Issue 139 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! Lots of new stuff going on these days. For starters, Labor Day (September 6th this year) is the unofficial end of summer and at about the same time is the beginning of the school year. For whatever crazy reason for me it symbolizes that the party is over and it’s time to get back to work and organization.
The summer is typically a time of creativity run rampant. That is what it was this year. While I have produced quite a bit of street photography and art, what I have now is a huge mess that needs to put in some kind of order. Do you recognize patterns in your work that align with the seasons?
By the time we get to the end of the year I hope to have completed that task so as to be able to assess what really stands out for the year. That is to say, what I have accomplished. I find that when the daylight hours decrease and the temperature starts to drop that I take more time doing these things.
The good news on the business front is that people are beginning to book private workshops in September and October. While the pandemic has certainly slowed business down and especially internationally, it has likely also been that people have been avoiding the July and August summer weather as well.
If I owe you a workshop and you’ll be in the neighborhood, let me know. Thanks to everyone who bought gift certificates from me at the beginning of the pandemic. I don’t know how I could’ve managed without you. And welcome to all of the new subscribers.
As always, happy shooting and stay safe!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
Caution
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Did you know?
You can like the newsletter at the top and at the bottom of this issue? You can also share it on all of the usual platforms. And, best yet, you can comment! Yes, your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Dialogue is cool
Update on New York City
There’s lots going on here in New York City. While a large percentage of New Yorkers have been vaccinated, most people are still wearing masks outdoors and indoors. Many businesses are now requiring proof of vaccine for entry.
That list includes restaurants for dining indoors and museums as well as many stores. As well, there have been many free events for vaccinated people only. So if you’re planning on visiting it is worth checking out what’s available for free. Generally, Gothamist is a good site for that.
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade was of course canceled. Then it was announced that it would be held in September. Then it was canceled again because of the Delta variant of Covid-19.
There are no less than a million people lining the streets and the boardwalk for this yearly event that coincides with the Summer Solstice. Perhaps it will return next year. We can only hope.
If you were hoping to take photos from The Vessel in Hudson Yards, you can scratch that off your list. It is likely closed for good after a fourth person took their life jumping off of it in July.
I was able to get some photos of it back in 2019 as part of a private tour and I have to say that I didn’t find it all that interesting to photograph from on it or of it. You will likely still be able to capture a photo like the one above minus the people on it.
That said, the observation deck in Hudson Yards is supposed to be really cool and it now has competition with the observation deck at 1 Vanderbilt next to Grand Central Terminal opening in the next few weeks.
There’s no lack of things to do in the city. The latest thing is a large Ferris Wheel in Times Square designed very specifically for tourists. That’s right, that is an invitation. But it’s only going to be there till about the middle of September.
What’s in a Picture?
More and more people want to know if their photos are good. They want critique. This is good as it signals a desire to become better at photography. Street photography is a fabulous activity, but at the end of the day you say what next?
I have attempted to get the Facebook group for Shoot New York City to spend more time critiquing each others photos. But there are a number of reasons why social media is not necessarily the best place for that.
For starters, many don’t feel that they have the language or the knowledge to critique each others photos. It often seems like you have to be a curator of photography to be qualified to do that.
What I’d like to propose is that we all take part as a group in exploring how to critique a photo. There are many different methods of doing that. But I propose that there is no single correct way of doing so.
The above photo by Helen Levitt might be a good place to start. If you imagine a story that goes along with the photo, that’s good. If you are looking at the composition, that is also good.
I propose that you respond to this newsletter with what you see and why you think the photo works, or not. I will include your critiques in the next newsletter and it will be without your names.
You can also send me a photo that you would like others to critique. Again, it’s all anonymous as I realize that many are not comfortable doing a new exercise such as this. I’d like to think that with a little practice we can all begin to feel comfortable with developing a method that is true to our own feelings about talking about what makes a photo work, or not.
I also think that it’s important that you feel that your opinion is valid and that an advanced degree is not required to share your comments.
A Year in Pictures
We are three quarters of the way through 2021. I’m still wondering what happened to 2020 and simultaneously in shock about how this year is quickly fading.
My personal feelings aside, it is a good time to begin organizing what you’ve done photographically this year and which photos really stand out.
So first off I go through my photos and add keywords to those that I didn’t manage to do. I always try to be organized and usually I’m doing so many things at once that I never quite get it all done.
I should step back and say a few things. First of all, there’s no good reason to be overly critical of your photos. My photo above will certainly not win any contests. But it works as a photo that captured Midtown Manhattan in the winter during Covid-19.
I only really looked at this photo when preparing this issue of the newsletter. I typically add copyright information when importing my photos. What I didn’t add was a few keywords like steam and Midtown.
Perhaps I am always multitasking. Determining what I accomplished this year is something that occurs while organizing my photo library. It forces me to look at the photos that I remember as well as those that I don’t even remember taking.
No matter how you assess what you’ve accomplished this year, now is a good time to start the process. Even if you just set aside and hour every week, that will be a really good method rather than waiting till the end of the year. And yes, we will have a year end assignment to choose your top photos.
Social Media Corner
You can rant and rave all you like about social media here. Yes, we all love to hate it for many reasons and maybe, just maybe, one of you readers can enlighten us with how to game the system or just cool things going on out there.
I posted the above photo because it might have the most likes ever for me on Instagram, not that I’m actually counting. Actually, today I have a new complaint. There are way too many videos. It’s annoying. Most of them are crap and they use trendy songs to grab your attention.
I’ve thought about doing a video. But now I realize that I don’t want to be yet another video that weighs down a sign in to your feed. Maybe there’s some good news though. Maybe.
There’s a new app out there called Glass. It’s a subscription based app. $29 for the first year. No ads, no selling away your privacy and so far, no videos. But there aren’t a whole lot of features yet. It is apparently invitation only. But I think that might just be a bit of a marketing ploy. Or a method of getting money to finance it.
I will write more about it as things advance. If you hear of anything, let me know.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Post & Comment
The point of this assignment is to post a photo that you would like others to comment on, to critique (not criticize) in your own manner. It can be about the rules of composition, the story in your mind when seeing the photo or anything else that can be of help to the photog as well as your own ability to provide constructive comments.
You can interpret this assignment and don’t be afraid to post creative photos. As well, it’s good to know why you chose the photos you did and it’s maybe best to post them individually so they don’t get buried.
This is a voluntary assignment if you want to take part. You can submit your photos to the Facebook group for Shoot New York City and also on Instagram tag @shootnycity. If you're not a member of the Facebook group yet, all you have to do is request to join.
It would be great if as a group people would comment on photos submitted as well. Let's have fun! Happy shooting and sharing! And you can connect with other people that you share an interest with.
Further Viewing:
Did you know that Viggo Mortensen is also a photographer? I like Tatiana’s videos as they are not the typical slickly made pitches.
Upcoming Workshops:
Workshops are still a maximum of 3 people. Social distancing and masks are required. And with fewer people in each workshop everyone can gain even more individual attention.
For those who haven't done a workshop or photo tour with me in the past I have a number of reviews on my website and also on TripAdvisor! Workshops are both for people who live here and also travelers, as are photo tours.
Photo tours are one-on-one and arranged on an individual basis for both neighborhood and photographic style and can be designed as a workshop as well. They are customized to your interests and level. Thank you for your patience and Stay Safe!
Thanks for taking the time to pull these newsletters together. I look forward to receiving them and I find them insightful and inspiring. Hope to see you again soon.