The Darkroom Podcast

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the pleasure of speaking with landscape and travel photographer Thomas Heaton. Thomas travels all around the world documenting his work and sharing it with his audience on YouTube. Thomas is constantly trying to show other artists how to not only capture amazing content, but how to choose gear and make a living off their work. He offers his perspective on the current state of social media and shares what it is like to have an audience that relies on him for consistency.

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the pleasure of speaking with Benjamin Hardman, an infamous freelance photographer based in Iceland. Benjamin’s work captures all the beauty of Arctic winter climates from aerial views of Icelandic river beds to the most resilient wildlife. We talk through his journey into commercial work with early clients like 66 North who helped propel him into a successful career with a strong personal brand. Benjamin walks us through his work on glaciers, portraying their fragility as a way to aid in our collective fight against climate change. Benjamin’s work and experience offers a chilling perspective on Earth’s most volatile yet deteriorating climates.

In this episode of the Darkroom podcast we spoke with Emily Nathan, founder and author of Tiny Atlas Quarterly, a photography-led magazine and creative agency. Sourcing work from dozens of artists, Emily has put together a new book called My Tiny Atlas, showcasing some of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world. Her relentless work at Tiny Atlas Quarterly has garnered nearly 7,000,000 submissions to the #mytinyatlas feed, receiving press from people at places like Vogue and Refinery29. We also talk through what it takes to be a successful commercial photographer and the hustle that comes along with that lifestyle. Emily gives us a glimpse as to how she views her own work and its affects on how it influences travel for so many people. 

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the pleasure of sitting down with travel and wedding photographer, Chris Poplawski. Chris walked us through his early brand work, his progression as an artist and how he generates deal flow. Chris now travels the world with his partner and girlfriend Meagan Bourne as they capture breathtaking landscapes and couples in love. Chris also offers his advice for any artist looking to get their personal or commercial photography career started and what it takes to sustain that lifestyle.

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we got the chance to speak with Alen Palander. After moving from Iraq as a boy, Alen lived in Canada where he started shooting as a form of passive income while in University. As a photographer and creative director, Alen has traveled the world building his personal portfolio and doing work for some of the most iconic brands like Mercedes. We talk through Alen’s perspective on photography in today’s mobile and ever changing world and how artists should be weary of trying to replicate a lifestyle they see online. 

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with Jessica Zollman (@jayzombie), an LA based creator represented by Tinker Street. Jay was Instagram’s 5th employee and managed the community of the social media giant through their acquisition by Facebook. She now works as the Visual Coordinator for Go Get Em Tiger, a new Coffee subscription and store based in LA. We got to hear about her obsession with zombies and their underlying parallel to human crisis, working in LA as a freelancer and how to stay sane as an artist.  Through her personal journey, Jay offers her advice on how to avoid burning out as an artist and how to rediscover your love for creating. 

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we were lucky enough to sit down with Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer for US Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. Pete is coming off his second major book release in two years with his most recent titled Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, juxtaposing the Obama and Trump administrations. We dove deep into Pete's personal background from when he first picked up a camera in college to stepping into the White House. Pete offers his advise for any artist that dreams of capturing history or documenting the news, lending an authentic eye in a time when it's most needed.  

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we got the opportunity to speak with Ori Guttin, Co-founder and CEO of ViewBug, the world's largest photo contest platform. Artists on the ViewBug platform submit their work to be evaluated by judges which are often some of the best photographers in the world, with the chance to win gear, cameras and other prizes. While ViewBug began as a way for photographers to showcase their work and challenge themselves, it has evolved into a learning platform where any photographer can go from novice to professional. Ori walks us through his daily routine of surfing in the morning in sunny San Diego and talks through what it takes to stand out as a photographer in this day and age. 

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the chance to chat with Lee Morris, CEO and Co-founder of Fstoppers, one of the largest and most active online communities for creative professionals. Morris and his Co-founder Patrick Hall started Fstoppers in 2010, leveraging video tutorials and other visual content to help budding photographers learn new skills. As a photographer himself, Morris was shooting 30 weddings a year when he began thinking about what he wanted to do with his free time.  Hear more about how Morris and Hall scaled Fstoppers to one of the largest online creative communities with 50+ writers and and millions of visitors a month.

This week on The Darkroom Podcast we got to chat with Jaxson Pohlman, a full-time photographer who spends his time between Southern California and Kansas. In the last three years, Jaxson has become a leading voice in the astro photography space, landing himself an official sponsorship with Adobe to help them release some of their latest Creative Cloud tools. We talk through his transition to becoming a full-time creator, highlighting the dichotomy between sustainability and autonomy. With his first workshops under his belt, Jaxson has become both a teacher and infinite learner, looking to spread his knowledge in the space (full pun) to others.

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with the legendary Chris Burkard about how he operates and continues to push himself to new limits. We got a chance to see and hear how Chris built an amazing team around him and how he leverages their talents. Being approachable is not only a part of who Chris is, it's also what helps him create such amazing deal-flow with his commercial work, largely for brands who are looking for artists with his sphere of influence. With so much success, Chris still finds space for personal growth in the uncomfortable and offers his advice for anyone seeking the same.

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with Joshua Kissi and Karen Okonkwo, the Co-founders of TONL, a stock photography company whose mission is to capture diverse people and deliver their stories around the world. Karen is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur and previous founder of companies in the event planning and online business realm. Joshua is a Ghanaian-American photographer and entrepreneur who previously founded infamous creative agency, Street Etiquette, in NYC. Both Inc 30 Under 30 founders, Joshua and Karen are reshaping the way brands use diverse imagery, partnering with companies like Google to bring their vision to life.

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we chatted with Marc Barros, CEO and Founder of Moment, one of the most well known mobile photography gear companies in the world. Moment, raising over $6 million in funding, offers both an add-on app to their photography lenses and is now offering new photo trips with some of the world’s most renowned photographers. Marc talks through his early life of founding his first camera company in college, Contour, which he ran for 10 years. His approach to business and team building is one of radical transparency, from how much money is left in the bank to what was talked about at the last board meeting. As a father of three and CEO, we were lucky he could spare some time to share his story.

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we are extremely excited to bring you Alfonso Cobo, CEO of Unfold, the fastest growing app for creating and sharing stories. We talk through Alfonso’s childhood growing up in the Canary Islands and his early struggles with traditional education. We hear how Alfonso eventually found his way to Parsons School of Design where he aced his courses and began making strides to what he thought was going to be a career in architecture. That was until a school project showcasing his portfolio led him to develop Unfold. Since its inception, Unfold has brought in millions of users who have created tens of millions of stories while maintaining an overwhelming pace of 100,000 downloads a day. At just 25, Alfonso and his Co-founder Andy McCune, 23, have big dreams of what Unfold will become.

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we bring you Brendan North, a fine art photographer and poet who moved to LA just two years ago, turning a borrowed camera into a global audience of over 1 million people. Brendan’s portraiture work has allowed him to shoot for some of the top celebrities and models in LA including Usher and Atticus the Poet. Spending his time driving for Lyft and hustling for shoots, Brendan talks through his early days in LA. Through his rise to fame, Brendan lends a critical eye to his numerical “success” and has some parting words for anyone trying to define their own art in an age of both saturation and replication.