Issue 191 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! I’m trying to get back on schedule here. I live and breathe photography, everyday and all the time. But there’s so much to do.
All the photos in this issue were taken during a street photography workshop in Midtown Manhattan on 22 October 2023. It is perhaps my favorite neighborhood to shoot in because of the sheer numbers of people and diversity.
I am so fortunate to meet so many people from around the world and from all kinds of backgrounds and ages, Thank you so very much for choosing me to provide a tour or street photography workshop. Your level of experience with a camera or even just shooting with your phone works as well. We always find a method to enjoy our time together shooting the streets of New York City!
And thank you to all the subscribers free and paid. Your contributions are always welcome.
As always, Happy Shooting!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
If you find this newsletter helpful, you can buy me a coffee or a book. Just click on the link Buy Me a Coffee page
I write this newsletter to share my thoughts & experiences on street photography. I hope that you find it of use in your journey. If you are able to, you can support me by buying me a coffee. No sweat if you’re unable to contribute. The newsletter is free for all. Thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee!!! Maybe one day we’ll be able to have a coffee in person. Mucho love.
Notes on Street Photography - Part three
In Part one of Notes on Street Photography, I wrote about preparation. The first thing I do when I begin shooting for a day, is just stop and get a feel for the environment. As an observer, I’m not there to influence the surroundings. Merely to capture what I see.
So I start by standing relatively still. I guess it’s a kind of meditation, getting into the groove. So I snap a few photos to check my exposure and then I attempt to ignore previewing photos so I can concentrate on observing and shooting.
There’s so much going on that fiddling with camera settings or looking at the photos you just took is a great way to miss a lot of incredible photos. I shoot almost like I’m shooting film. And I’m shooting film these days too.
I also advise people to walk slowly. I walk with a cane which means I have to walk slowly. But even before that I found myself slowing down to be able to actually see what’s going on.
In the above photo, I was standing still waiting for them to walk into my frame where I wanted to them. It’s great to get composition in camera when you can. I almost never crop my photos. But it’s not a sin to crop. I’m just too lazy.
Sometimes I shoot using the viewfinder. It is a very effective method of being able to compose a photo. I once wanted to be a cinematographer. So seeing in frames is something that is habit to me.
I have gotten pretty comfortable shooting with my 2 digital cameras. They are the Fuji X-Pro 3 and the X-100 V. And my most favorite style of shooting is from the hip or the chest or even just free styling.
Shooting without looking is very liberating. In my street photography workshops, I have people try it out. And they tend to like it.
I like to be involved in what’s going on around me. to be able to see in all directions and not say that I missed a shot unless it turns out badly. You can’t miss a shot if you don’t press the shutter. The more than I shoot without looking, the more I like it. It’s a ton of fun and it’s always fairly imperfect.
Street photography is unpredictable and to me that is a very important part of the whole process. I don’t want to go out with expectations about what I want to shoot or previous knowledge of what I’ll find.
To make the connection to meditation again, street photography is at its best when I’m in the moment and I can respond to it by capturing it. Blink an eye and the moment is past.
You can’t make it up. If you could I would quickly lose interest. I’d get bored. There’s so much on the streets that isn’t part of the whole social media and news cycle. That’s a lot more to life than what is online and digitized for our convenience.
Have an open mind! That is oh so important. Use all of your senses to get in touch with your environment. Standing at a busy intersection is amazing for all of the possibilities.
In Part two of Notes on Street Photography, I wrote about street photography being like hip hop music and that we are always sampling the work that we see everyday. And part of my mantra is that we should also be looking at the work of other photographers and artists.
It’s how we get permission to do things that we thought weren’t okay or just for a little inspiration to do something different.
I call what I do street photography and that is one part of what I do. But I often ask people if it’s important to call what you do street photography? Or does it just happen that what you do fits into that genre?
Street photography is how I experience life. It’s how I participate in life. If I was looking to become rich and famous, I would perhaps choose a different path. But it isn’t about that. Not even about the social media likes and follows.
I shoot, therefore I am - to put a spin on Descartes. I would love to hear your comments and/or suggestions. My aim is to make this newsletter more of a dialogue that a monologue. to share what I can about street photography and hopefully help you in your pursuit of it.
Biweekly Photo Assignment -Solo Person
Over time, I’ve discovered that I often capture a single person in my photos. Your assignment, if you choose to do so, is to post photos of a single person. And yes, creativity is always welcome.
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 @shootnewyorkcity. If you're not a member of the Facebook group yet, all you have to do is request to join.
Shoot New York City Zines - Gift Ideas
Did you know that I have 2 limited editions zines that are signed and numbered? Yes! You can see and order them in my shop. And they ship international as well. Looking for a gift for the photographer in your life? Thanks for supporting the work of an independent artist!
Further Viewing
I recently started following Olga Karlovac on Instagram and I’m really enjoying her work. If you like high contract monochrome and blur you’ll probably like her work.
Upcoming Workshops
Workshops are a maximum of 5 people Workshops are only scheduled on weekend days. If you would like to have a weekday workshop or a workshop in other areas of NYC, let me know with some lead time and I’ll see if others want to also attend it. Otherwise I continue to provide private workshops on weekdays and in other neighborhoods.
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.
Social media is the last thing on my mind when I’m shootings on the streets. I love finding the zone and staying in it. It honestly my happy place. I have really been there in a while but I find it, it’s bliss.