The Eyeshot Podcast on Street & Documentary Photography

Richard Sandler: What Street Photography Has Lost Today

Richard Sandler joins Eyeshot 50mm for a raw conversation on New York street photography, film, flash, eye contact, documentary filmmaking, and what it means to photograph the unrehearsed human face. One of the defining street photographers of late 20th-century New York, Sandler reflects on photographing the city in the 1980s, working with Leica cameras and flash, learning from Gary Winogrand, dealing with risk, rejection, the technique of two pictures in one frame, the same technique he once taught a young Bruce Gilden, and the presence of the photographer in the frame. He speaks about why he never wanted to be invisible, why eye contact can reveal something deeply human, and why the best photographs often ask more questions than they answer. Direct, funny and uncompromising, a portrait of a photographer who never stopped questioning what he was looking at.

Ed Kashi: A Life in Photojournalism

In this episode we sit down with acclaimed photojournalist Ed Kashi of VII Photo Agency to explore his 45 years journey through documentary photography, visual activism, and the art of “candid intimacy" in over 100 countries. Known for his deep commitment to social issues, Ed reflects on the ethical responsibilities of the photographer, the emotional power of the still image, and the evolution of his visual language. We dive into his sold-out book with Eyeshot, “Visual Riffs”—a limited edition book now available for pre-order. Ed discusses how photography becomes a form of therapy, storytelling, and resistance, and shares insights into his creative process, from personal obsessions to field experiences across the globe.

Robin Schimko: Street Photography, YouTube & the Algorithm Problem

Robin Schimko, also known as The Real Sir Robin, joins Eyeshot 50mm for a direct conversation on street photography, YouTube, algorithms, AI, flash, gear culture, and what happens when social media starts shaping the way photographers see. In this episode, Robin reflects on the difference between being a street photographer and playing the YouTube game, questioning how algorithms reward repetition, imitation, silhouettes, POV videos, gear obsession, and easily consumable images. He also discusses why good street photography is not about perfection, why AI may push photography toward a dangerous idea of the “perfect image,” and why the real value of the medium still lies in instinct, presence, failure, and visual identity. He talks about a decade with the same Leica Q and 28mm lens, gear as costume, photographing around the shock at Thailand's Vegetarian Festival, the biggest beginner mistake he sees in workshops, what it takes to make a living without diluting the work, and why in the age of AI a flawed real photograph matters more than a perfect generated one.

Chuck Patch: Analogue Street Photography, Winogrand & the Decisive Moment

In this episode, American street photographer Chuck Patch reflects on a lifetime of image-making, from his first camera and darkroom experiences to his years working with museums, archives, and photographic collections. The conversation moves through his influences, including Garry Winogrand, Walker Evans, Vivian Maier, Joel Meyerowitz, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, while opening a deeper discussion on what makes a street photograph last over time. Patch speaks about the beauty of mundane subjects, the limits of perfect composition, the shift from black and white to color photography, and why authenticity in photography has changed across generations. He also reflects on the role of Flickr and online photography communities, the fear of criticism, the value of amateur photography, and the difference between the traditional “decisive moment” and a more emotional, social, and narrative understanding of street photography. This is a conversation about street photography as attention, memory, community, intuition, and emotional connection.

Sandra Cattaneo Adorno: Why Street Photography Is Not About the Street

Sandra Cattaneo Adorno joins Eyeshot 50mm to discuss street photography, memory, Brazil, abstraction, light, and the freedom of starting photography later in life. In this episode, Sandra reflects on how the street can become more than a place to document reality. Through color, reflections, bodies, gestures, gold, silver and fragments of everyday life, her work transforms ordinary moments into something poetic, personal and dreamlike. From Rio de Janeiro to New York, she shares how photography changed the way she sees the world and why street photography can move beyond the decisive moment.