Please consider supporting this show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/aroundthelens.

Guests: Alex Garcia

Topics: NPPA, Mirrorless Cameras, Texas Can Steal Your Photos, Hong Kong Photojournalists Protest, Photojournalist Captures Incredible Photo of Dallas Shooter

Guests: Yui Mok, Alex Garcia

Topics: 
NPPA Best of Photojournalism Winners Announced
Switching from Nikon to Sony
“Afghan Girl” True Story Revealed

Guests: Stefanie Glinski, Leah Katherine Millis

Topics: Panasonic S1H, Supreme Court Makes It Easier to Arrest Visual Journalists, Yemeni Journalist Denied Access to Pulitzers

Guest: None

Topics: Accidental Injuries: How do we remain safe on the job, Best Quotes: What are your favorite photography quotes, Breaking In: How did we make out break into the industry

Guests: Mark Doyle

Topics: A Private War Impressions, Reveal Sources or Get Arrested, NatGeo Can’t Seem to Stop Doctored Photos

Links: Restrepo, Which Way is the Front Line, Three No Flash

In this special episode of Around the Lens, Zach Roberts interviews Benjamin Chesterton of Duckrabbit, a film production and training company based out of the U.K. Accoring to their website Chesterton “directs and produces all of duckrabbit’s film work. Before co-founding the company in 2008, Benjamin was a BBC documentary producer at Radio 4 and the World Service.”

Topics: NatGeo Can’t Seem to Stop Doctored Photos, Genocide and Fashion, 102 Megapixel Medium Format Mirrorless

Guests: Ibarionex Perello, Rick Majewski

Topics: Remembering the 30th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre, Is Net90 a Reasonable Payment Term?, Is the Rock a Journalist?

Welcome to our new Patreon Subscribers: S. Go, Michael Mulvey

If you’d like to win a copy of No Place on Earth by Patrick Brown just e-mail info@aroundthelens.com with “Book Contest” in the subject line and a comment about the show in the body of the e-mail. Get you entry in before June 16 to be considered for the drawing which will occur on June 17 live on the show. If you’re a Patreon subscriber you’ll be automatically entered into the contest.

If you’d like to listen to Jeff Widener discuss his Tank Man photo click here. If you’d like to listen to David J. Murphy on The Candid Frame, click here.

Part one of the show below.

Part two of the show. We had some technical difficulties and had to restart a few minutes in.

Guest: Timothy Floyd

Topics: FaceApp: amazing innovation or Russian Trojan horse?, Copyright Law in the News Again, What is your Ultimate Workstation?

Links Discussed: Aid and Comfort to the Enemy, The Case Act

Guests: Renee Byer, Paul Kitagaki

Topics: Being married and a Pulitzer Prize Winner, Sony Announces the A7RIV, DJI Announces Ronin SC

Zach D Roberts, co-host of the Around the Lens podcast here for another behind the lens episode where we chat with photographers and those in the industry about the issues that we face in a bit more depth than we usually can do on the weekly show. If you’re a fan of these – please check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/aroundthelens and for as little as a buck a month you can get early access to these chats and much more. The more people support the show, the more special episodes we can do. h

I’m chatting this week with Sue Morrow, she’s the editor of NewsPhotographer, the National Press Photographer Association official magazine which is published every other month. You can subscribe to the magazine by going to NPPA.org and becoming a member – or just by e-mailing Sue at smorrow@nppa.org

Links:

-Become a member of the National Press Photographers Association:  https://nppa.org/join
-NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism webpage: http://competitions.nppa.org/best-of-photojournalism/ —Born to Die Documentary page:  http://borntodie.org/

Thanks so much for listening Around the Lens BTS – if you listened this far – then I’m betting you liked this conversation – and you’ll like more of them. If that’s true – I’m going to ask you to head over to the Patreon.com/AroundTheLens and supporting our podcasting. Your support will allow us to spend more time on the show and to expand our reviews, conversations and more.

And remember you can watch us live on facebook/AroundTheLens or subscribe to the Around the Lens podcast on iTunes, Spotify and all the places that you get your podcasts. 

Guest: B.P. Miller

Topics: Photography April Fools Jokes, April Fools Day Hoaxs, Is competition really that bad or is it making us better?

Additional Links: Commercial for Chorus, Anteater, Joe McNally Leaves Nikon, Fake Shark, Penis Fly Trap (NSFW)

Audio Version:

Guest: Sarah Silbiger

Topics: Military Visual Awards, Reviewing Old Work, Pulitzer Prize Winners, Used or New – What’s your preference?

Guest: Mark Doyle

Topics: Fair Use Goes Too Far, Are Protest Photographers “War Photographers?” Did you photograph anything related to Fourth of July or America?,

New Segment: Discuss the Series – Mining for Gold in the World’s Highest Permanent Settlement – Review the story and the photos and come to the show ready to discuss your thoughts. This of this like a book club for photo stories. Be ready to discuss your favorite photos from the series and why you like them. Critiques are welcome as well.

Guest: Geoff Livingston

Topics: Using Block Chain to Out Fake Stories, Is Journalism Worth Paying For?, Discuss the series: Afro-Ecuadoreans Maintain Identity Through Spiritual Practices

Links: Show Me Podcast

Guests: Melina Mara, Elijah Nouvelage

Topics: McCurry “Afghan Girl” Follow Up, Android Camera Bodies, Outdoor/Adventure Photography, Photography in Madagascar

Guest: Elizabeth Herman

Topic 1: File Structure
– As we migrate into the new year, let’s look at our file organization practices and ensure they’re sound.
– How do you organize your folders, do you create a folder for each day in one large year folder or do you create month and day folders?
– How do you name your files?

Topic 2: The Art of the Pitch
– Our guest this week pitched a photo series about women in congress to the New York Times and they bought it. Let’s explore what went into that pitch and why it was successful.

Topic 3: Twitter Taking Rights to Photos
– With Twitter’s new terms of service your photos are no longer your own.
– How does this make you feel about the service, will you stop using it?
– Does Twitter even have a place in your work, life or business?

Guests: Meg Handler, Michael Shaw

Topic 1: Most Powerful Photos of the Decade
– Let’s review the most powerful photos of the decade. What are our favorites?
– How has photojournalism changed over the decade?
– Are there any photos we think should have been on this list?

Topic 2: Is Culture More Visual Today?
– Now more than ever, access to high quality visual storytelling is easier than ever but is culture more visual today than is was 10, 20 or 100 years ago?
– What makes culture visual? We’ve been using video and motion for a 100+ years, photos for almost 200 years and art for thousands of years, so what about today’s culture is more visual?

Topic 3: Using Social Media for Critique
– Is social media an appropriate platform for critique? If not, what would be a better platform? If so, how should we best utilize the platform?
– What does critique provide in general and what are the tangible benefits of it for the receiver?
– In a world where it seems like everyone’s ego needs to be stroked, how do we introduce and profess for and fight for constructive criticism and counter the compliment echo chamber found in most social media?

Guest: None

Topics 1: Covering Family Events
– Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Christmas is not too much farther away so many of us will be returning home for the holidays. Since many of us are proficient with a camera we will more than likely be asked to video or photograph some portion of the family get together.
– How do we react to these requests? Are we eager to support or despise picking up the camera?
– Do you think it’s fair to provide your services to your family members for free or should you be compensated?

Topic 2: Photographer Wins Case
– Avi Adelman was paid $345,000 to settle a lawsuit where Adelman alleged he was illegally arrested for taking photos of someone being treated for an overdose. Police claimed he was violating HIPPA regulations but those charges were dropped, regardless he still was arrested and spent a night in jail.
– What are our thoughts on this case? Is this a win or another sign that our profession is continually being infringed upon?
– What would you do in Avi’s situation?

Topic 3: Photoshop for iPad
– Full Photoshop is available for the iPad.
– How does it run? Is it equivalent to computer Photoshop? How does the Apple Pencil work with the program?
– Can we see this version of Photoshop becoming a part of regular workflow?

Guest: Andrew Harnik

Topic 1: Newspaper Apologizes for Doing its Job
The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University’s student newspaper, recently published an apology for its publication of images from a protest on its campus. This sparked outrage amongst the journalist community with many decrying the actions of its editor-in-chief essentially cow towing to public pressure.
– What are our thoughts on this situation?
– What do you think caused a student-run newspaper to behave like this?
– What kind of rude awakening do these students have coming to them when they enter the real world (both the journalists and the protesters)?

Topic 2: Newseum Closes Down
After 22 years of providing a space to recognize the achievements and history of news making, the Newseum has closed its doors for good. The museum provided many important exhibits related to showcasing the freedom of press and lack thereof in other countries, the power Pulitzer prize winning photos, and the way news coverage changed over time.
– Did we ever visit the museum and what did we think of our visit? Do we have any specific favorite memories?
– Why do you think the Newseum closed?
– Will there be something that will take its place, or is there another equivalent museum we can point those interested in the journalism career field?

Topic 3: New MacBook Pro
Apple quietly unveiled their new 16″ MacBook Pro. This new machine replaces its current 15″ MacBook Pro and resolves many of the issues users had been experiencing over the past few years with things like processor throttling, keyboard issues and overall heat dissipation. The new MacBook is out today and is being sold for the same price as its predecessor.
– Are we MacBook users? Does this new MacBook interest us? Would we consider buying it?
– Were the changes made enough to warrant the upgrade? Was there anything else you were hoping Apple would bring back to their Pro laptop line?
– What computer do you use and what would you recommend for a visual journalist?

Guests: Mike “Sharky” James, J.M. Giordano, Bruce Byers, B.P. Miller

Topic 1: State of the Show
– We’ve been on the air for four years, how have we evolved over that time?
– What are our current statistics? Have we grown, declined, or stagnated?
– What are some standout episodes this year that deserve a listen? What episode would you recommend? What was your favorite episode?

Topic 2: Don’t Shoot on Train Tracks!
– A high school student is dead because he or the photographer decided to use train tracks as a part of the portrait. What will it take to get people to stop doing this?
– Who’s idea do you think this was, the subjects or the photographers? What would you do if your subject wanted you to photograph them in a dangerous position? Would you? What if they paid very well? Where do you draw the line?
– Who is responsible for the death, the photographer or the subject? How would you rule if you were on the jury?

Topic 3: Shutterstock Bows to Chinese Censorship
– Shutterstock is willingly censoring searches that the Chinese government doesn’t like, how does this make us feel about the company?
– This is just another in a series of censorships or other similar actions being taken by China in its use of commerce to control speech, do we see this continue to happen and what other businesses might be affected next?
– Is there any justification for Shutterstock’s actions and how do you think these actions will affect visual journalism in the future?

Topics:

1) Photog Steals from Others Photogs
– David S. Holloyway, who David interviewed while he was speaking at Focus on the Story 2019, admitted to stealing other photographer’s gear.
– Is this act irredeemable in your opinion, or is there a way for him to come back from this?
– Have you ever had someone steal from you?

2) Can Art Get in the Way to Photojournalism?
– Photojournalists have a wide breadth and ability to shape their imagery, and in many cases they have to in order to help their work stand out from their peers and win awards. But how much creativity to too much and when does it cross the line?
– Is it unethical to photograph and present a stage photo op designed to garner a certain type of opinion? How do we determine whether or not to shoot this, and if we do, how do we present this imagery?

3) New gear: Mavic Mini, Canon 1D X Mark III
– What do you think of this new gear?
– Does the Mavic Mini change the drone game? If you’re not a drone owner will this get you on board? If you already own a drown will you add this to your gear vault.
– What do you think of the Canon 1D X Mark III? Is it a game changer in the mirroless realm? Does it mark a sea change for Canon?

Guest: Kevin Blackburn

Topic 1: Photoplus Expo
– How did the event go?
– Is this event still relevant?
– What can the event do next year to be better?

Topic 2: Photographer Caricatures
– What do you think of these caricatures?
– Is there one that applies to you or that you relate to?
– Is there a caricature that is represented that you think should be.

Topic 3: Halloween Photos
– Halloween is right around the corner, will we be covering it?
– What do we think of some of the photos and ideas mentioned on this website?

Guest: J.M. Giordano, David H. Wells

Topic 1: National Wildlife Photogrpher of the Year

• Let’s talk about the winners from this year’s competition. What is our favorite image?
• Do we agree with who recieved the top prize?
• Donwe take wildlife photography? What are our thoughts on the genre?

Topic 2: St. Louis Public radio best in Photojournalism winners announced.

• Let’s discuss the winners?
• Do we agree with the selects?
• What are our faves and why?

Topic 3: Documentary Review : Tell me who I am

• Watch the Netflix doc. What do you think of it?
• Did the filmmaker achieve their goals?
• Would you reccomend a doc like this?
• Could you produce a doc like this?

Topics: Overpriced Nikon Lens?(https://petapixel.com/2019/10/09/nikon-58mm-f-0-95-s-noct-8000-for-the-fastest-nikkor-lens-ever/) Nikon announced an $8,000 lens, do you think its overpriced, or priced right? Would you invest in this lens if you shot Nikon and had the cash to burn? What would you use this lens for? What’s the lowest aperture lens you own? What’s the most expensive lens you own?

Suing for old work (https://petapixel.com/2019/10/10/two-photographers-sue-nyc-parks-for-publicizing-unearthed-photos/)
– Two New York times photographers are suing the National park service for the use of their imagery without their permission. Do you think this is a valid lawsuit? What would you do in a similar situation?

Female-only awards (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitalcameraworld.com/amp/news/female-only-photo-award-highlights-the-positive-power-of-photojournalism)- What do you think of this award?- do you think there should be gender specific contests? Does it help or hinder the winner? Would you enter or encourage women to attend? What are some other gender or other qualifier awards ceremonies you’d recommend.

Guest: Hannah Kozak

Topics: Kickstarting a Book
– What inspired the book “He Threw the Last Punch Too Hard?”
– What will you do if the project isn’t backed? Is there a path towards self publication?
– What will your next book be?

Sony A9II
– As opined by Travis on more than one episode, Sony has officially announced the A9II. What does this new camera feature?
– How does this improve on the A9 and is it improved enough to warrant an upgrade?
– When will we see the A7SIII?

American Factory Review
– Watch the new Netflix documentary “American Factory.”
– This is the first documentary built from the collaboration between the Obamas and Netflix, do you think that is evident after watching it?
– Is the documentary any good, does it tell it story well and get its point across? Does it make you feel for the average factory worker in America?

Guest: Lauren Hoffman

Topics: Sony A9II Gets Leaked
– Someone captured the Sony A9II out in the wild, what do we think of this camera only seeing the outside?
– Are we excited for the A9II?
– What features would we like for this camera?

Photojournalists Under Fire
– Photojournalists who put themselves in dangerous positions for their work are constantly at risk. What are our thoughts of this exhibit of deceased photojournalists?
– If you had to guess, what do you think you’re last photo will be? What would the last photo you ever take to be of?

Climate Strike Photo Review
– The recent climate strike made headlines around the globe. To honor the occasion let’s look at photos from the event. What do you think of the photos shot by student photojournalist Lauren Hoffman?
– How would you compare and contrast the topic and the images of the climate strike with the protests in Hong Kong?
– Are there images someone else shot that you would like to discuss/share?

Guest: Larry Simmons

Topics:
Profoto announces C1
– Two weeks ago we discussed the high end expensive flashes that Travis uses on his shoots, they were Profotos. No we have the cheaper, consumer friendly, beginner photographer’s version of said light.
– What do you think of this product?
– Would you buy it? Why or why not?

Street Photographer Assaulted
– A street photographer was assaulted after taking a photo of a couple.
– What would you do if you were confronted by someone who was unhappy about them taking your photo?
– What would you do if you were assaulted?
– Could there have been a solution to this issue that didn’t result in a beating?

Photojournalists Rescues Victim
– A teen was being attacked by an anti-LGBT group after a rally, photojournalist Gleb Garanich intervened and took the kid to safety.
– What do we think of Gleb’s actions?
– What would we have done in that situation?
– Was Gleb right for taking a photo of the beating before intervening?

Guests: Jamie Rose, Thomas Patterson, Preston Gannaway, John Christopher Anderson

Topics:

What is the Portland Project?
– Jamie Rose and crew will be joining from the Portland Project this week…what is it?
– When did the Portland Project workshop begin and what was the impetus behind it?
– How many people will be participating in the workshop?
– What are the non-profits selected for this project and why were they chosen?
– Has this project had a demonstrable and measurable impact on the non-profits selected?

Robert Frank Dies at 94
– Robert Frank created some very memorable imagery and was most famous for this seminal book “The Americans.” Let’s discuss his work and what made it so impactful.
– What is your favorite Robert Frank photo and why?
– What impact did Robert Frank have on you and your work?
– What legacy do you think Frank will leave with his work?

Weed Photography
– We discuss Thomas Patterson’s upcoming weed photography story for the PDN.
– Where did the idea for this story come from?
– Has anyone actually done weed product photography? How does it compare to regular product photography?
– Thomas mentions the glut of cheap photography, a common problem in an age where access to high quality photography equipment and training is no longer a barrier to entry. How does one stay competitive in this market against lower priced rivals? How does that translate to non-weed photography.

Taking Time Out for Health
– It’s easy in this stressful world to forget about not only physical health, but our emotional and spiritual health. What are we doing to force ourselves to focus on health and well being?
– How often do we workout, and what excuses are we making for not working out more?
– Does spiritual fitness play a role in your ability to recuperate?
– What are you doing to prevent burnout?
– We’re not kids anymore, what could we do when we were younger, with regard to visual journalism, that we can’t do today, or if we did, we’d hurt much more the next day?
– Suicide is a real issue, it’s recently made the news in the Air Force as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force ordered stand down days throughout the Air Force in response to focus on suicide awareness. What is our experience with suicide? Have we ever know a fellow visual journalist who was experiencing suicidal thoughts or depression? What kind of support mechanisms are out there for a depressed person? What we do if someone we knew was depressed?

Topics:

Nikon D6 – Nikon made a development announcement about the Nikon D6, their latest flagship DSLR. In a world where mirrorless is taking over is there much reason left in the traditional mirrored camera to exist?

Documentary Review: Flint Town – Watch the documentary on Netflix and be ready to discuss it on the show.

Backup Topic: Death Threats – Death Threats are probably not something we think about on a day to day basis, especially if we’re working in a relatively safe, first world, open democratic society, but what about those who might work in a more divisive society, where the media are truly targets. How would you deal with an explicit death threat?

Guests: B.P. Miller

Topics:

Panasonic Releases Full Specs for S1H
– What do our panelists think about this?
– Would we consider switching to this camera?
– Is $4000 too much for this beast?

Getting out of Creative Rut
– What gets you out of a creative rut?
– Do you ever just get tired of visual journalism?
– Which of the 5 tips mentioned by Jamie do you think is most important?

Look Mom I Can Fly
– Watch do you think of this documentary?
– Do you think the creator was able to properly convey a point?
– What do you think of the shots, camera work, editing, etc.?

Topics:

1) Google Photos lets you search for photos with text in them – https://petapixel.com/2019/08/23/google-photos-now-lets-you-search-for-photos-by-the-text-in-them/
– What does this new tech mean for our business?
– Do you think this will help you sort and search through your photos?
– Can you see this tech having any real practical application now or in the future?

2) Photojournalism at a Wedding – https://petapixel.com/2019/08/21/this-photo-was-not-staged-wedding-photojournalism-vs-photojournalism/
– Is wedding photojournalism really a thing?
– How do you capture a moment?
– How long will you wait to capture a moment? How many frames will you take?
– Can the photojournalistic style be brought to any event?

3) Hong Kong Protests – https://mymodernmet.com/hong-kong-protest-photos/
– The Hong Kong Protests have generate a number of very powerful imagery, pick an image or image series to discuss during the show?
– How does this protest compare to other protests you’ve seen imagery of?
– Would you go to Hong Kong to document the protests if given the opportunity? If so, what would you focus on?

Guests: Rick Friedman, Bruce Byers

Topics: Photocross 15 Review mention, New Patreon patron shoutout: Kevin Blackburn, Kando 3.0, Sony A7RIV, Do you ever shoot with old gear?, GoPro HERO8, Canon Drops Ambassador

Guest: Geoff Livingston

Topics: Using Block Chain to Out Fake Stories, Is Journalism Worth Paying For?, Discuss the series: Afro-Ecuadoreans Maintain Identity Through Spiritual Practices

Links: Show Me Podcast

Guest: Timothy Floyd

Topics: FaceApp: amazing innovation or Russian Trojan horse?, Copyright Law in the News Again, What is your Ultimate Workstation?

Links Discussed: Aid and Comfort to the Enemy, The Case Act