WTF-Stop Podcast - Photo Talk cover art

WTF-Stop Podcast - Photo Talk

WTF-Stop Podcast - Photo Talk

By: Zak Waters
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About this listen

 'WTF-STOP' Podcast is home to 'PHOTO TALK' where I chat with photographers about their life and connection to the world through photography.

You can also visit the CAMERA You Tube channel for photo book reviews, exhibitions and an assortment of other photography related content.

Please follow and subscribe on this link: https://www.youtube.com/@CamerasnapsAll rights reserved CAMERA 2025 Art Literary History & Criticism Social Sciences
Episodes
  • #26 Bert Hardy - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST

    #26 Bert Hardy - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST
    Aug 23 2025
    Sheila Hardy: Preserving the Legacy of Bert Hardy and Grove HardyIn 2007, as the long-running photographic lab Grove Hardy prepared to close after nearly fifty years in business, Martin Reed—owner of photographic supplier Silverprint—recorded a rare and insightful interview with Sheila Hardy, widow of Picture Post photographer Bert Hardy. Joined by his wife Janice and Grove Hardy’s last printer, Charles Keeble, Martin captured a vital piece of photographic history as the lab faced closure following Keeble’s retirement.Grove Hardy had been a cornerstone of London’s post-war photo scene, founded in the late 1950s by Bert Hardy and master printer Gerry Grove. This interview offers a unique glimpse into the legacy of both the lab and the Hardy archive. The recording was passed to me in 2024 by photographer Geoff Howard, a long-time Grove Hardy customer, who had originally received it from Martin Reed in 2008. It remains a valuable document of a time, a place, and the quiet winding-down of a great photographic institution.Below are some reference notes with times from the interview which may help the listener understand some of the interviews context:2007 interview by Martin Reed and Sheila Hardy, Charles Keeble3.55 start talking about “that book” - this is the Bert Hardy autobiography, published by GordonFraser in 19856.40 Sheila starts talking about the picture of the Queen’s visit to the Paris Opera, made fromjoining pictures from 15 negatives. In the book, this is discussed on p171-173, and the key andexplanation is at the end of the book under “Technical Notes”12.52 Patrick Ward, photographer13.15 talking about the film “Blow Up”; Don McCullin did the “doss-house” pictures at thebeginning of the film16.55 Edith Kaye - did she print for Lord Snowden?18.03 she worked for Wallace Heaton. They were in business as a photographic supplier 1917 -1972, when taken over by Dixons. They had a Royal Warrant, as suppliers to the Queen, etc.21.06 Alex Lowe, photographer22.58 “Sharon at our place” - Martin is talking about Sharon Easterling, a printer at DowntownDarkroom, which was above the Silverprint trade-counter. Downtown started at Mount Pleasant(next door to Process Supplies), by Mike Spry and Vic Hemmings. At 26.31 timing ”Sharon wasnever interested in photographing”26.01 “Gerry died in 1982” - is this correct? I thought it was in the 1970s29.06 “no grades, very very thin” paper - is this the “Air-Mail weight paper, introduced to reduceweight of air-mail letter enclosures?30.16 “check the number of sheets used”; this certainly happened as a check for Purchase Tax;how many sheets of paper did you buy, and how many have you invoiced for? The inspectorsdidn’t realise that there was wastage, as not every print made was correct ... I was asked aboutthis in 197131.04 using bulk film, loading film into metal cassettes, eg Leica, Contax. Check when Kodakstarted to sell already-loaded cassettes; I think pre-war32.13 Bunker Hunt, American, tried to corner the world silver market c1979 - 1985; price of filmrocketed; he ultimately failed and was bankrupted36.48 Paul Knights, printer at Grove Hardy. Printed my Japanese exhibition in 1991. He wantedto be a photographer, and left to travel, went to Thailand37.45 Charles is mis-remembering about me and Homer Sykes. Also, Homer younger thanPatrick Ward, not same generation40.20 Kurt Hutton, German photographer, refugee from Nazis; original staff at Picture Post. WifeGretel printed his work44.56 R G Lewis did check every camera above a certain price; they shot a short length of film,and Mr Mason (editor of Amateur Photographer magazine) checked it with a microscope; Ibought my first serious camera there (a Konica S2) and still have the negatives, delivered in thebox with the camera49.43 Gene Smith’s funeral picture? Really?52.05 Sally Soames, photographer, worked for The Sunday Times 1937 - 201952.49 Marketa Luskacova, Czech photographer “used to drive us crazy, great photographer, buta difficult person”58.48 Charles talking of photographer “Mahler”?, photographing in a street in Chelsea - is hethinking of Roger Mayne, photographing in Notting Hill1.00.08 “Godfrey” is photographer Godfrey Thurston Hopkins; his friends knew him as Godfrey1.01.40 Prince Phillip dancing with Ava Gardner at a cabaret; Bert only photographer “thenegatives had to be destroyed”. Now there’s a story ...1.06.35 The “Strand” cigarette advertisement was shot in 19591.09.31 the Arts Council books, published by Gordon Fraser in 1977 were a series ofphotographic monographs; Bert Hardy, George Rodger, Thurston Hopkins, Bill Brandt; a secondseries consisted of Roger Fenton, P H Emerson and Frank Sutcliffe1.11.58 “the enlargers” refers to the 2 Leitz enlargers from the Grove Hardy / Bert HardyDarkroom, gifted to Martin Reed in 2007Bert Hardy The late Bert Hardy was a London-born photographer Bert Hardy (1913-1995, UK) was a seminal...
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • #25 Christopher Morris - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST

    #25 Christopher Morris - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST
    Jul 28 2025
    Christopher Morris is one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century and one of the most celebrated visual chroniclers of war. Morris re-invented and reimagined what was possible with the language of political photography for a generation of photographers and editors while working for TIME magazine during the George W. Bush Administration in the United States.His career, however, has defied the narrow confines of conflict and politics. An Italian fashion magazine commissioned him after seeing his photographs of Republicans in America, and that led to further work with celebrities and world leaders eager to receive similar unorthodox photographic treatment.Selected Biography:In 1983, during the civil conflict in the Philippines in Manila, Morris started covering world news as documentary conflict photographer for Newsweek. In 1989 - 1990, he documented the United States invasion of Panama. CBS News and RAI broadcast his short movie. He won one of his first prizes World Press Photo awards for "Casualties of Just Cause, Panama. On March 4, 1991, near the front of the Persian Gulf War, his photograph of a U.S. Marine holding the American flag above his shoulders made the front cover of Life Magazine.During nine years, he covered the war in the former Yugoslavia. In Perpignan, his photo essay won the Visa d'Or award. Grazia Neri wrote: "It was in Yugoslavia that the daily exposure to the war on civilians started to weigh heavily on him, on his person, on his soul, and on his photography." In May 1992, he has been named the recipient of the 1991 Robert Capa Gold Medal for his coverage of "Slaughter in Vukovar".In 1995, he captured movement in a photograph of a Chechen fighter running outside of the demolished presidential palace during the battle of Grozny of the first Chechen War: "At that moment that's the most dangerous place on earth. I'm not sitting there saying, 'Oh, I'm going to shoot slow shutter speeds and I'm going to zoom it!'" Morris said. "You're just shooting."In 2000, the second Chechen War was the turning point of his career as a conflict photographer."With the vision in my mind of my 2-year-old daughter at home whom I rarely had seen nor even photographed. This was the crystal-clear moment that made me disengage from this type of photography as a profession."In 2000, in United States, as member of the White House pool, he covered the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama for Time. In September 2001, Morris was one of seven founding members of VII Photo Agency.In 2001, he provided coverage of the terrorism in Yemen and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2008, his book My America is noticed by the editor in chief of the Italian fashion magazine Amica who hired him for a Ralph Lauren shooting in New York.In 2011, he documented the Libyan Civil War and, in 2012, the Plan Colombia. Morris, who was commissioned by Black Star in 1988 to document the Soviet Afghan War, photographed 24 years later for Time/VII the parents of the POW Bowe Bergdahl, captured in 2009 during the War in Afghanistan.[In 2013, Morris directed, edited and produced the short film Conclave about people waiting, in St. Peter's Square, for the announcement of the new Pope for Time.In 2013, in France, he documented the presidency of François Hollande for Le Monde. For Elle, he provided coverage of the political campaign race to conquer the Paris city hall for the first time between two women: Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet and Anne Hidalgo who both campaigned to become Mayor of Paris.In 2016, he introduced a new way to film the United States presidential candidates’ rallies using a high-speed camera, his short movies being played back in slow-motion.Exhibitions:2013 Americans , Le Bal, Paris2013 From War & Politics to Fashion , Berlin Foto-Festival2014 EYES IN PROGRESS, European House of Photography, Paris2016 WALLS 01 , group exhibition, l'Oiseau, Paris2017 Trump, Linke Milan, Italy Selected Awards:Numerous World Press Photo Award from 1989 onwards1991 Olivier Rebbot award.1991 Robert Capa Gold Medal Prize1992 Golden Visa, Perpignan – Black Star – Yugoslavia1992 Infinity Award for Photojournalism2007 Infinity Award for PhotojournalismChristopher MorrisWebsite: http://www.christophermorrisphotography.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher_morris_vii/VII Foundation: https://theviifoundation.org/BooksMy America (Steidl 2006) https://steidl.de/Books/My-America-0002092122.html Americans (Steidl 2012) https://steidl.de/Books/Americans-0712273447.htmlCamera is onX: https://twitter.com/Camerasnaps ​YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Camerasnaps/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camera_books/​ Merch: http://camera.myspreadshop.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camera.proje...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0I5BX44...Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ed3... Thank you for all your support.#christophermorris #conflictphotography #...
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    2 hrs and 5 mins
  • #24 Mark Cohen - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST

    #24 Mark Cohen - PHOTO TALK - WTF-STOP PODCAST
    Mar 25 2025
    Mark Cohen is an American photographer best known for his innovative close-up street photography. Cohen's major books of photography are Grim Street (2005), True Color (2007), and Mexico (2016).

    Shooting in the gritty environs of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Cohen’s literal and innovative closeness came from his method of holding the camera at arm's length just a few feet away from his subjects. He shot without looking through the viewfinder, intuitively finding the perfect moment and composition. Intrusive but elegant, by turns brutal and sensuous, Cohen’s cropped bodies and faces and the examined texture of skin and clothing reveal a finely tuned aesthetic consistency. No subject is observed without purpose. "They're not easy pictures. But I guess that's why they're mine." Says Cohen.

    Mark Cohen was born in Wilkes-Barre, where he lived and photographed for most of his life. (He now lives in Philadelphia.) His work was first exhibited in 1969 at the George Eastman House but came to prominence with his first solo exhibition at MoMA in 1973.Cohen is the recipient of two Guggenheim Grants, and his work is in the collections of major museums from the U.S. to Japan. In 2015, the publication of “Frame. A Retrospective” was published by the University of Texas press and containing over 250 images. Along with several notable museum acquisitions, the Victoria and Albert Museum recently acquired 42 of Cohen’s prints for their permanent collection.

    Mark Cohen
    Website: https://markcohenphotos.com/

    Books
    5 Minutes in Mexico https://streetphotography.com/mark-cohens-five-minutes-mexico/
    Grim Street (PowerHouse 2005) https://powerhousebooks.com/books/grim-street/
    True Color (PowerHouse 2007) https://powerhousebooks.com/books/true-color/
    Mexico https://exb.fr/en/catalogue/279-mexico-9782365110.html
    Dark Knees https://exb.fr/en/catalogue/119-dark-knees.html
    Cotton https://www.micamera.com/en/prodotto/cotton-mark-cohen/
    Groundworks https://www.micamera.com/en/prodotto/groundworks-mark-cohen/?_gl=1*1g69i3i*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDk2MDY1MDkyLjE3NDI5MzQ4ODY.*_ga_902GTGT9VW*MTc0MjkzNDg4NS4xLjAuMTc0MjkzNDg4NS4wLjAuMA..

    Camera is on
    X: https://twitter.com/Camerasnaps ​
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    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camera_books/​
    Merch: http://camera.myspreadshop.co.uk
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camera.proje...
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    Thank you for all your support.

    #markcohen #streetphotography #photographer #photography #photos #documentaryphotography #camera #photobook #cameratalk #mexico #street #wtfpodcast #blackandwhitephotography #grimstreet

    Music from Epidemic Sound
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    Stonekeepers
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    53 mins
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