The Photography Pod

Steve and Nick are running on empty through a busy wedding season! In this show they look at their respective collection of Sony fit lenses. Do we really need that F1.4 aperture? And what else do they look for when choosing and using Sony lenses. The guys also look at their back up strategies for wedding raw files, do we have a blind spot in our workflow? And, at what stage do we break out the flash gear at a wedding, if at all?

Evoto One launch event in NYC https://luma.com/1c3nl5kq

Nick and Steve put wedding photography awards under the microscope with Luke Simon, the curator and founder of the International Wedding Photographer of the Year awards. The International Wedding Photographer of the Year showcases the work of Wedding Photographers worldwide and has become the new benchmark for Wedding Photography competitions. Nick, Steve and Luke discuss judging criteria, the impact of technology on photography, and the future of awards in a rapidly changing landscape. The guys also reflect on the importance of recognition and connection in the photography profession. Steve has been buying and selling gear (again), and Nick is...

Steve and Nick delve back into their bulging camera bags and discuss the favourite - and least favourite- Sony photography and video gear.  Steve has been meeting podcast royalty at an unlikely location, whilst Nick has been getting lost in North Oxfordshire. Plus, is LinkedIn a place for photographers to get bookings?

Sony microphone that Steve couldn't remember the model number of (!) 

ECM-B1M https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras-microphones/ecm-b1m

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK. They both use Sony Al...

Steve and Nick are both now fully into wedding season, but Nick manages to fit in a trip to Ireland before the season gets crazy! The guys discuss the pros and cons of shooting JPG's professionally, and should you convert your propriety raw files into DNG.  Steve has been using film simulation JPG's on his Ricoh GR3x and Samantha's X100VI, and discusses the merits of Sony film simulations. They discuss the new Sony RX1R III, and who is it for, and some of the wierdest requests they have had at a wedding. 

Topics in th...

For this episode Steve and Nick are joined by Jan Willem Van Konijnenburg, one half of Creative Depiction Studio, a Gloucestershire based wedding photographer and videographer, whom Nick often works with a weddings. The three of us discuss those all important non-camera gear stuff we always take to weddings, and we couldn't be without!

Nick has been working hard on the Nick Church Creative Academy, whilst Steve has had his walking books on walking, and videoing, the Oxfordshire Way. 

Mentioned in the show:

https://www.creativedepictionstudio.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.c...

Nick and Steve's guest for this week's show is Jay Farrell, a Nashville, TN based photographer who specialises in photographing abandoned building throughout USA. He is also a successful author, with 15 published books of abandoned buildings and his travels. He recently self published is own book, Route 66 Roadscapes. He tells Steve and Nick:

Nick has been working hard on the Nick Church Creative Academy, and also dropping cameras again, whilst S...

For this week's show Steve becomes the guest and Nick the interviewer, as Steve, with his wife Samantha (Sam) tell Nick how they photograph weddings, and what gear they use on the day. With over 450 weddings behind them, Sam and Steve have been photographing weddings from their home in North Oxfordshire for 15 years. They describe how they work together on the wedding day as joint photographers, how they are bring video into their work, and why Sam is the main reason for their reputation and customer service awards. 

Nick updates on his Creative Academy, which has now g...

Nick is flying solo on this latest episode of The Photography pod, as Steve is away. Nick's guest is Courtney Victoria,   a British Landscape and Outdoor Photographer currently based in South West England. They explore Courtney's journey into photography, the impact of COVID-19 on her career, her preferred camera equipment, and her approach to both landscape and macro photography. The conversation also touches on the importance of stability in macro photography, the challenges of gear acquisition syndrome, and the joy of discovering nature through photography.  Courtney also discusses her journey as a photographer and YouTuber, sha...

Nick becomes Steve's interview guest in this episode of The Photography Pod, as we delve into the deep and murky depth's of Nick's camera bag.  The show features an in depth discussion on how Nick photographs weddings including his choice of cameras and lenses, his approach to the different phases of the wedding day, his post processing and the CRM he uses to book the wedding. In other news Steve has a hot experience in Birmingham and Nick gets suntan in front of a fridge. 

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK...

Steve and Nick's guest this week is Francesco Gola, a fine art landscape photographer, who shares his journey into photography, his love for long exposure seascapes, and the emotional connection he feels with the sea. Francesco  shares his insights on landscape photography, emphasizing the importance of planning, adapting to nature, and capturing emotions through weather. He discusses the tools and techniques he uses for location scouting, the significance of color consistency in post-processing, and how the experience of being in nature can enhance the photographic journey. 

Nick has been crashing drones since the last show, and Steve sh...

Nick and Steve's guest photographer for this episode is Victoria (Vic) Hillman, a macro and wildlife photographer. Vic shares how her Zoology and Biology academic background helps her in her work, and her understanding of the subjects she photographers. She also discusses her project " Forgotten Little Creatures", the plants, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles which are often feared, ignored, overlooked and even forgotten about despite the important role they play in their habitats.

Steve and Nick discuss destination weddings, and the risks of UK photographers photographing weddings in Trump's USA.  The also discuss the new Sigma BF, a r...

Nick is back with Steve for this show, which features a guest interview with Andy Gotts, MBE. 

Andy is a renowned celebrity photographer based in London, England, and New York, USA. He is most noted for his black and white portraits of Hollywood actors and singers. His work has been published internationally and has appeared in many magazines, including: VOGUE, GQ, Vanity Fair, Empire, Total Film, Entertainment Weekly, FHM, Hello!, and Glamour, and many more. 

Andy tells Nick and Steve many fascinating stories of being behind the lens, photographing many of the most famous faces in...

Nick is away for this episode, where Steve's guest is Martin Hajdukiewicz, a Warwickshire based woodland and landscape photographer. Self taught via YouTube channels, Martin has become an accomplished YouTube presenter himself. Martin is also administrates Thumbs Up Photography, a friendly and collaborative Facebook group of photographers with over 1500 members. 

Links to channels mentioned in the show:

Martin Hajdukiewicz Website : https://www.mhlandscape.co.uk/

Martin Hajdukiewicz Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mhlandscapephotos/

Martin Hajdukiewicz YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@MHLandscape

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedd...

Nick and Steve's guest for this episode is Emily Endean. Emily is a freelancer photographer specialising in seascapes, ocean photography and lifestyle/brand photography. Emily is also a photography educator and specialises in female only photography trips and workshops. Emily is based in the South of the UK and travels from location to location with her wife and pets aboard her classic Hymer van, which is also their home. 

Emily uses Fujifilm X series cameras and lenses, and has a very close relationship with Fujifilm UK, and has previously been a brand ambassador for Fujifilm. 

Th...

Steve and Nick's special guest for this episode is Sujata Setia. 

Sujata is a multi award winning photographer and artist. As well as her family and materity photography, Sujata also has her personal projects that combine both photography and art. 

Her personal work includes "Changing the Conversation", a startling body of work of images of people with challenges including burns survivors and rare conditions. Her latest project, "A Thousand Cuts", is an extraordinary project where Sujata, using a combination of photography and art, has produced powerful images of domestic abuse survivors from South Asia. The ti...

The Photography and Video Show is the UK's largest imaging exhibition and show. In this, the first of several episodes of The Photography Pod as part of the build up to the show, Steve and Nick's guests are Ruth Folkard, Event Director and Hazel Soper, Group Marketing Manager, of Future, the company behind the Photography and Video Show. 

Ruth and Hazel discuss with Nick and Steve:

In this episode of the Photography Pod, hosts Nick Church and Steve Vaughan chat with garden photographer Jason Ingram about his journey into photography, the challenges of capturing gardens, and the importance of light and weather in his work. Jason shares insights into the business side of garden photography, including working with garden designers and the role of stock photography. He also discusses his upcoming book, 'How to Photograph Gardens', and offers advice for aspiring photographers looking to enter this niche.

Key Takeaways:

For the first show of 2025, Steve and Nick are back with another guest from the world of food photography. 
 Kris Kirkham is a London based food photographer, who has worked with many of the leading brands including Sainsbury, Waitrose, M&S, Subway and Nandos. Having trained and worked as a chef for over 15 years, Kris then combined his love of photography with his passion for food, and developed a distinctive style of food and drink photography that is colourful, beautifully lit and contrasty. With over 10 years of experience and an extensive portfolio, his work is ubiquitous and you pr...

Steve and Nick get in the Christmas spirit for this last show of 2024. 
Steve gets his own back on Nick for the teasing on the last show with a surprise Christmas quiz. Nick has been photographing property in Anglesey again, whilst Steve gets a telling off whilst doing street photography in London. The boys describe their dream photography Christmas present, and their resolutions for 2025.

The book for the week is Wales - A Photographer's Journey by David Wilson. 

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK. They both use So...

In this episode of the Photography Pod, Nick (on his own this week)  speaks with renowned food photographer Cristian Barnett.
They discuss Cristian's journey into photography, his techniques and equipment, the importance of creative collaboration with clients, and the role of personal projects in maintaining creativity. Cristian also shares insights into his work with high-end restaurants and notable clients such as Tom Kerridge, emphasizing the need for passion and collaboration in the art of food photography.
 Cristian and Nick also the impact of AI on the industry, and  Cristian also described his personal projects that document the exp...

Steve and Nick's guest for this episode is Roo Stain, a multi-award winning photographer based in the West Midlands of the UK. Although Roo studied film-making at University, he initial worked as a wedding photographer, before transitioning into full time videography. He tells Steve and Nick about:

The 10 minute techy talk is a...

Steve and Nick delve into the world of camera gear in this episode, and discuss the pros and cons of the main camera systems available in 2024. Which system would they choose if they were starting from scratch? And why? Why Apple computer users will soon have more non Apple monitors to choose from if they want the full 5K "Retina" experience. Steve has finally got to the see the movie Lee, about the war photographer Lee Miller. Why photographers are leaving X (Twitter) and is Bluesky the answer if you want to avoid all the hate? The book focus...

Nick and Steve's guests for this episode are Neil Redfern and Helen Williams, successful wedding photographers, photography educators, and the driving force behind Flash Masters, a community of photographers who love to shoot great images using off camera flash.  Neil and Helen tell Nick and Steve:

Steve and Nick's guest for this episode is the Peak District based wildlife and landscape photographer Tesni Ward. An OM System ambassador, she describes how redundancy from a role in medical sales drove her to become a full time photographer, and how she makes a living from her passion.  She delves in to the (many) pros for her in using an OM-1 micro 4/3rds camera and lens system, and the (very) few downsides, as she see it. She also describes how she approaches photographing wildlife in a natural environment is such a captivating way. 

Steve is juggles th...

in this episode Steve and Nick chat to Geraint Roberts, a South Wales based wedding photographer who loves to shoot film at weddings. Geraint discusses his journey in Photography, starting our with a photography based degree at Falmouth University. He also explains why he loves to shoot film at weddings, how he uses this to differentiate himself, and the processes and labs he uses to develop his film stock. For the techy spot, Steve and Nick discuss the pros and cons of always shooting wide aperture lens wide open, and the various raw compression formats now available.

...

In this episode, Steve and Nick chat with acclaimed Music, Gig and Wedding Photographer Steve Gerrard. 

From spinning records for Oasis at Wembley Stadium to capturing the essence of live music and weddings through his lens, Steve Gerrard shares his photographic journey. We explore his transition from a globetrotting DJ to a professional photographer based in Montreal, delving into how his background in concert photography influences his unique style in wedding shoots. Steve offers insights on the challenges of getting bands to pay for photos and how he's managed to blend music and wedding photography to create v...

In this weeks episode,  Steve and Nick's guest is Guy Peterson, a photojournalist based in Dakar. Guy shares his journey from university to becoming a freelance photojournalist, highlighting the importance of networking and pitching stories to publications. He also discusses the training he has received for working in hostile environments and the challenges of balancing access and safety.

Guy also shares his views on artificial intelligence in photography, the importance of context in photography, as well as sharing some of his stories photographing in West Africa.

Steve and Nick discuss readers questions on getting fed a...

In this episode of the Photography Pod, Steve Vaughan introduces his new co-host, Nick Church, and explains the departure of the previous co-host, Martin Chung. 
Steve and Nick discuss their backgrounds in photography and their plans for the podcast. They outline recurring segments such as techie talk, book reviews, and industry news. They also mention their interest in discussing technical developments in photography, films related to photography, and gear they have recently purchased. 
Nick and Steve also discuss their personal experiences with photography gear and their thoughts on the photography industry. They touch on topics such as th...

Steve and Martin's special guest for this episode is Steven Johnson. Steve is based in Shetland, far north of mainland UK. Steve caught up with Steven whilst on holiday in Orkney, for a chat about his approach to photographing the birds and animals, as well as the Sony camera's and lenses he uses.  
Martin and Steve also discuss their weddings so far this season, as well as how 2025 is looking for bookings. Martin also has (another) new lens....

Steven Johnson on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/wild_about_shetland/

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are...

In this episode Martin and Steve reveal there 5 best AND worst purchases ever! We both have a bit of reputation for buying gear, so we have plenty to choose from. There are some surprises and a lot of laughs. 

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK. They both use Sony Alpha cameras and lenses.

Video version of the Podcast including slide shows of images https://www.youtube.com/@thephotographypod

Nick's website : https://www.nickchurchphotography.co.uk/
Nick's Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/nickchurchphotography/

Martin and Steve's guest for this show is Simon Ogden. Simon is a Manchester based street and night time photographer who produces incredible images, especially considering he had only been taking photos for 10 months!  Simon discusses with the guys his approach, how he learned to observe light and shadow,  how addresses any safety concerns and the camera gear he uses.

Simon's Instagram account : https://www.instagram.com/simon.c.ogden

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK. They both use Sony Alpha cameras and lenses.

Video version of...

In this episode Steve and Martin discuss the recent Photography Show at the NEC, Birmingham, including the news that the show will be moving to the Excel, London in 2025. Did we spend any of our hard earned cash? And why is Steve taking up smoking?
We also discuss a question for the show, is it possible to be creative and take images for our own personal portfolio whilst working "on the job".  
We now have a Facebook group for the show, just search for The Photography Pod

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding p...

In this episode Martin and Steve chat with Nick Church. Nick is a Bristol based wedding photographer, photography trainer and public speaker who, like Martin and Steve, shoots with Sony cameras and lenses.  We discuss:

Nick is giving 3 talks at t...

The Photography Pod is a NEW photography podcast for both working professional photographers and enthusiasts alike. The hosts, Martin Cheung and Steve Vaughan are working professional photographers in the UK. In this first episode Martin and Steve discuss each others photography, their approach to photographing weddings, the (Sony) equipment they use and some unexpected events at weddings they have photographed. 

Nick Church and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in the UK. They both use Sony Alpha cameras and lenses.

Video version of the Podcast including slide shows of images https://www.yo...