The Photowalk (2025)

21/11/2025

Artist, writer and thinker Gael Hillyard joins me to talk about her creative life, from painting, writing and photography, to the deep-winter months she spent as artist-in-residence on Fair Isle, to the ten silent days she lived inside a retreat with no conversation at all. We explore how her work has been shaped by a childhood spent in a Victorian atelier, the two studios she now keeps in the Highlands, and the weather-beaten coastlines she keeps returning to as both muse and anchor.

And in the mailbag this week, Spike Boydell, our man from the canoe down under, has been thinking about slowing down, and I mean really slowing down. Comedy-writer-in-chief Hegaard the Dane sends word about solitude and the small matter of spending a night or three in jail! John Kenny writes about trees and the Sycamore Gap, which has an unexpected local relevance for me this weekend, and Bill Frische has been photographing a ‘monster’.

I’ll also share a little more about the craft of photogravure that we’ll be exploring on the new Scottish retreat in June. There’s a reminder of this month’s assignment, the last one of the year, before we shift our focus to THE ONE in December.

Gael Hillyard joins me to talk about painting, writing, photography, a deep-winter residency on Fair Isle, and ten days of total silence. In the mailbag: Spike on slowing down, Hegaard’s jail tale, John Kenny on Sycamore Gap, and Bill’s ‘monster’. Plus more on June’s photogravure retreat a...

14/11/2025

This week’s Photowalk features Bil Repenning, a musician who’s shifting his creative energy into photography. Music has shaped the way he sees the world, and you can hear that within our conversation. Following an accident five years ago, he began building a photographic practice rooted in documentary portrait work, taking the craft seriously as he moves into this next chapter. We talk about the music that shaped him, the radio that shaped us both, and what it’s like to change course mid-career without the fanfare or drama, just a genuine desire to make good work. It’s a conversation about starting later, learning on the move, and finding a new place to stand creatively.

From the mailbag, John Anderton shares a deeply personal story about his mum, Winnie, and the way he chose to document her life as dementia changed their days. What he’s written is a reminder of how powerful it can be to hold on to family stories in more than one way. There’s also a note from Dominique Martel, who’s wrestling with a familiar modern problem: subscription overload! We have this month’s One Word assignment from Liza Gershman, and you’re invited to join the show in Scotland for a new look Scottish Retreat in June 2026.

This week’s Photowalk meets Bil Repenning, a musician turning his focus to documentary portrait work after an accident reshaped his path. We talk music, radio, and starting again mid-career. John Anderton writes about documenting his mum’s dementia, Dominique Martel battles subscription overload...

07/11/2025

Former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody joins me to talk about how photography has become a part of his life after racing, and there are questions about the sport that defined him, too. A three-time Champion Jockey in the UK, Richard won two Grand Nationals and a Cheltenham Gold Cup on the legendary Desert Orchid. He helped define jump racing in Britain and Ireland during one of its most competitive eras.

But that was only chapter one. After stepping out of the weighing room, Richard set out on endurance rides across South America and took on challenges that carried him far beyond the racecourse. Now, he travels with a camera, chasing stories in places a long way from grandstands and bookmakers. In this conversation, we talk about photography, adventure, and the discipline that links both worlds, plus what happens when the noise of competition finally stops.

Also in the show, Lee Cobbs writes about retracing his roots and finding new angles in a familiar town, Arran Carter-Cheetham shares stories from his photographic adventures that took him halfway round the world to the so-called “Venice of the East,” and on that note, I have news about a photographic retreat to the real Venice! Christopher Kincaid reckons he might just live in the best place in the world, and Matties Wesche is filming tandem parachute jumps from 10,000 feet.

Former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody joins me to talk photography, adventure and life after racing. We discuss focus, endurance and what happens when the noise fades. Also, Lee Cobbs revisits familiar streets, Arran Carter-Cheetham shares stories from the “Venice of the East,” there’s news ...

31/10/2025

This week’s show follows a journey that stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic, five days, 2,845 miles by road, from LA, through Vegas, Denver, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, finally reaching New York City, and then a week at sea aboard the Queen Mary 2. I travelled with the photojournalist Marissa Roth, helping her bring home six precious heavy cases packed with nearly half a century of negatives; work that spans everything from Women and War, her lifetime project on the human cost of conflict, to assignments that shaped her long career behind the camera.

Together we crossed America before sailing for Southampton with that extraordinary cargo. There were wrong turns, long drives and high North Atlantic waves, but more than anything, a reminder that photographs hold stories worth carrying safely home.

Also on the show, special guest John Plews, a Titanic expert and fellow passenger shares facts about a ship made famous by tragedy.

This week’s show follows a journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic, 2,845 miles by road from LA to New York, then a week at sea on the Queen Mary 2. I travelled with photojournalist Marissa Roth, helping her bring home six cases of negatives from fifty years of work. Also on the show, Titanic exp...

17/10/2025

Today, step into an imaginary theatre of the mind with us for a special Photowalk edition. In this “Audience With” format, I invite David duChemin, world-traveller, humanitarian photographer, author, and longtime teacher of vision to field ‘your’ questions as live.

With no script, no filter, we explore everything from what makes a good photograph and how to discover your personal voice, to why failure is often the spark for growth. Alongside stories of his photographic and life experiences, his philosophy about creative courage, and the inevitable doubts every artist faces, this episode offers an intimate glimpse into the mind behind the camera.

Step into an imaginary theatre of the mind for a special Photowalk edition: an “Audience With” David duChemin: world-traveller, humanitarian photographer, author, and teacher of vision. With no script or filter, we explore what makes a great photograph, finding your voice, and how failure fuels ...

10/10/2025

Recorded on the 2025 Scottish Photowalk Retreat, this episode takes you to the Highlands’ finest locations, including Black Water, Glen Affric and the wide, quiet sweep of Loch Maree. You’re invited to become the eleventh member of our retreat alongside Lynn Fraser and me (Neale), as you join us to walk, eat, and share stories together.

Hear how we embraced the use of film cameras to work together in the Inverness Darkroom, watching our images bloom in the darkroom trays, and explored how words can shape our pictures with writer Merryn Glover. It’s part travel diary, part creative gathering; a record of what happens when you put a small group of photographers, writers and wanderers together in the Highlands, and let Scotland do the rest.

Recorded on the 2025 Scottish Photowalk Retreat, this episode takes you to Black Water, Glen Affric and Loch Maree. Be our eleventh traveller as we walk, eat and create together, rediscovering film photography in the Inverness Darkroom and exploring storytelling with writer Merryn Glover. A shared j

03/10/2025

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.

In London I walk with philosophical YouTuber Sean Tucker, who shares what makes great street photography and the philosophies behind it, while Valérie Jardin joins Teach Me Street to answer questions on candid work. From the mailbag: Michael Mixon, Phil Paine, Mark Mackay and Mike Miller, plus news

26/09/2025

On the show today: Brad Carr’s photography isn’t just about making beautiful landscape pictures and being out in nature, it’s about a sense of catharsis, healing and even survival. Growing up in a violent, abusive home left scars that still echo today, but the camera became his way back to himself. What started with borrowing his sister’s camera has grown into a profession and, more importantly, a lifeline. In this episode, Brad shares how landscapes, ancient oaks, and the act of making photographs have helped him create, steadying a life once marked by turmoil.

In today’s mailbag: a letter from Patrick Gerke with poetry and reflections on photography as pure escapism, plus street photographer Ann Luu-Trong shares her “why.” Complaints Corner is open again, and this time it’s my maths under fire (nobody told me adding up was part of the job description!) There’s news of a brand-new end-of-year competition, and it’s the final call to take part in Ibarionex’s September One Word Assignment.

On the show: Brad Carr on how photography became his lifeline, healing scars from a violent childhood and guiding him back to himself. From a borrowed camera to a profession, landscapes and ancient oaks have steadied his life. Plus, Patrick Gerke’s poetry, Ann Luu-Trong’s “why,” Complaints C...

19/09/2025

The 500th episode! I'm joined by our community, walkers from across the UK, to walk across an open common that used to be one of the most feared nuclear airbases in the UK, which these days is often the muse for the Photowalk. Grab your camera and a good pair of walking shoes, we're going on a very special walk together!

The 500th episode! I'm joined by our community, walkers from across the UK, to walk across an open common that used to be one of the most feared nuclear airbases in the UK, which these days is often the muse for the Photowalk. Grab your camera and a good pair of walking shoes, we're going on a walk

12/09/2025

It’s a street-focused week in terms of our guests, as Street Photography Magazine’s creator Bob Patterson, and candid street photographer Valérie Jardin join me. More than ten years ago, Bob took a chance on an idea: a digital magazine dedicated to street photography. What began as an experiment on Apple’s Newsstand is still here today, Street Photography Magazine. In this episode, we hear how it grew from a simple start into a space where photographers from around the world share work, ideas, and community. And Valérie is back to answer more of your questions in TEACH ME STREET.

From the mailbag, Axel Trapp shares his new postcard project, Hannah Gimblett reflects on the strength of photography in the face of personal adversity, and Robin Chun talks of self-publishing. Plus, Jason Burton brings a story of patience, tying neatly into this month’s One Word Assignment set by Ibarionex Perello.

Bob Patterson, founder of Street Photography Magazine, joins me to share how a small idea became a lasting community. Valérie Jardin returns for TEACH ME STREET, while the mailbag features Axel Trapp’s postcard project, Hannah Gimblett on photography and adversity, Robin Chun on self-publishing, ...

05/09/2025

In this episode, I sit down with Dewitt Jones, one of America’s most respected photographers and storytellers. A former National Geographic shooter and sought-after keynote speaker, Dewitt has spent a lifetime turning his lens toward creativity, vision, and the pursuit of possibility. At a time when the world feels unsettled, his words and images carry a message of hope and perspective that couldn’t be more timely. We discuss what photography has taught him about seeing the world differently and how choosing to look for the best in life can be a daily act of courage.

From the mailbag, John Kenny reflects on change, Christopher Parsons shares a brilliant year-end feature idea, Adriano Henney is avoiding cappuccino after 11am, there’s news on Fujikina tickets in London, and we reveal both the winner of last month’s One Word Assignment and the new word set by former guest Ibarionex Perello.

I’m joined by Dewitt Jones, former National Geographic photographer, to talk creativity, vision, and finding hope in uncertain times. From the mailbag: John Kenny on change, Christopher Parsons with a year-end idea, Adriano Henney in Italy, Fujikina London ticket news, plus the One Word Assignment...

29/08/2025

Former guest, photojournalist Claire Thomas joins me to talk about her first monograph Altai: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia. Her book captures life in the remote mountains of western Mongolia, where Kazakh families train golden eagles, herd animals across vast plains, and balance centuries-old traditions with the realities of modern change. Then, in a complete change of direction for the second part of our chat, Claire speaks about her documentary and advocacy work in northern Ghana, documenting women accused of witchcraft who are forced into bleak camps, and her fundraiser to provide mattresses for those who currently sleep on bare ground.

From the mailbag today, Adriano Henney writes about publishing your work and why it matters, Bob of the desert dodges those jumping cholla in Arizona while sending in one of the most honest letters I’ve read in a long while, and Gavin Perry heads for Complaints Corner, or at least he would, if we hadn’t effectively cancelled his flight. All will be revealed.

Claire Thomas returns with her debut monograph Altai, capturing the eagle hunters and herders of Mongolia, before turning to her work in Ghana documenting women accused of witchcraft and her fundraiser to buy mattresses for camps where many still sleep on bare ground. Also today: Adriano Henney on p

The Photowalk

21/11/2025

14/11/2025

07/11/2025

31/10/2025

17/10/2025

10/10/2025

03/10/2025

26/09/2025

19/09/2025

12/09/2025

05/09/2025

29/08/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share