Photographing the Invisible: A Talk with Shannon Taggart

For Episode 13 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome Shannon Taggart, an American photographer, writer, researcher, and curator known for exploring how photography can navigate boundaries between the seen and unseen. Her book, Séance (Fulger Press, 2019), offers hundreds of photographs documenting contemporary Spiritualism across the U.S. and Britain. We discuss (3:26) what sparked Shannon’s interests in Spiritualism, the intersecting histories of photography and Spiritualism, ectoplasm, what inspires people to become mediums, and the techniques she developed for photographing the invisible. Shannon Taggart Website Seánce Lily Dale Symposium, 2025 CSWR Events May 1, 6-8pm EDT: Peripheries Launch Event, Volume 7 May 15-17: Thinking with Plants and Fungi Conference