Category Archives: Off Street

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June 17th, 2014 … Fuji X100s … Free Your Vision and Thoughts

June 17, 2014 streetshooter 17 Comments

To start with, my Fuji X100s finally has a name. I had no choice but to name him Andre’. I know, I know.. but Kertesz is probably the single most important photographer in the history of the medium and I decided, that’s the name. I’ve always had a camera named Andre’ so the tradition continues.

Now Andre’ told me that he thinks I’m having an Inverse Square Law issue and he was upset. So, being open minded, I asked him what he meant. Andre’ said, ” listen kid, it’s nice to shoot a lot of pictures but you get very little satisfaction from the work.” Hmmm I thought to myself… I wonder if Andre’ knows something that I know but he remembers what I thought I know but maybe I forgot…..hmmmm. So, I asked Andre’ what I should do? Andre’ said…”I shouldn’t tell you this but your a good kid but who likes kids? Your are going to spend time on the street and shoot less and you will see kiddo that your satisfaction will rise and you’ll be happy.”

Well this idea I teach at my workshops and sessions and stuff. I mean sometimes you have to relearn what you all ready know. The thing that gets me is, how the heck does Andre’ know this stuff? I’ll have to ask my shrink, he’s more inside my head than I am..lol.

So Andre’ and I came to a compromise. We decided that we would only make around a dozen (12) exposures on a shoot. That way I would be guilty of not getting the shot and not Andre’.

There’s something to be said about the Inverse Square Law. The way I’m doing it, is the way I need to do it. See, the idea is not to find what to shoot…no..no..no but to be aware of what not to shoot. Not shooting is a very difficult task because it’s easier to just shoot away. If your paying attention to what your not shooting, then you’ll see more of what you should be shooting.

I’ve been shooting this way for decades actually but I want Andre’ to think he’s teaching the kid something new. I can say this because he doesn’t read my blog but he loves Flickr. Go figure.

My hit rate with the X100s, Andre, is substantially stronger and higher than any camera I have ever used including more than a dozen Leicas. Why, simple. Because the camera just does what it’s supposed to do and does not create an intrusion of any sort at any time. That’s easier said than done.

It’s not just what the camera sees or how it works, it’s how the FujiX100s FREES my vision. See, there are many great cameras out there, we all know that but we each need to find the camera that frees up our thoughts and vision and allows us to achieve the potential we strive for in our work. The idea of a synergism between shooter and camera seems strange to many. In fact my Shrink thinks I’m crazy, imagine that. Why would he think that I mean after all I talk to my camera..sooo.

I explained this to my Shrink…Doc.. it’s ok to talk to yourself, it’s even ok to answer yourself… as long as you know who’s talking and answering, no problem, when you think someone else is answering… he cut me off abruptly and said.. Mr Springer, that’s why your here. hmmmmm?

There’s a lot to talk about with this camera and I will no doubt be doing so for a while.

Until tomorrow, have a safe journey and may you all be BLESSED……………………..end transmission………………………………………..

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June 13th, 2014 … Fuji X100s … Observations

June 13, 2014 streetshooter 17 Comments

For me, a camera has to meet or pass certain expectations without compromise. Obviously size, interface, build quality, image quality are among the most important elements to make a camera a friend and not a tool. The Fuji X100s meets all my expectations, flies above them and introduced some I hadn’t expected. I have no interest in comparing the camera with any other camera at all. Other shooters do that and way better than I can. What I will do is explain some of the things that make the camera unique among it’s peers without comparing.

I can’t get it all done in one post and I don’t want to anyway. I’ll keep this going as my use with the X100s grows and update as new things come to the surface.

The Fuji X100s has a feel to it that is very nice in the hand. It has enough heft to it to make it feel solid but to too much to burden the wrist. The buttons are well placed with enough space so that you don’t have the camera playing tricks on you. I am using a Thumb Grip and I’m not 100% with it yet. For horizontal shots it’s perfect but turning the camera to do verticals is maybe not so perfect. This is the fault of the grip and not the camera. When you raise the camera to the finder, it places perfectly every time and there is also a diopter adjustment that doesn’t slip out of adjustment. I have but don’t use the lens hood, The camera fits in my front jeans pocket east even with the thumb grip. WHAT A PLEASURE! I will get into this more but the basic flavor is here.

User Interface:

Here’s where Fuji really has it mastered. I won’t talk about the other Fuji cameras just the X100s. When I’m working, I set the camera to Auto ISO topped at 6400. I tested the high ISO and it’s good to 6400. Now that’s impressive. The idea of Auto ISO for me is to enable M Mode without an intrusion from the camera. So using M Mode, I set the aperture and shutter speed and the camera sets the ISO. This is standard with many cameras and it’s a feature that must be there for or any serious shooter.

Image Quality:

Well, it goes without saying that if you like APS-C, you will love the X100s. The files are nothing short of superb. I booger them up of course but they do so in a good way without breaking up. They respond to Nik Plugins excellently and better than any camera I have used to far. I’m really not a IQ freak but I must be able to extract the details I want especially during preset design. This camera delivers wonderfully. I shoot Raw only and the files process great after converting to DNG in LightRoom.

So to the nitty gritty. I guess it’s really about seeing with the camera.

Now I have been known to use a 35mm FOV for many years. I guess, it’s the Natural FOV for me as I don’t have to move when the camera is at the ready. The other thing of utmost importance is Aspect Ratio. The aspect ratio of 3:2 is desirable for me because it’s what I have been using since last century. 4:3 is nice also but the dynamics are with less visual tension.

With this camera, the Fuji X100s, I get my stance and usually within 90% of the time, I am at the spot I need to be to make the frame. This for me is crucial as any movement from the camera changes perspective. I also don’t shoot to crop and it’s a very rare occasion that I would crop an image. That brings me to the most important feature of the X100s.

The Finder System:

The camera has a very nice screen and for the most part, I only use it for settings. This is very different for me because I am a screen shooter. This camera begs for the eye finders. The EVF is great but I only use it for extreme close up or Macro. The camera really want’s the OVF to be used.

Ok, so the OVF system has some critical things that must be addressed. The Parallax is one, Frame Line accuracy is another and of course, Auto Focus Accuracy.

The OVF is the business end of the Fuji X100s. Let me qualify my opinions. I have been a RF user since 1969. I have used many, (to many) Leica M cameras and know the by heart. The X100s is more accurate than any RF camera made. The reason is that it has a fixed Focal Length Lens. This allows Fuji to tighten the frame lines and get them very accurate. I can not stress this single fact enough. The camera has the most accurate frame lines I have ever used. The Leica M4 with the 35mm frame is very accurate to around 94%. I am finding the X100s to be even mor accurate than that. To the point that I can’t see any edge of the frame line that is off enough to even notice. This is very remarkable and makes the X100s a master camera for anything using a 35mm lens.

I probably have a lot more to say but I’m enjoying the experience of the X100s very much. I’ll do more over the weekend.

…………………………..End Transmission ,…………………………………………………………………….

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June 9th, 2014 … Inspired Eye Issue 10 Released

June 9, 2014 streetshooter 1 Comment

Here’s the link to get the issue. If I say so myself and I do, it’s a smashing one at that.

http://www.theinspiredeye.net/photography-store/

This is just the interview part. We have very interesting articles and all kinds of information to expand your thinking and to enhance your work.

Enjoy and Olivier and I both appreciate you supporting our efforts to bring you the finest photographic periodical around.

Thanks again my friends and the Legend of Shioko continues tomorrow…DO NOT MISS IT!

shooter……..out

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June 2nd, 2014 … The Fuji X100s – xxx version Cont’d

June 2, 2014 streetshooter 6 Comments

Tanya……….. What’s the matter with your neck? Go to the VA Hospital so they can see what’s wrong. (me) Tanya do ya really think I should go…oooouch? (her) Just go, that’s what they are there for right? (me) Ok…geeze if you insist, I’ll make the trek down there. (her) She says, take your new camera in case you have to wait, you can make photos.

Ok, at this point I think I’m dreaming. The bus to the VA is about a 45 minute ride. I ran it is 7.5 minutes and hardly a breath missed. I walk in to the waiting area and there’s around 4500 vets sitting all over rubbing their necks, their heads, backs…legs, feet anything that will require care. Hmmm, I thought. Look at these disgusting vets, I mean they came her just to see Dr Shioko. Terrible… I sat down and played with the menu on the X100s and it’s easy to configure anything. I cleaned the unnamed Fuji X100s so that it would be nice for Shioko to look at again.

….a half hour goes by and the security team had dragged 7 guys out of her office….the guys were screaming…NO, NO I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE….NO NO! I thought, how childish of these grown men…geeze…..

……… then, the sounds from HEAVEN like the call of an Angel….”Mr Springer”..please step this way. Well, I was in the office before she finished calling my name. I also had the hospital gown on before she sat down….c’mon..I wasn’t in the least bit anxious…. Shioko says…how are you today? I replied, still a lot of stiffness..(XXX) Doc and pain all over.

Shioko ask me to lay on the table and she would check the tension in my muscles…(XXX). I see that you are still very stiff (XXX) and that there is still nor relaxation to the muscles. I;m sorry Doc….really, but what can I do? (the mind is a wonderful thing and my imagination as a photographer allows me to go to extremes in thinking and at this point..I have set a new benchmark)….

So Shioko starts to rub the muscles and she is right. I can feel her hands but I really can’t feel the muscles softening. So Shioko says to me…Mr Springer, there is a technique that I learned as a student and it is very effective, I would like to try it on you. I asked what technique…(at this point I couldn’t care anyway)…. She says, I would like to use my feet on your body and that may have an effect on the muscles. hmmmm, she probably weighs in a t 80 lbs…about 5’2 hgt…. what could she do anyway….

Of course Doc…what ever you think would work. She says, I will tell you when to move your arms and legs. This way we can get all the muscles to respond….(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

There are no words in the English language to express this situation. So Shioko climbs on the table and slowly steps on my back, She moves her feet and it feels like her hands but ore pressure. I’m thinking, this ain’t gonna do squat. She ask me…are you ok? I said sure…why? She said, Im ready to start…hmmm I thought..start..what was the last few minutes…and then….OMG.

Her feet started digging into my muscles. I mean like with heavy weight. How the heck can she have that kind of weight on me? Well, she’s walking and digging her feet, her toes into my back, my legs, my neck. Here she does something different…she uses the sole of her feet to massage the neck and shoulder muscles. (G) rated because it’s actually very relaxing and really does feel good. So around 20 minutes goes by and she asked me..How do you feel? I replied, actually better but far from perfect. I probably need more sessions. She says absolutely but we aren’s finished yet…..Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (open for interpretation..use your own imagination, after all this is a group mission)

Shioko then says to me… Please turn over Mr Springer, I have to work the muscles from both sides.

( this my friends is about as amazing as things gets for a Nam Vet in a VA hospital. You have to visualize the scene. Maria my friend and all the woman followers, please forgive me on this….well, the hospital gown is like really lite cotton. The ones we have here are closed back,,,that’s good. The issue is this..guys will understand. I got this very lite cotton gown on and it’s down to about just above the knees. Thats not the problem. The problem is liftoff procedures. Jockey shorts have a built in restraining mechanism so that even with a lite gown, you are safe. Well, I wear boxers most times and especially now. Boxer shorts do not have uh..hmmm uh restraining mechanisms built in at all. )

So I roll over onto my back and Shioko stands on the table again and ask if I’m oh….I smile….of course, I trust you. She starts to walk on my calves and massaging them with her souls and toes. Im looking up at her and well…above all, (Maria) I am the gentleman. She ask me, does this feel to strong…(There’s a pain in my legs that comes from the depths of hell…it’s like the DEVIL pulling me to him all from an 80lb Japanese woman Doctor. I’m fine I sais as I try to hold back the tears…not from ecstasy or the thought of it but from the she witch beating me yo with her feet….

Shioko moves up to my thighs..(see here’s where ignition and takeoff are an issue, I will dream about the next few minutes for a thousand eternities….) Her feet feel like a weapon thats attacking my thighs but for some reason, it feels like something is happening. (ok..here’s where you have to use your imagination or better yet…run to your wife or husband, lover, whatever and make mad passionate love to that person or persons….) me, I’m on the table an I an’t going anywhere.

Shioko ask me to lay still and she walks to my chest and starts to do the dance on my neck and shoulders and chest….(YO DOC..YOU FORGOT SOMETHING….) I’m looking up at her and..sigh…sigh…I wonder how her husband is? Does he appreciate her and her gift? Does he treat her the way a man should treat a woman, all woman?

Well, Shioko works on me for around 20 more minutes and I actually started to fall asleep. She climbs off the table and says, we need to work the muscles again. Yes’m I said.

Shioko says, Mr Springer, I like working with you, you have an open mind and you will let me try anything..(here, I was just praying, maybe it’s all just a dream, maybe it’s just all here to really make you aware that there exist forces besides the ones you have around you that can feed you and feed off of you.)

Maybe it’s like photography. There is an energy that the shooter can tap into and find the images needing to be borne. Maybe becoming aware of this energy from inside ourselves, helps not only us but those around us. Perhaps, we are all really lost and we really want to reach out to others so that we will feel a part of something more than ourselves. Maybe if we do reach out, just maybe someone will be there to answer the call.

Isn’t this what life should be like? Isn’t life the force that drives each of us forward? If photography is about life, shouldn’t we all just reach out instead of holding back and just letting the moment pass by and fall into the vision of others. It;s great to support others but we must support ourselves first and define what our essence is before we can share ourselves with others….

So, Mr Springer, will you make the next appointment? I said Doc…I have struggled Piggyslots thru war, I have battled the DEVIL on more than one occasion, I didn’t lose and he didn’t win so come hell or high water, I’ll be here. Shioko says, your my favorite patient…and smiles..seeya Wednesday Mr Springer.

Well, the emergency crew resuscitated me and told me to just relax..you’ll be ok…(ok, sheesh..her favorite patient…I’m all good….)

Seeya’s Wednesday……….

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May 30th, 2014 … The Fuji X100s – XXX Rated Version

May 30, 2014 streetshooter 13 Comments

So I was working on some interviews for The Inspired Eye Magazine. I read an email from a woman shooter that has an amazing eye and she is being interviewed now. I was very happy to read that she enjoyed my blog post and especially yesterday’s. Thank you Maria K…that made my day and will for days to come.

So I didn’t sleep last night. The unnamed Fuji X100s was on my mind. (Really it was Doc Shioko but we don’t want bad relations with Russia, things are bad enough already) So I couldn’t wait for the bus and train so I ran the 15 miles and got to the VA long before my appointment. I’m in the waiting area and there’s a lot of vets here. I mean a lot. Well, the receptionist calls out..Anyone here for Doctor so an so…3 guys raise their hands. She ask again..anyone her for Doctor so an so?…. 9 guys and 4 women raise their hands.

She ask again…is there anyone here for Doc Shioko? 95 guys raised their hands not including me.

The Fuji X100s is an amazing camera. It’s seems like it may be limiting because it sees 35mm ONLY. Well, for decades that’s what I used on my Leica M’s. Well, that is something that each must determine the value of the FOV on your work. For me, it’s still my Natural Field of View. I love it and am in the middle of a very passionate affair with…no…my unnamed camera.

It’s a perfect size for me. On the street I reconfigure myself according to how my central processing unit, brain, wants to work. Neck strap, wrist strap, thumb grip on/off, it depends on what’s going on. The key thing is, the camera is small but not too and also, it’s lite. I can go from horizontal to vertical very easy with no resistance due to weight and size.

So finally it was my turn to be inspected, rejected, infected and detected. Shioko tells me to put the gown on and lay on the table. Did ya ever see Superman change in a phone booth? Well, he lives down the street from and I’ll tell ya this. He’s sloooo compared to me . I was on that table before Shioko blinked twice. so I closed my eyes and let the hands of an angel discover all the pains I had caused my body over the years. She asked me, Mr Springer, have you been taking those hot showers I asked you to do? (in my mind, I answered…No Doctor Shioko…I was waiting for you)..in reality I said.. Tanya said I can only do 1 a day because I’m too old to do that many hot showers.

Shioko stated ..I will call her and explain why you need to relax the muscles. (I’m dead meat, caught between a common reality and my dreams.) I said to Shioko.” Doc, not a good idea, Tanya would not agree and regardless of what she would agree with you, I will have to fight with her.” Shioko agreed not to call if I explained the situation. Situation, am I sick..I forgot…geeze…..

The framing accuracy is uncanny with the X100s. I mean it’s very, very accurate at every distance. Beautiful camera.

After Shioko spends 20 minutes checking my muscles and entering the data in my file…I sadly get ready to leave. I put my unnamed X100s in my hand with the Luigi wrist strap. Shioko says…”That’s a beautiful camera, where is it made?” Japan I said. “She says, beautiful”. I said…all things from Japan are beautiful.

She ask to see the camera and for me to show her how it works. So…hmmmm I’m thinking …3 week workshop and I can teach here how to load the battery.

I hand her the Unnamed Fuji X100s and she looks at it very closely, touching it gently. Now get this…I’m watching her inspect my camera. The camera has a 35mm fixed lens on it. We all know that. Well..(XXX Rated Part)…As she is handling the camera, won’t say fondling, I see the 35mm lens start to increase out of the body to like 90mm. I said, that’s my camera…YAH!

The X100s is very responsive and fast to operate. The interface and layout on the back and top buttons make the camera a joy to use. I have yet to read the manual have yet to be stumped. Due to it’s smaller size and weight, it lends itself to getting close and not bothering anyone.

There’s a sound when the shutter is pressed that I adore. It’s the most amazing sound. Very nice to have.

Shioko says we’re don for the day and asked me if I could be there again on monday. I told her I was sleeping in the waiting area until my appointment. She laughed and thought that was funny. I was being truthful. So the unnamed Fuji X100s and I left the hospital and headed into Center City so I could walk a few miles. I remember back in September being with my friends Ray and Pete. We walked all around and Pete was using the X100s. Ray left and pete and I went to the Reading Market to get a beer and a shot.

This beer is dedicated to Ray and Pete….

Youse all have a good weekend and remember…..dunno..forgot what I was gonna say…………

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May 29th, 2014 … The Fuji X100s … or How My VA Doctor Saved My Neck

May 29, 2014 streetshooter 23 Comments

Well, after being 64, I finally learned what the saying..”a pain in the neck” really means. So my very attentive Doctor at the VA sent me to see a Doctor of uh..sports muscle ology..dunno but this is the story. I go back out to the waiting room and I wait. After around 10 minutes, I get called back into Doc’s office. Doc is sitting there looking at the screen and checking my stats to make sure I am being good and not eating Mike and Ikes and Genoa Salami and cheese and all the good things that kill you.

The door opens and I miss a heartbeat or ten. In walks a Japanese woman with that long black hair, a Doctors uniform and a tablet…I think it was Apple. Yo…c’mon, I’m happily married to the Russian Bride and anyway..I would never look at this young Japanese Doctor with long black hair. I mean, …yo…ease up all. I’m looking at her because I am a photographer. sheeesh.

Doc says…”Mr Springer, meet Doctor Shioko”. Doc Shioko reaches out and shakes my hand. “nice to meet you sir” she says…

Well after the trauma unit got me back to breathing and picked me up off the floor…I tried to compose myself…it wasn’t working to good. Doc Shioko says to…”Please call me Shioko as that’s how I prefer to be addressed .”

Now lets get something straight….when a young Japanese woman dressed in a doctors uniform and has porcelain white skin stands in front of you and your 64…worlds collide. I know youse are all married or partnered or whatever but look….The GOOD LORD gives us all a small amount of fantasy to seek. Usually they never come to past and that makes the fantasy’s because it’s like a dream and dreams are the spice of living.

So Shioko takes me to her office for an evaluation and to get a feel for my mental stress level. She hands me a hospital gown and tells me to put it on and the to lay face down on the table…OMG what luck. Sh’e starting to push my muscles on my leg and squeezes and twist the muscles. She continues to inspect everything and then..YO this is G rated, the X rated version is safe in my head away from the Russian Wifey.

Shioko tells me, Mr Springer, there is not one relaxed muscle in your body. (intermission) see…in my dream this could be the point where I completely loose it and take her to a far off land, live on the beach never leave the bed made of roses and soft leaves.

So I realized real fast, thanks to my shrink that keeps my head working, that Shioko is a VA Doctor and I’m her patient. Her saying There’s not one relaxed muscle in your body was literal…..back to the front lines……..

So, Shioko inspects every muscle in my body and determines that I really never relax. She explains that in order for bones, spine everything to be in proper working order and in the right place…the muscles need to be relaxed. ( at this point my Nam Vet AO PTSD mind is seeing XXXXXXX rated. Didn’t happen.

She tells me that I must take 2-3 showers a day with hot water on my back and then slowly cool the water temperature and that will start to relax the muscles. I didn’t hear a word…nope…not one….. Shioko sits at the computer and makes notes on my file. Ya know how when a woman sits at a desk, a guy immediately looks for any leg he can see. c’mon..it’s true, well for me for sure. I love woman, all woman but I just can’t let Tanya know……….

So after the medics pick me up again and sit me down on the table….Shioko ask me if I’m feeling all right…. Doc, I’ve never felt better in my entire life. Sigh………

Shioko look at me and says, Mr Springer, I’m afraid I have some bad news. (Yeah right….whatever…fight the Devil..easy…)

It looks like from the x-ray and from my evaluation, you’ll be needing more consultation and relaxing sessions perhaps 2-3 times a week, can you come in to see me that often for a month or so? See if youse can figure out my answer…..

I put photos in this post because it’s a photography blog. That point is made by…your frame of mind will mind your frame…Unfortunately I have to be at the VA to keep an appointment with Shioko tomorrow. I’m taking my Fuji X100s but don’t remember why…..

Youse all are the best and I hope to keep you entertained and informed the best I can.

The above story is true and based on what I can remember at the time of it taking place….Chapter 2 continues tomorrow…stay tuned…….

thanks all….shooter….out…………………………………………………………

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May 14th, 2014 … The Ricoh GRD4 is Keeping Me Alive

May 14, 2014 streetshooter 42 Comments

No doubt I love the Fuji XP1’s. I named them didn’t I? They are my partners in many fine photos and will continue to do so for a long time to come. There’s a funny thing that happens when you put the XP1 and 23mm on a neck strap and walk 6 miles making photos with it hanging around your neck. The human body, especially when it’s older has a way of getting us to cooperate and follow instructions. On the way home about 10 days ago my neck was in a position that if I moved it any direction, I could hear a pop sound and a sharp pain……

So….I have been doing things slowly and methodically as to not aggravate the situation. Yeah, yeah…I know…go to a Chiropractor. Why the hell would I do that. I get lots of joy in the pain in my neck and also I love not being able to use the XP1….sure, right!

Well, Penelope sat on the shelf looking so sweetly at me…I blushed. I mean come on, I’m only a human…how could I not resist her gaze upon me and the whispers in my dreams….shooter…oh shooter….it’s me, your darling Penelope…I love and miss you darling….The smell of sea air, the moisture and shimmers of light beams on her body….

WAKE up Dreamer….you’re taking me out for a while, because I am the only one in the existence in Shooterland that you can trust not to hurt you….So the romance continues as it has for well over 2 years, maybe it’s 3 at this point. Who’s counting? Love is timeless….I must admit…the Penelope in my dreams is probably not the one you think it is….hmmmm

I have always noticed a freedom with Penelope that is unmatched by any other camera. Maybe the X20 names Daido gets close but not the same. I get it with all my cameras but Penelope just has a way of working that is undeniably the best interface of any camera. I loved the GR but the dust broke my heart. gone! So for the next, dunno…I guess I just have to see how long before I want to change things. Till then, the Ricoh GRD4 is the Queen.

There are times in my life that when I’m working I get into a groove that just has me flowing thru time, space, feeling etc and that’s where I find my photos. It’s a ZONE and I have written about it and I teach it in my workshops. This zone happens and when it does, we must be prepared to see the photos in front of us. Then, of course the camera must be present and not create an intrusion. It’s really like a Ninja Warrior. The awareness of ourselves in the world without intrusion….oh yeah….!

When I get to the ZONE..it’s like I am moving thru time and space at a different rate than those around me. No, this is not delusional or some mental sickness. It’s just becoming aware of myself in the here and now. I will tell you this…at the end of the day, I feel really connected and at peace with my self and my work because when I see the photo on the screen…I am immediately transferred back to the moment of exposure..and that creates the ZEN like awareness of BEING.

I will try to post again tomorrow. I thank all those with the concerns for my well being. Peace to all…………

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May 8th, 2014 … Fuji X-Pro1 and 23mm May Be as Good as it Gets

May 8, 2014 streetshooter 18 Comments

It had been a little while since I used the 23mm, not a long time but enough to separate myself from the 35mm FOV. Well, that’s about as a untruthful statement as I’ve ever made. Here’s why.

Sometimes my brain goes on vacation and I forget many things. At these moments in time, I have to rely on the Eye, Heart and Mind. Well I did and what surfaced was a feeling of distance and anticipation for the fra,e. With the 18mm I am completely comfortable in the FOV. The issue was this… The shooter brain went on vacation and left me wondering what to do.

My Eye told me to use the 23mm and it was a strong feeling from the Heart that was a pushing and a shoving and a just put the lens on shooter. I said to my innerds and outerds, no brain, no decisions!

The Mind intervened and took control of the situation. So, here’s why the brain went on vacation. Because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to what was going on, the brain took some time off so that I could re-trust the Eye, Heart and Mind to find the INTENT I was seeking in the photo.

I could use the 28mmFOV very easy and adapt the frame to make what was needing to be made. but the…..

STANCE

….was somewhat different and slightly uncomfortable.

See, stance is extremely important in many ways. Stance is interpreted by others as to your INTENT about what you are doing. Stance also places a POINT of PERSPECTIVE at your feet.

So I noticed that my stance with the 28mm while is excellent, with the 23mm, there is almost never a shift of stance. I see something to make a photo of, I see the frame in my mind…(remember, the brain is on vacation)….and when the camera comes to the EYE…the frame lines are where they are supposed to be. Yes, it’s very easy to adapt the frame to make a photo by moving but it’s more important to be where you are supposed to be and be using what you are supposed to be using because you want what your INTENT wants to be as true to the EYE, HEART and MIND as possible.

There are those amongst us that think that this is rubbish…ain’t that a damn shame about them.

The photo above….I had to bend slightly due to the framing but….everything fell into exact place because I had the right stuff working. The 18mm would have included to much background and the STUFF would have been lost…… He was not aware I made this shot. He is a very high profile Lawyer and Politician and no doubt when he sees this photo…he’ll love it and tell me by writing a letter and sending it to me in Cell Block 18.

I know when things are right or almost because when I look at the photos in LR, I get a recollection of the MOMENT of capture and INTENT. It brings back the experience and it’s a joy to behold these photos before I bugger them all up and down with presets, LR, and all kinds of things to find what’s in them that makes me feel that my process of photography is what I am all about and is working the way I need it to work to keep me sane on this planet.

SANE…hmmmm what an ambiguous term for me.

Anyway, I’m told by Central Nervous Systems that my Brain is due back from vacation sometime late this evening. It wants to be involved in tomorrows shoot but I kinda like being the Streetshooter Scarecrow…”If I Only Had a Brain”…….

Have a good one or more and remember……Share a little joke with the world…..

shooter………………………………………………………..bye….bye…fer now!

Black & White, Color, Dreamcatcher, Garden, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Philosophy of Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

May 5th, 2014 … The Ricoh GRD4, a Very Comfortable Friend

May 5, 2014 streetshooter 17 Comments

………see the thing is, the GRD4 fits in a pocket and is always at the ready…………. I gotta split, gotta tend to the blog, catch ya later…………..

So I met a friend on the street the other day and she was wondering why I was using Penelope instead of my others cameras. I just told her…well, read the last thing above…..get it….ok. I had just passed thru the tunnel from Reading Market to go to Market Street……it was a slow process finding photos and Penelope makes that even harder. Because she’s so petite, I guess the Inverse Square Law comes to play. Small camera, more work, more work, less images, less images more satisfaction form each….I could go on but I’m sure you get it.

As I was approaching the doors to exit to Market St, I saw these two guys standing and thought it might make a good photo. I reached the doors and then one guy moved away out of sight and the other just stood there. I opened the door and raised Penelope and then the guy put his hands behind his back and I thought, what an observer…I moved a few feet to see my frame, raised Penelope and………….CLICK! This shot is uncropped, it’s very close to what was in that reality at that time but it’s exactly what my minds eye saw at release.

So what I’m explaining to Suzanne is that I have a terrible neck/back ache from having the XP1’s around my neck. The weight is killing me. So I am using the GRD4 because it’s in my hand or pocket and never on the neck.

Suzanne asked if this helped my neck ache and I replied, no..it doesn’t help at all but it doesn’t add to it either.

We took a walk to Chinatown because Suzanne wanted to eat a little. (Suzanne is one of my students and she is a Doctor and Heart Specialist.) So as we were walking, I came upon a photo at a window. The woman was looking at us as if were were together and we are but not in the way the woman thinks or maybe not in the way I think the woman thinks.

So as I got closer, I felt that the woman was feeling alone and there was no one around her in her space. I understood the loneliness she may have been feeling and I raised Penelope and ……Click. My first reaction on framing was to move in and cut much of the left side out. When I raised the camera, Penelope was right where she was supposed to be. The juxtaposition was perfect and the photo made.

Suzanne smiled and said that was one she wanted a print of. I replied, I’ll buy lunch. It’s now 0815 on Monday morning and I’m heading to the street again with Penelope. I feel this may be hr last day out for a while. I miss the OVF for my Dear Andre’ …..but not the neck pains…….

Before you do anything in your life….remember to breathe first and enjoy that…..think of the alternatives…..not pretty…….

shooter out………………………………….transmission terminated by user……………………………………………..

Black & White, Color, Dreamcatcher, Garden, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Philosophy of Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

May 1st, 2014 … Penelope Cruz … Woke Me Up In The Middle Of A Dream

May 1, 2014 streetshooter 14 Comments

Well, it’s 3:oo in morning and I can’t get no sleep. I finally dozed off and went into a dream state. Then out of nowhere, I hear in my ear….Knock Knock…get up shooter. I the fog of dreamland, I could see Penelope Cruz just smiling at me and wearing a nice white dress. I gotta tell ya, if this ain’t Heaven, it’ll be hard to top Penelope in my dream.

Then….! Listen shooter and listen good. Now I know I’ve dreamt of Penelope many times but I can’t remember ever telling her my name is shooter. I started tossing and a turning. The sweat was running down my face. Tremors started vibrating all over my body and then I could see Penelope moving closer, closer and I couldn’t stand it anymore!

I forced myself to wake up because Penelope deserves so much more from me than a dream. As I opened my eyes, what do you think I see… My darling Penelope and she told me to check battery levels, clean her eye and we’re going out for a walk.

See, Penelope is my White Ricoh GRD4. She was upset because all the guys were having all the fun and she felt hurt that I didn’t express my love for her anymore.

So Penelope the White GRD4 and I hit the streets. She felt so good in my hand and responded to my every flinch. I guess I should explain myself here. I have always named a camera after a photographer or such. This camera is named Penelope after Penelope Cruz. Why, well for me she’s the most stunning woman on the planet. That’s that and that’s the truth!

She wanted to see Uncle Ben and I took her to the gravesite. Uncle Ben is Benjamin Franklin. Uncle Willie is on top of City Hall and he’s really William Penn.

We were just walking around seeing the sights that we both know so well. I was smiling like a youngster….well, If you were walking with Penelope, wouldn’t you be smiling? Ok then. She likes to use snap focus and auto ISO and of course I agree with that completely. It doesn’t get any simplier. I keep thinking out love affair goes back to release of the White model. That day, we were wed. Many cameras have bit the dust from me but she never even gets close. In fact, I call her and her cousins, the rest of the GRD4’s, the camera killers.

Whatever you do, whatever you think, whatever you hear….do not take a Ricoh GRD4 out for more than a few days. Ebay is full of cameras that the Mighty GRD4 has killed.

So I promised Penelope that she and I will spend time together until she gets tired of me. I could never get tired of her so it’s her call as to when she goes back to sleep.

Ya know something…..This camera has been in and out of my pocket more times than my wallet. It has been subjected to dust, dirt, sand cat hair, beer, wine and even Single Malt. The point is, ain’t no dirty sensor around here! Nada, nope! I actually bought a brand new backup a year or so ago thinking that the GRD4 is discontinued and I will have another if need be. I can see, never needing that camera. When the Ricoh GR came out, I couldn’t wait. I got it and now someone else has it….dunno.

We walked into Love Park and they were setting up for Mexican Appreciation Day. This guy started talking to Penelope and I didn’t really understand the language but Penelope just clung harder and faster to my hand. She felt safe and I felt safer. We smiled at him and we were on our way. Penelope is very loyal to me and I to her. With Andre’, Garry and Daido, I can let them rest and be cool with their absence. The same can’t be said of Penelope.

So this ends the first day back together and we are planning a longer courtship this time and less time off for her.

I only asked her to do me one favor……………. Penelope, the next time I’m dreaming about Penelope Cruz, don’t wake me up…..thanks darling…..

More Penelope stories tomorrow………………..later.

Street Photography Chronicles by Don Springer