A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers cover art

A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers

A Small Voice: Conversations with photographers and filmmakers

Written by: Ben Smith
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 Fortnightly in-depth interviews featuring a diverse range of talented, innovative, world-class photographers from established, award-winning and internationally exhibited stars to young and emerging talents discussing their lives, work and process with fellow photographer, Ben Smith. The most recent 50 episodes are on this free feed, 200+ more are in the archive! TO ACCESS THE FULL ARCHIVE OF PAST EPISODES + SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, BECOME A MEMBER FOR £5 PER MONTH!© Ben Smith Art
Episodes
  • 281 - Ilvy Njiokiktjien

    281 - Ilvy Njiokiktjien
    May 6 2026
    Ilvy Njiokiktjien is a Dutch photojournalist, filmmaker, podcast host and educator who has been creating and sharing stories for almost two decades. She is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands and is a contributing photographer to VII Foundation. Ilvy is committed to documenting the social and political issues that shape our world. Her work is characterized by a sensitive eye and a compassionate and personal relationship with her subjects. For nearly 2 decades, she chronicled South Africa’s first post-apartheid generation. Ilvy became intrigued by these young adults and portrayed them in her own, personal and intimate style. “Equality is there on paper, but a majority of young people believes white South Africans still have better chances, as the legacy of centuries of inequality is still there.” The result is the project Born Free – Mandela’s Generation of Hope, which sparked a documentary, an interactive website, a book, feature articles, and a traveling exhibition. Her work with Ukraine’s LGBTQ community in March 2022 tells the tale of people’s loves and fears – and their resolve in the face of Russian aggression. Ilvy’s latest project on co-housing follows people who opt to live in non-traditional groups or who welcome extended family members into a shared home. Ilvy was the first woman to win the Dutch Silver Camera Award for photographer of the year and was named the first ever Photographer Laureate of the Netherlands in 2013. In addition to numerous awards from international organizations such as World Press Photo and POYi, Ilvy’s images have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Guardian, Stern, Der Spiegel, TIME, and other major outlets. She has exhibited at Visa pour l’Image in France, New York’s Photoville, and museums and festivals around the world. On episode 281, Ilvy discusses, among other things: Her foray into podcasting for CanonThe pattern of her work lifeHow things have changed since she startedCollaboration and the importance of writing and interviewsApproach to personal long-term projectsHer current project about ‘receiving states’Her approach to researchWhy it’s good to reinvent yourselfUsing a simple Google search to generate ideasHer project in South Africa, Born FreeWhy she got kicked out of her internship on The Star newspaperHer interest in ‘interactive long reads’ and the book she made with one of her subjectsThe perils and advantages of social mediaHer family history project and the joint exhibition that came of itThe tendency for younger documentary photographers to be introspective and why that might beHer foray into podcasting - asking her fellow VII photographers four questionsThe importance of failureHer 'dream story' Referenced: Carl De KeyserMatt BlackSara Terry Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides. Follow me on Instagram here. Need a new website? I will build you one with Squarespace. Details here.
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • 280 - Jon McCormack

    280 - Jon McCormack
    Apr 22 2026
    Jon McCormack is - as plainly stated on his Linked-In profile - a Photographer, Nerd, Educator and Conservationist His photographic work is deeply informed by his upbringing in the stark, untamed landscapes of the Australian Outback, where early life among sheep and cattle fostered a profound respect for nature’s rhythms of resilience and fragility. Beginning as a teenager photographing quiet, often-overlooked moments in the bush, he developed a photographic voice rooted in patience, attention, and ecological empathy. Today, his images explore the intricate patterns and emotional textures of wild places, seeking to inspire both wonder and a sense of responsibility, and are widely published and used by global conservation organizations to advocate for the protection of fragile ecosystems. In addition to photography Jon is also actively involved in conservation and social good organizations. He is a member of The Explorer’s Club, a founding board member of Sealegacy, co-founder of his non-profit in Kenya, The Kilgoris Project and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Alongside his creative work, Jon has a day job as a tech nerd. He is Vice President of Camera & Photos Software Engineering at Apple in California, leading the software team responsible for the iPhone camera. His new photobook entitiled Patterns: Art Of The Natural World, is published by Damiani and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Vital Impacts, the non-profit founded in 2021 by photographer Ami Vitale and visual journalist Eileen Mignoni to advance conservation through visual storytelling, community partnership, and strategic investment in local solutions. On episode 280, Jon discusses, among other things: His formative experiences on a remote Australian farm and how that influenced the person he becameDiscovering his love of mathematics… and of nature… and photographyHow his ‘impossible to predict' career in tech began at a conference in Manchester, UKHow is current role with Apple allows him to ‘live photography’ for his day jobA couple of major technical advances in mobile phone photographyHis thoughts on the impact and implications of AIHis new book, Patterns, and how it came from his experience of shooting during CovidThe challenge of trying to resolve the tension between his environmentalism and working in the tech industryHis close connection to Vital Impacts, to whom he is donating 100% of the proceeds from the bookHis level of optimism vs. pessimism re. the chances of environmental armageddon Referenced: Ernst HaasEdwin LandNick BrandtEdward BurtynskyAmi Vitale Website | Instagram Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides. Follow me on Instagram here. Need a new website? I will build you one with Squarespace. Details here.
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • 279 - Dragana Jurišić

    279 - Dragana Jurišić
    Apr 8 2026

    Dragana Jurišić is a photographer, writer and filmmaker. She has exhibited extensively and won numerous awards. Dragana’s work is in several significant collections, including the National Gallery of Ireland, the Arts Council Collection, the Irish State Art Collection (OPW), the Bank of Spain, and others.

    Her first book, YU: The Lost Country, received accolades worldwide. Her second book, Museum, a collaboration with Paula Meehan, was published in July 2019 and is now in its 2nd edition. Her Own, published in December 2022, received outstanding reviews in El País, The Irish Times and RTE Culture. Dragana is currently working on her first feature-length documentary, The Last Balkan Cowboy (working title).

    In episode 279, Dragana discusses, among other things:

    • Her forthcoming debut documentary.
    • How everything she’s done is an attempt at making sense of her experience during the Balkan war
    • Her book YU: The Lost Country
    • The influence of Rebecca West’s book Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia
    • How she would measure the success of the new film
    • Wanting to reach as large an audience as possible
    • The imposter syndrome she felt as a first time film maker
    • Being ‘ergonomic’ about the way she approaches making
    • The story of her Aunt and her book Her Own

    Website | Instagram

    Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month.

    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides.

    Follow me on Instagram here.

    Need a new website? I will build you one with Squarespace. Details here.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
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