Issue 140 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! Thanks for all the likes on the previous issue. It’s good to know that you’re out there :-) Welcome to all the new subscribers and people who have taken my workshops. And thank you to everyone reading my newsletter.
I am very fortunate to have met you all and to have you along for the journey. Somehow we’ve managed to survive the last year and a half. Perhaps luck will be on our side and that the next year and a half will be much better. What is normal anyway?
So it seems that people were not crazy about the previous photo assignment. Oh well. I try to find new methods of getting everyone to stretch their abilities a bit. In this issue I’m adding comments about my photos that would serve as a method for commenting on photos. My guess is that most people would like constructive comments on their photos. It just takes a little practice and not worrying if you are ‘qualified’ to provide comments.
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
I have created a Buy Me a Coffee page and I’m still trying to figure out how to create the button with the link on it. In the meantime, the link above should work. 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 still free for all.
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.
The Process of Photography
The digitization of photography has changed the process in a really big way. It is easy for us to miss out on understanding all the steps that are involved in the process.
Before the internet and the world of all things digital. Before we lived in a fast-paced world where all things are immediate, life was slow. Our expectations about photography and everything else, were very different.
Photography was slow. I believe that we have lost something important about photography by speeding up the whole process. That is true both in shooting as well as our understanding and appreciation of it.
Shooting film means that you are concentrating on the actual act of shooting. There are of course, no previews. Well not unless you have a Polaroid back on your camera.
Let me say that again. Without the ability to preview your photos while shooting, you are more fully involved in the act of taking a photo. I think that that is worth thinking about when you’re out shooting street.
There’s only so much that you can control in the process of shooting street photography. If nothing else, your job is to observe and capture what’s going on around you. The fewer distractions you have, the better.
When you shoot film, you have to wait to see the photos that you’ve captured. Wait. Whether you develop film yourself or have it developed it takes time.
I never really thought about my digital process in comparison to film until very recently. I have mentioned before that I like to let my photos marinate before the process of previewing, deleting and processing them.
I think that the process of shooting and processing are very different and that they take a different mindset and it’s good to separate them. In this photo and the previous photo, I only processed them as I write this. That’s close to 4 weeks after I took them.
Mood can have a great influence on any of the processes of photography. If you’re not in a good mood when you are out shooting, that will have an effect on the photos that you take. In the above photo I was in a monochrome mood. I was shooting Raw with black and white preview.
The same is true for all the processes. Have you noticed that when you’re on social media viewing the photos of others that your mood has an influence on which photos that you like or not?
The same is of course true when you are viewing your own photos. Unlike when shooting film, you don’t have to wait to see your photos, but I suggest that it is good to wait and view them with a clear mind. On a side note, I almost never delete photos in camera.
If you have your film photos developed and printed by a lab, you are not doing the processing. The idea of choosing how to print them is a very different process. The lab will develop and print them without doing anything different than taking into consideration the specifics for the film that you chose.
Then you will typically see the photos printed on 4” x 6” photo paper. You view them with the anticipation and excitement of seeing them for the first time since shooting them. We miss out on that important feature in the process.
Do you have a shoebox or album with photos in it? When natural disasters happen and people lose their homes, one of the most common things that are really important to them are the photos of their family, friends and events. Most other things being replaceable. The worth of these photos exceeds the actual cost of them.
Do you print your photos? Why is it that we take so many photos and we don’t often print them? Inkjet printers are really inexpensive these days. The ink is the more expensive part of the process. Even so, you can buy and use generic inks with many of them.
I need to spend a little more time working on how to get black and white photos look the way that I see them on my monitor. Color isn’t so much of a problem. The fact is, in the mass market color is more dominant.
You spend time and money on your photography. Many of you spend much of one or the other or both. But how much time do you actually take to fully appreciate what you’ve done?
Are you skipping steps thinking that you’ve accomplished what you wanted to do and now you’re moving on? If you were to print photos just for the sake of a photo album or even a shoe box, which photos would you choose?
So I’ve left you with a number of questions. They are things to thing about. Perhaps priorities to be made. Maybe sit down with a pile of photos and think about what they mean to you and is there something missing from your photography process?
Here are the 5 steps to consider and to think of not as something done in quick succession but to consider one by one.
Shooting
Previewing
Processing
Sharing
Printing
As usual, I invite your comments about this. I would love to hear about methods that you use or challenges that you have about this.
Social Media Corner
It’s rather easy to complain about social media, especially Instagram. Lately I’ve noticed that the first thing that I see is at least a dozen videos. I am really not interested in most videos.
Many of the videos are designed to be instructional. I’m really not looking for instruction on Instagram. Especially by people who only just started taking photos yesterday.
I guess what I’m really getting at is everyone is trying to figure out how to get a million followers and make a ton of money. And the story behind that is many of them haven’t figured out what they want to do for a living.
I have unfollowed some people because all of a sudden I’m flooded with 6 videos by them and they were all posted simultaneously.
Hey, you can share any of your complaints about this or other things about social media here. My guess is that you’re not alone. But hey, if you actually have something positive to share about social media, you can do that too. The fact is I would probably not have met many of you without social media.
Did you know that you can access previous issues of this newsletter? You can find them at
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Lines
Stripes, leading lines, geometric lines, shadow lines. You name it. Post photos of lines of all kinds.
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.
Are You Curious?
The previous issue of Curious Frame is about the effect of nostalgia on photography. Curious Frame is my newsletter about thoughts on photography. I spent a fair amount of time shooting and thinking about photography.
Nostalgia is not about some kind of accurate description of the past. Rather it becomes more of a romanticized version of something no longer available to us. I want to live and breathe those times that inspired not only photographers, but also writers, artists and musicians even if it is merely a fantasy.
You can see previous issues and subscribe to Curious Frame. It comes out every other Wednesday.
Further Viewing:
I really like Alex’s videos. This one in particular is unlike many other videos out there. I’ve bought him a cup of coffee and will probably become a member. I hope you also enjoy his videos.
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!