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Street Photography Magazine Podcast

The Official Journal of Street and Documentary Photography

Street Photography Magazine

John Rosenmiller didn't set out to become a photographer. In fact, it wasn't until later in life that he realized something was missing: he'd done a lot of things, but he'd never done anything purely creative. Photography changed that. And Cuba gave him a place to explore it.

In this conversation, John joins Street Photography Magazine's Bob Patterson and Ashley Riffo to talk about the many trips that have taken him deep into Cuban life and eventually led to his striking Carboneros de Cuba series. When John first arrived in Havana, its chaos, characters and raw energy reminded him of the New York he knew in the 1970s and '80s. He kept going back, building relationships, following his curiosity and learning photography along the way. Upon seeing his photos one photographer wrote in to tell us, “This is more than good, this is a labor of love.” 

John is refreshingly candid about that learning process. He talks about the years it took him to feel comfortable calling himself a photographer, why realizing his early work wasn't very good actually helped him improve, and why photographers should be ruthless about what they choose to show.

We also dig into how he creates his nighttime portraits with surprisingly simple lighting, the value of honest criticism, photographing people without turning them into a performance, and the personal rules he follows when deciding whether a photograph should be made at all.

But some of the most interesting parts of this conversation aren't really about photography. John talks about what years of returning to Cuba have taught him about people, generosity and community, and how a search for creative fulfillment became something much bigger than he expected.

John Rosenmiller on Cuba, Self-Editing and Becoming a Better Photographer

What can street photographers learn from an independent filmmaker? Quite a lot, it turns out.

In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine Podcast, we sit down with filmmaker and professor James Choi, whose recent return to South Korea after nearly five decades inspired both a feature film and a striking body of street photography.

Discovered through Trope Publishing, James brings a unique perspective to photography, one shaped by years of visual storytelling through cinema. We talked about how filmmaking and street photography overlap, why simplicity often leads to stronger work (and why keeping things simple can be a challenge), and how creative limitations can become your greatest advantage.

Along the way, James shares thoughtful insights on:

• Returning to his birthplace after 46 years

• Photographing the feeling of a place rather than simply documenting it

• Why authentic art requires vulnerability

• How simplifying your gear and your process can help you grow faster

• Lessons filmmakers and photographers can learn from one another

• Independent film recommendations that every visual storyteller should see

James Choi: What Street Photographers Can Learn from an Independent Filmmaker

Watch on YouTube

This month’s podcast guest might surprise you. Most street photographers thrive on unpredictability. They head out with a camera, trust their instincts, and let the world unfold in front of them. Kantaya New does that. She also spends days, sometimes weeks, carefully planning conceptual photographs where every element is intentional. On paper, those two approaches couldn’t be more different. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, each one has made her better at the other.

Kantaya, who is also a newly minted X-Creator with Fujifilm, joins Bob Patterson and me to talk about balancing street photography with conceptual work, using humor to explore serious subjects, and why some of her most personal projects have resonated with complete strangers. One of my favorite moments is hearing how her husband became the reluctant star of her ongoing series A Modern Day Affair, and the lengths she has to go to keep him motivated during shoots.

If you’re looking for a conversation about creativity, curiosity, and finding your own voice as a photographer, I think you’ll really enjoy this one.

A Selection of Kantaya’s Photos

Outdoor Closet

Backstage (2025)

Long Wait (2021)

From the series “Dare to Be You”

Where to Find Kantaya 

Website

Instagram

Current & Upcoming Exhibits

7th Annual FujiFanBoys Best of Show Touring Exhibition • — Hong Kong,15 July to 14 August 2026, Fujifilm House of Photography

Ecos Cardinales Vol. V • — San Luis Potosí, Mexico, 6 August 2026, Galería Germán Gedovius

RPL26 • — Streets of the World, RomePhotoLab Festival, 2 to 4 October 2026, Villa Altieri Museum Complex, Rome

Kantaya New on Balancing Street & Conceptual Photography

When Sandra Catanio Adorno picked up a camera for the first time, she was 60 years old.

She had no photography background, no formal training, and by her own admission, took "horrible" photographs at first. But a workshop with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb sparked something that would completely reshape the way she experienced the world.

Today, Sandra is an internationally recognized street photographer, the author of four acclaimed photobooks, and the creator of a stunning solo exhibition at the 61st Venice Biennale.

Before we even began recording, Sandra insisted on giving me a tour of her exhibition. As she walked through shimmering silver prints, a fragmented mosaic, and fabric installations overlooking the canals of Venice, it became clear that her work isn't just about photographs. It's about curiosity, experimentation, and inviting people to see familiar things in new ways.

In this conversation, we talk about discovering creativity later in life, collaborating with artists and publishers, new ways of seeing, and why Sandra believes we all have far more potential than we realize.

Whether you've been making photographs for decades or are still waiting for the "right time" to begin, Sandra's story is a reminder that it's never too late to discover something that changes your life.

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Sandra Cattaneo Adorno: You Have More Potential Than You Think

Creating a photo book taught us far more than we ever expected. Creating a course about it taught us even more.

In this episode, Bob Patterson interviews Street Photography Magazine publisher Ashley Riffo about the making of our new self-publishing photo book course. We talk about why the course exists, some of the challenges of book making & course making, the lessons we learned from publishing "Where the Streets Lead", and what we'd do differently next time.

Along the way, Bob shares what he's been up to since retiring as SPM's publisher, offering up stories from his recent trip to Japan, a glimpse into his new Substack, "Beyond Street Photography", and reflections on creating a personal travel zine.

We also share thoughtful feedback and advice from a few photographers who have self-published books includeing Craig Litten, Debby Cole, and Wayne Campbell. They all agree: Self-publishing a book is a lot of hard work, but totally worth it.

If making a photo book has been sitting on your "someday" list, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about our self-publishing photo book course:

https://streetphotographymagazine.com/learn/

Read Bob's Substack: https://beyondstreetphotography.substack.com/

Guests:

Craig Litten - https://www.craiglitten.com/

Deborah Cole - https://www.deborahcolephotography.com/

Wayne Campbell - https://www.acelebrationofdemonstration.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with photographers from around the world.

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#streetphotography #streetphotomag #photographypodcast #photographyeducation

The Making of a Photo Book Course

In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine Podcast, Bob Patterson and Ashley Riffo sit down with the photographers behind Three Cities Photography: Christer Björkman (Sweden), Jane Dee (Scotland), and Kitty de Jong (Netherlands). They told us how what started as a conversation during a Peter Turnley workshop in Paris grew into a years-long creative collaboration spanning books, zines, newspapers, countries, and countless photography discussions.

Three Cities, Three Perspectives, One Creative Collaboration

In this special episode, Ashley Riffo explores that question by speaking with photographers who attended four very different events: Dublin Street Photography Festival, Raw Photo Fest, Eyes on Main Street, and Photo London. Along the way, conversations about exhibitions and portfolio reviews quickly turn into something deeper: community, inspiration, and the joy of meeting the people behind the photographs. Whether you've attended dozens of festivals or never been to one, this episode offers a glimpse into why photographers keep coming back year after year.

Why Photography Festivals Matter

Documentary photographer and filmmaker Nagamitsu Endo joins us to talk about storytelling, street photography, and the patience required to document real life honestly. Raised between Japan, New York, India, and Pakistan, Naga shares how growing up across cultures shaped his perspective as both an observer and storyteller.

We discuss his years working in documentary television alongside Brent and Craig Renaud, the emotional process of editing documentary work, and why trust and empathy matter when photographing people. Naga also reflects on being mentored by renowned photographer Philip Perkis, shooting with a single lens, and the importance of persistence in both street photography and life.

This episode explores documentary storytelling, human connection, and what it means to keep showing up with a camera, even when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for yet.

Stories Beyond the Headlines with Nagamitsu Endo

In this episode of the Street Photography Magazine podcast, Bob Patterson talks with documentary photographer, educator, and National Geographic contributor Michael O. Snyder.

Michael shares how street photography became the foundation for his larger documentary practice, why place matters just as much as people in storytelling, and how photographers can pitch their work more effectively to editors and publications.

They discuss the relationship between street photography and documentary photography, building long-term projects, photographing cultural heritage sites affected by climate change, and Michael’s new book Alleghenia: A Central Appalachian Folklore Anthology, a fourteen-year project preserving stories and traditions from Central Appalachia.

From ancient flood systems in Petra to forgotten presidential statues in Virginia to oral histories from the mountains of Appalachia, this conversation is a reminder that meaningful stories are everywhere, you just have to start where you are.

Topics covered:

• Street photography as a gateway to documentary work

• How to pitch photo stories to editors

• Why place matters in visual storytelling

• Working with National Geographic

• Climate change and cultural heritage

• Michael’s new book on Appalachian identity and folklore

• Why the best stories often begin at home

Michael O. Snyder: Why This? Why Now? Why You?

Listening to Bethany Jacobson talk about NYC in the 80s in our last episode was absolutely fascinating, but it was an unfamiliar world for me. This week, we relived a little 90s nostalgia with Kai Diaz, and I have to say, it took me back to my own teenage years, albeit an East Coast version.

Kai grew up on MTV, skate videos, and surf magazines and it was that kind of visual culture that shaped the way he sees, even now. As a kid, he became the unofficial documentarian of his friend group, filming skate sessions and documenting life on film. To this day, friends call him looking for old memories, and he’s usually got the photos stowed away, ready to scan and send. So, you can add archivist to the list of Kai’s abilities too. 

He said, “I just wanted to remember everything…that’s kind of how I got into photography.” And while he started shooting so he wouldn’t forget (Peter Pan syndrome, he calls it), over time, he’s honed his craft into something much deeper. These days, observation, storytelling and curiosity are at the heart of what he creates. “It’s just in me to document stuff,” he says.

Influenced by Film and Films

With just a few exceptions, Kai has stayed true to film photography over the years, both for the benefits that come from a slower process, and for the quality of work film produces. Film pushes him to get it right in-camera instead of fixing things later. Plus, he argues that there’s something about film that’s hard to explain but immediately noticeable, a quality that digital (even with filters) doesn’t quite replicate.

And when you look at his work, you can see it. His photos feel cinematic, which is a product of his approach, but also his early visual training, one that came from all those classic 90s films. Kai was (and still is, sounds like) obsessed by films from directors like Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick. “They don’t have to explain anything… they just show it to you and you feel it,” he says. That same philosophy carries into his own photography: no over-explanation, no forced narrative, just images that make you feel something, and scenes that make you curious.

We dove into the creation of Kai’s upcoming book too, “Echoes of the Unseen,” which promises to be an incredible collection of work, and Kai talked candidly about the challenges that come with book-making. 

At the end of the day, Kai isn’t just making photographs, he’s leaving behind a record. Whether it’s a box of old prints, a future photo book, or an image hanging in someone’s home, it all serves the same purpose: to make sure something lasts.

And there’s something pretty powerful about that.

Watch this episode on YouTube

A Selection of Kai’s Photos

Where to Find Kai

Website

Instagram

Kai Diaz: Living Forever • (SPM Feature)

James Choi: What Street Photographers Can Learn from an Independent Filmmaker

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