I’m a sucker for a portrait project. And Richard Beaven’s All of Us is one of the most beguiling I’ve seen for a long time. Originally from Devon in the UK, Richard now lives in a small town called Ghent in upstate New York. On the town’s bicentennial Richard set out to photograph as many of the townspeople as he could, one by one. The captivating series of 276 medium format images will soon be a book.

In our conversation, recorded in the middle of lockdown, Richard talks about how he made the switch from the brutal world of advertising to life as a professional photographer. We discuss the paradox of the medium, that photography depicts surface yet somehow takes you deeper. And Richard explains practically about how he photographs strangers and why some of the most interesting subjects can often be very close to home.

If you can, check out Richard’s work while you listen.