On this week’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we welcome the founder and Executive Director of the Social Documentary Network, Glen Ruga, and photographer Sofia Aldinio, who is the recipient of the 2021 ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography, presented by the Social Documentary Network.
As should be clear, our conversation today revolves around the Social Documentary Network, or “SDN,” and we learn about this community of documentary photographers and its website on which more than three thousand documentary series have been uploaded and are available for viewing. Ruga tells of the evolution of the site since its 2008 inception, and how adding classes, awards, portfolio reviews, and most important, the online and print magazine ZEKE has led to the growth of this platform, which is open to all photographers. Our chat also draws from Ruga’s photography work and thoughts on documentary, in general.
In the second half of the show we speak with Aldinio, a past guest, about “Awake in the Desert Land,” her photo series that received the ZEKE prize. Aldinio tells of the circumstances that brought her to Baja California, Mexico, during 2020 and this intimate series on village communities affected by climate change. We also speak with Aldinio about her working methods, about shelving her normal Canon system for a more stealth FUJIFILM, about making relationships with subjects, and the feedback and support she received from her SDN workshop leaders.
We wrap by previewing the Social Documentary Network events and exhibits at Photoville 2021 and Aldinio’s presentation on her award-winning series.
Guests: Sofia Aldinio and Glenn Ruga
Photograph © Sofia Aldinio
Picturing World Cultures: Maxim Dondyuk - Ukraine
Lynn Goldsmith’s Prince Portrait and its Legacy in Case Law
Picturing World Cultures: Rita Leistner - Canada
Still Photography & the WWE, with Brad Smith & Rich Freeda
Ecliptic Visions—with Rebecca Boyle, Gabriel Biderman, Atlas Obscura & B&H
Picturing World Cultures: Daniel Rosca - Romania
Photography in the Age of AI, with Stephen Shankland
B&H Podcast: Chat with Inventor of the CMOS Chip, Professor Eric Fossum
Picturing World Cultures: Joshua Irwandi - Indonesia
Holding to Truth: Radio Encryption & the Press, with Todd Maisel & Lloyd Mitchell
Picturing World Cultures: Kiana Hayeri: Iran / Afghanistan
2023 Photo Gear of the Year with Kevin Rickert
Adobe's First Evangelist: Russell Preston Brown
Picturing World Cultures: Wayne Quilliam - Australia/Tasmania
Lee Miller: Combat Photographer, Fashion Model & Muse, with Antony Penrose
A History of Hip-Hop Photography: Encore Episode from November 2017
1950s America as Seen by Robert Frank & Todd Webb, with Lisa Volpe & Bill Shapiro
Connecting the Creator Community: B&H Bild Ambush Interviews
Communicating Visually: Expert Tips from Photo Editor Sarah Leen at Bild
Taking Chances on Stories to Tell: Photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice at Bild
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast
Harlem Is Everywhere
The Art Angle
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Great Expectations
The Week in Art
The Beginner Photography Podcast