Foto Podcast

In this episode, Michael sits down with filmmakers Ken Hanson, Jack Davidson, and Dave Myszewski to discuss their upcoming documentary about legendary photographer Art Shay.Over a career that spanned more than seven decades, Art Shay photographed everyone from Martin Luther King Jr., Ernest Hemingway, Muhammad Ali, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Algren to people living on the margins of American life. He covered the 1968 Democratic Convention, the aftermath of MLK’s assassination, organized crime, street life in Chicago, war, politics, and everyday people trying to survive.The conversation explores how Shay developed his eye during World War II, how he hustled his way into rooms nobody else could access, and why his work feels like a visual history of America itself. The filmmakers also discuss digging through his enormous archive, the emotional complexity of his later life, and why they believe Art Shay deserves far greater recognition in the history of photography. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

Michael talks with North London–based photographer Phil Sharp about transforming a studio session into a collaborative experience. Phil traces his path from assisting and high-street portrait studios to scrappy New York musician shoots, then back to London, where actor headshots became a place to make pictures that feel alive. He breaks down his sessions, featuring natural light, bold colors, and playing music, so the sitter can stop overthinking. He also explains why he works until the image is genuinely there. They dig into trust, vulnerability, and why “do nothing” can be the most human direction of all.🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS* 🌐 philsharp-photo.com* 📸 Instagram: @philsharp* 📸 Foto: @philsharpThank you to our sponsor State Film Lab! If you’re in the US, consider State Film Lab for your film processing and scanning needs.Reminder: We’d love for you to join us on Foto as we publicly build a new photo-sharing app for the world. Foto is available on Apple and Android. Direct links are on our website fotoapp.co Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

Michael talks with editor and writer Bill Shapiro about leading LIFE magazine, launching LIFE.com, and what the internet has done to curation, attention, and trust in images. They cover the craft of photo essays, the changing business models behind visual journalism, how archives and sequencing shape meaning, the risks and realities of AI imagery, and Bill’s ongoing work championing photographers and helping them make books.🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS* 🌐 Blue Photo Collective: BluePhoto.co* 📸 Instagram: @billshapiro* 📸 Foto: @billshapiro* 🌐 Article by Bill on Alex Harris - Alex Harris Returns to New Mexico* 🌐 Article by Bill on Richard Sharum - To Live and Die in DallasThank you to our sponsor State Film Lab! If you’re in the US, consider State Film Lab for your film processing and scanning needs.Reminder: We’d love for you to join us on Foto as we publicly build a new photo-sharing app for the world. Foto is available on Apple and Android. Direct links are on our website fotoapp.coBelow are some projects for which Bill served as an editor. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Michael talks with photographer, educator, and editor Alex Harris, whose work explores memory, place, and the evolving nature of storytelling. Alex was a founding member of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. He’s also the author of 20 books, including River of Traps (a Pulitzer Prize finalist), The Idea of Cuba, and Our Strange New Land — a project exploring Southern independent film sets, recently exhibited at the High Museum of Art.Alex shares how his early work in New Mexico shaped the way he sees, how teaching has influenced his practice, and why he’s drawn to projects that unfold slowly over time. They talk about the space between truth and fiction, the role of editing, and how personal storytelling has changed his relationship to photography.If you’re interested in long-form projects, quiet observation, and images that live beyond the moment, this is a thoughtful, reflective episode with one of the most respected voices in American documentary photography.🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS* 🌐 Website: alex-harris.com* 📸 Instagram: @ourstrangenewlandThank you to our sponsor State Film Lab! If you're in the US, consider State Film Lab for your film processing and scanning needs.Reminder: We’d love for you to join us on Foto as we publicly build a new photo-sharing app for the world. Foto is available on Apple and Android. Direct links are on our website fotoapp.co Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Michael talks with Nina Berman, a documentary photographer, filmmaker, and professor whose work interrogates the relationship between power, militarization, and the American experience. Over a career spanning three decades, Nina has consistently focused her lens on systems of violence and their aftermath, from war zones to police training grounds to the staged patriotism of political spectacle.A Guggenheim Fellow, two-time World Press Photo winner, and professor at Columbia Journalism School, Nina is also the author of three major books: Purple Hearts – Back from Iraq, Homeland, and An Autobiography of Miss Wish. Her photographs have been exhibited in venues such as the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.In this conversation, she discusses how her work has evolved from portraits of wounded veterans to broader investigations into how militarized thinking permeates everyday American life. She reflects on the ethics of long-term documentary work, the emotional cost of sustained witnessing, and why photography remains a vital civic act.This is a powerful episode with one of the most uncompromising voices in American documentary photography — a conversation about courage, clarity, and using your camera to look directly at the systems that define our time.🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS* 🌐 Website: ninaberman.com* 📸 Instagram: nina_bermanThank you to our sponsor State Film Lab! If you're in the US, consider State Film Lab for your film processing and scanning needs.Reminder: We’d love for you to join us on Foto as we pubiclly build a new photo-sharing app for the world. Foto is on Apple and Android. Direct links are on our website fotoapp.co Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Michael sits down with NYC photographer Jean Andre Antoine to talk about his long-running Polaroid portrait series, his start in analog photography, and how the scarcity of instant film has become a constraint that fuels his creativity. They also discuss what it means to be present, how photographing strangers daily has shaped Jean’s understanding of people, and the deep emotional highs and lows of working in the street.🔗 Resources & Links* 🌐 Jean’s Website: jeanandreantoine.com* 📸 Instagram: @jaaphotos* 📍See him on the street: Prince Street, NYC — between Broadway and Crosby* 📰 NY Times Article on Jean❤️ Thanks to our Sponsors! State Film Lab - A wonderful place in Lousville, Kentucky to get your film developed and scanned! High-quality scans at a reasonable price point.MUSEA Lab - Museum-Quality Printing, Matting, Framing, and Albums Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Foto Podcast, we’re joined by photographer and longform journalist Elliot Ross, whose thoughtful work bridges storytelling, ecology, culture, and human rights across the American West. From growing up on a remote farm in Colorado to assisting legends like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger in New York, Elliot’s journey has taken him from the fashion world to remote caves, wheat harvests, indigenous communities, and ecological restoration zones.We discuss his powerful projects, such as A Question of Balance and Geography of Hope, which explore issues of water access, climate change, and the cultural histories intertwined with land and community. Elliot opens up about what it means to live a photographic life, how his camera connects him to people and place, and why he believes photography still matters in a world full of noise.This episode is a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on photography, advocacy, and the quiet richness that comes from paying close attention to the world around us.Connect with ElliotWeb - elliotstudio.comInstagram - instagram.com/elliotstudioFoto - @elliotstudio Thanks to our Sponsors! State Film Lab and MUSEA. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Foto Podcast, we sit down with Michael Wriston, a Baltimore-based street portrait and long-exposure photographer whose work captures the soul of the city—one person, one building, one streetlight at a time. Michael shares how photography became a grounding force in his life during military night shifts and how it evolved into a way of deeply connecting with the world around him.We talk about the energy of late-night wandering, what it means to photograph lived-in neighborhoods, and the stories told by forgotten buildings and hand-painted signs. Michael’s work is all about seeing the beauty in what others overlook—and documenting it with empathy, curiosity, and respect.Whether photographing strangers on their stoops or exploring alleys at 2 a.m., Michael brings a calm, authentic presence to his work that shines through in every frame.🔗 Resources & Links:• 📸 See Michael’s Work: michaelwriston.com• 🖼️ Follow Michael on Foto: @mwriston• 📷 Follow Michael on Substack: Ten Minute Exposure • 📚 Mentioned in the episode: Wide Angle Youth Media, Baltimore Photo Space➡️ Download Foto on the App Store or Google Play — no ads, no videos, no crop, and a real chronological feed. Foto is photography how it should be—focused, intentional, and built around community. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Gervin, a documentary photographer from Portland, Maine, whose raw and unfiltered work captures the unseen side of city life. Nick shares his journey from overcoming two traumatic brain injuries to using photography as a tool for recovery and self-expression. We dive deep into his decade-long project, Portlanders, his thoughts on documentary photography, the role of flash in his work, and how skateboarding shaped his visual style. Plus, we talk about his latest project, Mainers, where he’s expanding his lens beyond the city to capture the essence of his home state.If you love honest, compelling storytelling through photography, this episode is for you.Resources & Links:📸 Follow Nick Gervin: NickGervin.com | Instagram | Foto - nick_gervin📖 Check out his book: Portlanders 📷 Try Foto! Download Foto now on the Apple App Store and Google Play – no ads, no cropping, and a chronological feed that puts photography first!🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow photographers!Foto is a community-supported organization. To receive new posts and podcast episodes and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we dive deep into the growing discussion about AI and its impact on photography. We cover the potential benefits of AI in visual recognition and image labeling, the ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated images, and the complexities of ensuring creators' rights and consent. With real-world examples and thoughtful analysis, we explore the technical and philosophical nuances of AI in image creation, how different groups view its role, and the ongoing legal and technical challenges. Join the conversation about the future of AI in photography and what it means for creators and users alike.Margaret Warren - imagesnippets.com00:00 Introduction to AI in Photography00:35 The Evolution and Scope of AI01:10 Machine Techniques and Computer Vision03:44 The Rise of Generative AI04:36 Ethical Concerns and Copyright Issues07:29 User Reactions and Digital Source Types09:21 AI in Everyday Photography11:32 Challenges in Identifying AI-Generated Images23:32 Legal and Regulatory Landscape45:43 Future Directions and Final Thoughts Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Foto Podcast! I’m thrilled to introduce Margaret Warren as a tech advisor here at Foto. Margaret has an incredible background in metadata, digital innovation, and image management, and today, we’re diving into how her expertise is shaping Foto’s future. We’ll be discussing everything from the role of metadata in preserving image context and discoverability to the importance of user control over data privacy and location settings. Margaret will also share insights on how these features can help build richer, more meaningful connections and support a thoughtful, engaging platform experience.Connect with Margaret in the following places:Visit Image Snippets - ImageSnippets is a Linked Data Annotation SystemFollow her SubstackFollow her on Foto (@mmz)Listen to the Foto Podcast on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to the Foto Podcast here on Substack by clicking the button below. Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Everyone!This is episode 12 of the Foto Podcast. In this episode, I share where progress is at with Foto, what we need to add before we go public, when we plan on launching Foto to the world, and our philosophy for raising capital to help grow the Foto team.Thank you for listening and for supporting what we are building! We are so grateful for your interest and feedback as we continue to move forward day by day.Cheers,Michael HowardCo-Founder of Fotohttps://fotoapp.co Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Foto Podcast!In this episode, I delve into the world of large-format photography with the talented Kate Miller-Wilson, whose captivating work predominantly revolves around her close-knit family in Minnesota. Kate embraces the beauty of imperfection, exploring the power and vulnerability that lies within the flaws of her images, a departure from the pixel-perfect precision often sought in digital photography. We discuss her self-portraits and the empowerment in controlling one's representation. Kate also sheds light on the journey she’s shared with her son creating a deeper connection between them through the experiences of his autism and her photography.You can follow Kate on Instagram at instagram.com/katemillerwilsonIf you like the Foto Podcast, please consider supporting us either by giving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or by becoming a Paid Subscriber to our Substack.Thanks for listening and I hope this episode with Kate inspires you to take more photos of your loved ones.Michael HowardFounder of Fotofotoapp.co Get full access to Foto at fotoapp.substack.com/subscribe