B&H Photography Podcast

For Gabriela, photography is about more than capturing a polished final image. It's about becoming part of a place, building trust with the people around her, and recognizing the everyday moments that quietly connect our lives. In this week's podcast, she discusses moving from commercial photography into street portraiture, learning to approach people with confidence and respect, and allowing time and genuine connection to shape her work. Highlights from Gabriela's candid conversation include her approach to blending into a scene, the portrait she created after days of connecting with a woman in Nepal, and her love for photographing ordinary routines that might otherwise pass undocumented. The conversation also takes an honest look at the realities behind a creative life. Gabriela explains how she moved from hiding behind the camera to sharing more of herself online, why creators need to develop their own voices across different platforms, and how organization, business knowledge, financial awareness, and firm boundaries have helped her build a lasting freelance career. Ultimately, Gabriella's story is a reminder that finding your voice requires knowing who you are, creating for yourself first, and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format. Guest: Gabriela Gabrielaa Episode Timeline 0:00: Introducing Gabriela: Finding yourself as an artist and creative. 2:21: The growing importance of behind-the-scenes storytelling. 3:31: Moving from commercial photography to street portraiture. 4:44: Building confidence and helping people feel comfortable in front of the camera. 8:46: Slowing down, observing, and finding photographs within a single place. 11:10: Building trust to create a memorable portrait in Nepal. 12:25: Why meaningful photography takes time. 15:19: Translating the sounds and sensations of the street into photographs. 16:05: Collaborating with musicians and putting visuals to sound. 21:14: Concert photography, spontaneity, and the possibilities of creative control. 22:18: How collaboration and community helped Gabriela's career flourish. 24:06: Knowing who you are and allowing the right community to find you. 25:13: Creative boundaries and knowing when to walk away. 26:04: Turning manifestation into action through planning and persistence. 28:09: How social media affects the creative process. 30:09: Moving from behind the camera to becoming more visible. 35:55: Inspiration, influence, and why every artist brings a different perspective. 37:20: Art school, online education, and the value of real-world experience. 40:31: Bringing tactile collage and physical inspiration back into the process. 43:18: Why photographers need to understand marketing and business. 49:55: Removing the stigma around day jobs and creative side careers. 51:11: Working across photography, directing, set design, acting, and modeling. 53:31: Ongoing personal projects, including "Bag Lady." 54:44: Photographing bicycles around the world. 59:02: Self-publishing, creative networks, and friends who help you grow. 1:00:31: Returning to Latin America, reconnecting with her roots, and making intentional work. 1:02:20: Rest, boundaries, and bringing a sense of peace back into the creative process. 1:03:22: Final thoughts on community, personal responsibility, and continued growth. Guest Bio Gabriela Gabrielaa is a prominent Colombian-American photographer known for her work in portraiture, street photography, and lifestyle photography. Based in New York City, her photography captures the dynamism of urban life, showcasing both the complexities and the beauty of the world around her. Since picking up a camera at the age of 11, Gabriela has committed herself to creating powerful visual narratives that explore themes of identity, culture, and the spaces we inhabit. Over the past 10 years, she has developed a distinctive artistic style that resonates with a global audience, establishing her as a compelling voice in the world of photography. Gabriela collaborates with brands such as Sony, Red Bull, and Governors Ball. Additionally, she is a producer, curator, and community builder, bridging traditional and digital art practices. Stay Connected: Gabriela Gabrielaa Website: https://www.gabrielagabrielaa.com Gabriela Gabrielaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielagabrielaa/ B&H Podcast Network Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhpodcastnetwork/ B&H Podcast Network Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BHPodcastNetwork Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Technical Producer/Video Editor: Peter Maziarz Executive Producer: Dana Glidden

Stephen Wilkes is an undisputed master at telling stories with images. In this week's podcast, he pinpoints the exact moment he was given free rein to dream up an epic photo project for a major exhibition that would come to redefine photographic printing technology. In the year 2000, he was commissioned to capture the beauty and complexity of America at the turn of the Millennium on large format film, then transform his highly detailed film captures into immersive fine art prints using Epson's groundbreaking printing technology. Twenty-five years later, he's revisiting this project to reveal the continuing advancements of photographic fine art printing while also paying homage to the 250th anniversary of the country's birth. Highlights from Stephen's spirited chat with Derek include his historical assessment of how descriptors such as "Color" and "Digital" have been met with a similar sense of incredulity as photographic technology has evolved and his belief in the power of the camera as a conversation starter, a connector, and a means to a magical exchange of energy. What's more, Stephen's dramatic imitation of a Pentecostal preacher wreathed by hissing snakes had us riveted to his every word, and the lessons he shared from his mentor, Jay Maisel left us inspired to work. Among his favorites was Jay's probing query, "Well, do you like pictures, or do you like the act of photographing? Choose one." As Stephen notes, "That was a great question, and he always posed that to me. But for me, I never had a doubt. I've always loved the act of photographing. I get lost. Whatever it is I'm doing." If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format. Guest: Stephen Wilkes Episode Timeline: 0:00: Stephen Wilkes: America in Detail, Revisited. 0:45: Photography as a storytelling tool. 1:33: Reflecting on the past 25 years and Stephen's America in Detail project with Epson in the year 2000. 3:32: Stephen's interest in being a historian of photography to capture a unique moment in history. 5:42: Stephen describes his exhibitions of immersive digital prints—it's a visceral experience. 9:40: A comeback to creating prints and print media in the digital age. 13:17: Memorable moments from Stephen's America in Detail project. 15:36: Stephen's encounter with Pentecostal minister Pastor Anderson and his snakes. 27:14: Finding a balance between letting go and staying creative despite commercial pressures. 28:44: Gary Greff's Enchanted Highway in Regent, North Dakota 31:13: It's all about the mind's eye—technology that gives us the opportunity to show us things we've never seen before. 32:40: Lesson's learned from Stephen's mentor Jay Maisel—do you like pictures or do you like the act of photographing? 35:11: The camera as a connection—as a conversation starter & energy exchange—positive, negative, and even hidden energy fields. 41:46: Is there any benefit to worry? Plus pushing through rough spots to a positive result. 46:58: Revisiting Stephen's America in Detail project with current printing and processing technology. 52:07: Parting thoughts and another story about Jay Maisel: It all starts with curiosity—Let your curiosity drive your work. Guest Bio: Stephen Wilkes is a photographer and National Geographic Explorer known for his groundbreaking imagery that blends documentary storytelling with fine art. Since opening his studio in New York City in 1983, Wilkes has built a career that spans editorial, commercial and fine art photography, earning a reputation as one of America's most iconic and innovative visual artists. Stay Connected: Stephen Wilkes Website: https://stephenwilkes.com/ Stephen Wilkes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenwilkes Stephen Wilkes Epson Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHyeJQQVgds America in Detail at Holden Luntz Gallery: https://www.holdenluntz.com/magazine/exhibitions/stephen-wilkes-america-in-detail-jl-modern-gallery/ B&H Podcast Network Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhpodcastnetwork/ B&H Podcast Network Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BHPodcastNetwork Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Technical Producer/Video Editor: Peter Maziarz Executive Producer: Dana Glidden

For those who believe the world of elite fashion photography is not within reach—we've got a story for you! In this week's podcast, we explore the career trajectory and core values fueling the rise of fashion & beauty specialist Enrique Vega. Hailing from a small town in Mexico, Enrique built essential skills by assisting a local wedding and event photographer, then set his sights on New York City. After knocking on the door of his sole professional contact, he worked his way from unpaid intern to first assistant—building the kind of confidence that only comes from proving yourself, one shoot at a time, in a setting he compares to "a military school of photography." Enrique's chat with Derek ranges from the realities of breaking into fashion photography as an outsider while combating the dreaded "imposter syndrome" to his belief that endurance and resilience, rather than talent and execution, are what separates photographers who make it in New York. From there, the discussion shifts to the collapse of print media and what comes after magazines, how Enrique is folding AI into his workflow without losing the human element that makes his portraits shine, and the inevitable tightrope between staying an artist and running a business. Ever passionate about his photographs, Enrique sums things up with this candid sentiment: "All the work that I did from the heart, whichever way I wanted to, not because I wanted to be trendy, not because I wanted validation—just what I love—is what has opened many doors for me. It's the work that still lives in my portfolio and people love. The images that actually got me work." If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format. Guest: Enrique Vega Episode Timeline: 0:00: Enrique Vega's Path to Shooting High End Fashion 0:41: Podcasting can help you know yourself from the outside. 3:35: The best part about interviewing people, plus Enrique's early interest in radio and media. 7:25: Enrique's first job in Mexico, assisting a wedding and Quinceañera photographer. 11:48: From intern to first assistant in NYC, plus showing the confidence to do a good job. 16:28: The story of the Archer—pursue the unreachable & aim for the stars. 18:02: The issue of fashion magazines & the world beyond print publications. 23:58: The value of personal human interaction in a digital era. 26:51: Resilience is at the core of success as a photographer in New York. 31:47: Dealing with struggles, constant evolution & industry burn out. 33:22: Riding the evolutionary wave, plus how Enrique uses AI. 46:28: Striking a balance between being an artist and a businessperson 52:22: The human element & finding the person behind the creative. 56:22: Enrique's advice for aspiring photographers: "Talent & execution are not enough." 1:04:00: Final thoughts: "Your success is my success. If I help you, we grow together." Guest Bio: Enrique Vega is a Mexican-born, New York City-based fashion photographer and director, whose fashion and beauty work has been published in the most prestigious fashion magazines worldwide and featured in TV shows like America's Next Top Model. He began his career in photography at age 17 as an assistant to a local photographer in Mexico. After completing a degree in Communication Sciences at the Autonomous University of Baja, California, he continued his studies in portraiture at the Academy of Visual Arts in Mexico City, Spéos School of Photography in Paris, the School of Visual Arts, and the International Center of Photography in New York City. His work is part of the Art + Commerce / Vogue italy / PhotoVogue Collection. In 2019, he was awarded "Photographer of the Year" by the Fashion Group International Mexico for his experience, creativity, and perseverance in fashion photography, both inside and outside the country. He also was the winner of the Kelly Cutroune photo contest organized by TALENTHOUSE to be part of an elite team of photographers working on Mercedez Benz Fashion Week in New York. Most recently, he has added teaching fashion photography to his repertoire. Stay Connected: Enrique Vega Website: https://www.enrique-vega.com/ Enrique Vega Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enriquevegaphoto/ Enrique Vega Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/enriquevegastudio Enrique Vega YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@enriquevegaphoto Enrique Vega LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enriquevegastudio/ B&H Podcast Network Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhpodcastnetwork/ B&H Podcast Network Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BHPodcastNetwork Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Technical Producer/Video Editor: Peter Maziarz Executive Producer: Dana Glidden

The time-honored saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" can quickly lose meaning in the intricate tangle of a photographer's lifetime archive. That is unless you take a disciplined approach to organizing your photographs from the start. This essential message is woven throughout this week's podcast with the esteemed photojournalist and filmmaker Ed Kashi. "You need to look at your archive from early on, even before you think you have any critical mass of material," Ed instructs. "This is your memory, this is your history. This is like the essence… Well, for me, this is like the essence of who I am." Derek's chat with Ed spans the full arc of his career of nearly 50 years—from his early in-depth stories for legendary magazines to his current work on ambitious creative projects through Talking Eyes Media, the non-profit he co-founded with his wife Julie Winokur. Their discussion also covers the many implications of the digital revolution, being accountable for the pictures you make, viewing social media as an opportunity to be your own publisher, Ed's natural reflex to anticipate and react to situations, plus his affinity for capturing "Abandoned Moments," where he's not fully in control of the action in front of his lens. Yet, while photos are vital building blocks, story reigns supreme. "Here's how I want to end," Ed concludes. "Joan Didion has a great quote, 'We humans live for stories.' Simply put, and so true and so wise. And I feel that I live for stories, whether I'm telling them or whether I'm absorbing them." If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format. Guest: Ed Kashi Episode Timeline: 0:00: Ed Kashi: Anticipate & React 3:16: Ed's reflexes to anticipate and react and not be in control of situations he documents. 5:45: Ed's approach to social media: He can be his own publisher. 9:45: Your archive is the essence of who you are as a photographer. 12:31: Ed's switch to digital photography in 2002. 16:30: An early ambition to be a writer rather than a photographer. 21:33: Ed's Aging in America project and his entry to video. 26:58: Collaborating with his wife Julie Winokur on multimedia projects & knowing how to work together with a partner. 33:08: The importance of a support staff to running his business, plus his Talking Eyes Media nonprofit. 39:04: Finding new ways to fund ambitious creative projects and distribute through major media outlets. 45:38: Ed's theory of Abandoned Moments & capturing the in-between moments not in control. 56:32: Being accountable for the pictures you make & not reinforcing stereotypes. 1:05:14: Ed's most difficult story in Iraq & his first panic attack Guest Bio: Ed Kashi believes in the power of still images to change people's minds. This renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker, and educator has been making images and telling stories for 45 years. As a member of VII Photo, Kashi has been recognized for his complex imagery and its compelling rendering of the human condition. His editorial assignments and personal projects have generated fourteen books and several influential short films, and his award-winning images have been published and exhibited worldwide. Dedicated to the social and political issues that define our times, Ed's restless creativity has continually placed him at the forefront of new approaches to visual storytelling. His embrace of technology has spawned unique ways to combine photography and filmmaking—from creative social media projects to immersive multimedia projections, and beyond. In 2002, Ed, together with his wife, the writer + filmmaker Julie Winokur, founded Talking Eyes Media as a non-profit company focused on producing short films, exhibitions, books, and multimedia pieces that explore significant social issues. Stay Connected: Ed Kashi Website: https://www.edkashi.com Talking Eyes Media Website: https://talkingeyesmedia.org The Enigma Room Website: https://www.enigmaroom.me Ed Kashi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edkashi Talking Eyes Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingeyesmedia/ B&H Podcast Network Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhpodcastnetwork/ B&H Podcast Network Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BHPodcastNetwork Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Technical Producer/Video Editor: Peter Maziarz Executive Producer: Dana Glidden

New York City is often considered the center of the universe, especially for photographers and other creative types. Leaving the Big Apple after you've established yourself there can mean "saying goodbye to these chapters of a previous life," according to today's guest. Derek's chat with Sony Artisan Nancy Borowick on this week's podcast is all about looking beyond the environment that launched her professional life and making pivots to balance a successful career with the responsibilities of a growing family, amid other life changes. As Derek aptly notes, "Pivot means more adapt than it means change. And you can turn out a different end product and it's coming from a different place. But at the end of the day, you're still building the same connections." Nancy and Derek also discuss the value of mentorship, the essential role of human connections, challenges to building community as an outsider in a new setting, and Nancy's recent expansion into family & event photography. Reflecting on the jumble of life and career decisions she's made to this point, Nancy admits, "It calms me to be able to look at all the pivots and all the different chances that I've taken and seen that it's all kind of worked out in the end in some capacity. Like, when you're just starting out, and I was saying yes to everything that came my way because, one, I needed to make money, but also, someone wants to hire me to take photographs?!?" "I thought it was going to be a hobby," she adds. "I didn't realize I could make it into a career. And, little by little this door opened this thing, and this door opened this other thing, and I left New York, and I said goodbye to a lot, but then new doors opened." If you've enjoyed this podcast, please follow us @bhpodcastnetwork and be on the lookout for more inspiring conversations in our new format. Guest: Nancy Borowick Episode Timeline: 0:00: Nancy Borowick: Photography Mentors & Career Pivots. 1:36: Derek stalks Nancy enroute to the recording session. 6:12: Leaving New York for the US Virgin Islands. 10:45: Balancing a career with kids and family. 13:08: Mixing photojournalism & local news stories with family & event shoots. 15:14: Making human connections & being a part of other people's joy. 18:10: Connecting to the local community as an outsider 21:35: Building Nancy's new business: Love City Photos 29:55: A pivot means adapt more than it means change 35:34: The photographic curse behind some of Derek's portraits. 38:40: Nancy's portrait assignment from a B&H Event Space photo walk. 42:04: Photography mentorship & finding the person you want to be. 50:28: The importance of making time for yourself. 58:46: Nancy's advice for finding a mentor. Guest Bio: Nancy Borowick is an internationally renowned photographer, author, teacher and speaker, bringing her personal story to universities, hospitals, oncology units and community groups world across the globe. Nancy is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and proud member of the Sony Alpha Female community. She is a graduate of the International Center of Photography and has exhibited her work in more than 100 cities. Her photos have appeared in newspapers and magazines worldwide, and she has worked regularly with the New York Times since 2013. These intimate stories of people and places have garnered major accolades and awards, including World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International, and The Arnold Newman Prize. In 2019, Nancy was invited to become a Kickstarter Thought Leader. Most recently, Nancy received the Humanitarian Award from the organization Women That Soar for her photography and recent monograph, The Family Imprint. Nancy currently resides on the island of St. John, USVI with her husband, and two sons. Stay Connected: Nancy Borowick Website: https://www.nancyborowick.com/ Nancy Borowick Love City Website: https://www.lovecityphoto.com/ Nancy Borowick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancyborowick B&H Podcast Network Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhpodcastnetwork/ B&H Podcast Network Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BHPodcastNetwork Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Technical Producer/Video Editor: Peter Maziarz Executive Producer: Dana Glidden