FEATURING SEAN TUCKER AND VALÉRIE JARDIN

Today, I walk in London with the philosophical YouTuber Sean Tucker, who shares his thoughts on what makes great street photography and the deeper philosophies behind the genre. Along the way, he talks about what he’s learned from years of making pictures and teaching others to see more clearly. Also joining us is Valérie Jardin, street photographer and mentor, in Teach Me Street. She answers questions about the art of candid photography and offers practical advice on how to approach it with confidence.

Also from the mailbag, Michael Mixon reflects on the future while photographing in his parents’ home, and Phil Paine shares a newly self-published photographic journal after a career spent in television. Mark Mackay experiments with seeing the world as if through a camera without ever lifting one, while Mike Miller explores the surprising similarities between streets photographed with people and those without. There’s news of our new end-of-year competition, and we have a fresh one-word assignment.

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

See Valérie Jardin at The House of Photography in London’s Covent Garden. In this engaging presentation, award-winning photographer, educator, and author Valérie, will demystify the often misunderstood genre of street photography.

Mentioned by Valérie, Joshua Coombes is a British hairstylist and founder of #DoSomethingForNothing, a movement encouraging people to connect their skills and time to those who need it.

Vivian Maier was an American street photographer who lived most of her life in near anonymity as a nanny and caregiver, quietly capturing more than 100,000 images of urban life in New York, Chicago and beyond.

Diane Arbus was an American photographer whose bold, compassionate portraits of people living on the margins reshaped how we see ordinary life.

Joel Meyerowitz is an American photographer celebrated for pioneering the use of colour in street photography, capturing spontaneous urban moments with warmth, nuance and clarity.

Alex Webb creates richly layered, vibrant colour photographs that explore everyday life, borders, light and human connection.

The “Magnum Contact Sheets” book lays bare the creative process of photography—showing 139 contact sheets from 69 Magnum photographers, alongside notes, drafts, marked negatives and behind-the-scenes insight into how iconic images came to be.

Fan Ho was a masterful street photographer, filmmaker and visual poet whose black-and-white images of 1950s and 1960s Hong Kong evoke mood, light, shadow and human stories.

Ray Metzker was an American photographer renowned for bold, experimental black-and-white cityscapes, inventive composites, multiple exposures and striking visual juxtapositions.

Trent Parke is an Australian photographer known for his poetic, often intense visual language. His work blurs the line between documentary and personal vision, weaving light, emotion, and place into unforgettable images.

Joshua K. Jackson is a London-based photographer whose debut monograph Sleepless in Soho captures three years of nocturnal walks through Soho’s neon-lit streets, reflecting his insomnia and unearthing a dialogue between the district’s contemporary pulse and its fading past.

Patton Oswalt is an Emmy and Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer, known for his sharp wit, memorable roles in film and television, and acclaimed voice work in Pixar’s Ratatouille.

Kelvin Brown’s flickr Photowalk inspired group - join by invite by clicking on to THIS LINK.

MUSIC LINKS: Oliver Michael wrote today's playout song Changes. Music on the show is sourced primarily from Artlist and also features in Michael Brennan’s Spotify playlist GoFoto. For Apple Music users, follow this playlist.