Street Photography Magazine Podcast

Creating a photo book taught us far more than we ever expected. Creating a course about it taught us even more.

In this episode, Bob Patterson interviews Street Photography Magazine publisher Ashley Riffo about the making of our new self-publishing photo book course. We talk about why the course exists, some of the challenges of book making & course making, the lessons we learned from publishing "Where the Streets Lead", and what we'd do differently next time.

Along the way, Bob shares what he's been up to since retiring as SPM's publisher, offering up stories from his recent trip to Japan, a glimpse into his new Substack, "Beyond Street Photography", and reflections on creating a personal travel zine.

We also share thoughtful feedback and advice from a few photographers who have self-published books includeing Craig Litten, Debby Cole, and Wayne Campbell. They all agree: Self-publishing a book is a lot of hard work, but totally worth it.

If making a photo book has been sitting on your "someday" list, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about our self-publishing photo book course:
https://streetphotographymagazine.com/learn/

Read Bob's Substack: https://beyondstreetphotography.substack.com/

Guests:
Craig Litten - https://www.craiglitten.com/
Deborah Cole - https://www.deborahcolephotography.com/
Wayne Campbell - https://www.acelebrationofdemonstration.com/

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In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine Podcast, Bob Patterson and Ashley Riffo sit down with the photographers behind Three Cities Photography: Christer Björkman (Sweden), Jane Dee (Scotland), and Kitty de Jong (Netherlands). They told us how what started as a conversation during a Peter Turnley workshop in Paris grew into a years-long creative collaboration spanning books, zines, newspapers, countries, and countless photography discussions.

In this special episode, Ashley Riffo explores that question by speaking with photographers who attended four very different events: Dublin Street Photography Festival, Raw Photo Fest, Eyes on Main Street, and Photo London. Along the way, conversations about exhibitions and portfolio reviews quickly turn into something deeper: community, inspiration, and the joy of meeting the people behind the photographs. Whether you've attended dozens of festivals or never been to one, this episode offers a glimpse into why photographers keep coming back year after year.

Documentary photographer and filmmaker Nagamitsu Endo joins us to talk about storytelling, street photography, and the patience required to document real life honestly. Raised between Japan, New York, India, and Pakistan, Naga shares how growing up across cultures shaped his perspective as both an observer and storyteller.

We discuss his years working in documentary television alongside Brent and Craig Renaud, the emotional process of editing documentary work, and why trust and empathy matter when photographing people. Naga also reflects on being mentored by renowned photographer Philip Perkis, shooting with a single lens, and the importance of persistence in both street photography and life.

This episode explores documentary storytelling, human connection, and what it means to keep showing up with a camera, even when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for yet.

In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine podcast, Bob Patterson talks with documentary photographer, educator, and National Geographic contributor Michael O. Snyder.

Michael shares how street photography became the foundation for his larger documentary practice, why place matters just as much as people in storytelling, and how photographers can pitch their work more effectively to editors and publications.

They discuss the relationship between street photography and documentary photography, building long-term projects, photographing cultural heritage sites affected by climate change, and Michael’s new book Alleghenia: A Central Appalachian Folklore Anthology, a fourteen-year project preserving stories and traditions from Central Appalachia.

From ancient flood systems in Petra to forgotten presidential statues in Virginia to oral histories from the mountains of Appalachia, this conversation is a reminder that meaningful stories are everywhere, you just have to start where you are.

Topics covered:
• Street photography as a gateway to documentary work
• How to pitch photo stories to editors
• Why place matters in visual storytelling
• Working with National Geographic
• Climate change and cultural heritage
• Michael’s new book on Appalachian identity and folklore
• Why the best stories often begin at home