Candela: Photography & Cinematography Masters

With some areas of the world appearing to be turning the corner on Covid-19, we explore whether the pandemic has fundamentally changed art, the new creative impulses and business incentives it may have precipitated, and what kind of films and photographs we expect to see coming out of this bizarre period in human history. Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton            

National Geographic photographer and Asia specialist Michael Yamashita joins us in this episode, discussing the vast changes to the photography industry that have taken place across his career, disappearing communities and environments, NatGeo's booming presence online, and his role as a volunteer fireman in the small town he calls home. Follow Michael: instagram.com/yamashitaphoto Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton              

A Puerto Rican-born photographer now living in New Jersey, Paola Franqui has, under her handle @monaris_, become known for her cinematic street photography, often shot in New York City and evoking the feeling of a bygone era. We talk to her about finding movie moments among the everyday, how she was influenced by photography greats Vivian Maier and Saul Leiter, and doing client work on something as simple as an iPhone. Follow Paola: instagram.com/monaris_ Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton            

Not focus the lens kind but focus the human kind: being able to concentrate and stay determined is crucial to success in pretty much anything, so how can you foster it? We are certainly not experts *checks phone notifications*, but here we discuss attempts at focus in a world of distractions and health/political crises. Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton      

Ford v Ferrari, Nebraska, Downsizing and 3:10 to Yuma cinematographer Phedon Papamichael joins us, to discuss the future of movies, using a blue light in a black and white film, Hollywood's reluctance around b&w films, working with camera cars, the incentives around doing flashy rather than naturalistic cinematography, and much more. Follow Phedon: instagram.com/papa2 Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton        

Indian street photographer Vineet Vohra joins us to discuss his distinctive, playful style, trying to capture photos that feel like hitting a 'pause' button on life, shooting in Varanasi and his native New Delhi, and much more. Follow Vineet: instagram.com/vineet_vohra Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton      

We're a mere blip in history. Many of the artistic mediums that are dominant now weren't as little as a hundred years ago, and with technology progressing so fast, they'll likely change again on a much shorter timeframe. Here we attempt to take stock of photography, cinema and other forms of storytelling at this moment in time, assess the outlook for them, and think about where the world of art/storytelling/whatever-you-want-to-call-it may be headed. Follow Candela: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan Schaller: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Christopher Hooton: instagram.com/christopherhooton Episode sponsor: HonestBrew (for £10 off, use promo code CANDELA at checkout!)      

Friend and confidante of the great Stanley Kubrick, Larry Smith was the cinematographer on 'Eyes Wide Shut', lit 'The Shining' for which he served as gaffer, and was also on set for 'Barry Lyndon'. We speak to him about Kubrick's unique directing and business style, using Christmas lights for effect on 'Eyes Wide Shut' (the longest film shoot on record) Larry's work with Nicolas Winding Refn on 'Only God Forgives', and much more. Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton

The USA is so frequently the setting for both cinema and photography, so what's the attraction? We attempt to put it into words, discussing monolithic facades, contrasting cultures, rampant consumerism and other classically American traits, along with our own experiences travelling and working in the States. Follow Candela: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan Schaller: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Christopher Hooton: instagram.com/christopherhooton Episode sponsor: HonestBrew (for £10 off, use promo code CANDELA at checkout!)      

Travelling photographer Jord Hammond joins us to discuss how drifting around Asia caused him to drift into photography, the research that goes into his cinematic landscapes, and how video games influenced his style. Follow Jord: instagram.com/jordhammond Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton Episode sponsor: HonestBrew (for £10 off, use promo code CANDELA at checkout!)      

In this episode, we hone in on lens choice, looking at different focal lengths, apertures, and depths of field, what they can bring to a scene and how they can change the relationship between its subjects. Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton        

'Provocateur' Tyler Shields joins us to talk pissing off the president, having the Secret Service camped outside your house over a photo, doing a six-minute breath-hold for an underwater shot, nudity censorship, and dealing with backlash in the age of outrage. Follow Tyler: instagram.com/thetylershields Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton      

We discuss separating the good ideas from the bad, balancing frequency and quality, and learning to say no to yourself.----more---- Follow the show: instagram.com/candelapodcast Follow Alan: instagram.com/alan_schaller Follow Chris: instagram.com/christopherhooton      

Photographer David Yarrow joins us to discuss his distinctive black-and-white photos of wildlife, how shooting a bobsleigh race opened him up to the possibility of 'fine art photography', almost getting snapped in half by a hippo, and resisting the urge to use a telephoto lens – instead moving in closer toward what are often very dangerous creatures. Follow the show, the hosts and the guests: Candela podcast Alan Schaller Christopher Hooton David Yarrow      

In this episode we speak with Ted Griffin, a screenwriter best known for writing Ocean's Eleven (2001), who also co-produced The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and executive produced Up in the Air (2009). Drilling down into Ocean's Eleven, we discuss Ted's research for the script in Las Vegas, the intricacy of creating and interweaving the stories of eleven defined characters, and his responsibility to keep the film's complicated narrative on the rails during principal photography. We also touch on his work with, and the work of, Martin Scorsese.      

Photographing someone you've never met and who is likely just going about their day is a strange thing, especially in this bizarre, often isolated modern world. In this episode, we look at how you can get better at it, the pros and cons of making yourself known, how attitudes on the street have changed over time, and working with models and actors who are strangers to you on intimate portraits and emotionally raw films.      

Vietnamese photographer Tran Tuan Viet (@vietsui) joins hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss his photographic mission to show the natural beauty and life of people of his country, a place that is so often associated with war and violence in people's minds. Viet's work has been published by National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, the Guardian and other outlets, and he's worked for clients including Google, Samsung and Canon. 

'Fine art' is a term that helped to get photography taken seriously, but is the distinction still useful? We discuss the false dichotomy of 'art' and 'non-art', and the generally blurry genres in photography. Hosts: Alan Schaller, Christopher Hooton

Ocean photographer Ray Collins talks to hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton about the anatomy of a wave, risking life and limb for 'the shot', and how a severe injury down a coal mine led to an unlikely career in photography.      

Technology has blurred the lines between that which is candid and that which is created. But is one more legitimate than the other? We try and talk constructively about editing, the differences between art created in-camera and on-computer, and a future where total realism can be achieved digitally.

Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Elswit joins hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss his long-running partnership with director Paul Thomas Anderson, making the sky rain frogs in 'Magnolia', going fruit shopping with Daniel Day-Lewis in character as oil baron Daniel Plainview during filming on 'There Will Be Blood', and much more. Follow the show, see some photography/cinematography inspiration, and keep up with news on new episodes: Instagram.com/candelapodcast

Alan's often asked which his favourite countries are to shoot in. In this episode, he and Chris discuss the unique visual aspects to different environments around the world, and what the pair do to get the most out of travelling – both creatively and recreationally. Also, an addendum on location shooting in cinema.

How does lighting and lens choice work underwater? Photographer Cristina Mittermeier joins hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss the majesty and the difficulty of shooting marine life, 'split photography' that captures both what's beneath the waves and above it, and her mission to create healthy and abundant oceans with the initiative SeaLegacy.

Almost all projects – from amateur to the highest levels – involve sacrifices, but when should you make concessions and when should you stick to your guns? In this episode, hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton discuss compromise in creativity. 

Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister talks to hosts Alan Schaller & Christopher Hooton about his collaborations with Christopher Nolan, his beginnings as a news cameraman, a life-changing chance meeting with Robert Altman, managing to surprise Sir Michael Caine with unscripted camera movements, and what it was like seeing Heath Ledger's Joker character in front of the lens for the first time.

You've got a great scene or subject in front of you, now where are you going to position the camera? Angles and perspectives are the focus of this episode, with hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton explaining how they think about them both in terms of photography and cinematography.

Vogue and GQ portrait photographer Vincent Peters joins Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss modern celebrity, the need to leave something "unavailable" in an image, and the possibility that digital content is becoming to our brains what plastic has become to the Earth.

In this episode, hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton consider to what extent fancy cameras and equipment bring you better results, how this differs in terms of photography and film, and the hidden advantages of lower-end kit.

Dan Sackheim has become a go-to director for television in Hollywood, directing episodes of Game of Thrones, Ozark, Better Call Saul, True Detective, The Leftovers and other major shows. He joins Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss the specific set of skills required for TV, how budget worries remain even when you're shooting a show the size of GoT, and how his passion for photography intersects with his day job in moving images.

Giving work a title can be an awkward thing. Too ambiguous? Not ambiguous enough? What about commercial or categorisation considerations? Alan and Chris chew all this over, Chris gives his theory that there are generally four kinds of title, and the pair look at trends that they see in the naming of photos and films.

Bronx-born photographer Joel Meyerowitz sits down with hosts Alan Schaller and Christopher Hooton to discuss photography as zen archery, New York in the 1970s, a chance meeting with Henri Cartier-Bresson on the street, and how Joel became the only photographer allowed unrestricted access to Ground Zero.

Street photographer Matt Stuart discusses his coverage of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the wake-up call that was a plastic bullet whizzing past his head at a Hong Kong protest, how to balance creative work with work that puts food on the table, and much more.

The way we experience film and photography is changing rapidly. But what is lost when we view an image in an Instagram feed rather than a gallery? And a movie on a tablet instead of a cinema screen? Alan and Chris discuss the transition, the aesthetic and experiential differences between the formats, and the challenges the small screen revolution poses to creators.

The portrait photographer discusses his wide-ranging career that has seen him work with everyone from lingerie models to death row inmates. He explains his process for getting the best out of a subject, and why a portrait shoot needn't take longer than just a few minutes.

Euphoria is one of the most visually impressive shows to ever hit television screens. We discuss the HBO series with the director of photography for its final two season one episodes, find out how some of its most daring shots were achieved, and look at how your career is often defined by what you choose not to do.

A little housekeeping to clear up how the podcast will operate during the outbreak, and why it's business as usual for us.

Documentary photographer and Magnum member Martin Parr talks to Alan and Chris about his love-hate relationship with Britain, photography as a form of therapy, and catching subjects at their most real.

What are the benefits? What are the limitations? How does use of b&w differ in its tone and effectiveness with photography and cinema? Alan and Chris chew over all this and more in an entirely monochromatic episode.

Oscar-nominated director of photography Robert Yeoman ASC talks to Chris and Alan about his long-running partnership with auteur Wes Anderson, the fastidious symmetry the pair keep to, and what it was like shooting on a moving train in India for 'The Darjeeling Limited'. Message the guys: Instagram.com/candelapodcast

Alan and Chris talk to Oscar nominee Jeff Cronenweth about the groundbreaking visuals of Fight Club, how he went about balancing the visuals and intricate dialogue in The Social Network, and whether there's a downside to VFX however perfect it is.

Photographer Alan Schaller and filmmaker Christopher Hooton chat with NatGeo and Magnum legend Steve McCurry about photography as a solitary endeavour, film vs. digital, shooting in Asia, and whether he can ever turn off his 'eye'.

In the very first episode, Alan and Chris discuss their paths into photography and cinematography, how they think about the respective disciplines, and how they intersect. Find out what to expect from the show, ahead of guests arriving in the next few episodes.  

Photographer Alan Schaller and filmmaker Christopher Hooton take you behind the lens to find out how such wonder is created in front of it. This teaser for the show features excerpts from the guys' episode one conversation, along with later episodes that feature photographer Steve McCurry (Magnum, Nat Geo) and Jeff Cronenweth (Fight Club, The Social Network, Gone Girl).