B&H Photography Podcast

What a start to the New Year for the B&H Photography Podcast. We are incredibly fortunate to kick off our year with photographer Cig Harvey and gallerist Caroline Wall, director of the Robert Mann Gallery. In conjunction with her new book, You an Orchestra, You a Bomb, Harvey is currently exhibiting at the Robert Mann Gallery, and we were able to speak with artist and gallerist to discuss the making of her latest portfolio and the collaborative process of exhibition. This is Cig Harvey's third monograph and, in addition to her photographic creativity, she is also very articulate when describing her artistic process and techniques. This is a true benefit to us at the podcast. Her description of the "gasp" moments that she seeks when working, whether they be gasps of fear or in the presence of beauty, was a wonderful moment in our interview. The titular mantra that describes part of her process is something that we will keep with us as we advance in our own photographic journey. Join us as we talk with Harvey and Wall about how an idea becomes a series, how editing can be a physical act, and the two distinct ways she approached imaging for this most recent series. We also discuss the role that a gallery—in this case through the eyes of a trusted collaborator—plays in the editing of a body of work and, ultimately, its exhibition and sale. The exhibit, Cig Harvey—You an Orchestra, You a Bomb, is on display at the Robert Mann Gallery through January 27, 2018 and, on that date, Ms. Harvey will be present for an artist's talk. Her book of the same name is available wherever you find fine books and, specifically, here. Guests: Cig Harvey and Caroline Wall Photograph ©Cig Harvey, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery

For the B&H Photography Podcast, 2017 has been a wonderful year. We published our 100th episode, surpassed one million downloads, and reached #1 on the iTunes podcast chart in the Visual Arts category. Achievements aside, we are simply pleased with the remarkable guests we have hosted on our show, the variety of subjects we have covered, and the consistently entertaining and intelligent conversations we have published. And honestly, we are proud to have maintained our production output—week in week out—and to still really enjoy what we do. With this in mind and with gratitude to our listeners, guests, co-workers, and the management at B&H, we have cobbled together a 2017 year-in-review episode in which we discuss our favorite shows from 2017 and play a few clips of the most interesting moments from these episodes. The highlights were many and hard to narrow down, but Allan Weitz chose our episode with photographer Lynn Goldsmith as his favorite, with a close second being our talk with Bellamy Hunt, aka the Japan Camera Hunter. He also mentioned our talks with Richard Drew on his photograph, referred to as "Falling Man," and our episodes with photojournalists (and husband and wife) Ben Lowy and Marvi Lacar. As for Jason Tables, he pointed to History of Hip-Hop Photography and Night Photography—From Film into Digital, as his favorites. My list included a few of those mentioned above, as well as an episode on social documentary projects, but the clip I chose was from our serial segment, "Dispatch" with Adriane Ohanesian, in which she recounts the story of a fatal attack she endured while covering a story in Congo. We discuss several more episodes during this end-of-year extravaganza and hope that the clips pique your interest and inspire you to subscribe to our show and check out programs from our catalog, which now includes more than 100 episodes. Thank you and happy New Year from Allan, Jason, and John. Guests: Lynn Goldsmith, Bellamy Hunt, Richard Drew, Ben Lowy, Marvi Lacar, Danny Hastings, Eric Johnson, Janette Beckman, Vicky Tobak, Chris Nicholson, Lance Keimig, Adriane Ohanesian Photographs (l-r) © Janette Beckman, Robert Rodriguez Jr., Mark Maio, Christian Vizl, Jenna Martin, Adriane Ohanesian, Art Wolfe, Daniel Kordan, David Speiser, Ryan Dyar, Steve Simon, Bellamy Hunt, Leo Sang, Thomas Roma, Jide Alakija, Griselda San Martin

Photographing food is far from being a new facet of photography. Whether for commercial or artistic purposes—think William Henry Fox Talbot, Edward Weston, Irving Penn—it can be found throughout eras and styles, but it sure seems like we are currently witnessing a boom in food photography. With the foodie culture exploding and the profusion of #foodporn and #foodstagramming, there is no shortage of photographed meals flying around the Internet. Our guests on today's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast have a wealth of experience in this arena, having shot food photography for a combined total of... many years. Specifically, they join us to talk about their latest book, Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food, but while at it, we discuss food photography in general, from gear and technique to workflow for editorial and commercial assignments, and even for cookbooks. We also discuss the change in food photography styles over the years and ask their opinions on the proliferation of "food selfies." Aaron Rezny has photographed major campaigns for Nestlé, Duncan Hines, Kellogg's, Russell Stover, Nabisco, and Applebee's, and his work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, and other publications. Jordan Schaps is an author, Professor of Photography at the School of Visual Arts, and the former Director of Photography at New York Magazine. He has produced shoots for inStyle, GQ, Lincoln Motors, and many other commercial and editorial clients. Together, they have produced a wonderfully engaging book. Join us for this educational and, at times, hilarious episode. Guests: Jordan Schaps and Aaron Rezny

From where do all the celebrity photos in People, Us Weekly, Vanity Fair, and other magazines come? They come from hard-working professional photographers plying their trade, and the agencies that distribute and license these images, of course. On today's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we will discuss the nuts and bolts of working in the celebrity and fashion news business—from the point of view of the agency and of the photographer. There is no shortage of entertainment news photos, many of which are taken on the "red carpet" and through a collaborative network of celebrities, publicists, photographers, and agencies. Others, shot in less controlled settings, are a product of a photographer's instinct and dogged persistence. This type—for good or bad—we call paparazzi photos. Arranged portrait sessions, concerts, and press conferences can also fall into this category of celebrity "news" and our guests, having experience in all the above, will discuss the distinctions between these, as well as the ins and outs of making a living in this arena. We welcome Chris Doherty, founder and owner of Instar Images. With offices in New York, London, and Australia, Instar is one of the top independent agencies specializing in entertainment news and events. We also speak with photographer Jennifer Graylock of Graylock.com, recipient of the 2017 Top Red Carpet Photographer Award. In addition to her work for celebrity and corporate clients, her photos often grace the pages of People, TV Guide, InStyle, and Glamour magazines. We ask Doherty what agencies look for in a photographer and what makes a good celebrity image. We also discuss the varying clients he works with, Instar's website and archive, payment structures, and changes in the industry in the wake of smartphones and social media. Graylock brings the photographer's perspective and talks about gear choices, protocol within the "pen," protecting your copyright, and how to maintain relationships, get access, and stay "current." Join us for this very informative episode. Guests: Chris Doherty and Jennifer Graylock Photograph: © Karl Larsen/ Courtesy of Instar Images

With the proliferation and improvement of cellphone cameras, even the idea of a stand-alone point-and-shoot camera is becoming obsolete. Or is it? Despite the inarguable decline in sales of the traditional point-and-shoot digital camera and its decreasing number on store shelves and in jacket pockets, there are still cameras defined as "point-and-shoot" that are solid sellers, and those that offer high-end features. As Allan Weitz points out on this episode, almost all cameras can be set to a "point-and-shoot" mode, but the compact digital cameras that made up the bulk of camera sales five years ago are now struggling to find a place in the market and the trend seems to be that they are diversifying their feature sets and finding niches in which to remain viable. For example, "tough" waterproof cameras and long zoom "bridge" cameras are selling well, and large sensor point-and-shoots like the Fujifilm X100F and the Sony RX100 series, are very popular. On today's podcast, we welcome B&H expert and host of Lens Therapy Live on Instagram, Chris Williams, to the studio to talk about point-and-shoot cameras. We discuss which models are still selling and why, which features are appearing and which disappearing and the photographers to whom these features appeal. In the second half of the show, we go over exemplary cameras from each of the point-and-shoot categories and speculate on the future of this once beloved camera type. Guest: Chris Williams

In the previous episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we talked about the best-selling, the most important, and our favorite new cameras from 2017. In this week's episode, we look ahead to 2018 with a discussion on "industry trends" and the new technology and photo gear we expect to see more of over the coming years. We welcome back Yaakov Adler and Levi Tenenbaum with their insight on the subject, and we discuss the improving technology of cellular phone cameras, new memory cards, wireless applications, electronic shutters, and even the "draw of analog," amongst other topics. We also mention the current cameras that are on the forefront of incorporating these technologies. On the second half of our show, we continue with our serial segment, "Dispatch" with Adriane Ohanesian. Based in Kenya and covering stories throughout Africa, Ohanesian is the 2016 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award winner and a World Press Photo award winner whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, VICE, and other publications. After a deadly attack during a photo assignment in Congo and recovering from malaria, Ohanesian has returned to her "normal," which means extended assignments throughout the region covering conflict, resource and migration issues, and in this case, the last male Northern White Rhino in existence. Join us as we get an understanding of the working life and photographic process of a freelance photojournalist. Guests: Yaakov Adler and Levi Tenenbaum; Adriane Ohanesian

We're offering our annual end-of-year listicle of a podcast a bit early, but it comes with a good deal more information than usual. We polled the writers and experts at B&H to put together a set of cameras that represent the best or most important cameras released in 2017 and we welcomed Levi Tenenbaum and Yaakov Adler, two of our most knowledgeable staffers, to talk about the pros and cons of these cameras. To anyone paying attention to the photo industry, it should be none too surprising that new cameras from Nikon and Sony are competing for top honors, but you might be surprised at the rest of the cameras in our top ten list and at which point-and-shoot and medium format cameras come into play. Additionally, in the second half of the show, we offer statistics from the B&H website regarding the best-selling and the top-rated cameras of the year. These are not necessarily cameras announced in 2017, but we provide the top scores for cameras in all categories, as well as for lenses and accessories. Also, be sure to tune in next week for our companion episode on "Industry Trends for 2018!" Any podcast with Levi and Yaakov as guests is bound to be informative and entertaining, and this is no exception. Enjoy. Guests: Yaakov Adler and Levi Tenenbaum

With great thanks to Vikki Tobak and the Contact High Project, we welcome three photographers to our studio who are responsible for some of the most iconic images from the history of hip-hop. Janette Beckman, Eric Johnson, and Danny Hastings join us to tell the stories behind their photos of Run-DMC, Wu Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, and many others. We also speak about issues important to photographers, from on-set technique, to artistic collaboration and influence, to gear, to networking and, of course, licensing of images. For us, this was a highly anticipated recording and it did not disappoint. Whether you are a hip-hop fan interested in behind-the-scenes stories or a photographer looking for insight, join us for this incredible conversation. Janette Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock in the U.K., photographing The Clash, Sex Pistols, and Boy George, as well as three Police album covers. Moving to New York in 1982, she was drawn to the underground hip-hop scene and photographed pioneers such as Run DMC, Slick Rick, Salt'n'Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, and Big Daddy Kane. She has published four books and currently has an exhibition of silkscreen prints at 212 Arts in New York. Eric Johnson has created iconic hip-hop images of Notorious B.I.G, Lauryn Hill, Dipset, Li'l Wayne, and newer artists like G Herbo and Cakes da Killa. His work stretches across music genres to include Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Maxwell and, for the past decade, he has helmed Upstairs at Eric's, a loft space in Manhattan that is equal parts studio, gallery, disco, lounge, and design studio. Danny Hastings has shot 150 album covers and directed more than 40 music videos. Listed in Complex Magazine as one of the rap photographers every rap fan should know, his most notable album covers include Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Big Pun's Capital Punishment, Nas's IA, as well as album art for Raekwon, Eminem, and Jeru the Damaja. Hastings is now directing his second feature film. Vikki Tobak is a journalist, correspondent, and former CNN producer who currently writes and produces for Complex, Mass Appeal, and The FADER. She is the author of Contact High: Hip-Hop Photography + Visual Culture, an upcoming book from Penguin/Random House. More from the B&H Photography Podcast Guests: Janette Beckman, Eric Johnson, Danny Hastings, Vikki Tobak

New York City affords a photographer many opportunities, including the annual gathering of photo professionals at the PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo. Founded in 1983, it is the largest photography and imaging event in North America and features seminars, master classes, portfolio reviews, and a convention center filled with the latest cameras, lenses, and accessories from the major manufacturers and the not-so-major manufacturers. It is at the latter at whom we aimed our microphones as we wandered around the Expo floor. It's certainly beneficial to handle new cameras and test lenses, but at events like these, speaking with the functionaries from Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. rarely elicits candid answers or information you can't already find on a press release, so we decided to skip the big booths and concentrate on the vendors from smaller manufacturers to find out what they are bringing to market. We spoke with representatives of long-established firms like Beseler, Fotodiox, Denny Manufacturing, and Platypod to hear what's new in their catalogs, and we also spoke with newer brands and services such as My Case Builder, Foto Op, COOPH and Film Toaster to better understand their new ideas and products. More from the B&H Photography Podcast Guests: Charlie Knecht, Steven Holand, Robert Maclay, Bohuš Blahut, Cecil Williams, Ulrich Grill, Colbert Colin, Larry Tiefenbrunn Photograph © John Harris

Bird photography is a big deal around B&H, and we're not just talking about the lenses needed to get those wonderful close-ups of warblers, herons, gulls, and raptors. Bird photography is a passion that grabs pros and amateurs alike and seems to not let go; there are very few photographers as dedicated to their craft (and gear) as bird photographers. We are fortunate to have two photographers with us to discuss the gear, technique, and protocols necessary to capture pleasing images of our feathered friends. David Speiser is a member of the Board of Directors of New York City Audubon and has been an avid bird photographer for more than twenty years. He has an incredible body of work that includes birds of all varieties, and brings not only technical excellence to his photographs, but a birder's meticulousness to his archive. Klemens Gasser is a visual artist who became enthralled with birding several years ago and turned his fixation into an exhibit of bird photographs enlarged to 72 inches across. He brings an artist's spirit to his bird photography and humor to our discussion, and clearly loves the thrill of the chase. We speak with these two photographers about the gear and apps they use, their shooting styles, favorite locations, and how digital technology has transformed bird photography. Join us for some very practical advice and a fun conversation and for links to the gear mentioned in this article follow this link. Guests: David Speiser and Klemens Gasser Photograph © David Speiser