Photo Director Gem Fletcher hosts The Messy Truth, a podcast dedicated to the world of contemporary photography featuring exclusive interviews with emerging and leading artists, curators and critics. Listen in to these candid conversations that unpack photography and why it connects us all in such transformational ways. Follow Gem’s Instagram @gemfletcher for images of photographs discussed in each episode.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography
Claim This Podcastby Gem Fletcher
5.0(144 reviews)
106 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
44
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality49
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement95
Podcast Overview
Photo Director Gem Fletcher hosts The Messy Truth, a podcast dedicated to the world of contemporary photography featuring exclusive interviews with emerging and leading artists, curators and critics. Listen in to these candid conversations that unpack photography and why it connects us all in such transformational ways. Follow Gem’s Instagram @gemfletcher for images of photographs discussed in each episode.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/8/2019
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44
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality49
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement95
6
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3
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10
Growth Opportunities
excellent
Episode Length
54 minutes
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good
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3.0/5
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Recent Episodes
May 11, 2026
Ahndraya Parlato - On the Inbetween
Gem Fletcher interviews photographer Ahndraya Parlato about her book "TIME TO KILL," exploring gendered aging, beauty ideals, and maternal duties.
March 2, 2026
Chieska Fortune Smith - On Collective Learning
<p>In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to Chieska Fortune Smith about her journey through photography and the role of collective learning in her practice. She came to photography through Flickr, the social media platform which earnestly engaged so many of us in the medium. It was a place to upload and share your pictures, while getting feedback from other enthusiasts. Chi’s trajectory pivoted when met Brett Walker on the platform, a photographer in his own right, who mentored a group of budding photographers in London. This model of collective learning was formative for Chi and her peers and gave her the foundations of which she continues to build upon today. In our conversation we talk about the different strands of life, culture and influence which inform her work, what keeps her going and how she moves through the photo industry. </p><br><p>Chieska Fortune Smith is born of an African-American soul singer and a Japanese classical dancer. Her work is rooted in classical timelessness and stories with twists of obscurity and illusion. She is heavily influenced by street photography and vintage found imagery from the early 20th century. She has featured in prominent magazines and books including Sixteen Journal, Vanity Fair, and designer Simone Rocha’s debut monograph, and is currently working on a personal project that delves into her Japanese and black American roots. She is based in London.</p><br><p>Follow Chi @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/chieskafortunesmith/#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chieskafortunesmith</a> & Gem @gemfletcher on Instagram. If you've enjoyed this episode, PLEASE leave us your feedback in the Apple Podcast store. Thank you for listening to The Messy Truth. We will be back very soon. For all requests, please email hello@gemfletcher.com </p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
December 22, 2025
Between Two Worlds - On Future Storytelling with Kathy Ryan
<p>Welcome back. To celebrate reaching the 100th episode of the podcast, I collaborated with the team at the International Centre of Photography in New York City, to host a one day salon. My motivation was to gather the community together in person and start talking about where we stand in photography. Titled, Between Two Worlds, the salon was an attempt to describe the feeling of existing in two image worlds, the one we think we know, and the new one emerging. We can sense that this new image world operates differently to the one we were socialised in—and yet it’s unclear exactly how.</p><br><p>Before you dive in, I wanted to share what I told the audience at the salon - there are no tidy or easy answers here. In fact my expectation is that these conversations will involve a lot of complexity and contradiction, but holding space for, and embracing this chaos, is in my opinion, the urgent work that needs to be done. </p><br><p>In this episode I discuss the future of storytelling with Kathy Ryan</p><br><p>For three decades, Kathy Ryan, the longtime director of photography at The New York Times Magazine, pioneered her own vision for visual storytelling. Her signature approach to masterful commissioning was rooted in unexpected cross-assignment, blurring boundaries between genres and creating space for photography to be interpretive and elaborate - a powerful voice unto itself. Kathy is an icon. She has truly had more impact than any other magazine director of photography in our time. Within photography circles, she is a genuine legend.</p><br><p>Now, as she enters a new era of her career as an artist, curator and educator, I wanted to talk to Kathy about her new chapter and what it means to shift from the role of directing images to making them herself. I also wanted to speak to her, now she is untethered from an insitution, about her take on the future of storytelling and the role of the photographer in preserving history, challenging misinformation, and safeguarding the integrity of our shared narratives.</p><br><p>Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kathyryan/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kathy</a> & <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gemfletcher/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gem </a>on Instagram. If you've enjoyed this episode, PLEASE leave us your feedback in the Apple Podcast store. Thank you for listening to The Messy Truth. We will be back very soon. For all requests, please email hello@gemfletcher.com </p><br><p>Thank you to the whole team at ICP for collaborating on this project.</p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
106 total episodes available with 1 transcripts
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- What is The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography?
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This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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