Filmmaker and photographer Ryan Hartley joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to discuss project, Oaksplitter, a southern gothic exploration of the people and land from his upbringing

Filmmaker and photographer Ryan Hartley joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to discuss project, Oaksplitter, a southern gothic exploration of the people and land from his upbringing.

https://ryhart.com https://www.instagram.com/ry.hart/

Crawling out of northwest Tennessee, Ryan Hartley is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and photographer.

In his youth, he roamed the outskirts of his small rural town, skateboarding, making home movies, and photographing both his friends and locals.

He has traveled around the world, working in reality TV, photographing bands, and capturing the communities and unseen people who remind him of his childhood.

Now based in Nashville, he works with artists, major record labels, and brands to help shape and capture their identity.

His latest project, Oaksplitter, is a southern gothic exploration of the people and land from his upbringing, and the in-between spaces where those worlds collide.

Publications: Rolling Ston, Oxford American, The Bitter Southerner Publishing, Garden & Guns, Paste Magazine, Sunnyside Projects, Black Flower Publishing , Flood Magazine, Uncut Magazine

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club - Begin Building your dream photobook library today at: https://charcoalbookclub.com