Photographer Scott Church is well known throughout Lebanon County and beyond for his vast body of work which includes contributions to dozens of national and international publications like Playboy and Latin Trends.
But recently, Church has tackled a new medium; one that’s far less visual: Podcasting.
“It’s not something people would expect a photographer to do, and that’s part of the reason that it works,” says Church.
ScottChurch American Photographer launched last Christmas Eve, and within just a few months is already approaching its sixtieth episode.
It isn’t the first time that Church has branched out and explored different creative outlets. He has done a web series, documentaries, and reality shows in the past, which all try to encapsulate the visual element of his work into something clickable.
When searching for his next creative route, Church looked to some traditional formats that are seeing a modern resurgence.
“I always enjoyed doing radio shows, I love going on other people’s shows, I love the feel of just being able to talk and not really worry about anything,” says Church.
According to Church, his introduction to podcasts was listening to news podcasts while on walks.
“I really kind of fell in love with the format,” he says, “because it was a radio show but you didn’t have to worry about what you were saying on the radio, it was a show that you could pick up and put down again.”
At first, Church began recording his podcasts solo, but realized that with so many people stopping by his Downtown Lebanon studio for photoshoots or just to hangout, there would be no shortage of guests.
“The guests are a lot of people that I know, a lot of them are my friends, so a lot of them are people that have been clients or students or people that I’m directly connected with.”
That familiarity comes through when listening to the ScottChurch American Photographer. Some episodes feel as though you’re just sitting at bar eavesdropping on the conversation next to you, because for some episodes you are.
Church records the show on his phone. The minimal amount of equipment allows him to record at a moment’s notice.
In addition to the more traditional, Marc Maron-esque sit-down interviews (whose WTF with Marc Maron podcast Church sites as an influence) Church has recorded episodes of his show while walking around Lebanon or having drinks with friends at Lebanon’s Downtown Lounge thanks to the mobility and convenience of using his phone as an all-one podcast studio.
While episodes may touch on Church’s the ins-and-outs of Church’s profession, the show covers a wide range of topics. For these reason Church describes the show as not a photography podcast, but a photographer’s podcast.
“It’s for a lot of people in a lot walks of life.”
Church sees each episode of the show as moment in time — like a photograph — and says that his plan is to keep putting out content and letting the show evolve on its own.
The podcast has quickly garnered a following in the few months that it has been available, which keeps Church busy as he continues to record and release episodes three to four times per week.
“The only way to swim fast is to swim fast,” says Church
ScottChurch American Photographer is available on iTunes, Spotify, Anchor and most other podcast outlets.
(To hear Scott Church’s interview with LebTown, click here.)