Episode 140 - Platon

Platon has photographed more world leaders than almost anyone alive, but we start somewhere smaller: Paros, the island of his childhood, and the book he has been laying out on studio floors and hotel rooms for years. From there the conversation moves through why his white backgrounds began as the whitewashed walls of village houses, how a café called Parliament and a single post office phone line shaped a photographer who ended up working in parliaments, and why he thinks curiosity beats judgment every time. He tells the stories behind the portraits: Netanyahu twice, Obama before the smile, and Bill Clinton with seven and a half minutes of good behaviour and a wide-angle lens. We also get to the box, and what it means to the people who sit on it. A listener question about being constrained by a signature style gets a better answer than I expected. It ends with a message for anyone working alone.HighlightsNo timestamps were available, so positions are approximate (share of the conversation elapsed).• ~0% Forty years to deliver a promise to an old lady in the village who never got to see the book. She is in it.• ~8% Where the white background really came from: the white houses of a Greek village, not Penn, Avedon or Bailey.• ~22% The village as the original social media: one phone line in the post office, and a café called Parliament.• ~34% Replace judgment with curiosity, and what a picture of P. Diddy or Harvey Weinstein means now compared with when he took it.• ~43% The box. Pussy Riot and Putin sat on the same one, and so did a pregnant woman who told him nobody had ever asked how she felt.• ~53% Netanyahu twice, a year apart: "When he's vulnerable, he's volatile."• ~64% Obama's first Time cover, and why he refused to ask him to smile.• ~76% Clinton, the wide-angle lens, "show me the love", and a cover that went out to cable news outrage.• ~96% The Little Rock Nine portrait in the Smithsonian, and why the school canteen means more to him.ChaptersPositions are approximate, from where each topic starts in the transcript. Please replace with real timestamps from the edit.• ~0% Cold open and the Paros book: layouts on the floor, the title, the old lady• ~5% Defenders, Republic and permission to make something personal• ~8% Learning to take pictures on the island, the white background, film and the Leica• ~15% From magazines to filmmaking, and the first recorded interview• ~22% Village life, the phone line, Café Parliament• ~28% Influences: architecture, album covers, Churchill, democracy as a Greek word• ~32% Trust, legacy media and "all you need is attention"• ~34% Curiosity over judgment; Diddy and Weinstein• ~41% A listener asks about being constrained by a style• ~43% Dyslexia, reduction, and the box• ~53% Netanyahu twice• ~59% The responsibility of other people's stories, and The People's Portfolio• ~64% Obama, the first Time cover• ~73% Seduction, Icarus, and being immune to power• ~76% Clinton and the Esquire cover• ~85% Truth, film, AI, and standing your ground• ~90% Neil Young, Van Gogh, and not chasing validation• ~96% The Little Rock Nine• ~99% "You are needed"Mentioned in this episodeBooks and reading• Paros by Platon — the book at the centre of the first third of the conversation. MW Editions, 370 pages, 225 black and white photographs. · https://mweditions.com/?p=1576• The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights — Platon's human rights book, made with The People's Portfolio. · https://mweditions.com/books/the-defenders-heroes-of-the-global-fight-for-human-rights/• Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion by Susan and Peter Glaser — the book Platon saw on Obama's desk. The authors say it appeared in the New Yorker photo essay. · https://elgl.org/new-sensation-drs-susan-peter-glaser-glaser-associates/People and institutions• Platon — official site. · https://platonphoto.com• Smithsonian Institution — acquired Platon's archive of African American civil rights and cultural leaders in 2020; the Little Rock Nine portrait is part of that story. · https://platonphoto.com/about-1QuotesReplace judgment with curiosity, and it will serve you well.— Platon, ~34%I'm immune to power. I don't want it. If they offered me any kind of power, I wouldn't know what to do with it.— Platon, ~70%Look in the mirror, talk to yourself and say, you know what? I am needed.— Platon, ~99%Mentioned but not linked• Platon's Republic (book, Iain) — a search turned up only a Goodreads page mixed up with Plato's Republic, so I left it unlinked.• The People's Portfolio (Platon's foundation, founded 2013) — confirmed as a non-profit by the MW Editions page, but I could not verify a standalone URL.• Short film accompanying Paros (~15%) — Platon expects to release it early next year; no page found.• Cillian Murphy film (~28%) — Iain mentions rewatching it; I found a Port magazine cover but could not confirm which film, so no link.• Henry Kissinger recording (~15%) — Platon's first recorded interview, about Frank Sinatra; no public page found.• Reid Miles, Peter Blake, Alan Fletcher / Pentagram, George Lois, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright (~28%) — Platon's influences; not searched.• Hasselblad, Leica (~8%) — the gear mentions are brief; add brand links if you want them.• Time, Esquire, Larry King, Bob Woodward, John Lithgow, Neil Young — named in the stories; not searched.CreditsHosted by Iain Farrell. Guest: Platon.

Today, my guest is Reiner Holzemer, the director of Leica A Century of Vision, a documentary made last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the production of the first serialised Leica 35 mm camera. The film is not, as you might expect, just a film about Leica the brand, but rather a celebration of photography and recognition of the momentous impact that the invention of 35 mm cameras, the industry that it spawned, and the capability that it gave photographers.Reiner is fortunate enough to speak with some great photographers in this documentary, previous guests of the show that you may recognise, like Joel Meyerwitz, like Sarah M. Lee, and like Misan Harriman, but also people like Sir Johnny Ive, who worked with Marc Newson to design a one of one M camera, as well as legends in the field like Evelyn Jane Atwood, Ralph Gibson, Steve McCurry, and of course the late great Sebastião Salgado.I was lucky enough to see the film last year at a screening as part of the 100th anniversary event held in Wetzlar in Germany, and it's fair to say that a room full of people who’d just had dinner and were looking forward to Jamie Cullum coming on stage did not particularly want to watch a movie for 90 minutes. However, within minutes you could hear a pin drop in that room and the early appearance of Salgado on screen in a room filled with people who had known and worked with him was a very big moment that I won't forget. Leica: A Century of Vision, with Reiner HolzemerThe director on making a documentary about 100 years of 35mm photography, and why it isn’t a film about a brand.Guest: Reiner Holzemer, director of Leica – A Century of VisionIn this episodeA short, special episode. Reiner Holzemer made Leica – A Century of Vision to mark 100 years since the first series-produced Leica, but it is a celebration of photography far more than it is a brand film. I saw it last year at the centenary screening and the room went quiet within minutes. Reiner tells me how it started with a friend who ran Leica, why he insisted on making it as an independent documentary, and how the photographers came on board once they knew his earlier films. We talk about the Wetzlar archive footage, the books Ragnar Axelsson sent him, how Andy Summers ended up co-writing the score, and the film’s opening in German cinemas on 12 November.HighlightsEarly: Reiner explains how a friendship with Leica’s then CEO led to a meeting with the owning family, and permission to make the film.Early: He had no interest in a commercial piece. He wanted a homage to 35mm photography, made the way he makes all his documentaries.About a third in: Why the photographers said yes. Several told him they already knew his earlier films, so he never had to introduce himself.About a third in: Ragnar Axelsson sent ten of his books straight after their first call. Reiner admits he hadn’t known the work.Around the middle: The Berlin screening at Kino International, a near-sold-out Sunday morning, and Leica employees who didn’t know how important the company’s invention was.Around the middle: Asked in Berlin why the film omits Leica’s history during the Third Reich, Reiner says he has no knowledge of it, that it’s an important subject, and that his film focuses on photography.Two thirds in: Fear of failing as a motivator, with a nod to a Thom Yorke interview, and why Reiner prefers humble perfectionists.Late: How Andy Summers came to write six or seven pieces for the score, with composer Ben Brunema writing the rest.Close: The release plan: Germany from 12 November on 100 copies, Austria in December, and the rest hoped for next year.Chapters (approximate positions, no timestamps in the source)Start  Intro, and a clip from the trailer~11%  How it began: a friend at Leica, and the Kaufmann family~22%  A film about photography, not a brand film~26%  Choosing the photographers, and Ragnar Axelsson’s books~34%  Working independently, and the archive footage~39%  Wetzlar, and what the film adds to the museum~52%  German release and plans for other countries~56%  Did it turn out as planned? Audience reactions~81%  Andy Summers and the score~97%  Release dates and wrap-upMentioned in this episodeThe filmLeica – A Century of Vision — official page | leica-camera.comReiner Holzemer Film — director’s page for the film | reinerholzemer.comGerman cinema listing — release 12 November 2026 | city-kinos.dePeople in the filmAndy Summers — guitarist, photographer and co-composer of the score | andysummers.comRagnar Axelsson (RAX) — Icelandic photographer | rax.isSarah M. Lee — Guardian and Observer photographer | sarahmlee.comJoel Meyerowitz — photographer | joelmeyerowitz.comRalph Gibson — photographer and guitar player | ralphgibson.comSteve McCurry — photographer | stevemccurry.comSebastião Salgado (1944–2025) — photographer | contactpressimages.comJane Evelyn Atwood — photographer | agencevu.comQuotes“I’m only interested in good photography.”— Reiner Holzemer, Early“This was done like a real documentary.”— Reiner Holzemer, About a third inMentioned but not linked• Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s one-of-one Leica camera (intro)• Greg Williams, and the Leica contact Stefan Keil• Oscar Barnack and the original Leica I• Reiner’s earlier portrait films on Henri Cartier-Bresson, René Burri, William Eggleston, Anton Corbijn, Jürgen Teller and August Sander• The Ernst Leitz Museum and archive in Wetzlar• Kino International, Berlin• Composer Ben Brunema• Reiner’s new fashion documentary, released in Belgium this week• The earlier Prime Lenses episode with the makers of the Joel and Maggie filmCreditsHost: Iain Farrell. Guest: Reiner Holzemer. Subscribe to Prime Lenses wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts. Sign up for emails at primelensespodcast.com.

138. Simon KingHe made a feature film about 27 London street photographers on a camcorder, and now he isn't sure who his next one is for.Guest: Simon King, a London documentary photographer and teacher, and the director of Everything Happens All the Time · Instagram · Blog · 35mmc author pageIn this episodeSimon King spent about four months shooting Everything Happens All the Time, a free, feature-length film of 27 London street photographers talking to him and, in the edit, to each other. I'd watched it before we sat down and loved it, so this conversation started early and wandered: why the film lets photographers talk about whatever they like, what a photography community looks like when nobody is lurking in a doorway with a long lens, and why cheap kit isn't the barrier it's made out to be. Then it gets harder. What do you become once the thing is finished? Simon is candid about the slump that follows a project, about not caring whether anyone sees his work, and about why he thinks the making has to be the part you enjoy. There's also a very good story about a portrait that ended up on somebody's mum's fridge.HighlightsPositions are approximate (percentage of the way through the conversation) until real timestamps are added.• [~7%] Why the film shows photographers as people hanging out, not noir detectives with long lenses• [~11%] The production company that bought the cheapest CCTV tape going so marginalised communities could see themselves on TV• [~12%] Why the easiest film to make on a phone tends to be an aggro one, and the £3 karaoke-toy microphone going to India instead• [~25%] Around 35 interviews shot, 27 kept, and why street photography is a niche of a niche that most people only meet through controversy• [~42%] "So I'm making it for no one": the problem with a second film• [~47%] The slump after finishing, and why he doesn't buy the romantic version of it• [~64%] Why leaving your work behind sounds to him like litter, and the print that ended up on a fridge• [~72%] The electrician on a film set, and why the process has to be the enjoyable bitChaptersApproximate positions, not timestamps. Replace with real times from the edit before pasting into a host that reads chapter markers.~0% Warm-up: swearing, Scotland and first reactions to the film~3% The film lets photographers talk about what they want to talk about~6% Community, loneliness and "go outside"~9% Is cheap kit a barrier? Camcorders, phones and the CCTV-tape story~12% Why accessible filmmaking drifts to aggro, a £3 microphone and a trip to India~16% Krishnamurti, dissatisfaction and the problem with gear talk~19% The mock sign-off ("a great 17 minutes")~20% The proper start: why make a film about this group of people~24% 27 interviews kept, around 35 shot~25% Street photography's image problem and Tatsuo Suzuki~29% One voice, many versions of themselves~32% Joey, and London as an overlooked photographic city~35% Photographer first, filmmaker second~42% "So I'm making it for no one"~47% The sense of defeat after finishing~55% Not arting well, and step counts versus frames~61% Why make and share work at all~64% Legacy, litter and Vivian Maier~67% A portrait on a fridge, and a footballer who nailed it first take~72% Enjoying the process: the electrician on a film set~76% One-person production, books and the zine that fell flat~84% Finding the right medium: video versus audio, and experimenting~92% How the film was made: Nipon's one take and a gallery opening~97% Where to watch itMentioned in this episodePeople• Simon King, the guest. His D.C. Exclusion Zone series, on the Biden inauguration, is likely the DC project we mention · [~3%]• Daniel Milnor, photographer, Blurb creative ambassador and a past Prime Lenses guest; his Shifter post on the film is likely the blog piece mentioned · [~3%]• Tatsuo Suzuki, the Tokyo street photographer at the centre of the 2020 Fujifilm X100V advert row · Wikipedia · PetaPixel on the controversy · [~25%]• Joshua K. Jackson, street photographer in the film (Simon calls him "Josh") · Street Life podcast episode · [~20%]• Joey Nutkins, the cinematographer Simon wants me to have on, working in anamorphic and making a short-film series about photographers · [~32%]• Also in the film and named in the episode: Mike Chudley, Tim Jamieson, Cal Holland, Nicole Louw, Trisha Lyon-O'Neill and Nipon Ravel. Full cast is in the film's YouTube description.Books and reading• Think on These Things by J. Krishnamurti (1964, HarperOne edition), the book a friend recommended to me, with a chapter on creativity and constant dissatisfaction · Krishnamurti Foundation Trust · [~16%]Music, film and video• Everything Happens All the Time (2026), Simon's film · Watch on YouTube · IMDb · Letterboxd · [~0%]• How the film was shot, in Simon's words: British Cinematographer · PetaPixel · Digital Camera WorldWatch and listenThe film is free and runs 1 hour 45 minutes. It plays well as audio, which we also talk about.Everything Happens All the Time (2026), full documentaryQuotesIt's easy to get a response from someone if you're being aggro. And so that's where you get so much fight content just filmed.— Simon King, ~12%I get nothing from the knowledge that out there somewhere someone has enjoyed something I made that's not connected to me. The enjoyment is from the making of the work and then the mutual enjoyment with others in either making or experiencing that work.— Simon King, ~64%The process of making something is not the process of looking at that thing. So if you're an electrician on a film set, if you only enjoy watching films and you don't enjoy being an electrician, you're not going to enjoy what you're actually doing.— Simon King, ~72%Mentioned but not linked• "When I die, burn my negatives" [~64%]: Simon's blog article on legacy. Couldn't find the post; probably on his blog above.• Simon's DC book [~3%]: Daniel Milnor "loved your book". I found the project but couldn't confirm the book's title or a page for it.• Matty's book on Gaza [~5%]: my guest, who also photographed in Ukraine. Couldn't pin down who.• The CCTV-tape production company [~11%]: Simon half-remembers it as "the people's production company", filming marginalised communities in the 70s and 80s. Nothing confirmable.• Saga [~39%]: photographer and filmmaker who made a video for Ilford with his own drumming as the soundtrack. Not found.• AP Leslie [~84%]: my recent video episode about his film. Link your own episode page.• Still in Street, at the Photobook Café [~95%]: the gallery opening where Simon grabbed last interviews. Couldn't confirm the exhibition or host.• The film on Dailymotion and the Internet Archive [~97%]: Simon says it's on both, as well as YouTube. Couldn't find either copy.• Name-checked in passing: David Lynch and Eraserhead, Werner Herzog, Vivian Maier, Harmony Korine, Taika Waititi.CreditsHosted and produced by Iain Farrell. primelensespodcast.com

137. The World’s Best VisaRon Timehin on trumpets, fog, Vogue, burnout, and why a body of work outlives a post.Guest: Ron Timehin — London photographer and director, Sony European imaging ambassador · https://www.rontimehin.com · https://www.instagram.com/rontimehinIn this episodeRon Timehin started as a trumpet-playing teenager, was made an Instagram suggested user before his pictures were good enough, and chose to get good rather than hide. Sixteen years on he has shot on the team behind British Vogue’s September 2020 issue, directed a Dove film about hair discrimination in schools, and this year has work at Somerset House and heading for the National Portrait Gallery. We talk about practice as scales rather than volume, why he won’t pick up the camera until a sitter has been given a chair and some music, the Canon-to-Sony story that ended with a 35mm f/2.8 Zeiss on an A7CR, the burnout that followed his first solo show, and why work built as a series lives longer than a post. It closes on The Black Rainbow, the project he is a third of the way through, and a practical plea to back up your hard drives.HighlightsNo audio timestamps were in the transcript. Positions below are approximate: how far through the transcript the moment falls.≈12% He studied the business of music as a compromise with his parents, skipped lectures to photograph instead, then got a two-week Instagram feature that jumped his following by around 25,000 while he thought his photos weren’t very good.≈16% Practice as scales: why targeted practice beats random practice, and how classical trumpet fundamentals carried into jazz and then into lighting and composition.≈25% How a shoot starts long before the camera: emails, research, music playing, a team who are warm, and hair and makeup before a single frame.≈38% After his first solo exhibition he couldn’t do anything for a month. Burnout, rent, and why personal projects keep leading to commissions.≈41% Vogue found him through a photo essay on the George Floyd protests in London, which is how he ended up on the September 2020 team.≈52% Iain’s airport story: socially engineered into buying a 35mm f/2.8 Zeiss. Ron’s version of that lens lives on his A7CR as his daily carry.≈71% The foggy afternoon at Tower Bridge when he spotted a young Black trumpeter in an air cadet band and the portrait work began.≈82% Photography as the world’s best visa: it gets you into rooms, and out of conversations with weird Uncle Ted.≈86% What’s next: the National Portrait Gallery show, and The Black Rainbow.ChaptersPositional only (no timestamps in the source). Swap in real HH:MM:SS from the edit if you want podcast-host chapter markers.≈0%  Opening banter and sound check≈1%  The studio, Tom Oldham, and how Iain and Ron met≈4%  Paying it forward: trumpet, mentors, planting seeds≈9%  Parents, expectations, and building a creative circle≈12%  Music business degree, Instagram, and getting serious≈16%  Practice, scales, and fundamentals≈21%  Why people: belonging, and preparing the room≈27%  The playlist (Coltrane, Cleo Sol)≈30%  A big year: Vogue, Dove, Portrait of Britain, Somerset House, NPG≈38%  Burnout, personal projects, and Misan≈46%  First cameras: point-and-shoot, Canon, then Sony≈52%  The 35mm f/2.8 Zeiss, the A7CR, and the workhorse≈59%  Play, small cameras, and other creative outlets≈65%  London Fog, books, zines, and rapid iteration≈71%  The air cadet trumpeter and the shift to portraits≈78%  From hero shots to bodies of work; Favela Brass≈82%  The world’s best visa≈86%  What’s next: NPG, Soho House, The Black Rainbow≈91%  Andrew Scott and "openly gay"≈96%  Where to find Ron, backups, and NAS pricesMentioned in this episodePeopleRon Timehin — guest; photographer, director, Sony European imaging ambassador · https://www.rontimehin.comTom Oldham — portrait photographer; shares the London studio Ron is calling from, and has been on the show · https://worldphoto.org/node/4839 · ≈1%Misan Harriman — lead photographer of the Vogue September 2020 cover; now chair of the Southbank Centre · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misan_Harriman · ≈32%Adwoa Aboah and Marcus Rashford — the two cover subjects of that issue · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adwoa_Aboah · ≈31%Alan Schaller — black-and-white street photographer, a former musician and past guest · https://teneues.com/en/authors-photographers/alan-schaller · ≈15%Judah Passow — photojournalist and past guest, mentioned for access in conflict zones · https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/judah-passow/ · ≈83%Tom Ashe — British trumpeter who founded Favela Brass in Rio · https://favelabrass.org/about · ≈78%Books and readingLondon Fog — Ron’s first book, published by Trope Publishing in 2019 · https://photobite.uk/the-word/trope-publishing-announce-london-photobooks-pop-up-exhibition-featuring-emerging-photographers/ · ≈65%"I’ve been exploring what it means to be queer with African heritage" — 1854 Photography interview with Ron about The Black Rainbow · https://www.1854.photography/?p=76394 · ≈87%Tools and productsSony Alpha 7CR — 61MP compact full-frame body Ron carries daily · https://community.sony.es/t5/discover-sony/two-new-alpha-7c-series-cameras-have-launched/ba-p/3924123 · ≈54%Sony Alpha 7R VI — the successor to the A7R V that Ron uses for jobs; announced May 2026 · https://sony.mediaroom.com/2026-05-13-Sony-Electronics-Accelerates-High-Resolution-Photography-with-the-Alpha-7R-VI · ≈55%Companies and institutionsSony Alpha Universe: Ron Timehin — Sony ambassador profile · https://www.sony.co.uk/alphauniverse/ambassadors/ron-timehinDove: Reclaiming School Picture Day — the hair-discrimination film Ron directed · https://www.lovethework.com/work-awards/campaigns/reclaiming-school-picture-day-1525417 · ≈33%Vogue, September 2020 — Misan Harriman on the issue · https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/misan-harriman-on-his-historic-vogue-cover/ · ≈31%Favela Brass — free music school in Rio de Janeiro · https://favelabrass.org/about · ≈78%Places and eventsWinston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize 2026 (formerly Taylor Wessing) — National Portrait Gallery, London, 5 November 2026 – 17 January 2027 · https://npg.org.uk/PhotoPrize · ≈35%Sony World Photography Awards 2026 — Professional competition; exhibition at Somerset House · https://www.sony.eu/presscentre/sony-world-photography-awards-professional-competition-finalists--shortlists-okswt7 · ≈29%Quotes“Photography gives you the world’s best visa, because it allows you into spaces and places you would not be allowed otherwise.”— Ron Timehin, ≈82%“As much as you are planting seeds in your garden, make sure you’re planting seeds in others as well. So you can watch them flourish.”— Ron Timehin, passing on a line from Chadwick Boseman, ≈5%“It was like my two worlds colliding.”— Ron Timehin, on the air cadet trumpeter, ≈72%Mentioned but not linkedPortrait of Britain — Ron’s image shown on screens across the UK this year · ≈33%The Labadi Community — likely the Ghana series shortlisted at Sony World Photography Awards 2026; not confirmed from a primary source · ≈34%The Black Rainbow — Ron’s current project; no project page found · ≈87%Andrew Scott clip on "openly gay" — couldn’t find the clip · ≈91%Brandon Talbot — YouTuber and a friend of Iain’s, mentioned as an athlete who knows about putting in the reps; no channel link confirmed · ≈16%Tobishinobi — close friend Ron shot with every day, who gave him a spare Sony A7 and started his switch to Sony; no profile link confirmed · ≈48%"Sam" — mutual acquaintance who vouched for the first A7 · ≈50%Photography Show / London video and photography event — where they first met; exact event unconfirmed · ≈2%28 Sunbury — the studio location; unconfirmed · ≈1%Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 — the lens; model not confirmed · ≈50%Misan’s Soho House workshop — end of October; details not confirmed · ≈87%Cleo Sol, John Coltrane — on Ron’s studio playlist (Iain also mentions Superfly) · ≈27%CreditsHosted by Iain Farrell. Guest: Ron Timehin. Prime Lenses is an audio-only photography podcast, new episodes every Sunday.

Prime Lenses Episode 136 – Colin PriorFour decades of Scottish landscapes, the camera he sold and never went back to, and thoughts on the future of photography and AI.Guest: Colin Prior — Scottish landscape photographer, best known for his panoramas · colinprior.co.ukIn this episodeColin Prior has spent four decades photographing Scotland’s mountains, much of it on a Fuji 6x17 panoramic film camera, and he opens this conversation with the one thing he says to everyone: it’s not what’s in the picture, it’s where it takes you. From there we talk about the eye path, which he’d like you to think about instead of leading lines, and why he’ll take a few stray white dots out of a frame. He explains why he sold the camera that got his early work noticed and never went back, and he’s blunt about the world it left behind: magazines that no longer pay, video eating stills, and inkjet ink that costs more than a good whisky. His case for books, and for handing yours to a publisher and a designer, runs through the middle of the episode. We finish on AI, an AI-made Odyssey, and the book he’s been working on for ten years and isn’t in a hurry to finish.Highlights~9:00  “Leading lines” is the wrong idea. Colin calls it the eye path, and he’s happy to remove a few stray white dots to protect it.~15:00  If you have to ask yourself whether you got the picture, you didn’t.~16:20  Why he sold the 6x17 camera behind his panoramas, and why stitching digital panoramas never tempted him.~22:20  The brain stores a still image as a single moment. Video, he says, goes in one ear and out the other.~24:50  Inkjet ink that costs more than a 21-year-old single malt, and the case for letting a lab do your printing.~29:10  Why he has never self-published: you sell to the choir and the congregation never sees it.~40:20  On his workshops: the camera stays in the bag while he walks the landscape looking for evidence.~56:30  The book he has been making for ten years, and why he doesn’t want an end date.Chapters0:00   Cold open: “It’s where it takes you”~0:20   Iain’s introduction~1:20   October light, and four winters without snow~5:30   Why landscape? Birds came first~9:00   The eye path, rogue highlights and what editing really is~14:00   Self-taught, and what failures teach~15:40   Selling the Fuji 6x17~21:00   Magazines, video and the brain that stores single moments~23:50   Megapixels, prints and the inkjet problem~27:40   Books: design, distribution and why not to self-publish~37:20   Running workshops: critiques, and the camera that stays in the bag~42:00   Thinking in layers~44:40   Undisturbed places, Skye as a theme park, and Munros~49:00   Trends, 500px and colour in print~53:10   AI, and the AI-generated Odyssey~56:30   The ten-year book and the underground archive~59:50   Where it takes you, and where to find Colin~1:01:40   OutroMentioned in this episodePeopleColin Prior — the guest; Scottish landscape photographer, best known for his panoramas · colinprior.co.ukJoe Cornish — landscape photographer and a friend of both Colin and Iain · joecornish.co.uk · ~3:50Graham Niven — Nethy Bridge photographer and an earlier guest (Prime Lenses Episode 131), whose conversation led Iain to Colin · Niven Photography & Arbor Gallery · ~6:00Ansel Adams — Colin’s comparison for digital dodging and burning · The Ansel Adams Gallery · ~13:20Music, film and videoBehind the Lens — the Sigma video series Colin and Joe Cornish made together, which Iain mentions enjoying · Colin’s write-up · PetaPixel on the series · ~31:20The 2.5-hour AI-generated Odyssey movie is 2.5 hours too long — the Verge review Iain read that morning, of the AI film Odysseus: The Fall · The Verge · ~53:30The Odyssey — Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film, released around the same time · Wikipedia · ~53:30Tools and productsFuji GX617 — the 6x17 panoramic film camera behind Colin’s panoramas, with the 90, 180 and 300mm lenses he mentions · Specifications · ~15:40500px — the photo-sharing site Colin was once told to put his panoramas on · 500px.com · ~51:10Companies and institutionsThe Royal Photographic Society — Colin says he told its president that nobody will print while printing costs this much · RPS Distinctions · ~26:30Waterstones — Colin on why photographers’ books need mainstream distribution, and what the shelves look like now · waterstones.com · ~29:10PlacesIsle of Skye — the Quiraing, the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools, and Colin’s view that Skye has become a theme park · VisitScotland · ~45:50Schiehallion — the mountain above Kinloch Rannoch in a friend’s photograph, with sheep creating the eye path · Wikipedia · ~9:50Find Colin’s workColin Prior’s websiteBooks and calendarsGroup tours and workshopsColin on Instagram

135. James PopsysWhat if the goal isn't to make photography easy - what if the difficulty is the whole point?Guest: James Popsys. Photographer, YouTuber and author based in Snowdonia, North Wales · jamespopsys.com · YouTube and Instagram: search "James Popsys" (P-O-P-S-Y-S)In this episodeJames has been on my list of dream guests for ages, so I was thrilled to finally sit down with him. We start, as these things do, with lawnmowers and film scanners, before getting into the real story: a marketing job in London, weekend photo walks, a conceptual composite of the London Eye as a bicycle wheel, and a move to Sydney that somehow led to a YouTube channel he started almost by accident in New Zealand. James talks about guarding his own individuality by deliberately not watching other photographers' videos, connecting the dots backwards to find the worldview running through his work, and what it took to commit thousands of prints to paper for his book Human Nature. We get into his one-lens, one-body philosophy, why he thinks difficulty is a feature of photography rather than a bug, and why he'd still rather be surprised by an ordinary place than get the photo 3,000 other people already have. He's off to East Greenland in a few days to experiment with a more hybrid, video-forward workflow, and this conversation is a lovely primer for anyone who wants to know how he got there.Highlights[Opening] Film scanners, darkroom chemistry, and a cold open about finding surprise in unremarkable places[Opening] A very serious digression into battery-powered lawnmowers[First third] The London Eye as a bicycle wheel, and the Sydney-to-YouTube origin story[First third] "You can't connect the dots going forward" - finding the worldview that was there all along[Middle] Making Human Nature: watching the zeroes stack up on a 15-metre printer[Middle] The horses-through-the-window print, and why James is a "one body, one lens" traveller[Middle] A Leica SL3's peeling grip, and 21-year-old Leica R8 and R9 bodies that still work[Second half] Guarding individuality by not watching other people's videos[Second half] AI, disclosure scandals, and why nobody's asking for more of it[Late] Street photography, Britt Bradley's Gen-AI-vs-wet-plate test, and heading to East GreenlandChaptersPositions are approximate. The transcript has no timestamps.Opening Cold open: finding surprise in unremarkable placesOpening Film scanning setups and darkroom chemistryOpening Kit Young's 400-roll film habitOpening North Wales weather and the lawnmower tangentFirst third James's origin story: London, Sydney, and an accidental YouTube channelFirst third Connecting the dots backwards to find a worldviewFirst third Guarding individuality; avoiding other photographers' and podcasters' workFirst third Human Nature: starting the book, and the RISD-style question of what comes after book oneMiddle Printing day: watching thousands of pounds turn into inkMiddle The horses-through-the-window print and limited-run printsMiddle A 140kg Canon PRO-2600 printer in the houseMiddle Exhibitions, introversion, and whether James should "try anything once"Middle Why a photo feels finished when it's printedSecond half The New York school-bus photo, 40mm, and shooting at "imperfect" times of daySecond half Not doing YouTube gurning thumbnailsSecond half Dabbling in filmmaking and switching to DaVinci ResolveSecond half One body, one lens, and heading to East Greenland with Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveSecond half Gear rules, a Leica SL3's peeling grip, and the Leica R8/R9Late AI disclosure scandals and the Ricoh promotional-material controversyLate Britt Bradley's Gen-AI vs wet-plate testLate Running a business to sustain people, not to maximise returnsClose Where to find James, and lawnmowers revisitedMentioned in this episodePeopleThomas Heaton - landscape photographer and one of the first photography YouTubers James watched early on · YouTube · [First third]Joe Allam - travel and street photographer and YouTuber James cites as an early influence · joeallam.co.uk · [First third]Nigel Danson - landscape photographer and friend who reassured James his printer inks would last for years · nigeldanson.com · [Middle]Ed Smith - photographer local to me, mentioned for his exhibition work · [Second half]Josh Edgoose - London street photographer known for finding humour in the everyday, featured in a video with Sean Tucker that stuck with me · Fujifilm profile · [Second half]Sean Tucker - photographer and YouTuber who filmed the Josh Edgoose video I mentioned · [Second half]Jack Lodge - former guest and South Coast photographer known for returning to the same spot across every season · [Second half]Cal Henderson - former guest whose film street photography I mentioned · [Second half]Britt Bradley (Nitrate Fox) - former guest and wet-plate collodion artist who posted a Gen-AI-vs-real comparison that fooled me completely · Lens Culture profile · [Late]Kit Young - former guest, film photographer who buys film in 400-roll packs and views his work exclusively as prints · [Opening]Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove - landscape photographer and workshop leader James is running an East Greenland trip with · jvn.photo · [Second half]BooksHuman Nature by James Popsys - his first photo book, self-published in 2024, exploring the relationship between man-made structures and nature · [First third]Tools and productsValoi Easy120 - the film scanning rig Iain is using and James is considering · Valoi · [Opening]Ilford XP2 Super - the black-and-white film James shoots that develops in a standard colour C-41 process · Ilford · [Opening]Kodak Portra - the colour film Iain is buying more of · [Opening]Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 - James's 140kg, 24-inch-wide print studio-in-a-house · Canon · [Middle]Leica SL3 - the camera James used briefly before its grip started peeling · Leica · [Middle]Leica R8 / R9 - Iain's 21-year-old film SLRs, one fitted with a 10-megapixel digital back · [Middle]Panasonic Lumix GX1 - a small Micro Four Thirds camera James recently rediscovered with an added viewfinder · [Second half]DJI Osmo Pocket - the compact camera both James and Iain use for lightweight, all-in-one shooting · DJI · [Second half]Peak Design sling - the camera bag both James and Iain independently landed on · Peak Design · [Second half]DaVinci Resolve - the video editor James switched to after leaving Adobe's subscription model · Blackmagic Design · [Second half]Ricoh GR - the viewfinder-less compact camera at the centre of a promotional-material AI controversy · Ricoh · [Late]Places and eventsAmmassalik / Tasiilaq, East Greenland - where James is headed days after this recording, to experiment with a hybrid stills-and-video workflow · jvn.photo workshop listing · [Second half]New Zealand - where James shot his first, unplanned videos before starting his YouTube channel · [First third]Chinatown, London - setting for the Josh Jackson/Josh Edgoose street photography video James remembered · [Second half]QuotesI found most joy in getting something that I think is really interesting in a place that isn't particularly interesting.James Popsys, [Opening]The idea of one day can quite easily slip away, can't it?James Popsys, [Second half]What if we just ran the business to sustain the people that work there and that's it, and we didn't worry about maximising returns?Iain Farrell, [Late]Mentioned but not linked"The name of the car is a little bit." [Close] - the transcript's final line is garbled and I couldn't reconstruct it. Please check the audio.Rico / Ricoh promotional-material story [Late] - James says he "heard" about this but didn't know the details; I couldn't independently verify which campaign is meant.The Hasselblad competition "coke bottle" story [Late] - referenced in passing; I couldn't confirm the specific competition or year.GoPro disclosure controversy [Late] - mentioned without a name attached, so I couldn't research or link it.CreditsHosted and produced by Iain Farrell.Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Patreon

What do you do when the best trip of your life makes every photo after it feel smaller?Guest: Daria Zlobinski. London-based photographer, macro and nature obsessive, never without a Leica · Instagram: @dariazlb (main) and @d.zlobinski (photography)In this episodeDaria messaged me a while back to say she was burned out and worried she was falling out of love with photography, and would I like to talk about it. That sounded like exactly the right kind of Prime Lenses conversation. We start at the beginning: windsurfing holidays, her dad's cameras, a Tumblr surf blog, and a RISD summer workshop where everyone else photographed people and she found a plant house. Then the harder part: how an Antarctica trip set a bar she isn't sure she can reach again, what Instagram rewards versus what she actually loves, and the small, silly challenges that got her shooting again, from an iPhone walk in Regent's Park to Sunday mornings at a farmer's market. Along the way: a Leica Q3 that got rained on, a salt-crusted Canon 5D Mark II with a black strip across the sensor, the sound of a Leica R9 shutter, and a pop-up show she'd love to hold in the Barbican Conservatory before it closes. And yes, we carried on talking after I said we'd finished.- Episode Sponsorship - BestPodcasts.co.uk is a free podcast player that works in your browser on any device. You can listen to episodes from your favourite hosts. You do not need an account, an app, or to download anything to listen to the best free podcasts.ChaptersPositions are approximate. The transcript has no timestamps.Opening Cold open: the iPhone challengeOpening Intro and why Daria is hereFirst third Windsurfing, her dad's cameras, Tumblr, and a Canon 60DFirst third RISD workshop, the plant house, Henry HorensteinFirst third London, consent, and carrying a Leica everywhereFirst third Travelling as a different version of yourselfMiddle Q3 vs D-Lux 8 in IcelandMiddle My kitchen, a Spider-Man web made of wool, and Day OneMiddle 200,000 photos, iCloud panic, and stock photographyMiddle Prints, books, and making something just for youMiddle Slop reels, likes, and doing it for yourselfMiddle Postcards, cyanotypes, and slow mailSecond half Burnout, comparison, and the self-criticism cycleSecond half Photo walks, small challenges, and Sunday farmer's marketsSecond half Scotland trip talk, spontaneity, and projects that assemble themselvesSecond half Photographers who shaped her, and Dolly PartonSecond half The pop-up dream and the Barbican ConservatoryLate The 5D Mark II storyLate The R9 and its shutter, favourite cameras, retro lenses, and Osmo Pocket videoClose Where to find Daria, and the customary extra ten minutesMentioned in this episodePeopleHenry Horenstein - photographer, RISD professor, and author of Animalia, the book that clicked for Daria · Wikipedia · [First third]Stephen K. Schuster - New York photographer behind City Kids, a years-long project photographing teenagers · Tribeca Citizen on the exhibition · [Middle, second half]Mike Chudley - photographer and YouTuber who made a book just for himself after his China trip · Episode 124 · [Middle]Anthony Prince Leslie (AP) - photographer and filmmaker I'd spoken to the day before · Episode 133 · [Middle]Books and readingAnimalia by Henry Horenstein - close, abstract photographs of animals taken out of context (Pond Press, 2008) · UMass Dartmouth exhibition page · [First third]City Kids by Stephen K. Schuster - the self-published book of the project (2025) · Le Grand J · [Second half]Tools and productsLeica Q3 - the full-frame compact Daria carries and that got rained on in Iceland · Leica · [Middle]Leica D-Lux 8 - the small zoom compact that became her Iceland camera · Leica press release · [Middle]Canon EOS 5D Mark II - her dad's well-travelled camera, used in Antarctica and Iceland · Canon USA launch release · [Late]Leica R9 with Digital-Modul-R - a film SLR turned 10-megapixel digital camera, my recent madness · DPReview on the announcement · [Late]DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - what I use for all my video · Launch coverage · [Late]Day One - the journal app I use for its "On This Day" memories · dayoneapp.com · [Middle]Foto - the photo-sharing app behind the global Foto Walks · fotoapp.co · [Second half]Companies and institutionsRISD (Rhode Island School of Design) - where Daria took her first academic photography workshop · RISD Photography · [First third]Places and eventsBarbican Conservatory - Daria's dream place to show her work; it closes at the end of 2026 for a multi-year restoration · Barbican · The Guardian on the plant cutting giveaway · [Second half]Foto Walks - the worldwide day of free photo walks; I host the Inverness one · Walks info · My chat with Michael Howard of Foto · [Second half]Week of Walks - my own week of listener photo walks in July · Day one · [Second half]Park Hyatt Tokyo - the Lost in Translation hotel, reopened after a 19-month renovation · TravelMole · [Second half]QuotesIt's okay to stand out from other people.Daria Zlobinski, [First third]It has 3 million views. And for the past couple of months, it just garnered me like 300 followers or whatever.Daria Zlobinski, [Middle]If I make a plan, 99% it won't work out. So that's why I'm very spontaneous.Daria Zlobinski, [Second half]Mentioned but not linkedDaria's Instagram accounts [Close] - @dariazlb (main) and @d.zlobinski (photography). Spoken in the episode; I couldn't verify the profile URLs by search, so add the links by hand.Brett Henriksen [First third] - Daria's RISD professor who introduced her to Horenstein; the spelling is unconfirmed."Lucas" [Middle] - former guest who has worked with scientists drilling ice cores; surname not given."Richard" [Middle] - former guest, Dutch, based in New York, who sends postcards through a small Patreon; surname not given."Torsten" [Late] - someone I talked to about the R9 with digital back; surname not given."Philip Reinhardt" [Late] - former guest who shot the Winter Olympics with a borrowed R9 and digital back; the spelling needs checking."The Carrier Print Club" [Middle] - my print club starting next month; the name in the transcript looks garbled."LSA" [First third] - the group Daria reached out to for event photography; possibly LSE."Kodak channel" [Middle] - the Antarctic spot Daria says she left a piece of her heart; possibly the Lemaire Channel.Grandma's old "IXUS" camera [Late] - a 7-megapixel compact; probably a Canon IXUS.Support the show on Patreon.More about this show:A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

My guest this week is Anthony Prince Leslie, a photographer and filmmaker from Brooklyn. He has made a name for himself shooting behind the scenes footage for films like The Drama and Spider-Man Brand New Day. I wanted to speak to him to learn all about shooting behind the scenes on a modern movie set, and on film. This conversation involves some fairly hard-core cameras of the stills and moving picture variety and an impromptu fit check so you might want to watch this one on YouTube.Mentioned in this episodePeopleZendaya — connected AP to The Drama and later to Spider-Man: Brand New Day · WikipediaLaw Roach — celebrity stylist AP worked with on the Bringing It Forward series, including a Tommy Hilfiger campaign · WikipediaTom Holland — star of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, who told AP he loved the sound of his camera on set · WikipediaSadie Sink — mentioned as the subject of new images AP is preparing to release · WikipediaDestin Daniel Cretton — director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, credited by AP for giving him access on set · WikipediaGreg Williams — behind-the-scenes photographer known for his work on the James Bond films, cited for a Matt Damon film image printed in Hollywood Authentic · gregwilliams.comFilms and projectsSpider-Man: Brand New Day — the film AP shot special unit stills for; his medium-format and Bolex images from set are the reason Iain invited him on · WikipediaThe Drama — A24 film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, that first connected AP to feature productions · WikipediaSugar Honey Iced Tea — AP's own feature film in development, about gentrification in Brooklyn, which he now plans to shoot on filmBringing It Forward — AP's editorial series with Law Roach, including the Tommy Hilfiger campaign that helped lead to his film workGear and toolsMamiya RB67 — AP's favourite stills camera, prized for its square format · WikipediaBolex H16 — his hand-cranked 16mm film camera, used to steal moments between takes on set · WikipediaFujifilm GFX 100 — his discreet, medium-format digital go-to for campaigns and editorials · fujifilm-x.comLeica M11 — his everyday carry camera, paired with a Zeiss 35mm lens · leica-camera.comLeica R9 with digital back — a film-era body converted to a 10-megapixel digital camera, which AP recently discovered · WikipediaARRI 416 — the Super-16 camera AP calls his "graduation" from the Bolex, used briefly on the Spider-Man set · WikipediaAlexa LF — the large-format digital cinema camera at the top of AP's wish list · arri.comCanon IXUS 75 — his low-key point-and-shoot for staying discreet on set · WikipediaCompanies and institutionsEquator Studio — AP's creative studio and full-service production company · equator.studioRapid Eye Dark Rooms — the London film lab AP trusts for colour development and scanning · rapideye.uk.comKodak London — Kodak's UK film processing lab, credited for fast, high-quality 16mm and 8mm turnaroundPanavision — camera rental house that supplied and serviced AP's cameras on setHollywood Authentic — the large-format film photography magazine that printed Greg Williams' Matt Damon image · hollywoodauthentic.comMusic"Interrogation (Skit)" by A$AP Rocky, from the album Don't Be Dumb — the source of the episode's title line · WikipediaSupport the show on Patreon.More about this show:A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.