Episodes

  • Ep 123 - Steve Evans: 30 Years of Portraits, Forgotten Stories & Life in the Ottawa Valley

    Ep 123 - Steve Evans: 30 Years of Portraits, Forgotten Stories & Life in the Ottawa Valley
    Oct 20 2026
    On this episode of The P.H.Y.S Podcast, I sit down with Steve Evans, an award-winning Canadian documentary and portrait photographer based in Wakefield, Canada, whose remarkable project, Life in the Ottawa Valley, has been more than 30 years in the making.Steve's photography has earned international recognition, including Editor's Choice in the Life Framer Photography Competition, finalist recognition from LensCulture, and Bronze Finalist recognition at the Exposure Awards.But what makes his work so special isn't the awards or recognition.It's the people.While so many photographers travel the world searching for interesting places and extraordinary subjects, Steve found something remarkable right in his own backyard.Armed with a camera, a recorder, and a genuine curiosity about the people around him, Steve began travelling through Ontario's Ottawa Valley, knocking on doors, introducing himself to complete strangers, and asking if he could hear their stories.What followed became a decades-long photographic record of a place, its people, and a way of life that has slowly been disappearing.Farmers, homesteaders, hunters, married couples, and people who had spent their entire lives in the same communities. Many were elderly. Some had never been photographed before. Others couldn't understand why anyone would want to take their picture in the first place.But Steve saw something worth preserving.He wasn't looking for celebrities, extraordinary accomplishments, or dramatic events. He was interested in ordinary people living ordinary lives, and the incredible stories that often go unheard simply because nobody takes the time to ask.Inspired by photographers like Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, August Sander, and Diane Arbus, Steve developed a documentary approach built around patience, trust, conversation, and respect for the people standing in front of his camera.There's something almost timeless about his portraits. The old wood-panelled rooms, worn furniture, family photographs, calendars, wood stoves, and faces that seem to belong to another era. You can spend ages looking at a single image, discovering little details that tell you something about the person and the life they've lived.But what really gets me about Steve's work isn't just the photography.It's the conversations.Steve has spoken about wishing he'd had the opportunity to sit down with his own grandparents before they passed away, to ask about their lives and hear their stories. Through this project, he found himself having those conversations with other people's parents and grandparents.And sometimes, the people he visited were simply grateful that someone had shown up and wanted to listen.That's a pretty powerful thing.In a world where we're constantly chasing the next photograph, the next destination, or the next piece of content, Steve's work reminds us that photography can be about something much more meaningful.It can give someone a voice.It can preserve a memory.And it can remind people that their lives matter.In this conversation, we get into documentary photography, approaching strangers, earning trust, photographing people in their own homes, and what happens when a project you thought might last a couple of years becomes a commitment spanning more than three decades.We also explore the photographers who inspired Steve, the importance of preserving local history, and why the connection you make with someone can be just as valuable as the photograph you walk away with.Visit Steve Evans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lens Culture ArticleVisit The Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Web⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support The Show:⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Go Fund Me⁠⁠⁠Affiliate Link:⁠Harlowe
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    36 mins
  • Ep 122 - Ryan J Leone On NYC Photography, Film, Digital & Finding Your Own Way

    Ep 122 - Ryan J Leone On NYC Photography, Film, Digital & Finding Your Own Way
    Oct 13 2026
    New York City has been photographed a million different ways. So how do you make something that actually feels like your own?On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, I sit down with Ryan J Leone, a New York City photographer and filmmaker working across film and digital photography, commercial projects, editorial assignments, events, and behind-the-scenes content.Photography in New York is a different animal. There's inspiration on every corner, but there's also no shortage of people with cameras trying to make their mark. Finding your own style, building relationships, getting paid for your work, and keeping that excitement you had when you first picked up a camera isn't always easy.Ryan works across different sides of the industry, from the slower, more deliberate process of shooting film to the demands of digital photography and commercial production. It's a world where you need to be creative, adaptable, and ready to figure things out when the plan goes sideways.One thing I appreciate about Ryan's approach is that he shares more than just the finished product. Through his behind-the-scenes content and photography tips, he gives people a look at the work that goes into making photographs. The decisions, the techniques, the equipment, and the stuff that doesn't always make it onto Instagram.We get into photography, filmmaking, the differences between film and digital, working with clients, and what it takes to build a creative career in a city that never really slows down.But what interests me most is the person behind the camera.What keeps someone creating? How do you find your own voice when you're surrounded by so much incredible work? And how do you make a living doing something you love without losing the part that made you fall in love with it in the first place?In This Episode:Life as a photographer and filmmaker in New York CityShooting film versus digital and why both still matterCommercial, editorial, and event photographyFinding inspiration in everyday momentsThe work that happens behind the scenesBuilding your own style instead of following trendsWorking with clients while protecting your creativityThe business realities of being a working photographerSharing knowledge and helping other photographers improveFinding opportunities and building relationshipsStaying motivated when creativity becomes your jobWhy the best camera is the one that makes you want to go shootThere's a lot of noise in photography these days. New cameras, new technology, social media algorithms, and endless opinions about what you should be shooting and how you should be doing it.It's easy to forget why you started.Sometimes you just need to grab a camera, get outside, meet some interesting people, and make photographs.Because at the end of the day, nobody else sees the world quite the way you do.Visit Ryan J Leone:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠Web⁠Orchid House Studios:InstagramThreadsWebVisit The Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Web⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support The Show:⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠Go Fund Me⁠⁠Affiliate Link:Harlowe
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Ep 121 - Noel McIntyre - The Photograph Is Only the Beginning

    Ep 121 - Noel McIntyre - The Photograph Is Only the Beginning
    Oct 6 2026

    Noel McIntyre has one hell of a résumé. But that’s not really why I wanted to talk to him.


    Noel is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker based in Mullingar, Ireland, whose work crosses documentary, reportage, street photography, filmmaking and sport.


    He’s been named IPPVA Irish Reportage Photographer of the Year three years in a row, his work has been selected for multiple Leica Mastershots, and in 2026 he placed third in the World Sports Photography Awards.


    His documentary work around Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann became a bestselling book and is now held by institutions including Trinity College Dublin, Oxford’s Bodleian Library and Cambridge University Library.


    Then there’s “Frenzy.”


    In 2025, the photograph was selected for Ireland’s Higher Level Leaving Certificate Art examination, where students were asked to critically discuss Noel’s work alongside some pretty ridiculous company, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.


    That’s all incredibly impressive.


    But I wanted to know about Noel McIntyre, the photographer.

    What makes him stop and raise the camera?


    How does he know when there’s actually a story in front of him?


    How do you photograph real people without taking away the thing that made the moment interesting in the first place?


    And after years of shooting, creating films, winning awards and building a career, what still makes him want to pick up a camera and go make something?


    That’s where this conversation goes.


    We get into documentary photography, street photography, reportage, filmmaking, Leica cameras, visual storytelling, Irish culture, creative instinct, approaching people, building a body of work, and why the best photographs are rarely just about what’s happening inside the frame.


    Noel has the awards and the résumé.


    I was more interested in the human being behind all of it.


    This is my conversation with Noel McIntyre on The P.H.Y.S Podcast.


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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Ep 120 - Pale Blue Wave: Photographing Strangers, Human Connection & Just Doing the Work.

    Ep 120 - Pale Blue Wave: Photographing Strangers, Human Connection & Just Doing the Work.
    Sep 23 2026
    On this episode of The P.H.Y.S Podcast, Tyson Martin sits down with Ryan Daniel, better known as Pale Blue Wave, a Portland-based street photographer, portrait photographer, filmmaker, and visual storyteller known for approaching complete strangers and documenting the people and stories he encounters.Ryan’s journey into photography began after years of chronic pain, hip surgery, depression, and a long recovery that changed the way he saw the world. As he slowly began walking again, he found himself noticing the small things around him differently. Eventually, picking up a camera gave him a way to capture those moments and reconnect with life.That experience evolved into Pale Blue Wave, a street portrait project built around spontaneous human connection.Ryan walks the streets of Portland, Oregon, approaches people he has never met, creates their portrait, and often spends 30–40 minutes simply talking and listening. Those encounters become photographs, short films, social media videos, and increasingly long-form documentary stories.In this conversation, Ryan and Tyson talk about street photography, portrait photography, creativity, mental health, chronic pain, overcoming fear, approaching strangers, documentary filmmaking, social media, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, viral videos, and the realities of trying to build a life as a full-time creator.Ryan also shares the story behind the name Pale Blue Wave, inspired partly by Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, and why he sees life as moving between riding the top of the wave and occasionally getting smashed into the rocks.They discuss Ryan’s viral portrait of Portland artist Red Van Grove, what happens when millions of people suddenly see your work, the dangers of becoming obsessed with followers and analytics, and why long-form storytelling has become increasingly important to him.But underneath all of it is a much simpler philosophy:You either do the work, or you don’t do the work.You can be nervous. You can feel awkward. You can be afraid of rejection.You can still walk up to someone and ask to make their portrait.For Ryan, photography isn’t only about creating images. It’s about being present, documenting ordinary people, preserving a piece of Portland history, and creating something that might still mean something hundreds of years from now.This is a conversation about photography.But more importantly, it’s about creativity, resilience, human connection, and having the courage to start.In This Episode:• How Pale Blue Wave began• Photography as a tool for recovery and mental health• Ryan’s experience with chronic pain and hip surgery• Approaching strangers for street portraits• Getting past fear, awkwardness, and rejection• Photographing people on the streets of Portland• Building meaningful connections through portrait photography• Short-form video vs. long-form documentary storytelling• Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and creator burnout• The reality behind viral social media success• The story of the Red Van Grove portrait• Why follower counts eventually stop mattering• Creativity, struggle, discipline, and doing the work• Preserving everyday life through photography• Advice for anyone thinking about picking up a cameraThe P.H.Y.S Podcast explores photography, creativity, mental health, storytelling, and the people behind the images.Visit Pale Blue Wave:⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTubeTikTokPatreonVisit The Show:⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Web⁠⁠⁠Support The Show:Patreon Go Fund Me
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    48 mins
  • Ep 119 - Wayne Simpson: Creating Powerful Portraits Through Story, Emotion & Connection

    Ep 119 - Wayne Simpson: Creating Powerful Portraits Through Story, Emotion & Connection
    Sep 9 2026

    On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, I sit down with Wayne Simpson, an Ojibwe photographer from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, based in Elora, Ontario.

    Wayne is known for his dramatic portrait photography and atmospheric landscape work. His portraits have a cinematic, almost mythic quality—images that immediately make you wonder about the person in front of the camera and the story behind their face.

    But those photographs don't begin with lighting or camera settings.

    They begin with connection.

    Wayne actively seeks out many of the people he photographs, takes the time to build relationships with them, and uses photography to explore character, emotion and the stories we carry.

    We talk about Wayne's journey from working as a graphic designer in Calgary to becoming a full-time professional photographer, how he developed his distinctive visual style, and what he's learned about creating photographs that actually make people feel something.

    We also explore his Ojibwe identity, creativity, portraiture, landscape photography, visual storytelling, working with people, and the importance of finding your own voice as a photographer.

    As an educator, Wayne leads portrait and landscape photography workshops across Canada, from Banff National Park to Prince Edward Island, and contributes to the OFFBEAT photography community.

    His award-winning photography has appeared in Canadian Geographic, Outdoor Photography Canada, Outdoor Photography Magazine, Canadian Rockies Annual, Legion Magazine, Nature Photographers Network, Dark Beauty, and numerous books around the world.


    In This Episode:

    • ​Wayne's journey from graphic design to professional photography
    • Developing a recognizable photographic style• Dramatic and cinematic portrait photography
    • Finding and approaching interesting portrait subjects
    • Building trust before taking someone's photograph
    • Creating portraits with emotion, mystery and story
    • Wayne's Ojibwe identity and creative journey
    • Landscape photography and photographing wild places
    • Light, mood and atmosphere in photography
    • The difference between making a photograph and simply taking one
    • Teaching portrait and landscape photography across Canada
    • Creativity, human connection and finding your photographic voice


    At its core, this conversation gets into something I believe deeply:

    The camera is only the tool. The photograph comes from the connection.


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    Resilient


    Short Documentary On Wayne


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    58 mins
  • Ep 118 - Brie Stockwell: Photography, Creative Confidence & Building a Sustainable Creative Life

    Ep 118 - Brie Stockwell: Photography, Creative Confidence & Building a Sustainable Creative Life
    Aug 26 2026

    What happens when photography becomes more than making beautiful images and becomes a way to better understand yourself, your creativity, and how you see the world?

    On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, host Tyson Martin sits down with Brie Stockwell, a nature and landscape photographer, creative coach, and podcast host whose work explores the quiet beauty of wild places.

    Brie is drawn to deserts, dunes, soft light, subtle colour, infrared black-and-white photography, and the small details we often overlook. Her approach to landscape photography is rooted in slowing down, paying attention, and developing a deeper relationship with the natural world.

    In 2019, Brie made the decision to take her photography seriously as a creative practice. That commitment eventually led to a self-organized solo exhibition in 2021, a turning point that changed not only her photography, but also her confidence, creative identity, and vision for what was possible.

    Her work has since earned significant recognition. Brie was named Grand Prize winner of the 21st Annual New Mexico Magazine Photo Contest, with additional work published in Lens Journal and featured in multiple volumes of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards books.

    But this conversation goes far beyond photography.

    Alongside her work behind the camera, Brie is a life coach for creative professionals, working with photographers, artists, and designers to help them navigate creative confidence, intuition, personal growth, and the challenges of building a sustainable and meaningful creative life.

    She is also the host of Wild Women in Photography, a podcast exploring the lived experiences of women photographers, creative identity, and finding your voice behind the camera, as well as The Complete Creative, where she explores creativity, intuition, and what it means to create a life around the work that matters to you.

    In this episode, we talk about landscape and nature photography, infrared photography, finding your photographic voice, creative confidence, overcoming self-doubt, coaching creatives, connecting with nature, building a sustainable creative practice, and learning to trust your own way of seeing.

    Because sometimes becoming a better photographer isn't really about the camera.

    It's about becoming more comfortable with who you are, what you see, and what you have to say.


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    Creative Mind Coach

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Ep 117 - Ben Girardi On Adventure, Action Sports Photography & Storytelling in the Mountains

    Ep 117 - Ben Girardi On Adventure, Action Sports Photography & Storytelling in the Mountains
    Aug 12 2026

    What does it take to create photographs that make people feel like they're standing in the middle of the adventure?

    In this episode of The PHYS Podcast, Tyson Martin sits down with award-winning adventure and action sports photographer Ben Girardi to explore a career built on documenting movement, wild landscapes, and authentic human connection.

    Originally from upstate New York and now based in Pemberton, British Columbia, Ben shares how snowboarding first sparked his passion for photography, why moving west changed the direction of his life, and how becoming immersed in the sports he photographs allows him to tell more honest and compelling stories.

    Recognized as one of Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Photographers Worldwide (2025/26), a Red Bull Illume Semi-Finalist, and an award recipient from the International Color Awards and Flow Photo Contest, Ben has established himself as one of Canada's leading outdoor and adventure photographers.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Growing up in upstate New York and discovering photography through snowboarding
    • Moving to British Columbia to pursue a creative career
    • Photographing mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, and outdoor adventure
    • Why understanding athletes makes stronger photographs
    • The relationship between landscape, sport, and visual storytelling
    • Capturing authentic moments in unpredictable environments
    • Working with athletes, brands, and editorial clients
    • Building a career in commercial and adventure photography
    • Creativity, perseverance, and finding purpose outdoors

    Whether you're a photographer, filmmaker, outdoor enthusiast, mountain biker, snowboarder, skier, or someone inspired by stories of creativity and exploration, this conversation offers an inside look at the mindset behind meaningful visual storytelling.



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    48 mins
  • Ep 116 - Peter Andrew Lusztyk on Creativity, Commercial Photography & Seeing the Extraordinary

    Ep 116 - Peter Andrew Lusztyk on Creativity, Commercial Photography & Seeing the Extraordinary
    Jul 29 2026

    What if great photography isn't about finding extraordinary subjects, but learning to see the extraordinary in the everyday?

    On this episode I sit down with acclaimed Canadian photographer Peter Andrew Lusztyk, an award-winning editorial and commercial photographer whose work transforms overlooked objects and ordinary moments into striking works of art.

    Freelancing since 2009, Peter has built an internationally recognized career creating photography for leading publications and global brands while earning multiple honours, including AACE Photographer of the Year. His work is celebrated for its precision, craftsmanship, and ability to challenge how we see the world around us.

    Driven by a simple philosophy -"I try to make things that are amazing. That's really the goal." Peter shares how curiosity, observation, and relentless attention to detail have shaped both his creative process and his career behind the camera.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Finding beauty in ordinary and overlooked subjects
    • Developing a unique photographic style
    • Editorial and commercial photography
    • The creative process behind compelling visual storytelling
    • Building a sustainable freelance photography career
    • Why slowing down helps you create stronger photographs
    • Learning to truly see the world as a photographer
    • Creativity, craftsmanship, and lifelong curiosity

    Whether you're a photographer, filmmaker, visual artist, designer, or simply someone who appreciates creativity, this conversation offers an inspiring look at the mindset behind creating meaningful images that leave a lasting impression.


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    1 hr and 6 mins