Issue 195 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! The weather is frigid here in New York City. We actually got a little snow too. While I’m not a huge fan of winter or cold weather, my love of photography is enough to get me shooting all year round. Crazy.
It’s funny how I used to avoid Times Square for just about everything, photography included. But I’ve been finding that over the last 6 months or so that I often capture photos that I really like in Times Square. So photos in this issue are from a recent day of shooting there.
The new year is always a good time to rethink previous ingrained ideas about what to shoot and how to shoot it. I know of many photographers who only shoot on sunny days. Obviously that’s not me.
Thanks to all the new and return customers who’ve taken my street photography workshops and photo tours. And thank you to all the subscribers of this newsletter whether paid or free. It means a lot to me.
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. Thanksto everyone who has bought me a coffee!!! Maybe one day we’ll be able to have a coffee in person. Mucho love.
Social Media & Street Photography
Every year I have the privilege to meet and work with so many people from around the world. We talk about photography and I introduce them to different methods and styles of shooting. Oh, and we always have fun.
But many of my customers aren’t on social media and for many different reasons. I do understand their reasons. If it wasn’t for my business, I wonder if I’d be on any social media platforms. They can be a real hassle and sometimes just plain unsatisfying.
But. There’s always a but. Before social media the only people that I could share my photos with were friends and family. They better like my photos!!! But hey, that doesn’t really help you grow as a photographer.
It’s great when the people that you like like your photos. When social media for photography began, it was Flickr for me. I still have an account even though I don’t post on it that often. I guess I should update my photos there. Btw, I don’t have a pro account.
But back then you could kind of meet and interact with like minded photographers. There is something cool about people you don’t know liking and commenting on your photos. I don’t think that there’s anything that you can call objectivity when it comes to photography. But hey, it’s nice to get some kind of recognition.
It’s also nice to know that there are people out there with similar interests in photography and to see what they’re doing. I often tell people that you can get permission to do things in photography that you didn’t know you could. Photos with angles or a person that is slightly cut off in a photo are examples.
I post to Instagram on an almost daily basis. And sometimes it seems like a chore. That is especially true when the algorithms aren’t in my favor and the photos that I personally like get very little attention. But I don’t have as much invested in that as I once did.
I post recent photos and I view and like and comment only on the posts by the people that I follow. Many of them also follow me. In a way, it’s like a little club inside the masses on the platform. We follow each other and our photographic journeys. So it’s more than a reaction on a single photo. It’s about a body of work. We can get to know each other through our photos.
By posting my work I am sharing my work. Not always my best work. But usually recent work. There’s something about throwing my photos out there into the world that makes the idea of shooting more interesting and working towards getting better as photographer more real. I’m committing myself to it. I’m in the game for what it’s worth.
I don’t recall having a feeling of wanting to become a better photographer before social media. I was just shooting and sometimes I was getting good photos. But I also didn’t have much to compare my photos to. Sure, you can compare yourself to famous photographers. And then you can feel bad because you’re not as good.
Social media is a double edged sword. I think that you can use it to your advantage if you put some effort into it. And I do understand the privacy concerns which I don’t think we can avoid anymore because everywhere you go, every app you use has privacy concerns.
So when I’m doing my daily Instagram post, it takes me about 30-40 minutes tops. I don’t have the attention span or time for much more. But I do engage with some of the people and sometimes we meet up and shoot when they’re in town and it’s cool.
If you have an account and you post photos of food and dogs and babies and that’s not what you’re trying to achieve as a photographer, you should create another account just for your street photography. Treat it like a website. Keep it focused. I know that I don’t follow or I unfollow accounts with too many posts about politics and other topics not related to street photography.
If you are 100% against being on Instagram or Facebook (I don’t blame you) then maybe you can try out the Glass App. I quite like it. No ads, no videos, no algorithms and they don’t sell your data. It’s available for iOS and Android and also on the web. The cost is $29 a year. Not bad if you ask me.
If you’re not on social media of any kind, how do you share your photography with other people that also have an interest in photography? How do you grow your photography? People tell me about belonging to photography clubs with very mixed results. If your style is different than that of the other photographers you are made to feel that your work isn’t very good. Ouch!
It takes a certain amount of courage to share your photos. But that’s part of it. You grow through the process. And it’s always important to remember that “likes” are not as important as genuine communication and connection through photography.
People like to use the new year to do new things. Mostly to improve in some way or another. But also to get out of a rut. I always write happy shooting in every issue of this newsletter and I mean it. I think it should always be something that you’re happy about doing. I am.
I am always curious about the people that take photos and don’t share them with anyone outside their family and friends. I just know that street photography is always a learning experience for me and I am a social person. So I continue to post to Instagram until something better comes along.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome!
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Shadows
Shadows are fun. They can be found everywhere if there’s a little light. Go ahead and be creative. Have fun.
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
It’s about feeling!
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.
It's like you read my mind this time, Leanne. I have thought a lot about social media's role for me. The first time around with photography for me, 35 years ago, I only shared with friends, as you say. But - I had some really dedicated photographic friends and I miss that a LOT, because it's so valuable to get feedback from someone in the game that you also have a strong personal relationship with. That said, I completely agree with you that there is something good about social media and despite the downsides it connects you to a lot of great creatives and pushes you to be better. I have tried clubs but it doesn't seem to be for me.
I do really enjoy your newsletter Leanne, great stuff.
Sharing photos, for me too, is an important part of learning to be better. But also, to share is to motivate yourself to continue ( I think ) and especially when people interact with you. I'm not a fan of Instagram - more than anything else it's the size of the images - I love to see images B I G which is why I still use and love flickr, and here of course and the website.