Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton

2026 Chico Attendees Series

Photographer and Cinematographer, Andrew Aiello joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to talk about his exploration of isolation and narrative in photography and his amazing experiences at the Chico Review.

Andrew Aiello is a los angeles based photographer shooting with 35mm film, as well as some 120mm and digital

As a social introvert, his desire to engage with the world has always been at odds with his need to escape it. photography grants him the ability to do both.

In an age where we spend so much time glued to screens, the real world sometimes seems to speed past us at rates we can’t comprehend. not limited to certain subject matter, aiello loves how photography, especially when shooting film, allows him to slow things down and be present with the world around him. whether it be a macro shot of a flower or a wide shot of a bustling urban market, his frames help him process life.

https://www.drewaiellophotography.com
https://www.instagram.com/drewaiello_dp

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club
Begin Building your dream photobook library today at
https://charcoalbookclub.com

The Chico Review is the country’s premier Photobook Retreat. Organized by Charcoal Book Club, The Chico Review takes place over six nights at Chico Hot Springs Resort, near Livingston Montana. Applicants will spend the week with over twenty of the most influential and creative photographers, book makers, gallerists, museum curators, and photobook publishers in the industry.

https://chicoreview.com
https://www.charcoalworkshops.com

Photographer, printer, filmmaker, and author, Neil Selkirk, joins Michael Chovan-Dalton to discuss his new book, Why Photographs (a book without photographs - Warbler Press). Why Photographs is a collection of essays, excerpts, introductions, and quotes by Selkirk, Berenice Abbott, Julian Barnes, Dorothea Lange, Sigfried Kracauer, Paul Graham, and so many more. It’s a book that is historical, philosophical, and humorous but most importantly, it reminds you of why you fell in love with photography and why we still look for meaning in the image. Neil Selkirk is also the only person authorized to print for the Diane Arbus estate and we discuss that as well.

https://www.neilselkirk.com
https://warblerpress.com/why-photographs/

Neil Selkirk is a British-born photographer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Interview, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Vogue and the premier issues of Wired, Paper, Colors, Spy, and other publications. He is the only person authorized to make posthumous prints of the photographs of Diane Arbus. Selkirk’s books include See No Evil, Lobbyists, and Certain Women, as well the ongoing photographic projects, Security Matters, and Out of Darkness. Selkirk lives and works in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club - Begin Building your dream photobook library today at:
https://charcoalbookclub.com

2026 Chico Attendees Series

Photographer, pilot, and podcaster Matt Jacob joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to talk about making work that explores personal challenges and his love of meeting people and always learning through his very popular MOOD Podcast.

https://www.mattjacob.co/
https://www.mattjacob.co/the-mood-podcast
https://www.instagram.com/mattyj_ay/
https://www.instagram.com/the_moodpodcast/

Matt Jacob is a photographer, filmmaker, and podcast host whose work explores the fragile relationship between the natural world, human presence, and the cultural systems that bind the two. He explores the intersection of culture, identity and the inner life of humans through long-form post-documentary photography, thoughtful conversations on ‘The MOOD Podcast’, and immersive creative photography experiences. His work champions depth, ethical storytelling and slow creativity in a world increasingly driven by speed and performance.

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club
Begin Building your dream photobook library today at
https://charcoalbookclub.com

https://chicoreview.com
https://www.charcoalworkshops.com

2026 Chico Attendees Series

Photographer Lisa Jayne Cramer joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to talk about some very personal work involving relationship, grief, and reconciliation.

This work has recently been recognized through the inaugural Ephemere Photobook Grant in 2026 and is scheduled to be published by Ephemere Tokyo in October 2026.

https://www.lisajaynecramer.com
https://www.instagram.com/lisajaynecramer/

Lisa Jayne Cramer is an Australian photographer based in Melbourne/Naarm.

For as long as she can remember, she has felt most at peace holding a camera. Drawn to analogue photography and performative self-portraiture, she found a way to express how she experiences and understands the world.

Cramer’s photographic practice is a deeply personal enquiry into love, longing, grief and beauty. Drawing upon qualities of abstract expressionism, she explores the constant presence of absence through collage, performative imagery and metaphor. Flowers, particularly roses and lilies, recur throughout her work as symbols of fertility, decay, femininity and resilience, becoming vessels for both beauty and sorrow.

Her photographs have been exhibited throughout Australia and internationally, including in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the United States and Japan. Her work is held in private collections across Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Mexico. She has been published in FotoNostrum Magazine (Barcelona, 2024) and Eyes on the World (Kamira Institute, Paris, 2025).

Cramer is a proud alumna of the 2025 Long Term Program: The Photobook at Penumbra Foundation, New York, through which she developed her first photobook, FLOWER under ether. The artist-produced edition was completed in December 2025 and is held in the permanent collection of State Library Victoria.

In 2026, FLOWER under ether was awarded the inaugural Ephemere Photobook Grant. A new Japan-produced edition is currently being developed in collaboration with Ephemere Tokyo, with publication planned for October 2026. Cramer was also selected to participate in Chico Review in Montana, USA, in 2026.

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club
Begin Building your dream photobook library today at
https://charcoalbookclub.com

The Chico Review is the country’s premier Photobook Retreat. Organized by Charcoal Book Club, The Chico Review takes place over six nights at Chico Hot Springs Resort, near Livingston Montana. Applicants will spend the week with over twenty of the most influential and creative photographers, book makers, gallerists, museum curators, and photobook publishers in the industry.

https://chicoreview.com
https://www.charcoalworkshops.com

2026 Chico Attendees Series

Photographer Bill Ellis joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to talk about his series, Tiger Has Loved.

Bill Ellis is a photographer based in Brooklyn, NY and attended school at Ringling College of Art and Design. His series, Tiger Has Loved is centered on his relationships, particularly with his then fiancé and now spouse.

https://billellisii.com
https://www.instagram.com/billellisii/

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club
Begin Building your dream photobook library today at
https://charcoalbookclub.com

The Chico Review is the country’s premier Photobook Retreat. Organized by Charcoal Book Club, The Chico Review takes place over six nights at Chico Hot Springs Resort, near Livingston Montana. Applicants will spend the week with over twenty of the most influential and creative photographers, book makers, gallerists, museum curators, and photobook publishers in the industry.

https://chicoreview.com
https://www.charcoalworkshops.com