We Are Photographers

Paul Ninson is a freelance photographer based in Ghana with passion for portraits, visual storytelling and documenting humanitarian and environmental stories. His current personal projects include the Masai tribes in Kenya, the lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia, and documenting the lives of women in Umoja for his Village with No Men project. In this episode, Paul talks about the life-changing experience of meeting Brandon Stanton in Ghana, being featured on Humans of New York and gaining 30k followers from around the world in one day. Paul attributes his photography education to CreativeLive where he spends most of his non-working hours learning from as many classes as he can. He talks about getting his first camera and how he’s been growing his business and portfolio of personal work ever since. Paul is the definition of taking risks, nonstop hard work, nurturing a supportive community and sharing knowledge and inspiration in return. This is We Are Photographers with Paul Ninson and this is his story.

Joe McNally is a photography legend. He’s a photographer, director, and Nikon Ambassador. His 30+ year career includes assignments in over 70 countries as a contributor to the National Geographic, a contract photographer for Sports Illustrated, and the last staff photographer in the history of LIFE. On the advertising & commercial side Joe’s clients include Adidas, FedEx, GE, Epson, and ESPN. In this episode Joe takes us on some of his most epic photo shoots from living at 13,000 feet for 3 weeks at the top of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea to going supersonic and pulling 9 Gs with the Air Force. Joe finds the beauty of being a photographer as the bridge you make emotionally and powerfully with your fellow human beings, such as he experienced for his Faces of Ground Zero Project with the world’s only giant Polaroid camera. This is We Are Photographers with Joe McNally and this is his story.

Ibarionex Perello is a photographer, writer, educator, and host of The Candid Frame podcast. He’s worked in the photography industry for over 25 years and is the author or coauthor of six books, including his new book Making Photographs: Developing a Personal Visual Workflow. In this episode, we discuss the difference between taking and making photographs, a young Ibarionex learning photography at the Boys Club of Hollywood, and the importance of representation in the photography community. Ibarionex talks about stuttering as a kid to building a successful podcast for 13 years with over 450 episodes. He describes the why behind the documentary project he started after his ailing 86-year-old mother-in-law moved in. Finally, he takes us into his new book, sharing a visual vocabulary of light & shadow, line & shape, a color & gesture that are the bones of a good photograph. This is We Are Photographers with Ibarionex Perello and this is his story.

Natalie Amrossi, a.k.a. Misshattan on all things social, is known for hanging out of helicopters creating dynamic aerial images of the cities below. Her extensive client list includes brands such as Nike, Jaguar, Apple, and Jordan. She’s been featured in the press including the New York Times, New York Post, Buzzfeed and more. In this episode Natalie talks about the rewards that come with taking big life risks. In her early 20s she left investment banking to become a professional photographer. She recently gave up her Manhattan apartment to travel & work full time from the road. Natalie shares the challenges and opportunities of being a solo female traveler, how she connects with locals over a shared love of photography when arriving in a new country, and stories from filming a documentary in Bhutan for AdoramaTV. This is We Are Photographers with Natalie Amrossi and this is her story.

John Greengo is a travel, landscape, and wildlife photographer. He’s one of the most prolific educators on CreativeLive, best known for his must-see Fundamentals of Photography class. He’s the author of two books, including The Enthusiast’s Guide to Exposure & 50 Things Photographers Need Know About Focus. John leads photography tours globally to destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Cuba, Morocco, Jordan, Antarctica and more. In this episode John describes his most epic moments - both exciting and scary - when photographing in remote corners of the world, including while working on the TV series Travels to the Edge. He shares life lessons learned as a professional foosball player, and he claims to be the only person to play foosball on all seven continents. We talk about what it means to “win” at photography and what he loves most about preparing his world renowned presentations for his classes that make learning both easy and fun. This is We Are Photographers with John Greengo and this is his story.

Valérie Jardin is a visual storyteller recognized internationally for her street photography. She is the author of several books and teaches street photography workshops all over the world. She also hosts the podcast 'Hit the Streets with Valérie Jardin' and is an official Fujifilm X-Photographer. In this episode we talk about the importance of street photography, how her approach to storytelling includes both following the light and following her heart when photographing on the street. Valérie explains her love for Fujifilm mirrorless cameras and prime lenses, the power of limitations and the joy of educating others to find the beauty in everyday life. This is We Are Photographers with Valérie Jardin, and this is her story.

Sal D’Alia is an Italian-born and raised filmmaker currently based in NYC where he creates original content for AdoramaTV. As an executive producer he’s created the series Through the Lens, The Photographer’s Roundtable and the new My Travel Diary. Sal is a Sony alpha Ambassador and one of the founding members of the Sony alpha Imaging Collective. In this episode we talk about the creative influence of growing up in Italy being surrounded by art everywhere. We discuss his career evolution from working for big brands as a freelancer to creating original content while traveling the world for AdoramaTV. Sal explores the differences in approaching still photography and motion and those moments that give him chills as a filmmaker. This is We Are Photographers with Sal D'Alia and this is his story.

Lucas Jackson is an award-winning Senior Photographer at Reuters. For over a decade he’s worked as a staff photographer covering every aspect of the news and feature stories in New York as well as the red carpet, concerts, natural disasters, politics and wars. As a staff photographer he has to be ready to photograph any scene at any time under any circumstance. In this episode we talk about the work ethic he learned growing up on a cattle ranch and being a commercial fisherman in Alaska to pay for a photography education. Lucas describes his career path to becoming a staff photographer at Reuters and what that role actually looks like, from photographing the courthouse steps one day to filming a 4-mile long glacier calving in Greenland the next. This is We Are Photographers with Lucas Jackson and this is his story.

Michelle Valberg is a renowned explorer, adventurer and wildlife photographer. She is a Nikon Ambassador Canada, a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and was the first ever Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence. She’s an author, a speaker and guides photography expeditions to extreme destinations. In this episode Michelle talks about photographing everything from narwhals to ice bears to snowy owls to a field of 10,000 walrus. She describes her first time making eye to eye contact with a polar bear and how photographing wildlife involves using all of your senses to anticipate the decisive moment. This is We Are Photographers with Michelle Valberg and this is her story.

[Jacob Jonas] 1 is a dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of the Jacob Jonas The Company, which he founded when he was only 22 years old. His works have been performed around North America including at The Kennedy Center, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center. He’s a self-taught photographer, a director & filmmaker, educator, and entrepreneur. In this episode, we talk about #CamerasAndDancers, a series of monthly Instameets bringing together influential photographers and dancers at significant cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum, the Getty Museum, and the New York and Seattle Public Libraries. #CamerasandDancers is not only building collaborations and community but also increasing the visibility of the art of dance itself. This is We Are Photographers with Jacob Jonas and this is his story.

Kelly Brown is an award-winning newborn & portrait photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. She is an international educator, speaker, author, print competition judge, and serial entrepreneur. Her brands include Little Pieces Photography, The Baby Summit, Newborn Posing, Rise International Photography Awards, and Spine Street Studios. In this episode, Kelly opens up about who she is as an artist, a daughter, a mum, and a business owner. We talk about her childhood imagination, the importance of family and home, her creative process when collaborating with the subject of her very personal storytelling portraits, and what makes her feel most alive. This is We Are Photographers with Kelly Brown and this is her story.

Andy To is a photographer and filmmaker based in NYC. Along with his partner in life and business Joycelyn Linh, he travels nonstop creating content for brands including Adobe, Sony, Adorama, Apple, major airlines, and tourism boards globally. Andy says he’s dedicated his life to filmmaking and spreading positivity. He also loves to give back by teaching his craft to others. In this episode we talk with Andy about growing up in Oakland, the influence both his grandmother and high school teacher Mr. Jackson have had on his life, being selected as one of two travel videographers for Beautiful Destinations out of the 50,000 applicants. This is We Are Photographers with Andy To and this is his story.

Joshua Coombes is the founder of the movement #DoSomethingForNothing. Josh is a British hair stylist who began offering haircuts to people he met on the streets experiencing homelessness. He found that listening to people’s stories and connecting through a haircut, along with showing people a photo of themselves before & after, made a far bigger impact than he ever could have imagined. He’s now amplifying his mission by collaborating with brands such as TOMS and touring an art exhibit Light Noise Art around the globe to encourage all of us to Do Something For Nothing in our own way. This is We Are Photographers with Joshua Coombes and this is his story.

Saunak Shah is the Founder and Creative Director of Pursuit of Portraits, a global creative collective and community of portrait-lovers. What started as an Instagram account to showcase portrait photography, @pursuitofportraits has grown into a movement connecting hundreds of thousands of creatives around the world. We recorded this episode while Saunak was in Brazil as part of his one-year Global Pursuit, where he traveled to 5 continents, 21 countries and held over 50 photography meetups, often traveling to places where resources and opportunities are limited. Over 500 people showed up in Nairobi for the 1-day #pursuitofportraits event. He reminds us that while there is no substitute for hard work, we can all dare to dream. This is We Are Photographers with Saunak Shah and this is his story.

Deanne Fitzmaurice is a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, a Nikon Ambassador, represented by National Geographic Creative, a teacher and the co-founder of Think Tank Photo. In this episode we talk about the power of visual storytelling to affect change, what she’s learned about her own process through teaching photography to writers, and how photojournalism can be your passport to the world. Deanne shares how she builds trust with her subjects and how she protects herself mentally when photographing challenging situations in order to humanize stories for the rest of us. This is We Are Photographers with Deanne Fitzmaurice and this is her story.

Natalie Franke is the Founder of the Rising Tide Society and Head of Community at HoneyBook. She’s also a photographer, entrepreneur, writer and educator. In this episode Natalie talks about communityship, what #communityovercompetition actually means to the 75,000+ members of the Rising Tide Society. There are over 400 local chapters who meet in person monthly to connect with other creatives and learn from industry peers. Natalie opens up and shares what the concept of success looks like to her both before and after surgery to remove a brain tumor. We talk about creativity, chronic illness and that feeling that so many of us struggle with of not doing enough or not being enough. This episode will especially resonate with you if you’re a creative solopreneur who at times feels isolated and not always sure where to go for help. Natalie has answers - know that you are not alone. This is We Are Photographers with Natalie Franke and this is her story.

In this premiere episode of CreativeLive's new weekly photography podcast We Are Photographers, host Kenna Klosterman records a live conversation with author, food stylist and photographer, Aran Goyoaga during CreativeLive's Podcasting Week 2018 Conference. Aran is the author of "Small Plates & Sweet Treats: My Family's Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking" and the award-willing Cannelle et Vanille blog. Her work has been featured in many publications including The New York Times, Food & Wine and Conde Nast Traveler. Join the 280,000+ creatives following Aran's images and recipes on IG at @cannellevanille

Karen Okonkwo and Joshua Kissi are the co-founders of TONL, a company turning stock photography into culturally radiant stories. Karen is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur, speaker and educator. Joshua is a Ghanaian-American photographer and creative entrepreneur who co-founded the NY creative agency Street Etiquette. In 2018 Karen & Joshua were named on Inc’s list of 30 Under 30 Rising Stars when TONL was less than a year old. In this episode we explore why Karen & Joshua partnered to humanize stock photography and how TONL images showcase what the world actually looks like using diversity, inclusion, community and real narratives of real people. This is We Are Photographers with Karen Okonkwo and Joshua Kissi of TONL and this is their story.

Cristina Mittermeier is a marine biologist, conservationist, Sony Artisan of Imagery and National Geographic photographer. She founded the International League of Conservation Photographers and more recently co-founded SeaLegacy.org with her partner Paul Nicklen. Her new book Amaze explores our relationship to the earth and ocean, and draws attention to the beauty and the plight of our planet through her extraordinary imagery. Cristina Mittermeier takes us to remote corners of the globe, including below the thin blue line to swim with, and photograph the largest animal on the planet. She explains how social media has changed everything for conservation organizations. Even though Cristina has almost a million followers on Instagram, find out why and how she too deals with imposter syndrome. Cristina’s words and her images encourage us all to “create the planet that you want to live in.” This is We Are Photographers with Cristina Mittermeier, and this is her story.

TY Bello is a Lagos, Nigeria based portrait photographer, singer/songwriter, and philanthropist who is helping educate and mentor a new wave of Nigerian photographers. In this episode, TY describes how young Nigerians are only now beginning to find their creative voice through photography, which had essentially been silenced under the country’s former dictatorship. She shares the challenges of making work that is both beautiful and powerful at the same time of subjects from orphaned babies to soldiers. TY compares the similarities of composing a photograph and composing music. Don’t miss her must-follow list of Nigerian photographers who are making waves not only in Nigeria but the world at large. This is We Are Photographers with TY Bello, and this is her story.