Issue 132 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! Did I mention that I love photography and the activity of photography? And did I mention that I love my career as a photography mentor? Well, if you haven’t heard me say it before, now you have. And if you have heard me say it before, I say you can’t say it too much.
While it might be cliché to say that I’m passionate about photography, I have known a few photographers and witnessed a number of others who seem to have a painful experience with it. I think that photography should always be an enjoyable experience and that’s something that we focus on in my workshops.
I realize that for many people the idea of calling yourself a photographer is not easy. But if you describe yourself with the verb of what you are doing rather than a noun that can sound a bit pretentious depending on the situation, it may come easier.
In the previous issue I wrote about what does photography mean to you. I also threw the idea out there that if anyone wanted to share their artist statement, I’d be happy to share.
Nobody responded to that request. No problem. I hadn’t expected that anyone would. It’s not an easy assignment, but I do think that it’s a good idea to think about what motivates you in photography, and what doesn’t.
The weather has been gorgeous and many pandemic restrictions are being lifted. So I’m working a lot these days and we are still wearing a mask and social distancing with an abundance of caution.
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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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.
Robert Frank’s The Americans
Have you ever thought about who has walked on the same streets that you have? Or who lives in the buildings that you happen to photograph in passing? I have passed this building and photographed it many times in the past.
There’s something about this building that is so very different than those around it and also of most buildings in New York City. On a few occasions I even dreamt of living in it. I thought it must be a cool apartment.
Fast forward a few years and I discovered that it is where Robert Frank lived. And even though I passed it at least a hundred times, I never saw any sign of life there. It’s a very quiet building. With the exception of the green facade, it’s easy to pass it by.
But Bleecker Street has some beautiful shadows. So I would stop and photograph it and then move on. Until, one day. . .
But first, I have a confession to make. Robert Frank’s book The Americans, is one of the most well-known photography books ever. While I have known of many of the photos in this book, I never owned a copy of it. Till now!
This is not the first time that I’ve written about Frank. But as I write again about him, it is with new eyes and an even better understanding of his work. It is a classic book of photography for many reasons. I address a few of them here.
I should also mention that I have believed for many years that it isn’t necessary to know what a photographer or artist intended, that an image speaks for itself. I guess that I may need to walk that back.
Robert Frank was an admirer of the work of Walker Evans. There are a number of essays comparing their photos and Walker Evans book American Photographs. In this respect, both Evans and Frank were documentary photographers.
Street photographers love to embrace Frank as one of their own. Of course, Frank never described himself as a street photographer. Perhaps more important is that he has been described as the first photographer of the Snapshot Aesthetic.
Frank spoke quite a bit about what photography meant to him and why he took photos. I find it very useful now to read that “I was tired of Romanticism. . . I wanted to present what I saw, pure and simple.”
When looking at the photos in The Americans, there are a few important things to think about. First of all, Frank was a Swiss man who moved to America and was the first non-American recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship which allowed him to travel through 48 states by car and create the stunning images for this book.
Next, he shot 27,000 photos in which 83 were chosen for the book. They were all taken in 1955 and 1956. The snapshot aesthetic embraces a raw and unpolished look. They aren’t necessarily what we would call technically ‘perfect’ photos.
Maybe most importantly, they were not well received by many critics and viewers alike. Frank shone a light on what America was about. It often takes an outsider to really show us who we are. And it’s not a book of ‘pretty’ pictures.
The first thing when you open the book is an introduction by Jack Kerouac, the beat writer. I never read anything by Kerouac, but his intro is worth reading. It is like one run-on sentence of poetry. The fact is, the most outstanding thing about the photos in The Americans, is that each photo is like a poem unto itself.
When we look at Frank’s photos, what do we see? If we don’t slow down to really look at them, we will miss what they have to say. His photos are like visual poetry. They are jam packed with meaning. Sometimes the meaning is not pretty.
To produce an authentic contemporary document; the visual impact should be such as will nullify explanation. Robert Frank
I’m not certain that I can entirely agree with this statement. I already mentioned above that I think that it is actually important to understand what’s behind the photo. Frank seems to say otherwise.
But the photos in The Americans would be easy for us to skip over without understanding what’s going on in them. We live in a very different world than when these photos were taken.
So on a beautiful day in May 2019 while I was providing a tour we ran into Robert Frank sitting in front of his home. He was rather feeble and not especially alert. But I had the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for everything that he has done for photography. And I asked him first and then took the photo above.
I was very moved by the experience of meeting Frank. He passed away less than 4 months after I took this photo. But I will forever imagine him sitting there in front of his home when I walk by it.
Sometimes, looking at pictures is exciting all by itself. Sometimes when you are moved by photos, it’s good to look a little longer and look into what photography meant to the photographer. Frank is very frank about his work. And I find that a little bit of reading can go a long way.
Do you have an experience with a photographer or just their work that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about it and your comment are always welcome. And if you want to comment on any of his photos, you can do that too.
Are you Curious?
The most recent issue of my Curious Frame newsletter is about how the concept of chance in photography and it touches on Robert Frank as well.. 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
The Social Media Corner
So this new section of the newsletter was greeted with big interest.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 131:
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🙏🏻
Thanks so much for your comments! I think that everyone can gain some insight from the experiences of others. It’s easy to leave a comment, just hit reply in your email.
Biweekly Photo Assignment - Shooting Through
Shooting through doors windows and whatever else. Even broken glass like the above photo. The choice is yours. This assignment also touches on the topic of framing. It’s great to see all the contributions to the Facebook group!
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.
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!