM OM-5 Mirrorless Camera

41:29: Panasonic Lumix GH6 Mirrorless Camera

43:15: The value of dual image stabilization

44:14: Sony ZV-1F Vlogging Camera

46:51: Sony FX30 Digital Cinema Camera

48:42: What is a BSI sensor?

49:08: Sony a7R V Mirrorless Camera

49:52: The higher the resolution, the better your lenses need to be

50:52: The increasing prevalence of AI technologies in the photo world

54:40: Sony a7R V updated screen design and menu tweaks

Guest Bio:

Kevin Rickert is B&H Photo’s Senior Sales Trainer for Cameras and Lighting. It’s Kevin’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 & raised in New York and self-described as a ball-park journeyman, Kevin has traveled to—and photographed—all* Major League Baseball Stadiums in the United States since 2008. He also recently travelled to South Korea for food, drink, and photography in October.

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

In an era brimming with instant gratification, some things are worth the wait. This is an apt takeaway from our chat with photographer Charles Daniels about his long-outdated film from the legendary Boston Tea Party and other 60s-era music venues, rarely processed until recently. Joining Daniels in conversation is his long-time partner Susan Berstler, and Gerald Freyer from Film Rescue International, the unique image processing and digitization specialists entrusted with his mother lode of 4,000 plus rolls.

Listen in as Daniels tells of his rise from club denizen to emcee to cultural ambassador, introducing 60s-era British invasion rockers to America, with a Leica, two Nikons and a mic in hand. Berstler describes how the unprocessed rolls stockpiled in their home became a COVID project, which then went viral after the launch of a Go-Fund-Me campaign.

After a break, Freyer explains how Film Rescue International’s unique processing and scanning technologies can breathe new life into lost and found film, saving untold stories from oblivion. Freyer also recounts his epic drive from Saskatchewan to Somerville (and back!) to safely collect the film for processing, without risking x-rays or other shipping hazards.

As Daniels notes during the show, “For years, I never really developed any film, but I was shooting all the time. It was just there, and then at some point I realized that I needed to bring some of this older stuff to light.”

With a nod to Daniels’s 80^th birthday on November 30^th, the pictures may have been a long time coming—but what a fabulous gift to photographers and music aficionados alike!

Guests: Charles Daniels, Susan Berstler, Gerald Freyer

Photographs © Charles Daniels

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/master-blaster-charles-daniels-reveals-his-unseen-60s-era-photo-archive

Guest Bios:

Charles Daniels was born in segregated Alabama, where his parents ran a late-night speakeasy after farming cotton all day; maybe that’s how outlaw music got into his blood. After moving to Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood with his family in the 1950s and teaching himself photography with a camera he found in his parent’s closet, Charles began capturing whatever caught his eye on city streets and in the era’s legendary music venues. Soon he was serving as emcee for the bands, which provided unique access and strong friendships. This led to Lear Jets and tours with the likes of Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, and the Rolling Stones. Since his start in rock-and-roll, Charles has expanded his photography to embrace a wide range of subjects from music and fashion to dance, performance, and everything in between.

Susan Berstler has a long history as a visual artist, curator, and arts producer, deeply immersed in the vibrant arts scene of Somerville, Massachusetts. One of her primary interests is transformative events and media, especially within public art. Her passion for this medium is further enhanced by her work as an Emerging Technology Specialist for Creative Technologies at Harvard University’s Cabot Science Library. After a small grant from the Somerville Arts Council allowed her to begin developing Charles’s treasure trove of film, the Go-Fund-Me campaign set up by a friend quickly went viral, raising more than $70,000 to date. Susan was referred to the company Film Rescue International, which became an ideal solution for film processing and creating high-resolution archival files from the negatives. At present, she is also in discussions with publishers and university archives to identify a final home for this unique image collection.

Gerald Freyer is a technically trained photographer who also studied folklore, monument preservation and cultural history at the University of Bamberg in Germany. After working as a research assistant in museums, he became a consultant for digital imaging pioneer Phase One. Since 2007, Gerald has trained museum and archive staff in the use of high-end digitization systems, completing both archival and 360-degree photography projects for international museums and cultural institutions. In 2021, he joined Film Rescue International to work on digitization projects for its clients.

Stay Connected:

Charles Daniels Go-Fund-Me Website: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2500-rolls-Charles-Daniels

Charles Daniels Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088252000625

Film Rescue International Website: https://www.filmrescue.com

Film Rescue International Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/filmrescueinternational/

Episode Timeline

4:15: Charles Daniels’s start as a music emcee and his most productive years for photography: 1967 – 1969

6:36: A friendship with J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf and coming up with his Woofa Goofa nickname

8:20: Hanging out with the bands during the day provided easy access and authentic pictures

10:07: Daniels’s most enjoyable Rock & Roll subject and co-photographer mate: Alvin Lee from 10 Years After

13:26: How far to push black and white film for best results with concert pictures in low light  

14:32: Using a handheld light meter, and shooting with Nikons and Leicas for best results

15:10: Daniels’s go-to lens: a 21 mm wide-angle for a different look

15:41: The challenge of pushing black and white film and not labeling it with the ISO

18:34: Daniels’s shooting strategy as emcee: a microphone in one hand and a camera in the other

20:53: Finding Charles’s undeveloped film became a COVID project  

21:55: Unprocessed color film includes several rolls of Kodachrome, which was developed as black and white

22:16: Juggling an active Go Fund Me campaign with Charles’s recent health issues

24:30: Connecting with the lab Film Rescue International after developing initial rolls locally

25:35: Episode break

26:43: The back story to Canadian lab Film Rescue International in processing lost and found film

27:45: Effects to undeveloped film over time is based on cold storage and other environmental factors

28:46: A two-step process for developing old color film, including Kodachrome

30:35: The first step in Film Rescue’s development process with lost and found film

33:34: Proprietary chemistry for film development, plus years of experience

34:22: Processing and scanning movie film, 16mm, and Kodachrome Super-8 with high end laser graphic film scanner

35:10: Do certain types of film hold up better over time than others?

36:05: The importance of scanning old transparencies to maintain color integrity and save the image

37:46: Digital scanning of slides and negatives can offer more detail and better quality than the original photo

39:50: Film Rescue International’s workflow and time distribution between film development and scanning

41:14: Gerald Freyer’s epic 7-day trip from Saskatchewan and Somerville to pick up Charles’s film

43:08: Safety issues when shipping film and the risk of x-rays

45:59: Gerald’s favorite picture from Charles’s film: Joe Cocker

46:36: An update on Charles’s project and the potential for a book and documentary

48:04: Susan’s favorite roll of Charles’s film: Jeff Beck Group on the tarmac

49:09: The thousands of stories Film Rescue discovers in its work, and how to reach them

50:54: Contact details for Charles Daniels and the project’s Go-Fund-Me page