APRIL 2025: JIM RICHARDSON
PHOTOGRAPH: CONTEXT
THE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
From Jim Richardson: “Context includes all the things that you put within the frame of a photograph that contribute to make it into a storytelling picture. It's how we know and how we interpret photographs when we look at them. It's hard to do, but it's such a valuable skill when you think about the inclusion of context and how/why it contributes.”
To see an example of Jim working with context in a photograph, see the photograph below.
HOW TO ENTER. IMPORTANT NOTES ON FILE SIZE AND ENTRIES
Send your entry to stories@photowalk.show. Your picture should be 2,500 pixels wide, if possible, for online optimisation. Or send the full-resolution photo, which we will optimise. Feel free to provide text as well if you think it will help explain the location, context, etc. Please don’t add borders or watermarks, and be sure to send FULL URL links to your websites and socials so that we can link to your work on this assignment page. We’ll use a selection of photos you submit on our Photowalk Instagram to showcase your work to our community and help build connections.
Entries are shown below. Good luck!
Neale
JIM RICHARDSON
Here’s an example of a photograph with context, made when I went out to the Isle of Muck. I was photographing Lawrence MacEwen up on top of his island, Muck. Lawrence makes a great portrait. I mean, he's got these eagle eyes and this hair blowing, and you know he's just a great great character, but within the picture, is his sheep dog over on one side of the frame, with the island stretching out into the sea. The bay is over on the right side of the frame, and the Isle of Eigg is in the background, so it's not just a tight portrait of Lawrence, which would have been good too, but it's Lawrence in context, in his environment. He's in his world. This is what his world looks like, and it enriches what we know about him because there is context.
ROBERT DANN
I was delighted to listen to your interview with Jim Richardson. I first met Jim at an NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) meeting in Syracuse, NY where he was our guest speaker back around 1980. The highlight of his career, back then, was his years-long essay, “Cuba, Kansas.” My personal takeaway was the understanding that photographing life is only as elusive as the time you take to explore it. After Jim’s presentation, I remember doing two things. First was making a commitment to myself to look deeper into my subjects and more fully into the environments surrounding them. Second was to write a letter to Charles Kuralt and relate the remarkable similarities between Jim’s quest to express his vision of everyday life and Kuralt’s devotion to life in America via his television platforms like On the Road and Sunday Morningwith Charles Kuralt. Months later, I received a telephone call from CBS News that Mr. Kuralt was highlighting Jim’s work on his Sunday Morning show the coming week, and I should be sure to watch it. Kuralt called the segment Cuba, Kansas in Sharp Focus.
The following is my photograph for this month’s assignment: Context. I made it about the same time I met Jim. I was covering the Adirondack Express, a train exclusively carrying visitors from Utica, NY to Lake Placid, NY for the 1980 Winter Olympics. The train’s arrival was quite late and, though it was the older gentleman’s first time going to the Olympics, It was his son who had trouble embracing the idea that the wait was also part of the experience.
See more of Robert’s work on his website.
AMANDA WOOD
On the banks of India’s most sacred river, the River Ganga or “Mother Ganga”, this Hindu man is praying as the sun rises. He wears the symbolic white sarong after a ritual bathing in the river believed to cleanse the body and spirit, wash away sins and lead to salvation. He also wears the Janeu, a sacred thread, across his body, symbolic white markings on his arms and a long hair at the back. At his side a copper pot, or Kindi, will contain water from the river. Hanging from the bamboo rails is his bag bearing the name Mugdha which means “mesmerised and captivated by beauty” and the partially concealed sign reads, “Be careful, the water in front of you is deep”.
This deeply spiritual scene is framed by more everyday life - ferries and tour boats and flocks of winter migrating Siberian seagulls on the enormous body of water. All these elements set the context for the photograph - not only is the Ganges River deeply revered and worshipped in Hinduism, a passage to forgiveness and redemption, it is certainly beautiful, and it is also a crucial source of life for millions in India.
RUSSELL MILLER
Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in America, larger than Central Park in New York, is home to the Saint Louis zoo, the art museum, the history museum, and various other local attractions. It occupies 1300 acres in the middle of the city.
The 90 acre zoo nestled inside the park is home to over 600 species, with over 18000 animals in total, and was ranked the best zoo in America by USA Today back in 2017 and 2018. The zoo has a long history in St Louis with the first parts of the zoo being erected for the 1904 world's Fair. Officially made a zoo in 1910, the Saint Louis zoo became the first publicly funded zoo in the world in 1916 when the residents of St. Louis voted for a ⅕ mill tax. Since then it has remained publicly funded at least in part with most of their monies coming from charitable contributions. This has enabled the zoo to remain as one of the largest free zoos in America.
The image included was taken inside of the Holekamp Aqua Tunnel located inside of the Sea lion Sound exhibit, which has Sea Lion shows, and regularly scheduled feedings on a daily basis. The tunnel which runs through the bottom of a 40000 gallon aquarium gives zoo visitors the opportunity to watch the Sea Lions and Harbor Seals as they play underwater. This exhibit has gradually become my favorite part of visiting the zoo. The Harbor Seals make every attempt to get your attention as they swim by the glass looking in at you, as you can see at the top of the image. The tunnel is always packed with people and as such makes for a great place to find images of people enjoying their lives with family and friends.
If you're ever in Saint Louis please make an effort to visit the Saint Louis Zoo. The animals will love you for it!
Contact Russell on Bluesky @russellmiller.bsky.social
CHRISTOPHER GRAY
Attached is my contribution to the assignment "context." This is a shot I took of my two boys while we were out on a photo walk together. We were in our local woods hiking the trails and they both had their little Nikon point and shoots with them capturing their own moments. The beauty of this photo is that normally they were trying to get on each other's nerves, but on this adventure it was so peaceful I had to grab a shot of it. Love the podcast every week and truly appreciate the inspiration you give me and probably many others to go out and shoot.
Mit Freundlichen Grüßen
Chris Gray
PER BIRKHAUG
At first, when listening to you and Jim Richardson, I found this month’s assignment to be, well, somewhat of an obstacle. I mean, how to ensure you have context IN a photo? I find that every so often the context is OUTside of the photo. But then again, a challenge is exactly what it says on the tin, right? A challenge. So there you go, I already provided some context for the enclosed photo, didn't I? But. There's always a but, and nothing said before a But means anything as someone supposedly stated once. Anyways, the photo is of, well, a small collection of cabins in the middle of the Norwegian mountains, more specifically the Filefjell mountain range, where I tend to spend a good deal of my time whenever I can. And behind these seemingly small cabins loom the mountains, framing the cabins. And if you look closely, you will be able to spot a few people near the cabins. Skier who reaches the destination for the day, I presume. So I think context here is scale, isolation, and the beauty of nature.
CAMERON COLEY-SMITH
Here's my debut assignment entry!
For me, context in an image should allow the viewer to play detective. It should allow them to interrogate the scene, to ask what's going on, why is it happening, who are the players, and where are they playing. It should leave clues, expand the story, and provide opportunity for even more questions to be asked.
For me at least, my image fills my nose with the smell of fresh fish, placing me somewhere by the sea. The dim grey light and thick coats of the shoppers suggests a cool Autumn morning, and the facemasks provide the date.
The image was taken at the Mercato di Rialto in Venice. The elements within the frame may lead you down your own line of questions, you might pick up different clues.
See more of Cameron’s work on his website.
MAC McDERMOTT
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of the US. It starts all the way in the Canadian Rockies, meanders through eastern Washington State, then carves the natural boundary between Washington and Oregon as it rushes to the Pacific. Today, the river is a multi-mode highway; deep-sea cargo vessels can reach all the way to Portland, grain barges connect ports to agriculture in Idaho, and there are freight lines and interstates hugging both sides of the river.
This photo, taken at the end of March this year, was my second visit to the Columbia River Gorge. The TVA Logistics Semi, representative of some of the largest typical road-bound vehicles in the States, is miniscule compared to the Columbia Gorge carved over millennia. The semi is on the Oregon side of the river while I was shooting on the Washington side, 1/2 mile (~800 m) away. At this part of the gorge, the river is about 600 feet (~180 m) below the top of the cliffs on the Oregon side, and about 1700 feet (~520 m) below the tops of the cliffs on the Washington side.
JEFF SMERALDO
For this month’s assignment, I thought about it for a while and this one popped in my head. As I have mentioned in the past, I used to shoot stills and video as a volunteer for Winter Guard International. I was at the World Championship prelims a couple of years back and I was getting ready to shoot when I look up from camera and saw my own daughter standing along the back getting ready for her performance looking like she is about to take on the world. Glad I looked up when I did because this moment did not last long. I think this one tells a lot with a little in the frame. Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to show some of our work.
MANDY EDWARDS
Whilst out searching and looking for stories to shoot for my project "Back Doon the Watter" during the Covid days between 2020 - 2022, I was sitting on the beach waiting for scenes to unfold in front of me, these two lovely's started dancing with their phones making wonderful shapes and the energy was palpable, it was one of those magical moments.
This image forms part of a larger body of work "Back Doon the Watter" which examines the enforced return of the tradition of taking holidays "Doon the Watter" (down the Clyde Coast) due to Covid restrictions over 2 years on Scotland's North Ayrshire Coast.
An embed to the completed work with audio sounds of holidays on the Clyde Coast is below as a YouTube film and you can see more of Mandy’s work on her website.
ANDREI BRUMA
I have attached my entry for this month's assignment (cutting it closer and closer every month). Although not perfect (I missed focus by a mile), the photo still has something that makes me want to enter it. The contrast between the dress of the subject and the surroundings automatically made me think of the assignment. I love the story it tells. Hope you enjoy it.
MARK MACKAY
The Step
This photograph was taken in mid-April 2025 at Glenelg in South Australia. It shows a young person about to step off into the air from a pillar previously used to tie up a ferry at the Glenelg Jetty. The ferry travelled between Kangaroo Island and metropolitan Adelaide.
Why the Step?
The background of the photograph captures the beach where I walk almost every day. The young person’s step into the void and final plunge into the sea below is somewhat different to the steps I take each day. However, we both take steps in the same environment … just with very different outcomes. It’s also a place where I take photos and often listen to the Photowalk podcast.
Additional Context
The blue sky and the people in the scene (close and in the distant) also indicate the warmth of our environment. You might be moving towards summer. On this day it was 34C and indeed we had experienced a week of well-above normal April temperatures. What else would the youth do in this weather and on the weekend but take to the water (jetty jumping is actually prohibited, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen!).
Normally I’d render this in B&W, but given the brightness of the sky, the blue of the sea and the colour of the sand I thought it should be shown in colour.
MICHAEL MIXON
This is a place called Penrose Point, about a 45-minute drive from my house. What makes this place special is how it gets transformed during low tides, which was the case when I took this photo. When the water recedes, a land bridge is exposed that lets people walk out much further into the water than they could otherwise. But once the water starts to rise, the bridge vanishes quite quickly and there have been numerous occasions when people were effectively stranded on that little island in the distance (since it gets covered after the bridge has disappeared under the water). The water isn't so deep that they can't get back safely, but unless they can access their Jesus mode and walk along the top of the water, they get back to land thoroughly drenched.
MARILYN DAVIES
My husband and I went to Scarborough yesterday afternoon to see what we could see. The view across Deception Bay can give some lovely sunset vistas. The tide was out and there were a number of people having fun on the sand (some parts mud). These two teenagers caught my eye as they ran with their dog and the light was just right to provide some colour over the mountains in the background.
DAVID HORNE
Since the assignment is Context, I’ll let the photo speak for itself. Feeding the Gulls.
See more of David’s work on VERO.
MORRIS HAGGERTY
Given this months assignment - context - I offer only the name of the subject. Korie McGreevy.
See more of Morris’ work on Instagram.
JEAN-MAURICE CORMIER
Attached is my image DESERTED BEACH. It was taken in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada where I often go for my photo walks because of the beautiful beach, boardwalk and marina. I have received several compliments for this image as to how serene and calming it is, and it did win a small prize in a local competition.
However, the context in which the photo was taken is quite different. It was the start of the pandemic shutdowns and the beach had just been fenced off to prevent people from gathering. In order to take the photo and get the horizon where I wanted, I had to reach over the fence and lower my camera on the other side.
When I got home, I paid more attention to the sailboat in the background. It suddenly occurred to me that, although everyone was saying "We are all in this together.", some individuals were going to make it through this more easily than others. For example, those who could afford a sailboat would still be able to enjoy swimming in the lake, but not those who usually go to the beach. Now I have nothing against owning a sailboat. If I had one, I would have done the same thing. But it was now crystal clear to me that the impact of the pandemic was not going to be equal for everyone.
See more of Jean-Maurice’s work on Instagram and his website.
JOHN CHARLTON
Stretched panorama…
I have recently been thinking about the stitched panoramas I shoot and how most of them are wide horizontal vistas of distant landscapes. For instance I regularly shoot the rising sun out my back door, returning to the same subject hundreds of times like Monet and his haystacks. But one thing these panos lack is depth and context. This made me wonder how I could shoot differently to bring these elements into the scene, particularly into my panoramas. I've also been looking at the much loved Hasselblad Xpan camera. While I can't afford one of those, I can afford a few snippets of black electricians tape attached to the back of my camera to previsualize cropping my images at 65:24, especially given my Fujfilm XT-50's 40 megapixel sensor.
Last Saturday, with this month's theme in mind, I attended a property walk with members of the Northumberland Land Trust, a local organization dedicated to protecting private lands of significant natural value in perpetuity from future development. What I discovered was that shooting in the woods with a wide angle but a very limited vertical component directs the viewer's attention and brings a wonderful sense of presence to the images that standard 3:2 or 4:3 ratios don't quite have. As we can't look up and down, we are forced to look side to side. By leaving lots of space around the main subject, this dramatically builds context, and effectively plants the viewer within the frame as if we were there.
But what surprised me most, was how equally effective a vertical panorama can be in delivering both depth and context.
I have dutifully submitted my image at the requisite 2500 pixels wide, but feel free to limit the width if you wish to reduce the size of the display. Having an image on a web page that you must scroll to see, creates a slow reveal of my main subject, the walkers at the bottom of the frame.
Visit my Substack post at https://johncharlton.substack.com/p/nlt-walk-mccoll-nature-reserve to join me for this thought exercise and photowalk aimed at increasing depth and context using the Xpan crop.
PAUL TURNER
APPAIAH RAKSHITH
Back in 2017, I moved to Hamburg from India. My cousin, who had also moved to Helsingborg, Sweden from India, invited me to his home in 2019.
So, me being super lonely, what with the cultural differences in Germany, I decided to spend a few days in Sweden. By then, I had racked up quite a few solo backpacking trips. Of course, you always would be on the lookout for the most budget-friendly itineraries. And this one was just that.... on my way back home from Helsingborg, I had to catch a bus that travelled from Malmö to Hamburg and obviously I was running late.
The minute I got off the train and dashed across platforms, I got outside the central station and tried to find out where I had to catch the next bus back home.I noticed this sculpture a few steps away from the pavement. This sculpture was just a big square-ish block (put together by four smaller blocks) with a massive hole in the middle.
I walked past this and noticed the faint burning sky. And right then, I also noticed this woman walk over to sit on that ledge. I had already packed my Sony A7 and its 55mm lens deep in my backpack, not expecting this situation. But my trusty phone was in my pocket although quite banged up due to its recent fall on the pavement.
The photo shows the lit sky.... and the woman probably having a drink and reading a book at the end of the day. But I was on a mission to return home on time. The context...?, my plight and the woman's end of the day. A mish-mash of everyday life of different people at the same point in time.
See more of Api’s work on his Flickr profile.
DAVID POTTINGER
Our first trip to Brownsea Island, Dorset was centred around spotting the island’s iconic red squirrels. On the ferry over, we met a young Japanese woman who lives in the New Forest. A regular visitor to the island, she kindly shared that the best place to photograph the squirrels was near the church. After spending plenty of time—though it’s hard to ever get enough—with the adorable red squirrels and their tufted ears, we made our way to the coastline in search of seabirds. We came across two black-headed gulls basking in the sunshine beside their fenced-off sanctuary. Their modest nesting grounds stood in striking contrast to the backdrop of Poole Harbour, where luxurious apartments and moored super yachts dominate the view.
WALEED ALZUHAIR
This is a baker, one of the last few who still prepares a type of bread we call “Gersan” in the old traditional method.
“They want to shut me down, to make room for the new automatic bakeries. I challenge them to make Gersan as tasty as I make mine, machines can’t bake.”
COLIN MAYER
Been a while. Just been too busy at work, unwell, or otherwise occupied doing other necessary stuff to simply survive to have time to write letters, join zoom meetings, or any of the other fun stuff we do in this photographic community. It's just too bloody hard to make time for stuff that actually makes me happy sometimes.
To give some context around how busy I have been, it's April now and I've only been out taking pictures twice this year. Not good! I need to break the cycle of 60+ hour working weeks, and make more time to enjoy myself with friends and family, and do more of the stuff that helps me reset and refresh myself. Tomorrow I'll make that change, I'll tell myself. I'll make more time for myself and less for the company; but sadly it's hard to change life long working habits.
A few weeks ago, I took the first step towards making that change and booked three months leave to go travelling. What an opportunity to go travelling with family, see new places, some old haunts through older eyes, and enjoy some new experiences. Now I'm looking forward with eager anticipation to my round the world adventure to Canada, England, France, and Scotland (maybe Wales too, if I have time), accompanied by my daughter. My wife and son are sadly unable to join us for the trip. But opportunities are like sunrises. If you're not ready for them, you miss them. My daughter has secured a job in Canada and wants to go travelling after that. I didn't want to miss that once in a lifetime opportunity.
The assignment photo attached is the last photograph I took, just last Saturday. Sunrise at Cathedral Rock near Kiama NSW. That morning, I embraced the warmth and beauty of the sunrise and let it fuel my desire for a quieter time where I can enjoy life a little more.
See more of Colin’s work on his Instagram grid.
PAUL FRIDAY
So add an old bloke to an old bike and we have a Classic Trials rider. Add some flags and another old bloke with a clipboard and we have a Trials competition. Add a bit of scenery and we have Mr Ferriman in the Nab End Pre-65 Trials.
GREG PICONE
This image was captured when my wife’s nephew, Shawn, spent the weekend with us. I kinda feel it is a good example of Context in a photograph. I was very surprised at what I saw when the film came back. After repeated invitations for him to come down for breakfast went unanswered, I went upstairs to see what the holdup was. I walked by the bathroom, the door was open, and there he stood. Barely awake, leaning on the sink, toothbrush in hand. I quietly went to our room for my camera and got the shot. The shades of blue in the bathroom and his PJ pants just harmonized perfectly. His posture at the sink sang out, “Monday Morning Blues.” A feeling we can all relate to after a long weekend, dreading the thought of another week at the grind on the Pinstripe Express, as you would say Neale.
GRAHAM GOODWIN
My contribution to this months assignment. It was taken in a Cafe/Bar area in Fitzroy, Melbourne. The look on the guys face is what caught my attention - I don't think I have ever seen anyone look happier to be sitting in front of a beer.
See more of Graham’s work on his Instagram.
