B&H Photography Podcast

• Picturing the World from Immersive to Eternal, with Claudio Edinger

  Above Photograph © Claudio Edinger When it comes to photography, Claudio Edinger has a Midas touch. Equally celebrated for his immersive photo series, the intimacy of his portraits, and his aerial views that conjure a sense of the eternal through selective focus, his compulsion for research drives adjustments to his photographic strategy from one project to the next. In today’s show, we unpack the many facets of Claudio’s storied career, from his arrival in New York and early documentation of Brooklyn’s Hasidic community in the late 1970s to the environmental portraits he made inside Manhattan’s infamous Chelsea Hotel, and beyond.  Learn the backstory to his fortuitous connection with master portraitist Philippe Halsman, and the influence this had on his photographic vocabulary. We also discuss Claudio’s aerial imagery made from helicopters and drones, and debate the slippery slope between noteworthy content, image quality, and resolution. As a longtime disciple of meditation, Claudio’s approach to photography is equally influenced by the underlying flow of energy essential to life on this planet, which led him to state, “I'm open to whatever the universe brings my way. But the universe has to conspire in your favor. My whole life has been like that. I've been guided. My intuition brings me to places, and the place drags me into it.” Guest: Claudio Edinger Episode Timeline: 3:03: Claudio’s beginnings in photography while studying economics in Sao Paulo, and his first exhibit at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art. 4:55: A move to New York in 1976 and a two-year project on Brooklyn’s Hasidic community. 8:42: Connecting with master portrait photographer Philippe Halsman, and how this expanded Claudio’s vocabulary as a photographer. 15:35: A move to the Chelsea Hotel and a new photographic strategy to make environmental portraits of the building and its residents. 19:52: The influence of August Sander’s work, and Claudio’s pursuit of intimacy to create images with universal meaning. 25:22: The organic path of Claudio’s photographic approach, and how he developed his selective focus technique.  28:15: Episode Break 29:06: The predictable visual effect of a Hasselblad’s square frame, combined with a tripod and flash for portraits of patients in a Brazilian insane asylum. 33:06: Using the same techniques to capture the insanity inside an institution, as well as to photograph the institutionalized insanity of Brazilian Carnival.  37:51: Claudio’s assignment work, plus his time as a New York paparazzo and the lessons this taught him.  39:28: Claudio’s experience as a war photographer in El Salvador, and the urgency of living connected to war.  43:42: Shifting to a 4x5 Toyo camera to further explore the tilt-shift look of selective focus.   48:57: The shortcomings of large format that forced Claudio to shift to digital and then discover aerial photography.   54:17: Comparing aerial photos from a helicopter with those made from a drone, plus Claudio’s thoughts on viewing the world from the point of view of eternity. Guest Bio: Claudio Edinger is one of Brazil’s preeminent photographers. After studying economics at Mackenzie University in São Paulo in the early 70s, he turned his attention to photography, and he hasn’t stopped since.  Edinger moved to New York City in 1976, and during the 20 years he spent in the US, he completed immersive photo essays about the Hasidic community of Brooklyn, the denizens of Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel, and habitués of LA’s Venice Beach. He also freelanced for Brazilian and North American publications such as Veja, Time, Life, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times Magazine, among many others.  The author of more than twenty books, Edinger’s photographs have been collected worldwide and exhibited by institutions such as New York’s International Center of Photography, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Maison Europeénne de la Photographie in Paris, and the São Paulo Museum of Art, to name but a few. Edinger has received many honors for his work, including the Ernst Haas Award, the Hasselblad Award, the Higashikawa Award, and the Leica Medal of Excellence, which he received twice.  Always seeking new approaches to his work, Edinger has explored a wide range of camera formats and photographic techniques over the course of his career. In 2000, he began working with a large format camera, using selective focus to approximate human vision, and in 2015, he started an exploration of aerial photography—a theme that continues to this day. Stay Connected: Claudio Edinger Website: https://www.claudioedinger.com/ Claudio Edinger Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudioedinger/ Claudio Edinger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claudio.edinger/ Claudio Edinger Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Edinger Claudio Edinger Chelsea Hotel book: https://www.abbeville.com/collections/just-released/products/the-chelsea-hotel End Credits: Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

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  1:09:14
• Demystifying Contemporary Africa with Lou Jones and the panAFRICAproject

  Above Photograph © Lou Jones Africa is the cradle of our civilization. Yet, most Westerners see this massive continent from a distance, and often through a scrim of largely negative headlines.  For more than a decade, Boston-based photographer Lou Jones has sought to challenge this misperception. In 2013, he launched an in-depth photographic documentation of individual countries across Africa under the title the panAFRICAproject.  Jones joins us on today’s podcast to recap his efforts to date, which currently encompasses a third of Africa’s 54 nations.  Listen in to learn how the project came to be—growing from a solo endeavor to travels with two assistants and enough photo and lighting gear to illuminate an airplane factory. We also discuss the delicate mix of diplomacy and six degrees of separation Jones employs when negotiating access to photograph—plus much, much more. “We're talking about contemporary Africa,” Jones points out. “Talking to people local—not academics in America—to tell us what's important to their culture, what's important to their country, what's important to their community, what's important to their company. Directly from people living there.” Guest: Lou Jones Episode Timeline: 2:58: Lou’s earliest trips to Africa predating the panAFRICAproject, then traveling to Ghana to start the project. 7:26: The logistics of travel as a solo photographer and the six degrees of separation that informs his photographic process.  11:33: The substantial diplomacy required in meetings to negotiate access, while avoiding cliches and stereotypes. 19:29: The value of Lou’s images as currency in gaining access to photograph business environments. 26:18: The evolution of Lou’s photo crew, planning and packing for multiple purposes, plus the art of trading down with project costs. 32:10: The contents of Lou’s gear bags, and how he packs everything from cameras to Speedlights to lighting accessories. 39:53: Photography as a bridge to cultural sensitivity and the relationship between a photographer and his or her subjects. 43:08: EPISODE BREAK 44:00: The evolving process of planning each trip to Africa and the constant work when boots are on the ground. 48:12: The complex algorithm Lou and his team use in planning which African country to document next. 53:56: Technological advances and cultural trends coming full circle in Africa, plus cell phone use and fin tech. 59:45: Two cultures side-by-side. Documenting the parallel worlds of contemporary society and indigenous traditions in daily life. 1:05:56: Use of photographs from the panAFRICAproject and maintaining connections with photographic subjects.  1:08:12: Kickstarter and crowdfunding campaigns to support panAFRICAproject travel and books. 1:16:03: Next steps in the panAFRICAproject and the project’s impact on a local, grass roots level. Guest Bio: The eclectic career of Lou Jones has spanned every camera format, film type, artistic movement, and technological change, while simultaneously evolving from the commercial to the personal. Recognized by Nikon as a “Legend Behind the Lens” and honored as a Lowepro “Champion,” Jones has maintained a photography studio in Boston for more than 40 years, all while traveling to over 65 foreign countries on assignment. Jones works primarily with advertising agencies and design studios for corporate clients such as Nike, Mobil, and Federal Express, as well as influential publications like Time, Fortune, and National Geographic, among many others. The author of more than a dozen books, Jones is also an esteemed educator and has served as a board member for organizations such as ASMP National, the Photographic Resource Center and the Griffin Museum of Photography.  In tandem with his busy assignment career, Jones pursues long term projects on subjects as diverse as death row inmates, the Summer and Winter Games, and his most recent endeavor, The panAFRICAproject, a contemporary visual portrait of the entire continent, to establish an archive representing its 54 individual countries devoid of the preconceived, western notions of distress. Stay Connected: panAFRICAproject Website: https://panafricaproject.org/ Lou Jones Photography Website: https://www.fotojones.com/ Lou Jones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loujonesstudio/ Lou Jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fotojones/ Lou Jones Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jones_(photographer) Lou Jones 2018 presentation at the B&H Event Space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plVb_EFMcQM Lou Jones on the B&H Explora blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/lou-jones-takes-a-long-term-approach-from-jazz-portraits-to-the Lou Jones’s book Speedlights & Speedlites: Creative Flash Photography at Lightspeed: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1025994-REG/focal_press_978_0_240_82144_3_book_speedlights_speedlites.html End Credits: Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

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  1:20:04
• The Art of Competitive Cycling Photography, with Phil Penman & Kristof Ramon

  Top shot © Kristof Ramon   The dynamic arena of competitive cycling photography is not for the faint of heart. This grueling specialty requires a mix of split-second reaction times, intuitive technical mastery, and the ability to anticipate—and even more important—embrace risk. It takes a special breed of photographer to continuously capture every ounce of emotion packed into this sport, from bruising injuries and bitter disappointments to the exaltation of a win.    For today’s show, we’ve brought together two passionate cycling aficionados, former competitive cyclist and renowned street photographer Phil Penman and Kristof Ramon, a cycling photography specialist who recently released his first book on the subject. While they’re introduced as strangers, get ready to be wowed by the synchronicity of their shared experiences, and the remarkable chemistry that grows between them over the course of the show.   Most people’s awareness of competitive cycling revolves around coverage of the Tour de France or other major races shown on TV. Our conversation delves much deeper than this, to reveal what happens behind the scenes, and show both the intensity of purpose and the many stages of suffering that’s a hallmark of this sport. Kristof’s book is titled The Art of Suffering for a reason. As he aptly sums up in the book’s opening quote: “Where the conditions get grimmer and the riders start to suffer, that’s when the more interesting stories begin.”   Guests: Phil Penman & Kristof Ramon   Episode Timeline:   3:56: Phil Penman’s connection to the competitive cycling world and how his insight as a cyclist informs his photography of the sport.    7:45: The logistics of photographing competitive cycling and the perils of damaging photo equipment.   10:36: The creative aspect to photographing competitive cycling and how to think outside the box to get impactful shots.   15:16: The many stages of suffering involved in competitive cycling, and the pride riders take in having this documented visually.   20:35: Photographer access, the difference between training rides and race days, and the distinctions between agency access and working independently.   26:26: Changes to Kristof’s photographic approach and the influence of social media in the sport’s evolution.   31:31: Technical aspects of cycling photography, understanding light, capturing speed, and putting in the time so to react intuitively to picture opportunities.   43:44: Episode Break   44:53: Communication strategies, building rapport with riders and teams, and people skills given the sport’s international reach.   47:51: Cycling’s rich history as a professional sport, and recent changes initiated by British Team Sky that helped the sport evolve.   54:45: The back story to Kristof’s Art of Suffering book project and how his collaboration with cycling writer Matt Rendell helped identify suffering as a narrative element.   58:40: Working with clients, balancing that work with personal projects, and developing a distinctive voice as a photographer.    1:06:15: How to start out as a competitive cycling photographer, questions about credentials, and adapting to new networks to distribute your work.   1:13:23: Balancing technical aspects of action photography with the desired emotional response while building in certainties and calculating risk.     Guest Bios: British-born, New York-based photographer Phil Penman has documented the ever-changing scene of New York City’s streets for more than 25 years. and he has quite a bit of experience in the world of professional cycling himself.   In his career as a news and magazine photographer, Phil has photographed major public figures and historical events. His reportage following the 9/11 terrorist attack was featured in major print publications and media broadcasts worldwide, and his work covering New York City’s pandemic lockdown is in the collection of the U.S. Library of Congress.    In addition to exhibiting at Leica galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and London, Phil’s signature street photography has appeared in international exhibitions as far afield as Venice, Berlin, and Sydney. He also tours the world teaching photo workshops for Leica Akademie. Phil’s books, "Street" published in 2019, and "New York Street Diaries" published in 2023 both became best-sellers and have been featured at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.   Kristof Ramon is a pro-cycling photographer who covers some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’ Italia, the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Born and raised in Belgium, Kristof discovered photography while attending film school at age 19. He eventually followed his passion for cycling and photography and has focused exclusively on this sport since 2011.    Working under the name Kramon, his talent for storytelling and his ability to capture the atmosphere and raw emotion of racing makes his images stand out from typical race photography. Kristof’s reputation has earned him the respect and trust of many of the biggest racing teams and riders - which is why he’s able to capture such extraordinary in-between moments and behind-the-scenes images. The riders are always his primary focus, as evidenced in his close-up portraits of racers caked in sweat, mud, dust, snow, and grime. Kristof’s first book, The Art of Suffering, was released in June 2024 by Laurence King Publishing.   Stay Connected: Phil Penman Website: https://www.philpenman.com Phil Penman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philpenman/ Phil Penman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philpenmanphotography/  Phil Penman Twitter: https://x.com/Penmanphoto  Phil Penman Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Penman   Kristof Ramon Website: https://kramon.be/ Kristof Ramon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kramon_velophoto Kristof Ramon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kramon/ Kristof Ramon Twitter: https://x.com/kristoframon  Kristof Ramon Photoshelter: https://kramon.photoshelter.com/ Kristof Ramon Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kristoframon/  Kristof Ramon at Lawrence King Publishing: https://us.laurenceking.com/products/the-art-of-suffering    

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  1:26:16
• Passing the Podcast Keys with Derek Fahsbender and Allan Weitz

  Allan Weitz had little idea of the grand photographic adventures in store when he signed on as host of the B&H Photography Podcast shortly before the show’s debut in October 2015. As a self-described big mouth, and with more than 40 years as a working pro fueling his curiosity about all things photographic, Allan quickly honed his chops to become the voice of the show. Today’s episode marks a crossroads, as Allan passes his hosting mic to the show’s incoming host, Derek Fahsbender, producer and host of the B&H Event Space. During a lively chat, we celebrate Allan’s long and successful career, both on assignment and at the helm of the podcast, with some never before told stories and audio clips from memorable interactions with guests. A few of the many topics we cover include, how a kid from Sheepshead Bay made a name for himself photographing classic yachts, the ways in which Allan’s time behind a New Jersey deli counter enhanced his ability to engage with people on a human level—among other benefits to career reinvention—and how his shift into podcasting taught him to use his voice as an instrument. As Allan aptly summarized for attendees of the podcast team’s 2018 presentation of Podcasting 101: “It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.” Guest: Allan Weitz Episode Timeline  3:38: Allan’s B&H Event Space segment from Podcasting 101. 8:35: The back story to Allan’s one-word podcast intro “Greetings!” 10:44: Allan’s chat with digital camera inventor Steve Sasson about their shared Brooklyn roots.  13:56: Allan’s hosting skills as a court jester—or Tummler in Yiddish. 16:12: Gear talk, and a clip from Allan’s chat with Bellamy Hunt of The Japan Camera Hunter. 21:19: Allan waxes poetic about his love for the Hasselblad Superwide, plus his early adoption of digital gear.  28:24: Branching out from commercial assignments to tech writing and other things. 38:18: Episode break 39:27: Memorable stories and life lessons from Allan’s assignment career. 44:22: Allan’s entrée to the world of yachting photography and portfolio tips. 50:44: Allan’s career evolution in the rarified 1980s photography landscape. 57:31: The art of the interview and the value of collaboration among the podcast team.  59:53: Getting beyond difficult pictures during an interview with Bruce Gilden  1:03:50: Upcoming plans and Allan’s Kodachrome book project. 1:10:31: Allan offers listeners his Tusen Takks for their trust in his time behind the mic.  Guest Bio: Allan Weitz started taking pictures when digital meant doing something with your fingers. A graduate of New York City’s High School of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts, Allan is the founding host of the B&H Photography Podcast, one of the highest-rated photography podcasts in Apple's Creative Arts category.  For more than 50 years, Allan’s photographs have graced the covers and inside pages of dozens of publications, including New York magazine, Esquire, GQ, Yachting, and Nautical Quarterly. Many of these images have won him awards from the New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey Art Directors Clubs, the Graphic Artists Guild, Art Direction Magazine, Print, and Graphis, among others.  More recently, Allan has had great success exhibiting—and winning awards for—his photos as fine art prints, as well as dabbling with artificial intelligence using the traditional photos from his vast image library as source material.  Stay Connected: Allan Weitz Website: https://www.allanweitz.com/ Allan Weitz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allanweitz/ Allan Weitz articles on the B&H Explora Blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/users/allan-weitz Podcasting 101 with the B&H Photography Podcast Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2KDaNSjGI Steve Sasson Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/invention-of-digital-camera Japan Camera Hunter Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/podcast-the-japan-camera-hunter Graham Nash Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/graham-nash-ace-photographer-digital-printing-pioneer-music-legend-the-bh Bruce Gilden Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/closer-look-bruce-gilden End Credits: Founding Host: Allan Weitz Incoming Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

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  1:14:35
• Black Cowboys & Rodeo Culture, with Ron Tarver & Ivan McClellan

  Top shot © Ron Tarver Cowboy lore has deep roots in American culture. Yet, black cowboys have lived pretty much under the radar until recently, when songs by pop culture icons Lil Nas X and Beyoncé went viral and catapulted the black western aesthetic into the limelight. In today’s show, we’re getting the inside scoop from two photographers who’ve been fully immersed in these vibrant communities since long before they became a top fashion trend. Separated by a generation in age and with pictures spanning from film to digital, we follow Ron Tarver and Ivan McClellan from their early years in Oklahoma and Kansas, to the urban stables of Northern Philadelphia, the legendary Roy LeBlanc Rodeo in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and beyond. Listen in and discover how the popularity of a single newspaper assignment led Ron to the pages of National Geographic and a career defining body of work. In a similar manner, Ivan’s hunch to act on a chance invitation morphed into a passion project that reconnected him to his midwestern roots and ultimately expanded his role from photographer to that of an entrepreneur and rodeo boss.  Ever wonder about the funding and stamina required to compete as a rodeo athlete? We take that bull by the horns at the end of the show. Guests: Ron Tarver & Ivan McClellan Episode Timeline: 4:09: Ron Tarver and Ivan McClellan’s early memories of cowboy culture during their respective youths in Kansas City and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. 9:19: Ron’s early story for the Philadelphia Inquirer and his subsequent documentation of black cowboy culture. 15:06: The camera gear and film stock Ron used for his pictures, plus digitizing analog slides using a digital camera, macro lens and bellows system. 20:15: Technical limitations Ron faced when shooting film, and his editing process when working with National Geographic. 23:19: Ivan’s start as a designer, his introduction to photography and the world of black cowboys, and his shooting process at the rodeo. 33:40: The dominance of women within black rodeos, a female horse whisperer, and tips for photographing horses in a rodeo context. 44:34: Episode Break 45:35: The journey behind our guest’s respective books, and Ron’s collaboration with a noted editor to create The Long Ride Home. 51:19: The back story to Ivan’s book—from a self-published Kickstarter release to the editor he worked with to get Eight Seconds published by Damiani. 57:10: Ivan and Ron discuss each other’s finished book projects, questions about model releases, plus the current hunger for black cowboy culture.  1:05:23: Ivan’s work to promote black rodeo athletes and the economics of competing in this arena. 1:10:39: How Ivan’s life has changed since founding the Eight Seconds rodeo in Portland, Oregon. 1:16:04: The impact of Ivan’s work on the lives of rodeo athletes, and the maximum number of bulls a rodeo athlete can ride in a single day.  Guest Bios: Ron Tarver was born and raised in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, and is now based outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During 32 years as a staffer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, he was nominated for three Pulitzer’s and shared the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for public service, in addition to many other accolades. Tarver’s photographs have been exhibited internationally. His pictures can be found in private, corporate, and museum collections, and have appeared in major publications both in print and online.  In 2004, he co-authored the book We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, published by Harper Collins, accompanied by a traveling exhibition. A recipient of a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship and a 2001 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Tarver has also received funding from the NEA, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and an Independence Foundation Fellowship.  He currently serves as Associate Professor of Art at Swarthmore College. His book, The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America was released by George F Thompson Publishers in September. Ivan McClellan is a photojournalist and designer originally from Kansas City, Missouri. These days he calls Portland, Oregon home.  His work reveals marginalized aspects of black culture, challenging broad assumptions and myths about racial identity in America.  His project Eight Seconds, focuses on elevating narratives about American Black cowboys, and transforming the culture of the American West by ‘re-centering’ black women and men back as an integral part of our historical narrative.  After initially self-publishing his photos in book form, Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture was released by Damiani books in April 2024. The winner of the 2022 Getty Inclusion grant, McClellan’s photos have been presented in and collected by Museums and cultural spaces across the United States. His work has also been featured in ESPN: The Undefeated and Fast Company.  As an experience designer for Adobe Lightroom, he has led projects for Nike, Adidas, Disney, and the U.S. National Soccer Team. And most recently, he founded the Eight Seconds Rodeo in 2023. Stay Connected: Ron Tarver Website: https://www.rontarverphotographs.net/ Ron Tarver Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rontarver/ Ron Tarver Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Tarver Ron Tarver The Long Ride Home book:  http://www.gftbooks.com/books_Tarver.html Ivan McClellan Website: https://eightsecs.com/ Ivan McClellan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightsecs/ Ivan McClellan / 8 Seconds Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/eightsecs Ivan McClellan at Damiani Books: https://www.damianibooks.com/en/collections/mcclellan-ivan End Credits: Host: Allan Weitz Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

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  1:27:19

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