Prime Lenses – Details, episodes & analysis

Documentary photographer and director Doug Menuez once stood at the North Pole, crossed the Sahara, had tea with Stalin's daughter and held a chunk of Einstein's brain. Quitting his blues band in 1981, he began his 40+ year career freelancing for Time, LIFE, Newsweek, Fortune, USA Today, the New York Times Magazine and many other publications. He covered the AIDS crisis, homelessness in America, politics, five Super Bowls and the Olympics. His portrait assignments include Presidents Clinton and Bush, Sr. and Cate Blanchett, Lenny Kravitz, Mother Teresa, Jane Goodall and Hugh Jackman. His award-winning advertising campaigns and projects for global brands include Chevrolet, FedEx, Leica, GE, Coca Cola, Emirates Airlines Microsoft. Menuez’ work has been honoured by many organisations, including the Kelly Awards, The AOP London, The Cannes Festival, The One Show, The Art Director’s Club of NY, The Epson Creativity Award, American Photography, the International Photography Awards, NY Photo Festival, Graphis, and Communication Arts. He's had solo and group exhibits worldwide. His fourth book, “Fearless Genius: The Digital Revolution in Silicon Valley 1985-2000,” by Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books, became a #1 bestseller on Amazon’s photo book list and published in 6 countries and 17 languages. Over 100 million people around the world have seen the project through the book, exhibits, viral press and his talks. A exhibition of rare images of Silicon Valley’s greatest innovators, including Steve Jobs, as they changed our world, continues to travel. His extensive archive of over two million images was acquired by Stanford University Libraries in 2004.

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A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

David Imel is a technology journalist based in the US who is probably best known these days for his work on Youtube and podcasts. His work with MKBHD as well as his own films would keep anyone busy but David clearly doesn’t like to be bored. Not only is he a wonderful photographer but he is a wonderfully talented film photographer with a preferred aspect ratio that you’re not expecting. He’s good buddies with some previous guests so I was thrilled when he agreed to be on the show. 

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

John Kasko has shot professionally for over 40 years. In that time he’s gone from dropping expensive cameras at weddings photographing the defining artists of our time from Elton John and Madonna to Steve Martin and seemingly everyone in between. A no nonsense pro with a preference for a simple setup he has seen and done it all and it was great to talk to someone who is still trying to change and evolve their photography over time. It’s no longer about perfection for him and he doesn’t put pressure on himself to always use the “best” camera he has with him. His YouTube channel has me itching to get a flash and some lights, you’ll get the bug too once you spend any time with him.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Dan Baker is a UK based photographer specialising in seaside photos, although specialising doesn’t really cover it. Dan doesn’t just specialise. He set himself the challenge of shooting a single 100m stretch of beach front in his home town. This hyper specifc focus has produced beautiful colour imagery that’s rich, playful and often features a dropped ice cream cone.

I love his work we had a great conversation about three very similar lenses, but then that’s very Dan, he has found great variety and depth over several years in a place most photographers would feel they’ve explored in an afternoon.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

David is the founder of a company called Pixii, a French based team of folks who decided to make a new type of camera. A digital rangefinder without a screen that seeks to reinvent the way that we engage with a high quality interchangeable lens system. I worked with David over a decade ago in open-source software and was stunned when I saw his face on the website for Pixii a couple of years ago. He’s passionate about his company and what they can make. He and his team are making something special and it was a real thrill to talk to someone making a camera. How often do you get to do that!?

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Mattias Burling has worked in media production since 2007. Experience in Production, video and stills made a YouTube channel about photography a natural fit and to date he has published over 420 videos about cameras. For me he’s one of photography’s permanent fixtures and I often watch his videos as I really trust his no nonsense approach to technology not to mention his fantastic eye. His images are stunning, dynamic, and beautiful.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Director, producer and journalist for The Verge, Vjeran gets to work on a little bit of everything — from writing to filming, editing and running a video team. His free time is a lot more photography centric — street, pets, drones and a lot of different lenses.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Kevin Mullins is a documentary and reportage-style photographer from the UK who’s best known for his wonderful candid wedding photos. His journey in photography only began sixteen years ago and we get into that a little in the conversation. He has a very human approach and firmly believes that "a photograph doesn't have to be good, it just needs to be important”.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Born into photography by way of a family entrenched in it (father, grandfather, uncle and husband are all photographers), Ali took a circuitous path back to this medium by way of old, digital and analog cameras when she started my YouTube channel one month two cameras.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Daniel Milnor is the “Creative Ambassador” for Blurb, Inc. Milnor is a former news, editorial, and commercial photographer who now works primarily on long-term projects. His work combines still photographs, motion, sound, and the written word. Milnor began printing his work in the darkroom in 1988 and has self-published hundreds of titles, from award-winning to experimental. His love of travel and teaching have combined for workshops across Latin America, Europe, Australia, and North America. He has taught at the Art Center College of Design and the Academy of Art University. His work is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art collections, The George Eastman House, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. He lives in New Mexico.

Sign up to the Prime Lenses newsletter for a mid week treat.

More about this show:

A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you’ll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I’m interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.