Issue 126 of the SNYC Newsletter
Greetings everyone! There’s so many new things to do and I hope that you are feeling inspired & shooting when possible and safely. While photography is a great passion for me and I suspect for you, it isn’t worth it to put your life or the life of others on the line for it. So yes, happy & safe shooting!
The above photo was taken during a recent workshop in Soho. While I have regularly scheduled workshops, there aren’t as many people visiting the city and taking them. I look forward to a day in the future when travel will open up again and I can see everyone again.
In the meantime there are a number of things that we can do. I hope that I can provide you with some ideas and encouragement as I’ve heard from a few people that shooting has been a little difficult lately for a few different reasons.
Thanks to all the new workshop attendees and to everyone following me. It’s great to hear from you and see your photos as well.
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.
Readers comments:
One reader wrote:
I just need to tell you how lucky I feel for having met you and for receiving these emails. I don't even have 1% of your experience, but I feel so much aligned with everything you say! And your emails are very very inspiring
Another reader write:
As usual, an insightful and well-written article. It caused me to think about how my photography has evolved and in particular how the pandemic has played into that journey. Not too many years ago I would have described myself as a " hunter type." Going out shooting was always about finding the shot I had imagined was out there. Sometimes it worked, most times it didn't. Instead of slowing down, I sped up. I just needed to cover more territory and find the shot. Somehow, I'm not sure how or exactly when I stopped running around and began to pay attention to what was in front of me. Amazing what I had missed. The pandemic has allowed me to focus more on architecture and shapes as the light and shadows play off of them. Being present and observant is my new mantra. I think I am a better photographer as a result.
Thanks again for the thoughtful article. Thinking about why one does what one does really matters. Stay safe.🙏🏻
Shooting Street Photography - A Dating Game
Beware of photogs professing to provide you with the rules on how to shoot street photography as if there’s only one correct method of doing it. My advice has always been to explore different possibilities, to experiment.
On the one hand, it is rather easy to try and copy styles done by other photogs. Ideally, it should be about incorporating the elements that you like and adding them to your style. It’s obviously not about outright copying.
So in the beginning of shooting street, it’s kind of like a dating game. You might not know exactly what you’re looking for. But there’s no commitment on your part. You’re just trying it on for size. And the same is true if you’re looking to update your style.
My style has changed many times over the years and it is continually changing. Mostly it is a gradual process. I spend a good deal of time observing the work of other photographers famous and not. When I see something that I like, I think about how I can use it in my photos.
It’s a little like fashion. Just because a style looks good on someone else, especially a model being paid to advertise it, doesn’t necessarily mean it will look good on you. Eventually it becomes like a patchwork quilt of choosing things that I want to incorporate into my style. Personal style is always evolving. Well, it is for me and I hope it is for you.
It’s great when someone can identify your photography without seeing your name attached to it. In my opinion, many of the most well known photographers on social media tend to get into a rut. They continually repeat the same recipe over and over again until it becomes generic.
I get bored easily not only of seeing their work that repeats over and over, I get bored of my own work when I keep doing the same thing over and over again. But there are so many ways that you can explore making little or big changes.
Radical Cropping
For the most part, I try to stick to gradual changes. But sometimes I do make some radical changes! I’ve been saying for quite awhile now that it’s best to compose in camera. But cropping is not a sin. I’ve been saying that if you want your photos to fit into the straight photography category, you should crop to a standard ratio.
A typical standard ratio might be 4x3 or even 1x1. Cinematic is 16x9. But I recently started playing around with what I call radical cropping. It is free form and does not align with any true camera ratios.
I started doing this when looking through photos from 2008. I was finding quite a few that I didn’t like. But when I looked a little closer I realized that I might like them if I cropped them.
Since some of them were taken 12+ years ago it didn’t really matter. The above photo was taken a few days ago and it wasn’t all that interesting until I cropped it. The photo below was from a St Patrick’s Day Parade in 2010.
The camera is a tool and it doesn’t always capture things in a manner that we would like it too. Standard in-camera photo sizes don’t always display a photo that highlights the most important part of the picture. And of course, our vision is not restricted to the common framing sizes in cameras.
Radical cropping is about being creative and being able to capture the part of a shot that your vision was attempting to. I also printed out the above photo with 2 of the exact same image on one page as shown below.
Repetition is a good method of adding a dimension to a photo. Repetition can create a sense of movement and rhythm. So whether it’s the original single photo or the composite of the two together as shown above, the repetition of lines from the crosswalk with the lines on the drums in combination with the sets of legs in motion created a dynamic composition that I like.
And of course, you may not feel the same way about it that I do. The original photo is one that I was ready to trash. I quite like finding new ways to use photos. It is in a way like a method of recycling.
I’ve been in a mostly monochrome mood lately. But here’s one color photo and it’s cropped to 16x9 cinematic size. This is a standard crop ratio. In the Fuji XE3 I can shoot 16x9 in jpg. But I still prefer to shoot Raw and crop after the fact.
That said, I do on occasion shoot square as I like the tightness of a square image. And I find that it’s helpful to see a square image while shooting it. There are so many choices. In the 2 examples that I provided of radical cropping, they were both cropped at the top or the bottom of the image. Not on the sides.
And they were both shot in landscape mode. However if I shoot in portrait mode as I often do, I would likely only crop proportionally or crop square. These are just a few examples.
I’ve never been totally against cropping, but my feelings about what works and what can be done are changing. While I never said never, it’s interesting how pushing the ideas can create opportunities to do things differently.
I would love to hear your thoughts about cropping whether it’s radical or not. This is a space for dialogue. It’s not about judgement. And if you’d like to share a photo, you can do it in the Facebook group for Shoot New York City or you can email me a photo to post in the next issue of the newsletter and your name will not be attached to the image.
Are you Curious yet?
One of the recent issues of Curious Frame is about Does Originality Matter? Coincidentally, I was recently asked about originality in shooting street photography and not wanting to copy others. I was very happy that he brought up the subject because I know that he is not alone in this. Below is an excerpt from Issue 16.
When it comes to street photography, if nothing else, it is always about chance and the happy accident. Of the not knowing what you will discover. Of the pure act of witnessing life in motion with the hope of capturing that.
Every photograph is in a manner of speaking, an original reproduction of the world that we live in and through our eyes. It is another form of communication in which spoken language is not important.
It’s easy to subscribe & join in on the dialogue about what photography means to us in a world bombarded with images and how we can make sense of it all. It will land in your inbox every Wednesday for you to read at your leisure.
Photography Assignment of the next 2 Weeks - Shadows & Light
Whether you use shadows as I have with the above photo or maybe you want to post photos shooting into the sun like the 3rd photo from the top, the choice is yours.
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
Here is an 18 minute speed bio on the photographer W. Eugene Smith by Ted Forbes. It will certainly give you an idea of the importance of Smith’s work if you’re not yet familiar with it. As well, Ted has a series of vlogs that he’s been doing for many years now that are very informative. Enjoy!
Upcoming Workshops
Workshops are now 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!