The Idle Hands Society

Ed Thompson joins the Idle Hands Society for a wide-ranging, candid conversation that moves from an unexpected stint teaching employment skills inside a Category D prison to a frank diagnosis of what has gone wrong with photography as a culture and profession. The episode covers the collapse of editorial photography, the false promise of YouTube-taught craft, the social value of art college, the nature of photographic vision, and the slow, patient construction of long-form documentary work.

In this inaugural studio-based episode of Season 2, Dan Higginson, Paul Bence, and Mark transition into a more permanent creative space to discuss the evolution of the Idle Hands Society. The conversation kicks off with a visceral and unfiltered travel story from Tanzania before settling into a deep exploration of Mark's ongoing documentary project in the Scottish Slate Islands. The trio examines the tactile pleasure of physical bookmaking, specifically the use of accordion-style binding and textured papers to elicit sensory responses. A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the philosophy of the "staged documentary," sparked by the work of Doug Dubois, as they debate where the line of authenticity is drawn when a photographer begins to direct the scene.

In this episode, we sit down with the acclaimed documentary photographer and filmmaker Barry Lewis to explore a career spanning over four decades of visual storytelling. From his early days transitioning from a chemistry teacher to a Royal College of Art scholar, Barry discusses the founding of the influential Network Photographers agency and his visceral experiences capturing history, including his World Press Award-winning work in post-revolutionary Romania. The conversation delves into the importance of maintaining a "fresh eye," the transition from stills to documentary film, and the necessity of artistic collaboration to keep one's creative practice evolving.

In this episode, we sit down with the acclaimed documentary photographer and filmmaker Barry Lewis to explore a career spanning over four decades of visual storytelling. From his early days transitioning from a chemistry teacher to a Royal College of Art scholar, Barry discusses the founding of the influential Network Photographers agency and his visceral experiences capturing history, including his World Press Award-winning work in post-revolutionary Romania. The conversation delves into the importance of maintaining a "fresh eye," the transition from stills to documentary film, and the necessity of artistic collaboration to keep one's creative practice evolving.

Dan and Paul reflect on the "chaos" of a creative life and the inevitable ebb and flow of productivity when balanced against family, university, and professional work. The conversation shifts from the guilt of a hiatus to the importance of embracing "asymmetry" in one's practice, eventually diving into the specific visual signatures of their local environments. Dan discusses his recent exhibition at the Copeland Gallery, specifically defending a photograph of a nondescript portacabin as a vital representation of the Medway landscape. They also explore the concept of "carnalgia," the pitfalls of nostalgic cliches in photography, and the artistic value of documenting the "monstrosities" of the present day—like the Fiat Multipla—for the benefit of the future.

This episode features an insightful conversation with Matt Lawrence, a dedicated wedding photographer in Surrey whose work is characterised by an authentic, unscripted approach to visual storytelling. The discussion delves into the philosophy of maintaining a documentary practice within the fast-paced environment of wedding and event photography, exploring how to capture genuine emotion without the need for forced posing or artificial interruption. Matt shares his perspective on the importance of building a connection with subjects and the quiet discipline required to blend into the atmosphere of a day, allowing the narrative to unfold naturally. The narrative arc moves from his early inspirations in classic film to the modern challenges of preserving a legacy through high-quality, long-form documentary projects.

aul and Dan return after a one-year hiatus to launch Season 2 of the Idle Hands Society. The conversation explores the shifting perspective that comes with milestone birthdays, the challenges of maintaining health as a creative, and the monumental task of editing a twenty-year photographic archive. They delve into the philosophy of sequencing a long-term body of work, the blending of documentary and street photography styles, and the evolving landscape of photographic institutions. The episode concludes with a look forward at Paul’s upcoming documentary project in Greece involving religious rituals and local folklore.

Alys Tomlinson is a renowned British photographer celebrated for her documentary-style approach. Her work explores the interplay between identity, place, and ritual, often achieved through deep immersion within communities. This method allows her to authentically capture their unique relationships with their environments and traditions. With a background in anthropology, Tomlinson brings a distinct perspective to her projects.

"Feels like I just finished shovelling snow, and now I’m cursing the autumn leaves that keep clogging my gutter. (Seriously, why can’t nature be a little more considerate?) Time flies when you’re having fun… or trying to avoid adulting. Dan and I recently had a deep conversation about Tom Collins' new zine (it's a must-read for anyone who's ever felt like a productivity app was just a cruel joke), and this new feature we're convinced will make us all filthy rich. It's called 'Photobook that'll Make You Rich.' Trust us, it's a game-changer."

On The Idle Hands Society’s latest episode, Paul and Dan speak with Brian Carroll, founder and editor of Offline Journal, a photo-forward publication championing Welsh photographic artists.

On The Idle Hands Society’s latest episode, graphic designer Ryan McDonagh joins us to chat about studying art, having a disability as an artist, using art to express yourself, answering "the big question" using text in art, social media algorithms, the last three things we listened to, designing album covers, making authentic videos, trying new things.

This week, the super-talented and almost Welsh documentary photographer Roo Lewis talks to The Idle Hands Society about folklore, faith, community, and the importance of telling positive stories. Roo spent over two years photographing the landscape and the people of Port Talbot to create a wonderful body of work.

Dan and Paul round up 2023’s highlights in their end-of-year review.

Dan and Paul round up 2023’s highlights in their end-of-year review.

This week, we spoke with photographer and educator Mimi Mollica.

This week, Sìle Walsh talks about becoming an artist again after motherhood. She also talks about how the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year award built her confidence and how resilience is vital as a creative.

We caught up with Roland Ramanan at the tail end of his Kickstarter campaign to print Dominoes, his decade-long exploration of joy, addiction, pain and hope in a community centred around a unique corner of London's east end.

One from the archives. Here’s a conversation we had with Stephen Leslie back in January 2023. We chat about the humour in his work, Stephen’s YouTube channel, writing versus photography, street photography, and approach the question of what street photography is.

Dan, Paul, Ed Thompson catch up in an inpromtude episode of The Idle Hands Society Podcast. Sorry about the audio blowing out in a few spots; we recorded this gem unplanned using some very basic gear. As we’re getting into the slower months for our work, you’ll see us picking up the pace a little with the podcast.

We catch up after a little break to discuss the end of Dan’s first year at university, our collaborative project Adult Youth Club, the last art of maintaining friendships, and the Homeless World Cup.