Episode 21 - This week we talk about the late great Martin Parr. Starting in the black & white documentary tradition in the 1970s, Parr’s work took a bold turn to color accentuated by flash in 1982.

While still documentary in nature, in that he didn’t stage or pose scenes, Parr acknowledged that his photos were more of a personal interpretation of reality than a strict document of fact. He said…

“I want to try and leave a set of images that sort of tell us about the times we live in and my relationship to it. My pictures are fictional in the sense that i'm often using flash so it's not something you would see with the human eye. I’m trying to ally it to my … feelings but it is still based on the reality that's out there so it's not lies, it's just an interpretation. So it's my personal interpretation of what i see in front of me, which is somewhat exaggerated.”

Zach & Courtney go through some of Parr’s most famous, and lesser known, works to talk about his influence on the photography world and on them personally. They also talk about the Martin Parr Foundation and its mission to give back to the photographic community at large.

“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Index

0:00 - “A dedicated enemy to everything I believe in.”

0:35 - An introduction to photographer Martin Parr.

4:50 - I really love your early work.

9:36 - Prestwich Mental Hospital. 1972.

11:28 - The Non-Conformists. 1975-79.

19:47 - Why Martin Parr switched to color photography. 1982.

20:40 - The Last Resort. 1983-85.

27:27 - The Cost of Living. 1989-92.

29:47 - Photojournalist Philip Jones Griffiths doesn’t want Parr in Magnum Photos.

36:23 - Tourists at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 1990.

38:26 - Documenting leisure pursuits of the Western World.

40:05 - Tourists at the Grand Canyon, Arizona. 1994.

41:18 - Martin Parr photographed a lot of cell phones.

46:28 - A photo that Martin Parr regretted missing.

48:48 - How Martin Parr influences Zach today.

Interviews

The World According to Parr. 2003.

https://youtu.be/MCRyB2SFQZ4?si=JO_GUTdlclHZb5Rq

"First priority is to make an entertaining picture." | Photographer Martin Parr | Louisiana Channel. 2022.

https://youtu.be/ibqDOm3i0eA?si=he49WecFDjp-qR_3

Framelines: A Conversation with Martin Parr. 2025

https://youtu.be/S7ULlEIwqTs?si=CXHsz_3FBVJkyO2S

Find Zach

Website: https://zachdobson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto

Find Courtney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_

About the Podcast

Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.

Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.

Fair Use Statement

This document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.