The Togcast Photography Podcast

Just a very quick update from Sam to let you know when we'll be back in January and who we've got lined up for the next few episodes. Thanks for listening as ever, and we'll be back with you very soon with lots more photography chat. TheTogcast.com

On this show we welcome arguably the foremost British Documentary Photographer of his era; Martin Parr. With over 100 books to his name, a photographic foundation and having formerly been the president of Magnum Photos, they don’t come much bigger than this. His imagery is quirky, humorous, sometimes uncomfortable but definitely his own! Over his career Martin has peered into the peculiarities of humans, especially the British and our past-times including leisure and travel. Amongst a myriad of topics we chat about his career, the importance of persistence and finding your own personal vision based on the connection to your subject. Sometimes controversial, his opinions are robust and hopefully stimulating for the listener, whatever genre of photography you enjoy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed for supporting the show. We’ll be back in January 2020 with our next guest Jack Lowe discussing ‘The Lifeboat Station Project’.

On this show we catch up with landscape pro photographer Lizzie Shepherd. Lizzie is based up in North Yorkshire and specialises in landscape, nature and travel with some occasional commercial photography. Her work is exhibited at the Joe Cornish Gallery in Northallerton and has appeared in various photography magazines. We chat with Lizzie about how she became a full-time photographer, her eye for ‘unremarkable’ scenes, finding time to shoot for herself, the joy of teaching and much more. - - - - - - - - - - - - Exhibition Info: 'Home' at The Higgins, Bedford Photography Exhibition: 3rd December 2019 – 29th March 2020 Outside Settlement Gallery, Free Entry Bedford Homeless Partnership proudly presents a mixed media exhibition by artists with personal experience of homelessness. This promises to challenge perceptions, provoke discussion and raise awareness of what ‘home’ really means to people on the streets, in hostels and refuges. - - - - - - - - - - - - Many thanks to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed

This episode was recorded live at FotoFest 2019 in September and features 4 top UK photographers across a range of genres. In the landscape sector we have Rachael Talibart and Nigel Danson, Tom Way covers wildlife and Martin Parr from a documentary point of view. We get into some hot photography topics and take questions from the live studio audience. We cover lots of aspects of being a photographer, creating your own unique work and much more. We'll be back in a couple of weeks time with our next guest Lizzie Shepherd. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  The Togcast is hosted by Sam Gregory and Paul Sanders. The show is supported by WEX Photo Video and Fotospeed.com

David Ward is one of Britain's most notable landscape photographers. His eye for shape and form is without equal and produces work that is startling in its clarity and intensity. We caught up with David at his 'Overlooked' exhibition which is currently on display at the Joe Cornish Gallery. We chat about his visual motivations, theories about composition and dealing with the smaller details. This is a deep dive into his photographic pursuits, what drives them and how he sees the position of landscape photography in the wider context of art. "David Ward's camera looks deep into the landscape; revealing texture, detail, rhythm and subtleties that most of us miss." - Joe Cornish - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the show we featured an exhibition by Margaret Soraya called ‘Quiet’ at the Bosham Gallery running from October 5th - 14th December which celebrates the untouched beauty of the remote Scottish Isles and how solitude and quiet is a catalyst for creativity. There are various events running alongside the ex

We're back with a new episode and we catch up with the enigmatic Chris Nowell. Chris served in the military from 2001 to 2007 in tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. During a tour in Afghanistan he was badly injured in a rocket attack on his base and suffered severe head injuries, extensive skull fractures and brain damage. This neurological damage resulted in sight loss. Amazingly, with help from Blind Veterans UK and local photographers, he has forged a path into the world of landscape photography despite his challenges with partial vision. Paul chats with Chris in more detail on the show and finds out about the positive impact photography has had on his life. Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed for supporting the show. We’ll be back in in a couple of weeks time with David Ward discussing his new exhibition at the Joe Cornish Gallery and much more.

In this episode we catch up with professional wildlife cameraman Tom Walker. Tom’s video credits include scenes in hit wildlife documentaries such as Planet Earth II, Autumnwatch, Coast, Wild New Zealand and many more. His passion for the great outdoors and the landscape started with landscape photography and we chat about his transition into moving images and the lifestyle and work of a professional cameraman. Alongside this we discuss the challenges both technically and mentally of being on location for months on end waiting for spectacular animal behaviour or indeed witnessing natural wonders of the world. We touch on hot topics including the impact of climate change and tourism, alongside some tips for how to break into this industry. Tom is also a passionate landscape photographer and we discuss his free approach to this shooting style. Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed for supporting the show. We’ll be back in in a couple of weeks time with Chris Nowell to discuss his transition into

This is the second live Q&A session from the Connected 2019 exhibition. On this panel we feature the legendary John Blakemore, Professor Tim Allott and our very own Sam Gregory. This is a great Q&A session which features a nice mix of some heavy-hitting topics and plenty of practical advice. Amongst other points we discuss whether landscape photography is stuck in something of a time-warp, what our relationship with the land is and how we might (or might not!) be able to use photography to convey messages, be they emotional or political. We also cover some practical topics including getting inspiration and shooting in projects as well as a little about curating and understanding your own work and motivations. There’s plenty to get your teeth into in this episode! Episode Timings: 00:48 - Introduction 05:15 - Main Q&A Section 49:28 - News & Exhibition Section 52:02 - Next Guest Info (Tom Walker - Wildlife Cameraman, Planet Earth II) News & Exhibition Info: A new exhibition of seasca

Based in Wellington (NZ) Richard Young is a full-time landscape and wildlife photographer. Originally from the UK, Richard’s photography has been recognised in numerous competitions, including awards at The International Landscape Photographer of the Year, The Fine Art Photography Awards, The International Photography Awards. Richard also won the ‘Best Landscape Photograph’ at the Banff Mountain Photography Competition. His works sell as fine art prints from his gallery in Wellington and have been widely exhibited across New Zealand, Canada, America and England in both solo and group exhibitions. He has spent time hiking and climbing in some of New Zealand’s most remote and wild places, capturing photographs of awe-inspiring and unspoilt places. Richard has also travelled extensively, including across Africa, building a reputation as a fine wildlife photographer as well as adding to his landscape portfolio. Many thanks to WEXPhotoVideo.com and Fotospeed.com for supporting the show. We'll be back in 2 weeks

In this episode we chat with wildlife & landscape photographer Tom Mason (www.tommasonphoto.com). Tom is passionate about the natural world and has carved out a career as a photographer & journalist specialising in wildlife. His work takes him around the world but he’s equally at home getting to know the wide range of species here in the UK. We chat with Tom about his early beginnings living on a farm and discovering photography, through to the importance of respecting your subject and the natural world in general. He is driven by a desire to constantly improve and to push the boundaries of his own limitations. We cover some of the hot topics in wildlife photography including the ecological challenges of travelling and also some of the ethics with wildlife photography and the boundaries of responsible behaviour. Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed for supporting the show. We’ll be back in two weeks time when we catch up with New Zealand based landscape photographer Richard Young.

In this episode Paul travels to the Bosham Gallery on the South Coast to chat with owner Luke Whitaker about their Michael Kenna ‘45 Year Retrospective’ exhibition. Michael Kenna (born 1953) is one of the most acclaimed landscape photographers of his generation. His photographs have been the subject of some 50 monographs and are held in the collections of over 100 museums worldwide. Kenna does not seek to present an accurate copy of the world, but to extract something original and emotive from it. He prints all his own work in the darkroom, ensuring that the tonality of his small, black and white images is evocative rather than informative, interpretive rather than documentary. Paul and Luke discuss some of Michael’s work, his process and how other photographers can be inspired by his consistency and aesthetic. Also, they discuss the reality of running a photographic gallery, what works and what doesn’t, along with how to finesse and create your own photographic style. Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video &am

We catch up with Elizabeth Roberts, editor of 'Black & White Photography' magazine, here in the latest episode. Paul chats with Elizabeth about what makes compelling photography, the importance of play and of course the state of the photographic press and the realities of running a magazine. Also in this show we mention the upcoming Linda McCartney exhibition up in Glasgow and also the Michael Kenna exhibition at the Bosham Gallery. Our next episode will be an interview with gallery owner Luke Whittaker discussing Michaels work and exhibiting in general. Many thanks for listening and to WEX Photo Video and Fotospeed for supporting the show. Check out www.thetogcast.com for more info.

We catch up with photographer Paul Mitchell recently to discuss his photography and many hot topics. Paul has had numerous exhibitions in London and the South East and has had articles and images published in many photographic magazines. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and currently serves on the Fine Art Distinctions Panel.  A trustee of the Stephen H Tyng Collection, a member of the prestigious Arena group and a founder member of The Landscape Collective UK (LCUK). Paul is also a well respected photographic judge and lecturer (www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk). We recorded this interview in front of a live audience at the Woking & East Berks Camera Club. If you’d be interested in having a live Togcast event at your club please do get in touch. We’ll be back in 2 weeks time with Elizabeth Roberts, the Editor of ‘Black & White Photography’ magazine. Thanks as ever to WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed for supporting the show.

In this episode we feature the Q&A recorded live at Connected 2019 Exhibition Day 1. The featured photographers were; Lucy Saggers (documentary), Sarah Medway (landscape and wildlife) and our very own Paul Sanders (landscape and fine art). Handling the audience questions was the event organiser Rob Knight. The varied nature of styles and approach from the 3 guest photographers made for a great Q&A session featuring various questions from the audience. There were various themes including; working on commission vs personal work, finding a connection within a landscape, dealing with the pressures of social media, camera club positive and negatives and much more. We hope you enjoy this Q&A session, we’ll be back on Friday 14th June with our next episode featuring landscape photographer, tutor, judge and speaker Paul Mitchell. Huge thanks to WEX Photo Video and Fotospeed as ever for supporting the show.

We’re delighted to welcome Andrew Gray to the show. Andrew is a photographer specialising in abstract and impressionist images of the landscape. Using a blend of camera movement, in camera settings and computer techniques, he strives to use the camera as a paintbrush to create original and unique work. Inspired by local history and landscapes in the North East, Andrew is heavily influenced by the old English painting masters. Many of his images are of recognisable historic buildings or locations, but through his process he turns them into quite different interpretations using his favoured techniques and colour palette. We talk to Andrew about his motivations, the techniques he uses and how this style blurs the boundaries between photography, classical art and digital art.

We catch up with journalist and photographer Tom White (www.tomwhitephotos.co.uk). Tom spent five years working as a reporter for the Press Association, covering the north of England as well as around the world from refugee camps in Jordan and Serbia, to royal tours in New Zealand and the Middle East and reporting live on Euro 2016 violence in Marseille. Now working as a freelance journalist and photographer his work has appeared in major newspapers such as the Guardian, the Times, the Observer and the Telegraph. We discuss his journalistic background, how photography became part of his toolkit and his passion for landscape photography. We also tackle some hot topics around competitions, post processing extremes and the rise of the social media ‘stars’. Tom is pretty forthright with his opinions and hopefully this is an engaging and entertaining discussion which reaches from baton wielding French policemen to hipster film photography shooters and much more! We'll be back in two weeks with Andrew Gray talkin

In this special Pinhole Photography episode we catch up with Andrew Atkinson and Ian Burton on location to discuss all things Pinhole. We chat about how they got into shooting Pinhole and some of the differences from modern digital shooting. Sam battles wind & rain to get you the answers as we try to uncover the appeal of this particular technique - he even takes his first ever Pinhole photograph! Also in this episode Andrew & Ian offer an amazing 12 print box-set GIVEAWAY! Just sign up to their Pinhole Newsletter (by end of April 2019) via their site (www.pinholephotographyworkshops.co.uk) and you could win this amazing print set. Also on this show we discuss the new printing Ebook from Bruce Percy and an upcoming exhibition in Wiltshire (full details below). The Togcast is hosted by Sam Gregory and Paul Sanders. The show is kindly supported by WEX Photo Video and Fotospeed. - - - - - - - - - - - Exhibition Info: In April Alan Cowley, Clive Carpenter and Paul Timlett will be holding a new exhib

We welcome landscape photography legend Joe Cornish to the show. Highly respected for his consistently excellent images, Joe is undoubtably one of the leading landscape photographers in the world today. We chat about what motivates his passion for the landscape, how we all need to be respectful of the landscape and our role within it. We also discuss how his shooting style has modified and some of the elements in creating compelling landscape imagery. This is a ‘deep dive’ into the motivations and passions of one of the leading names of our time. We hope you all can take various inspirations and talking points from this episode. We'll be back in a couple of weeks time with Andrew Atkinson & Ian Burton, otherwise known (to us at least) as 'The Pinhole Guys!' and we'll chat about going back to the future ;) The Togcast is hosted by Sam Gregory & Paul Sanders. The show is kindly supported by WEX Photo Video & Fotospeed. Check out www.thetogcast.com for more information. 

This is a special bonus episode featuring the second Live Q&A from the Connected 2018 exhibition. This as yet un-published Q&A session featured Colin Bell, Chris Dale, Isabel Curdes and Rob Knight. Plus various questions from the audience about a mix of photography related topics. Check out the different thought processes of these various photographers and get inspired to go and explore more photographic avenues. The Connected 2019 launch weekend is April 6/7 in Nottingham at the Patchings Arts Centre. There will be talks from Lucy Saggers, Paul Sanders, Sarah Medway, Sam Gregory, Prof Tim Allott and John Blakemore. Check out #Connected2019 on social media for the latest info. The next podcast episode will be on Thursday March 28th featuring JOE CORNISH. The Togcast is hosted by Sam Gregory and Paul Sanders, check out www.thetogcast.com for more info and previous episodes. The show is available via iTunes, Podbean, Spotify and Stitcher. Many thanks to www.wexphotovideo.com and www.fotospeed.com f

We welcome award winning adventure-sports photographer Nadir Khan (www.nadirkhan.co.uk) to the show. Well known for getting into hard to reach areas and creating dynamic action shots, Nadir works with top brands such as Rab, F-Stop & Visit Britain. He chats with Paul about his motivations, the importance of good lighting and working with the subjects to get the most dynamic and engaging images. We also chat about his new book 'Extreme Scotland', his love and respect for the wild landscapes, and how his style and approach changed throughout the past few years collating images for the book. You can find the book on Amazon, Waterstones and via Vertebrate Publishing. We'll be back with another show next week, this will be the Connected Exhibition Q&A (Part 2) featuring x4 photographers covering some hot topics. The following show on Thurs March 28th will feature Joe Cornish, so stay tuned for that. The Togcast is hosted by Sam Gregory and Paul Sanders. For more info and past episodes please visit www.T