Laura Dyer's photography began with a single wild dog sighting — and never stopped. What followed was a move away from accounting and into full-time wildlife photography, guiding, and bespoke trip design across Africa and beyond.

Her approach has evolved significantly over time. Where documentary instincts once dominated, she now embraces slower, more artistic techniques — including ICM and slow shutter — to bring emotional depth to wildlife imagery. She also champions the value of landscape within wildlife photography, arguing that a strong sense of place elevates a single animal moment into something far more resonant.

In this conversation, Laura reflects on the mentorship and community that shaped her early years in South Africa, and how extended time in Kenya during COVID became an unexpected creative laboratory. She's candid about the realities of the industry — the algorithm pressures of social media, the severe toll tourism shutdowns took on local communities, and the logistical demands of running a photography business.

She also shares close encounters with elephants and polar bears, her commitment to ethical risk management, and how switching subjects and constraints can completely renew creative inspiration.

A former accountant turned full-time photographer and guide, Laura's story is one of deliberate reinvention — and a deepening attention to the natural world.

I hope you enjoy the show!

You can find Laura’s work here: Website: https://www.lauradyerphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauradyerphotography

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lauradyerphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauradyerphotography

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauradyer330

Listen to this and other episodes wherever you find your podcasts or on https://grantswinbournephotography.com/lpw-podcast

Or subscribe to my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@grantswinbournephotography

Theme music: Liturgy Of The Street by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

#wildlifephotography #safariphotography #africawildlife #wildlifephotographer #ICMphotography #landscapephotography #photographypodcast #wildlifeguide

Sandra Bartocha: Why Intimate Details Beat Grand Vistas

Sandra Bartocha grew up with a photojournalist father and a rural childhood that pointed her firmly toward nature — and away from people. That foundation shaped a practice built on emotional resonance, where intimate details, shifting light, and quiet moods matter far more than sweeping panoramas.

Based in Germany, Sandra works across natural landscapes, forests, plants, and abstract imagery, always with the same underlying intention: to evoke feeling rather than record fact. She builds her work in long-form bodies — books, exhibitions, audiovisual shows — rather than chasing the rhythms of social media. Her LYS project, a years-long exploration of northern Europe, resulted in both a 45-minute audiovisual presentation and a substantial coffee table book.

In this conversation, Sandra discusses photographing locally, her preference for forests and the sea, and why she keeps post-processing minimal by focusing on getting things right in-camera. She reflects on what success actually means to her — personal expression and time spent outdoors — and speaks candidly about navigating a male-dominated field. She also considers where photography is heading amid AI and a renewed interest in film.

A deeply considered photographer whose work has been recognised in Wildlife Photographer of the Year multiple times, Sandra's approach is a reminder that restraint and intention are creative strengths.

I hope you enjoy the show!

You can find Sandra’s work here: Website: https://www.sandrabartocha.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrabartocha/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bartocha.photography

Flickr: flickr.com/photos/luverne

Listen to this and other episodes wherever you find your podcasts or on https://grantswinbournephotography.com/lpw-podcast

Or subscribe to my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@grantswinbournephotography

Theme music: Liturgy Of The Street by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

#landscapephotography #naturephotography #sandrabartocha #forestphotography #creativephotography #germanphotographer #wildlifephotographeroftheyear #photographypodcast

Bill Ward is a multi-award-winning creative photographer and professional actor from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Known for his pioneering work with Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), Bill’s photography explores energy, motion, and emotion—particularly through his long-running ocean project that culminated in the book Immersive, published in 2025.

While many recognise Bill for his acting career—most notably his roles as Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale—photography has become an equally important creative outlet. For Bill, photography offers a quiet counterbalance to the public nature of acting, allowing him to explore solitude, reflection, and connection to place.

In this episode, Bill Ward discusses balancing two demanding creative careers while touring theatre productions such as The Shawshank Redemption. He shares how travelling for acting roles inspired numerous photographic projects, including a 16-year exploration of theatres and a pandemic-era book created in collaboration with the Theatres Trust.

Bill also explains his fascination with photographing water using long exposures and intentional camera movement, creating images that focus less on representation and more on feeling. His approach centres on time, immersion, and emotional connection to the landscape rather than simply documenting a scene.

Alongside his photographic work, Bill is a judge for the UK Landscape Photographer of the Year awards, leads workshops internationally, and continues to exhibit in galleries across the UK. His perspective highlights photography as a deeply personal practice—one rooted in quiet observation, creative experimentation, and the search for moments of stillness.

I hope you enjoy the show!

You can find Bill’s work here: Website: https://billwardphotography.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billwardphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billwardphotography/

Bills Book; Immersive: https://www.kozubooks.com/books-new/immersive-by-bill-ward

Listen to this and other episodes wherever you find your podcasts or on https://grantswinbournephotography.com/lpw-podcast

Or subscribe to my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@grantswinbournephotography

Theme music: Liturgy Of The Street by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

#BillWard #ICMPhotography #CreativePhotography #OceanPhotography #LandscapePhotography #UKPhotographer #IntentionalCameraMovement #PhotographyPodcast #FineArtPhotography #ImmersiveBook