285 - Sam Faulkner

Sam Faulkner is a London-based photographer and the founder of Print Swap (apps.apple.com/us/app/print-swap/id6752863046), an iOS app. where photographers and visual artists exchange gallery-quality physical prints directly. No buying, no selling, no follower counts.

Sam came to photography the hard way, travelling into Afghanistan (samfaulkner.co.uk/london-reportage-photographe…) in 1994 with a battered Canon, a few rolls of film and very little plan. His work has since moved between reportage, portraiture and long-form photographic projects, including Unseen Waterloo (samfaulkner.co.uk/portrait-photography/battle-…), his battlefield portrait series exhibited at Somerset House.

Print Swap (apps.apple.com/us/app/print-swap/id6752863046) began with a gap Sam’s own wall and a long-held habit among photographers: trading prints of each other's work. In a world of endless images and thin attention, it is built on a simple belief: a print on the wall changes the relationship.

In episode 285, Sam discusses, among other things:

• How his new app., Print Swap (apps.apple.com/us/app/print-swap/id6752863046), came to fruition.

• How he got into reportage photography in search of adventure.

• Kashmir and Afghanistan (samfaulkner.co.uk/london-reportage-photographe…) - talkng your way in and talking your way out.

• Coming back with the six rolls of film that won him the Ian Parry Award.

• The influence of Nick Danziger’s book Danziger’s Adventures.

• Changes in the industry.

• His global story about ‘the war on drugs’.

• Lessons learned from shooting Mario Testino.

• The threat of AI and the issue of trusted brands within the news media.

• His decision to step back from photojournalism.

• His new working life directing commercials.

• His Unseen Waterloo (samfaulkner.co.uk/portrait-photography/battle-…) project.

Referenced:

• David Hurn

• Jonas Bendiksen

• Ian Teh

• Omar Ashtawy

• Neil Burgess

• Nick Danziger

• Aidan Sullivan

• Mario Testino

• Stephen Dupont

Website (samfaulkner.co.uk) | Instagram (instagram.com/faulknerphotog)

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