#528 Mike Tyson and the pigeon

#528 Mike Tyson and the pigeon

From The Photowalk by Neale James

April 24, 2026 · 1h 36m · Episode 528

About this episode

Paul Mobley discusses his career as a portrait photographer and shares stories from his travels across America.

This week's guest is Paul Mobley, one of America's most accomplished portrait photographers, a man who has spent his career looking people in the eye to tell their stories through photography. He trained under Annie Leibovitz in New York, went on to shoot for some of the biggest names in advertising and editorial, and has pointed his lens at everyone from Adam Sandler and Daniel Radcliffe to Amy Schumer and Bill Burr, as well as major brands like Apple, Ford and American Express. But it's his personal work that sets him apart. Paul has spent years driving across the United States, well over 100,000 miles of it, making four books that document ordinary Americans living lives most people never stop to notice. Farmers, firefighters, everyday heroes, and centenarians in all fifty states who've lived through world wars, the space age and the digital revolution and still have something to say. He shares stories about how he puts sitters at ease, plus a tale where it could have all gone wrong with Mike Tyson, until a pigeon showed up. Also, in the mailbag as we walk, between my chat with Paul, you are about to be introduced today by Phil Ferris to an Australian urban poet who is the gem…

People in this episode

Host: Neale James

Guest: Paul Mobley

Topics covered

  • portrait photography
  • storytelling
  • American culture
  • personal projects
  • urban poetry

Keywords

  • portrait photography
  • Paul Mobley
  • Mike Tyson
  • urban poetry
  • American stories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apple, Ford, American Express

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