An international supermodel, a photography industry heavyweight who has swapped New York for Sheffield and a South Yorkshire entrepreneur are joining forces for a new podcast exploring the extraordinary power of images.

Filmed in the city, The Image Makers is a ten-part series developed by Cultura Creative, the Kelham Island-based visual content business founded by Christina Vaughan.

It brings together three leading figures whose careers have taken them to the heart of the global photography, fashion and creative industries.

Former supermodel Heather Stewart-Whyte, internationally renowned photography expert Stephen Mayes and Sheffield-born businesswoman Christina Vaughan explore how images influence everything from our identities and relationships to the way we see the world.

Launching this week, the podcast tackles subjects ranging from changing beauty standards and the pressures of social media to artificial intelligence, fashion and the power of visual imagery.

Stephen Mayes has recently made the Steel City his home after spending 25 years in New York, where he built an international career at the forefront of photography.

A former Senior Vice President (SVP) and Group Creative Director of Getty Images, he has worked with some of the world’s leading photographers and artists, including Tim Hetherington, Steven Meisel and David LaChapelle.

Fellow presenter Heather Stewart-Whyte was one of the defining faces of the 1990s supermodel era, appearing on the covers of Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar and working with fashion houses including Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Versace.

Before founding Cultura Creative, Christina Vaughan spent more than three decades at the forefront of the global photography industry, helping shape its transition from analogue to digital imagery and pioneering new approaches to image licensing.

She founded Image Source, building it into one of the world’s leading independent image libraries and earning the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Christina Vaughan said: “Images have an extraordinary influence on our lives, often in ways we don’t even realise. They shape how we see ourselves, how we judge other people and increasingly what we believe to be true.

“Between us, we’ve spent decades working in very different parts of the image industry and witnessed some extraordinary changes.

“But this isn’t a podcast just for photographers or people working in fashion. It’s about issues that affect everybody, particularly when social media and artificial intelligence are changing our relationship with images almost daily.

“We want to share our experiences, challenge some assumptions and encourage people to think differently about the images they encounter every day.”

The series also explores the pressures facing young people growing up in an increasingly image-conscious society, the realities behind the glamour of the fashion industry and questions surrounding who owns and profits from the photographs we see.

The Image Makers launched on Tuesday 20 October at 5pm, with a second episode following on Thursday 22 October. Further episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays. The podcast will be available on major platforms including Spotify and Audible, with filmed episodes on YouTube.