Elle Leontiev: Sony Open Photographer of the Year 2026

“Everybody smile, because we're doing this for Mum!” Sound familiar? 😄 If you're thinking about becoming a family photographer, this conversation might be just what you need. Mind you, you might need nerves of steel sometimes! Our guest today is Melina Coogan, an award-winning documentary family photographer from the US who found her way into photography almost by accident (it includes a stint on an Alaskan cruise ship!). We talk about getting your first clients, building a business from scratch, learning from mistakes, the gear but why understanding people and being present can matter far more than knowing every camera setting by heart when you start out. But there's more to Melina's story than family photography. We talk about her own busy family life, her documentary work with the Irish Travelling Community, which was selected by Photo Vogue, and some of the stories behind her camera over the years. It's a wonderful ‘Sublime Absurdity’ glimpse into another side of her photography, and a reminder that a camera can take you into worlds you never expected to discover. Magic Irish fairies included! Grab a coffee, settle in, and join us for this wonderful conversation with Melina Coogan. *** 📸 See more of Melina’s work: https://www.melinacooganphoto.com/ *** 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill 😉🎧 *** 🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration:https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

Somewhere between the stories that break your heart and the ones that make you smile, there is a whole world of unexpected stories waiting to be told. Photographer and writer Tommy Trenchard has spent more than fifteen years finding them on the African continent and beyond 📸 In my conversation today, we travel with Tommy to the beginning of his journey, arriving from the UK to Sierra Leone with a one-way ticket and the intention of building a freelance career as an independent photographer. Along the way, photography became a way of getting closer to people and places, telling stories about conflict and crisis, conservation, communities, environmental change and the people trying to make a difference. And because you want to hear stories, we talk with Tommy about some projects that have shaped his career, including his time covering the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the human-wildlife conflict surrounding elephants in Zambia, the College of Magic in Cape Town, or child shepherds in Lesotho whose story became a 16-page feature in GEO France magazine. Over the years, his work has earned recognition from prestigious organizations such as World Press Photo, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Visa pour l'Image and Amnesty International. But there is plenty more to Tommy's story than the difficult assignments. We talk about the decision to broaden the kind of stories he covers, the importance of showing the positive as well as the painful, writing alongside photography, becoming a father, MI6, karaoke and of course some other wonderfully unexpected moments. Grab yourself a coffee and join me for my conversation with the amazing Tommy Trenchard ☕📸 *** 📸 See more of Tommy Trenchard’s work: https://www.tommytrenchard.com/ *** 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode? Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill 😉🎧 *** 🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com

There are photo assignments where the story is difficult. There are assignments where the conditions are difficult. And then there are the ones that remind you that there can still be hope and joy in the middle of everything else. In Part Two of my conversation with photojournalist Carolyn van Houten, we continue her journey into some of the stories that have taken her around the world — from a missile attack in Ukraine, to women under the Taliban in Afghanistan, to speeding bullets in Somalia, or working with UFC fighters for the Freedom 250 event at the White House. We talk about starting her new freelance chapter after The Washington Post, and how perhaps a bit of stubbornness, persistence, luck and a bit of humor comes in handy at times. Grab a coffee and join me for Part Two of my conversation with the amazing Carolyn van Houten. *** 📸 See more of Carolyn's work: https://www.carolynvanhouten.com/ *** 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill. 😉🎧 *** 🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com/

A photograph can win an award. It can tell a story. And sometimes, it can change what happens to the person in the frame. Photojournalist Carolyn van Houten has seen all three. Carolyn spent almost nine years as a staff photographer at The Washington Post, until the entire photography staff was laid off earlier this year. It seemed like a good moment to finally sit down and hear the story behind the photographer. And what a story it is. Once Carolyn decided that photojournalism was what she wanted to do with her life, things moved pretty quickly — internships at newspapers, the White House and National Geographic, until eventually she got a call from The Washington Post, where she and her team would win the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. The world suddenly became a much larger place to find and document stories. In Part One, we first go back to the early years, from growing up on a farm in North Carolina, a love for horses, discovering photojournalism and finding her way into some remarkable assignments. There’s an adventure in Antarctica, her early work documenting autism, "The Road to Asylum" following migrant caravans, which earned her the Robert Capa Gold Medal, and her story "Abused by the Badge" about children who were abused by people who were supposed to protect them. And this is only Part One. Next week, we continue the journey with Carolyn as she takes us to Afghanistan, Ukraine, Somalia, the White House, working freelance and plenty more stories from a life spent finding them — with a little persistence and being stubborn. So grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy Part One of this conversation with Carolyn van Houten. *** 📸 See more of Carolyn's work: https://www.carolynvanhouten.com/ *** 🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?Follow, maybe leave us a review, or share it! You know the drill 😉🎧 *** 🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: https://www.thecameracafeshow.com/

Where were you on 9/11?🕊️ Twenty-five years ago, our next guest lived it alongside President George W. Bush. It was supposed to be a fairly ordinary morning. Eric Draper, the Chief White House Photographer to President George W. Bush, was travelling with the President to a school in Sarasota, Florida. Then, somewhere in the motorcade, came the words: “Oh my God, a plane hit the World Trade Center.” From that moment, Eric's day — and his job — changed completely. But before we get to what led to one of the darkest days of recent American history, we meet the man behind the camera. Eric's journey to becoming a White House photographer wasn't exactly mapped out, but through some luck (and a nudge from his wife!) he eventually found himself photographing the President of the United States for eight years. And what a job that turned out to be. Eric travelled the world on board Air Force One with George W. Bush, photographed presidents and world leaders, and found himself in places most photographers can only dream about. Then comes September 11, 2001. Twenty-five years later, we look back with him at the photographs, the memories and the experience of documenting 9/11 from such a unique position — not simply as a photojournalist, but as the President's photographer. There are stories about the White House, George W. Bush, and how they both lived through the September 11 attacks. But there are, of course, also stories about the man behind all those photographs — which, as you know, is where things tend to get interesting on our podcast ☕📸 A special episode of The Camera Café Show, dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and to the firefighters, police officers, first responders, rescue workers and others who put themselves in harm’s way to help others 🕊️ *** 📸 See more of Eric Draper's work: https://www.ericdraperphotography.com/ *** 🎙️ If you remember September 11, 2001, where were you that day? What do you remember about those first few hours? Share your story in the comments — I'd genuinely love to hear it. *** 🎧 Your Weekly dose of Photography Inspiration: www.thecameracafeshow.com