Art of Darkness

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." - Francis Bacon "Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness." - Yousuf Karsh In this episode, Antonio and Ward welcome back Australian photographer Gavin Libotte for a wide-ranging conversation about street photography, travel, sequencing, and the pull of printed work. Gavin talks about photographing Japan with his family, moving between color and black-and-white approaches, and how Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, rainy streets, cherry blossoms, and strong light each shaped the work he brought home. He also shares plans for two Japan zines: one gritty, black-and-white, flash-driven project, and one color zine built around light, contrast, and the visual beauty of the trip. The conversation turns to Gavin’s zine Passenger, a dark, contemplative body of work made on Sydney’s ferry system. Antonio and Ward dig into the mood, sequencing, negative space, and emotional quiet of the images, while Gavin reflects on public transport as both a literal journey and a metaphor for the human condition. They also discuss influences including Ray K. Metzker, Trent Parke, Alex Webb, and the physical experience of photography in print: zines, books, gallery walls, paper, ink, pacing, and why printed work still matters in a social-media world. Links Gavin Libotte: Website | Instagram Gavin’s Passenger: Street Attitude feature | Paris International Street Photo Awards listing Gavin at Head On Photo Festival: Wanderland | 42 Days Mentioned: Trent Parke | Ray K. Metzker | Alex Webb Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter Help out the show by buying us a coffee! Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print. Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints Send us a voice message, comment or question. Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.   Subscribe to us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio Deezer Podcast Addict