Street Shots Photography Podcast

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." - Francis Bacon "Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness." - Yousuf Karsh In this episode, Antonio and Ward welcome back Australian photographer Gavin Libotte for a wide-ranging conversation about street photography, travel, sequencing, and the pull of printed work. Gavin talks about photographing Japan with his family, moving between color and black-and-white approaches, and how Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, rainy streets, cherry blossoms, and strong light each shaped the work he brought home. He also shares plans for two Japan zines: one gritty, black-and-white, flash-driven project, and one color zine built around light, contrast, and the visual beauty of the trip. The conversation turns to Gavin’s zine Passenger, a dark, contemplative body of work made on Sydney’s ferry system. Antonio and Ward dig into the mood, sequencing, negative space, and emotional quiet of the images, while Gavin reflects on public transport as both a literal journey and a metaphor for the human condition. They also discuss influences including Ray K. Metzker, Trent Parke, Alex Webb, and the physical experience of photography in print: zines, books, gallery walls, paper, ink, pacing, and why printed work still matters in a social-media world. Links Gavin Libotte: Website | Instagram Gavin’s Passenger: Street Attitude feature | Paris International Street Photo Awards listing Gavin at Head On Photo Festival: Wanderland | 42 Days Mentioned: Trent Parke | Ray K. Metzker | Alex Webb Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question. Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict

"You are responsible for every part of your image, even the parts you’re not interested in." "Take a look at what you’re looking at." -- Jay Maisel   In this episode, Ward steps into unfamiliar territory at a fashion photography event sponsored by Sony and The Camera Store. Instead of simply making the same model pictures as everyone else, he falls back on what he knows: treating the whole thing like street photography. He moves between sets, waits for gestures and expressions, and eventually turns his camera toward the photographers crowding around the models. The experience gives him a taste of the collaboration that happens between a photographer and a willing subject—and makes the idea of organizing his own outdoor fashion shoot feel a lot less like a daydream. Antonio and Ward then remember legendary New York photographer Jay Maisel, who recently died at 95. Antonio shares his own encounters with Maisel, stories from the photographer’s famously blunt workshops, and the quiet influence Maisel’s work has had on the way he photographs color, light, and ordinary surroundings. Maisel claimed that when he went out with a camera, he looked for “absolutely nothing”—meaning he left his expectations behind and allowed the world to show him what was there. His photographs are a reminder that seeing is a skill, style can become a trap, and even the most everyday scene can become remarkable when someone is paying close enough attention.   Mentioned in this episode That ’70s Shootout at Off Set Studios — The Camera Store’s recap of the event Ward attended The Camera Store — Calgary’s independent camera shop Peter Lindbergh — the fashion photographer Ward hopes to channel in his own way Jay Maisel — explore Maisel’s extensive photographic archive Jay Maisel’s favorites — photographs accompanied by Maisel’s own stories and observations About Jay Maisel — biography, interviews, books, and other resources Joe McNally — photographer and former Maisel student whose remembrance Antonio reads during the episode Light, Gesture, and Color — Maisel’s book about training the eye to recognize what makes a photograph work Jay Myself — a documentary about Maisel and his legendary home and studio at 190 Bowery Also mentioned Lauritzen Gardens — the Omaha botanical garden Antonio visits Adobe Project Indigo — the experimental iPhone camera app Antonio uses for extra reach and RAW capture Trent Parke’s Monument — the photobook Antonio shares with his class   Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question.   Show Links:   Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict

"I can’t seem to get enough of the ‘highway stuff,’ and the fascination of what may be around the next corner makes the whole trip worthwhile." -- Edgar Praus "Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs." -- Susan Sontag   In this episode, Antonio and Ward talk about how photographs begin to change when they’re placed next to one another. A quick exercise from Antonio’s class, using the still-unpublished zine they made together, leads into a conversation about sequencing, photo books, chapbooks, PDFs, and the simple pleasure of getting pictures off a screen. Not every image needs to be the big standalone “banger.” Sometimes a quieter photograph finds its purpose when it lands beside the right companion and becomes part of a larger story. From there, they head out of town. Ward takes a long, unhurried drive through small prairie communities, photographing weathered buildings and enjoying the rare freedom of not having to be anywhere at a particular time. Antonio returns to the Cass County Fair, where the smoke, noise, and motion of a tractor pull give him a chance to borrow a little inspiration from Ward’s rodeo and motorsport work. Going back for a second year lets him see what has stayed the same—and how much his own eye has changed. Together, they find that photography doesn’t require an exotic destination or a crowded city street. Sometimes the good stuff comes from revisiting familiar ground, wandering without too many expectations, and paying attention to what a place has been quietly trying to show you. Mentioned in this episode Miro — the collaborative board Antonio and Ward used to sequence their zine remotely Apple Freeform — an Apple-based alternative for arranging pictures and collaborating on visual boards Gavin Libotte Photography — Gavin’s photography and projects, including Wanderland Walker Evans at The Met — an influence on Ward’s direct photographs of prairie buildings Michael Kenna — the inspiration behind Antonio’s “diesel Michael Kenna” tractor-pull photographs Cass County Fair — home of the truck and tractor pull Antonio photographed Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association — more about the machines, events, and gloriously excessive noise Wilber Czech Festival — the festival and parade Antonio visited in Wilber, Nebraska Nebraska State Fair — Antonio’s next larger fairground photography opportunity Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question.   Show Links:   Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict

In this episode, Antonio introduces the work of Latvian photographer Inta Ruka, whose quiet, direct portraits have completely pulled him in. Her photographs may appear simple at first, but the longer Antonio and Ward sit with them, the more stories and visual relationships begin to emerge. What matters most is the connection behind the pictures: Ruka uses the camera as a passport into people’s lives, spending time with them and allowing each photograph to grow out of trust. Her Rolleiflex stays out of the way, leaving her free to maintain eye contact and treat the person as more important than the equipment. Ward then reviews The Art of Street Photography by Sean Tucker and Joshua K. Jackson, a book concerned less with camera settings than with learning how to think and see as a photographer. Tucker explores creative dry spells, fear, ethics, motivation, and the experience of being fully present with a camera, while Jackson’s rich, layered photographs demonstrate just how open street photography can be. Together, the words and pictures offer something Antonio and Ward keep returning to: permission. Permission to stop being rigid, photograph whatever genuinely catches the eye, and recognize that becoming tired of old habits may simply mean it is time to grow.   The Art of Street Photography by Sean Tucker & Joshua K. Jackson   Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question.   Show Links:   Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict

"I take photographs in my neighborhood. I think that mysterious things happen in familiar places. We don’t always need to run to the other end of the world." -- Saul Leiter "There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment." -- Robert Frank   In this midsummer episode, Antonio talks about returning to Seward, Nebraska, for the Fourth of July and giving himself one simple assignment: photograph people wearing the stars and stripes. By narrowing his attention, he actually becomes more present and comes home with a stronger, more connected group of pictures—a good reminder that creative limits can open things up instead of closing them down. As he prepares to teach his first six-week photography class, he also wrestles with how to give beginners enough technical knowledge without losing the bigger picture. Ward has just finished nine evenings at the Calgary Stampede, an event he has attended for more than forty years and photographed seriously for the last decade. This time, he finds himself looking beyond the strong, formal compositions he knows how to make and toward quieter pictures that say something about who people are. That shift brings more color, more interaction, and a little more humanity into the work. It also raises questions about responsibility: having the right to take and share a photograph does not always mean keeping it online is the most decent choice. Together, Ward and Antonio come around to the value of returning to the same places year after year. Familiar events can become long-term projects, giving photographers a chance to notice what interests them now, see how they are changing, and gradually find something deeper than the pictures they made the year before.   Antonio's Seward July 4th Pix: https://adobe.ly/4hdxxVA   Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question.   Show Links:   Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict