Talking Frames

Reuben Radding, a New York based street and documentary photographer whose work has become a distinctive voice within contemporary urban photography. Reuban has spent more than a decade walking the city with a camera, creating images that feel less like observations and more like encounters

His photographs have appeared in exhibitions and publications since the early 2010s, and his first photobook, Heavenly Arms, published by Red Hook Editions, has already earned international recognition, including a 2nd Place Prize in the 2025 International Photography Awards. The book distills ten years of wandering, witnessing, and wrestling with the idea of human interconnectedness.

In this episode Tim Bingham speaks with Reuban exploring how his artistic background shapes his approach to street photography. A central theme of the discussion is how photography became a form of personal healing. Reuben describes previously feeling separate from others, like an observer on the outside of life. Through photographing on the streets of New York, he began to feel part of the city’s flow—less detached and more connected. This shift not only changed his relationship to photography but also deepened his sense of belonging and engagement with people.

Ultimately, Reuben frames photography as a tool for understanding both himself and others. The practice has taught him to see people as complex and multifaceted, moving beyond simple judgments. Through this ongoing process, he recognises a shared human experience that connects everyone, making photography not just an artistic pursuit, but a way of engaging more deeply with the world.

Reuben Website

Reuben Instagram

Talking Frames Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song: Drip

Music by: CreatorMix.com

David Cossini is a documentary and street photographer whose work is grounded in immersion, connection, and honesty. Rather than chasing quick images, he invests time in the people and communities he photographs, building trust and creating images that feel raw, human, and deeply personal. His approach prioritises emotion and atmosphere over technical perfection, drawing viewers into the scene rather than positioning them as distant observers.

His work has been recognised through a number of photography awards and competitions, reflecting both his strength as a storyteller and his commitment to long-term, meaningful projects. He is also a member of the Revoke Photo Collective, a group dedicated to pushing the boundaries of contemporary street and documentary photography. Alongside his practice, David is an active voice within the photography community, speaking openly about process, ethics, and what it truly means to document people with respect.

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Tim Bingham sits down with David to explore not just his photography, but the experiences and philosophy that shape it. David shares his non-linear journey into photography and explains why he rejects conventional, surface-level assignments in favour of long-term, immersive work. His focus often centres on people living on the margins, those navigating addiction, identity, and social exclusion by approaching these stories with a desire to understand rather than simply observe.

A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the importance of proximity. David places himself within the story, allowing relationships to develop over time and shape the narrative organically. Some of his most powerful work is rooted in personal experience, including reconnecting with his father after a 20-year estrangement, using the camera as both a bridge and a tool for understanding.

The discussion also explores his ongoing work with punk communities and individuals struggling with addiction, highlighting the ethical balance between honesty and dignity, the role of consent, and the emotional weight of sustained engagement with difficult realities. His commitment to these communities is long-term and non-transactional.

At the core of David’s perspective is a strong personal ethos. He draws a distinction between empathy and compassion, arguing that while bias is inevitable, compassion allows for a more honest and sustainable relationship with subjects. Forgiveness—particularly in relation to his father—emerges as a powerful theme, framed not as something done for others, but as a way of finding personal freedom.

Ultimately, this conversation reveals that for David, photography is not just a career but a way of living—one built on presence, patience, and emotional investment. Whether working in Uganda, Newcastle, or within subcultures closer to home, his focus remains the same: to tell stories with integrity and remain loyal to the people at the heart of them.

 

David Cossini Website

David Cossina Instagram

Revoke Photo Collective

Talking Frames Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song: Drip

Music by: CreatorMix.com

John Boaz is a portrait photographer whose work explores faith, community, culture, and place.

He has been recognized multiple times in the Portrait of Britain awards, and his work has been exhibited at respected venues such as the Saatchi Gallery in London. His editorial photography has appeared in major publications including The Telegraph Magazine, Financial Times, New Statesman, Le Monde, and Der Spiegel. 

In this conversation with Tim Bingham, he discusses his journey into photography, his slow and deliberate working process, and the ethical responsibility he feels toward the people he photographs.

John’s early relationship with art began in childhood when his mother regularly took him to museums and galleries. There he developed a deep appreciation for classical painters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, whose use of light and quiet human presence continues to influence his photographic style. While studying, he discovered the work of photographers including Alys Tomlinson, Laura Pannack, and Alex Soth. Encountering their work shifted his understanding of photography from simple image-making toward storytelling and visual communication.

Much of John’s work focuses on long-term observational and portrait projects. His ongoing series Rivers of Living Water documents Christian faith communities across Britain while Our Father explores monastic life. Another deeply personal project, Hope in New Beginnings, turns the camera toward his own parents. Across these bodies of work, John emphasizes patience and relationship-building, often spending long periods with people and communities before making photographs.

His portrait practice is grounded in trust and authenticity. John prefers to photograph people in their own environments using natural light. This approach reflects his belief that portrait photography should celebrate and honour the people being photographed. 

Photographers mentioned 

Laura Pannack

Alys Tomlinson

 

John Boaz Website

John Boaz Instagram

Talking Frames Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song: Drip

Music by: CreatorMix.com

Marcin Kornacki is a photojournalist and documentary photographer whose work focuses on places and communities shaped by conflict, social inequality, and historical memory. He is based in London and studied photojournalism and documentary photography at the University of the Arts London. His practice is grounded in long-term projects and spending extended time with the people he photographs, combining visual storytelling with personal testimony.

 

In this episode, Tim  speaks with Marcin about his artistic development, working practice, and the ethical complexities of photographing communities affected by conflict and social marginalisation. The conversation traces Marcin’s journey from early inspiration through to his current, more contemplative approach to image-making.

His professional work has taken him to Haiti, Bolivia, Lebanon, Jamaica and Nepal, with Haiti becoming one of his most significant long-term projects. There he documented gang violence, displacement and political upheaval, including direct engagement with gang leader Jimmy Chérizier. Marcin reflected on working in Port-au-Prince during a period when gang control, humanitarian crisis and political collapse converged, describing both the risks and responsibilities that come with photographing conflict.

A major turning point in Marcin’s career was his year-long mentorship with acclaimed photographer Laura Pannack. This mentorship was described as profoundly transformative. Under Laura’s guidance, Marcin shifted from fast, reactive photojournalism toward a slower, more intentional way of working.

This slower, more reflective approach to image-making became visible in his exhibition “Outer Land”, which explored liminal spaces and transition. Preparing the exhibition highlighted the difficulty of editing one’s own work and reinforced the value of collaboration with trusted editors and curators — a lesson strengthened through Laura Pannack’s mentorship.

The episode also explored the realities of contemporary documentary photography, including self-promotion, audience connection, and the challenge of balancing artistic expression with journalistic responsibility. Marcin’s evolving practice points toward slower, more nuanced and collaborative storytelling, profoundly shaped by mentorship, field experience and ethical reflection.

 

Marcin Kornacki Website

Marcin Kornanki Instagram

Talking Frames Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song: Drip

Music by: CreatorMix.com

Meryl Meisler is an American photographer born in the South Bronx and raised on Long Island, New York, whose work offers a vivid, human-centred portrait of New York from the 1970s onward. She started taking photographs as a young student, influenced by photographers like Diane Arbus and Jacques Henri Lartigue.

In recent years a resurgence of interest in her archive has brought Meryl's work wider recognition. Exhibitions and books of her work present these photographic archives as cultural time capsules – “love letters” to New York’s chaotic energy, its people, and the fleeting, spontaneous moments that define community and identity. Her photography blends documentary grit with warmth, humour, and empathy, making her a significant voice in American street and social documentary photography.

This episode is a conversation about the long arc of an artistic life — about identity, joy, survival, and what it really means to stay with the work.Meryl shares how photography was never something she “discovered” — it was woven into her childhood. Growing up surrounded by her father’s printing business, typography, and her grandfather’s constant photographing, image-making felt as natural as breathing. That early immersion shaped a visual language that would later find formal ignition.

Meryl chose to photograph joy, resilience, and pride — a decision rooted not in denial, but in survival. Decades later, those images would bring her international recognition.

At its heart, this is a conversation about patience, community, and staying with the work. Recognition came late. The images lived quietly for decades before the world caught up. Meryl’s story is a powerful reminder that an artistic life is sustained not by speed or spectacle, but by attention, connection, and endurance.

 

Meryl  Meisler Website

Meryl Meisler Instagram

Video Meryl Meisler & Lisette Model

Dublin Street Photography Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song: Drip

Music by: CreatorMix.com