The Public House, the pub, with maybe the church, was once at the centre of every English community. In my parent’s generation most men, and sometimes women, would have ‘a local’ a place to go and chat with friends about their lives, their troubles, or at least how poorly their football team were playing that week.

“Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, come to the community and share the gospel”. I’m sitting in the small very busy office at Sanctuary, the night shelter for the homeless in Gravesend, talking to Steve Nolan. Steve and his wife Lorna are the unpaid Project Managers for Sanctuary.

For me visiting a new city follows something of a regular pattern. For the first few hours, I don't like it, wherever it is. That's pretty much a given. It could be the holiday destination of your dreams - I won't like it. They could be scattering orchid petals in front of me on the street - I still won't like it. Period.

I have a great fondness for small-town America. That eclectic mix of industry, commerce and residence rarely fails to entrance me. One of my longest-held ambitions is to take a few months out and complete a long-term documentary photography project in a small American town.

If you're interested in photography it's likely you know this photograph. What you may not know is the story of the people behind it; Edward Crawford, who's throwing the tear gas canister and Robert Cohen, the photographer. The story is told in a recent episode of the excellent Criminal Podcast.

I had a great couple of hour shooting some street portraits in Gravesend last Sunday. I took the opportunity to hand out some of my 'We Are Gravesend' flyers, hopefully, I contacted with some interested participants.

It's such a great feeling to have finally started my personal project about my home town, Gravesend, Kent. Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting and interviewing Genevieve 'Genny' Jones, an inspirational woman and one of the real life-bloods of our community. If there's a community event in Gravesend it's likely somewhere behind it will be Genny Jones - The Confident Queen.

I wrote in my last post how I was being inspired by the podcasts of documentary radio producers talking about their work, as much as by the work itself. I'm still riding that particular inspiration roller coaster and I'm enjoying it. Earlier this week I listened to an episode of How Sound which underlined everything I'd been thinking about the power of documentary radio.

I have, I'm aware, a tendency to get a little obsessive about things I like. I'm also aware this may get 'a little' boring for those around me, as I preach on the subject of my latest obsession. Which, ironically, I realise is exactly what I'm about to do here. I can't help it. I'm so convinced that you'll join me at the heights of appreciation, as soon as you know about 'the thing', that you'll forgive the pushing and cajoling that's caused you to relent.

In this video, Henk Wildschut revisits the site of the Calais camps he previously photographed in his series Shelter. It highlights the difficult circumstances of those waiting to get to cross the English Channel, many risking life and limb to make the crossing. It vividly shows that the view of these migrants from either side of the channel is never clear-cut.

This Rave Late video features Documentary and Editorial Photographer Laura Pannack talking about her experiences working on both commissions and personal projects.

It's interesting to hear about how she instigates projects, preferring to concentrate on subjects she feels passionate about rather than those which may be more obviously commercial.

I think I've mentioned here before the excellent Documentary Review Podcast. Actually it occurs to me that by saying 'I think' I may give you the impression that I've been too lazy to check. I'm not taking you for granted, dear reader. It's just that, well, I suspect that I may not have mentioned it before, which would, I'm afraid, have been dreadfully remiss of me.

I finally got around to watching Tomas Leach's documentary about Saul Leiter I mentioned last week. He's such an inspiring photographer, I love his use of minimalist composition and those amazing flashes of colour.

Which way is the frontline from here?, is a film by journalist Sebastian Junger about his RESTREPO co-director British photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington.

Hetherington was sadly killed in Libya in 2011. I, unfortunately, only became aware of Tim's work following his death.

Good documentary photography is a mixed blessing. Yes, it enlightens, it inspires, but for much of the time, it shows the vast majority of us how lucky we are and what tough lives some of us live. This is particularly true for the work of Jim Mortram.