A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers cover art

A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers

A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers

By: Ben Smith
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 Fortnightly in-depth interviews featuring a diverse range of talented, innovative, world-class photographers from established, award-winning and internationally exhibited stars to young and emerging talents discussing their lives, work and process with fellow photographer, Ben Smith. The most recent 50 episodes are on this free feed, 200+ more are in the archive! TO ACCESS THE FULL ACHIVE OF PAST EPISODES + SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, BECOME A MEMBER FOR £5 PER MONTH!© Ben Smith Art
Episodes
  • 269 - Ed Kashi (#2)

    269 - Ed Kashi (#2)
    Nov 19 2025

    Ed Kashi is a renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker and educator who has been making images and telling stories for 40 years. His restless creativity has continually placed him at the forefront of new approaches to visual storytelling. Dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times, a sensitive eye and an intimate and compassionate relationship to his subjects are signatures of his intense and unsparing work. As a member of VII Photo, Ed has been recognized for his complex imagery and its compelling rendering of the human condition.

    Ed’s innovative approach to photography and filmmaking has produced a number of influential short films and earned recognition by the POYi Awards as 2015’s Multimedia Photographer of the Year. Ed’s embrace of technology has led to creative social media projects for clients including National Geographic, The New Yorker, and MSNBC. From implementing a unique approach to photography and filmmaking in his 2006 Iraqi Kurdistan Flipbook, to paradigm shifting coverage of Hurricane Sandy for TIME in 2012, Ed continues to create compelling imagery and engage with the world in new ways.

    Along with numerous awards from World Press Photo, POYi, CommArts and American Photography, Ed’s images have been published and exhibited worldwide. His editorial assignments and personal projects have generated fourteen books.

    In 2002, Ed in partnership with his wife, writer + filmmaker Julie Winokur, founded Talking Eyes Media. The non-profit company has produced numerous award-winning short films, exhibits, books, and multimedia pieces that explore significant social issues.

    In 2019, The Enigma Room, an immersive installation, premiered at NYC’s Photoville festival, and has since been seen in Israel, the Netherlands, South Korea, and New Mexico, USA.

    HIs new book is, A Period In Time: Looking Back While Moving Forward, 1977 - 2022.

    In episode 269, Ed discusses, among other things:

    • Wanting to contribute to positive change
    • Donating his archive and why
    • A lesson learned on being assertive
    • His new book A Period In Time
    • Publishing extracts from his journal entries
    • Editing language in response to modern sensibilities
    • Seeing the impact of identity politics in the USA
    • His book project with his wife, Julie, American Sketches
    • America being less divided than we are being led to believe
    • His interest in ‘advocacy journalism’

    Website | Instagram

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 268 - Paul Sng

    268 - Paul Sng
    Nov 5 2025
    Paul Sng is a bi-racial British Chinese filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. He has directed six feature documentaries, including Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche (winner of BIFA 2021 Best Documentary, BIFA 2021 Raindance Discovery Award), Tish (Sheffield DocFest 2023 Opening Gala film) and Reality Is Not Enough (Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 Closing Gala film). Paul strives to make bold and creatively ambitious films that connect emotionally with audiences, working collaboratively with great teams to tell stories about outsiders and amplify rebellious voices. In 2022 he was named as a BAFTA Breakthrough Artist and directed Folding, his first short drama film, funded by Screen Scotland and BFI Network.In episode 268, Paul discusses, among other things:Growing up in London with a single mumHaving outsider syndrome… and imposter syndrome, and using that to your advantageHis educational history, including a couple of false startsMaking a feature as his first ever film with the ‘confidence of ignorance’The importance of finding a good Producer (and what their job involves)The important questions he asks himself in considering whether to make a filmStructure and working with an editorApplying the same narrative principles to documentary as are prevalent in fictionThe creative treatment of actualityFinding an audienceCurrently in production, Little WarriorReferenced:TrainspottingSymposium, PlatoBruce LeeJackie ChanDavid YipJohn WooWong Kar-WaiColin McArthurSleaford ModsNathan HannawinBruce RobinsonOrson WellesRebecca Mark-LawsonJennifer CorcoranMoonage DaydreamThe Atrocity Exhibition, JG BallardThe Man In The White SuitEmma ButtWebsite | IMDB page | InstagramEpisode sponsor:Aftershoot. Your complete AI workflow: Streamline photo culling, editing, and retouching so you can create stunning images, grow your business, and save 18+ hours every month. Try it completely free for a 30 day trial and get a 15% discount at checkout once you sign up with the code SMALLVOICEPOD. Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month.Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides.Follow me on Instagram here.Build Yourself a Squarespace Website video course here.
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • 267 - BoP Festival 2025

    267 - BoP Festival 2025
    Oct 22 2025

    Fearturing:

    • Merlin Daleman
    • David O’Mara
    • Jem Southam
    • Martin Parr
    • Christoph Bangert from Photobus
    • Ayesha Jones
    • Mark Power
    • Tom Shaw

    Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month.
    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides.
    Follow me on Instagram here.
    Build Yourself a Squarespace Website video course here.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
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