Shoot New York City Newsletter
Finding Your Groove - 5 May 2025
Issue 224 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! So I’ve slowed down on most everything except working. I am fortunate that April was a very good month and May is also looking very good as well. There is a bit of a scare in the tourism industry here as many people are opting out of visiting the US. So I am thankful to everyone who chose to visit and to all my new and existing American customers. I am personally and New York City in general is very welcome to people of all different backgrounds and from around the world. That’s what makes this city so special.
So aside from working, I’m investing much of my time in self care. I walk quite a bit for work and I also do strength training and I’ve recently started doing Qigong as well. And I take all kinds of supplements and get a good night’s sleep. I turned 70 last year and I am not able to do all the things I did 10 years ago. I walk with a cane. I am dealing with arthritis pain every minute of my life. But I love what I do for a living. I love photography and New York City and all the truly amazing people that I meet. I intend to publish this newsletter as frequently as is possible. Thank you for your patience and for reading and subscribing to it. I am grateful/
I always write about my experiences as a photographer and from the encounters I have with people who take my private photo tours and group street photography workshops. No two workshops or photo tours are alike. I always tailor them to the interests and needs of those in attendance. And we always have fun in spite of the weather. So I don’t really spend a lot of time writing about gear. You can find lots of info about that.
As always, Happy Shooting!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
This newsletter is about my thoughts & experiences on street photography. I hope that you find it of use on your journey. 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. Thank you for supporting my work. Much love.
Finding Your Groove
The most important thing that you can do in photography is shoot in your style. To discover that and follow it. To become happy with your photography and ultimately with who you are in life. They are really both the same thing.
The obsession with perfection in photography leads us straight to AI. And AI is something that I refuse to use in my photography. This is a rare time that you will hear me make such a strong statement. I am not perfect and neither are my photos and I have learned to love and embrace that in myself and my photos. This is something that doesn’t happen overnight.
My father gave me a Nikkormat camera in 1966 when I was 12 years of age. It was a gift that radically changed my life. Though back then it was just fun. It was a new way of seeing and experiencing the world.
My father knew cameras inside out and was very technical. He built our stereo system from a kit and also a PC in the early 70s. Today he would be called a techie. Way before the whole tech world. He rolled our film, developed it and printed it. I was never satisfied printing photos. Digital processing is so much easier!
But while digital processing is much easier, I’m finding less and less interest in it. The majority of my photos that you see here or on social media are the jpgs out of camera with a film recipe added in camera and very minimal post processing. I’m not bragging. I’m lazy. I have thousands of Raw files that maybe I’ll process one day. But I’d rather be shooting and work is keeping me too busy to stop and spend time at the computer.
Processing your photos is totally acceptable. As is cropping. So long as the end result works. It is very subjective. Not everyone will like your photos just as not everyone will like you. As it should be. You can’t be everything for everyone. If you are, you are actually no one.
My father’s photos were technically perfect. I was dazzled by them in the beginning. Slowly I began to realize that they lacked emotion. If I can’t feel a photo, I don’t like it. It’s really that easy. This is me as curator. If I would hang a photo on the walls of my studio apartment regardless of price or size, that is a photo that rates highly for me. I remember photos that I can feel. Not ones with technical expertise.
So the idea of using AI for processing has even less appeal than AI photos. I will go so far as to say that AI is the opposite of emotion. I feel nothing when I see AI photos. And the same is true for photos that are striving to achieve that kind of perfection. Perfection is not human. If your photos are meant to be art, personal communication, then I suggest avoiding the idea of perfection. On the other hand, if you are just interested in the technology, go for it.
You need to decide what you would like to photograph. It takes courage to go your own way and find your own style and follow that as it grows. As you grow. Street photography is about observing and capturing humanity in all of its diversity and imperfections. AI processing is like paint by numbers. Like a coloring book. I recall David Lynch thanking his parents for letting him draw outside the lines.
Yes, I’m ranting a bit. I shoot street because it’s who I am. It’s what I do. It’s an activity that I enjoy. And it’s how I make my living. I am fortunate to be working for myself doing what I love. And I hope that people will continue to visit New York City and take my tours and workshops.
Oh, the other day when I was giving a private workshop in Midtown, a man approached me and asked if I’m Annie Liebovitz! How funny. She’s a few years older than me and a ;lot richer.
Thanks for reading. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Upcoming Workshops
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.
I just had a conversation with someone yesterday on how perfection is a lie. It doesn’t exist in the natural world and should never be the goal. - Great post!
A few weeks ago I was in NYC for the first time. Next time I will book a tour with you.