My guest today is Shannon Taggart, a photographer and author renowned for her exploration of modern Spiritualism, a belief system centred on communicating with the deceased. Her fascination began as a teenager when a medium revealed details about her cousin’s grandfather's death, sparking a two-decade journey documenting Spiritualist communities worldwide. Her acclaimed monograph, SÉANCE, delves into these practices and was named one of TIME Magazine's 'Best Photobooks of 2019'.

From the mailbag and also on the show, Bob of the Desert uncovers some curious coincidences at 5,000 feet, Craig Wilson captures the beauty of the Lake District, Niels de Kemp reflects on how ageing shapes mastery of photography, and Gavin Perry talks about colour blindness as a photographer. Plus David Wright reminds us of this month's photo assignment.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

What do you do if a black bear wants a word with you, and all you’ve got for protection is a jacket? No handbook for that. The same goes for being miles from anti-venom after a snake bite or realizing a polar bear thinks you’re lunch. For National Geographic photographer and filmmaker David Wright, this isn’t fiction, it’s just another day at work. He’s got the dream job if you don’t mind bears, snakes, and the occasional impalement. We talk about David’s incredible career, laced with adventure and the occasional serving of chance!

Also, on the show, Reid Naaykens shares how creating stock images has brought his work to life in ways Instagram hasn’t lately. Kyle Attwood is back with more tales of photographing rafts, the ones made from milk cartons. Meanwhile, Hegaard the Dane faces an unexpected challenge from swan song and Valerie Jardin joins us for the very first TEACH ME STREET segment. Looking ahead to next week, we meet a photographer who turned The Séance into a best-selling photobook, plus, a reminder of this month’s ONE WORD ASSIGNMENT, set by today’s guest, David Wright.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson has shot over fifty stories for National Geographic and Traveler and today shares the art of becoming invisible behind the lens, plus how he pitches photo stories to the world’s biggest publications.

Though his work has spanned the globe, his long-term storytelling in rural Kansas is just as profound, as he reveals. In this episode, Jim, once named the Photographer’s Photographer by his peers, reflects on why blending in, embracing the ‘boring,’ and quiet observation can lead to the most powerful photographic stories. Plus, we revisit his iconic High School USA essay, a classic of documentary photography.

From the mailbag, Mark Christensen feels inspired to start his own photography podcast, Sam Hopwood crashed his mountain bike last year, which in a twist of creative fate, never mind the twisted metal, has brought him back to photography, Kyle Attwood has been exploring the streets of Perth with film, making zines to celebrate the art of the print, and Dennis Linden has been revisiting the dangers we talked about when photographing wild-fires. Plus, there’s this month’s NEW one-word assignment, and I’ll announce the winner of last month’s challenge featuring the colour red.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

After enduring four years of dialysis and declining health, my guest, photographer Tracey Halladay had come to terms with the possibility of not experiencing all that life had to offer. However, a life-saving kidney transplant granted her a second chance. During her recovery, Tracey noticed a shift in her perception of the world. She felt compelled to share her newfound understanding and appreciation as she explored the mountains, forests, and meadows of Canada. Through her photography, Tracey aims to encourage mindfulness, curiosity, and compassion towards ourselves, others, the Earth, and all its creatures.

From the mailbag today, Ewan McNeill shares why Glass is his creative social platform of choice over Instagram, Kelvin Brown invites Flickr users to join a new group celebrating the Photowalk’s assignments, Tracey Ainsley has checked into a lighthouse keeper’s cottage, Chris Smith asks you to think about what your THIS IS ME image might be, Xavier Shaver has a poem from the path, and Mark Christensen is taking the Famous not so Famous flask on tour in California.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

I’m joined on the show by the photojournalist Ted Soqui, regarded by his peers as a visual historian of modern American life. His career spans four decades, capturing pivotal moments like the 1992 LA riots and the city’s relentless wildfires. His striking images have been featured in national and global media, telling raw, powerful stories. Ted will share the unique challenges and dangers of covering the 2025 LA fires, offering insight into life on the frontlines with a camera.

From the mailbag and contributions to the show, Vicky Robb brings us a thought-provoking quote from a famous Mexican photographer, photojournalist Marissa Roth shares a powerful essay on the LA fires, and I consider how our senses shape the way we see and create. Tom Warburton whisks us away to India with a vibrant audio postcard, and Wesley Harney uncovers the beauty and storytelling potential in photos captured right on your doorstep. Plus, a reminder of Ted Forbes’ one-word assignment, which is sparking some amazingly creative entries.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today’s conversation with photojournalist Claire Thomas takes a remarkable turn within just 20 minutes, shifting from casual beginnings to the profound realities of her work now. From those early travel ‘snaps’ to capturing global crises, Claire’s photography isn’t just about documenting what she witnesses; it’s about her genuine desire to share stories of resilience and hope. Working with clients like The New York Times, National Geographic, Amnesty International and UN agencies, her work is respected worldwide. Claire shows real humanity behind the lens and a commitment to her subjects that surpasses the act of photography alone.

Also, on the show from the mailbag, Tim Bindner believes he’s discovered his true creative WHY, Bob Shonkoff has insomnia but has turned it into a photographic opportunity, Lynn Fraser and David Higton are making proper pictures of proper snow, and Mark Krajnak is celebrating Hogmanay in a place far from Scottish shores. We’ll also remind you of January’s assignment set by the Art of Photography’s Ted Forbes, plus there’s some more information about April’s ENCOUNTERS workshop and experience.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Jack Lowe’s Lifeboat Station Project is a profound photographic tribute to the courageous British lifeboat crews who risk everything to save lives at sea. Using a Victorian camera and wet plate collodion methods, Jack makes powerful portraits that honour the resilience and humanity of these everyday heroes and today, he is on the show to talk about his incredible undertaking and risk-taking. Jack’s project has taken a toll, though, both emotionally and financially, and he discusses and reveals how that has affected him personally. 

Also today from the mailbag, Randy Bullerwell is having a crisis of photographic direction, Mark Christensen finds pelicans have quite the attitude, Matthias Focks is making excellent pictures under an umbrella in a small German town, and Michael Mixon introduces us to a photographer who is questioning human connection. We have a new TEACH ME STREET series that launches today with Valérie Jardin, plus the inspirational Ted Forbes sets this month’s ONE WORD ASSIGNMENT.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Ted Forbes is a photographer, educator, and creator of The Art of Photography YouTube channel. His new book, Visually Speaking, explores photography as a universal language, offering 21 chapters filled with insights and examples for photographers of all levels to create images that truly communicate.

From the mailbag, Gavin Perry shows the World is at your shutter fingertips without boarding a plane, Craig Wilson is yomping through Welsh landscapes, Simon Blakesley has a seven-decade-old personal pilgrimage picture, and Paul Friday has me revisiting photographers who make pictures of things that go bump in the night. We reveal a new assignment for this month and last month’s winner of the show flask, plus announce a new storytelling experience and workshop in London.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

In photography, knowing your WHY can guide each choice you make, from composition and lighting to the themes you explore, ensuring your work feels authentic and meaningful. But it’s not just about the art of photography, but expressing what and how you feel and believe. Today, on this last celebratory show before Christmas, 23 of this year's guests once more reveal their own WHY in a compilation of inspiration to close out on the year.

From the mailbag, Mark Christensen sets out on his first street mission, Harald Kahles has some ideas for specials in ’25, Susan Larsson has found a social replacement for Insta, Peter Turnbull is making environmental portraits, Glenn Sowerby has found the secret for enjoying photography, and Allin Sorenson with a story of 370 million pairs of eyes staring down the lens of a television camera lens at Christmas.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

PHOTOGRAPHY IS MY ANCHOR is something that’s said by one of my three guests today. A friend of the show, Andrew Gifford, through his Glass profile, describes in pictures the most potent personal photo project, which conveys how it feels to have M.E. in a story of resilience. Then Dana Stirling’s book ‘Why am I sad?’ is a testament to just how important creative expression is during times of adversity, and a former guest of the show Jack Lowe, who’ll be appearing in a longer interview early in the new year, shares a very special project called ‘A photo for you,’ probably one of the simplest but most profound ideas I’ve heard about this year.

Also, from the mailbag, Melissa Berman finds that her late uncle was somewhat of a photographic legend as his pictures of New York in three decades from the 60s go on display at one of the world’s most prestigious photo events, Craig Wilson is celebrating originality, Rikki-Paul Bunder has set himself a weekend photographic challenge with rules of curiosity and the photojournalist Peter Dench has a reminder for December’s assignment.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today on the show, we recognise love as "Universal, regardless of identity and sexuality." Valérie Jardin's ONE LOVE is a new black-and-white photography project in America celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, aiming to inspire greater understanding and acceptance, sharing stories of love in its most authentic form. 

Lydia Robinson's 'Queer Love' started as a passion project based around queer relationships and documenting couples in the UK. Through this series, Lydia aimed to show a more intimate and personal insight into LGBTQ+ relationships and how they are no different than cisgender heteronormative partnerships. She is recognised as an emerging talent by many publications, including Gay Times.

Also, from the mailbag J. Reed Gidez is living my dream on Route 66, Shiraz Chanawala has started making 30,000 step walks finding the therapeutic process of photography both mentally and physically, our man in Finland, Pekka introduces us to Harry Potter-like wizardry to rescue lost digital files and a NEW assignment courtesy of the photojournalist Peter Dench lays in wait for you as we’re now in December.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.