‘Star’ has arrived and it’s the Horse of Mullins! Today, a tease for something big coming, what makes a good bio on a website, with a Fujifilm camera do I need to calibrate my lenses, what has changed about weddings for the hosts and what would the boys’ advice be for new photographers now, plus diplomas; are they worth the paper they’re written on? How important are genre labels, who would you choose for an end of lockdown photowalk and do I really need Instagram likes as an amateur? ‘Photography in America from 1841 to today’ is our book of the week and Fujifilm X-Photographer, street shooter and host of The Candid Frame Ibarionex is our guest.
#170 Changing what you shoot and lighting the famous
Kev parks himself in Bunker Malmesbury’s cold storage this week as he contemplates a move of office to somewhere with heating, we look for the best small Fujifilm camera, Neale reveals his love for the X-H over the X-T, we talk printers and ‘to do’ list software. What lens do I need for shooting large group portraits and how do I go about them plus when does a photo become a piece of digital art? Neale takes over the book of the week duties as Kev can’t find the packing case with his 3,280 books, so he discusses Gregory Heisler’s ’50’ Portraits and Jayne Odell is our guest to talk about a move to equine photography.
#169 Back on the photobus part 2, triptychs, time capsules and tablets
The lockdown has got to Kev and he’s watched 1,297 hours of Netflix in one week it seems, we talk one camera one lens choice, how we view our personal photo collections, what we’d stick in a time capsule, which website platform to choose (Squarespace or Wordpress), we talk GAS release, how do you choose what and when to sell? Wacom tablets, how many do you have? Flippy screen gate is back, we talk about editing technique in Lightroom, how do you produce publish on demand books, X-Pro choices and a request for a X-P4. There’s second part of our Kev’s interview with Daniel Meadows. The book of the week is Ed Kashi’s ‘Three,’ a book of triptychs.
#168 Life on the photobus! Photofilms, 35mm cameras and more
This week, will Fujifilm ever release a 35mm film camera, why is my EVF showing a blue tint/hue, should you ever trust a corrupt memory card, Fujifilm app help please and what is character in a camera; does everything need to be so sharp? Kev’s showbiz wedding stories, photofilms versus slideshows, why Kev could be tempted to the dark side (Apple), X RAW Studio and dynamic range tips. The book of the week is Women Street Photographers, and Daniel Meadows is our guest for part one of a conversation with Mullins.
#167 TWO YEARS of the FujiCast, all dressed up with nowhere to go!
The show is two years old and the boys are itching for a party, but Boris has ripped up the balloons and invites, Kev has a social media dilemma, well 5,000 of them to be precise, ND filter options for your X100 model, the new nostalgic neg film simulation, jumping in at the deep end professionally (from zero to pro in one life decision), business regrets, more flippy-out screen gate and trad versus documentary weddings. The book of the weeks is, ‘A voice above the Linn’ by Robbie Lawrence, our guest is Fujifilm’s Marketing Manager for Fujifilm UK, Andreas Georghiades as he answers more of your product questions and the winners are announced for the FujiCast at 4 feature which has just closed after its year long run organised by friend of the show Neil Ford.
#166 The latest releases and Fujifilm news!
This week Kev buys a horse, the boys consider their photographic coffee shop business, we talk lens correction issues for Fujifilm in Lightroom, Neale ducks answering personal questions, photographing The President, getting better at culling, why the boys love Photo Mechanic, using vintage lenses and adaptors for that purpose. The boys tackle starting up on YouTube again, shooting single card camera systems and pre-wedding meets; are they important? Kev’s book of the week is a proper limited edition by Valentino Barachini and our guest is Fujifilm’s UK Marketing Manager, Andreas Georghiades for the latest Ask Andreas feature.
#165 Creating a YouTube channel for your photography in 2021
This week, scanners, photographic organisations and breathing colour back into older black and white pictures. We talk Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts, plus Kev reveals his inner “Tickety Tocky.” There are questions on video, we talk prompter technique, lens choices when filming with Fujifilm cameras, Kev’s YouTube wardrobe and our guest Adam Karnacz from First Man Photography shares what a photographic channel on YouTube brings to his business and life. The book of the week is Revelations, the posthumous publication of work by Diane Arbus.
#164 “Chasing light, telling stories” & camera choices
This week, choices choices; X100V or X-T30 with interchangeable lens? We also talk about finding a signature look in your photographs and whether you even need to think about a personal style, more on workshops, natural light versus strobe, the new wave of wedding postponements, f2 v f1.4 lenses in the Fujinon roadmap and shooting the birth of your child. Kev chooses his all time X100 favourite model, book of the week is Shutting up Shop by John Londei and Valérie Jardin, X-Photographer is our guest.
#163 Every FACE deserves a portrait and gaining your fellowship
This week Kev (still in Bunker Malmesbury) and Neale talk about getting pictures out to the world from ’that march’ in Washington last week, X100 lens adapters, an invite to take part in the next ‘Ask Andreas’ feature, Kev tries to dodge the rumour mill on new gear, reveals he has been collecting random slides for years and we ask; “When is the right time to upgrade your camera body?” Also we ask; “Are you really using your lens properly” and “would you drink and photograph professionally?” Kev’s Book of the Week is Bruce Gilden’s ‘Face’ and our guest is Steve Smith FRPS, social documentary and street photographer.
#162 “Photography is the art of not pushing the button."
The second of the two shorter Christmas and New Year editions where the boys discuss some of their inspirations including Don McCullin’s ‘In Africa’ book and ‘Extraordinary Women’ by Tom Stoddart. It seems Kev has spent five hours a day watching quick fire tournament chess over the New Year break, while Neale has been touring the site of a suspected nuclear accident on a disused airbase near his home with the family! They talk of photographer inspirations, Kev choosing Frank Horvat who is responsible for suggesting; “Photography is the art of not pushing the button,” and Neale being fascinated by Søren Solkær’s Murmurations study. The full length shows return from next week.
#160 The Camera of the Year and a new XH?
Today a package arrives from Denmark, the boys ponder whether Voigtlander film lenses work well with the GFX system, what the best microphone for making YouTube video voice overs is and how good the files for video are SOOC from the GFX camera Kev owns. We talk about workflow, what we’d like from the X-Pro4 or new XH camera, the great monochrome camera debate, Kev’s camera of the year and Flippy Screen Gate; just what is it people don’t like about the flippy screen? Book of the week is The Photographers on Photography by Henry Carroll and our guest is photographer and book self-publisher Dan Milnor.
#159 Finding your authentic true photographic voice
Kev’s in fighting spirit this week as black-belt co-host and with Neale he tackles questions on why Fujifilm hasn’t embraced full frame, how to judge a photo comp, is it time to embrace a roll of film and what are the new Fujifilm simulations likely to be? Kev reveals his dislike of Sepia and we talk scanners, camera set ups, shooting candid shots of people you know, how Neale feels nearly 900 weddings in and why you NEED right now, to be working on your website for the sake of Google! Book of the week is The Gamblers from Martin Amis and we’re delighted to have Parker J Pfister as our special guest.
#158 Keep pushin’ as Nana used to say. Motivation Day!
Kev’s still in Bunker Malmesbury as Covid restrictions prevent the boys being in the same airspace as one another, but they still manage to tackle X100V questions, how they intend to get match fit for the return of weddings, their feelings about Instax products, recovering lost files, Martin Parr’s old and new work, the importance of testimonials, messing up mid job, presenting a photo TV show and stitching panoramas. Pete Reed is our special guest and Josef Koudelka’s ‘Gypsies’ is the book of the week.
#157 Fujifilm v Nikon v Leica. Hmmm.
Kev and Neale muse over whether meeting up to work in the same studio again will be allowed before the next new decade, how you advertise your services minus a portfolio, what about a medium format styled X100, is sharpness really that important and should we swap our zooms for primes? We try to solve a brand choice decision and we tackle T stop lenses and marketing processes. Tony Ray Jones is the feature of this week’s book review and respected wedding photographer Adam Johnson is our guest.
Episode #156 The Blind Photographer, and an X-T5?
Are wedding awards important? Are any photographic awards for that matter worth entering? Also, wedding photographers may be suffering financially during this period, but have they forgotten what the day is really about? Is there a need for an X-T5, what is left to improve upon? How can you motivate yourself day to day photographically? This week’s book of the week is John Chillingworth’s Picture Post Photographer and our guest is a Ian Treherne, a photographer who is 5% sighted.
#155 Is THIS the best photography job ever?
Today, the new 18mm lens, who is it for? Have you made a business bible and if you haven’t why you should. Kev turns out to be a royal photographer, are iPhone 12 shots good enough for large format printing? Our guest this week is Jennifer McCord and we think she has one of the best photography jobs in the world. The show today is brought to you with Sprout Studio.
#154 Locked down AGAIN, but STILL making podcasts and pictures!
Kev and Neale enter lockdown in their remote locations once again, Kev in deepest darkest Wiltshire and Neale from his bunker in Berkshire. They talk printing and framing; the pros and cons of doing your own. Also, backup and getting brutal with your picture culling in Photo Mechanic, who is the X-S10 aimed at, what’s it for? Day in the Life sessions; how to market them, what they are! The book of the week is a Fleet Street memory lane marvel and photojournalist Edmond Terakopian talks about a special auction of prints for Médecins Sans Frontières.
#153 HOW has photography changed you as a person?
This week the questions are certainly eclectic; how has photography changed you as a person, do you regret becoming a full time photographer, are you making pictures for YOU or for Instagram, if you could only have one camera/one lens, what would it be, if your camera could speak, what would it say, is it possible to be a photographer and videographer at the same time on the same job? We also talk about the perfect zoom to replace primes and speak with fashion and portrait photographer Jamie Stoker.
#152 Can you make my camera smaller please?
Kev and Neale reconsider retraining as beauticians and travel agents for at least one minute, book of the week from Nick Danziger, we talk back ups, business postponements, a Fujifilm wedding video kit list, neg cleaning, portrait advice, monitors, why are custom settings slowing my camera down, can we make the next X100 smaller still and do the boys miss full frame sensors?
#151 Being one of photography’s most influential women
Our special guest this week is Xyza Cruz Bacani, Fujifilm X-Photographer, Magnum Foundation Fellow and previously awarded one of the BBC’s Top 100 Women of the World. This week’s talking points include professionals moving into ‘survival mode’ for the winter; how can we help each other? What lens and camera combo to use for on-set photography, should I separate my Instagram out for different genres or include everything on my one grid, going from Leica to a Fujifilm X-Pro; what should I expect and other topics.