
Episode #298
John Shephard – The Patience of Panoramic Film: Shooting Wide on Cameras Built for a Different Era | Episode #298
In this episode, Perrin sits down with John Shephard, a panoramic landscape photographer who has spent over 30 years shooting exclusively on slide film with swing lens and rotating lens cameras, a format that has all but disappeared from serious landscape work today. John talks about his four year apprenticeship under renowned panoramic photographer Ken Duncan, including a trial by fire two week trip that taught him what real dedication to the craft looks like, and the moment Ken sent him to shoot the closed Statue of Liberty with a single instruction: figure it out. He gets into what makes his swing lens Noblex and fixed lens Hasselblad X-Pan 2 so different from standard cameras, why he still shoots on Velvia 50 slide film for its rich saturation despite how difficult it is to source, and the decades-long America Wide book project that has taken him across all 50 states. He also opens up about his closing philosophy on photography: staying out of his own way, remaining open to what a place wants to show him, and never wanting to feel like he has mastered anything at all. Check out the episode article here Want to talk photography with me outside the show? Join the Great Big Photography World community. I'm in there regularly, and you'll get your own free photography listing page for others to discover you too. Free through December 2026: https://greatbigphotographyworld.com/

