EP54 | Chris Owens | Patterns, Portraits and Pictures | Local Heroes Podcast

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan talk to award-winning portrait photographer, Chris Owens about building a career behind the lens and finding your voice in a changing industry. From his early days learning in the darkroom to adapting through the digital revolution, Chris reflects on how discipline, curiosity and human connection shaped the way he sees the world — and why photographing people is as much about psychology as it is about technique.

The conversation explores the tension between commercial success and personal fulfilment — chasing big campaigns, navigating industry gatekeepers, and resisting the pressure to become “known” for one particular look. Chris shares honest insights into representation, rejection, resilience, and the reality of sustaining a long-term career in photography while staying true to your instincts.

They also dive into social media, the democratisation of image-making, and the rise of AI. Rather than fearing it, Chris sees AI as another inevitable shift — arguing that in a world flooded with flawless visuals - imperfection, lived experience and genuine storytelling will only grow in value.

It’s a thoughtful take on where the creative industry is heading and what will continue to matter.

The episode also touches on the birth of Pattern — Chris’s people-first storytelling platform born during lockdown — and how it’s become both a personal outlet and a powerful connector. Expect strong opinions on the debate of our times - curry vs gravy, last meal lasagne, and the ever present Greggs Order.

A wide-ranging, grounded conversation about growth, identity, and doing work that means something.

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EP79 | Helen Stewart | Pigs, Poultry & Produce | Local Heroes Podcast

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan are joined by farmer and trained shepherdess Helen Stewart for a conversation about farming, food, family heritage and what it really takes to get ...

22 Elo 1h 57min

EP78 | Ian Wright | Risk, Relationships & Reinvention | Local Heroes Podcast

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan are joined by Sunderland-born designer, photographer and entrepreneur Ian Wright for a conversation about creativity, confidence and what can happe...

15 Elo 2h 20min

EP77 | The Colmans | Cake, Colmans and Community | Local Heroes Podcast

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan welcome Richard and Dominic Colman back to the studio to talk about an extraordinary year for one of South Shields’ best-known hospitality families...

8 Elo 1h 55min

EP76 | John Nejjy | Boilies, Banter and Belonging | Local Heroes Podcast

This week, Chris and Dan are joined by South Shields-born producer, filmmaker and content creator John Nejjy for a conversation about creativity, curiosity and using social media to tell better storie...

1 Elo 1h 54min

EP75 | Luke Smith | Stills, Slugs and Sausage Rolls | Local Heroes Podcast

This week on the Local Heroes podcast, Chris and Dan met Luke Smith - a distiller who survived an explosion that blew his hat off, built his first still at fifteen, and once sent Chris home from a rum...

25 Heinä 1h 26min

EP74 | Jo Milne & Steve White | Empathy, Awareness and Understanding | Local Heroes Podcast

Jo Milne and Steve White join us for a conversation about empathy, connection and what it means to truly understand the world from someone else’s perspective. Jo lives with Usher syndrome, a condition...

18 Heinä 1h 29min

EP73 Paul Mort | Moments, Motivation and Mentors | Local Heroes Podcast

Paul Mort is known for his energy, honesty and no-nonsense approach to business and life, but behind the success is a story very few people know. In this episode, Paul opens up about building a busine...

11 Heinä 1h 34min

EP72 Claire Liddle | Cake, Courage and Comeback | Local Heroes Podcast

What happens when you lose everything, and have to rebuild your life from the ground up? In one of our most powerful conversations yet, Claire Liddle shares her extraordinary journey from childhood tr...

4 Heinä 1h 17min