A Photographic Life

In episode 418 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is reflecting on the big and small things that impact on the everyday engagement we all have with photography.

Mentioned in this episode:
David Sylvian 'Red Guitar' www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tTX49CjAgo

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8 magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020) and Inside Vogue House: One building, seven magazines, sixty years of stories, (Orphans Publishing 2024). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

© Grant Scott 2026

In this special episode of The Conversation series Grant Scott speaks with award winning graphic designer Mike Dempsey. In an informal conversation they discuss the importance of understanding design, what is successful design and how this can be applied to photobooks.

Mike Dempsey
From the late 1960s, Dempsey worked in British book publishing houses. He has created stamps for the Royal Mail, the brand identity for English National Opera, and the South Bank Centre, London. After a decade in publishing, Dempsey formed the highly successful design consultancy Carroll, Dempsey and Thirkell in 1979, which he ran for 27 years. In 2007, he left to set up Studio Dempsey. His awards include the New York Art Director’s Club Silver Cube, the CSD Minerva Award, the Reginald M. Phillips Medal for Postage Stamp Design, ten D&AD (Design and Art Direction) Silvers, the coveted Gold award, and in 2012, he received a unique D&AD Black Pencil for the most awarded designer in their 50-year history. He is a member of Alliance Graphic International, a past President of D&AD, a past Master of The Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry, and in 1994, he was made a Royal Designer for Industry. Dempsey's expertise also encompasses design for posters for art exhibitions, theatre and dance to film titles. He is a writer, photographer, broadcaster, painter, blogger and he studied acting at the Method Studio, London. Today, he lives and works in London and Dorset. https://studiodempsey.co.uk

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

©Grant Scott 2026

In episode 416 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is reflecting on the big and small things that impact on the everyday engagement we all have with photography.

Mentioned in this episode:
Cengiz Yar www.cengizyar.com
Sayuri Ichida www.sayuriichida.com
Angine de Poitrine - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) https://youtu.be/0Ssi-9wS1so?si=6ThZCxvnFibNcu0j
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica [Full Album] https://youtu.be/aF0g-2SeoMM?si=I8hFqowFRJzUsqb8
The Fall - Eat Y'Self Fitter https://youtu.be/yFCOt6wbm80?si=s6tMQgV8VolqKavU
Can - Future Days [Full Album] https://youtu.be/wQxMB4Wk_y8?si=v_OVCxUY3e3IhIO8

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8 magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020) and Inside Vogue House: One building, seven magazines, sixty years of stories, (Orphans Publishing 2024). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

© Grant Scott 2026

In this monthly conversation series Grant Scott speaks with art director, lecturer and creative director Fiona Hayes. In an informal conversation each month Grant and Fiona comment on the photographic environment as they see it through the exhibitions, magazines, talks and events that Fiona has seen over the previous weeks.

Mentioned in this episode:
https://nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/en/
www.edvanderelsken.nl
www.vivianesassen.com
https://antoncorbijn.com/index.html
Charles Bukowski https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bukowski
Bas Jan Ader www.meliksetianbriggs.com/artists/bas-jan-ader
Stacii Samidin www.staciisamidin.com/videography/
Hans Poley www.imdb.com/title/tt1691153/

Fiona Hayes
Fiona Hayes is an art director, designer, consultant and lecturer with over 30 years’ experience in publishing, fashion and the art world. She has been a magazine art director ten times: on Punch, Company, Eve, Cosmopolitan, House & Garden, GQ India, Myself, Germany and Russian Vogue (twice). Between 2013 and 2019, sh was Art Director of New Markets and Brand Development for Condé Nast International, and oversaw 14 magazines, including seven editions of Vogue. She still consults as Design Director at Large for Vogue Hong Kong. In 2002 she founded her photography magazine DayFour. She is Co-Author and Art Director of The Fashion Yearbook, and creative director of books for South African media consultancy Legacy Creates. She has been Art Director of contemporary art auction house Phillips de Pury in London and New York and currently divides her time between design consultancy for commercial clients, and lecturing. @theartdictator

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

© Grant Scott 2026

In this week’s episode photographer Lynn Goldsmith takes on our ‘Proust Photo Quiz’…

Lynn Goldsmith’s photography has appeared on and between the covers of Life, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Traveler, People, Elle, Interview, and the The New Yorker amongst many others. Her subjects have varied from entertainment personalities to sports stars, from film directors to authors and her work is held in numerous museum collections and personal art collections. Fifteen books of Goldsmith's imagery have been published and she has also received two New York Art Direction awards. In 1971, she was a director for the first company to present video magnification for rock groups entertaining at large venues and in 1972, she became a director for the first rock show on late night television titled In Concert. In 1973, she stopped directing TV to co-manage the band Grand Funk Railroad. In 1976 Goldsmith left management to focus on a career as a photographer and founded a photo agency that licensed her work and others to publications across the globe. By the early 80’s she expanded her creativity as 'Will Powers', and wrote and produced the album Dancing For Mental Health. Working with noted musicians Sting, Steve Winwood, Todd Rundgren and Nile Rodgers, the album won critical acclaim. In 2016 a lawsuit was brought against her by the Andy Warhol Foundation for her studio portrait of Prince. For seven years she fought to protect her copyright, and that of all artists, to their work. The legal battle went to the Supreme Court, and 2023, she won a 7-2 victory.

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), and What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018. Scott continues to work as a photographer, writer and filmmaker and is the Subject Coordinator for both undergraduate and post graduate study of photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England.

© Grant Scott 2026