The tenor of the talks programme is set by participating experts in the field, including Colin Ford CBE; curator and writer William Ewing; Quentin Bajac, chief curator of photography at MoMA; Elisabeth Sussman, the Sondra Gilman curator of photography at the Whitney Museum; Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Tobia Bezzola, director of the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany; and Tim Marlow, director of artistic programmes at the Royal Academy of Arts. As well as topics germane to both private and institutional collectors of photography, discussions explore issues and ideas such as the impact of Instagram and the ‘dissolution’ of photography.

Talks take place at spaces around Somerset House. The informal environment of the Fernandez & Wells café provides the background to intimate conversations with photographers including as Sze Tsung Leong, Nadav Kander and Alida Rodrigues, conversations on collecting, and ‘Desert Island Pics’, presented by Photoworks. The Screening Room at Somerset House houses discussions on curating, and interviews with artists Stephen Gill, Esther Teichmann, Tom Hunter, Idris Khan and Susan Derges. The lecture theatre of the Courtauld Institute is the venue for interviews and debates, including Sebastião Salgado interviewed by Leo Johnsons as well as lectures on artistic practices by LaToya Ruby Frazier and Mitch Epstein. On Saturday the FT Weekend, Photo London's global media partner,‎ has curated a day of panel discussions and interviews culminating with a lecture on portraiture at the Courtauld by historian Simon Schama.

TALKS AND LIVE EVENTS PROGRAMME

20 MAY (PREVIEW DAY) 2pm - 3.30pm Colin Ford and Tobia Bezzola Screening Room 3pm - 4.30pm Louise Clements: On Collections Fernandez & Wells 3.30pm - 5pm Francis Hodgson and Don McCullin Screening Room 5pm - 6 pm William Ewing: Curating Photography: A Personal Approach Screening Room 5pm - 6pm An audience with Sze Tzung Leong Fernandez & Wells

21 MAY 12.30 pm - 1.30pm Jan Brykczynski with Diane Smyth Screening Room 2pm - 3.30pm Idris Khan, Susan Derges and Martin Barnes in conversation Screening Room 3pm - 4.30pm An audience with Nadav Kander Fernandez & Wells 3.30pm - 5pm James Hyman and Quentin Bajac in conversation Screening Room 5pm - 6.30pm Annebella Pollen and Erik Kessels Fernandez & Wells 5pm - 6.30pm Thames & Hudson: The Art of Collecting Contemporary Photography Screening Room 6pm – 8pm Panel Discussion: Collecting as A Creative Art National Portrait Gallery 6.30pm - 7.30pm An audience with Alida Rodrigues Fernandez & Wells 7:30pm Stephen Shore: Exploration and Innovation National Portrait Gallery

22 MAY 3pm - 4.30pm An audience with Ori Gersht Fernandez and Wells 3.30 - 5 pm Tim Marlow and Rut Blees Luxemburg: London and the Narrative of the City Space Screening Room 5pm - 6.30pm An audience with Edmund Clark Fernandez & Wells 5 - 6.30 pm Esther Teichmann in conversation with Tom Hunter, chaired by Sue Steward: Staging Beauty Screening Room 6pm - 8pm ‘The Dissolution of Photography’ featuring Julian Stallabrass, Jessica Barker, Alexander Garcia Düttmann and Olivier Richon Courtauld Lecture Theatre

23 MAY 2.30pm - 3.55pm Sebastião Salgado interviewed by Leo Johnson The Courtauld Institute 3pm - 4.30pm Fiona Rogers and Corinne Silva in conversation Fernandez & Wells 3.55pm - 5.25pm LaToya Ruby Frazier and David Campany The Courtauld Institute 5.35pm - 7pm Simon Schama on Portraiture The Courtauld Institute 6.30pm - 7.30pm Photoworks presents ‘Desert Island Pics’ with Martin Barnes Fernandez & Wells

24 MAY 12.30pm - 1.30pm Michael Hoppen, Sofia Vollmer de Maduro and Lisa Erf in conversation The Courtauld Institute 2pm - 3.30pm Newsha Tavakolian and Jane Hilton, with Cheryl Newman Screening Room 2.30pm - 3.55pm Kate Barrett hosts a Q&A with Rankin The Courtauld Institute 2.30pm Steve McCurry Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, Kings College 3pm - 4.30pm An audience with Calum Colvin Fernandez & Wells 3.30pm - 5pm Vali Mahlouji in conversation Screening Room 3.55pm - 5.25pm Mitch Epstein and Elisabeth Sussman The Courtauld Institute 5pm - 6pm An audience with Stephen Gill Screening Room 5pm - 6.30pm Mike Trow in conversation with Craig Atkinson Fernandez & Wells 5.35pm - 7pm Jennifer Higgie & Stephen Shore on Instagram The Courtauld Institute

In addition to the lively programme at Somerset House, London’s photo week extends to satellite events at partner institutions including American Power, Mitch Epstein’s collaboration with composer and cellist Erik Friedlander, at the Victoria & Albert Museum; lectures by Todd Hido and Stephen Shore at the National Portrait Gallery; and Steve McCurry discussing the communities portrayed in his new book In These Hands: A Journey Along the Coffee Trail at King’s College.

Exhibiting publishers Hatje Cantz, Dewis Lewis and Phaidon host afternoon book signings at their booths in the Great Arch Hall of Somerset House, with Jon Tonks, Simon Norfolk, Edmund Clark, Tom Hunter, Martin Parr and Eva Vermandel among the names already confirmed.

PHOTO LONDON PARTICIPATING GALLERIES 2015:

Amana (amanasalto / IMA) (Tokyo) Atlas Gallery (London) Ayyam Gallery (Beirut, Dubai, London) Ben Brown Fine Arts (London) Bernard Quaritch Ltd (London) Bernheimer (Lucerne, Munich) Blanca Berlín (Madrid) Camera Work (Berlin) Caroline Smulders (Paris) Christophe Guye Galerie (Zurich) Crane Kalman (Brighton) Danziger Gallery (New York) Edwynn Houk Gallery (New York, Zurich) Eleven Fine Art (London) Eric Franck Fine Art (London) Flowers Gallery (London, New York) Galerie Ernst Hilger (Vienna) Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire (Paris) Galerie Lumière des Roses (Paris) Galerie Pavlova (Berlin) Galerie Polaris (Paris) Galerie Thomas Zander (Cologne) GALLERY FIFTY ONE (Antwerp) Gazelli Art House (Baku, London) Grimaldi Gavin (London) HackelBury Fine Art (London)

Howard Greenberg Gallery (New York) in camera (Paris) Ingleby Gallery (Edinburgh) James Hyman Gallery (London) Kahmann Gallery (Amsterdam) Kasher|Potamkin (New York) La Galerie Particulière (Paris) LAMB Arts (London, São Paulo) Les Douches La Galerie (Paris) Michael Hoppen Gallery (London) Michael Reid (Sydney) Nailya Alexander Gallery (New York) Paul Kasmin Gallery (New York) Peter Fetterman Gallery (Santa Monica) Photo Gallery International (Tokyo) Pi Artworks (Istanbul, London) Polka Galerie (Paris) Purdy Hicks Gallery (London) Riflemaker (London) Robert Hershkowitz (Lindfield, London) Robert Klein Gallery (Boston) Robert Morat (Berlin, Hamburg) Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography (Brighton) ROSEGALLERY (Santa Monica)

SCHEUBLEIN + BAK (Zurich) School Gallery / Olivier Castaing (Paris) Steven Kasher Gallery (New York) Sundaram Tagore Gallery (New York, Hong Kong, Singapore) Taka Ishii Gallery (Tokyo, Paris) Tasveer (Bangalore) The Little Black Gallery (London) The Photographers’ Gallery (London) The Ravestijn Gallery (Amsterdam) The Wapping Project Bankside (London) Timothy Taylor (London) Tristan Hoare Gallery (London) Yossi Milo Gallery (New York)

DISCOVERY SECTION: A.I. (London) Edel Assanti (London) G/P Gallery (Tokyo) Galerie Vanessa Quang (Paris) IBASHO (Antwerp) PUG (Oslo) Roman Road (London) Tiwani Contemporary (London)