Shoot New York City Newsletter
Always Exploring Photography - 3rd Party Lens, Richard Avedon & more
Issue 127 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! So it’s been almost exactly one year since the pandemic lockdown happened in New York City and around the world. As I imagine the situation was for you, there was a number of months when I barely left my studio apartment.
I spent a lot of time working on a number of different things for both my street and abstract photography as well as my creative writing. Working for myself means that there’s always something to do and it’s easy to find things to do to fill my time.
Since the late summer I’ve had both private and group workshops on a somewhat regular basis and fortunately in the last few months they have begun to pick up again. We always practice social distancing and wear masks while shooting street photography and we have a good time.
It has been great to meet new people and see people that have taken workshops from me in the past. So the nature of street photography has of course changed. There are fewer people on the streets. But there are still some good opportunities for fabulous street photography.
If nothing else, fewer people on the streets has caused us to slow down and become better at observing what’s going on around us. Street photography is life and so it isn’t even just about photography. It’s also about observing life.
Yes, the pandemic has been devastating for everyone. But in the middle of it all, we are documenting a changed world. And rather than just going out shooting for the sake of shooting, we are growing our understanding of the world and gaining an appreciation for it and all the amazing people that are providing essential services of all kinds.
A big thanks to everyone who has taken a workshop with me or bought zines and prints! Obviously the pandemic has really slowed down my business and I am so grateful. Everything helps! Happy shooting!
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.
New Gear Alert!
I recently took a chance on buying an inexpensive third party lens for my Fuji XE3. It’s a Meike 50mm f2 lens. I misread the ad for it and thought that it was equivalent to a 50mm full frame. In reality it’s closer to an 80mm focal length.
At any rate, I love it. My intention was to buy a lens for my abstract photography. So I tried it out on a recent private workshop in Brighton Beach and Coney Island and it’s very cool.
So I guess you’re asking why am I shooting street photography with a longer lens? Good question. In general, I would not use an 80mm lens for street photography. But then the streets have been quieter and I’m not using it for straight ahead full frontal street photography.
First of all, I’m looking to do more street photography a la Saul Leiter and focus more on color, shapes and composition. The 2 above photos were taken with it. The lens cost about $80 and it’s small and not plastic. I’m thinking that I’ll also get the 35mm as well and that’s closer to a 50mm.
As well, with fewer people on the streets, shooting with a 50mm equivalent is basically what Cartier-Bresson was using. These lenses are fixed focal length so there’s no zooming in. Different times lead to newer opportunities and creativity tends to come from limitations.
So it isn’t about getting portraits. It’s more like getting back to my roots of shooting architecture and backgrounds with people in them. I should also mention that Meike makes lenses for different camera mounts and there are a few other companies that make similar lenses.
Oh, they are manual focus so I’m getting ready to try out zone focusing with it. In the meantime I’ve mostly set the focusing on infinity. And the added bonus is that looking through the lens creates a different perspective. It’s like exercising your vision muscles!
Shooting Film
I have been shooting film on a fairly regular basis these days while also shooting digital. This is another example of stretching your brain when out shooting. It is interesting to see how the tendency to preview digital photos can slow down and distract street shooting. Obviously, when shooting film you don’t get a preview. That’s one less distraction.
This photo was taken with the LC-A+ lomography camera and expired Plus X 125 ISO film. The LC-A+ is a fun little camera and it’s light and easy to bring with me when I go out shooting. I buy film from the Film Photography Project and have it developed at The Darkroom. They are both online and it’s yet another method of shooting street photography and exploring the many different methods of photography.
One of the advantages of shooting film photography with a lomo or toy camera, is that almost all you can do is compose. What a concept! It takes all the fuss out of shooting giving you more opportunity to focus on shooting.
Photographer Profile - Teemu Vilmunen
While it is oh so easy to trash Instagram, I have to say that not only do I find inspiration on it, I have also made virtual friends with a number of photographers. And I should stress here that I am very much influenced by a number of photographers who are not famous.
Teemu Vilmunen is one of my favorite photographers on Instagram. It is very cool to know a photographer in Finland and we both like each others photography. So we recently exchanged zines. Oh, I love photography of all sorts, but my favorite is to be able to hold a photo zine or print in my hands. It absolutely adds another dimension to appreciating photography.
Most of Teemu’s work is monochrome though he also has a different account for the occasional color photography. He has a very specific style and it’s easy for me to spot his work as a result.
He did a very strange thing at the beginning of this year. He deleted all his photos on Instagram and started clean with all new work. At any rate, I do hope that you enjoy his photography. As well, it does take some effort on Instagram to make virtual friends with other photographers. But I think that it’s really about quality, not quantity.
In The News!
Berlin Explorer did an interview with me. I’d never heard of them before. The interview was done by email and they chose the photos. Anyway, it’s always cool to me mentioned on the internet and connect with other groups of photographers. You can read the interview at the link above.
Are you Curious?
The latest issue of Curious Frame is Photography is Magic. Curious Frame is for my thoughts on photography and what photography means in our culture that is dominated by photos all the time and everywhere. Below is an excerpt of Issue 19.
Photography is magic on many levels and if we slow down a bit we may be able to discover or rediscover some of the magic that exists both in shooting and viewing photos.
To those who first witnessed the camera, this new object and also a physical photo, it was seen either seen as magic or a creation of the devil. But that’s before our time.
It’s easy to subscribe & join in on the dialogue about what photography means to us in a world bombarded with images and how we can make sense of it all. It will land in your inbox every Wednesday for you to read at your leisure.
Photo Assignment for the next 2 Weeks - Eyes
Whether you post photos of direct eye contact with you, shooting masked people where the eyes become more prominent or like the photo above with the woman’s eyes directing our gaze, the choice is yours. That’s a shortlist of the possibilities.
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
This is a short video (about 20 minutes) about the photography of Richard Avedon. I only recently discovered the videos of Alex Kilbee and I like how he discusses photographers and photography. Avedon has always been a favorite. By the way, Avedon was very much influenced by Diane Arbus.
Upcoming Workshops
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!