[BigMackCam]

For anyone in the UK (or those with access to a suitable VPN), there's an excellent programme on the history of photography available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

"Britain in Focus: A Photographic History" (presented by award-winning photographer Eamonn McCabe) is a mini-series of three one-hour episodes - parts 1 & 2 available to stream now; part 3 airs tomorrow evening on BBC Four, then available through iPlayer.

Part 1 examines the discovery of photography by Henry Fox Talbert and Louis Daguerre, and its development in 19th century Britain, including pioneering photographers Roger Fenton and Julia Margaret Cameron.

Part 2 looks at the emergence of photo-journalism in the early 20th century in relation to major events occurring at the time.

Part 3 covers the explosion of colour images in the late 1950s to the ongoing impact of the digital revolution.

I watched Part 1 last night and, whilst not as in-depth as a good book on the subject, it's a very enjoyable "potted history". Well worth watching

[Dartmoor Dave]

A big +1 to that! The "photography season" on BBC4 over the past couple of weeks has been excellent. The Eamonn McCabe series really hits its stride in episode 2, in which he movingly describes his own experiences documenting tragedies as a photojournalist. I'm definitely tuning on for the last one tomorrow, and I'm guessing that he's going to have some quite trenchant opinions about the state of modern photography.

It's also worth watching "On Camera -- Photographers at the BBC" from last Thursday. You get to see some of the true greats at work and discussing their craft. There's also a brilliant and hilarious "What do Artists do All Day?" about the street photographer Dougie Wallace. Made me realise why 99.9% of the street photography that we see on the internet is so boring, and what it really takes to produce the true art.

Good work, BBC. More please.