Tag Archives: Eye

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

November 26th, 2013 ….. Lessons From the Archive

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GF GAMB'E GAME-EditIt’s cold and rainy out. I’m stuck in the house. My iPhone crashed while I was talking to Olivier. I reinstalled the backup 4 times and it finally worked. So I decided to Re-Photograph my images. Don’t ask and I won’t explain what that means…..what, oh…sure…but….nah…let’s just do it. I go thru my catalog not to find missing images, well how could they be missing if I know where they are? Yeah, this applies to you…and you over there…yeah, you. Just cause you use Aperture, that ain’t no escape.

I know this sounds crazy and, well it just may be but truth is….we need to do this sometimes. No, not sit here and write like an idiot, re-shoot our photos. So, in LR5 or whatever…open your catalog and just look for photos that turn you on. It’s best not to start with an agenda but it’s almost unavoidable. I usually go back 2-3 years and just check out stuff that turns me on. It doesn’t have to be your best work but it will lead to that in the future.

In LR5 I put the chosen ones into a collection and label it “Picks.”  This does not do anything to the original location, it just copies the photos to the new collection. At this point your not doing anything brilliant…or are you? What your doing is grouping photos that you respond to after capture and putting them together in a collection for study.

After you are satisfied, the work begins. It is easy to see what lens is working and how you use it. Do you get in close or medium or far distances?

07-11-0012-Edit

 

What camera was really working during this period? Was color or black & white the majority of images? What was the subject matter? Hmmmm, I got an idea….let’s group things by these different common denominators. What about time of day and position of the Sun? Light conditions are all important. How about recurring themes. How about collections like series?

This seems like a very anal process and boring. I mean, who wants to sit and really organize? What if the desired results are not met?

What this does is creates a collection of memories and facts that put together by a shooter with an open mind, makes a roadmap for the present and future. How would you like to go out and work and feel like you might be getting somewhere?  No, this doesn’t appeal to you….ok…B&H is having a sale….go buy a camera ya don’t need….

06-11-0240-EditI’m working the Homeless Advocacy Group tomorrow, rain or shine….. Seeya’s soon…..

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

November 23rd, 2013 ….. Fuji XP1 & 15mm Heliar on the Streets

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11-13-0523There’s something about the Fuji XP1 & XE1. I love the 15mm on either and never choose a favorite camera. I just let the situation call the shots.

On the XP1 with the 15mm, I get 22.5 mm FOV. Well, the way we do math here in Philly, that means 21mm. I had the 21mm for my M’s but never wanted to use it on a daily basis. I always considered it an extra lens for a suitable need. Now, with the Fuji’s…it’s on one of them at all times. I love the DOF scale and the Focus scale. That’s technical stuff but where it really counts, is seeing.

The Heliar has the unique ability to draw you closer to your subject matter then most other lenses. This turns me on big time. I feel like I can’t get close enough. Of course the subject feels differently.

I was walking on Arch Street near 12th and I saw a familiar doorway that I’ve seen many times. I made a few photos there thru the years but it’s not an easy juxtaposition. The woman who work in this place, well they are not Streetshooter friendly. I had just gotten past the door as my left eye caught a woman move into the doorway on the phone. So I slowly backed up and extended my arm and let the camera see before I could see. I saw the screen and then moved in to release. It’s not the best photo I ever made but it’s a real good one to explain Juxtaposition to my new student.

11-13-0504Another thing I try to explain is how to make photos because you just love making photos. Simply put….how to be free with your process. This is important because once the concept of freedom is grasped, then getting more rigid with ones work is understood. It’s just another form of juxtaposition and or, the Inverse Square Law. So for a spell, I am responsible to make lesson for those that think they can learn from me.

I will be at the Thanksgiving Day Parade again but even there, I am shooting for the City. My stuff will be in a different camera. I need a good shoot on the street with little or no agenda.

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

November 21st, 2013 ….. 街道射手 on the Street

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It was cold outside. Not the kind that is coming to us but the kind that lets you know what is going to come. I still remember the warmth in the air but now, it’s just a dream. I had just finished a conversation with Olivier about some things for the website and magazine. The phone rang again and on the other end of the line was the sound of a young Asian woman. She said she was a friend of Suzanne and wanted to talk to me about some photography issues. Well, I agreed and she said she would be where I was in 20 minutes. I was at the Reading Terminal Market at Sang Kee eating dumplings, rice and an egg roll. The is the real street shooters meal.

About 15 minutes later, a young Asian Woman tapped me on my shoulder and introduced herself. She said I should call her Polly. Well, I asked her how she knew it was me she was tapping and she said, the hat…the hat.  Anyway, Polly is a Gynecologist and an avid photographer. She seemed very timid and that could be an issue soon. She explained she was having issues with her camera and wanted help in setting it up and it’s use. So we went to the small park and we sat and I prompted her for the camera. Ok, now we all know what was coming out of her pocketbook. No, not a phone. No, not a compact….of course, your right….

She pulls out a nice M9 with a 35mm Lux on it. She struggled with it for a spell and I with all kindness in heart offered to exchange my XE1 and 18mm lens because it’s so much easier than the M.

Your not funny Mr Don. She got the camera 3 days ago on Suzanne’s suggestion. She didn’t understand why the zoom didn’t work on the Lux. She didn’t understand why the AF box just stays still and will not lock focus. There’s a dozen things she doesn’t get but there’s one thing she gets and will help in many ways. Me. I have taken on another private student. She’s nice and wants to walk the streets and make photos like I do. Cool beans.

I asked for her email address and when she sent it to me, as we sat there….I noticed some Chinese letters. I asked her what it meant. Silly man she said… 街道射手 Street Shooter.

The process of knowledge swapping from brain to brain starts tomorrow.