Issue 130 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! The weather has been beautiful here and people are booking both group and private workshops. I’m taking quite a few photos these days. And yes, we are wearing masks and social distancing outside. With a little bit of luck things might open up even more in the next 3 months.
A few new things in this issue. First, I’m starting a new column about social media in the newsletter. People are both asking questions and complaining about certain aspects of social media platforms. I want your comments, complaints and suggestions.
Let’s share our opinions and issues. We likely all share some of the same feelings and having a dialogue about them can be helpful.
Next, I am focusing on a different aspect of shooting street photography in each issue. This topic will either be the biweekly photo assignment or in addition to it.
Also, if you’ll be in the New York City area and you have a gift certificate you can cash in on them anytime. I am not certain how it will work at check out, but it should be a smooth process.
Let me know if you have problems or if you’ve misplaced your GiftUp certificate. Thanks so much for purchasing them last year. It really made a big difference in my ability to get through the early days of the pandemic.
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
Welcome to all the new subscribers! The above quote by Marcel Proust has been my motto for many years now. While many people travel so as to take photos, I continually photograph in the same neighborhoods over and over again. I don’t get out of town often.
There is always something new to see and shoot. You may have noticed that my street photography workshops emphasize seeing with new eyes. Since the pandemic things look different than they did before and it requires that we slow down. There’s often more there than you realize.
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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.
Chasing Shadows & Silhouettes
I have always liked shooting shadows and silhouettes, but something happened recently and it seems that the majority of my photos are shadows and silhouettes. I often bounce back and forth between color or monochrome processing.
With shadows I can go either way. But with silhouettes I find that my preference is for color. I wish that the above photo was mine. It is by Constantine Manos. I’m not certain if I knew of his work before. But I will discuss his work at length in an upcoming issue of the newsletter.
The reason that I chose this particular photo is because it is one that you might be able to capture. So long as you get some sunny days you can find opportunities. What really caught my eye are the colors red and green and the many vertical lines. The shadow really makes the shot.
The most important aspect of capturing shadows and silhouettes is the light. I find the afternoon light works the best for me. Like my photo below.
This photo was taken with the sun behind me and the orange wall is on the north side of the street. We had a few opportunities during this workshop where we were elated with all the amazing shadows and silhouettes that we were able to capture. We stopped and took our time capturing them.
So yes, you can do these photos at home. The fabulous thing about shadows and silhouettes is the dramatic effect that they create. Oh and the minimalism! The next time you’re able to head out into the afternoon sun, go in search of shadows and silhouettes.
On days when there is sunlight, we chase it. On overcast or rainy days we find other things to do. I work all year around, well before the pandemic that was so, fortunately workshops are picking up again.
My point is that there is always something to be captured most everyday of the year whether it’s sunny or overcast or anything else. Learning to be able to work within different kinds of weather and light are a great method of expanding possibilities in your photography.
My Mantra - shoot often, experiment, make mistakes and repeat.
The Social Media Corner
This section is specifically for your questions, comments and complaints about social media sites. So you should feel free to contribute to this. I hear people talking about issues with Instagram on a very regular basis. Flickr, Twitter, whatever.
People often talk about how to make social media work for them. I’m no expert on this but I can share my experiences with you.
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that consistency is everything. With Instagram you are penalized for not being consistent. The more often that you post to IG the more your posts are seen. It is work.
But either way, even on Twitter or Flickr, it’s important to follow, comment and like on other accounts. I have actually formed a number of virtual relationships with very cool people from around the world.
It’s important to decide how much time you’re willing to devote and how many people you want to follow. And while it’s easy to complain about IG, I am often inspired by the work that I see. I look forward to hearing from you about your experience.
Pandemic Photography
Yes, I’m not crazy about having so many photos of people wearing masks. It does add an extra emphasis on the eyes. But perhaps photos taken of people wearing masks will be more interesting after a number of years pass. But hey, this isn’t the first time that people wore masks in public!
BiWeekly Photo Assignment - Light
Light is the main focus of the photo assignment. That could include shadows and silhouettes, It can also be shooting into the light. Or even finding sunspots.
As usual, the photography assignment is open to your interpretation and it can include people or not. And it’s alway about having fun.
If you don’t use any of the social media, you can send me a photo and it’s also possible that I can add it to an upcoming newsletter if you like.
Don’t be afraid to post creative photos. As well, if you want to supply us with information about the photo that’s great. It gives others a reason to comment on them. Also, it’s maybe best to post them individually so they don’t get buried.
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 recent version of my Curious Frame newsletter landed in inboxes around the world on Wednesday. This issue is about the layers of meaning in a photo.
One reader wrote “Curious Frame does a very nice job of providing some perspective on how to see, not just look at, an image.” and another wrote “Really well written and concise! Why are you not lecturing in art schools?”
You can join the dialogue on photography by subscribing
Further Viewing:
If you haven’t seen Ted Forbes vlogs before he’s been making them for quite a few years now. I was hoping to find something on shadows and silhouettes. But this short video on minimalism is good.
Upcoming Workshops:
Announcement - by popular demand I’ve added an Abstract Street Photography Workshop!
Workshops are now 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!
Hi Leanne - just discovered your blog here. Already loving it. I find myself soaking up any and all sources dedicated to street photography.
As regards social media - I am completely done with facebook. It just feels redundant to me nowadays. And if there is one thing that that platform has made me realise it's that I need my own website - at least in addition to a platform like Instagram. Yes, IG is great to get your images out there and seen( hopefully) but the way it works and how it almost seems to actively push its own users away is a severe turn off for me. I want to echo Gerry Suchy's well-put comments here below and that I, too, have a love/hate relationship with social media.
Next to that I must say for all the crap that IG receives lately, I have never ever encountered any negativity on IG (at least: not in my feed or in the feeds of people who post images because they're truly into (street)photography, which I think is wonderful.
So that is where I try to make a difference. Again echoing Gerry, engagement is what matters - in giving and receiving. Not only do I enjoy receiving feedback from others, I really enjoy giving it too, as it makes me really look at an image to try to determine what I love about it - and whether it inspires me to pursue something similar.
Look forward to discovering all your old and new blogs on here!
All the best, Olivier
Thank you for including a dedicated column on Social Media. It should be a lively discussion.
I have a love/hate relationship with social media as it relates to photography. Over the years I have simply concluded that it is a necessary evil and have learned to focus on what I get from it as opposed to how much I dislike the platform. It is still the best place to view hundreds of images in a short space of time and spend more time with those that are inspirational. Trying to figure out the IG algorithm is pointless. As you point out consistency and quality matter. As for commentary, I have no use for mindless, one-off comments. I do care about comments that show that the viewer engaged with my photo in some way. Engagement, after all, is my intent.
I would really like to see more thoughtful comments on the Shoot NYC group. I would especially like to see EXIF data. f stops, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length can be very educational and often a way to begin a conversation. I am hesitant to do that as it seems that is not the norm for the group. Thanks again for your labors. Take care and stay safe🙏🏻
Gerry Suchy