Kiana Hayeri was born in Iran, and this was where she launched her career as a photojournalist and visual storyteller. Yet after traveling to Afghanistan for a 2014 assignment, she decided to relocate, spending the next eight years covering both the frontlines of conflict and everyday lives of the Afghan people. In this second installment of our monthly series, Picturing World Cultures, we speak with Hayeri about her experiences living and working in a region mired in cultural upheaval, failing ...
Jan 04, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2023 has certainly come and gone in a flash, meaning it’s time once again for us to reflect on new photo offerings in our ninth annual Cameras of the Year episode, now renamed Photo Gear of the Year. We’ll be talking with B&H Camera and Lighting Senior Sales Trainer Kevin Rickert. Featured in our discussion are 25 new releases from Canon , FUJIFILM , Leica , Nikon , Panasonic, Ricoh Pentax , Polaroid , and Sony . In addition to insights about each camera on our list, we also examine broader topi...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s likely that everyone reading this has used, or at the very least heard of Adobe’s ubiquitous piece of software called Photoshop. But are you familiar with the very first—and perhaps the most eccentric—of the evangelists working behind that magic curtain? Well, you’re about to meet him today, in our latest podcast featuring pioneers of photography and imaging. As Adobe employee number 38, graphic designer Russell Preston Brown was in the room when brothers Thomas and John Knoll showed up to ...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast “The eye should learn to listen before it looks.” – Robert Frank Australian photographer Wayne Quilliam used to consider his camera as a tool, but today it’s become his “companion.” This is just one of the inspiring takeaways from our chat for the new monthly podcast series, “Picturing World Cultures.” Listen in as Quilliam describes his journey—from growing up on the island state of Tasmania knowing little about his indigenous roots, to gaining a fascination with culture while traveling with th...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lee Miller may have been best known in life as a beautiful muse of the legendary Surrealist Man Ray yet, shortly after her passing, a lucky accident led her family to an attic treasure trove, which made her a photography legend in her own right. During this week’s podcast, we unpack the details of this extraordinary tale, and hear many other anecdotes from Miller’s adventurous life, in a chat with her son and biographer, Antony Penrose. From her swift ascent as a ’20s-era Vogue fashion model—and...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of the B&H Photography Podcast was originally released on November 10, 2017. We revisit it today in honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, and the holiday of Thanksgiving. 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, L...
Nov 23, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1950s America proved fertile ground for photographers Robert Frank and Todd Webb, who both received Guggenheim Foundation grants to traverse the country in 1955 and record their respective visions. While Frank’s resulting book, The Americans, eventually made him a legend, Webb’s photographs remained unpublished, and were all but lost to history due to a 1970s-era business deal gone bad. The saga of Webb’s unaccounted-for archive and its eventual recovery is one of the juicier tidbits from today’...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast B&H recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, hosting a spectacular two-day celebration for the creator community, Bild Expo 2023, at New York’s Jacob Javits Center. The podcast’s past three episodes have featured in-depth interviews with a few of the esteemed speakers gracing Bild’s four presenter stages. If you haven’t already done so, please give them a listen, and then—hold on to your hats—in this episode we’re trying something different! To prepare for some fun during the show, we assembled...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever struggled with editing your images to present in a portfolio or as a story pitch? If so, our conversation in this podcast might be of some help. We recently had the great fortune to speak with one of the finest picture editors in the business, former National Geographic photographer, photo editor, and director of photography, Sarah Leen, who we interviewed as part of our coverage of B&H’s 50 th Anniversary Bild Expo 2023 . Sarah has worked all sides of the table, starting in the fi...
Oct 26, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Deanne Fitzmaurice describes it, a photojournalist’s job is part sociology and part archeology, but most important, it’s being on the cutting edge of what’s happening, telling stories about people. It’s this combination of varied disciplines, connecting with subjects, and learning something new every day that has held her fascination from her very beginnings at the San Francisco Chronicle through to the rich tapestry she’s woven as a visual storyteller today. We recently sat down with Fitzmau...
Oct 19, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Water is essential to life on Earth. The health of our oceans—and its inhabitants—is equally crucial to maintaining Earth’s delicate balance. This is an apt takeaway from our exclusive chat with renowned underwater photographer and filmmaker Brian Skerry, as part of our coverage of B&H’s 50th Anniversary Bild Expo 2023. Above photograph © Brian Skerry We sat down with Skerry shortly before his presentation on the Bild Expo Main Stage to get the full scoop on his career arc, from a youthful fanta...
Oct 12, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Artificial intelligence is a polarizing topic, and its rapid evolution within content creation has set our once familiar world on edge. To help demystify this gargantuan subject and add clarity to important concerns, we’re turning to an artist positioned at the very center of the debate between photography and AI imagery. Above photograph © Boris Eldagsen German media artist Boris Eldagsen made global headlines after entering his AI-generated image, “The Electrician,” in the Sony World Photograp...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Above photograph © Ashok Sinha How central is your personal drive and unique creative vision to the pictures you make? If these characteristics strike a chord or are traits to which you aspire, then you won’t want to miss our inspiring chats with photographers Ashok Sinha and Anabel DFlux. We caught up with both of these accomplished creatives earlier this year at B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference. We begin with architectural photographer Ashok Sinha, whose personal project to document iconic...
Sep 14, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rodney Smith was a photographic visionary, with an allegiance to the image above all else. Long acclaimed for his iconic black-and-white pictures—not to forget his later jewel-like color scenes—Smith captured enchanted worlds full of subtle magic and lighthearted humor. Using only analog film and the aesthetics of natural light, his dream-like photographs are matched in quality by the craft and physical beauty of his prints. Smith died in 2016, yet the enduring precision, elegance, and whimsy of...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast According to food photographer Mica McCook, the secret sauce is more than simply visual appeal, it’s connecting to how the images make you feel. As McCook likes to say, she creates cravings, one photo at a time. McCook’s photos are dramatic like telenovelas, embracing the magic of a chef's palate, and delighting in the vibrant flavors that bring dishes to life. Her approach is theatrical and bold, akin to setting the stage for a grand performance. Each element, from the decadent chocolate drizzl...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bruce Gilden is a street-photography icon. With summer in full swing and International Street Photography Day (otherwise known as Henry Cartier-Bresson’s birthday) looming on the horizon, what better time to feature a lively chat with the master himself, recorded at B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference, just before the Magnum photographer’s keynote lecture. Gilden’s emotionally fraught depictions of real people up close are an acquired taste, and we address this aspect of his work during our cha...
Aug 17, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The integration of AI technologies with Adobe software has set the creative world on its head. To get a read on this hot-button, rapidly evolving field, we tapped two generations of tech wizardry—Scott Kelby, the original Photoshop Guy, and retouching powerhouse Kristina Sherk. We sat down with both of these experts at B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference in February 2023. Our first guest is Scott Kelby, the original Photoshop guy, who discusses the good and the bad of AI technology, from how it...
Aug 03, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you have questions about establishing your photography business and legally protecting yourself and your images? From setting up a business entity to drafting client contracts to key terms in a model release, we cover these points and much, much more, during an in-depth discussion with intellectual property attorney Rachel Brenke. Listen in and learn about the value of contracts as the center point in any sort of business transaction. You’ll also discover how the legal tripod of a business en...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Like good acting—and skilled retouching—masterful lighting is an accomplished skill that should remain mostly unseen. This is the takeaway from our conversations with two great lighting whisperers, Canon technical advisor Eric Stoner and Nikon Ambassador Joe McNally. We sat down with both of these experts earlier this year at B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference . Our first guest is Eric Stoner, a Canon technical advisor who specializes in creating portraits with Speedlites and colored gels. He ...
Jul 06, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” There is no better role model for this Thomas Edison quote than Steve Sasson, the electrical engineer fresh out of grad school who was hired to work in a Kodak research lab, in 1973. With a passion for scavenging parts and a penchant for invention, he developed the world’s first self-contained digital camera just two years after his arrival in the lab. In honor of National Camera Day, we invited Sasson to the podcast for an in-depth di...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Family portraits have come a long way since the heyday of department-store setups. In this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we examine business and creative factors at work in this constantly evolving field, recorded on location at B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference . Listen in for fresh insights on family portraiture from two specialists serving very different market segments. Above photograph © Monica Sigmon, Sigmon Taylor Photography Our first guest is Michele Celentano, a serial ent...
Jun 08, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Humans and pets have shared a deep bond for centuries, yet our animal companions are now considered more a part of the family than ever. So, it’s no surprise that pet photography is a blossoming niche, and a perfect subject for this week’s podcast—especially since it’s National Pet Month! Above photograph © Nancy Borowick We start by chatting with pet photographer Karen Hoglund, who alerted us to her work in response to Allan’s musing about using the hashtag “kittens” to generate traffic on soci...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tati Bruening and Anya Anti are two rising stars at the confluence of photography, digital assets, and social influence. In this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast , we get the lowdown on their burgeoning careers in fashion / beauty and conceptual / fine art portraits in part two of our chats from B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference . Above photograph © Tati Bruening We start with Tati Bruening, who shares how her plea to “Make Instagram Instagram Again” became a global meme, ultimat...
May 11, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Hurd and Dixie Dixon may target different photo markets, yet they both prioritize craft and emphasize a human connection to their subjects. In this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast , we get the lowdown on their respective careers in wedding photography and fashion/lifestyle assignment work as part of our coverage of B&H’s 2023 Depth of Field Conference . Above photograph © Dixie Dixon We start with Sam Hurd, who shares the story behind his decision to shift from photographic sto...
Apr 27, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Do I really replace lenses or just buy more of them? That’s the major question,” says Kevin Rickert, B&H Photo’s Senior Sales Trainer for cameras and lighting, in the heat of discussion for our Notable Lens Releases of 2022 and 2023 episode. Listen in as we assess the latest crop of optics from Canon , FUJIFILM , Hasselblad , Nikon, OM SYSTEM , Sigma , Sony , and Tamron . The full list makes for a lot of glass, so we’ve narrowed things down to a focused selection of primes and zooms spanning me...
Apr 14, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast No matter how you slice it, wedding photography is a fancy business. On this week’s podcast, we take that fancy up a notch in a conversation about luxury wedding photography with James Christianson and Otto Schulze. These former competitors t ook a giant leap to reinvent themselves as the collaborative partnership James x Schulze , while also adapting their sales strategy to a marketplace where the driving force is want rather than means. Listen in as they describe how they balanced economic ris...
Mar 23, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Women photographers take center stage in this week’s show, in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. We reveal the blind spot of photo history in a chat about the book A World History of Women Photographers , with photo historian and co-author Luce Lebart and contributing writer Pauline Vermare. Gracing the pages of this book’s 500-page heft are images and stories behind 300 women photographers, spanning both photo history and geographic reach. Listen in to learn abo...
Mar 08, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast When was the last time you updated your website? Despite the popularity and traction of social media sites, having a stand-alone website to promote your work and build your brand is key to connecting with your given audience. In this week’s podcast, we explore the dynamics of building and maintaining a professional caliber website with insights from both sides of the coin. We start by chatting with website designer Alex Vita, who shares pet peeves as well as the best practices he’s honed over mo...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re all about flower power on this week’s podcast, in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Joining us in discussion are photography curator Danae Panchaud, co-author of the recent book Flora Photographica , along with contributing photographer and audience favorite Abelardo Morell. After describing the book’s genesis and scope, Danae delves into the extensive research process she and co-author William Ewing employed to sift through many thousands of photographs celebrating this wide-ranging subject...
Feb 09, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Selecting photos is a different skill than making them,” explains renowned picture editor Mike Davis in this week’s podcast. This essential understanding forms the core of Davis’s new book Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer. Davis approaches this topic with a mix of clarity and candor, to offer deeply engaged yet highly accessible insights about making photos—and making sense of those photos—while also discussing the elusive art...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
