Issue 131 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greeting everyone! I do hope that you are doing well. Here in New York City, the pandemic restrictions are gradually being lifted. It seems that July 1st is going to be a big date for much of the city getting back to normal. But I continue to wear a mask and social distance during workshops. Yes, with an abundance of caution.
So the weather is moving back and forth between spring and summer and either way people are spending more time outdoors. I’ve had some fabulous group and private workshops and we’re taking a ton of photos! There are abundant photographic opportunities.
In this issue I am hoping to discover what motivates you when it comes to photography. Many people say that taking a workshop with me helps them to see things that they didn’t even notice. Sometimes it’s just about slowing down enough to look a little closer at the things that are there right in front of your eyes.
Certainly the pandemic has created limitations on what we can do, but it has also opened up new possibilities. The great thing about photography is that there are always new ways and subjects that we can shoot.
Welcome to the new subscribers and thank you to everyone who reads the newsletter. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome and dialogue is one of the most important things that we can do to improve as photographers.
As always, happy shooting and stay safe!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
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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.
Street Photography: What does it mean to you?
While I’m always thinking about what photography means and I’m always writing about it, I’ve recently given an assignment to 2 of the photographers that I am mentoring to write about what photography means to them.
What I write here in the SNYC newsletter as well as in the Curious Frame newsletter aren’t exactly what I’m talking about. What I’m talking about could be best described as an artist statement.
You don’t have to call yourself an artist to have a need to go through this exercise. Yes, I know, writing an artist statement is a painful process. But it doesn’t really need to be.
As I wrote in the opening of this newsletter, what is it that motivates you in photography can be the beginning of putting into writing a statement about photography.
So you take photographs and you share them with family, friends and even in social media. But what does taking photos mean to you? Why do you take photos and why do you choose to focus on the themes and styles that you do?
I love pen and paper for writing. Most of my ideas that I write about in my newsletters start from handwritten notes. I have an overactive mind. It’s always full of curiosity and questions. Perhaps that’s why I write.
So I’m giving you an assignment if you want to do it, to start writing about why you take photos and what it means to you. I’d love to share them anonymously in the newsletter for others to read if you’re willing to share them.
I mention writing a statement about your photography as I think that it’s an important step in growing as a photographer. You don’t need to share it with anyone to gain from this exercise.
You can see my artist statement for my art practice on my site. For my street photography, I am in the process of writing one. But as I started out photography and writing at the age of 12, they are both important aspects of how I experience the world and how I communicate. Street photography is for me an activity which involves me being in the world. In short, it is a verb. It’s what I do.
I look forward to hearing about what it means to you. If you want to submit anonymously, just email me (info@shootnewyorkcity.com) instead of replying in the leave a comment button below.
The Social Media Corner
So this new section of the newsletter was greeted with big interest. (You can read the comments from the previous newsletter at the bottom of that newsletter.) Once upon a time, we took photos and shared them with friends and family and there wasn’t much more that we could do with our photos.
Now, with the internet and social media, we can share our photos with the entire world and with people that we would never be able to reach in the past. But of course, with that also comes a few problems.
Social media we love to hate or hate to love it. I am happy that we have the Facebook group for Shoot New York City and that people are doing a great job of sharing, commenting and getting to know each other.
If you’re subscribed to this newsletter and/or you’ve taken a workshop with me, you can join the group. You just need to request to join.
But I also realize that not everyone uses Facebook or even wants to be part of it. If a different format for sharing comes available, I’ll be the first to create another group for everyone. For the moment there’s not much more that I know about that we can use.
Instagram is the biggest thing out there at the moment and it isn’t without problems. Aside from all the common complaints, it isn’t really possible to create a community there. If you hear about something let me know.
Your comments from Issue 130:
One reader wrote:
Thank you for including a dedicated column on Social Media. It should be a lively discussion.
I have a love/hate relationship with social media as it relates to photography. Over the years I have simply concluded that it is a necessary evil and have learned to focus on what I get from it as opposed to how much I dislike the platform. It is still the best place to view hundreds of images in a short space of time and spend more time with those that are inspirational.
Another reader wrote:
Hi Leanne - just discovered your blog here. Already loving it. I find myself soaking up any and all sources dedicated to street photography.
As regards social media - I am completely done with facebook. It just feels redundant to me nowadays. And if there is one thing that that platform has made me realise it's that I need my own website - at least in addition to a platform like Instagram
These comments have been edited for length. You can read the entire comments here. And you will also see a dialogue going on there. And you can still comment on that issue of the newsletter and the comments as well.
Photography Mentoring
As I mentioned above, I currently have 2 photogs that I am mentoring. Rather than calling what I do teaching, mentoring is about helping you work at your specific interests and further develop your strengths and personal style.
The great thing about mentoring is that we can do it online. It is a combination of an ongoing portfolio review and creating an individual plan of assignments to focus on. So like my workshops, it is always customized for your specific needs.
I highly recommend finding a mentor to work with you as a method of improving and defining your work. But I caution that if you’re going to pay to get a portfolio review, the person who is conducting it should have a style that is similar to what you would like to achieve.
I currently have one space available on Wednesdays if you’re interested. And if you have an experience taking classes or getting a portfolio review, I’d love to hear about them whether it was a positive or negative experience. We can all learn from the experiences of others. And taking a class or getting mentoring can also provide inspiration and motivation as well as focus.
Photo Organization
People often ask me how to organize their photos. With digital photography it’s easy to amass a very large quantity of photos. I am constantly trying to organize my 300k+ digital photo files. Take it from me, it’s easier to start doing it sooner rather than later.
The topic of organization of photos came up when I was asked about how to start a website and/or to review their images and choose their best photos. The first thing is to start with keywords.
Well, actually the first thing is how you organize your photos on your computer. All of my raw files are stored on an external hard drive which is duplicated once a week to another external hard drive and is also backed up to cloud storage.
So the system that works best for me is to have a folder for the year and then have a folder for each date that I took photos. But after that it’s really about using keywords.
In this newsletter there are 2 photos that were taken during a workshop in Chinatown on a rainy day and I use the keywords; Chinatown, rain or raindrops, umbrella and workshop.
For instance, it makes it easy for me to find all of the photos with visible raindrops which is a favorite subject to shoot. That can be a good method of creating galleries for a website or even just to be able to have a look at all of the photos that you took in which raindrops are visible and assess and order your work.
Two other photos in this newsletter were taken during a workshop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. So Bushwick and Brooklyn would be keywords as would street art and silhouettes. I use Exposure X6. But whether you use Lightroom or Exposure, you can make a smart collection based on keywords and many other things as well.
And by the way, many of the photo assignments are also good keywords to use. I’d love to hear about how you organize your photo library or challenges that you are facing with it.
Are you Curious?
The most recent issue of my Curious Frame newsletter is about how photography has influenced social justice. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s about my thoughts on photography. It’s easy to subscribe and take part in the dialogue about how photography influences the world that we live in. Yes, the above photo is of me!
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Objects
Keeping on the theme of keywords, objects is a kind of catchall category that includes everything from mannequins to bicycles, shoes abandoned on the street and much more. A few years ago I was giving a photo tour to man who was taking photos of discarded banana peels on the streets. The choice is yours.
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.
Further viewing:
Leonard Nimoy did more than play Spock on Star Trek! I’m enjoying Tatiana Hopper’s videos on photography. Her approach is very different than most of the others. And this video was posted on April 30th, 2021! Enjoy.
Upcoming Workshops:
Workshops are 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!
Regarding motivation - I think the idea of capturing an image that is overlooked by others be they photographers or just passers-by is one thing that I am consciously aware of when I am out shooting on the street. I like the idea of being able to see something with my camera that is apparent only to me, at least for that moment. Photographers that I follow and admire are able to do that. Seeing their work is a form of motivation for me. Seeing what I've done during post-processing can sometimes be very rewarding and a moment to savor. That too is motivating for me to do more. Of course, there are times when motivation/inspiration is simply not there. I have found it useful to review my archives and allow some time to just dwell on what I've done in the past. Just a little self-affirmation trick that will get me back on track and out the door.
As for an artist statement, I'll need to give that some thought. As always, thanks for the thought-provoking articles in this newsletter. Take care and stay safe🙏🏻