Issue 181 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! So I’ve been really busy lately. This newsletter is about rekindling my love of shooting film. I share this with you not to recruit you into the world of film but to share my enthusiasm.
Perhaps you notice that I always sign off with the statement Happy Shooting? I am always happy shooting. But sometimes even more so. You may also notice that I always have the quote from Marcel Proust about seeing with new eyes. Shooting film has really produced both of those things beyond the normal routine.
I write this newsletter to share my experiences in street photography. You won’t find any theories here. I also don’t address technical things or even gear. It’s all about the process of shooting and creating an experience that produces joy.
I have met so many wonderful people from around the world in my workshops and tours and they all come to the experience with very different backgrounds and expectations. My suggestion is to always follow your vision and find your own style.
Thank you to everyone who has taken my workshops and tours. Thank you to all the subscribers. And thank you to everyone who has written a review on TripAdvisor. You are very much appreciated. And yes, Happy Shooting! If you aren’t happy shooting, I want to hear about it. Perhaps there is a method to change that.
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
I write this newsletter to share my thoughts & experiences on street photography. I hope that you find it of use in 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. Thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee!!! Maybe one day we’ll be able to have a coffee in person. Mucho love.
Love Shooting Film
I started shooting when I was 12 and for about 4 decades before I started in digital. I’ve lost count of the exact numbers. But I’m back into shooting film with an SLR camera. I bought a Nikon FE2. My main camera for most of film years was a Nikon FE. So it’s almost the same camera with a few upgrades.
All of the photos in this issue were taken with Ilford FP4 which is 125 ISO and similar to Plus X which was a favorite film back in the day. That said, I typically shot Tri-X. Yes, you can obtain a film look when shooting digital and I typically do just that.
Well, as you probably know, I’ve been shooting raw and jpg with a film simulation recipe for my jpgs and really liking them. But film photos are still different. I’ve made little or no adjustments to these photos. Adjustments are only white or black balance.
When shooting digital it’s easy to shoot in rapid succession. To have a heavy finger on the trigger. With film there’s a little more intent that goes into each shot. It’s necessary to view through the viewfinder. And there’s nothing more pleasing than pressing the shutter and advancing the film.
My subject matter is the same as always. Street photography and monochrome. Though I have some color rolls our for processing which I’ll share in the near future. I’m not quitting digital. In fact, I just bought a new digital camera which I’ll write about in the next issue.
One of the beauties of shooting film is that there’s only 2 steps. One is shooting. The other is processing. I don’t have any interest in doing my own developing. There aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week for that and my main interest has always been shooting. That is something that I’ve been working on achieving in my digital photography.
I love the soft focus and imperfections of shooting film. So much of digital photography is ultra sharp and aims toward a certain kind of perfection which I find vulgar. That’s one of the reasons that I haven’t spent much time shooting with my phone.
Oh, this is my first roll of film in my new camera! Waiting for the roll to be processed is so exciting. Not knowing what you got. No previews! Shooting film is just more exciting. As a culture, we are so impatient. We want everything now. Digital provides that immediate satisfaction. But, I don’t know that it can even come close to the satisfaction of film.
In the video of William Eggleston that I posted in the previous issue of the newsletter he states that he takes one photo of a subject and moves on. That is for the most part what I’ve been doing with film. With digital it’s usually multiple photos of the same thing.
Anyway, I am sharing my joy of having a new camera and the joy of shooting film again. It is an interesting process shooting both film and digital at the same time and becoming aware of how you think while shooting both. A kind of mental aerobics.
It’s good to switch up the way you shoot and see what happens. It is good to experiment and find methods of reigniting the creative process. And after all, finding a way to make the act of shooting fun. Photography is fun! How do you find your joy shooting?
Always in Vogue
In November 2020, a series of my photos covered the windows of an empty commercial space in Midtown Manhattan on Madison Avenue and around the corner on 58th Street.
It’s amazing to see my work in public and printed so large. It’s even better than being shown in a gallery. I am always excited to see them there. But I understand that perhaps this will be coming to a close soon.
I saw them there yesterday. If you want to see it before they are gone, you’ll need to do it soon. Oh, I do hope that I will have another exhibit sometime soon. It’s fun to shoot street photography with my street photography in the background.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Favorite photos
Rather than having a theme for this assignment, this is about posting your favorite photos. For extra credit, let us know why they are favorites. And hey, it’s always open for other people to comment. Dialogue is cool.
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 @shootnewyorkcity. If you're not a member of the Facebook group yet, all you have to do is request to join.
Further Viewing
Fred Herzog is a favorite photographer. Especially his color work.
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. Thank you for your patience and Stay Safe!
Hi Leanne I've been trying to join the FB group and keep getting rejected. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks Cliff