The Photowalk

A special feature-length interview episode today featuring Jason Edwards. Having spent the last three decades travelling around over 70 countries being clawed, chased, shot at, diseased, lost, injured, incarcerated, and getting his finger stitched back on, twice, award-winning photographer, TV host, and conservationist Jason Edwards knows what it takes to get the perfect shot.

And the photo editors at National Geographic agree, featuring his stunning photos time and time again. His imagery has also appeared in hundreds of other publications, including BBC Wildlife, Australian Geographic and The New Yorker. His new book, Icebergs to Iguanas features a collection...

During the pandemic, international vocalist Gary Williams decided to retrain himself to become a professional photographer, building on existing street photographic skills and interests that he’d developed touring the world as a musician. During this time, closer to home in the UK he found Camden Passage, a charming, narrow street in Islington, London, known for its antique shops, vintage quirky boutiques, and market stalls. This place was to become Gary’s photographic playground where over a number of years he befriended the shoppers and shopkeepers of a unique famous street, eventually producing a book featuring those he met call...

My guest, Toby Binder is a German photographer renowned for his socially engaged documentary work. He focuses on marginalized communities and global social issues, capturing the raw realities of life in conflict zones and economically deprived areas. His photographs tell stories of fragility, authenticity and vulnerability. How important is vulnerability, and can it actually be a photographer’s superpower?

From the mailbag as we walk together, Wallace Shackleton is on a motorbike with a camera, in howling wind and the kind of rain that makes you wish you’d stayed in bed that day, Bob Rose takes us t...

Today on the show, two photographers, Patrick Stubbs and Sean Gallagher recount stories about the father-figure mentors in their lives and the pictures they made upon their passing. We discuss the mental health benefits of having photography during the more challenging times of our lives and how projects can bring meaning to our work. We also learn what it takes to make set photographs on some of America’s top-loved TV shows and why the everyday objects around us can be photographic gold.

From the mailbag, one of our Extra Milers Mat Bobby has found a project th...

Today, I spend time with Mike Crawford, a dynamic London photographer and master printer. For four decades he has worked with the world’s most highly regarded photographers, including Martin Parr and Brian Griffin, one of the music industry’s most prominent photographers.

More recently, he was chosen to print hitherto unseen photographs for the celebrated late photographer Elliott Erwitt for his ‘Found, not Lost’ book. As a photographer, Mike Crawford’s captivating work, featuring urban landscapes and portraiture, is predominantly shot on film and crafted in the darkroom.

I visit Mike on location at his compan...

Today’s show explores captivating encounters and stories that turn fleeting moments into meaningful connections with people through the lens. Four guests who are experts in the field help me on this mission.

Paul Hutson is a writer and photographer who has spent decades recording the stories of everyday people he encounters in pictures and words. Gabrielle Motola discusses the philosophy of asking strangers for a portrait and rejection. Valérie Jardin talks about candid street pictures and how they can often lead to a more formal portrait, and former guest Mr Whisper discusses a project requiring him...

Merryn Glover is an award-winning international author whose work spans fiction, drama, poetry, journalism and radio plays. Raised in South Asia, educated in Australia, and a resident of Scotland for nearly 30 years, Merryn's culturally rich experiences are reflected in her writing. Merryn brings a unique perspective on how storytelling can enhance your visual art, offering invaluable insights for photographers wanting to add authenticity and depth to the written side of their work. Is writing a photographer’s secret weapon? I personally think it can be.

Also on today's show and from the mailbag, we have a captivating st...

Today, I chat with Balwinder Bhatla, AKA Mr. Whisper, a London-based visual storyteller and professional photographer. Bal specialises in delicious candid low-light street photographs, taking us on walks where the urban landscape transforms into a very different kind of place, where every pool of light or mysterious shadow becomes a photographer’s muse. He has shot stories in his style for BMW, Netflix, Google and Disney, including making a series of pictures to promote Star Wars Rogue 1. And it all started when his wife commented, “The cool kids are using this app called Instagram.” 

Also, on the show an...

Photographer Tatiana Hopper is a YouTuber and writer becoming well-known for her wonderfully accessible thought-provoking documentaries on master photographers, filmmakers and stories about personal creative photography endeavours. She challenges you to think about your why, your legacy, and introduces you to ideas and artists you may not otherwise have discovered. 

Also on the show, finding solace in making photos of family, a strange gift arrives at the office, Poetry along the Path is inspired by Philip Larkin, some thoughts about making portraits of strangers and it being the first Friday of the month, it’s assignment week; a n...

It’s our end-of-the-month social media special! In this episode, we feature renowned photographers Sean Tucker, Valérie Jardin, Phil Penman, Emily Renier, and Neil Ford, along with your insightful letters. We discuss the currency of likes, explore preferred platforms, the ever-evolving channels, and navigate the social expectations of growing your following. Beyond the feed, we also tackle the critical topic of mental health and its intersection with photography in today's social media era. It’s a compelling discussion with five guests, supported by your letters into the show, that goes behind the lens and into the heart of the s...