The Camera Cafe Show

A photograph can win an award. It can tell a story. And sometimes, it can change what happens to the person in the frame. Photojournalist Carolyn van Houten has seen all three.

Carolyn spent almost nine years as a staff photographer at The Washington Post, until the entire photography staff was laid off earlier this year. It seemed like a good moment to finally sit down and hear the story behind the photographer.

And what a story it is. Once Carolyn decided that photojournalism was what she wanted to do with her life, things moved pretty quickly — internships at newspapers, the White House and National Geographic, until eventually she got a call from The Washington Post, where she and her team would win the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. The world suddenly became a much larger place to find and document stories.

In Part One, we first go back to the early years, from growing up on a farm in North Carolina, a love for horses, discovering photojournalism and finding her way into some remarkable assignments. There’s an adventure in Antarctica, her early work documenting autism, "The Road to Asylum" following migrant caravans, which earned her the Robert Capa Gold Medal, and her story "Abused by the Badge" about children who were abused by people who were supposed to protect them.

And this is only Part One. Next week, we continue the journey with Carolyn as she takes us to Afghanistan, Ukraine, Somalia, the White House, working freelance and plenty more stories from a life spent finding them — with a little persistence and being stubborn.

So grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy Part One of this conversation with Carolyn van Houten.

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📸 See more of Carolyn's work:

https://www.carolynvanhouten.com/

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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:

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Where were you on 9/11?🕊️ Twenty-five years ago, our next guest lived it alongside President George W. Bush.

It was supposed to be a fairly ordinary morning. Eric Draper, the Chief White House Photographer to President George W. Bush, was travelling with the President to a school in Sarasota, Florida. Then, somewhere in the motorcade, came the words: “Oh my God, a plane hit the World Trade Center.”

From that moment, Eric's day — and his job — changed completely.

But before we get to what led to one of the darkest days of recent American history, we meet the man behind the camera. Eric's journey to becoming a White House photographer wasn't exactly mapped out, but through some luck (and a nudge from his wife!) he eventually found himself photographing the President of the United States for eight years.

And what a job that turned out to be. Eric travelled the world on board Air Force One with George W. Bush, photographed presidents and world leaders, and found himself in places most photographers can only dream about.

Then comes September 11, 2001.

Twenty-five years later, we look back with him at the photographs, the memories and the experience of documenting 9/11 from such a unique position — not simply as a photojournalist, but as the President's photographer.

There are stories about the White House, George W. Bush, and how they both lived through the September 11 attacks. But there are, of course, also stories about the man behind all those photographs — which, as you know, is where things tend to get interesting on our podcast ☕📸

A special episode of The Camera Café Show, dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and to the firefighters, police officers, first responders, rescue workers and others who put themselves in harm’s way to help others 🕊️

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📸 See more of Eric Draper's work:

https://www.ericdraperphotography.com/

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🎙️ If you remember September 11, 2001, where were you that day? What do you remember about those first few hours? Share your story in the comments — I'd genuinely love to hear it.

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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:

www.thecameracafeshow.com

A bear covered in ice. A salmon flying into your face. And a camera trap that decides to take a trip down a mountain. Just another day in the Yukon 😄🐻📸 

If you thought we had some wild stories in Part One, wait until you hear what happens next! In Part Two of my conversation with wildlife photographer Peter Mather, we head even deeper into the Yukon, from ice-covered bears and salmon to camera traps, filmmaking, conservation and the stories behind his latest project, “Ghosts of the North“ And, as you'll discover, getting the picture is sometimes only the beginning of the adventure 😄

Along the way, Peter's story takes a few unexpected turns, from his dog Luke Skywalker becoming part of the adventure to his daughter casually capturing two lynx on her phone. There's also the rather accidental way he ended up making a documentary film, plenty of photographic disasters, and, of course, a few moments when the wildlife seems to have the upper hand 😂🐾 

Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for this wonderful conversation with Peter Mather. 

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📸 See more of Peter Mather's work:
https://petermather.com/

🎬 Peter's documentary film “Kings of the North”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e9GYGfUGNw&list=LL

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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:

https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Wolverines. The Yukon. Lots of snow. And a wildlife photographer who once happened to be a math teacher. Welcome to the wild world of Peter Mather! 🐺❄️📸

In Part One of my conversation with Peter, we head north to the Yukon and follow the story of how he turned a love of the wilderness into a life photographing some of Canada's most elusive wildlife.

Peter has spent years chasing stories rather than simply chasing pictures, and his work has taken him deep into the Yukon, earned him a World Press Photo award or publications in National Geographic, and involved considerably more cold weather than most photography jobs would recommend. Along the way, we'll talk about conservation, early adventures with his dad, a wedding, wolverines, and his trusty sidekick Luke Skywalker 🐺📸😂

And this is only Part One. Part Two will bring us ice-covered bears, elusive lynx, ghosts, camera traps, icy rivers, photography gear and plenty more adventures from the wild North 🐻❄️📸

So grab yourself a coffee, put on your warmest coat, and join me for Part One of this wonderful conversation with Peter Mather.

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📸 See more of Peter Mather's work:
https://petermather.com/

Peter’s documentary film “Kings of the North”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e9GYGfUGNw&list=LL

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🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?
 Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill 😉

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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:
 www.thecameracafeshow.com

Welcome to the Adventure Emporium. Antarctica? Penguins? Michael Palin? Shackleton's Hut? We seem to have the lot. Sadly, we're completely sold out of comfy couches 😄 

If Part One was the story of how photographer Sue Flood found her way into the BBC, Part Two is where things get seriously wild! We follow the next chapter of her extraordinary life, building a career around photography, conservation and some of the most remote places on Earth. 

Along the way, Sue's story brings together some pretty remarkable people, unexpected encounters and a few moments that sound more like a Monty Python script than a photography podcast. And with Ian Dawson, Midnight Sun Voyages and their new book and exhibition, Midnight Sun, there's plenty more to discover about where this adventure is heading next. 

So grab yourself a coffee, pull up a comfy couch... oh, wait. We're sold out. 😂 And join me for Part Two of this wonderful conversation with Sue Flood.

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📸 See more of Sue Flood's work:

https://www.sueflood.com/

🌍 Explore Midnight Sun Voyages:

https://www.midnightsunvoyages.com/

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🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?

Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill 😉

***

🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:

https://thecameracafeshow.com/