LPV Show
A podcast about photography and photobooks.
Produced and hosted by Bryan Formhals
Audio Production by Tom Starkweather
From 2014 to 2016, we produced 50 episodes of LPV, speaking to photographers across a wide spectrum of genres about their work and some of their favorite photobooks.
Graham MacIndoe & Susan Stellin
Recorded June 16, 2016 at Graham's Studio in Brooklyn
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In this episode, our final of the season, we are joined by photographer Graham MacIndoe and writer Susan Stellin to discuss their new memoir Chancers, which tells the story of their relationship over the course of Graham's heroin addiction, arrest and imprisonment at Riker's Island and Immigration Detention, and eventual release and road to recovery. In the second half of the show, we discuss a few brilliant photobooks as well Graham's early days as an aspiring photographer in New York in the 90s.
We are thrilled to have this episode as the season finale. I've known Graham for a few years now and ended up reading the book in about three days. It's a great story that covers some very relevant contemporary issues in an innovative way. Graham and Susan are two of the most thoughtful, intelligent people I've met in New York, so it was a great to have this conversation with them.
Jason Jaworski
Recorded June 8, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we are joined by photographer and zine maker Jason Jaworski to discuss the stories behind his brilliant zines, the relationship between text and image, how he got his start, the freelance hustle in Los Angeles, and several interesting books from his collection.
I was introduced to Jason's work by our mutual friend Olia Yatskevich of 10x10 photobooks, and knew we'd have to have him on the show. Fortunately, a few months later Jason reached out to us because he was a fan of the show. He also mentioned he was coming to New York soon, so it all worked out perfectly.
Jason Jaworski (b. 1987) is a writer, photographer and artist best known for his intimate portraits, sprawling textworks, large scale performance projects, and deeply personal artist books, all of which have been published and shown in numerous exhibitions around the world, along with having been performed privately to persons as wide ranging as Ringo Starr and Werner Herzog. His most recent exhibition, Thinking Of You, was nominated for an ICP Infinity Award in the arts category, while an artist book he created to accompany the exhibition was chosen as one of the top ten photobooks of 2015 by 10x10 Photobooks. He also runs SSK Press.
Photobooks Discussed:
- Sea by Jason Jaworski
- Two Winters Long by Jason Jaworski
- Rome Alone by Jason Jaworski
- 1000 Miles by Jason Jaworski
- Thinking of You by Jason Jaworski
- LABYRINTH by Jason Jaworski
- The Secret Museum of Mankind + A Private Anthropological Cabinet of 500 Authentic Racial-Esoteric Photographs and Illustrations Hardcover – 1934 by Robert Meadows
- Who Killed Robert Prentice (A murder mystery) by Robert Wheatley
- Otsuchi. Future Memories. Photographs by Alejandro Chaskielberg,
- BOOKDUMMIES: An Imaginary Studio, a Non-stop Process 1993-2015,
- Memories of a Dog. Photographs and text by Daido Moriyama. + Jason Jaworski’s xeroxed version.
Mathieu Asselin
Recorded June 19, 2016 in Long Island City Queens
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In this episode, we are joined by photographer Mathieu Asselin, whose book dummy for Monsanto: A Photographic Investigation recently won the Dummy Award Kassel 2016. We discussed the next steps for the book, his travels to Vietnam to finish the book, working with brilliant designer Ricardo Baez; the importance of collaboration in making photobooks, as well as two of his favorite photobooks.
This is Mathieu's second time on the show. Back in episode 2.3 we discussed the origins of his Monsanto project as well as some of the plans he had to complete it. It's been great watching this project gain the recent recognition is rightly deserves. It's a project that has taken years Mathieu years to complete and pushed his work in a new direction. It's a good example of the tenacity and dedication it takes to bring a complicated project to life as a photobook.
Photobooks Discussed
- Monsanto: A Photographic Investigation by Mathieu Asselin
- A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela
- Beyond the Fall: The Former Soviet Bloc in Transition 1989-1999
Magali Duzant - Second Conversation
Recorded June 11, 2016 in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we are joined by artist and photographer Magali Duzant, who makes her second visit to the show to discuss publishing her book 'I Looked, I Looked,' new experiments with cyanotypes, live streaming sunset at the Queens International 2016, and a few brilliant books and zines One of the ideas we had when we launched season 2 was to have recurring guests so we can follow the progression of their projects and career. Magali is one of those artists that tends to work non-stop and is always up to something new. Always hustling, always thinking, always looking and always dreaming about what's next.
Timothy Briner
Recorded May 23rd and June 8, 2016 in Bushwick Brooklyn
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In this episode, we are joined by photographer Timothy Briner to discuss his studio experiments, photograms, the evolution of a documentary projects, the importance of committing fully to your art, his collaboration with SUN, and some amazing photobooks. This is Briner's second appearance on the show. I visited him at his former studio during the demo season and had a memorable conversation. I've always followed his work and appreciate his dedication to his art and photography. Our conversation took place over two sessions, so you may notice some slight continuity anomalies in the conversation, but I think you'll enjoy it nevertheless!
Photobooks Discussed
- Briner Hauser
- The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography
- Shrubs of Death by Mike Slack
- American Pictures: A Personal Journey Through the American Underclass
- Adrift by Ben Alper
Noah Kalina #2
Recorded May 28th, 2016 at Noah Kalina's studio in Upstate New York
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For this episode, we took a road trip to upstate New York to visit photographer Noah Kalina, who makes his second appearance on the show. We had a nice conversation in his studio about Cabin Porn, photographing upstate and in the fog, hating and then loving Snapchat, drones, camera technology and three books we pulled off his shelf during the intermission. It was a memorable day for Tom and I. We hope you enjoy!
Photobooks Discussed
- Cabin Porn
- Phonebook by CB Smith
- Naked Pictures Of My Ex-Girlfriends Hardcover by Mark Helfrich
- Richard Misrach: Golden Gate
Jackie Roman
Recorded May 20th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we are joined by photographer Jackie Roman to discuss her book Old Domino about the DIY music scene in Brooklyn, photographing music, hustling in the NYC photoworld, keeping up with new gear technology, plus a few great photobooks!
"JACKIE ROMAN (b. 1984) is a Photographer and Director of Photography based in New York. She is best known for her lifestyle portraits and documentary images of the independent music scene.Roman has apprenticed under commercial, celebrity and fashion photographers for over a decade,giving her master technical experience with 35mm and medium format digital capture systems.In addition to her credits as Director, Cinematographer and Producer, she has also shot magazine covers, album covers, executive portraits and advertisements.Her favorite David Bowie album is Lodger."
Caroline Tompkins
Recorded May 13th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we are joined by photographer and photo editor Caroline Tompkins to discuss her latest body of work on swimmers in Ohio, going viral for her catcalling project Hey Baby, inhabiting the hyper-masculine culture of truckers, finding fulfillment working as a photo editor, zine making, gender equality in the photo world, and a slew of diverse and interesting books. We think she set the record for bringing the most photobooks!
A native of Cincinnati, OH, Caroline Tompkins received a BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, aCurator, Al Jazeera America, Lenscratch, Dazed, and others. She currently lives in Brooklyn, working as a freelance photographer, photo editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, and zine maker at Girl Pains.
TIS Books
Recorded May 7th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we were joined by photographers Nelson Chan, Tim Carpenter and Carl Wooley of TIS Books to discuss their experience launching a publishing company, as well as the first books they've published.
They came on my radar last year when they launched, and I've been following their Tumblr which has featured the writing of Tim Carpenter, much of which I've found to be very interesting, and refreshing in the current online writing draught.
They have a lot going for them, and have the drive, strategy and ambition to make an impact in the community. It was great to hear their cohesive vision and dedication to working as a collective and building a community. They are doing it right.
Here are links to the spreads for the books we discussed:BLACK THREADS FROM MENG CHIAO by JOHN YAU & JUSTINE KURLANDTim Carpenter: A house and a treeJ Carrier: (untitled)Nelson Chan: Welcome HomeCarl Wooley: MileA Dozen Failures by John GossageWaiting for the Latter Days by Steven B. Smith
Corey Presha
Recorded April 29th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, artist and photographer Corey Presha joins us again to discuss his various new projects, Sidewalk, the shop he shares with his fiancé, the death of Prince and a slew of gem books he's hunted down on the internet. This is the second time Corey has joined us on the show. If you remember, last year we had him and his good friend Charlie Johnstone (who we'll have back on too at some point!) on the show and it was one of the most memorable of the season. I deeply admire Corey's work as he's diving deep into appropriation and bookmaking, producing several gems already. I connect with his vision and always leave our conversations energized and eager to make new work.
Tim Soter
Recorded April 10th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Tim Soter joined us to talk about his new book about Duane Michals, his future book with Arthur Tress, electronic music in NYC in the 90s, obsessions in photography, transitioning from photo editor to commercial photography, plus a few brilliant books! I've run into Tim a few over the years at various photo events. This year I learned about his Duane Michals project and was able to look at his books at a photobooks gathering. We were excited to finally speak to him about his projects. He's a natural on the microphone and has more stories to tell than we could fit into the show, but we're sure you'll enjoy hearing to what we did capture. For the photobook segment, we discussed Thank you by Robert Frank, Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage : Photographs 1956-2000, and Now Becoming Then, DUANE MICHALS.
M. Scott Brauer
Recorded April 1st, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer M. Scott Brauer joined us to discuss his latest project about the New Hampshire primary called 'This is the worst party I've ever been to,' blogging about photojournalism at dvafoto, living and photographing in China, as well two brilliant books.
dvafoto launched around the same time I started the first incarnation of LPV, which was around the time social media started to take off. There was a small group of bloggers that I followed and dvafoto was one of them. They were very active back then and would write about issues and controversies in the photojournalism community. I also featured Scott's portrait project We Chinese on LPV so his work has been on my radar for many years. Yet again, another instance where I was finally able to meet someone I'd known online for several years.
For the photobook segment, we discussed Will Steacy's brilliant Deadline, and My America by Christopher Morris.
Thanks, once again to Brett A. Davis for joining us for the conversation and making some memorable photographs.
M. Scott Brauer was born 1982, Landstuhl, Germany, to American parents. Grew up in various locations in the US, but Montana is home. Currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Graduated with honors from the University of Washington with dual degrees in philosophy and Russian literature and language in 2005. Interned at Black Star and VII New York in 2005. Worked for daily newspapers in 2006 and 2007: the Northwest Herald in suburban Chicago, and the Flint Journal in Flint, Michigan. Moved to China in 2007, back to the US in 2010. Periodic trips to Russia, China, and Montana. Co-founder and editor of the photojournalism blog dvafoto.
Shannon Taggart
Recorded March 18th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Shannon Taggart joined us to discuss her epic project on Spiritualism, her fascination with mystery and the occult, intentionally making mistakes in photography, a few brilliant photobooks and we end with perhaps the most fascinating theory about Michael Jackson that you'll ever hear. Shannon is an old friend of co-produce/audio engineer Tom Starkweather, and the spouse of season 2.29 guest Ralph Smith. When I dug into her Spiritualism project I was mesmerized and knew we were in store for a great conversation. I believe when she completes this project and publishes the book, it'll be a classic. For the photobook segment, we discussed The Morbid Anatomy Anthology, Casa Susanna, The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult, and Midnight by Arlene Gottfried. Thanks, once again to Brett A. Davis for joining us for the conversation and making some memorable photographs.
Hye-Ryoung Min and Jaime Permuth
Recorded February 21, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer couple Hye-Ryoung Min and Jaime Permuth joined for a wide ranging conversation about their brilliant projects, working together on editing and a bunch of great photobooks!
I met Jaime a few years ago when he invited me to give a talk at SVA, and knew of Hye-Ryoung's work from when she won the Conscientious Portfolio prize. It was great to revisit their website's and peruse through their projects and statements. I appreciate the way they edit their projects and present them on the web. It was great listening to them talk about their process which I think a lot of people will find interesting.
For the photobook segment, we discussed Berlin by Mitch Epstein, Come Again by Robert Frank, Rosalind Fox Solomon - THEM, Anders Peterson: Café Lehmitz and Josef Koudelka: Exiles.
Greg Miller & Manjari Sharma
Recorded February 11th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
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In this episode, photographer Gregg Miller joined us to discuss photographing on Ash Wednesday, winning a Guggenheim, photographing in his hometown of Nashville, teaching workshops, the importance of mentors and much more! We were also joined by guest host Manjari Sharma who has now made an appearance on all three season. Manj credits Greg as one of her mentors and suggested him for the show, big thanks to Manj! She always brings a lot of enthusiasm and wisdom to the conversation. I admire Greg's photography deeply and learned a lot from our conversation that I will apply to my own work. His enthusiasm and passion for photography are inspiring. It's clear that he has natural teaching ability which is rare, despite everyone seemingly being a photography teacher these days. Greg is the real thing both as a photographer and educator.
Cait Oppermann
Recorded February 7th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
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In this episode, photographer Cait Oppermann joined us to discuss her recent travels to Thailand, her book Sea Blues which was a collaboration with Yael Malka, making portraits for editorial gigs, the illusion of Instagram followers, roaming around cities making photos, the importance of travel in her work and much more!Cait has a BFA in photography from Pratt and her clients include Bloomberg Businessweek, WIRED, Buzzfeed, Fast Company, Dwell, Bon Appétit, Uber, Wilder Quarterly and Urban Outfitters. For the photobook segment, we talked about The Sochi Project: An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus by Rob Hornstra, Viviane Sassen: Parasomnia, Sketches. Polaroids of Africa (2002-2010) by Viviane Sassen, and Joel Sternfeld: American Prospects. We were once again joined by the talented Brett A. Davis as a co-host and in episode portrait maker. Thanks Brett!
Brad Ogbonna
Recorded January 24th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Brad Ogbonna joined us to discuss how he got started in photography, growing up in Minnesota, shooting film, making books, photographing in Nigeria and War is Beautiful by David Shields. We were joined by Brett A. Davis who introduced us to Brad’s work a few months earlier. It was interesting to talk to Brad about his ambitions for his project Jisike which focuses on his trips to Nigeria after his father passed away. For his commercial work, he’s shot for Addidas Originals, JCPenny, VFiles, Paper Magazine, Marley Natural and The Rocketts. For the phobook discussion, we talked about War is Beautiful by David Shields.
Susan Meiselas and Kristen Lubben
Recorded February 24th, 2016 at the 10x10 Photobook Salon in Brooklyn Heights
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For this episode, we were invited by the team at 10x10 Photobooks to record a show during their salon with Magnum photographer Susan Meiselas and newly appointed Executive Director of the Magnum Foundation Kristen Lubben.
We would like to thank Russet Lederman, Olga Yatsketvich, Mathew Carson for the amazing opportunity as well as photobook collector extraordinaire David Solo for graciously hosting the event. A nice crowd of around 35 photobook lovers joined us for the event and recording, which made the show all that more enjoyable.
With these two amazing guests, we could have recorded for hours. There was a lot to cover as you can imagine. In the first half of the show, we covered Susan’s books In History and Encounters with the Dani, which were both edited by Kristen. For the second half, we discussed the Magnum Foundation, as well as Negative Publicity: Artefacts of Extraordinary Rendition By Edmund Clark and Crofton Black (Thanks to Aperture Creative Director Lesley Martin for her comments on the book), Afghanistan by Larry Towell, as well as the Magnum Foundation Legacy Series. Recorded February 24th, 2016 at the 10x10 Photobook Salon in Brooklyn Heights.
John Francis Peters
Recorded January 17th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer John Francis Peters joins us to discuss his journey’s around the world photographing, covering the drought in California, photo editing at The Fader, and three awesome photobooks. JFP is from the Hudson Valley in New York and currently lives in Los Angeles. He received his BFA in Fine Arts and Print Design from The School of Visual Arts, was selected for PDN 30 in 2013 and spent five years on staff as a photo editor at The Fader. For the photobooks discussion, JFP brought Zona: Siberian Prison Camps by Carl De Keyzer, The Grand Trunk Road: A Passage Through India by Raghubir Singh and Nicolas Faure: Landscape A. Recorded January 17th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Elle Perez
Recorded January 16th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Elle Perez joins us to discuss photographing underground wrestling in the Bronx, getting an MFA, teaching, and three wonderful photobooks. Receiving a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2011, and an MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2015, Elle was awarded Theo Westenberger Prize for Photography, a Bronx Council of the Arts artist grant, and the Jane Meyer Photography Fellowship. Elle currently teaches at Williams College (Williamstown, MA) as an invited Visiting Lecturer in Art. For the photobooks discussion, Elle brought Burn the Diaries by Moyra Davey, Larry Fink (Phaidon 55’s) by Laurie Dahlberg and Papersafe Issue #05: Turbulent Bodies / A Cross, A Wild Sea.
Richard Bram
Recorded December 11th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Richard Bram joins us to talk about the book he’s working on, the bad brand of street photography, the late great Christophe Agou and much more! Over the years I’ve had several conversations with Richard about photography both online and in person. He’s been making thought photographs for a long time and always interesting insights about photography and life in general. He’s currently working on a book of color photographs taken on the streets of Lower Manhattan, so it was interesting to hear about his process, especially some of the challenges he’s facing making a book dummy. I’m sure many people will be able to relate. For the photobook discussion, we talk about Shoreditch Wild Life by Dougie Wallace, ‘Columbia Road’ by Johanna Neurath and LES FAITS SECONDAIRES by the late Christophe Agou.
Qiana Mestrich
Recorded January 9th, 2016 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Qiana Mestrich (Founder of Dodge & Burn), joins us to discuss her new book Hard to Place, blogging in photoland, art and motherhood, diversity in photography and much more. Qiana is a graduate of the ICP-Bard College MFA in Advanced Photographic Practice, and received her B.A. with a concentration in photography from Sarah Lawrence College. She is currently the Associate Director of Digital Content and Engagement at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. In 2007, Qiana started the blog Dodge & Burn: Diversity in Photography History “to provide a more inclusive version of photography history, featuring contributions to the medium by underrepresented cultures.“ She’s currently working on a book version of the blog which will be out in 2017. For the photobook discussion, Qiana brought Yinka Shonibare MBE: Magic Ladders, Imogen Cunningham Photographs, Emmet Gowin Photographs, and How We Do Both: Art and Motherhood.
Sacha Lecca
Recorded November 13th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, photographer Sacha Lecca (Deputy Photo Editor of Rolling Stone), joins us to discuss life working at an iconic magazine, photographing concerts, Instagram, the news business and a few stellar photobooks from his collection. We thought it would be nice to play a few tracks so Sacha reached out to the bands for us to get permission to share. Thanks to the The Heaters and Surfbort for supplying the songs! For the photobook discussion, we talked about The Geometry of Innocence by season two guest Ken Schles, Made In The UK: The Music of Attitude, 1977-1983 by Janette Beckman, Black and Blue by Martin Andersen, and Bedknobs & Broomsticks, by Trent Parke.
Hin Chua
Recorded September 28th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
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In our opening episode, Hin Chua joined us to discuss his project ‘After the Fall’ which he’s been steadily working on for 10 years. I met Hin on Flickr and have always considered him a mentor (in fact I call him sensei in the episode!) . He’s pointed me to a lot of good photography over the year and his thoughtful writing about his experiences, failures and motivations are always illuminating. For the book discussion, I brought Lago by Ron Jude, and The Last Cosmology by Kikuji Kawada which I picked up at the New York Art Book Fair. Both books are brilliant and offer plenty to discuss. Hin brought Colors by Yoshinori Mizutani, a great Japanese photographer whose Tumblr feed I’ve enjoyed over the years. It was a great selection for the start of the season. To view the spreads from the books, go to blog.lpvshow.com and if you want to support the show please consider buying a $20 subscription which will gain you access to our newsletter with a weekly bonus conversation
Noel Camardo
Recorded June 26, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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This is the final episode of season 2. We’ll be back with season three at some point in the future, when exactly, we’re not sure yet. It was a busy season, and we were lucky to end it with a great episode. I’d seen Noel Camardo’sphotographs on a blog several years ago but it wasn’t until he started sending me his zines that I began to follow him more closely, primarily through Tumblr. He’s one of the obsessive photographers, always out photographing, always working, always hustling. He’s the type of photographer I gravitate towards, and after thinking about it for a few days, I’v realized that all of the photographers on the show have been similar in that regard.
Be obsessed, work hard, and reach out to people. A simple formula.
It was great to hear Noel’s stories about RIT and photographing on the road. We’ve seen so many good books this season, and this episode was no exception.
Thanks for following along! We hope you enjoyed the conversations and books.
Ralph Smith
Recorded June 19, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Ralph Smith went to RIT with audio engineer Tom Starweather, so I’d met him a few times over the year. He was PDN 30 in 2014 and he’s photographed for Sotheby’s, Food Network Magazine, Field & Stream, Conde Naste Traveler, among several others. His still life photographs are meticulously lit, playful and colorful. He works in a part of photoland that I don’t know much about so I was curious to see what he had to say about hustling as a photographer. He also happens to be a fellow Minnesotan so it was nice relate from that perspective as well.
He brought some interesting books as well, which we’ve come to expect, but it’s always interesting to see the combinations. In this episode we get Duane Michels, Trevor Paglen, Star Wars and John Pfahl. I have a new appreciation for Michels after viewing his skewering of the photo world. I started to wonder if this podcast was satire? What would Duane Michels say about a photobook podcast? I don’t want to know the answer. Enjoy!
Photobooks/Photography Discussed
Rachel Sussman
Recorded June 13, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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The title caught my attention right away: ‘The Oldest Living Things in The World.’ It’s a perfect title for a book and a perfect headline for the internet age. The photographs at first look might not knock you out, but when you realize that the tree you’re looking at is 2,000 years old, the equation changes. Rachel Sussman’s book is a perfect blend of science and art. I can’t recall another book I’ve seen where the captions and the photos work in such harmony to create a powerful viewing experience.
I’ve been obsessed with this project from the first time I saw it. I was excited and nervous when she agreed to come on the show. I had so many questions and ideas I wanted to discuss that my mind nearly went blank…and you’ll hear that a few times in the show! Thankfully Rachel is an eloquent speaker and knows her work inside and out. It was the most illuminating conversation I’ve had this season. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as Tom and I did.
Andrew Hetherington
Recorded June 5, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Andrew Hetherington has the type of career most editorial photographers dream about. He’s photographed Bill Clinton, Jerry Seinfeld and many other celebrities, his photographs have been on the cover of popular magazines, he’s seemingly on a flight to a new shoot every other week, not to mention his blog What’s the Jackonary was one of the first on the scene in the early days of blogging.
I met him early when I moved to New York and it seemed like every time I was out at a photography opening in Chelsea, he’d be there socializing. He’s perhaps the most professional pro photographer I’ve encountered. We were excited to have him on the hear about his incredible career and the stories that come with it. He was kind enough to bring some killer books from his collection, including a few books that have had the most impact on him as a photographer. It was a memorable day for Tom and I in Bushwick.
Mikael Kennedy
Recorded June 3, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Mikael Kennedy gets to the point. I think I’ve had about 7 conversations with him in my life but each one has been packed with ideas and memories. Passport to Tresspass (2006-2011), his series of polaroids from his journeys across the United States is one of my favorite road trip projects. It’s a sprawling project, covering 9 volumes, so I haven’t seen all of it, but that’s sort of the point.
I was glad Mikael made time to join us early on a Thursday morning to discuss his pending move to Los Angeles, teaching a class on memory, making books and wandering around the country. There’s probably a few other ideas and stories as well, but I can’t remember. A good conversation is often like that, quick, intense, filled with ideas and over far too soon.
Patrick Gookin
Recorded May 31, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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I’d met Patrick Gookin in 2007/2008 while I was living in Los Angeles but only vaguely remembered the night when he reached out last year to share his work. It’s a strange feeling when someone remembers a moment with you that you have trouble retrieving. One of the hazards of getting old I suppose.
Patrick was in town for a workshop with Todd Hido, but found enough free time to join us to talk about his book Los Angeles By Car, living and photographing in Japan, taking pictures out his window in Silver Lake, and “men flashing plants.”
He has been working on a new project about the California drought and each of the books he brought along were intriguing. As we like to say, we’ve set up a pretty good scam for checking out photobooks with this podcast.
I can safely say that doing this show is how I prefer to experience new photobooks. Each week is a surprise and that makes it fun and interesting for us, and hopefully for you as well.
Photobooks/Photography Discussed
Jennifer McClure & Amy Touchette
Recorded May 15, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Candid or staged? It’s one of those debates that often get photographers riled up. In the past, I would empathically state my preference for candid photography but as I’ve studied more over the years, I’ve come to appreciate a multitude of photographic approaches.
This episode offers a photographer on both ends of the candid or staged spectrum. I met Jennifer McClure while I was reviewing at PhotoNola a few years back. It turned out that we both live in the same neighborhood. I’ve yet to run into her while going to the grocery store but I have seen her at a few photo events over the years and have followed her progress online. It was great to see her win CENTER’s Editor’s Choice in 2013 after years of hard work. She continues to push forward with new projects and recently started photographing single people in New York City which may sound simple but as you’ll hear in the show, turns out to be quite challenging.
Amy Touchette is a photographer based in Brooklyn who explores themes of social connectedness through street portraiture. Trained at the International Center of Photography, she began her artistic career as a writer and painter, earning a BA in Literature and Studio Art and an MA in Literature. She is represented by ClampArt in New York City and Little Big Galerie in Paris, France.
Amy’s second monograph, Personal Ties: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, was published in January 2022 by Schilt Publishing (Amsterdam) and garnered a Critical Mass 2021 Top 50. Her first monograph, Shoot the Arrow: A Portrait of The World Famous *BOB*, was published by Un-Gyve Press (Boston, 2013). Other publications include The New York Times, the New York Observer, and the books Women Street Photographers (Prestel, 2021) and Brooklyn Photographs Now (Rizzoli, 2018).
Magali Duzant #1
Recorded May 9, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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I'd seen the work of artist Magali Duzant come across my radar a few times the last few years but it was here interview with Bird that finally prompted me to reach out to see if she'd like to come on the show.
In the interview, she talks about growing up in New York City, heading to Pittsburgh for school, taking a residency in San Francisco and then finally moving back to New York to pursue a career as an artist. Her Live Stream Sunset project intrigued me because it’s one of those projects that would be virtually impossible without the internet. I was intrigued by the variety of projects on her website and had a hunch she’d bring some interesting books to discuss. I’m happy she agreed to join us to discuss her art, photobooks and how the internet is impacting how we connect and engage with both and each other.
Brett A. Davis
Recorded May 1, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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A few weeks ago I walked over to 10×10’s Shashin Zine Fest in Long Island City. Outside the gallery, I ran into Yoshi, who introduced me to Brett A. Davis. Almost immediately, Yoshi said “You should have Brett on the podcast.” That’s a strong endorsement. Over the evening Tom and I chatted with Brett about his various projects and the cool books he shared with us.
Gus Powell
Recorded April 9th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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When I first discovered Gus Powell’s photographs on iN-PUBLIC several years ago I was immediately attracted to his sensibility as a photographer. He was making the type of candid photographs in public places that I wanted to emulate. I tried and tried, but there’s only one Gus Powell.
We’d corresponded over email after I wrote a piece in LPV Magazine a few years, and bumped into each other a few times at photo events. The last time was at an Aperture opening a few months ago where I invited him onto the show.
His new book 'Car Trouble'
Sophie Barbasch
Recorded April 5th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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A few months ago I saw Sophie Barbasch’s Fault Line photographs on Lenscratch, and in the weeks after that they started to appear regularly on my Tumblr dashboard. I took a look at her website and was intrigued by the variety of projects she’s produced, particularly her monthly photobook series. For two years, she’s produced an original photobook which she has published through Blurb. Naturally this made a her a good candidate for the show. We were lucky she agreed to chat with us to share some insights into her process.
(You might notice a change in the audio quality. Yes folks, we’ve graduated to broadcast mics so hopefully that will make the listening experience more enjoyable)
Paul Kwiatkowski
Recorded March 28th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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When your first book receives critical praise from the likes of Ira Glass and Alec Soth, it’s probably safe to say you’ve created something worthy of attention. I met Paul Kwiatkowski when he sent me a pitch for a feature in LPV Magazine. What ended up being published was 'Kid Tested, Mother Approved' which later made it into his book,
Khalik Allah
Recorded March 22nd, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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With photography, sometimes all it takes is a handful of photographs for a photographer to capture the imagination of a wide audience. Last year, within the span of a few weeks Khalik Allah started to appear everywhere in my streams. I started seeing his photographs in my Tumblr dashboard and had a few emails from trusted people telling me I should check out what he was up to.
He passed the Joerg Colberg test. He was named Harlem’s Street Photographer by Time Magazine. His photographs were blogged and reblogged. He busted out. It took me a few weeks to absorb what he was up to but I eventually became another admirer.
He was suggested by a few people as a potential guest for the show. It was a no brainer. We were finally able to bring over to the studio to talk about what he’s been up to and where he thinks he might be going. One hour was hardly enough time to dig into his brilliant and ambitious mind, but we hope you enjoy what we were able to capture.
Josh Kesner
Recorded March 14th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Josh Kesner earns his living as a director of photography, and like many of us pursues his photography on the side. He went to RIT at the same time as Tom but they never met until after they graduated. We thought he’d make a good guest because he’s passionate about making candid photographs in public but doesn’t follow much contemporary street photography, unlike Tom and I who have been immersed in the genre for several years. I was mostly interested in some new photographs he’s been making with an anamorphic lens adapter.
It was another one of those conversations where we ended up discussing how he could push the work forward in a new direction. That’s always exciting for me because as we all know photography can be a lonely pursuit and sometimes it’s difficult to speak honestly about your intentions and ambitions.
Anna Yatskevich
Recorded February 28th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Anna Yatskevich goes by jazzaddict on social
Charlie Johnstone & Corey Presha
Recorded March 26th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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I met Corey Presha last fall sometime, maybe at the NY Art Book Fair. That was around the time I first heard about SUN, a new publishing company he was apart of along with Bill Sullivan, Charlie Johnstone,
Amanda Jasnowski & Sarah Jacobs
Recorded March 16th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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I met Amanda Jasnowski for the first time after the opening for the Photographers Playbook at Aperture. James Chororos introduced us and Eddy later suggested she should come on the show. I thought it was a good idea. She’s a photographer I’ve known from primarily her Instagram where she has a crazy amount of followers, which as we discussed has some great advantages but also some drawbacks.
I thought she’d make a good guest because she has built a large social media following over the years and leveraged it into a solid career, but she’s also someone whose still questioning the direction she wants to take her photography. We’ve chatted on Facebook a few times about editing and developing ideas for books, which as you all know is a topic we like discussing on this show.
We asked Sarah Jacobs if she’d like to come back on as a co-host and she fortunately (or foolishly) agreed. She’s a fan of Amanda’s work and how she has built her career, so I thought she’d have some interesting questions to ask since she’s more tapped into the commercial and editorial world than I am.
Pete Brook
Recorded March 12th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Pete Brook was one of the first photo bloggers to reach out to me when I started LPV several years ago. I’ve always admired the dedication and passion he brings to his work with Prison Photography as well as his thoughtful articles for Raw File. It was great to catch him while he was in town so we could talk about the exhibition he curated Prison Obscura which is still up at the New School in NYC.
The dysfunctional prison system in America was not on my radar until I started following Pete’s work, and I’m sure the same can be said of many other people who have come in contact with it. His work and activism have made a real impact on the awareness about the need for prison reform in the United States. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him over the years, so I’m very excited to share this conversation with you.
Ethan Aaro Jones
Recorded March 2nd, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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Ethan was in town at the end of January for Soth’s Songbook opening, so Tom suggested we bring him on the show. They’re old friends from RIT and back in 2008, Ethan and David Wright collaborated on pause, to begin, which was around the time I started blogging on LPV.
Pause, to Begin is a unique project born in discussions about the direction of contemporary photography today. A competition geared towards the emerging photographer, Pause, to Begin selected 15 photographers in April, 2008. After a juried selection, the creators of Pause, to Begin traveled 10,000 miles to meet and interview the selected photographers about their work.
Noah Kalina #1
Recorded February 24th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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A few years ago, Noah hosted two photobook meetups at his Williamsburg studio. He organized them with Jorg Colberg and I after several months of chatting about photography and photobooks. We liked the idea of a small group of people pulling books from their collections and sharing them with a small group. It’s a great way to experience photobooks.
The last month Olia and Russet of 10x10 Photobooks have organized two photobook salons here in New York and they’ve gone very well. It’s a great format for browsing photobooks, and mingling with like minded people.
I’ve kept in touch with Noah the last few years and feel like I’ve been following his feeds since I’ve been on the internet:
Amy Lombard and Sarah Jacobs
Recorded February 9th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode we talk with Amy Lombard and Sarah Jacobs about their photographs as well as books by Vivian Maier, Andy Spade and Nathanael Turner.
Russet Lederman and Jeff Gutterman
Recorded February 12th, 2015 at Stockholm Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode, we talk to Russet Lederman and her husband Jeff Gutterman about Japanese photobooks, including Masahisa Fukase's Ravens and William Klein's Tokyo.
Gabriela Herman and Manjari Sharma
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In this episode we talk with Gabriela Herman and Manjari Sharma about their current projects, as well as discuss The Adventures of Guille and Belinda by Alessandra Sanguinetti.
James Chororos
Recorded November 22, 2014 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
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In this episode we speak with photographer James Chororos about giving up a career as an architect to become a photographer, and the struggles and joys of pursuing his passion. We also discuss A Kind of Rapture by Robert Bergman which is a book I'm very fond of now.
Ken Schles
Recorded January 9, 2015, Brooklyn, New York
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In this episode, we sit down with Ken Schles to discuss the re-printing of his seminal book Invisible City, as well as his new book Night Walk, both published by Steidhl.
Ola Billmont
Recorded October 31, 2014, Stockholm Studios, Buchwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode we spoke with Ola Billmont about his photography, as well as Lars Tunebjork's book Vinter.
Chris Felber
Recorded November 14, 2014, Stockholm Studios, Bushwick, Brooklyn
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In this episode we talk with Chris Felber about his career and self-published book Boxeo Clasico, as well as Trent Parke's Minutes to Midnight
Mathieu Asselin & Olia Yatskevich
Recorded November 2, 2014 in Long Island City, Quees
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In this episode, I'm joined by Mathieu Asselin & Olia Yatskevich. In the first half, we discuss Mathieu's project in progress on Monsanto, and Olia's 10x10 Photobooks project. In the second half, we discuss a couple books from Latin America, Mitopoemas Yanomam. Claudia Andujar and Para Verte Mejor, America Latina.
Yoshi and Tamara Kametana (IPG Project)
Recorded November 2, 2014, in Long Island City, Quees
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In this episode, Yoshi and Tamara Kametana (IPG Project) join us to discuss their latest book Sumimasen, as well as Pig 05049. By Christien Meindertsma and A DROP IN THE OCEAN BY ALESSANDRO CALABRESE & MILO MONTELLI.
Tom Starkweather & Eddy Vallante
Recorded, October 14, 2014 inGreenpoint, Brooklyn
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In the debut episode of season 2, Bryan, Eddy and Tom catch up, chat about the upcoming season, and discuss Garry Winogrand's 1964 and Arrivals & Departures