B&H Photography Podcast

As Allan Weitz says in the introduction, when you see a Jeffrey Milstein photo, you know it. He has a distinctive style, which is not an easy accomplishment for an aerial photographer. But, of course, not all his images are taken from high above—he also has an incredible series shot from underneath airplanes. All kidding aside, Milstein's work—aerial or otherwise—is infused with the complexity of observation and with the fascination of how similar forms repeat themselves in distinctive ways. On this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we speak with Jeff Milstein about his photography, with an emphasis on his aerial photography and the process, gear, and technique he uses to capture these stunning images. We discuss his previous career as an architect and the influence that carries into his work, the medium format and 35mm format digital camera he prefers, and his lens choices. Along with Weitz, who also has much aerial photography experience, we discuss using a gyro stabilizer and the advancements made in in-camera stabilization systems. We also chat about communication with pilots and how to plan a helicopter aerial shoot. Milstein also discusses the post-production techniques used to create his geometric compositions and the large format prints he makes, many of which are currently on exhibit at the Benrubi Gallery, in New York. Check this link to see more of his images and a list of the gear we discussed on this episode. Guest: Jeffrey Milstein Photograph © Jeffrey Milstein Host: Allan Weitz Senior Creative Producer: John Harris Producer: Jason Tables

Are the 1990s history? Well, for today's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we look back to that decade when a new aesthetic in fashion photography was born in England, and later spread to the United States and the world; a transformative style whose influence is apparent almost thirty years after its birth. First appearing in small but influential magazines such as The Face, i-D, and Blitz, and growing from a reactionary youth culture, this raw style reflected a new aesthetic, one that rejected the glam, the supermodel, and the highly stylized photos of the 1980s in favor of eclectic clothing, waifish models, a low-tech, "straight-up" photo style, and a lot of "frickin' attitude." For this episode, we welcome fashion photographer Michael Sanders, who is a regular contributor to Italian Elle and who shot for many of the '90s "style bibles" mentioned above. Sanders came of age in this era and discusses the social and economic factors that lead to this new aesthetic, the cyclical nature of fashion, and the overly simplistic idea of heroin-chic. He also provides a sense of the technologies that made this movement a reality, the gear most commonly used, and the assignment process and shooting-styles embraced. Finally, Sanders offers firsthand insight into the community of photographers, stylists, and models who are associated with this movement, including David Sims, Corinne Day, Kate Moss, Melanie Ward, and the important photographer and bridge figure, Nick Knight. Join us for this interesting look back to the birth of a style and photographic movement that is still reverberating. Guest: Michael Sanders Photograph: ©Michael Sanders http://michaelsandersstudio.com www.michaelsandersgosees.com https://instagram.com/michaelsandersstudio/ https://www.youtube.com/c/MichaelSandersStudioGoSees https://www.facebook.com/MichaelSandersStudio/ Host: Allan Weitz Senior Creative Producer: John Harris Producer: Jason Tables

On this week's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we're talking gear—specifically, the latest gear announced at the two most recent trade shows, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). In addition to a summary of some of the items announced at CES, like the Panasonic Lumix GH5S, we speak with B&H writers Shawn Steiner and Liz Groeschen, who are currently in attendance at WPPI. Steiner gives us the lowdown on some of the big-ticket items and mentions many of the new lenses announced at this important conference, and Groeschen offers her opinion on the latest cameras, discusses items of specific interest to wedding photographers, and gives us a sense of the activity around the B&H booths. Some of the cameras we discuss are the new Sony a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera, the Fujifilm X-H1, the Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9, the Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera, the Pentax K-1 Mark II DSLR and the Polaroid Originals OneStep2 Instant Film Camera. In terms of lenses, we mention the new set of Sigma Art lenses for Sony E mount cameras, the Tokina FiRIN 20mm f/2 FE AF lens, the Rokinon SP 50mm f/1.2 lens for Canon EF, the Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4,and others. Two new flashes made our critic's picks: the new Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI with auto intelligent bounce head, and the Sony HVL-F60RM Wireless Radio Flash, as did a handful of paper and presentation material. Join us for this informative episode. Guests: Shawn Steiner and Liz Groeschen

We are delighted, at the B&H Photography Podcast, to present our chat with acclaimed portrait photographer Chris Buck. Buck is an in-demand celebrity and advertising photographer, but he also maintains ongoing personal projects, such as his current series, "Gentleman's Club." We speak with him on a range of topics, from concept development, shooting technique, and gear, to editing decisions and self-publishing. With a flexible yet unmistakable style that blends insight, a touch of dry, almost absurdist humor, and a pinch of the darkness within, Buck has photographed a host of luminaries from the worlds of film, music, and politics, including four of our last five Presidents. His most recent book, Uneasy, is a 30-year compendium of incredible portraits; we discuss the making of this book and, of course, some of his most recognized images. We also speak with Buck about process: his "three tiers of ideas," thoughts on humor, his adjustment to digital photography, and DSLR versus medium format. In this wide-ranging conversation, Buck opines on his relationship with subjects, the nature of portraiture, his influences from pop culture and photography, and how "being relaxed and having fun are the enemies of a good Chris Buck photo." Join us for this spirited conversation. Guest: Chris Buck Photographs © Chris Buck Senior Creative Producer: John Harris Producer: Jason Tables Host: Allan Weitz

For the average photographer, many aspects of the technical side of virtual reality imaging are confusing, and when you add 360° and 3D to the equation, we can really be in over our heads. Fortunately, on this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we have a guest with more than his fair share of experience in these matters, who will make the going easy as we discuss virtual reality, 3D, and 360° imaging technologies. Jim Malcolm is the North American General Manager of Humaneyes, and an expert in VR and computer vision. As President and CMO of Ricoh, Malcolm helped bring the Theta spherical cameras to the market and has now joined the pioneering 3D company Humaneyes to launch the Vuze 4K 3D 360 Spherical VR Camera. He joins us to discuss the evolution of VR technology and gear and the current tools available for professionals and consumers. He also touches on aspects of the hardware and storytelling that still need to be developed to improve the experience. We consider how certain disciplines, such as medical imaging, are already effectively utilizing these tools and how "social VR" may be the breakthrough platform for this technology. Malcolm also explains the features of the Vuze cameras and how they are bringing 360° 3D imaging to a whole new set of users with a sturdy and compact build, easy to use controls, apps, and software. Join us for this very educational episode. Guest: Jim Malcolm https://vuze.camera/ https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcast https://www.facebook.com/reflection360/videos/1633223273423640/

Murray Fredericks considers his landscape photography series, "Vanity," as just one aspect of a larger body of work, a project for which he has spent fifteen years shooting in southern Australia's remote Lake Eyre-Kati Thanda. However, this part of the larger series has one aspect that the others do not—a large mirror placed in the lakebed reflecting other angles of the land and sky. This seemingly simple idea transforms not only the vista but our visual understanding of this singular place, and I think it's fair to say that there is nothing comparable to these large color photographs which attempt to represent the "overwhelming emptiness and powerful emotional resonance of remote land and sky." For this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we took our mics to the Robert Mann Gallery, in New York, to speak with Murray Fredericks and gallery owner Robert Mann on the opening day of Fredericks's first solo exhibit in the United States. We walked through the gallery, soaking up the sublimity of these images and discussing the challenges of the project, the gear, the prints, and all aspects of the collaboration between artist and gallery. Join us for this extraordinary conversation. Stay tuned toward the end of the show, when we chat with the two winners of our Canon 5D Mark IV Sweepstakes and hear their reactions to winning and how they will be using their new cameras. Guests: Murray Fredericks and Robert Mann Photograph: ©Murray Fredericks Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery

This week's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast posits the notion that we are in a "Golden Age" of landscape photography, and a fundamental attribute of this "new" landscape photography is its embracing of digital and mobile technologies. From soaring ISO capabilities and improved dynamic range to stacking and correction software to weather, mapping, and pre-production apps, the willing photographer can plan and execute landscape images that would have been impossible to create only a few short years ago. We also suggest that the Pacific Northwest, with its proximity to the cradle of the tech industry and a spectrum of natural wonders, is the hub of this progressive landscape photography movement. Veteran photographers have adopted new technologies and created a movement, and a younger generation is following suit, certain to take landscape photography into a future that includes drones, VR, and imaging technologies yet to be imagined. We also discuss the influence of photo-sharing platforms and new career models that enable photographers to distribute their work and travel to destinations that editorial assignments would never cover. We welcome to our conversation two preëminent landscape photographers, Erin Babnik and Sean Bagshaw, who discuss their work and the use of the high-tech gear and applications in the creation of their photography. In addition to the obligatory Q and A about camera and lens choices, we discuss location and weather apps, post-process plug-ins, and even the latest foul-weather gear, all of which enable them to create the stunning work for which they are known. Both photographers are members of Photo Cascadia, and have a wide following of supporters and students. Their workshops sell out months in advance. After hearing their insights and seeing their imagery, there will be no doubt as to why. Guests: Erin Babnik and Sean Bagshaw Photograph ©Erin Babnik

We welcome back Chris Williams, of Lens Therapy Live, and photographer David Speiser, of lilibirds.com, to the B&H Photography Podcast for a discussion on the applications, techniques, and specific features of super-telephoto lenses. Super-telephotos lenses are most often used by sports and wildlife photographers—however, photojournalists, law-enforcement, and even landscape photographers are known to use them, as well. They offer the build quality to withstand tough conditions and the optical quality to capture distant subjects clearly. For this conversation, we define super-telephoto as a lens with a six-degree angle of view, which, on a full frame sensor, corresponds to a 400mm lens. On APS-C format DSLRs you can get an even longer reach with your super telephotos and, while Fujifilm, Olympus, and Panasonic offer a few super teles for their mirrorless cameras, the ultra-long lenses are still the domain of the professional DSLR. There are high-quality super-telephoto zooms from Sigma and Tamron, but our conversation concentrates on the fast-aperture, prime lenses made by Nikon and Canon. We discuss their unique features, image stabilization systems, filters, methods of support, and the techniques used to handle them effectively. Join us for this very informative episode and, while you are at it, subscribe to our show. Guests: David Speiser and Chris Williams

For some photographers, the phrase "run and gun" has a negative connotation, but when you're Norman Reedus, that description takes on a much cooler meaning, one that is accurate to his style and a compliment to his ability to "sense a moment." Reedus, most recognized for his acting work on the television series, "The Walking Dead" and "Ride with Norman Reedus," is first and always an artist: a sculptor, a director, and author of the photography book, "The Sun's Coming Up… Like a Big Bald Head" available at Big Bald Gallery. With the travel demands of film and television, Reedus's photography becomes a way to engage with his locations and document his adventures but, through the eyes of an artist, his work is more than just famous locales and behind the scenes fun. He brings a personal vision, humorous and dark, to images he captures and does so with an experimenter's touch, using a variety of cameras and styles. We talk with Reedus about his start in photography, his stylistic approaches, gear choices, and what he has learned from his time in front of a camera that helps with his work behind one. However, with a guest like Reedus—generous with his time and tales—you let the conversation flow, and we also discuss his series "Ride," the influence of Laurie Anderson, fan selfies, Roger Ballen, horror films, Oxfam, and even Pee Wee Herman. While recording this episode, the Tom Waits line, "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things," kept popping into my head. I'm not sure this line best reflects Reedus's work, but I am sure there is a Tom Waits line that does. This episode was a real treat for us at the B&H Photography Podcast, and we hope you feel the same in the listening. Guest: Norman Reedus Photograph: ©John Harris Host: Allan Weitz Senior Creative Producer: John Harris Producer: Jason Tables

If you are a regular listener to the B&H Photography Podcast, you've probably heard us talk a lot recently about our milestone 100th episode and a camera sweepstakes that we were eventually going to announce. As the episode title should indicate, the sweepstake's grand prize is a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, but that prize also includes a 50mm f/1.8 lens—and there is a second prize: the Canon EOS 80D DSLR with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. Each of these items was supplied to us by our friends at Canon USA and, with that in mind, we invited Canon Product Specialist Rudy Winston to our studio to discuss the gear Canon has announced over the past year. We also talk about the two "prize" cameras offered in our sweepstakes and we take some time to ask Winston his thoughts on what changes we can expect to see in cameras and lenses in the future. We talk about ISO range, image processors, memory card formats, lens technology, connectivity, and the fate of the point-and-shoot. More than just a promotion for our sweepstakes, this episode is an informative chat on the state of the camera gear industry. With much gratitude to our listeners—both newbies and long-timers—we present this sweepstakes, so stay tuned to the end of the show when we will explain how to enter. In the meantime, enjoy the conversation, tell your friends about the sweepstakes, SUBSCRIBE, and thank you so much for tuning in. Guest: Rudy Winston