Robert LeBlanc is a New Orleans based hotelier, restaurateur, and storyteller.   I’ve always been fascinated with storytelling through food and hospitality experiences and Robert is one of the people who does it best.  His restaurants in New Orleans are some of my favorite culinary experiences in the world.  And his newly opened hotel, The Chloe, a renovated mansion on St. Charles Ave.in New Orleans, is truly a one of a kind place.     In this episode we talk about the important influences his family had on him growing up.   His early entrepreneurial adventures in the music industry and how music influences him creatively.  We talk about how and why he decided to make the leap to opening restaurants and eventually a hotel.  And how he approaches spaces and projects creatively, the importance of a good play list, and much, much, more.   It was a real treat to spend some time talking with Robert on a rainy afternoon in New Orleans and I hope you enjoy this episode!   Find Robert on Instagram @robertleblanc and The Chloe Nola - @thechloenola Sylvain - @sylvainneworleans Cavan - @cavannola Barrel Proof - @barrelproofnola  

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ep.23 Robert LeBlanc

Originally from London, Tom Richards is the Assistant Director of The Florence Academy of Fine Art and Principle Advanced Painting Instructor. In recent years Tom has exhibited his work in London and undertaken numerous commissions in Europe and beyond.   This episode was recorded exactly a year ago in January of 2020 when I had the pleasure of visiting with Tom in his painting studio in Florence Italy.  In this episode we talk about what drew him to painting and fine art.  We talk about The Florence Academy’s approach to teaching drawing and painting, the importance of keeping a sketchbook, and the painters that inspire him.  We also talk about the parallels of painting and photography and how to hone one’s approach to seeing and much more. I’ve admired Tom’s work for a long time and his paintings truly are masterful and must really be seen in person to be fully appreciated.  It was a real treat to spend some time with him in Florence surrounded by his beautiful paintings and I hope you enjoy this episode! Find Tom on Instagram @tominflorence and  The Florence Academy of Fine Art @florenceacademyofart

ep. 22 Tom Richards

Renato D’Agostin is a photographer based on the the outskirts of Venice, Italy. I have admired Renato’s work for a very long time and I had the pleasure of meeting up with him last January at his beautiful warehouse studio and darkroom.    The first time I saw Renato’s work, it completely changed my perception and expectations of what photography could be and could do.  Dislocating subjects from their realities, he depicts his perception of the space around him, the relationship between the architecture and people, opening a new portal in the spectator’s imagination. His works have been exhibited in several exhibitions in Europe, the United States and Asia and published in numerous books. Renato shoots mainly black and white film and we talk about his photography and his approach to his work and the importance of the darkroom as an extension of his process.   We talk about his time living in New York City and assisting photographer Ralph Gibson and what drew him back to Venice.  We also discuss his approach to exhibiting his work and why he loves making books.  And we delve into how he thinks about projects and much, much more.   Renato is one of the most inspiring artists I have ever met and he shares so many gems in this episode.  I hope you enjoy! Find Renato on his Instagram @renatodagostin and his website https://www.renatodagostin.com

ep. 21 Renato D'Agostin

Oddur Thorisson is a Torino based photographer, writer, art director, gourmet, and a lover of champagne, dogs, and especially his wife Mimi. I've admired Oddur's work for a long time and had the pleasure of sitting down with him over lunch and champagne in Torino last January. We talked about all things photography and how he approaches his work.  We talk about how he collaborates with his wife Mimi on her cookbooks and blog.  How he approaches teaching photography.  He also shares some thoughts on leading an aesthetic life, writing, some Champagne recommendations, and of course his love of wine, food, and much, much more.   This episode is best served with a glass of a champagne or your favorite cocktail.  Enjoy! Find Oddur on Instagram @oddthor And for workshops and Oddur’s occasional posts on his wife Mimi’s blog Mimithorisson.com And the post mentioned in the episode

ep. 20 Oddur Thorisson

Joshua Zucker-Pluda is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles and New York City. His work has been shown in the New York, Telluride, Venice, and Toronto International Film festivals and has been included in the esteemed Criterion Collection.  Most recently, he worked as second unit cinematographer for Alex Garland on his upcoming TV series DEVS for FX Network alongside Rob Hardy BSC, and Andrew Whitehurst. As a filmmaker, he has collaborated with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Sky Ferreira, Savages, Zola Jesus, Doug Aitken, and Jim Jarmusch.  After graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2001 with a degree in film production, Joshua spent the next several years ignoring common sense touring in punk rock bands. He then returned to film as a cinematographer working on commercials, music videos, narrative projects and documentaries. Joshua currently holds a MFA in Cinematography from the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles and is a Director of Photography in the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600. In this episode we chat about his formative high school years, his background in music and playing in a punk band.  His aesthetics as a cinematographer, his personal photography practice, our experiences in film school, our mutual love of some of the same films and directors, and much, much, more…Enjoy! Find Joshua on Instagram @hamletpowpowpow and on his website: https://joshuazuckerpluda.com

ep. 19 Joshua Zucker-Pluda

Robert Spangle is a Los Angeles based photographer, but can be found traveling for 30 weeks out of the year photographing for the likes of GQ, Vogue, The Rake, and many others, as well as pursuing personal projects around the world.   In this episode we talk about his experience in the Marines with two deployments to Afghanistan, becoming an apprentice on Saville Row, and how he ultimately came to photography. We also delve into why he shoots with the Leica MD system, what influences his style and personal aesthetics, and his ongoing projects exploring hyper-masculine roles such as matadors, fighters, and racers in the search for truth and spirituality. There is so much good stuff in this episode and I hope you enjoy! Find Robert on Instagram @thousandyardstyle and on his website http://www.thousandyardstyle.com

ep. 18 Robert Spangle

Sean Conaty is an Emmy award winning cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He has lensed a wide variety of work, everything from music videos and commercials to narrative feature films. His work has played at Sundance, Cannes, and Berlin.   In addition to his cinematography, he is also an accomplished photographer, exploring deeply personal themes in his work. In this episode we dive into Sean’s background in philosophy and how it has influenced him as a filmmaker.  How he approaches a project and some very creative ways of thinking.  We also chat about his personal photography and how he brings that into his professional projects.  We also get into some of the films and filmmakers that have influenced him as well as some of his personal interests outside of film and photography that keep him inspired and the creativity flowing.   I’ve admired Sean’s work for a long time and this chat was a real treat for me.  He shares a lot of inspiring gems in this one and I hope you enjoy! Find Sean on Instagram @seanpconaty and on his website: https://sean.conaty.net

ep. 17 Sean Conaty

Matt Hranek is a man of many talents and many interests.  He is a photographer, director, and as he says, an accidental author and accidental TV host.  And now he is also the Editor in Chief of his own magazine, WM Brown. which just released their third issue for fall.  He’s also the author of the book, A Man and His Watch, and he’s the former style editor of Conde Naste Traveler among many other things. But at the core of it all, he is a storyteller, and quite a great one at that.  Matt’s energy and passion for the things he loves is contagious and I was really excited to sit down with him to and ask him about his  photography, how he approaches storytelling, what excites him personally, and some of his upcoming projects, and of course Italy and his love of negronis.  It was a real thrill to talk to Matt and I hope you enjoy!   Find Matt on Instagram @wmbrownproject And WM Brown Magazine

ep. 16 Matt Hranek

Yolanda Edwards is the editor in chief of Yolo Journal, her gorgeous new travel magazine which I highly recommend you get your hands on.  She is also the creative director of WM Brown Magazine, and she’s the former creative director of Conde Naste Traveler. In this episode, she shares her experience in legacy publishing and what makes Yolo Journal a different kind of travel magazine.   She shares her thoughts on what makes a good travel story and what make compelling travel photography, and much, much, more. Enjoy! Find Yolanda on Instagram:  @yolandaedwards And Yolo Journal: @yolo.journal And to subscribe to Yolo Journal Magazine https://www.yolojournal.com/

ep. 15 Yolanda Edwards

Nathan Fowkes is a veteran entertainment industry concept artist with credits on 12 animated feature films including DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt, Spirit, several projects within the Shrek Universe, How to Train Your Dragon, and many others. Additionally, Nathan has been sought after as a consultant for game studios to enhance the quality of their theatrical presentation. He has worked with numerous clients including Blizzard Entertainment, King, Disney Interactive, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Rovio and Supercell.  Nathan is also well known as a teacher of color, light and design; he is a regular guest lecturer at Art Center College of Design and has taught at The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and the Laguna College of Art and Design. He's the author of the bestselling book How to Draw Portraits in Charcoal and How to Paint Landscapes in Watercolor and Gouache. Nathan teaches online at Schoolism.com when his film production schedule allows.    Schoolism.com is offering you loyal listeners of the podcast a discount, with the promo code RITONDARO. Get $5.00 off (15% discount) for the first 6 months. (This is not a sponsored podcast and I have no affiliation with them, I just love what they do!). Follow Nathan on his Instagram: @nathanfowkesart And on his website: https://www.nathanfowkes.com And his courses on Schoolism.com His books on Amazon

ep. 14 Nathan Fowkes

Stephanie Draime and Eduardo Cerruti are a New York City based photography team, as well as life partners.  Coming from greatly distinct backgrounds, Eduardo is originally from Florence, Italy and Stephanie is a Mexican American who grew up in Hawaii, the two met in Florence in 2010.  They moved to New York City in 2014 and began to pursue photography together.  The two photographers quickly noticed how perfectly they synced as a team and have been fully dedicated to their work since, traveling the world shooting for such clients as Cereal Magazine, Mr. Porter,  Condè Nast Traveler,  Suitcase Magazine and many, many more. Find them on Instagram  @stephdraime @edocerruti and their website: http://www.cerrutidraime.com  

ep. 13 Stephanie Draime and Eduardo Cerruti

James Michalopoulos is a painter and sculptor, probably best known for his singular style, painting portraits of New Orleans shotgun houses and Creole cottages.  James captures the spirit and essence of his subject in layer upon layer of thick impasto paint, brimming with color and energy. Today he divides his time between New Orleans and Burgundy. During a trip to France in 1990, he fell in love with Provence and the Burgundy region and bought a home near Cluny.  The French countryside–with its Roman era stone buildings and verdant fields–has become a large focus of his work, grappling with notions of elemental biological life and the evidence of cohabitation with nature. His artwork continues to be shown extensively in the U.S. and abroad, in museums, galleries, and private collections. And if you visit New Orleans, definitely pop by his gallery in the French Quarter, as his large scale works need to be experienced in person. In this episode, James shares a lot of his thought process and approach to art. We talk about some technique, finding one's style, and probably most importantly, finding your truth through your work.  I got a lot out of this conversation and I hope you do as well. His website https://www.michalopoulos.com and his Instagram page @jamesmichalopoulos

ep. 12 James Michalopoulos

David Zheng is a New York City based photographer. After eight years working in finance, he decided to leave his career to pursue a career in photography.   Shooting mostly black and white film, and being largely self taught, he sought further education at the International Center of Photography and studied under a Darkroom Master Printer. In 2018, he traveled to Guangzhou, China to photograph his first series, which he then self published as his first book, titled Reveries. David shares some great insights into his process and thinking in this episode and I hope you enjoy! Find David on Instagram @iamdavidz And on his website: http://davidzhengstudio.com His book “Reveries” can be found here: http://davidzhengstudio.com/store/reveries

ep. 11 David Zheng

Originally from Georgia, Katie is a New York City based artist where she lives and works.  She created Paper Fashion in 2009 as an outlet to share her artwork with the world. Katie works on personal commissions and often collaborates with commercial clients, many in the fashion and beauty space.  In this episode she shares some great insights and advice on work habits, how she developed her style,  navigating social media and client work, and much, much more. Katie also recently released her own brand of art supplies which can be found here: www.paperfashionstore.com Follow her on lnstagram @paperfashion and at her website www.paperkatie.com   

ep. 10 Katie Rodgers

Will Weston is an Associate Professor at Art Center College of Design where he teaches in the Entertainment Arts and Entertainment Design Departments. He has an MFA in fine art and worked as an advertising illustrator before moving into animation. He’s worked in animation for Disney, Nickelodeon and Sony. He’s also taught at Dreamwork’s TV and Feature Animation and lectured in their lunchtime lecture program. Will has a incredibly unique way of breaking down the complexity of drawing and his Instagram feed is a gold mine of information. He can be found @willwestonstudio   In this episode he shares some great insights, advice, and a few assignments that he gives his Art Center students that are relevant for anyone in the visual arts.  Find Will on Instagram @willwestonstudio

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