Issue 158 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! How time flies. I hope that you are shooting and having fun doing it or at least finding inspiration from photography. In the previous issue of the newsletter, I provided a brief overview of the marvelous book, The New York School Photographs 1936-1963 by Jane Livingston.
In this issue I’m relaunching photographer profiles. This issue is dedicated to William Klein. I don’t know if I could create a top 10 list of favorite photographers, but Klein would certainly be one of them.
Welcome to all of the new subscribers and also to all the new and returning customers of my workshops. Kuwait is now in the house! Uzbekistan as well. How exciting. Thank you to everyone and thank you for the TripAdvisor reviews as well. It really helps people find me and discover if I’m a good fit for what they’d like to to. And it’s never too late to submit a review.
As always, Happy Shooting.
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
Previous Issues
You can access all of the previous issues of the SNYC newsletter that were published on Substack. They date back to 1 January 2021. You can view them online at
Or you can download the app and read them there. I really like the app and you may find other newsletters to read on it as well.
Reader’s Comments
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.
One reader wrote about the previous issue:
Hi Leanne, Thanks heaps again for your newsletters, I look forward to them. I just wanted to say that I agree with all your comments on Jane Livingston’s book The New York School Photographs 1936 - 1963.
I was lucky enough to find and buy a second hand copy in good condition online while we were in Covid lockdown last year. A rare bright moment in a really bad year! I wasn’t really able to go out and take photos but sitting at home pouring over that book was an inspiration. Some of my fave photographers of all time - the NY School photographers - and they’re all there including some I’d never heard of. Its a hefty volume but its now pretty much the cornerstone of my photography library and I often love dipping into it. Best wishes
Yes! I am so happy to hear that this wonderful book was able to see you through a dark time. I am also happy that you are enjoying the newsletter. Thank you for subscribing!
I love photography and at the same time I realize that there’s so much BS out there about what photography should or shouldn’t be. I hope to provide courage and inspiration to the readers.
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
Photographer Profile - William Klein (b. 1928)
The photography that we see of any given photographer is often very limited. It is always curated. Someone decides what we should see. William Klein poses a challenge as he produced work in many different styles and it is a great joy to continually discover them.
Let me begin by saying that I recently visited the ICP exhibit William Klein: YES Photographs, Paintings, Films 1948-2013. I highly recommend it and it’s on until 12 September 2022. I will be returning to see it again. Yes, it’s that good. And the title, Yes, was decided by Klein as it “reflects his curiosity about all aspects of life. . . and his constant desire to experiment.” Bingo!
On display are many of the painted contact sheets which are so wonderful. Klein studied painting and had thought that was going to be his direction, until he picked up a camera and began to realize the possibilities.
Klein is probably best known for his exciting work as a fashion photographer. Like Saul Leiter, he used techniques that had a ‘street photography’ style. He also ventured into the early days of using color film.
Klein, like many other photographers in his day was able to make a living shooting fashion photography for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue magazine while pursuing his own artistic paths. In fact, the fashion magazines were one of the few outlets for cutting edge photography of the day.
Even though his fashion photos are marvelous and they were widely published, “Klein felt the fashion studio was a little bubble of good manners, so he pricked it.” I don’t know if how he felt about it comes out in how we perceive these photos, but it sure worked.
I love the above photo. Maybe that’s the contrarian in me. We now have technology that can create perfect photos in terrible lighting conditions. Would we like this photo better if it was sharp? Of course we will all have a different opinion. And perhaps you don’t like it as I do.
As well, I wonder on a day-to-day basis, which photos that we see and those that get edited out. You look at a social media account with thousands of followers and likes. We don’t see their rejects.
When you look at the body of William Klein’s photography you will see all kinds of work. And when you see his work in The New York School Photographs 1936-1963, you see his work along that of the others presented. It is an interesting method of obtaining the feeling of a period of time. And yes, they are all film photos and frequently soft focus or even blurry.
It is impossible to represent the photography of William Klein in one issue. And so I’m going to leave you with another multiple exposure photo that I took at the exhibit.
There are very lengthy notes and information about each photographer at the end of the book. The photos are presented alone. No text. Perfect. If you are tempted to learn more, the information is there.
A few very interesting comments by Klein are included in the chapter on him. The first is that he was “very consciously trying to do the opposite of what Cartier-Bresson was doing.” Oh my!
As well, he was highly influenced by cinema in Paris and one film that he watched over and over again is Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Camera. I don’t recall if I saw that film before or not, but you can be certain that I will be watching it sometime soon.
I do hope that this profile leads you to dig further into the work of William Klein and maybe even see the exhibit at ICP. I’d love to hear your thoughts on his photography, the book, the exhibit.
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.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - One Dominant Color
One dominant color can even be a kind of monochrome as sepia, cyanotype and calotype are. Any photo with one color that rules the photo works. Extra points for creativity.
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.
Further Viewing
Oh, William Klein bought his camera from Cartier-Bresson!
Workshops are a maximum of 5 people (with the exception of the Coney Island workshop). Workshops are only being 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.