On this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we discuss food photography and ask our two guests to create their ideal spread for a summer food photography shoot. 

In the first half of the show we welcome photographer Meika Ejiasi, who is a food, lifestyle, and portrait photographer from Oakland, California. With Ejiasi we discuss how she would photograph ice cream and popsicles but also about tips and tricks for keeping pizza looking hot after many takes. We talk about utilizing food substitutes, including acrylic ice cubes, about shooting at working restaurants, and the joys and challenges of getting a call from a big brand. Ejiasi also shares with us hopeful plans for a project dedicated to corn on the cob. Yeah. 

In the second half of the episode we speak with photographer Cherry Li, whose work crosses genres and cultures, but always imparts her love for food and photography. We speak with Li idea of play when it comes to creativity, whether that be playing with food, with flavors, or with the concepts of food photography via lens and styling decisions.  We chat about shooting in kitchens and power packs vs. speedlites, such as the Godox AD200 and also about monitoring tethered to a computer or wirelessly to an iPad. We wrap with a brief chat about Li’s new venture – a new studio and an online photo course dedicated to food photography. Her work really stands out.

Join us for this informative episode and check out the articles and videos presented on the B&H Explora blog as we celebrate Food Photography Week. 

Guests: Meika Ejiasi and Cherry Li
Photograph © Meika Ejiasi
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/summer-food-photography-bh-photography-podcast

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Summer Food Photography

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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 50th Anniversary Bild Expo 2023.

Sarah has worked all sides of the table, starting in the field with a camera in hand, then transitioning to a photo editor, and ultimately being tapped to lead National Geographic as Director of Photography in 2013—the first woman ever selected for this role.

Among the topics covered in this chat are Sarah’s shift from picture maker to photo editor and how she gained the credentials to take on such a role. We make the important distinction between editing the work of others vs. a photographer editing his or her own images, emphasizing the added difficulty of disconnecting from personal experience to make objective decisions, and how the guidance of a skilled photo editor can help. 

Turning to her career trajectory, Sarah explains the differences between a photo editor and the director of photography, which is a managerial role. And, when it comes to the recent organizational changes at National Geographic—not to mention within the industry at large—Sarah clarifies that, despite ceasing newsstand sales, the magazine will still be widely available in print, yet by subscription only.

We end our chat with details about Sarah’s current work as an independent photo editor and educator, her founding of the Visual Thinking Collective with three former colleagues, and the upcoming release of her latest book project Ukraine: A War Crime, featuring work by 93 photographers.

Above photograph © Sarah Leen

Guest: Sarah Leen

For more information on our guest and the ear she uses, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/communicating-visually-expert-tips-from-photo-editor-sarah-leen-at-bild

Stay Connected:
Sarah Leen Website: https://www.sarahleen.com
Sarah Leen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseleen
Sarah Leen X: https://twitter.com/sleen3
Sarah Leen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.leen.92
Visual Thinking Collective Website: https://www.visualthinkingcollective.com
FotoEvidence Website and the book Ukraine: A War Crime: https://fotoevidence.com/books/ukraine-a-war-crime-by-ninety-three-photojournalists

The B&H Photography Podcast

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Communicating Visually: Expert Tips from Photo Editor Sarah Leen at Bild

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The “Day to Night” series that Stephen Wilkes has been working on for several years has received much deserved attention and has grown from its New York roots to encompass locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. These photographs, which capture a full 24-hour cycle in one frame are awe-inspiring when viewed as a whole; fascinating when analyzed in detail, and monumental when considered as a production. 

On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we speak with Stephen Wilkes and Bette Wilkes, his wife, business manager, and the behind-the-scenes producer of these incredible photographs. Our conversation is easy-going and bounces back and forth between Mr. and Ms. Wilkes, accentuating their intertwined working relationship. With Mr. Wilkes, we speak of the genesis of the project and the influences he finds in the paintings of the Dutch Masters and the Hudson River School. We also discuss his process, which is both physically and technically demanding. He tells of assembling a “realtime puzzle”, a desire to “get lost” in the moment, and ultimately how his images are “a representation of his memory” from the day and place. With Ms. Wilkes, we take up the knotty and time-consuming process of arranging a shoot that will last more than twenty-four continuous hours in some of the world’s busiest and most desolate locations.

We discuss many photographs, but concentrate on two images from the “Day to Night” series to highlight their complicated productions—the first is a photograph of New York City’s Flatiron Building and, in the second half of the show, we visit a watering hole in the Serengeti Plain. To see these images, please visit our website, and, if you are in Washington D.C. prior to April 29, 2018, check out the “Day to Night” exhibit at the  National Geographic Museum, and keep your eye out for the upcoming book to be published by  Taschen. 

Guests: Stephen Wilkes and Bette Wilkes 
Photograph ©Stephen Wilkes

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/podcast-time-vector-day-to-night-with-stephen-and-bette-wilkes

http://www.stephenwilkes.com/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/dc/exhibitions/day-night-field-stephen-wilkes/
http://brycewolkowitz.com/h/artist_gallery.php?a=29
https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/company/blog/766.day_to_night.htm

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Time Vector—Day to Night with Stephen and Bette Wilkes

Today we welcome two of professional basketball’s best photographers, and that’s not just me talking. Nat Butler is Senior Photographer for NBA Entertainment and has worked the last thirty-three NBA Finals. He is also the official photographer for the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Andrew Bernstein is the longest-tenured official NBA photographer, the photographer for the L.A. Lakers and L.A. Clippers, a recent inductee to the NBA Hall of Fame, and the photographer of the new book, The Mamba Mentality, by Kobe Bryant. So, enough of the bona fides, these two photographers are also great friends, and they bring their easy-going banter and the ultimate insider’s perspective to the B&H Photography Podcast. 

Our conversation covers a wide range of topics, from the gear they use (and what they don’t), the lighting systems they’ve developed, the intimacy of basketball photography compared to other sports, and how fashion and social media has affected their day-to-day work. We also dig into the shooting strategies they employ for each game and how their images are used by NBA Photos. Butler noted that in the past, a cover photo on Sports Illustrated would have been seen by approximately 3 million subscribers and, now, with tethering and instant feeds, a game photo can be seen by up to 30 million subscribers to the NBA Instagram feed within five minutes of the photo having been taken. Whether you are into sports photography, event and production photography, or NBA history, this episode is for you.

Guests: Nat Butler and Andrew Bernstein 
Photograph © Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE / Getty Images

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts

https://www.mcdbooks.com/the-mamba-mentality
https://www.instagram.com/adbphotoinc/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/natlyphoto/?hl=en

Shooting Hoops—Basketball Photography with the NBA's Best

In 1958, Art Kane, already a successful art director looking to jump-start his photography career, pitched the idea of a “class photo” for Vogue magazine’s annual jazz edition. In addition to individual photographs of jazz legends, he proposed a group portrait of musicians gathered on a stoop, in Harlem.  For music and photography aficionados, the photo, now commonly referred to as “A Great Day in Harlem,” is an iconic image, and on today’s episode of the  B&H Photography Podcast we speak with Jonathan Kane—Art Kane’s son and an accomplished musician and photographer in his own right—about the creation and impact of this photograph. We also discuss the new book, "Art Kane. Harlem 1958 - 60th Anniversary Edition", which provides context for the image's creation and never-before published outtakes. 

In the second half of the show, we welcome contemporary jazz photographer Clara Pereira, who is one-half of the team behind the blog Jazztrail.net. Pereira speaks on the nuts and bolts of jazz photography, including tips on  gear, technique, settings, and lighting. We find out that her simple approach is very effective, as she explains how to keep a low profile while shooting, the differences between working a club and a concert hall, and between performance and portrait work. Join us for this enjoyable episode and take a listen to our earlier episode on the image,  “A Great Day in Hip-Hop,” which was photographed at the same Harlem location as Art Kane’s masterpiece. 

Guests: Jonathan Kane and Clara Pereira 
Photograph © Clara Pereira

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts
https://www.wallofsoundgallery.com/en/art-kane/
http://www.jonathankanephoto.com/
https://www.clarapereiraphotography.com/on-stage/

Jazz Photography and “Harlem 1958” by Art Kane

During a little holiday trip, producer John Harris made a visit to the gallery and studio of photographer Clyde Butcher. For anyone who grew up in Florida, Butcher’s work should be very familiar; his photography is often found on the walls of local libraries, municipal buildings, and, as Miami native Jason Tables points out, “every doctor’s office I’ve ever been in.” Butcher’s images of the Florida landscapes, particularly of the Everglades, are legendary, and although he has a brisk print sales business, many of the photos in libraries have the attached placard, “Donated by Clyde Butcher.” 

Although he is known primarily for his large format black-and-white photography of “the swamp,” Butcher’s photographic career extends back over many decades and includes architectural photography, mountain and western landscapes, filmed documentaries, and decorative color photography. Interestingly, Butcher began his career selling prints at small art fairs and, in the 1970s, he had a thriving business selling thousands of prints through department stores such as Sears and Montgomery Ward.

This episode of the B&H Photography Podcast is a casual conversation that glides through several topics including Butcher’s work with large format cameras, his recent foray into Sony digital cameras paired with Canon tilt-shift lenses, the incredible set of vintage enlargers in his giant darkroom space, the business models he and his family employ to market his images, water conservation, and, of course, his relationship to the Florida landscape for which he will be forever linked. Join us for this conversation with a true master.

Guest: Clyde Butcher 

For more images and information on the gear discussed in this episode visit https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts

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Clyde Butcher - Photographing the Everglades and Selling Clocks

Imagine the privilege of being present at the creation of one of the “wonders of the world,” and then imagine being asked to document the magnitude—and the details—of that creation. Our guest on today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast has just that privilege and that responsibility and, as he puts it, this telescope may “change the way we understand our universe.”  

Chris Gunn has been a NASA contract photographer for almost twenty years but, for the past ten, he has dedicated himself to the James Webb Space Telescope and documenting the construction and eventual launch of this spacecraft, which will replace the Hubble as NASA’s most powerful telescope. We speak with Gunn about all aspects of his job and, specifically, about the gorgeous medium format images he creates that are made available to the public. Gunn is responsible for documenting the construction process, which includes everything from portraits of scientists to macro shots of screws, and he relates how he has “taken the extra step” to evolve as a photographer, incorporating mirrorless medium format photography and detailed set-up shots. Gunn must be prepared to shoot any style of photo and he discusses his daily responsibilities, how his gear has evolved over time, the lighting he chooses, and his interaction with the hundreds and technicians and scientists he works with regularly.

We also discuss marketing yourself as a photographer and the specific challenges that make his job like no other, including working in giant “clean rooms,” accepting that your work is immediately in the public domain, and incorporating the aesthetics from science-fiction films. Sitting in on this recording is our own member of the B&H Space Force, writer Todd Vorenkamp. Join us for this fascinating episode in which we learn about this incredible spacecraft and the work that goes into documenting its creation and check out this previous episode with imaging scientists from the Hubble Telescope team.   For more images and links to the gear we discussed in this episode check https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts

Guest: Chris Gunn
Above photograph © Chris Gunn

Space Odyssey - Photographing the James Webb Space Telescope, with Chris Gunn

Shari Belafonte knows cameras from both sides and she brings an understanding to the medium that is as palpable as her sense of humor. It was a pleasure to welcome her to the B&H Photography Podcast.  We know of Shari as the face from so many magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s—no kidding, every other face at the check-out line melted away when you saw that smile. Of course, she has the same last name as a 20th-century legend (who just turned 93 this week, by the way), but did not use it at the beginning of her professional life. However, as her modeling career grew, so came television and movie roles, and she is currently a regular on the hit show, The Morning Show. Multi-talented? Yes, and we didn’t even talk about her singing voice, but what we didn’t know was that she went to school to work behind the camera and never really put it down, including stills and motion work over the years. 

First to admit her modelling career came as a bit of a surprise, Belafonte did have her first professional shoot with none other than Richard Avedon, and that Calvin Klein campaign included a memorable early video component. In that period, she graced the cover of more than 300 magazines, including VOGUE, Jet, and Glamour. We speak with her about learning the modeling craft as she continued to learn the crafts of camera and lighting, working with the likes of Avedon and Francesco Scavullo.

We also flash back a bit and talk about growing up the daughter of singer, actor, and civil-rights activist Harry Belafonte, discussing his Leica cameras, the role of photography in their household, dealing with the press and paparazzi, and a few of the famous shots of her father with his friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Shari had her first camera at age four and generally spent high school and college in the darkroom before modeling and acting took over. Later, a well-timed gift of the then-new Canon EOS camera reignited her passion for making images and she continued, exhibiting several series of work over the years, shooting stills and BTS on films, even learning Steadi-Cam and “dp’ing” on music videos and shorts. We talk technique, interaction with talent, post-production, and about the power and beauty of creating a “moment in time.” Join us.

Guest: Shari Belafonte
For images by our guest and links to gear discussed in this episode visit: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts

A Moment in Time, with Shari Belafonte

The B&H Photography Podcast, a weekly conversation about all things photography. With insightful and entertaining guests, we discuss the issues most important to the contemporary photographer

Communicating Visually: Expert Tips from Photo Editor Sarah Leen at Bild

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