The Camera Cafe Show

War doesn't end when the photograph is taken. For many people, that's where the story begins.
In Part 2 of this special two-part conversation, I once again sit down with Ukrainian photojournalists Oksana Parafeniuk and Iva Sidash. While Part 1 focused on home, and their personal journeys in photography, this second conversation moves deeper into the lasting impact of war on individuals, families, and communities. Together, we talk about what happens long after the headlines fade and the cameras move on.
We explore the emotional weight of documenting difficult stories, the experiences of children growing up during war, and the responsibility of telling stories that continue long after a photograph has been made. Along the way, there are also moments of hope, humor, and humanity that remind us why these stories matter in the first place.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy Part 2 of my wonderful conversation with Oksana Parafeniuk and Iva Sidash.
📸 See more of Oksana and Iva's work:
https://oksanaparafeniuk.com/
https://www.ivasidash.com/
🎙️ Listen to my first conversation with Iva Sidash, recorded in May 2023:
https://thecameracafeshow.com/ivasidash
🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

For most photojournalists, war is something they travel to. For others, it's the reality of the place they call home. 
In Part 1 of this special two-part conversation, I sit down with Ukrainian photojournalists Oksana Parafeniuk and Iva Sidash. Iva was on our show in 2023, one year after the Russian invasion, but since then her photography journey has taken her further, studying at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. Oksana, meanwhile, has gone from being a fixer to becoming both a mother and an internationally published photographer in just a few years. Together, we talk about what it means to photograph the country you grew up in while living through many of the same realities yourself on a daily basis.
We talk about finding their way into photography, the importance of home, and how war can shape both the stories in front of the camera and the people behind it. Next week, we continue the conversation with a deeper look at the realities of war, its impact on children and families, and the emotional cost of documenting it. 
Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy Part 1 of my conversation with Oksana Parafeniuk and Iva Sidash. 
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📸 See more of Oksana and Iva's work:
https://oksanaparafeniuk.com/
https://www.ivasidash.com/
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🎙️ Listen to our first conversation with Iva Sidash (May 2023):
https://thecameracafeshow.com/ivasidash
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Crossing the Afghanistan border in disguise at night was once just part of the job 🌍📸
In this episode I sit down with legendary French photojournalist Pascal Maitre — whose work over the last four decades has taken him to places such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan ,more than forty countries throughout Africa, and worked in South America, Russia, the Middle East, Latin America and numerous other regions over the last four decades.
And over this +40 year career, his photography has appeared in major publications such as National Geographic, Geo, Paris Match and Stern. He has won multiple World Press Photo Awards, received the Visa d’Or d’Honneur for Lifetime Achievement at ‘Visa pour l’Image’, and today he is also a Canon Ambassador.
From walking with the Mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, to documenting dangerous daily life in Somalia, migration, conflict, energy poverty and the global charcoal crisis, Pascal shares incredible stories from a lifetime spent trying to photograph not just events… but the human reality underneath them.
We talk about the older generation of photojournalism before the digital era, Kodachrome, fixers, trust, curiosity, and how photography — at its best — still depends on patience, time, and understanding people.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy my conversation with Pascal Maitre.
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📸 See more of Pascal’s work: https://www.pascalmaitre.com/
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Style is easy to imitate. Voice is something else entirely.
In this second part of my conversation with David duChemin, we move deeper into creativity, artistic identity, social media, fear, and the challenge of making work that actually feels honest in a world full of comparison and noise.
We talk about the difference between style and voice, the pressure to imitate what everyone else is doing, wildlife photography, curiosity, inspiration, and why sometimes the hardest thing creatively is simply learning to trust yourself.
But just like in part one, this conversation never stays too serious for too long. Along the way there are still plenty of laughs, unexpected turns, stories about life, and moments that feel more like two people talking over pizza and wine than a traditional photography interview.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy part two of my conversation with David duChemin.
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📸 See more of David’s photography, books, workshops, and writing:https://davidduchemin.com/
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

“Elvis has left the building…” — and somewhere after the stage lights went dark, a camera slowly took the place of the rabbit and the magician’s hat.
In this first part of my conversation with David duChemin, we explore the unusual path that took him from performing comedy shows, juggling bananas, and entertaining crowds… to becoming one of photography’s most thoughtful voices on creativity, storytelling, and finding your own way of seeing the world.
We talk about discovering photography as a teenager, building darkrooms in bathrooms, almost flunking out of English class before later becoming a bestselling author, and the moment a trip to Haiti completely changed the direction of his life.
Along the way, this becomes a conversation about much more than photography — curiosity, reinvention, fear, creativity, travel, and how sometimes the paths that make the least sense in the moment end up shaping us the most.
Stay tuned for part two next week, where we go even deeper into creativity, vision, fear, social media, and what it really means to find your own voice as a photographer.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy part one of my conversation with David duChemin.
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📸 See more of David’s work, books, workshops, and writing:https://davidduchemin.com/
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Former Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Chris Johns returns in part two of this conversation — taking us behind the scenes of how some of the world’s most powerful stories are shaped. If you haven’t listened to part one of my conversation with Chris yet, I’d really recommend going back and starting there first. It gives you the full picture of how this story unfolds.
We pick up right where we left off, diving into stories from photographers in the field, what really happens behind the images we all know so well, and how those moments evolve into stories that reach millions of people.
We also go deeper into what it means to lead one of the most influential publications in the world — how decisions are made, what Chris expected from photographers, and how storytelling can influence the way people understand global events.
Along the way, there are moments of laughter, of reflection, but also plenty of humanity — from conversations about family and legacy to the inspiration of amazing people like Jane Goodall, and how storytelling continues across generations.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for part two of this conversation with Chris Johns.
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📸 See more of Chris’ work:
https://thephotosociety.org/member/chris-johns/
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:
https://www.thecameracafeshow.com
 

Former Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Chris Johns joins the show to share how storytelling, photography, and life experience come together to shape how millions of people see the world.
In this first part of our conversation, Chris takes us back to where it all began — from growing up on a small farm in Oregon to discovering photography almost by accident, and how those early experiences set the foundation for a lifetime in visual storytelling.
We also talk about his early years working in newspapers, what it taught him to photograph every single day, and how those fast-paced environments helped shape his eye before stepping into the world of National Geographic. Along the way, there are stories of long-term assignments, time spent in the field, and the kind of moments — both serious and light — that come with building a life around photography.
We also touch on a love for fast cars, a bit of a wild streak in his younger years, his time as president of the Future Farmers of America, and his work as a staff photographer across Africa, where encounters with figures like Nelson Mandela left a lasting impression on how he sees the world today— not just as a photographer, but as a person.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for part 1 of this wonderful conversation with Chris Johns.
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📸 See more of Chris’ work:https://thephotosociety.org/member/chris-johns/
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🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Sometimes, a story doesn’t just stay a story — sometimes, something actually changes.
Wildlife photographer Ian Wood returns to our Show with powerful updates following our first conversation. After winning the People’s Choice Award at Wildlife Photographer of the Year with his now well-known badger image, Ian has continued to push the story forward — recently winning the documentary category at the British Wildlife Photography Awards with a six-image series focused on the badger cull in England.
But this conversation goes beyond photography. We talk about what has happened in the months since — the major positive shift around the badger cull in the UK, the still ongoing discussions around fox hunting, and what it feels like to see something you’ve invested time, energy, and emotion into finally begin to move in a different direction.
We also talk about the process behind building a documentary series, the importance of thinking in ideas rather than just images, and how photography can sometimes become a way to keep important conversations alive. Along the way, there are also the small moments — swallows returning in spring, building hides, lentil loaves and the simple joy of being out in nature.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for this wonderful conversation with Ian Wood.
📸 See more of Ian’s work:https://www.agoodplace.co.uk/
🎙️ Listen to our previous conversation with Ian Wood:
https://thecameracafeshow.com/ianwood
🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:https://www.thecameracafeshow.com