Joe Madsen's visit to a doctor results in a street photography photo book project that could be described as lifesaving. Husband and wife team James and Karla Murray are bookmarking the great bars of NYC, and Valérie Jardin discovers the most extraordinary personal stories photographing centenarians. Also, today in the mailbag, Cody Shultz on the phrase imposter syndrome, Anja Poehlmann introduces the concept of a long portrait, Bob of the Desert flourishes in Arizona, more mystery sofa sightings in nature by Marshall Rimann and Chris Pillings, Gert Jan Cole finds a creative life truism and Michael Brennan is finding comfort in his portrait of a truly great man, plus the assignment for November is set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

This is a special episode where I try to unpick those inner battles that so many of us quietly fight. Imposter syndrome, confidence, perfectionism, self-doubt. These aren’t just words; they’re real feelings that can shape and even hold back our lives, creatively and emotionally. Today on the show, I’m peeling back the layers with special guest Sean Tucker to uncover the reality behind these challenges, opening up honest conversation about how they impact us and what we can do to reclaim our confidence. This isn’t a show about quick fixes or easy answers. It’s about exploring what really happens beneath the surface, where feelings of inadequacy, comparison anxiety, and fear of failure often lie. Whether you’re struggling with undervaluing your achievements or simply seeking ways to find peace with who you are, this conversation might help you see things refreshingly differently. Also, today, your letters into the show about the subjects featured, plus the assignment for November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

For three decades, British photographer and filmmaker Chris Floyd has "Been privileged to photograph people who are the best in the World at what they do. Whether it's Stephen Hawking, Paul McCartney or David Hockney, these people have defined the era in which we live." Today, I walk in Oxfordshire with this humble powerhouse of British photography whose work has appeared in some of the world’s most highly respected publications, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine, among others. We talk about how saying YES at important moments in his life has unlocked doors to people and experiences he might never have experienced if he'd followed an expected path into accountancy. Also today, one of the most revealing answers to the question of WHY, with stories about photographing the Royal Family and 'our' Superman. There's news about Scotland 2025, plus the assignment for November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, Canon Canada Ambassador Jacquie Matechuk is my special guest as we chat about her extraordinary photographic transition from being at the top of motorsport photography to embracing a new wildlife adventure, a transition that has seen her win some of the most coveted photo awards, travel far and wide to destinations she might never have imagined, come face to face with giant bears, stared into the eyes of a silverback at close quarters, tracked polar bears and had conversations with an owl, all features of our conversation. But also, and I think this is one of the most important parts of our discussion today, Jacquie has, I think, revealed a true why of photography, and if I could make a fender or bumper sticker large enough, is going to share some words with you during our conversation today, that will have you think perhaps differently about life behind a lens. Also, news about Scotland 2025 plus a new assignment for the month of November set by Lynn Fraser and Jacquie Matechuk. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Alongside the letters I’m walking with today, my studio guest is Howard Barlow, a photojournalist who, for 50 years, has worked regularly for The Guardian, The Observer, The Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The Independent. He’s picked up numerous photographic awards, including Newspaper Photographer Of The Year. Also, today, a wondrous hatful of first-time writers, we talk about design that makes life easier, photography that makes life happier, and we learn how photography was an ever-present friend in the face of physical adversity. There are several whys of photography to answer, and atop that, Marissa Roth, a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist, answers a question of ethics. There’s also the final chance to take part in this month’s one-word assignment. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, I’m joined by Henry Hargreaves, a visual artist and food photographer known for his boundary-pushing photography projects that are often and sometimes literally deliciously simple, tackling complex social and commercial issues. One of his most thought-provoking works, No Seconds, explores the haunting last meals of death row inmates. With a unique blend of this simplicity and deep social commentary, this project invites us to reflect on mortality, choice, and humanity in unexpected and impactful ways. Also from the mailbag, Adam Hanson finds renewed mental health through walking and photography, Mike Mixon is finding detail in his pictures he doesn’t remember seeing when he took them, John Kenny has some thoughts about covert pictures of strangers for a street project, some news about The Photowalk on Substack and Mike Miller has found a song that 34 years before the first recognisable modern social media channel came into our consciousness was giving advice about how we could best deal with the demands of a life watched over by algorithms. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today’s guests and friends, Mali Davies, Wolfgang Strassl and Valérie Jardin each have stories about shooting on the street. Mali talks of embracing your neighbourhood in the dark for a forthcoming project called HOME, Wolfgang Strassl finds that there’s more to a portrait than simply a picture of a face, and Valérie Jardin shares her thoughts about photographing people in a candid fashion. Also, today from the mailbag, Myles Barfield has a story about legacy and how the simplest of pictures can be so effective plus I read from his book project that has become, I think, an autobiography accompanied by the most stunning photographs. Complaints corner is open for business, Chris Articulate is looking ahead to a more analogue way of sharing, Bill Marriott is going to help you feel and think VERY differently about what makes a truly expressive and emotive still picture, Harald Kahles has some ideas for specials and Maureen Bond is thinking about her why of creativity. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

For decades, beyond the grand entry hall guarded by the infamous ‘two Peters’, Vogue House London was a creative hub where magazine layouts were crafted and the world's most famous photographers plied their trade. Vogue House embodied the glamour of fashion's storied history in London. But that legacy came to an end when the building’s lease was sold to a shipping billionaire in Monaco for a reported hefty £75 million.  Vogue House, in its Hanover Square form, is no more. Yet, such a landmark in editorial history can't disappear without so much a whimper. Today, I talk to someone who knows its secrets firsthand: Grant Scott, a former art director with Tatler, a title that shared the address.  He’s penned a new book, "Inside Vogue House: One Building, Seven Magazines, Sixty Years of Stories," and he’s here to share some stories from the book, plus a handful that didn’t make it in. Steady yourself for a peek behind the scenes and the state of the magazine industry in 2024. Also from the mailbag, inspiring letters on the emotional power of photography, show flasks on the beach, some surprise walkers encountered along the path, road trips across America and a new linguistic game! Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today is our annual Scottish retreat edition, featuring the voices and thoughts of those who joined me across two weeks in the glorious Highlands. The fifth Photowalk Retreat revelled in, I think, the spirit of our podcast community, and I thought you might enjoy hearing what we all got up to. This year, we added some new experiences and micro-workshops into the weeks, such as a creative writing day led by a celebrated writer, Merryn Glover and a sound workshop to understand how potent images and sound can be as a storytelling tool together. We also went back into the darkroom and visited some of our favourite places including the beautiful Loch Maree. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

In celebration of those who inspire us, those who become either knowingly or unwittingly our mentors and greatest teachers, today’s episode revisits the show’s archive to take a photowalk with former British Army and documentary photographer Giles Penfound, my dear friend and mentor for two decades. Giles is currently on a sabbatical from social media and digital posting, although his projects such as Home Town Stories continue to be a feature of his personal photographic story; pictures made about the people of the town his lives in, often within walking distance of his home.  We talk about that project, the ‘rules’ of documentary photography, his life making pictures in areas of conflict, plus his conflicted mind over some of the images he made and witnessed. Our conversation for the podcast was part-made walking the ridge above England's famous Watership Down and his garden exhibition space. This is the second special to air as I spend time in the Highlands on the Scottish Photowalk Retreat 2024. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

For the next two weeks whilst I am on location with the 2024 Scottish Photowalk Retreat, a brace of special editions, where I revisit the archive to feature the work of women in photography. Guests include Nancy Borowick, an acclaimed photojournalist known for her deeply personal and emotional work, particularly the intimate documentation of her parents' simultaneous battles with cancer, which has resonated with audiences worldwide for its raw honesty and humanity. I also talk with Lynzy Billing, an investigative journalist and photographer known for uncovering untold stories in conflict zones and human rights crises, Susan Goldberg an influential American journalist who became the first female editor-in-chief of National Geographic, where she expanded its focus on science, the environment, and social issues like climate change and diversity and from the UK, Nicky Heppenstall who helped found Remember my Baby, a charity organisation that offers remembrance photography services to parents experiencing the loss of their baby before, during, or shortly after birth, providing them with cherished memories during a deeply difficult time. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

A special feature-length interview episode today featuring Jason Edwards. Having spent the last three decades travelling around over 70 countries being clawed, chased, shot at, diseased, lost, injured, incarcerated, and getting his finger stitched back on, twice, award-winning photographer, TV host, and conservationist Jason Edwards knows what it takes to get the perfect shot. And the photo editors at National Geographic agree, featuring his stunning photos time and time again. His imagery has also appeared in hundreds of other publications, including BBC Wildlife, Australian Geographic and The New Yorker. His new book, Icebergs to Iguanas features a collection of his National Geographic photographs and behind-the-scenes tales. Also on the show today, the winning images from the last two months of assignment pictures and a new challenge for September set by Gary Williams. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

During the pandemic, international vocalist Gary Williams decided to retrain himself to become a professional photographer, building on existing street photographic skills and interests that he’d developed touring the world as a musician. During this time, closer to home in the UK he found Camden Passage, a charming, narrow street in Islington, London, known for its antique shops, vintage quirky boutiques, and market stalls. This place was to become Gary’s photographic playground where over a number of years he befriended the shoppers and shopkeepers of a unique famous street, eventually producing a book featuring those he met called The Litte Book of Camden Passage. Today he talks about designing, sequencing and producing a book, plus choosing a publisher. From the mailbag, Bill Marriott finds that photography can culturally connect in a magical way, Peter Upton is in a race against time to photograph some famous landmarks before the rising tides lay claim to them, Chris Hughes is embracing his inner Daidō Moriyama, Harriet Langridge has some street photography thoughts and I have some unexpected Scottish news so pack your travel bag, your camera bag with a fully charged camera. There’s a Shutter Sync and last opportunity to join in with August’s photo assignment set by Emily Renier. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

My guest, Toby Binder is a German photographer renowned for his socially engaged documentary work. He focuses on marginalized communities and global social issues, capturing the raw realities of life in conflict zones and economically deprived areas. His photographs tell stories of fragility, authenticity and vulnerability. How important is vulnerability, and can it actually be a photographer’s superpower? From the mailbag as we walk together, Wallace Shackleton is on a motorbike with a camera, in howling wind and the kind of rain that makes you wish you’d stayed in bed that day, Bob Rose takes us to a lake in Nebraska at sundown, Corey Cooper shares a film about the why of this thing we do, Don Ridgway is in Ontario with William Shakespeare, Christopher Harrison shares his perspective on vulnerability and Susan Larsson is under a beautiful Northern Lights sky. Also, today, our street mentor Valérie Jardin returns with Visual Stories, and this month, she’s going to a state fair. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today on the show, two photographers, Patrick Stubbs and Sean Gallagher recount stories about the father-figure mentors in their lives and the pictures they made upon their passing. We discuss the mental health benefits of having photography during the more challenging times of our lives and how projects can bring meaning to our work. We also learn what it takes to make set photographs on some of America’s top-loved TV shows and why the everyday objects around us can be photographic gold. From the mailbag, one of our Extra Milers Mat Bobby has found a project that requires you to stay behind the safety fence at all times, bringing back a memory or three for me. There is the most incredibly potent story and picture from a good friend of the show, Marissa Roth. Hegaard the Dane has landed in Italy and found a snake in paradise, as have I, although many thousands of miles away in Miami, and there’s a reminder of this month’s assignment from Emily Renier. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, I spend time with Mike Crawford, a dynamic London photographer and master printer. For four decades he has worked with the world’s most highly regarded photographers, including Martin Parr and Brian Griffin, one of the music industry’s most prominent photographers. More recently, he was chosen to print hitherto unseen photographs for the celebrated late photographer Elliott Erwitt for his ‘Found, not Lost’ book. As a photographer, Mike Crawford’s captivating work, featuring urban landscapes and portraiture, is predominantly shot on film and crafted in the darkroom. I visit Mike on location at his company Lighthouse Darkroom, within the building that was once home to Russia’s Zenit UK operation. With the arrival of August, there’s a new assignment too, set this month by social and street photographer Emily Renier, one of Fujifilm’s newest ambassadors. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today’s show explores captivating encounters and stories that turn fleeting moments into meaningful connections with people through the lens. Four guests who are experts in the field help me on this mission. Paul Hutson is a writer and photographer who has spent decades recording the stories of everyday people he encounters in pictures and words. Gabrielle Motola discusses the philosophy of asking strangers for a portrait and rejection. Valérie Jardin talks about candid street pictures and how they can often lead to a more formal portrait, and former guest Mr Whisper discusses a project requiring him to change his reportage approach to engage with subjects for a set of commercial pictures. Also on the topic of photographing strangers, letters from Marilyn Davies who introduces us to a Flickr Group called 100 Strangers, Tony Lorenzo talks of how living with ADHD has been his superpower when it comes to photographing people he doesn’t know and Fred Ash finds there’s really no one way to make a portrait of a stranger. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Merryn Glover is an award-winning international author whose work spans fiction, drama, poetry, journalism and radio plays. Raised in South Asia, educated in Australia, and a resident of Scotland for nearly 30 years, Merryn's culturally rich experiences are reflected in her writing. Merryn brings a unique perspective on how storytelling can enhance your visual art, offering invaluable insights for photographers wanting to add authenticity and depth to the written side of their work. Is writing a photographer’s secret weapon? I personally think it can be. Also on today's show and from the mailbag, we have a captivating story of change from Egypt, presented by Extra Miler Paul Hutson, we'll delve into the dedication and challenges photojournalists face in their craft, particularly when under fire, Allin Sorenson shares his photographic memories of July 4, accompanied by a poem that celebrates the stillness of a shutter's blink. From Bavaria, Herbert Holzman brings us a smoky operatic scene set in the forest. Plus, we'll sync up our shutters and remind you of this month's assignment. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, I chat with Balwinder Bhatla, AKA Mr. Whisper, a London-based visual storyteller and professional photographer. Bal specialises in delicious candid low-light street photographs, taking us on walks where the urban landscape transforms into a very different kind of place, where every pool of light or mysterious shadow becomes a photographer’s muse. He has shot stories in his style for BMW, Netflix, Google and Disney, including making a series of pictures to promote Star Wars Rogue 1. And it all started when his wife commented, “The cool kids are using this app called Instagram.”  Also, on the show and from the mailbag, Mat Bobby has the most incredible personal story of how showing some pictures on a wall led to a life friendship with his photographic hero. There’s a Haiku from Chris Hughes inspired by an Australian reservoir, how Colin Mayer’s Extreme Sports experience turned into a love affair with photography instead, Phil Ferris is lost somewhere in the north of England and we’ll pick the flask winner from last month’s assignment entries. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Photographer Tatiana Hopper is a YouTuber and writer becoming well-known for her wonderfully accessible thought-provoking documentaries on master photographers, filmmakers and stories about personal creative photography endeavours. She challenges you to think about your why, your legacy, and introduces you to ideas and artists you may not otherwise have discovered.  Also on the show, finding solace in making photos of family, a strange gift arrives at the office, Poetry along the Path is inspired by Philip Larkin, some thoughts about making portraits of strangers and it being the first Friday of the month, it’s assignment week; a new challenge for a picture that photojournalist John Angerson would like you to make over the next month. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

It’s our end-of-the-month social media special! In this episode, we feature renowned photographers Sean Tucker, Valérie Jardin, Phil Penman, Emily Renier, and Neil Ford, along with your insightful letters. We discuss the currency of likes, explore preferred platforms, the ever-evolving channels, and navigate the social expectations of growing your following. Beyond the feed, we also tackle the critical topic of mental health and its intersection with photography in today's social media era. It’s a compelling discussion with five guests, supported by your letters into the show, that goes behind the lens and into the heart of the social media landscape. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

One of the most personable landscape photography YouTubers to walk the fells of England’s Lake District is my guest this week, Glenn, AKA Black Crag, named after a geological feature of this extraordinary part of the UK. In his words, “I'll normally be found on a fell side or rummaging around in a deep ghyll somewhere because the Lake District is more than just my home; it's my lifeblood,” and I suspect after hearing today’s show you’ll have subscribed not just in terms of his channel, but with respect to his outlook on how precious it is to be out in nature. In the mailbag and also on the show today, good friends Tim and Tom walk the Wainwrights, a letter considering this week’s guest that has landed at the perfect time, Marianne Cohen has been devouring the sublime food pictures from last week’s guest Tim Clinch, we’ll do a Shutter Sync, set you an assignment, share some thoughts about gators and Disney from David Childers, tempt you to a week in the Scottish Highlands, and there’s some poetry from the path from David Wagstaff-Myers. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

My guest today is Tim Clinch, a celebrated photographer known for his diverse and dynamic career spanning multiple continents. Having begun his career in London, he ran his own studio before embarking on a globetrotting journey that took him to Spain, France, and now Eastern Europe. His work graces top publications like Conde Nast Traveller and Forbes Life. Tim is renowned for his food and travel photography, with numerous books and prestigious awards to his name. From the mailbag, Phil and Cathy are on the road – they’ve been to London to blast off into orbit, the story of an unloved football scarf from Scott Glasgow, the poem about riding life’s train that is a real truism, we’ll do a shutter sync, reveal the winner of last month’s assignment plus remind you of the current one, and Extra Miler Mike Venable reveals his own 'why of photography,' plus at the end of the show, a freak weather event! Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, I’m joined by documentary photographer John Angerson, described as one of Britain’s most creative and versatile photographers, on a walk along an ancient wall in Silchester, England. This wall, part of a once-thriving Roman town, nearly led Silchester to become England’s capital. We talk about his long-term project, Love Power Sacrifice, where for 20 years, John photographed a cult-like religious organisation called the Jesus Army. Also, how the most normal of scenes can be the site of the most extraordinary photo stories and how John gained the most incredible access to one of NASA’s space shuttle flights. It being the first Friday in the month, former guest John Dolan will be setting a new one-word assignment for June and there is news about our Photowalk adventure to Delhi, the Taj Mahal and Jodhpur in 2025. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, it’s a show with a difference. It’s officially a week off, though I’d miss you if we didn’t chat, so I’ve compiled a short sequence of past pieces that have featured on the Patreon channel’s MORE and EXTRA MILE editions. It’s an opportunity for those who don’t belong to this additional community within The Photowalk show to hear what I promote at the end of each week’s podcast. I thought you might like to peek behind the scenes, as it were. All will be explained within the introduction to the show and I’ve dusted off the time teleporter to take us both back to editions nearer the very start of this podcast, when we had but a handful of supporters - so hopefully some of this will be fresh to the ears of even those who have been Patrons for some time. Back as usual next week as we walk together on The Photowalk. In the meantime, steady yourself for stories about nudes, a trip into my spider-infested attic and why you should never trust me in a room full of I.T. leads and plugs. And more stories besides. Oh, and if you’d like to join our community and hear the hundreds of archived audio pieces of our Patreon channel, or simply want to understand how to support this show or what Patreon actually is, then follow this LINK HERE. All will be dutifully explained. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

Renowned for exploring industrial landscapes and abandoned architecture, Christopher Payne delved into the forgotten corners of America's built environment for projects like Asylum and North Brother Island, to the latest, most advanced technologies that build the country now in his latest book, Made In America. What goes on in a shipyard that builds nuclear submarines? Chris has seen and photographed it. From the mailbag, photographing a stranger changes Steve Reeves' outlook on life, Jeremy Durham on 'what we do,' Neil Ford is pondering the question, 'why post on social media,' and Michael Mixon is coming out of a creative lull, though has some words of quiet genius when it comes to why we make pictures. Plus it's the last call for those joining in with this month’s assignment. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Ian Randall is a sports photographer whose journey into the genre was as unexpected as it has been impactful to his life. Fate led him to photography, a twist of destiny in a life abruptly disrupted by an unwelcome visitor: cancer. His story resonates deeply with anyone who has faced this formidable foe, whether personally or through the lens of a loved one's struggle or loss. And his superpower? It seems to be a single photograph. From the mailbag, Rikki Bunder finds solace sleeping under the stars in the outback, Casey Sisterson learns the hard way that bison can be quite stubborn subjects to photograph, and Gert Jan Cole offers a glimmer of hope for those intrigued by film development but intimidated by the thought of chemical processes. Plus, we're introducing a new segment dedicated to showcasing the incredible poetry shared with us.  Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Storyteller Al Brydon is a walker with a camera enraptured by the landscape and human interaction with it. He's published and exhibited internationally, and his projects may surprise you, including his fascination with graveyard bins and an encounter with a phantom cat. Also today from the mailbag: a Route 66 adventure, the best natural medicine that we ALL have access to, Mexico in an RV, a story witnessed by a centuries-old tree, and synchronised picture making on our trails. Plus, it being the second Friday of the month, street photographer and mentor Valerie Jardin is here with Visual Stories. This month, we’re talking about the humour dogs bring into our lives photographically. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Imagine a five-pointed star. Now attach a word to each point and think of them as the core principles or values associated with how and why you create or make photographs. Today as we walk together on the Photowalk show, the philosophical YouTuber Sean Tucker discusses five that I have chosen, and we ask you to consider your own during this exercise of creative self-discovery. It's also an expanded letters show today: the special nature of the pictures we make of strangers, collaborations, the wonderful opportunity when exhibiting your work, photographs on the side of a mountain and documenting where you live as a legacy. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Stephen Dupont is an Australian photographer recognised around the world for his concerned photography on the human condition, war and climate, earning him dozens of prizes including the W. Eugene Smith Grant, and a Robert Capa Gold Medal Citation. Today he talks honestly about books, the why of photography, life, death and the camera.  Also on the show, remembering and respecting, taking a pilgrimage of quiet in France and Belgium along the Western Front of WWI, getting sentimental about the pips, and postcards from Toronto, plus the countdown has begun for the last week of entries to this month’s assignment from iconic American photographer Stephen Wilkes. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

As we walk today, two guests feature in the show. Photographer and creative retreat mentor Margaret Soraya from the Isle of Harris shares how the arts have helped her mental health immeasurably during a period of grief following the passing of her mother. Former school deputy head Emily Renier, now Fujifilm UK's latest ambassador, recounts how a mental breakdown reset her life both creatively and spiritually. Also on the show today, how the recent eclipse seems to have brought people together, why AI possibly isn’t the monster to hide behind the sofa from, and recharging batteries in a beautiful forest, plus a reminder from former guest Stephen Wilkes of what this month's assignment is all about. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.  

Welcome to a photography podcast where we walk together with a mailbag of stories and pictures. My guest today, John Dolan, understands and completely embraces the importance of the photographic moment over photographic perfection. The second edition of his best-selling monograph, The Perfect Imperfect, is about to be released, and in it, he invites photographers to look beyond the shot list and find beauty and truth in imperfect moments. He has photographed the most recent Whitehouse Wedding; he is Seinfeld's family documentarian, and he is trusted to record the most intimate and often vulnerable moments for clients including Will Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow. Also from the mailbag as we walk, making pictures of the beautifully inanimate, the things that we pass by every day and never give a second thought to, a case of mistaken Googling when typing in the letters M A L and I, a letter on dragging yourself out of bed at sunrise, solar eclipses, the winner of last month’s assignment, plus it being the second Friday of the month, street photographer and photography mentor Valerie Jardin joins me for Visual Stories, this month talking about timeless pictures in Paris. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today, a holiday-special interview with the iconic fine art photographer Stephen Wilkes. Since opening his studio in New York City in 1983, he's built an unprecedented body of work and a reputation as one of America’s most iconic photographers, widely recognized for his fine art, editorial and commercial work. Stephen Wilkes talks candidly about being mentored by a photographic great, Jay Maisel, the most extraordinary and at times haunting project on Ellis Island, plus Day to Night, his most defining project, where epic cityscapes and landscapes, portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, capture fleeting moments of humanity as light passes in front of his lens over the course of a full day. Stephen also sets a new assignment for the month of April. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Mary Jo Hoffman is an aeronautical engineer-turned-artist. Twelve years ago she began a daily practice of photographing found nature, no subject too small or ordinary. Now, Phaidon has published her first book Still: The Art of Noticing. This is a story about a creative serendipitous find that has become, a beautiful way to live. Also today, philosophical YouTuber Sean Tucker answers a question about finding the energy to pursue photography despite daily life competing for space in one's day. Letters from the mailbag on positivity in spite of physical challenges to make work, finding and photographing the lone tree, and minimalism in a fantastical Norwegian snow white-out. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

I'm joined on Surrey's Chobham Common for a photo walk with award-winning photojournalist Jason Florio to announce 2025's Photowalk Show Adventure, which is going to be in India, photographing and riding the urban-suburban and rural countryside trains in and out of Mumbai. There's an invite to make our adventure YOUR adventure as we explore Mumbai, including the cave temples of Elephanta Island, and enjoy Holi, a Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It's an opportunity to spend time with like-minded photographers and the people of this incredibly vibrant city on the west coast of India. Jason shares stories of this colourful city, plus opens his studio to our inquiring and curious eyes. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Photographer Daniel Meadows has spent his life documenting British society, using photographs, audio recordings, and short movies. He is the creative architect of a sublime idea: putting a bed, a darkroom, and a photographic studio into a 1940s double-decker bus, touring it to meet and photograph as many people as he could to document British life, which has become a historic gem. From the mailbag, Tony Lorenzo, who bought a 1930s family photo from a box in a market, which then became a life-long detective story, is back and this time, he’s been buying vintage pictures in Italy. Also, how to photograph mushrooms in a magical sense and a road trip that’s going to be an absolute life tonic. There’s a reminder of the March assignment and an invite to come to Scotland for a week on retreat. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

As I walk with your letters and inspirational stories, I'm joined on the show by studio guest Michelle Valberg, the Canadian Geographic Photographer, Nikon ambassador, and international fellow of the Explorers Club. Michelle has just returned from an adventure voyage photographing wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula, navigating icebergs and rough seas to make extraordinary photographs. Also on the show from the mailbag, stuck in a watery rut in East Africa whilst seeking The Maasai, escaping the clutches of imposter syndrome, March's assignment and mentor Valérie Jardin shares photographic project workflow. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

On a long-distance bike adventure from London to St. Petersburg, an 'accidental' photographic find led photographer Christopher Herwig to subsequently cover tens of thousands of miles by car, bike, bus and taxi in 14 former Soviet countries, documenting unexpected treasures of modern art; 'Soviet Bus Stops'. This is an unbridled story of passion for a project that has consumed more than two decades of Christopher's life, and today he shares his enthusiasm for photographing the extraordinary ordinary. Also today, we set a new assignment for the month of March: Hungarian goulash and photographic must-sees in Budapest, a trip to the Hebrides, viral shopping trolly pictures and the international currency of Garibaldi biscuits. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Hans Johnson is an international award-winning film and television composer. He records and collects sounds from the cultures and people he spends time with, celebrating diversity and encouraging harmony and togetherness through his music. His videos and pictures often lead the compositions he makes and today, he shares the stories behind his music. Also, philosophical YouTuber Sean Tucker talks about the importance of retreat and recharging to energise your creativity, plus letters into the show share stories of lost and found mojo, and photographic Haiku; poetry and photography as a partnership. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

This week, join me, Neale James on the show in West Africa and journey with our Photowalk team as we explore The Gambia with those attending this special Photowalk Retreat; Mat Bobby, Lynn Fraser, Michael Assmann and Shannon Coppin, guided by photojournalist Jason Florio and film producer Andy Thompson plus new-found Gambian friends. We walk and learn together about what makes this small, welcoming country known as The Smiling Coast so uniquely special, how a recent political past has left an indelible mark, and how the Gambian people’s resilience has earned a peaceful future ahead. We discuss why some of the country’s youth are making dangerous journeys across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands aboard small pirogue fishing boats; you’ll meet the most incredible students and staff at a school, take shade under the Tree of Life, come within mere inches of the most feared reptile on Earth and our fellow Photowalkers share their thoughts as we adventure during this retreat to West Africa. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

In 2015, Joshua Coombes, a British hairstylist, took his scissors to the street to cut the hair of the homeless community in a story that is as much about hope and humanity as it is about hair. He's now the architect of the international Do Something for Nothing movement, which our regular contributing photography mentor Valérie Jardin has photographed at work in Paris and New York. Today, both Josh and Valérie share their experiences of a project that is as philanthropic as it is photographic. Also today, the mailbag is back with letters about the scale of Mother Nature, a walk along the Norwegian coastline and what does it actually look like when you stand within an electricity pylon and look up. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Retreating home to the shires from another day working in the city of London seventeen years ago, Kevin Mullins announced to his wife, "I'm becoming a wedding photographer." What followed is quite the adventure, including almost quitting on day one of his new life! In the third of three specials interviewing friends in the photographic and creative industries, I talk to Kevin about his leap of faith, his relationship with Fujifilm, social media, staying grounded, slowing down, country music and cupboards of doom - it's an eclectic conversation! Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

It's a very cryptic show title, I grant you, but the question is answered by my good friend, documentary photographer Giles Penfound, a former British army photographer who has found that the story he wishes to dedicate his life to, is now within walking distance of his home. We talk about his life making pictures in areas of conflict, those who mentored him during this time, plus his conflicted mind over some of the images he made and witnessed. Also, we chat about his plans now and for the future. Our conversation for the podcast was made walking the ridge above England's famous Watership Down. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

In the 'niche' of photography podcasts, there are a handful of names who stand out as pioneers of the genre. One of those is my guest today, Jeffery Saddoris, a multi-disciplinary audio and visual artist based in Washington DC. He paints, he writes, and for his podcasting, he crafts conversations with people who move and inspire him. This launches three weeks of special personal conversations with creative friends of mine and I'm delighted Jeffery is launching those. I suspect I'll talk with him again for an edition about the art of podcasting, though today I concentrate on the why of his art and photography, his most intimate of photographic moments and how painting is the creative glue that 'leaves something to account for his time on this Earth.' Also today, Mali Davies, in his monthly Jibba Jabba feature, reveals what happened on Fighting Friday, the 'event' he photographed just prior to Christmas. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Canadian explorer, photographer, filmmaker and international speaker Jill Heinerth joins me today for a bumper edition of The Photowalk podcast. We talk about the medical importance of our oceans, cave diving, incredible creatures beneath the waves, swimming with Polar bears and the story of a sub-marine diving mission into and iceberg. Also today, the why of making sketchbook pictures, the nostalgia of vintage prints, plus mentor and street photographer Valérie Jardin returns to launch this year's monthly Visual Stories features, which in 2024 is all about photographic feature making, starting with ONE CENTURY. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today's guest is the celebrated Canadian wildlife photographer Michelle Valberg, who shares stories of her photographic adventures at the two poles and the incredible animals she observes as she creates emotional imagery that has the power to make viewers feel. From the mailbag on today's show, how introversion affects what you photograph, favourite places in the world to MAKE those pictures and how being devoured by forest has you feel, making your own book or zine in 2024, how your experiences as a child can influence your photography as an adult plus there is news of a second retreat week in Scotland. It is the first Friday of the month, so it’s assignment week, and this year, all our challenges are one-word photographic assignments. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

The final Photowalk edition of 2023 takes me to Oxford to visit Tony Lorenzo, who, in the early part of this century, found two fading 1930s photographs in a box on the floor of a shop in London featuring a girl called June. This is the story of a quest to find who June was in real life from those and other photographs subsequently found, a photographic detective story that takes Tony up and down the UK piecing together June's 'lost' family album. Also today, we say farewell to a very special friend of the show, Nils Amelinckx, replaying some of his inspirational words about the precious nature of the outdoors and photography. Plus, a roadside encounter with Kathleen Watson, whose mission, it seems, is to spread cheer and raise a smile. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Nine years in the US Navy, Rachelle Steele learned her photographic craft the hard way in operations that tested her resolve. She laid down the camera for five years before rediscovering a love for black and white photography, studying at the Academy of Art University, which lead to new adventures making collections of storytelling photographs of her life and for others.  Also today demons in markets, biscuits that take your teeth out, pictures and memories of ancient henges, Canadian wildlife and Visual Stories for December with Valérie Jardin. Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB.com who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.