Street Photography Magazine Podcast

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One of the things I appreciate most about interviewing photographers is getting to hear what motivates them to keep going. Everyone has their own reasons for picking up a camera. That’s what makes it interesting. Melbourne-based street photographer Mark J. Davidson, has his own reasons for shooting, and personally I found it pretty inspiring to hear.

If you look at Mark’s work, you’ll find some pretty striking images. He uses film, harsh light, off-camera flash, and experimental techniques that result in photographs that feel energetic, sometimes disorienting, and refreshingly unique. He’s also a member of the REVOKE photography collective and co-hosts a street photography podcast Street Life, where he’s interviewed some impressive names, including Martin Parr.

But talking to Mark, one thing you notice straightaway is just how down to earth he is about all of it. When I asked him how he developed his style, he didn’t offer some elaborate explanation about artistic vision. His answer was essentially that he’d taken a lot of bad photographs. And apparently, still does.

Mark was refreshingly candid about how much film he goes through without producing anything he’s particularly happy with. He admitted that sometimes he wonders whether he should abandon his experimental approach and return to more traditional street photography. He even confessed that, despite being well into the year, he didn’t feel he’d made many photographs worth keeping. Having already been thoroughly impressed by his work, his answers surprised me. And they comforted me a bit too. (Maybe there’s a chance I’ll create something worthwhile yet!) But I had to ask whether that ever gets discouraging. His answer was one of my favorite parts of the conversation:

“I’d still do it even if I got nothing for the rest of my life, I think.”

For Mark, photography provides a welcome counterbalance to his demanding job in radio. Getting out on the streets of Melbourne gives him time to himself, a chance to clear his head and enjoy being present. Even when the photographs don’t work out, the experience itself is worthwhile. I think there’s something worth remembering in that, especially when it’s so easy to measure our creative efforts by what we have to show for them.

We also talked about the pressure to share work on social media, the challenges of putting together a photo book, and how difficult it can be to recognize the strongest photographs in your own archive. Mark admitted that he’s not particularly organized, either. His negatives are sitting in boxes, his digital files need attention, and he’s not entirely sure when his ongoing Melbourne project will be finished. I found all of that rather reassuring.

There’s a tendency to imagine that photographers producing interesting work must have some carefully developed system behind it. Their projects are mapped out, their archives are organized, and they know exactly where they’re headed. Mark doesn’t pretend to have everything figured out. He’s experimenting, making mistakes, learning from other photographers, and following his curiosity. And he’s producing some wonderful work along the way.

Bob and I had a great time talking shop with him, from film and flash techniques to AI, artist statements, and the future of street photography.

I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Links from the show

Mark’s website

Mark’s Instagram

Street Life Podcast

Revoke Collective

FLASH n.01

The Rocketgirl Chronicles

Neil Kramer’s COVID project

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Ryan Faer spends his working days studying human performance. As a sports scientist for the Cleveland Guardians, he helps athletes develop, improve and reach their potential. Outside of baseball, however, he’s found another pursuit that has become just as important to him: street photography.

In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine Podcast, Bob Patterson sits down with Ryan to talk about how photography came to be a part of his life, the discipline he brings to learning the craft and why connecting with strangers has become one of his favorite parts of the experience.

Ryan lives in Arizona but frequently travels to Cleveland for work, giving him opportunities to photograph two very different environments. He and Bob, who knows Cleveland well, have plenty to discuss about photographing the city, working with different kinds of light and finding interesting people and places when time is limited.

They also explore Ryan’s approach to improving as a photographer. Coming from a background in athletics and coaching, Ryan believes in consistent practice, studying the work of other photographers and making small improvements over time. But he’s also learning that photography doesn’t always have to be about getting better. Sometimes, it’s enough to enjoy being out with a camera.

The conversation touches on his preference for black-and-white photography, his growing interest in documentary storytelling, the relationships he’s built through photography and how sharing his process on Substack has opened unexpected doors.

One of those doors led to five of his photographs being selected for an exhibition, which runs until October 18th, at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C., part of a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

For anyone who’s relatively new to street photography, struggling to find time to shoot or wondering how to develop their own approach, Ryan’s experience offers plenty to think about.

Links from the show

Ryan’s Website

Street Photography // Field Notes (Ryan’s Substack)

Bob’s guide to shooting in Cleveland

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Photographer Nathaniel Paolinelli has a knack for ending up in interesting places. He’s photographed lowrider culture in his hometown of Albuquerque and halfway around the world in Thailand. He’s spent time with cowboys, bikers and people living along the U.S.-Mexico border. He’s been welcomed into homes for family holidays, photographed a motorcycle club funeral and, somewhere along the way, even managed to reunite a man fresh out of prison with his high school girlfriend after taking his portrait. Which is funny, because photography wasn’t even part of the original plan.

Nathaniel picked up a camera in his 30s. It was an office Nikon, which accompanied Nathaniel (along with its instruction manual) on a trip to Mexico. From there, photography gradually became a much bigger part of his life. In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine Podcast, Bob and I talk with Nathaniel about where that camera has taken him since.

A big part of the conversation centers on documentary and street photography in Albuquerque, the city Nathaniel has called home his entire life. Early on, he thought interesting photographs required traveling somewhere else. Eventually, he realized how much there was to explore right where he lived. That realization led him deep into Albuquerque’s lowrider community. What began with showing up, talking to people and making photographs slowly became something more. Today, Nathaniel says he doesn’t really feel like an outsider documenting the community anymore. He has become part of it in his own way.

That experience also led Nathaniel to an unexpected book deal. On a whim, he spent three days making a small lowrider zine called Seventh and Central. Somehow, a copy found its way to the University of New Mexico Press. A phone call followed, then a meeting, then a publishing contract. This March, Seventh and Central: Lowiders became a full-length book about New Mexico lowrider culture. “The power of a zine,” as we decided during the conversation.

We also get into Nathaniel’s trip to Thailand, where he sought out the country’s lowrider scene and discovered that a shared culture could bridge a pretty substantial language barrier. With translation apps, hand gestures and a camera, he found himself welcomed into a community thousands of miles from Albuquerque.

There are plenty of other detours along the way in this conversation, some of which it would have been nice to spend a little more time on: getting caught in an earthquake, being confronted by the military while photographing near Juárez, whether social media is worth the effort, why (if?) Nathaniel owns too many cameras, and the Leica Q2 that got its sensor damaged by a laser. RIP.

More than anything, though, this is a conversation with someone who genuinely enjoys going places, meeting people and seeing what happens next.

A Selection of Nathaniel’s Photos

Links from the show

Nathaniel’s Website

Nathaniel on Instagram

Seventh & Central: Lowriders

What happens when you discover thousands of photographs your father made decades ago, including images you never knew existed?

In this episode, Ashley Riffo and Bob Patterson talk with Andrew Baer about the remarkable story behind the work of his father, photographer John Baer.

Andrew shares how four boxes of prints and negatives sat with him for 27 years before he and his wife, Megan, began uncovering what was inside. We talk about the years of scanning, research and detective work that followed, the extraordinary team that helped bring John’s photographs into book form, and what Andrew learned about his father along the way.

We also hear about the creation of the John Baer Archive and Andrew’s hope that these photographs will continue to inspire new stories, art and interpretations for years to come.

Learn more about the book and the John Baer Archive: https://johnbaerarchive.com/

Read our full feature on John Baer in Street Photography Magazine: https://streetphotographymagazine.com/article/john-baer-what-we-leave-behind/

ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE

Street Photography Magazine is the official journal of street and documentary photography. SPM is dedicated to sharing the stories, work and experiences of street and documentary photographers from around the world.

Subscribe for more conversations with photographers, monthly features and stories from the street.

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▶ HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH A PHOTO BOOK

Andrew had the opportunity to work with an incredible team to bring his father’s archive to life. But you don’t need a publisher or an industry connection to turn your own photography into a book.

Our self-publishing course walks you through the process, from shaping your idea and editing your photographs to design, printing and getting the finished book into your hands.

Learn more: https://streetphotographymagazine.com/learn/

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Photographers Wayne Campbell and Wayne Crichlow join Bob Patterson and Ashley Riffo to talk about their new collaborative photo book, Carnival of Resistance, documenting the culture, history, joy and defiance of London's Notting Hill Carnival.