Shoot New York City Newsletter
15 November 2022 - Books for Inspiration
Issue 167 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! Photography is something that we can all do and it is something that we share in common. Whether you are beginner or advanced the journey is always ongoing. It is always a moving target.
I have the great good fortune to work with so many people from everywhere around the world and hear about their stories and experiences and share mine with them at the same time.
Photography is an art that levels the playing field. It is an activity that allows us to discover our own style and discover ourselves at the same time. It isn’t important whether you plan on doing it as a profession or if it’s something that you pursue passionately at every free moment that you have. It is a method of experiencing life.
Thank you to all the new and returning people who have taken my workshops, written reviews and welcome to all the new subscribers to this newsletter. Your comments and suggestions 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
This quote is in every issue of the newsletter for a reason. It is my motto. I shoot in the same neighborhoods over and over again without getting bored. There’s always something new to see and new ways to see the things that have always been there.
For many there’s the temptation to travel to be inspired to shoot. The challenge is of course to find something to shoot wherever you find yourself. When people shoot with me, they are constantly commenting ‘how did you see that?’ That is also true of people who know this city well.
My latest radical instruction for shooting street in this city is Walk Slow. That’s correct. You’ll see more when you take the time to observe your environment. Seeing with new eyes is perhaps not all that difficult.
I write this newsletter to share my thoughts & experiences on street photography. 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.
Out of Town alert
There are only 4 more Street Photography Workshops scheduled for this year. I’m taking a much needed break from work and I’ll be out shooting with truly new eyes in Lisbon, Porto & Madrid.
Also, the newsletter may be a few days late in the middle of December when I’m making my way back to reality.
In the above photo, I’m standing in front an exhibit of my photos on 58th Street & Madison Ave. You can still see 2/3 of the exhibit on display. They’ll be there until the space is leased.
Photography Books for Inspiration
Here I am listing a few books that inspire me and that are great for gifts whether for yourself or others. There’s nothing like quality time with photography and also writing about photography.
The Unseen Saul Leiter
The first book is yet another Saul Leiter book. I have 8 or 9 books of the work of Leiter now and there’s only one that is perhaps redundant, It’s a small book by Thames & Hudson. But this new book is really new. All the photos are printed here for the very first time.
The book is 160 pages with 76 beautiful photos and the quality of the paper and the binding makes it so wonderful to hold and to browse. There are also 3 essays that provide insightful information into Leiter and his work. It will be a continual source of inspiration for me. I only just received this book recently and I just love the photography of Leiter.
Magnum Contact Sheets
This incredible book is like an encyclopedia with 139 contact sheets from 69 Magnum photographers and zoom-in details as well as short essays on each photographer. With a contact sheet you can see which photos were chosen and those that didn’t make it.
Many of the contact sheets depict historical events and they illustrate the many different styles and approaches of documentary photography. While many of the photos will be familiar, seeing them side-by-side on a contact sheet reveals how the photographer composes their shots. This is not a book to read in one sitting.
The New Woman Behind the Camera
I was very fortunate to see the exhibit that this book was formed from. This book represents the work of 120 women photographers from 1920-1950. Some of these women will be known, others have been lost to history and some of the photos might be familiar without knowing who the photographer was.
If only we could see these photos when they were new we might understand how daring and even radical they were back then. It’s 288 pages with almost 300 photos. Most of the photos are in black and white as that is how they were taken.
There are many essays in the book that provide context and provide information on the photographer as well as how these photographs reflect the times. It is yet another encyclopedia of photography and a great source of inspiration.
The Mind’s Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers
In this slim volume is the much discussed and often misunderstood essay by Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment. It and the other essays included in Part One: The Camera as Sketchbook are for me the most important of his writings even though that’s only 33 pages, I have reread them many times. Here is a quote from page 38 about Technique:
The camera is for us a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy. In the precise functioning of the mechanical object perhaps there is an unconscious compensation for the anxieties and uncertainties of daily endeavor. In any case, people think far too much about techniques and not enough about seeing.
How I Take Photographs
I adore the photography of Daido Moriyama and this small book provides insight into the photographer and his style of shooting. That said, you don’t even need to like his photos to gain from his experience or method of shooting.
The book is written in a very straight forward manner in the form of a casual interview by Takeshi Nakamoto and it took place over a two year period while Moriyama was on the streets shooting. There are many photos throughout the book and it is an easy read precisely because of the manner in which he discusses his methodology.
Here is a quote that appears on the first page:
The second thing is, forget everything you’ve learned on the subject of photography for the moment, and just shoot. Take photographs — of anything and everything, whatever catches your eye, Don’t pause to think, That’s the advice that I give people.
52 Assignments: Street Photography
I add this book to the list not because it is a great book per se. But because it’s like a book of ideas. When you’re stuck and just don’t know what to shoot, you’re bored of the same old same old, you can open the book and find something to shoot
Assignment 04 is one that I especially like though I was already doing it and I suggest it all the time in my workshops. Duckett calls it No Finder day which he adopted from Marc Cohen whose work I’m not familiar with. I call it lift and shoot. Turn off the preview, forget it exists and just shoot. It’s fun and I quite like photos in this style. Do try it.
For the sake of space I need to make that my last suggestion on the inspiration list. However, I also reviewed another fantastic book in Issue 157 on The New York School Photographs 1936-1963 and I highly suggest this book.
I hope that you enjoy this list and if you have any books that are important to you for inspiration or if you have comments about the books listed here, please let me know. I would love to share these with the readers.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Framing
Framing is a wide open subject. Doors and windows work really well. But there are many other examples like columns and lately in NYC outdoor dining sheds etc. Yes, be creative.
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.
Further Viewing
This is a wonderful overview of the work of Josef Koudelka. Whether you are familiar with his work or not, it illustrates a broad selection of his years as a photographer.
Upcoming Workshops - the last 4 of 2022
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. Thank you for your patience and Stay Safe! The new Substack App is a very cool way to access this and many other newsletters.
I love your motto! Also, as I like to paraphrase Anais Nin: I want to share not the obvious but what we usually are unable to see.
And while I usually create in bnw, I very much like Saul Leiter; there is a great docu on him on youtube which I watched a couple of times.