FEATURING PHOTOGRAPHERs GABRIELLE MOTOLA, PAUL HUTSON, VALÉRIE JARDIN AND MR. WHISPER

Today’s show explores captivating encounters and stories that turn fleeting moments into meaningful connections with people through the lens. Four guests who are experts in the field help me on this mission. Paul Hutson is a writer and photographer who has spent decades recording the stories of everyday people he encounters in pictures and words. Gabrielle Motola discusses the philosophy of asking strangers for a portrait and rejection. Valérie Jardin talks about candid street pictures and how they can often lead to a more formal portrait, and former guest Mr. Whisper discusses a project requiring him to change his reportage approach to engage with subjects for a set of commercial pictures.

Also on the topic of photographing strangers, letters from Marilyn Davies who introduces us to a Flickr Group called 100 Strangers, Tony Lorenzo talks of how living with ADHD has been his superpower when it comes to photographing people he doesn’t know and Fred Ash finds there’s really no one way to make a portrait of a stranger.

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LEARN:

MORE ABOUT names, words, THE MUSIC and places FROM TODAY’S SHOW

John Mannell's ongoing project, Portrait Per Day which began on January 1st, 2017, started with the goal of improving his portrait-taking skills. Initially inspired by an idea from his wife, it has since evolved into a continued journey celebrating the people he encounters during his daily travels.

Gabrielle Motola’s workshops page introduces several styles of class, including street portraiture and one-to-one sessions. Also see An Equal Difference, which features 165 images and essays exploring modern Icelandic society's mindset.

RNLB Alfred Corry (ON 353) is a Norfolk and Suffolk-class, non-self-righting, sailing and rowing lifeboat which served in the town of Southwold in the county of Suffolk.

The social photographer Anna McCarthy is mentioned by Paul Hutson within the show today as being a natural conversationalist.

The Humans of New York project, created by Brandon Stanton in 2010, features portraits and interviews of New Yorkers, capturing their diverse stories and experiences. Each photo includes a quote or short story, offering personal insights into their lives. The project has expanded globally, highlighting shared humanity across cultures.

The Flickr group for 100 Strangers, shared by Marliyn Davies.

Tony Lorenzo’s story about Finding June, the episode aired in 2023.

Street Fred’s work on Instagram.

MUSIC LINKS: Israel Wasserman sang and wrote the playout song today Streets. Music on the show is sourced primarily from Artlist.

GABRIELLE MOTOLA

From Gabrielle’s Strangers series on her website. Also see Street and London Underground. All photographs on the showpage are copyright. Not to be reproduced or used without express permission from the photographer.

PAUL HUTSON

Paul Hutson’s encounters (above and below) featured on the show today.

VALÉRIE JARDIN

Valérie talks of her barber shop portraits (above) made initially as completely candid moments. The pictures on the showpage from Valérie are taken from the Visual Narratives series.

Photographing a story about clam fishing in France (above).

Nolwen and Benjamin photographed (above) on the beach, a candid encounter that worked toward a formal portrait.

MR. WHISPER

Here are some of my favorite portraits from my three-month assignment for InPost. This project was particularly special to me because it allowed me to interact with my subjects on the street for the first time.

MARILYN DAVIES

TONY LORENZO

SHUTTER SYNC

Doug Long: Ok, I cheated. Again in a move to be safe, I paused the podcast for a minute. Pulled over and grabbed my camera. When in hand I started the podcast, just as the countdown reached two. Was hoping for a bird, but found something else flying around. As the shutter clicked on the podcast, I snapped this image of a Dragonfly. This was taken at 800mm, F10 and 1/400th of a second. Should have been a little faster, but I like it, I still cropped in a bit. Hope you don't mind my safety solution. Thanks again for your show, I look forward to it every Friday. The Photowalk and the extra mile shows never make it through the weekend without a listen.

Kelly Mitchell: Ok, nowhere too exciting just waiting for the bus to head off to the farmers market. It’s that time of year when there are loads of fresh veggies and fruits at the farmers market. It’s time to make some homemade potato salad, Mmm, can’t wait!!

Jade Lee: This is my photo while out walking this morning, Monday, July 22. It was taken at 6:07am when the temperature was a balmy 9 degrees Celsius. It's been very cold of late for us, but this was lovely!

Glyn Morton: Hi, having just recently discovered Photowalk and now binge-listening past episodes, I found the courage to contribute by way of a ‘shutter sync’ taken during my daily amble along The Wirral Way, a bridleway on what was formerly a railway line on the western side of The Wirral. A few hours spent every day walking this lovely corner of England with my camera and listening to The Photowalk has proved so beneficial for, not just my physical, but also my mental well-being.

John Grindle: This week, I be mostly deadheading my Coreopsis!

Colin Mayer: City landscapes can be photogenic.

Paul Friday: It's brewing day.

Michael Brennan

Jeffrey Smeraldo: This is my shot taken during Episode 442. I took this on our patio in our yard. The flamingo (known as Flo) statue is an homage to my wife’s previous career as a zookeeper in the Ornithology Department at the NYZS. She worked with flamingoes and the conservation effort and they remain one of her favorite birds. Thanks for that episode, really enjoyed the conversation with Merryn Glover. Makes me want to grab that last spot in Scotland!

NEALE JAMES

A brace of sketchbook pictures from today’s photowalk.

VIDEO LIBRARY

The following videos/subjects are referenced within today’s show.

Joel Sternfeld is an American fine-art photographer. He is best known for his large-format colour pictures of contemporary American life and identity.

A candid approach to photographing strangers.

#443 ENCOUNTERS: HOW TO MAKE PORTRAITS OF STRANGERS