Issue 180 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! We’re half way through the year and I’m trying to figure out how we’re here already. I’ve been shooting almost every day and I haven’t even had much time to review the photos.
Thank you to everyone taking my workshops and writing TripAdvisor reviews and everyone subscribing to and reading this newsletter.
I write about my experiences shooting the streets and also about the experiences of people out there shooting with me. You won’t find any theory here. It’s always about the practice of photography.
Shoot often, experiment, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and spend quality time looking at the photography of others.
As always, Happy Shooting. If you’re not having fun, I want to know about it. Maybe there’s a way 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.
Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2023
I am currently considering holding a small workshop for the 2023 Mermaid Parade. I won’t be advertising it online. Let me know if you are interested in photographing it with me. It will be held on Saturday 17 June and it is a celebration of the Summer Solstice. You can email me (info@shootnewyorkcity.com) with questions or to confirm that you’d like to attend.
Almost, no stupid questions
Thank you to Jakob for his question and comments on the previous issue of this newsletter. You can read what he wrote in the comments. The link below is the fancy way to show it to you and I am undecided if I like it.
So he’s aware of the fact that I think that asking which camera I use is stupid. I’ve been known to respond to that question by stating do you ask a carpenter which hammer they use?
The exception to that might be about a particular function that is not available on all cameras. I often shoot multiple exposures and that isn’t available on all cameras. Perhaps, which focal length lens do you use is more appropriate.
I am not secretive about my processes or equipment. The question about which camera I use has more to do with people seeing the previews of the photos that I’ve taken and that I feel that buyer beware, there’s no guarantee that you will achieve similar results by using the same camera.
So Jakob hesitated in asking me how I achieved the colors in the photos that I shared in the previous issue. I answered that that’s a two part process. Perhaps three parts. But the first is that I shoot Raw and Jpg at the same time and that my Jpgs use a Fuji Film recipe which changes the white balance.
The monochrome photos in this issue are the Jpgs using this process. The Raw files are altered by this process because the white balance is altered. So they look different than they would normally.
I don’t spend a lot of time processing Raw files. Perhaps one day when I have lots of extra time I will do so. For the moment I have been using an application called Darkroom and many of the photos in the previous newsletter and the photo above use the process called Instant.
It’s possible that my camera settings all contributed to the look as well. Of course. It should be noted that I fell upon this process by chance. And digital color has always been a challenge for me. I don’t really like the ‘standard’ colors. In film photography I tend to prefer lomo or Polaroid films.
You can ask me anything and I will answer to the best of my ability. I am less concerned with the technology and more focused on the activity of shooting and image making. And yes, accidents and chance are a big part of the process. Comments are always welcome.
Celebrity Meeting
I was out doing a photoshoot of my friend Davey Mitchell in his costume homage to the artist Yayoi Kusama when we met Lynn Goldsmith. She came running after us to get a photo of Davey. In case you didn’t know, she is world famous for her portraits of rock stars going back to the 1970s.
By the way, she just won a major Supreme Court case against the Andy Warhol Foundation for copyright infringement in the use of a photo of hers of Prince. I won’t go into the details of that here.
You have probably seen many of her photos and there are so many wonderful ones. And guess what? She is also a wonderful person to meet. I often do photo shoots of Davey Mitchell in his various costumes and you may even see us on the streets of the city. He is on Instagram as @ABDfactory.
Biweekly Photo Assignment -Shadows
Shadows are fun when you can find them. I am also a shadow addict. Shadows can also be abstract, minimalistic and many other things. Creativity is always a plus. What attracts your eye?
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.
The app is a great way to read this and other newsletters at your leisure and you can access a large portion of the back issues of this newsletter on it.
Further Viewing
Fabulous look at the work of the photography of William Eggleston.
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!
What Darkroom program are you using? I did a search and there are several
Thanks!
Just wondering, do you do courses in Brooklyn? Looks like I’ll be staying there in October, would be nice perhaps to explore the borough with a local :)