Issue 155 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! Welcome to all the new subscribers to the newsletter and thank you to all of you who been following me throughout the years. And thank you to everyone taking my workshops! It is a pleasure to meet and shoot with you.
This newsletter could be subtitled, the Daido Moriyama issue. I take inspiration here and there from many photographers and artists. I take inspiration everywhere and all the time. So much so that I often forget where it comes from.
It is very likely that I started doing my lift and shoot technique because of Daido Moriyama. It is important to spend time viewing the work of other photographers and artists to be inspired and also to see what’s possible.
Your homework if you choose to do so is spend some quality time with the work of other artists. Happy shooting!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
Reader’s Comment
The Shoot New York City newsletter exists for you, the readers. And, your comments and suggestions are always welcome. One of the major issues of social media sites is that there’s no dialogue.
There is much that we can all share about our experiences in photography and it’s so easy to comment on the newsletter. Just hit reply in your email or on the button below
One reader commented
Applied some of your suggestions and starting working on processing my photos, cleaning up the metadata! Thanks for the tips.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy that it was helpful. Do keep us informed on your progress and what’s working, what’s not and any other points that you find important. I imagine that others would also find this of interest and even have other methods. Thank you.
I attempt to provide interesting and useful information to you readers. If you like this newsletter you can buy me a coffee. Just click on the link Buy Me a Coffee page
I love coffee and I love it when I get treated to one :-) But 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 again. Mucho love.
Finding Inspiration - Part Two
The photographer should just shoot whatever he observes, using all his senses, and if possible unselectively. Daido Moriyama
How do you find inspiration is one of the most important questions in the arts. Writers and artists alike frequently talk about their muse. That person or thing that inspires them.
If you concentrate too hard on finding your muse, you may not find her. She is often there in front of you without being able to see her. Inspiration is fickle. Routine is one method of killing inspiration.
I like Moriyama’s quote because it neatly ties into a technique that I’ve been using a lot lately, I call it lift and shoot. It’s like a gym exercise. You get lost in the reps. You’re no longer thinking about each individual movement. Being in the zone.
Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information. Man Ray
Being inspired with the process of shooting street is the first place to begin. As you have noticed, I always write happy shooting in every issue. Yes, you should be happy shooting. (If you’re not I’d like to hear why.)
Some of my favorite photos were taken lifting the camera and shooting, like the above and below photos. And if you’re not constantly previewing your photos you will arrive at home and discover that you captured photos that surprise you.
I often don’t recall taking some of my favorite photos because I’m too involved in the act of shooting. Reviewing and editing photos is best left to do after the day of shooting is over. Maybe even waiting a day or so afterward.
Yesterday, for example, I took an enormous number of shots, But I haven’t looked at a single one of them. To spend too much time wondering whether a shot is good enough or not contradicts the whole point of a snapshot - that would be a contradiction in terms. Daido Moriyama
There was a time when I thought it odd or even unwelcome to call street photography snapshots. But the truth is, that is exactly what they are. The element of chance is important. You could also call it point and shoot.
Chance applies to the weather on any given day that we decide to shoot. It applies to the not knowing who or what we are going to encounter. It also applies to how we shoot, how we respond to taking the shot.
Sometimes you can take a shot by accident. In French the term au hasard applies to both accident and luck. Either way, it wasn’t planned. Stating the obvious, you can’t plan street photography! So maybe it’s time to acknowledge that and let things happen.
I am a passionate lover of the snapshot because of all photographic images, it comes closest to the truth. Lisette Model
Street photography like all art forms, is a form of personal communication. With that comes a sense of fear or rejection. “Maybe people won’t like my photo.” That’s the last thing that you should be thinking about.
Social media can whether we acknowledge it or not, create a trap. The other day a woman who is a very good photographer was concerned because she hadn’t received many likes on her new photos.
Yes, it takes courage to share your photography with others. I know that I often try to understand the photos that people like and those that they don’t like. That is true of my own photos and those by other photographers.
But please, don;’t think about these things when you’re shooting and if it all possible, don’t think about them when you’re posting them.
Of course, clearly, everyone has preferences, and a person can’t love everything that’s out there. But if you’re too fastidious and fussy, and you won’t try this or that, you end up missing out. Daido Moriyama
People often say that my enthusiasm for photography is contagious and that they are inspired by shooting with me. They say how did you see that? Of course, I’m shooting all of the time and with repetition it becomes easier to take advantage of many different techniques.
It’s possible that shooting with a friend can be helpful as well. But if you’re both inclined to do things the same way it might not be helpful.
Certainly, I’ll be writing more about finding inspiration. In fact, I’m always attempting to provide you with ideas about finding inspiration in street photography and especially in helping you to discover your own style.
I would love to hear your comments about this article and also about ways that you find inspiration or even about feeling uninspired.
Daido Moriyama - How I take Photos
I referenced this book throughout this issue. It’s about 200 pages with plenty of photos and good text. It’s a book that you can pick up and read a bit and gain something from it.
It’s written in a very plain understandable way and it is worth the $20 it cost. You don’t even need to like Moriyama’s photography to benefit from his words of wisdom about shooting street photography.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about his philosophy on shooting or even his photography. Looking and reading about photography can be very inspiring.
If you’re looking for past issues of the Shoot New York City newsletter you can find them here online or in the very cool Substack App.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Creative Self Portraits
Creative self portraits were made throughout history by artists and photographers alike. You can do them everywhere and they can be real fun too.
As usual, you can interpret this assignment and don’t be afraid to post creative photos. I think that it should really be an enjoyable exercise.
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.
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.
Caution - you may need to open your email in a web browser due to the length of this newsletter. You can also read it in the app with no worry about the length,
Further Viewing
It’s uncanny how often Alex’s videos speak to exactly what I’m writing about at the moment. I do hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.
Upcoming Workshops:
Workshops are a maximum of 4 people (with the exception of the Coney Island workshop). Social distancing and masks are followed in crowded areas and for the comfort of people attending the workshops. And with fewer people in each workshop everyone can gain even more individual attention.
Workshops are only being scheduled on a weekend day now. 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. Thank you for your patience and Stay Safe! The new Substack App is a very cool way to access this and many other newsletters.