The art of podcasting and photography.

Our first guest is an up and coming digital content creator who is working with Kentucky Sports radio and hosting his own podcast mate Mario Maitland.

>> Then we talked or shutter bug.

Carol Pg about her new book Shaker made that captures the cultural artifacts of Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.

All that is now.

>> On connections.

♪ ♪ Thanks so much for joining us for connections today.

I'm Renee Shaw.

First stop in today.

Show is a young man who was turning his path.

Passion for digital content creation and to an enterprising business.

Mario Maitland is also working with Matt Jones of the famed Kentucky Sports Radio.

And he's loving the passion of Big Blue nation and interesting and famous figures crossing his path.

>> Mario Maitland, it is so good to meet you and I have you on connection the enemy on them.

But it's been a pleasure.

Just being able to sit and chat with behind that screen.

Yeah, that's right.

Well, and you do a lot of really cool stuff.

So we want to talk about like your podcast and your work with Kentucky Sports Radio.

You pick which one you want to talk about.

First, let's start off with the most working with I heart media in Kentucky.

Sports radio last week was my first week was a crazy week.

Everybody knows, you with that.

>> New coach in town.

Yeah.

Got, you know, a coach that everybody looked up to is now headed to Arkansas and coach Cal part of our party.

But yeah, it's been a crazy enjoy and you know, the fanbase all I've got so much support from the fan base and then my mentors, Matt Jones and and the rest of the crew.

They've been great.

>> Well, I want to pause there before we talk about your work because I you know, you're not a native Kentucky.

And but you know what?

Bbn is a lie.

Oh, yeah, this point are absolutely.

And so when you have this transition of coaches and you know what's happening and when is it going to happen all the supply?

Can you describe what that's like and really how the fans are just so in this they're all in for sure, for sure.

I know for me like I'm originally from Long Island, New York.

I've always been a Kentucky fan ever since the John Wall DeMarcus Cousins days, right?

Not just shows you how Kentucky's just bigger than the state itself.

It it's spread out throughout the entire country.

>> So I you know, I've always been a Kentucky fan and, you know, being able to work for Kentucky sports radio and then this past week with, you know, coach cow leaving to go to Arkansas, the fanbase, you know, it.

It's a lot of ups and down that went through this whole.

We write, you know, yeah, I would say the fans went through a very emotional week.

It was tough on the fans as far as you know, seeing cow go.

We all know a lot of fans wanted go on and you had some fans who actually want him to stay as well.

So, you know, being able to, you know, just be on the on the media side of things and being able to report it and kind of getting their land interaction with the fans with with the ups and downs.

This it's been a whole cool.

We get very exciting week for me.

I'm just to be able to you know, I'm experience like so much this week going to my first press being able to be in route for the press conference.

And yeah.

>> I was just going to say when and when coach that is going to coach Pope you know, I mean, I've heard people say that they had never been in Rupp Arena to be so electric Co S it was very electric.

And the thing for me, it was just y.

You can see the fans, you know, all coming together.

Yeah, the throughout the week you had some fans like I said, who want to count on and you have some fans wanted him to stay.

>> And I think put the pope coming.

You could see that the fan base was all on one page.

They're reunited.

They write it.

And I think, you know, the rousing line was I understand the assignment, right, to get those those banners in the rafters.

That's right.

So.

>> So he's in his honeymoon period is be excited to hear how you all kind of trite, you know, follow his journey for sure when when the season really does get intense and that, yes, don't have to be all on the court.

Yes, yes, yes, not now.

So we you know, he's not to be waving white flags.

Yes, later on, OK, so now let's turn our attention to you and your podcast.

What's next podcast and what's next.

Kentucky radio, of course, was about that.

Yeah.

So the podcast really was a very cool story for me.

It started out as mean college at the University, Kentucky.

>> I'm going to my last I decide to take a podcast class.

And the final project is to create, you know, the podcast.

We work on assignments and, you know, group group assignments with other classmates just trying to, you figure out what type of podcast we want to have.

I was a great, great clasroom me just make me understand that a podcast is not something that you just, you know, jump on with your friends.

And just haha.

Exactly.

Yeah, it's more to this morning to with that.

And I was able to learn that with that class and, you know, I decide to KET going about one to finish the class with the final project in it led me into what's next.

Kentucky radio with small radio show.

It's a little bit still making tweet minor tweaks here and there.

But you know that the goal for me is just to KET a consistent and being able to master those shows.

I feel like I need to master, though, shows before pick up anything else.

>> Of the list of the people that you've interviewed on your Web site is quite impressive.

Yeah, it's I mean, they're it runs the gamut.

So, yes, yes, this has been your favorite I had a feeling you can ask.

I would most recently and it's not out yet or that.

>> By the time this airs, it should be with Jack given saw.

Oh, yes, yeah.

You have to.

Yeah.

Huge episode for Really, really important for me because, you I'm not necessarily I don't know.

The Kentucky legend some so young, only 24 years old.

So bright, you know, being able to get to know his story and hear about how popular he is.

The Kentucky fan base.

And even when I was back in school, I'm a history major.

So history have a history degree finished with a shunt agree.

And we learned about Takin, right?

All we talked about in our some of our course.

And so being able to sit across from him and >> and county, you know, pick his brain was just on are you fan boy, I was definitely family.

So for those who are thinking about starting a podcast.

>> Like tell us, like what's the secret sauce?

What are the must dues believe in yourself?

That's the first >> I would say, you know, if you don't believe that you can make it happen, then it is no, there's no point in doing it because you're going to need to believe in yourself and it's OK, you're going to go through minor tweaks and minor errors that.

>> You I like to potholes.

You know, you've got to you've got to go through, you know, valleys, ups and downs.

But the main thing is keeping it consistent and having a unique podcast that that brings value.

You know, that was my hang on to bring value to out to the to the world instead of just, you know, put on a podcast for whatever the case may be.

I want to bring value to tomorrow at it.

>> So where can we hear it?

>> Apple podcast, Spotify, big on YouTube.

I think I'm more of a visual learner.

So I like, yeah, you know, put it on YouTube as well for for the firm audience.

The lure.

Yeah.

>> Well, I we want to KET in touch with you you know, hopefully connect with you may be on the road some time.

And just congratulations on what you're doing and KET up the good work.

I'm very proud of the bank.

You have the high tomorrow >> stay with us as fine.

Art photographer Carol Pg joins me next to share her latest work embodied in the book Shaker made Carol has long explored cultural and natural heritage from Barnes to distilleries are captivating photographs vividly depict the structures that help tell Kentucky story.

Her new book is an homage to the architecture furniture and other artifacts, unique to Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, all in black and whites, Carol PG.

It is so good to see you again.

It's been a few years into last sat in that chair.

>> It has, indeed is great to be back.

Well, and the last time you were here, we were talking.

We believe it was about the bourbon distillers.

>> The stories.

Yeah.

And I know we thought we talked about Barnes.

Haha.

Yeah, you know, because you have done an amazing photographic and and so much of his been so full and rich in color and the way you capture things that the average observe or would overlook easily.

I want you to talk about really your body of work and how you bring a different perspective or desire to capture something differently.

Then perhaps you've seen it captured and photographed.

Okay.

So the body of work, it's a really diverse body.

Yes, but I will tell you there's a thing >> and its heritage, you know, in particular, Kentucky heritage sites and so I started out interested in industrial archeology, photographing industrial archeology.

And that ended bourbon distilleries because I ended up at the James Pepper Distillery, which at the time this was 11 was abandoned.

And I didn't realize it was a distillery.

When I was photographing it.

I was just interested in our heritage and the industrial heritage in particular around Lexington, because that's where I was at the time.

So that work went on.

That turned into Bertha bourbon.

And then that work went on.

I was interested in how they the stills and how they made the barrels.

Cooperage is and mills and sort of the supporting industries that went along with that.

And so that turned into my second book, which was straight bourbon.

And that was a fun book because it actually had people and then finally I went on to agricultural heritage, which is the Barnes book.

>> So that might have been we were talking about Barnes.

So at that point, you're right.

It was all color.

And I had used a technique called high dynamic range for birth of bourbon because it gave texture and color.

>> And the places I was photographing were abandon primary or they were national historic landmark areas.

And so I wanted to convey age And so what I do typically is I try to match.

I'm the type of photography I'm using with the topic right?

So that's a very grungy kind of in places.

The images because that's what I wanted to convey.

I mean, I see each book as sort of a piece as a work in and of itself.

It's not just the individual photos, although obviously that's part of it.

But it's like that's up.

That in itself is a is a as a product, right?

Right.

And then straight bourbon where I was doing the mills and the stills and the 2 bridges and how they were I wanted that to be a little more glossy, a little more slim.

And so that was and that I actually so out of images from the book.

I bet.

So it has more of the what people are kind of used to saying right then Barnes, you know, I really try to get a lot of landscape in there, but I still stuck with coal are now for this Shaker War.

>> Which is the complete opposite.

It's the complete opposite.

Its black and white.

Yes, >> wind.

>> It's because so the shakers.

The part of the shakers values that really speaks to me.

>> Is, you work as worship >> and so and they were interested in frills.

They were interested in efficiency and perfection.

Creating having on >> you know, we have slogan is like, you know, hands to work hard to You know, he's a gift to be simple, those sorts of things.

And so we sort of identify shaker values with those sorts of words and ideas and values.

So I wanted the photographs to sort of convey that and I feel like black and white gets rid of the distractions.

It breaks it down to the bones, the structure, the light, which of course, has the metaphor of divinity.

And it just shows it sort of at its And that's why I went with black and white on that.

And you know, it's interesting.

The shakers loved collar turns out I don't of color.

You know, that was there one sort of indulgence, I guess, if you will.

So when I photographed that it was digital and I photographed in color.

So I have all the images in then to translated to black and white, you have to seriously saturate that kaja.

And so it was kind of interesting to play with the one thing they would be.

I'm not going to say frivolous because all their call are meant something.

But, you know, to us today, it's sort of like, okay.

So you won't put, you know, a little lace on this, but you'll put, you know, so.

>> So to play with enhancing that in order to turn it into black-white meant that for me, the process was full circle, even though in the end result it's black and white is right.

>> The EU, which do you think they'd appreciate more in your depictions?

That's a really good question.

I appreciate the I mean, do you think that there's a follow-up to this that?

>> Maybe does a side-by-side comparison of the 2.

Well, when we first talked about publishing the book, >> there was talk about putting color and black and white in there the other side right?

But when you put the collar and the black and white side by side, suddenly the eye goes to the color and the black and white right is just it.

It doesn't But when you take the car out, the black and white.

It because it's so big, it's kind of you have to be still to see what's going on in a black and white.

>> That's exact was going to say the exact same thing because it looks like a very simple picture.

But this the shadows that I think are your more captivated by like I don't really notice so much like in a furniture.

Our hallway.

I may notice the furniture, but it's not.

The first thing I notice from a summons is it's the shadow how it hits the hardwood floor.

Yes, right.

Or or the life.

It just really bounces.

And so it does.

You do sit with it a little bit more than just flipping through right?

>> Right now on what you go through car like this, like Hulu.

That's pretty, you And with black and white is sort of like the.

So what's happening here?

Yeah, yeah.

What are you hoping people get out and we should say the book is called Shaker made, by the say that.

>> It's a wonderful coffee table book like I have several of these types of eyes, you know, love to rotate them depending on whos coming over when you know.

and I just think that just beautiful, right.

And there's just small captions.

There's not a story that you're trying to tell in a lot of words, just what it is and it leads to the imagination about will what were they have been doing at this particular time or how would they have used this?

How wasn't functioning for them?

Not just the ornate, a severe lack of ornate Ms.

I think some simplistic and minimalist is so beautiful.

You know, did did they look at that as a sign of beauty or was it just about how it functions and the simplicity of it?

Well, I think it depends on who you're talking to about that.

You I think there are some people who say it was just about function, order >> perfection, balance.

You but I think also if you consider that work was supposed to be worship, right?

I'm sure it wasn't that all the time, I'm sure you've got tedious.

But I think if you think of work is worship then and for some of the Craftsman force, the designers for the for the people who made the spaces, there was the hope they're creating heaven on earth.

And, you know, there was the hope that you can find beauty in There had to be.

You cannot stand in those spaces.

It anytime, you know, other than noon, you know, when there's lights coming in, the wind is whether it's east or west that you're not struck by that.

Yeah.

And if they're not a lot of people in the space, the space itself opens up bright like a like a church.

They were very busy community.

So I'm sure, you know, there were tables and chairs being moved around.

And I mean, there was tons of activity in this space.

And so they would have had the experience that we would have had like when we walk into the dining hall, it's They wouldn't it wouldn't.

But also lots of ice on the kitchens right next door and so heat and smells and all that sort of things going on but I hope because it's empty that the reader might stand in that space and try to imagine all that time that this the space now empty, it's down to its bones.

It's down to its roots.

You know, it's down to its spirit, if you will.

You can stand there and sort of feel it in.

Imagine it.

I want to tell you this one little little story.

So I'm photographing the center family dwelling that you when you walk in, you walk straight into down the hall into a dining And that light was wonderful.

And so a lot of the Becky Souls was the curator and she was so instrumental in how this book turned out.

It's amazing, you know, but she would help me.

She would.

We would bring the artifacts over and set them up and try to get some light.

And so and then I would take a million who would sit there quietly and this one time on photographing believe it was a barometer.

And all of a sudden I hear this noise that sounds like kids in the playground.

And I said we sure school near here and then I thought, well, that's a ridiculous statement.

Were around the it out in the countryside is very rural here, right?

And there was all the sounds of like children and no oys.

And it was as though the place was possessed.

Oh, wow.

And I said to back you, what is that?

And she says, I think it's how the wind comes in and are nice.

Oh, my goodness.

But the sound was of of the place being embody.

Yeah.

And so that made me think about, you know, just standing there.

How much there is not just visually right, but you know that you can hear that you can imagine.

So anyway, I want that's that's beautiful.

I mean, and what time of day did you take?

>> Many of these photographs wasn't always the same time of day or did you know because of the light in the ship's what isn't?

Because it is beautiful to what I was going to ask.

If you did any supplemental lighting know or if you use all natural, all natural and right, Bob.

So whatever nature provides to you that day, that's exhibit even on overcast day.

You can get striking imagery.

Yes, you may have to work out a little bit.

Someone like you could figure it It's not an iPhone most towns iPhones can do today on good.

Yeah.

Haha.

That's filter settings is right there.

No, Carol Pg, right, Nick Ahmed typically.

>> Did a Friday afternoon just once a month because that's sort of what worked for Becky and for myself.

>> Although sometimes it was a little earlier in the day and we did choose, according to the light different buildings.

Michael, we started what was different times of year.

So the sun angle is different.

Even if it's 2 o'clock on a Friday, 2 o'clock on a Friday in August is going to look different.

Right then 2 o'clock, you know, and in November.

so we started out in the meeting meeting Hall in the meeting room and the light was gorgeous.

And I think that probably was And then we moved to center family dwelling because it has more live, has more windows and >> that, though, we start pretty much with those 2.

We went into a couple other buildings, but they weren't any better.

So it was mostly the meeting Hall and the center family dwelling that we use to space and then back he would go into collections, which is, you know, she it's not like it was in the 90's.

When I first started photographing, it was laid out like a living history.

Kind of like Colonial Wayans are right because the saying guy that was curator at colonial Williamsburg, James Lowery Koger.

I believe his name was he was from Kentucky when he finished with Colonial Williamsburg.

He came back to Wound was involved in the restoration Shaker.

Village was an hill.

So the field was very right?

And so you could photograph things laid out like the kitchen was fully, you know, all the stuff.

But now they KET it in collections like a museum, right?

Right.

so Becky would drag it out.

And I would say how today I want to do something on spirituality.

Had a new photograph spirituality.

And so we would talk about it.

And wow, we would drag things out like there's an image in there.

Of.

2 of the sisters Shaker sister shoes might at the foot of a bench and it's kind of close up.

>> And the light just happened to be coming in so that, you know, it comes behind the bench and shoes while and I kept the lights.

Ally could have made it a little brighter.

But I kept it settle because it was about the shoes.

But there's the spirituality.

It's in the meeting room.

You know, and that was our attempt to sort of.

Photograph or talk about spirituality is their feet because of course they you know, and they shook.

And that's where they got the name right Shaker, right?

Yeah.

So that was one of them.

so I was shooting during the pandemic and there weren't very many gas and I went into the trustees building, which is where the U.S., you know, famous spiral staircases are.

There's nobody there.

And there's some renovation going on.

So I got to wander around on my own and I realize why was there?

>> That in many ways the stairs are almost like You know that if you look at the stairs from this angle, you know, it could be in tents, music.

If you look at the stairs from this way, it can be soft music.

And so I photographed the stairs.

I just calm stairs.

But in my mind, you know, as I was photographing, I was trying to capture their movement.

You know, and how that might represent.

The dance was part of their spiritual out.

Wow.

Wow.

Yeah.

>> What did you take away?

What did you learn as you as you put all of this together, like what you emotions or new understanding.

Do you have about how about Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill?

There's still so much more to be still with them and to fund.

I like to photograph the intimate like you asked me earlier about how mines different from what you see?

You know, I'm not as much on the big grand landscape and I like to >> come in more intimately and more personally in a way.

And I just feel like.

You know, my take away is there's so much more to sit with just so much more to sit with their yeah.

>> And we think about like in furniture, you know, shaker style cabinetry and all these things that have been kind of commercialized, right?

And we think of when we think some of us were think of shaker items, we think of how they were made to be sold.

But there is more reverence right for what they made by hand crafts furniture, all of those things that perhaps you're giving greater justice to.

>> Well, it's what we have to represent their values is what we have left to represent their values right?

They made things for the world's people to be sold, you as shoes, boxes chairs.

But they made it first for themselves.

It was functional, you know, so there might be a cabinet that only fits in one place in one building.

Haha.

>> So so, yes, there are which become commercial became commercial us which are high and so ironic because they wanted to transcend triad, material goods.

>> And here we are like, oh, give me your material goods.

Let lots of money.

During that short shaker fever.

>> In the maybe even sooner earlier than that.

>> But yeah, there is one of the shaker sister said I think it Mary Settles.

Who was the last shaker at Pleasant Hill?

>> She hope I'm not just remembered as a chair right, which I think was her speaking to.

There was so much more about this.

Utopian communal group >> that excepted you that, you know, transcended gender and race and capability and where you're from and what you believe.

You know, they just sort of I wanted you to come in and what we have to interpret them.

From is there chairs in their boxes, right shoes in there.

Ruggs in their lemons that they made theirs.

They had a so.

so anyway, yeah, it was an amazing.

>> Collection of photographs since like that's under an understatement in some because it is so beautiful.

And those of us who've Bennett weddings and other events there.

It's been a while since I've taken taken that windy Road.

It's a beautiful drive in a season except maybe the winter.

And I do hope people will visit and take the book Yeah, right.

And just kind of relive it in and see what you are trying to capture as they stand in those spaces and just be still.

as someone who practices mindfulness, I think that would be a good practice, right?

Just beautiful to just be still and let them speak to to you as as they have to you and the book.

So thank you.

Carol Lin is always wonderful to see you.

And I can't wait for your next adventure.

It will have to have you back.

Thanks so much.

Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Absolutely.

Thanks so much for joining me for connections today.

Check us out on our website and listen to the show on broadcast.

Also KET in touch with me on the social media channels until I see you again.

Take really good care.