Photography Chat with Merlin

Check out Brandon and Brian Wright (AKA The Brothers Wright) on the chat. They are the photographers and creators behind CineStill Film. Their creative work has spanned from music and wedding photography to experimental photography using one-of-a-kind processes and hand-crafted cameras. Follow The Brothers at https://www.instagram.com/bwrightphoto/ Check out CineStill at https://www.instagram.com/...

In this episode of the chat, we’ve got my oldest friend and one of Vancouver’s best personal and business branding photographers. I’ve known Dawn since we were kids in a sleepy mountain town in the Rockies. She cut her teeth in photography in the darkroom at our high school and then went pro when she moved to Vancouver. Check out the episode to hear about her experiences travelling the world to ga...

It was a real honor to have one of my best pals and creative partners on the chat. Tune in for this special episode with @becccashootsfilm founder of @northernfilmcollective and a fellow film fanatic. She is a lover of all things retro and seeks to document the world and urban decay as she sees it. Armed with her Canon T90 or Bronica SQ-A she creates vulnerable images that reach inside of you. Bec...

Brian is my photographic brother from another mother. Half of my favorite instant film photography duo and an all-around awesome human. I met Brian and Mary at Polacon 3. I had no idea that day that I met someone who would become family to me. Here’s a bit more about Brian in his own words. “Brian Garbrecht is an artist from Elgin, IL, who is currently an undergrad student at Northeastern Illinois...

It was awesome chatting with the magnificent @nikawiatr she’s been a long-time insta homie and real-life pal for a few years now. Here’s a little bit about her. “USE THIS ONE: Monika is a photographer/designer/art director/image maker. She is also co-manager at Doris studio ( @dorisisaplace ). Cameras are a special force for her synthesis of vision and storytelling, in her work and experience of t...

I met AJ on clubhouse recently and he agreed to come on the show. I’m really looking forward to chatting with him. Here's a little bit about AJ. “AJ is a film photographer and co-owner and co-founder of Negative Supply. He's been working with film since 2006, and primarily large format film since late 2014. Since 2019 his work has focused on 4x5 and 8x10 formats utilized for three differen...

On this episode of the chat is @andre.on.film . I met Andre at the @thedarkroomlab film paideia and had a chance to hang out and shoot in San Clemente. He is an avid film photography enthusiast and knows a thing or two about watches. When he’s not behind the camera he’s making sure other film photographers are happy as a customer solutions manager at @cinestillfilm and in-between developing film w...

Sarah is a brilliant large format photography and instant film aficionado based in Ohio. We've been Instagram pals for a long time and had the chance to meet in person in 2019 during an instant film photography show in Elgin IL. We talked about the love of large format photography and Polaroid, the unfortunate reality of non-male photographers, and the magic of photo road trips. I hope you hav...

Jesse and I got into the dark side of inspiration and we took a trip down memory lane of her favorite places she’s shot. We discussed road trips and photo projects and the happenings at @underdogfilmlab check out the recording to catch up on the series :) Follow Jesse at https://www.instagram.com/jesseshootsfilm/ Check out Under Dog at https://www.instagram.com/underdogfilmlab/

This was a dream episode. So rad to chat with the infamous Grainy Days! We got in deep about photography and the human condition. We tackled an onslaught of comments and questions from the crowd and we shared some laughs. This chat was a delight and I hope you enjoy listening to it! Follow Jason at https://www.instagram.com/50_shades_of_jason/

Felice has an amazing body of work, if you have not checked it out you really should. I was introduced to her by @rollsofyou when he brought her as his plus one to the @lomographyusa photo walk giveaway I hosted in the summer. It was a blast collaborating with her and am glad we connected. It was such a fun chat! Follow Felice at https://www.instagram.com/felice.c0m/ Photography Chat is a weekly I...

It was nice having a fellow Canadian join me for episode eight. Take is a rad photographer hailing from Vancouver BC who has done projects all around the world. I had the pleasure of meeting Take in San Clemente at The Darkroom Lab film paideia in 2019. He was great to chat with and it's been awesome staying in touch with him over the years. Follow Take at https://www.instagram.com/bigheadtaco...

This episode with Danielle was so much fun. She is very talented and has an impressive collection of cameras. We talked about projects she is working on and the work she has done building Women with Film Wednesday and also The Film Sorority. It's an episode you don't want to miss. Follow Danielle at https://www.instagram.com/girlwithtoomanycameras/ Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Li...

Joining me for episode six is @stephanie.rosie hailing from San Diego. I met Stephanie at @thedarkroomlab film paideia in 2019 and have stayed in touch. People like her are part of the reason I am in awe of our community, they add compassion and understanding which becomes part of the glue that holds this nut farm we call film photography together. On top of being an outstanding photographer, she...

Join Phil and I for episode five of photography chat. Phil has been living in the photography world since childhood. His father ran labs so it was natural for him to get involved in labs himself. The Darkroom Lab has been around since 1976 in San Francisco and relocated to San Clemente in 2009. I’m excited to chat with Philip and hear his perspective on film given his years of experience in the in...

Had a great episode chatting with Julianne about photography for stop motion animation and her practice of screen printing. She had me tell some stories of my adventures with cameras and we had an interesting conversation about being a creative in Canada. Follow Julianne at https://www.instagram.com/foottoface/ Check out her work at http://www.foottoface.com

Join me and @abarringtonevans for another episode of photography chat this evening. Alan has made his way to Boston by way of Bama where he is the grand poobah of the @leicastoreboston I met him in 2018 when he hosted an event with Jason Lee promoting A PLAIN VIEW and included a workshop with a photo walk around Boston. That weekend was a turning point in my photographic journey and Alan made it h...

Joining me tonight on photography chat is Amy and I’m very excited to have her on. I’m curious to hear about how she has used photography as a tool in archeology and her new creative endeavors. The magic of Instagram connected Amy and me last year and I hope tonight it connects y’all together. Thank you for joining me on these chat adventures. Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight. Follow Amy...

Happy New Year everyone. I hope y’all had a fun and safe holidays. I’m excited to say we’re back with photography chat and kicking off season two with Jason Lee. Jason’s passion for photography started in 2002 and since then his work has been featured in many group and solo exhibitions, magazines, and books. In 2018 he released A PLAIN VIEW which was the debut publication for @filmphotographic whi...

It’s been a wild year for all of us, which could be a massive understatement in many ways. One of the best things from this year tho is the chat and all of y’all. I can’t believe this will be episode 20, it blows my mind y’all keep showing up. So as a big thank you @brian_brooks and myself are going to do a holiday wrap-up for the photography chat fam. We’ve talked about a joint giveaway but you’l...

Alexandria got her first film camera in 2016 and became enamored with the manual process, delayed gratification, and the flaws that can come from shooting film. Film photography has transformed her way of thinking in our fast-paced, instant perfection world we live in. Join us to chat about her weird, whimsical, wonderful life and about film photography.  Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Li...

Rolling into episode 18 we’ve got @frontoparietal hailing from Toronto. Leslie is a die-hard film addict and one of my best photo walk homies. Her usual weapons are a Nikon 35mm or a Mamiya TLR (which I may have had some influence on 🙊). She’s an academic which I feel gives her an interesting eye. We had some laughs and a big old group therapy session since most of us all in some kinda form of lo...

I’m excited to have Grant Brittian joining us for episode 17. Grant has been shooting skateboarding from 1979 to the present and he sees no end in sight. While he was working at the Del Mar Skate Ranch in the 1970’s he was inspired by the top photographers at the time who would come through. He borrowed his roommate's camera and became hooked on shooting. In his vast career, he helped found Tr...

We’re coming back to Canada but staying out west for episode 16. @equidem will be joining us from Calgary, Michaela is a wicked talented photographer and videographer who I met off the grams a few years ago. She does awesome work with color and texture and her live music coverage is stellar and has been featured on @cbc @beatroute and @dailyhivecalgary Tune in next week to chat with her about her...

I had the pleasure of meeting Megan during the last @thedarkroomlab Film Paideia in San Clemente back in the before time. She was doing a presentation on the stunning work she does with old school Nikonos cameras and the unholy things she does to low iso film underwater. If you’re not already following @meganshootsfilm you really should, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful images of the ocean inside...