B&H Photography Podcast B&H Photo & Video
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Join us each week for a conversation with insightful and entertaining guests. From gear and technique to history, science and art, we discuss the topics most important to the contemporary photographer.
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Picturing World Cultures: Maxim Dondyuk - Ukraine
The dictionary defines culture as โthe way of life for an entire society.โ But sometimes larger forces create rifts within the whole, inevitably leading to a confrontation between factions. A prime example of this cultural struggle is playing out today within the cities and villages of Ukraine, the focus of todayโs episode.
Above photograph ยฉ Maxim Dondyuk
In this sixth installment of our monthly series, Picturing World Cultures, we speak with Ukrainian photographer and visual artist Maxim Dondyuk, and his wife and artistic manager, Irina.
Our conversation stretches beyond the current conflict, to encompass other aspects of Ukrainian society. From Maximโs early series on a country doctorโs final visits with patients (which drew inspiration from the work of W. Eugene Smith) to his in-depth coverage of Ukraineโs TB epidemic, we witness the evolution of his working methods and his dedication to long term documentary projects.
Step behind the scenes of a military camp for children run by Cossacks, and gain insight into the cultural split between pro-Russian and pro-European factions, which Maxim photographed for his book Culture of Confrontation.
As he writes in this book, โOne culture tried to cling to old times, old ways of living. They were nostalgic for a past that meant a lot to them, to their parents, and grandparents. Yet there was another culture that felt completely differently. They looked ahead to forging something new, a different country.โ
Join us for this frank discussion about how such conflicting forces take visual form in Maximโs powerfully arresting images.
If you havenโt already listened,ย check out all the episodes of ourย Picturing World Culturesย podcast series here.
Guests: Maxim & Irina Dondyuk
Stay Connected:
Maxim Dondyuk Website: https://maximdondyuk.com/
Maxim Dondyuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximdondyuk/
Maxim Dondyuk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maximdondyuk
Maxim Dondyuk Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/maximdondyuk
Maxim Dondyuk Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_Dondyuk
Maxim Dondyukโs W. Eugene Smith Grant: https://www.smithfund.org/2022-maxim-dondyuk -
Lynn Goldsmithโs Prince Portrait and its Legacy in Case Law
For anyone familiar with the photo industry, the mammoth lawsuit between The Andy Warhol Foundation and renowned music photographer Lynn Goldsmith should be no secret. This complex battle over the rights to her 1981 portrait of the artist formerly known as Prince lasted seven years and went all the way to the Supreme Court.
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But do you know the circumstances behind her original portrait session with the famously reserved musician, and were you aware of all the misinformation about this case that was disseminated in both legal documents and the press?
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Lynn is a longtime friend of the show, and our 2017 episode about her extensive, long-term work with the band Kiss, among other crazy stories, was a fan favorite.ย We invited her back to discuss this case in 2022, when the Supreme Court first agreed to hear it, but heeding the advice of her legal counsel she wisely declined our offer at that time.ย
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In May 2023, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in Lynnโs favor in a 7-2 decision, which has already been shown to benefit others seeking remedies for the misuse of their creative works.
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Yet, while this landmark decision happened last year, the case itself was not officially resolved until very recentlyโFriday, March 15, 2024, to be exactโa day some might recognize as the Ides of March.
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Now that the final resolution has been signed, sealed, and delivered, we felt it was a perfect opportunity for Lynn to give us a recap of this David vs Goliath battle, with all its complexities and underlying bias.
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From details about the Fair Use doctrine, to the matter of copyright registration, to her thoughts about the current photographer community, to the importance of standing up for oneโs rights, Lynn provides a clear and insightful assessment of one of the most traumatic and threatening experiences that any independent artist can face, as only she can.
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To her very core, Lynnย believes creativity can make anything possible, an ideology she sums up aptly at the end of our chat.
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โI felt like some higher power picked me for this,โ she says. โAnd that I had to make myself feel like a 1940s film with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, where there was going to be a happy ending, that everything would work out just fine, and that I was going to prevail.โ
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Guest:ย Lynn Goldsmith
Top shot ยฉ Lynn Goldsmith
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Episode Timeline:
2:50: The backstory to Lynn Goldsmithโs 1981 photo session with Prince.
7:17:ย Shooting both color and black-and-white in the days of film, a separate camera for each option.
11:15:ย Vanity Fairโs 1984 use of Lynnโs black and white portrait for artist reference. ย
13:47:ย Lynnโs discovery of the original image use after Prince died in 2016.ย
19:50:ย The value of saving detailed records of licensing agreements for future reference.
23:14:ย The preemptive lawsuit the Andy Warhol Foundation filed against Lynn, and the misinformation contained in the Federal court filing.
32:15:ย Lynn discusses the Fair Use doctrine and the matter of copyright registration in relation to her case.
36:43: Episode Break
38:04:ย Meeting with the Andy Warhol Foundation and the deal on offer to resolve the lawsuit.
44:40: Lynnโs thoughts about the current photographer community and the importance of standing up for your rights.
48:09: The multiple rounds of the Prince portrait lawsuit, from the first Federal case to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court.
56:29: Uneven reporting about the lawsuit in the press, with the photo press being fearful to write anything, and the art press releasing misinformation without fact checks.
1:00:27: Behind the scenes at the Supreme Court hearing, the effects of the 7 โ 2 decision, as well as Justice Kaganโs written opinion.
1:08:48: Lynnโs thoughts about generative AI.
Guest Bio: Lynn Goldsmith is a multi-awarded portrait photographer whose work has appeared on and in between th -
Picturing World Cultures: Rita Leistner - Canada
ย Professional tree planting is back breaking pieceworkโa combination of high intensity sport and industrial labor that requires both technical finesse and remarkable physical and mental endurance. Using techniques more often associated with high-performance athletes, experienced planters (commonly known as high-ballers) leap up and down through uneven and debris-strewn terrain, armed only with a shovel and 30-kg bags of seedlings on their backs.
In recent years, tree planting has become a rite of passage among young Canadians not afraid of hard work and dirt under their fingernails. ย As seasonal work, it attracts many students from Canadaโs southern cities. Due to the brutal physical demands, most are under 30 years old. Out on the cut block inclement weather is common, and the swarms of biting insects are legendary.
Working inโrather than onโthe land for months on end, and sharing an isolated camp site creates a solid bond among planters. This has molded into a subculture of sorts, which is the subject of todayโs show.
My guest for this episode isย Canadian photographer and filmmaker Rita Leistner.ย Rita documents communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade as a tree planter during her youth, Rita returned to the forest in 2016 to document a new generation. In 2021, she released her results as an Art Trifecta, featuring large fine art photographs, a 256-page photo book, and the documentary feature film โForest for the Trees.โย
Equally in her element in forests and war zones, Ritaโs photographs and her writings about photography, art, and war have been published, exhibited, and collected worldwide. She is represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery for art, and by Green Planet Films for film.
Guest: Rita Leistner
Above photograph ยฉ Rita Leistner
For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/picturing-world-cultures-rita-leistner-canada
And if you havenโt already listened, check out all episodes from our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here.https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/promotion/picturing-world-culturesย
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Episode Timeline:
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2:02: The backstory to Canadian tree planting as a business
5:21: Ritaโs interest in photography and her early days as a tree planter.
12:43: Comparisons and contrasts between Ritaโs early tree planting experiences and what she found when returning to the forest to document this subject.
18:21: A typical day in the life of a tree planter and the actual planting process
26:31: How Rita landed on her distinctive photographic style of capturing fast moving planters with a PhaseOne camera and Profoto lighting.
32:40: Rita talks about how the young planters responded to her sudden presence in the camp.ย
36:17: Ritaโs lighting set up with Profoto B1 lights and coordinating with an assistant to carry all the gear.ย
41:56: Episode Break
43:10: Rita talks about power consumption, batteries, generators, workflow, and more when working in remote locations.ย ย
45:03: Inclement weather, dirt, and bugs when shooting both stills and video footage out in the wilderness.
48:41: The lighting details behind Ritaโs enchanted forest nighttime images and timelapse footage.
53:38: How the work of tree planters is perceived by both the logging industry and environmentalists, and the effects this has on the planters themselves.
1:03:47: How Ritaโs Tree Planter project has affected her sense of Canadian identity.ย
1:06:04: Rita Leistner answers our PWC Visual Questionnaire.
Guest Bio: Rita Leistner is a Canadian photographer and filmmaker who creates portraits of communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade of her formative years as a tree planter in the Canadian wilderness, she returned to this theme to document a new generati -
Still Photography & the WWE, with Brad Smith & Rich Freeda
Cozy up to a ringside seat for a behind-the-scenes tour of the wildest shows in sports entertainment, during our insightful chat about the still photos produced for World Wrestling Entertainment, (otherwise known as WWE).
In 2023 alone, the WWE photo team traveled the globe, covering close to 170 live events, and producing 2.6 million stills to serve the organizationโs various platforms.
You mightโincorrectlyโassume that WWEโs still images are generated from video screengrabs. Well, this couldnโt be further from the truth.
ย In this weekโs podcast, we get the full scoop about stills from WWEโs Vice President of photography, Brad Smith, and Senior Director of photography, Rich Freeda.
Among the many details we unpack:ย The learning curve required for shooting a WWE event, the importance of showing all aspects of the spectacle in pictures, and the delicate dance between still photographers and TV camerapeople, who are tethered together and both wearing headphones while capturing a show.
ย In addition to live event coverage, the photo team creates high-level studio portraits of WWE Superstars, which necessitates complex studio set ups at each venue. Given the relentless schedule of three live shows weekly, two of which are traveling, studio gear is circling the country all year long. As Rich Freeda puts it, โWe could be a Consumer Reports testing lab.โ
And when it comes to the type of photographers best suited to covering WWE shows, Brad Smith sums things up nicely. โ[At first,] I instinctively thought, if weโre going to hire new people, they have to be sports photographers. And now I donโt think that at all. Iโll tell you who Iโd rather have. Iโd rather have a photographer whoโs a tour photographer for Bon Jovi than somebody whoโs the Yankeeโs photographer, because they understand that event is the important thing.โ
Psych yourself up for WrestleMania 40 with our WWE episode from the B&H Photography Podcast!
Guests:ย Brad Smith and Rich Freeda
Above photograph ยฉ Rich Freeda/WWE
For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/still-photography-the-wwe-with-brad-smith-rich-freeda
Stay Connected:
WWE Still Photography Page: https://www.wwe.com/photos
Brad Smith Website: https://www.bradsmithcreative.com/
Brad Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradpix/
Brad Smith on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Brad-Smith-Creative/
Brad Smith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nybradsmith
Rich Freeda Website: https://www.richardfreeda.com/collections
Rich Freeda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richfreedaphoto/
Rich Freeda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/richfreedaphoto
Rich Freeda WWE Profile: https://www.wwe.com/videos/the-photography-of-wrestlemania-with-rich-freeda-making-wwe -
Ecliptic Visionsโwith Rebecca Boyle, Gabriel Biderman, Atlas Obscura & B&H
Where will you be on April 8, 2024? If you donโt already know, youโd better figure it out fast, particularly if youโve got an interest in observingโand ideally photographingโthe awe-inspiring phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.
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To get you up to speed on essential eclipse details, tune in to our chat with science writer Rebecca Boyle and Gabriel Biderman from B&Hโs Road Marketing team. Boyle shares tidbits about Earthโs silvery sister gleaned from research for her book Our Moon, while Gabe discusses preparations (and practice!) for your eclipse photo session, plus strategies for juggling multiple set-ups.
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To celebrate the total eclipse back in 2017, B&H teamed up with Atlas Obscura for a two-day festival in Eastern Oregonโs Snake River Valley. This year, the partyโs expanding from two to four days! We end the episode with details about the 2024 Ecliptic Festival, held alongside the Valley of Vapors music festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas, smack in the Eclipseโs umbra.
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Immerse yourself in this rare astronomical occurrence while rubbing shoulders with celebrated scientists, legendary musicians, artists and photographers galore, plus benefit from dedicated spaceโand toolsโfor star gazing and tracking the path to totality and back. The skyโs the limit!
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Guests: Rebecca Boyle & Gabriel Biderman
Top shot ยฉ Gabriel Biderman
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For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/ecliptic-visions-with-rebecca-boyle-gabriel-biderman-atlas-obscura-bh
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Stay Connected:
Atlas Obscura Ecliptic Festival: https://ecliptic.atlasobscura.com/
Atlas Obscura Website: https://www.atlasobscura.com/
Rebecca Boyle Website: https://rebeccaboyle.com/
Rebecca Boyle Our Moon book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611468/our-moon-by-rebecca-boyle/
Rebecca Boyleโs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by.rebecca.boyle/
Rebecca Boyleโs Twitter: https://twitter.com/rboyle31
Rebecca Boyleโs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rboyle31/
Gabriel Bidermanโs Website: https://www.ruinism.com/
National Parks at Night Website: https://www.nationalparksatnight.com/
National Parks at Nightโs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalparksatnight/
National Parks at Nightโs Twitter: https://twitter.com/natlpksatnight
National Parks at Nightโs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalparksatnight
National Parks at Nightโs YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NationalParksatNight -
Picturing World Cultures: Daniel Rosca - Romania
There are many different ways to look at culture, and today we take a geographic approach, to distinguish people who live in rural mountain and hilly settings from those of the wider plains and urban areas.
Our focus is the country of Romania, where weโll explore the rustic landscape of small farms, hand tilled fields, and local communities that still identify with the working methods and traditions of the past. Along the way, weโll follow the cyclical work of farmers and shepherds, gain insight into the Orthodox faith, explore vibrant holiday celebrations, and reveal unique rituals with pagan roots.
In this fourth installment of our monthly series, Picturing World Cultures, we speak with Daniel Rosca, a Romanian photographer and travel guideย specialized in photographic, cultural, and genealogical tours.
As a child, Daniel experienced the age-old traditions of rural Romania first-hand during time spent on his grandparentโs farm. Following university studies, he spent four years abroad, working in youth development, consulting, and corporate social responsibility. After living in Brussels, Warsaw, Istanbul, and Cairo, and travelling to another 40 countries on four continents, Daniel decided travel should become his full-time job.
He chose to return to his homeland in 2011, where he founded Romania Photo Tours and True Romania Tours, to help curious travelers immerse themselves inโand capture images ofโold-world Romanian culture.
In summary, to quote the motto of his photo tour site: Veni, Vidi, Click!
Guest: Daniel Rosca
For more information on our guest and the gear he uses, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/picturing-world-cultures-daniel-rosca-romania
And if you havenโt already listened, check out all episodes from our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/promotion/picturing-world-cultures
Episode Timeline:
2:07: The blend of various cultures and influences that make up Romanian culture, geographic distinctions between regions based on mountains, hills, and plains, Romaniaโs historic regions, plus the countryโs widespread agricultural focus.
9:41: Common misconceptions about Romania: dispelling inaccuracies about Dracula and Romaniaโs communist past, plus Romaniaโs current strengths in tech, IT, and engineering.
12:34: Special considerations, both general and cultural, when photographing people in different regions, making pictures of the Roma, military, or police, plus Romaniaโs strict policies that prohibit driving after even a sip of alcohol. ย ย
17:44: Romanian agricultural traditions of scything, haymaking, horse carts, blacksmiths, shepherding, plus the art of traditional egg painting.
23:24: Forging a human connection with local villagers and craftspeople, etiquette and logistics when making pictures, plus the issue of obtaining model releases for portraits.
30:14: Danielโs go-to photo gear: Nikon Z6 mirrorless and a 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens, the benefits to carrying a flash, plus recommendations for packing and benefits to traveling light
34:08: Episode Break
35:10: Romanian Orthodox churches, regional differences in appearance, rules of etiquette and respectful behavior when photographing, plus the many denominations of Orthodoxy, and details about holiday schedules.
44:42: Meaning of the word Orthodox, distinctions between Orthodox and Catholic faiths, plus Romaniaโs Lutheran heritage, and fortified churches of Transylvania.
47:11: Romanian bear dance festivals of Moldova over New Yearโs, the festivalโs pagan roots, tips for getting good pictures by interacting and considering the background first, plus other year end celebrations
54:20: Romanian Easter traditions, a candle lit in Jerusalem on Easter morning and flown to all Romanian Orthodox churches, breaking the Lenten fast, plus Romaniaโs little-known focus on vegan foods.
1:00:58: Romaniaโs Dracula lure, distinguishing true cultu
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