Issue 134 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! We’re already half way into the year 2021. Where did it go? Things are kind of returning to a kind of normal. Whatever that is. And things are opening up slowly. First it was a gradual opening and then all of a sudden mostly everything is open.
Even though we don’t need to wear a mask outside on the streets when we’re vaccinated, most people continue to wear them and New York City has a vaccination rate of 65-70%. We have the saying “New York Strong” for a good reason!
I am having more group and private workshops with people from across the US. It’s possible that the international borders will also be opening soon as well. If you have a gift certificate or you just want to do a tour or workshop, send me an email and we can arrange something.
Photos throughout this issue are from some recent tours, workshops and the occasional day out shooting with a friend. The new photos are piling up. I’m much better at organizing my photos in the winter.
In this issue, you can go through each of the photos and read the caption that goes with them as a separate part of the written portion of the newsletter.
Thanks for your well wishes. Yes, I am feeling much better now. As always, happy shooting and stay safe! Happy Pride! And your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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.
What Are You Shooting For?
Before the internet and social media, I took a fair number of photos but it was really more of a solo pursuit most of the time. I could share my photos with friends but it isn’t really the same as sharing your photography with like minded people.
While I understand the million and one reasons why people don’t like social media and I am very much in agreement with them for the most part, social media is a very good method of gaining a better understanding of what’s possible and also as a form of motivation.
Let’s not forget exposure. What other options are available to get your photography out there?
With this in mind, I ask, what motivates you to take photos? What would you do with your photos if we were living in a world before the internet and social media? Is it important for you to share your photos?
When you share your photography online, and especially in social media sites, you are putting yourself in a vulnerable position. You are taking a chance by exhibiting your work for others to see.
This is of course true if your art/photography is representative of who you are. This shouldn’t be mistaken as ‘perfect’ photos. I have written in the past of my dislike of ‘perfect’ photos.
The problem with perfect photos is that they are not personal. They do not represent a person. ‘Perfect’ photography is mastery of technical aspects. Technical is the opposite of art. Technical comes with a recipe. Art is drawing outside the rules.
My photography and my goal as a mentor to other photographers at all levels of experience is to help them find and grow their own style. And yes, style is imperfect by nature, just as a birthmark is a personal identification. It is unique to you.
Social media is not fair, period. I don’t know if there’s ever been anything equitable about the world of photography and art now or before the internet and social media. Sites like Instagram have a way of making this even more noticeable.
I see the work of amazing photographers all the time that don’t get very many likes. I also see the photography of photographers with tens of thousands of followers and likes and their photos are often nothing more than technically ‘perfect’ photos. You could also say that they often lack any emotional depth.
To compare your photos with others that you see on social media is a trap. If you’re out to be a cover band and follow the recipe for technically perfect photos, you’ll also have to learn to game the system. I’m not of much use in this area.
Art demands courage of us. To share your work, your self, in a climate that can often feel chilly, you need to be a bit brave. In my work as a photography mentor, I always encourage, provide courage to help you find your way in photography.
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. The funny thing on social media is that when you follow a core group of other photographers that follow you, this is something that happens naturally.
It does of course take a little effort to wisely choose to follow and comment on a select group of people. I am often inspired by the work that I see others do and the comments they provide. I think of this as gaming the system as I don’t think that it’s necessarily the way that platforms like Instagram were designed.
Recently, Instagram introduced a new feature. You can hide the number of likes on your photos. The stance taken by Instagram is that they are providing a level playing field by adding this feature. To put it bluntly, that’s bullshit!
The people and groups with tens of thousands of followers and likes are not going to hide that fact from people viewing their posts. Yes, it’s only the people that don’t have hundreds or thousands of likes who will choose to hide the number.
The only method of leveling the playing field is to hide the number of likes and followers on all accounts. Period. That said, what is the actual worth of a like anyway??? What can you do with a like?
On Flickr, (remember Flickr?) when you like a photo you can look at all of your favorite photos. It’s a cool option. But on Instagram a like has no value.
While I might actually appreciate a photo by a photog with thousands of likes and followers, there is no special reason or value in clicking on the like button. So I tend to save my likes for the photogs in which we have a somewhat mutual relationship.
I wonder if we had to pay to play how that would influence our decision? Since Instagram is free, we have to put up with the way that it’s organized.
I took the original photo of the above photo in 2012. What you see above is a photo of that photo. I read that this is a technique that Daido Moriyama used to strip his photos of detail. It’s the opposite of a ‘perfect’ photo.
I created a series of photos of photos in July 2019. They got buried in the shuffle and I wasn’t quite certain what I thought about them and then I forgot about them.
I mention that because I started posting them on Instagram. I had no idea if they would be received well or not. I was actually in a mood to push something different than I normally do even though normal for me is a few different styles.
So the above photo received 320 likes and more than 30 comments. That is a real record for me. So let me see if I can weave this all together.
What are you fighting for? Marianne Faithful, Broken English, 1987.
I started out writing about the courage that it takes to expose yourself publicly on social media. When you are developing your style and your art, not only does it take courage, but you have to find a way to not care about what is expected or what you think is expected.
What are you shooting for? You can shoot for whatever reason you choose. Just don’t loose sight of the reason by playing into the expectations real or perceived of social media,
When I posted the photos of photos series I had no expectations and I think that the best piece of advice that I can give is just that. Playing it safe isn’t going to help you develop your style and it’s not likely to gain a social media following either.
My mantra has always been; shoot often, experiment and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If we look at social media as being one or the other, good or bad, we miss the point.
What are you shooting for? This is the question you should ask yourself and remind yourself every once in awhile about. It doesn’t cost you anything to test the possibilities in your photography and to also post them.
We often think that we are in a bubble. Until we discover we aren’t. Many subscribers of this newsletter got involved in a number of different styles of photography and projects during the pandemic. I applaud you all for your tenacity in finding a way to keep shooting and do something different.
Do we really need a pandemic to get us out of our comfort zone? Are we afraid of posting the photos that represent who we are? And what are the consequences of following or even not following your own style?
Sorry to leave you with an abundance of questions. As always, I do look forward to your comments and suggestions.
Since today’s newsletter is already about social media, I haven’t included the Social Media Corner section. But you can feel free to comment on this newsletter or any other social media topic that you have.
Further Viewing
Ted Forbes has been making photography vlogs for quite awhile now and he always raises interesting questions about photography,
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Creativity
This assignment is about how you define creativity in your work. That can be as easy as breaking the rules of composition, reflections, minimalism, multiple exposures and a number of different methods of being creative.
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.
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!