Tricky Thoughts: Encountering Photography In New York City Podcast

I Froze My Leica!

OK, that’s kind of a click-baitey title, but it’s true! I brought my Leica film MP out into a NYC blizzard and watched it get covered in ice as I took pictures - was it worth it? Yep. Sometimes you (and your camera) have to suffer to get the good stuff. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrickness.substack.com [https://thetrickness.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Shooting Street Portraits on Film at New York Fashion Week PLUS an interview with photographer Paul Reid

New York Fashion Week 2026 was COLD - maybe that's why it was so sleepy? I got some great photos anyway, which I share in this video - 35mm and 120 Medium format film only! Plus, I've got a special guest, the incredible Scottish photographer Paul Reid. Check out Paul Reid's work and photography classes at his website https://www.paulreidphotography.com [https://www.paulreidphotography.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrickness.substack.com [https://thetrickness.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Shooting 35mm film in a NYC snowstorm

What's it like to shoot 35mm film in a massive snowstorm in New York City? Watch this video and find out! We had a massive snowstorm in late January in NYC. I met up with some friends and we walked through Chinatown, the Lower East Side, and Soho and dealt with the freezing cold, camera issues, wet foggy eyeglasses, and general misery. I share the photos and talk about the experience. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrickness.substack.com [https://thetrickness.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Under The Bridge, Episode 15: Baby, Don't Ever Change

In this episode, recorded at the Guggenheim Museum (and the streets of NYC) on Robert Rauschenberg’s 100th birthday, I was thinking a lot about growth. Not the kind that makes our pants tighter, which is really easy, but artistic growth. Is creative growth something you think about? Give this a listen and let’s get into it. Artists mentioned on this podcast: Rauschenberg Guggenheim show: https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/collection-in-focus-robert-rauschenberg-life-cant-be-stopped Chaz Neill: https://www.instagram.com/reddotjournals/ Paolo Roversi at Pace: https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/paolo-roversi-2025/ Robert Longo at Pace: https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/robert-longo-the-weight-of-hope/ Don McCullin at Hauser & Wirth: https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/don-mccullin-a-desecrated-serenity/ Thanks for reading Tricky Thoughts: Encountering Photography In New York City! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. (More pictures from Robert Rauschenberg: Life Can’t Be Stopped) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrickness.substack.com [https://thetrickness.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Under The Bridge Episode 14: What Kind Of Photographer Are We?

Hello! I’m back with another episode, it’s been a while and I’m sorry about that. Had lots of family obligations in August, and when I wasn’t herding kids I was taking pictures like a fiend. I’ve run through dozens of rolls of film this summer, shooting all kinds of different subject matter. The work is so varied, I don’t think any algorithm would be able to make sense of it all. And that’s ok with me! In this episode, I talk about the labels that we, other photographers, and social media platforms put on us. Am I a street photographer? A portrait photographer? Documentary photographer? Fashion photographer? A “visual storyteller” (oh FFS please, anything but that…..) I don’t think about any of this while I’m taking pictures, but when we show our work to the outside world, they kind of want it packaged up nicely, consistently, they want to know what they’re looking at. And you need to decide if you’re going to give it to them that way, or not. I’ve always appreciated artists who stick their middle finger up to the establishment, to societal norms, and do their own thing. Doing things that way is never an easy path - but who wants it easy, anyway? So this…..is about that. And I had to edit this one a bit because the trains passing over the bridge were hella loud and frequent. Figures the MTA would pick the exact 15 minutes this week I was recording to make the subway trains come fast and frequent. Anyway….thanks for listening and if you have any questions, comments or thoughts, please share them! Jim Thanks for reading Tricky Thoughts: Encountering Photography In New York City! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrickness.substack.com [https://thetrickness.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]