Issue 142 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone. Forgive my tardiness today publishing the newsletter. October has been a very busy month. And, I managed to get a hairline fracture on my ankle that has really slowed things down.
Better late than never. Actually never say never is the theme of this issue. My writing about street photography here is always about my experiences. Theory is an after effect not the beginning point.
Did I mention that slowing down is actually good for street photography? We’ve been having fun shooting on the streets. Thanks to all the new customers and everyone reading the newsletter.
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. I’m a little challenged with some of the technical stuff
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.
Thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee!!!
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.
Creative Block
A few people have mentioned to me that they are putting their cameras down for awhile. I understand that it’s not always possible to be inspired. It takes a little effort to push yourself in a new direction when you get bored.
Taking a little time off is not a bad thing. Photographers like writers and other creatives sometimes experience a block in their ability to move ahead. If you find yourself in this position, I’d love to hear from you about it.
It could be very beneficial for me to publish some of what you’re experiencing and see if I can come up with ideas about what to do as well as sharing it with others. My guess is that you’re not alone in this.
When I publish comments from you the readers, they are always anonymous. So I hope that you will comment on this or other topics. When we have a dialogue it changes the dynamics of what is typically one way communication.
Never Say Never
Never say never is a contradiction. It is an expression that asks you to not say what you’re saying. It is an ironic statement that will often lead you to do exactly what you said you wouldn’t do. But maybe I can make a case for a few things that will lead you to agree with this phrase.
Let me explain myself here. Too often I hear people making excuses of a sort. The first one is about being inexperienced in photography. Yes, I’ve written before about people saying that they are amateurs and that the word amateur derives from the Latin word to love.
We should all be so lucky as to love photography and to realize that we can all always become better as photographers. That is the beauty of photography. When you get stung by the love of photography, it is easy to become addicted to it.
Perhaps you noticed that I wrote *always* above. Always is of course the opposite of never and maybe we should say never say always as well. But always doesn’t mean that we should always be a better photographer always. That is to say, not every time we go out shooting.
I have witnessed many people feeling that they aren’t good enough as photographers. That is not a good frame of mind to have when you go out shooting. I stress that when we’re out shooting street photography that it is firstly about the activity and about having fun. As I always write, happy shooting.
It is important to enjoy the process of shooting to actually produce photos that you will like. Attitude is very important. It can have a very positive effect on results.
I’ve also seen many people making excuses about their cameras as if they aren’t good enough. As if you need a better camera to be a better photographer. That is so not true.
So the second never say never is just that. Don’t feel inferior about the camera that you use. We should never confuse the camera that we use with the photos that we capture. You take the photo. Not the camera.
If your camera is flawed and unable to produce the kinds of photos that you would like to achieve, that’s a different story.
Unfortunately, many photographers on social media feel a need to let you know which camera they use as if that will make you a better photographer. As if the camera took the photo. Never apologize for being an amateur or for the camera that you use.
Never Say Never - Part 2
You may know that I’m not a fan of Bruce Gilden. It’s not exactly a secret. While I don’t recall ever saying never about his photos, I have accidentally found a photo by him that I like!
I like to buy cheap art books in the bins at the Strand Book store. They range from $2-7 dollars. Sometimes they are a little dented or missing a dust jacket. Other times they might just be a little obscure.
So I bought a book about the Hotel Drouot in Paris. The book was published in 1999 and features the work of 4 photographers who shot in and around this historic hotel. I had no idea that Gilden was in the book.
Alas, never say never has the last word. What a strange day when I can say that I actually like a photo by Gilden. Maybe saying never is really just a dare, a challenge to see if you can change your mind.
Inspired Eye Magazine
I have an article in the latest issue of Inspired Eye. No surprise, this article is about street photography. Here’s an excerpt.
Street photography is life is not only a hashtag. It’s a method of experiencing life and being in the world. I don’t imagine it will ever become boring for me.
I always find inspiration reading Inspired Eye. The variety of street photography is very diverse as are the photographers. It’s all content, both interviews and photos. Only one ad!
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Creative Self-Portraits
Everyone should have a few creative self-portraits. Not selfies. But interesting ways to capture yourself. I quite like to use shadows and reflections of all kinds but it’s up to you to decide.
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.
Further Viewing:
So I am typically hesitant to listen to famous people talking about how to type things. Ethan Hawke is a smooth talker as he is an experienced actor. But below the surface his ideas about creativity are good.
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!