Shoot New York City Newsletter
The Mind's Eye - Part One - 4 February 2025
Issue 220 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone from frigid New York City! I’m still shooting frequently but it has been so cold. It’s necessary to really slow down and sometimes stand inside somewhere warm and shoot through glass. In this issue I’m doing something a little different. I hope that you enjoy it.
I always write about my experiences as a photographer and from the encounters I have with people who take my private photo tours and group street photography workshops. No two workshops or photo tours are alike. I always tailor them to the interests and needs of those in attendance. And we always have fun in spite of the weather. So I don’t really spend a lot of time writing about gear. You can find lots of info about that.
Thank you to everyone who has taken my workshops and also to everyone who has subscribed to this newsletter free or paid. If you can afford to pay for it, great! If you can’t no problem. I’m an indie artist trying to make a living. Thank you!
And, I always welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you!
Happy shooting!
The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust
The Mind’s Eye - Part One
I am currently rereading Henri Cartier-Bresson’s book, The Mind’s Eye. It has been quite awhile since I last read it and I thought that I would share with you quotes from the essays and my comments on his writing. There is so much in these essays that is still surprisingly fresh and relevant. I not only shoot but I also think about street photography quite a bit.
I am including most of the first essay in the book. Not only do his photos contain “a simplicity of expression”, but also his words do as well. I was unable to find a way to not quote it all. I will continue with it in the next issue as well as the decisive moment.
Photography has not changed since its origin except in technical aspects, which for me are not a major concern. Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1976.
How very true! And how prophetic almost 50 years later. The thing that always surprises me is that a large number of people that I encounter through my work are more focused on the technology than the image-making process of photography.
It doesn’t help that digital cameras have way too many options and it’s too easy to get lost in the menus and how to use the technology. It’s easy to lose your focus. You need to make the technology work for you rather than you working for the technology. Yes, do try shooting in Auto mode for street photography. You might be pleasantly surprised.
“Manufactured” or staged photography does not concern me. And if I make a judgement it can only be on a psychological or sociological level. There are those who take photographs arranged beforehand and those who go out to discover the image and seize it. Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1976.
Of course, the term street photography didn’t exist when Cartier-Bresson was shooting. But he perfectly describes the idea of taking candid street photos. I almost never shoot parades or protests anymore because I already have an idea what I will encounter.
The spontaneity of what you will see is what it’s all about for me and is at the heart of street photography. I prefer to not confuse documentary and street photography.
For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1976.
For many years now, I’ve been telling people in my workshops that street photography is an activity that I love. I always hope that I will have some good photos at the end of the day. But creating great photos is merely the icing on the cake. It is the result of being fully engaged in the activity.
If I am constantly trying to capture a great photo, I will miss what’s going on around me. Observe and capture. And repeat. Forget the tool unless the light changes. Just keep shooting. And pay attention to the things that attract your vision.
In order to “give a meaning” to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry -- it is by great economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression. One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself. Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1976.
I have encountered a handful of photographers in my life that were outright rude and many others who unknowingly were treating their subjects as you would shooting photos on a safari. Some people eventually understand the idea that they wouldn't want someone else to do the same thing to them.
Street photography is about observing and capturing humanity in candid situations. Respect is always at top of mind. Always. Why would you want to do otherwise is a mystery to me. Yes, there are some famous photographers who are disrespectful and perhaps the only reason that they are famous and able to make a living doing it, is because people want to see their photos and are willing to pay for them.
Cartier-Bresson’s writing will be continued in the next issue of the newsletter. I hope that you enjoy this and thank you for reading it. As always, your comments are always welcome.
Important Announcement
I have decided to close the Facebook group for Shoot New York City as there has been a lack of participation in it for quite awhile. Frankly, I just don’t have the time or energy for Facebook. So I will not be posting photo assignments. But stay tuned for something that will take its place in the future. Thanks!
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. Thank you for supporting my work. Much love.
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.
My parade photographs were rarely interesting. For the last St Patrick's Day Parade in New Haven I went to the staging area where the groups were getting ready for the parade. There were lots of good opportunities to get candid shots.