Issue 135 of the SNYC Newsletter
Last night, I was in the middle of preparing to hit the publish button when I lost power. The heatwave took a toll on our energy. Oh, how wonderful to have it back!
Greetings everyone! Summer is definitely here in New York City and we are in the midst of a real heatwave. As well, many of the pandemic restrictions have been lifted.
That said, masks are required on public transportation and rules are made on a business to business basis. Most people are wearing a mask most of the time indoors and often outdoors.
You could say that we are all in a learning curve about what we need to do to protect ourselves and others. For the most part, we are erring on the side of caution. I continue to wear a mask and take precautions.
Meanwhile, workshop attendance is picking up. Both group and private workshops are beginning to keep me busy. So far it’s only people in the US. The world is impatiently awaiting international travel to return. We miss you here in New York City.
If I owe you a workshop or tour and you’ll be in the neighborhood, let me know.
Happy shooting and stay safe!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
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.
One Step at a Time
Recently, I’ve noticed a similar pattern in people feeling a bit anxious and a little discouraged when they don’t nail a shot upon first trying it out. It is of course possible that the year lost to Covid has in part created this sense of urgency.
But I also think that in general, the world of all things digital has created a kind of false expectation about the speed of things. So I’ve been repeating the slow down and be patient mantra. It’s important to not set yourself up with unrealistic expectations.
You may not believe me when I say that I am always starting from scratch and learning things anew. I get bored easily when I do the same thing over and over again. So I set out to do things differently.
When you begin a new job or an exercise routine, you don’t expect to a ace it from day one. It’s always one step at a time. This is something that I learned many years ago when I was a sales manager in training.
Back then my motto was:
The distance isn't important; it is only the first step that is difficult. Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, the Marquise du Deffand (1697-1780)
The great thing about one step at a time is that all of a sudden you realize that it’s all falling together, that you’ve accomplished something without being entirely aware of it. Sometimes it’s only upon looking back that we see the progress that we’ve made.
Capturing the shadows of a bicycle passing by like the above shot, is one of those shots that we try out in a workshop when the conditions are right. I’ve done this hundreds of times. So perhaps I make it look easy. But I don’t nail it every time.
In photography there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated. August Sander
Maybe a good place to start is by taking a few deep breaths and just observing what’s going on around you. When I took the above shot, I spent a good 15 minutes there just looking for and waiting for it. And I took a dozen photos as well.
I have said it a few times in the past, I think of photography as an activity. It’s something that I do. It’s not about having preconceived ideas about what I’ll capture or even how many good photos I’ll have at the end of the day.
It is possible to overthink the entire process. By doing so you can miss out on the best shots. The ones that are right there in front of you.
A few people have recently told me that I’m really good at what I do. I’m flattered. I am happy that people appreciate my work. If you want to know my secret, photography is what I love and it’s maybe the only thing that I really know how to do. And yes, I am very fortunate to be able to make my living doing what I love.
A good place to start is to decide on 3-5 areas of focus in your photography and work them to boredom and then push yourself to experiment and hey, even make some mistakes along the way.
I do this all year and it means that I have to be constantly seeing with new eyes as well as working with different lighting and environmental situations. Some of my favorite subjects or methods were discovered by experimenting and making mistakes.
My favorites and most common subjects to shoot are; shadows, silhouettes, reflections, umbrellas and raindrops. Most of my street and abstract photography use one or more of these elements.
What are your favorite methods and subjects? It helps if your list includes a number of things that are not too difficult for you to capture where you live. If it’s too easy for you to nail the shots that are in your list, maybe it’s time to challenge yourself.
Whatever you do, follow your instincts about the kinds of photos that you like and do it often. It will happen if you persevere and it really helps if you are happily shooting.
The Social Media Corner
Now, with the internet and social media, we can share our photos with the entire world and with people that we would never be able to reach in the past. But of course, with that also comes a few problems.
Social media we love to hate or hate to love it. I am happy that we have the Facebook group for Shoot New York City and that people are doing a great job of sharing, commenting and getting to know each other.
If you’re subscribed to this newsletter and/or you’ve taken a workshop with me, you can join the group. You just need to request to join.
This week’s question/comment about social media.
As a kind of follow-up to the previous discussion on people hiding their likes on Instagram, are they embarrassed or they think that their photos aren’t very good???
I’m not certain why it’s necessary to hide the likes on a photo. I welcome your response and open a dialogue here about it. You can also suggest topics that you think are good for discussing.
Comments from Issue 134
One reader commented:
Hello Leanne, I roam around with my ancient Leicas and black and white film to document the city. I've attached two recent images. Regards.
Thanks. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to open the photo files. I’m happy to hear that you enjoy photography.
Another reader commented on my comment “I’m more likely to “like” your photo because I can see what you are working towards and trying to achieve. It’s a form of encouragement.”
This is a common approach but it makes me sad. I want to know when I connect, and I know that won’t happen 100% of the time. This approach makes it impossible for me to find out. Why do people do it?
I understand your feeling about this. But Instagram is not an ideal platform for getting critique on your work. There are far too many people and photos to go through. It already takes an abundance of time to get through all of it.
It is possible to create reciprocal relationships in the Facebook group for Shoot New York City. When you leave thoughtful commentary on the photos taken by others, they tend to respond in the same manner.
The other possibility is to get a critique of your work, a portfolio review. That’s something that I offer and there are many others that do so as well.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Minimalism
Minimalism can be created in many different methods. Shadows, silhouettes, minimal color, negative space, etc. The choice is yours.
As usual, the photography assignment is open to your interpretation and it can include people or not. And it’s always 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.
Further Viewing:
A little less than 5 minutes and appropriate to my belief that photography should be fun.
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!