Tag Archives: Eye

Philosophy of Street, Street, Streetshooter

October 18th, 2016 … The Case For Auto ISO … Part 1

October 18, 2016 streetshooter 10 Comments

Ramblings are not always bad or good, I suppose. Look at Clinton and Trump. They are both rambling, spreading bullshit and not getting anything done. Maybe the plan is to divert the citizens from finding out there is no plan and that way nothing gets done so the citizens can’t complain. Ya don’t think this is true. Look at President Obama, perfect example. Well, that’s my political views all tied up.

So, the streets are filled with many different energies. I posted last about change and it’s true. The political scene has brought out the best, well…the worst of people. This effects me as well because the energy out there is not pure. I mean it’s always filtered but now it’s polluted.

I was at the National Historic Park and as always looking for juxtapositions that I relate to. This guy is watching me like a hawk. He’s looking at Serendipity with that look of building lust. I hold her tight but loose enough to do her job. He’s still following me and then I turn and there, there in front of me is the guy follower and the ….CLICK!

To the point. It is a disbelief to assume that manual mode is not manual mode using Auto ISO. I’m going to explain. There are those amongst us that feel the ISO should be fixed in M Mode. I beg to differ. What happens is if you use a fixed ISO, all 3 points of exposure are locked. if you read the scene and you see that you are 1 1/2 stop off, then you have to make a decision to sacrifice the exposure equivalent. I am not putting the Exp Comp in the equation. I never use it, don’t believe in it and think it doesn’t exist.

The thing is this. When I am shooting out there and I believe at least a few agree with this….I want to work without restriction from the camera. If I was using the 3 points of exposure, I would constantly be checking the meter etc to male sure I wan’t under or over. Back in the days of film cameras, you set the ISO and then adjusted the aperture and/or shutter speed to get proper exposure. This system is what many call manual exposure. All 3 points are locked.

Well, I’m not about to be locked into anything except my cell when I act up and that’s rare. The idea with a camera is to make adjustments to secure the image. What happens if your out shooting at 1/500 F8 ISO 400? well, nice exposure and then you turn to the bldg and this amazing scene is there and you simply must make the photo. Well, ok so what? The issue is that the light is 3 stops less because f the dark doorway and shadows. Now, you can’t get the shot. Because you listened to the guys and gals that told you M Mode is all 3 points locked. Sure you can move the aperture and loose DOF or even change the shutter speed and run the risk of movement from the subject or worse, you and the camera. The Horror! Isn’t the point of any camera to make the mechanical aspect of photography easier so that you can concentrate on the aesthetics? Well?

I will continue this discussion in the next day or two. I know many M Mode shooters will not like this but that’s to damn bad. Even the Mighty M is digital now.

Black & White, Philosophy of Street, Street, Street Photography, Streetshooter

October 12th, 2016 … The Energy of Seeing … vs … The Seeing of Energy

October 12, 2016 streetshooter 4 Comments

I’m wearing a jacket, at last, jacket weather. See, jackets are wearable camera bags without straps and my new trusty POW/MIA black hat. I love this time of the year, very special for me and I get in a frame of mind that interest me and directs me to a new shape of my photos. I guess I’m lucky to live in a place that has the change of seasons. Well, the point of the story is, energy changes also with the seasonal change. Maybe it’s the change of energy that is so appealing. Then again, we are programmed to fear change. Anyway. I get in front of the US Court House and I see the light dancing on the bldg and the people there. So, I decide to make a photo and …CLICK! Suddenly there is a woman looking at me like she isn’t happy at all. I smile and then see her arm and decide to get the hell out of there quickly. I know a few of the guards there and they were keeping distance from her also.

So maybe change makes us slow down or break the preconceived ideas we have and try to redo the thought process. Maybe it also tampers with the expectations. I mean if we can jar the thinking out of complacency or the comfort zone, it seems reasonable to assume that the gathered expectations will change also.

I remember talking with Winogrand as we walked around Times Square. He told me that he liked the idea of getting a groove going and working it without seeing what was on the film. I gathered from him that, the idea of seeing your results all the time will and does alter the groove you set out to do. If you don’t see the work, then not much gets in the way of the groove. I suppose we all have our madness and the way we think about the same things, changes from shooter to shooter.

Well, change is in order here in Philadelphia, because they give us a change of seasons 4 times a year. I hear other places get the similar season changes but I ain’t seen it and I don’t believe it either. Well, I tried this change thing idea with Tanya about cameras. I mean, maybe changing cameras and lenses is good for the art and for the heart and mind. So I said, Tanya, maybe I should get the Fuji XP-2 for a change of whatever. She changed from not caring what the heck I do and having zero knowledge about cameras to:

What lens you gonna get with the XP-2? Well, I want a 35mm FOV….and what sensor is in the XP-2? Well, it’s got an ASP-C sensor. She said so it’s essentially a bigger clunky X100T, right?

So I changed my diet to try to keep her and my Doc’s at the VA off my ass. Well, I am not getting the Fuji XP-2 but I am finding that the weather is changing and so is my approach to my life’s work. It’s been a few weeks since I did the blog and I didn’t like that change. I will get back on some kind of schedule and get the blog out more often.

To all those that sent messages about missing me, well, I’m back and it’s gonna be a pretty site out there on the streets.

shooter out……………………………………………………………………………..

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Street, Street Photography

September 9th, 2016 … The Zombies Eating My Camera Post …Oly Pen F-12mm

September 9, 2016 streetshooter Leave a comment

….oh yeah, you mean those crazy horror movies with zombies and politicians looking to eat people are all over the place? Yeah sure, I think it’s because of the heat. Early September, 930pm and 92F. That’s seems normal, well for them there horror movies but not here in NE Philly.

Sorry folks, just a conversation I was having with a guy trying to eat my camera. See, it’s that hot here and the Zombies and Zombie wannabe’s are out in force. You may know these Zombies as Junkies, Druggies, Politicians, Lawyers, and all the rest of these creatures…ya get the point. So, Walker the Oly Pen F that used to be Serendipity and I hit the streets. The Fall vibe wants to come in but really, it’s too damn hot. So we walked around and I hadn’t been out with Walker in a while and it was a treat. The 12mm (24mm) on him is a dream to work with.

I be a juxtaposing this and a juxtaposing that and it’s nice to have open space to fill. The thing is for me and maybe cause I’m older but I like stimulation. I mean stimulation vs inspiration. Inspiration pushes the mind and eye and heart to want to work. It’s great but some times, I need stimulation. Stimulation is what wakes you when your walking around and maybe a street zombie. I mean, ya have inspiration to work but for some reason, not doing much. Stimulation gets you awake and allows your inspiration to focus on you and your work.

This shot happened in a matter of seconds. I was inspired because I’m 1/2 of the Inspired Eye but all the sudden, this bus gets in view coming up the street. I looked and saw a car right in front of my view between the bus and me. I quickly moved to the car and it drove away leaving me space to …….CLICK!

So I walked around a little more and stopped at PJ Moriarty’s and sat and had a ice cold beer. I had a real beer, Bud……I haven’t had a beer since I met Bill a few weeks ago. As I left the Pub, the sun was brutal, like 96F and climbing. I have shorts on and a Red Tee Shirt cause it’s Red Shirt Friday to show support for our Troops. I walk across the street and the guy in the BMW missed me and turned and then this man….CLICK! Remember, this is 24mm so you can see how close I was. I am feeling my Fall groove growing even with the heat.

CLICK! …no brainer.

There’s something about man and the man-made environment that really charges me up. I love the way we get lost in what we create. The search for humanity amongst the the future relics is stimulating. Then the way the environment makes us conform to it and relinquish control and we just go along the paths that allow access. Then we get programmed along the way with out walk mans and flashing signs and un-flashing signs. The stench of the underground caused by homeless people because the politicians don’t count homeless cause they don’t vote and don’t have money to get ripped off by the system.

Then, then I walk thru the turnstile and CLICK! Damn, I love the streets and all the shit it provides to inspire and stimulate.

….no, I’m not done bitchin’ and complaining about things…. ain’t gonna be either…………….

Dreamcatcher, Philosophy of Street, Streetshooter

August 26th, 2016 … Time With Andre’

August 27, 2016 streetshooter 9 Comments

The change of seasons is starting to happen here in NE Philly. I hear tell, it’s like this in many places but I don’t believe it cause I can’t see it. So there are elements to deal with besides the cold air I love. The light will start to be magical in a new way and I love the cold harsh light and the deep shadows and dark tones that Fall & Winter bring. That light I find intoxicating and seek it even in warmer weather.

I was on my way back from the VA, not great results and I can’t walk like I used to, but my eyes are still tuned into what I feel about things. I saw they opened a pathway thru Market East. The light was shining in such a way that I had no choice but to go towards it. It appeared many others felt the same way. As I was walking, I felt there was too much space in the foreground and as I looked thru Andre’ the Fuji X100T, a man passed me on the right…..CLICK! I never get tired of seeing people going to the light.

Maybe I’m an old man or maybe an old man with a kids heart but I love the beauty of seeing light and how I respond to it. That’s what photography is about right? Capturing the beauty of light and life and present the illusion in two dimensions. Well, Andre’ the Fuji X100T is my friend and my Portal to my images.

I noticed decades ago that there were different experiences in seeing and making photos. I’ve tried to explain this many, many times, and yet I fall off the side when I do it for myself. Not always but many. There are times that I want to make a photo for a reason I don’t question and I am aware of being in the here and now. There are other times that I feel the same but there’s a certain presence that is like hanging over me and usually these photos are the ones I cling to most. The thing is, that looking back at my history, it’s a blur and I can’t remember anything. I can feel but not remember. It’s like when you give birth to a photo, you have to set it free and let it stand on it’s own. That doesn’t release you from accountability nor does it let you forget the experience of it.

It’s what we forget in life that catches up and torments us in the future. It’s what we remember in life that adds the flavor and elegance and desire to breathe. Same with photos. The ones that resonate thru the halls of your heart and mind are the ones that create the driving force to continue the quest.

When I was young, we would drive to Atlantic City, NJ to visit my Grand Parents. We took rt 30 East and I would look out the window of the car and I was making photos, but without a camera and not recognizing myself as a photographer. I would see all the passing glimpses of things and I recorded them all in my memory banks. Back then they were reel to reel tape.

The, we would pass the White Horse Farm and I would be jumping inside and never told anyone how excited it made me. Years would pass and turn into decades. On RT 30 East I still see The White Horse Farm. I made many photos of it but this time I felt different. I was with Tanya and as we made the approach to the farm, I started to feel that time was slowing down, maybe almost at a standstill. I can’t explain it but I felt kinda sad because looking at the farm, I could feel the years slip by of my life. I saw the young boy who was making photos without a camera but more than that, I felt a passing breeze of life and it’s history.

The recording of memories and experiences is what makes us photographers. All that history, memories, thoughts and feelings surfaces in the present to guide us gently into the future. Our photos are what makes us and what we make are our photos.

The thing to never ever forget, even tho you do one genre’ or another, nothing will live as long with meaning to others as the photos you make to record your life.

Dreamcatcher, Philosophy of Street, Street, Street Photography, Streetshooter

August 21st, 2016 … Dealing With Rejection & Acceptance … The MUSE & The Mentor … Ricoh GR II

August 21, 2016 streetshooter 25 Comments

Again, I have been asked why I name my cameras and also suggest others to do likewise. Here’s the best reason I know. I hope you understand this and accept what maybe appear to be crazy delusional thoughts. I’m not waiting for a Greek Goddess to come to me and provide inspiration. They are all busy battling politicians around the world.

My thoughts altho many are shared amongst others. The Muse is a source of inspiration. Some think without a Muse, there is no creativity. Others believe that if you don’t provide a Muse with gifts, the Muse will stop inspiring you. So, there are millions of artist, painters, writers, poets, photographers etc all around the world. I thing the Muse support service is full and backed up so we need to find a way to inspire our efforts.

The Mentor is a source of information and energy that helps you handle what The Muse gives you. They are not the same. When you have an issue, you seek advice or support from the Mentor. So, really, the Muse is the Inspiration and the Mentor is the way to following the energy The Muse gives you. A mentor can offer feelings, words, whatever and help you get a grip on what you are doing. We can have a friend or whatever as a Mentor and it is very rewarding. The Mentor can help you edit work, suggest paths to follow, how to spend money on gear and a million other things.

Ding McNulty was a mentor for me. I mentor some people and we have a strong bond. So find someone with a good mind and understanding about your work and efforts and talk about them being a Mentor for you.

I have a very strong suggestion for a Muse. I feel that inspiration best comes from the internal energy in us. You can ask your Mentor about a group of images or exposures etc. The Inspiration, should be for the source of you. It’s not crazy. This demands that you see the work you do and that the Muse you need and have is your Camera.

I go out with Andre’ the Fuji X100T and work and he is the source of inspiration. I don’t want it any other way. I am accountable for my work and my energy I put into it. So, by naming my camera, I have placed my energy and the wonder of it all, into my camera. What this means is, when I go out to work, I am in touch with everything I need to be able to work. Essentially, my camera is a trigger mechanism when I work that is independent of any exterior forces. When I hold the camera, my psyche is linked to the creative forces and I get focused on the here and now.

Here’s the thing, we all do this even if unconsciously unaware of it. So, the sweetness of all this is, the reward of making your photos and being conscious of the magic you are living. When you view your work, you are connected because you were and are present during the process…..

Sure you can go out and hold a dead cold piece of metal in your hand and work, but for me, I’m holding Andre’ the Fuji X100T and I feel inspired because we are one with the process and the world while we are in it.

Tomorrow, back about Rejection & Acceptance.

Peace to all…………….

Philosophy of Street, Street

Streets During the DNC

July 20, 2016 streetshooter 2 Comments

Philadelphia, 2005

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I’m not a hero of the streets. I’m not a critic of social injustices or inequalities. I’m an observer. An observer with a camera and I damn sure know how to use it. I also have no issues chatting with anyone at all. Why mention this, well the DNC (Democratic National Convention is coming to Philadelphia. So there are workers putting caulk in the cracks on the pavement. I have hit a bump for over 20 years and it’s always been there. Now they ruined it by fixing it. I talked to a few homeless people and they are being carted off to some place to get a shower, fed and a bed to rest for a few daze and not because anyone gives a flying fuck about them, they just don’t want the politicians to see what they are accountable for but are too busy to do anything but make money.

The general mood on the streets is this is a big show for that 1% group that Hillary is always talking about that takes all the money from the 99%. I thought she was a 1%-er. Imagine that. The workers are cleaning windows in all the Market Street places. It will be very clean and easy to see what the politicians want to hide from but still look like they are our candidate and they are concerned.

I don’t mean to ramble and bitch about the politicians and the system. Fuck that shit. Damn right I d0. I’ think it’s a damn disgrace that someone can spend millions of dollars and have millions replenished by supporters and so many go without a meal. I ain’t going up to a home or car… I know countless people that can’t afford a meal.

I see it like this. Things aren’t going to change. We as people have a duty to other people to at least recognize the struggles of each other. No, we can’t count on the system to help but we can say high to each other on the streets as a sign of solidarity. As long as we think that we are the 99% group, we will be that and it will never change.

What’s this have to do with photography? Well, it’s the subject matter that counts. You either see it or you don’t.

That works for many and most but the streetshooters are the poets of our world and they aren’t satisfied just seeing it….

THEY LIVE IT!

Philosophy of Street, Street Photography, Streetshooter

Missing Edmund Bacon

June 22, 2016 streetshooter 12 Comments

There is an elegance to breathing. It’s the one thing that keeps us above ground. It’s the common denominator to all human beings, even those that may not be as human as others, breathing.

There is a musician that said, “Love is the Seventh Wave”…I think his name is Sting, some Bass player or something. What he said tho, is very important because it establishes the rhythm of life. So then if there is a rhythm to life then breathing is the elegance of the living and hence, the Elegance of Life.

Well, that simple enough to digest so why am I writing this stuff now? Because photography has a rhythm to it. Making…(we doin’ need no takin; ’round here)… photos somehow has to have a rhythm to and we need to explore that. I been aware of this maybe phenomenon, for a long time and I just been going over things I learned thru my life.

I find that sometimes I feel like Coltrane, just going along with my internal rhythm and flowing. Other times I feel like Muddy Waters and other times like Respighi.

I spent time with Edmund Bacon. We did a book together called..”Murder of the Little Stream”. Basically, it’s about how the City of Philadelphia wanted to expand the Northeast section of the city. They all smoked their cigars and sat back in leather chairs and decided that they would fill the Neshaminy Creek and PennyPack Creek. The engineers and city planners and architects and Mayor and the whole gang were convinced that was what should be done. Then they would make many, many boxes for the residents to live in. It was a plan without Rhythm or Heart.

Then riding in on his Magic Unicorn waving the Flag of Humanity, Sir Edmund Bacon smashed the door down to the dungeon where all bad and stupid people and thoughts were in hiding. . He said, open your minds, open your eyes and open your hearts and let me shine the light of history future for you.

One day Ed had a task for me. He always had a task and I always looked forward to them because I loved the guy and thought he was an Angel of Mercy on the earth. Ed said, I need a photo of an egg with the red veins in it. I didn’t want to ask why even tho I was very curious.

My wife at the time and I drove about 50 miles to a place that had such eggs. (I think they are called fertile but don’t hold me to that)…We bought a dozen eggs. I was very excited because I knew there was a good life lesson coming soon.

So we got home and I set the View Camera up. The camera was an 8×10 Deardorff named Margaret. So, my wife made a plate with a clear background and together we started making the photos. I didn’t exactly know what Ed wanted but i was sure the he would tell me what he didn’t want.

So, I shot the whole dozed eggs individually. I made silver contact prints on Azo. We went to Ed’s and we all sat down and I handed the prints to Edmund. He flipped thru the prints rather fast and I was upset but waited. Then, then the 10th print, the one I prayed was right, the 10th magical image caught Ed and I noticed a tear in his eye.

He looked at me and said, stand up Don. We both looked at the print and he told me the story how when he was a little boy, he cracked an egg open and saw the veins like this one. He starred at it and immediately know that the cities we live in are like an egg or a cell.

He explained to me that the yoke is the center of the city and thus, the center of life. The clear white was the surrounding areas and the veins are the roads and highways that transport life to all in and around the city.

He looked at me and said, I know you understand. Yes, Ed, I do.

Ed and I used to walk Market Street and I mean walk. He could walk miles without tiring.He would tell me about how he designed Market East and show me things and then he asked me, “Don, why do you make photos in Center City all the time?”.

I explained to him that Life has a rhythm and it’s not always in time with others but I feel and breathe this rhythm and it gives me life. Center City is the yolk of the egg and I live on the clear white part and I take public transportation everyday to get here like the veins in the egg.

The moral of this story, the moral of this song, is that one should never be where one does not belong. (Bob Dylan)

So I suppose the point I’m making is that, we all have a place in the world. It is your duty to your soul and your essence to discover yourself and where you belong. Your camera will do the work asked of it and make the photos you desire. …but if your not in sync, or rhythm with yourself then you can’t be with the world.

So, my friends. Don’t let things get you out of place. If you feel that maybe you don’t fit in with those around you, hat your work isn’t up to par, well…. just sit back and imagine that they are all wrong because you are your own person and you need to be right for you, if you fit in with others, good if not….. as long as you recognize you and what you do….nuff said

Philosophy of Street, Street Photography

The Truth of the Lie

June 5, 2016 streetshooter 2 Comments

When I was younger and a real photographer I had all kinds of tools. I had a Color Meter and still have it but don’t use it. I would look at a scene and determine the color temperature with my meter and then what filter to use and how to expose the film. Color was a very mechanical process for me and the aesthetics was secondary. Sad huh. Yup and the reason I stopped for my personal work.

Now that I’m older it’s not that I can still take color temp, it’s that I don’t care anymore I care about my work and love but as far as tweaking exposures, I’ll leave that to the younger crowd. I just wanna make photos. For me it’s aesthetics first and my interpretation of them that matters. So, what I’m dealing with is that B&W and Color are the same language. They are the same because they are photography. That gives them a common ground. So if the language is the same, where then are the differences? I believe it’s the syntax of each. Each has it’s rules and you choose to either except, reject, challenge or ignore those rules. Then when you decide what to do, you need not be stuck in the rut of repeatability. That’s right. You have the right to keep everything as flexible as you wish.

How long does an illusion have to exist and work before it becomes real? Here’s what I mean. We all know and accept that a photograph is 2 dimensional. What we perceive as depth in the image is merely an illusion. It is a mind game that we all love and feel connected too and apply freely.

Well, I wonder how long this illusion of depth has to be, before it’s not an illusion anymore? When does the illusion of depth get accepted as truth? In fact, when does a photograph get accepted as truth? We all now that a photo is a lie. So if in fact it is, where is the truth of that lie? The truth of the photo is the photo itself. There is no illusion, no link to 3 dimensions, no escaping that the photo is, it’s own lie and it’s own truth.

I don’t care to guess how many photos have been made so far up to this point. I do state that the illusion of depth is now an accepted part of the syntax that is used, now silently, in making and viewing photos. The same holds true for color vs B&W.

So, what does the shooter have to deal with in terms of doing Color vs B&W?

Stay tuned for the next post and I will share the thoughts brewing in me poor head.

Street Photography

Thinking Color … RICOH GRII

June 3, 2016 streetshooter 6 Comments

Well, I suppose that I ain’t all cleared in my mind yet. Oh, my brain is not on vacation so that’s not the issue.I don’t know that there is an issue and if there is an issue is it an issue I need to be concerned about?

I been enjoying roaming the streets of Center City Philadelphia with Mom the Ricoh GRII. It’s tourist season so I am feeling my oats, so to speak. Something that has been gnawing at my back is the reading of photos of B&W vs Color. I have been critiquing photos from some friends here in Philly so they can submit to various things. This is some shooters that have taken a workshop with me. I offer never ending support and most take advantage of that. The word I use, never ending, may be a mistake at times.

One of the most difficult things to work on is the way the print is assembled. I say assembled because that’s really what happens and always did happen. Every step from holding the camera to presentation is apart of the assembly procedure. So if that’s the case, and it is, any given point may add to or detract from the finished print. There are 2 main considerations that will control the eye travel of the viewer. The first is, Aspect ratio. This is the rectangle or square that you compose your frame in. The most common are 3:2 and 4:3. This is not so say that others aren’t important, just that these 2 are the most popular. In fact I have a natural affinity for 16:9 but haven’t perused it for long time.

So, the visual Dynamic of the box or frame has an enormous impact on eye travel and the final image. It behooves us to at least understand the frame we choose to work in.

Another very key element that really is taken for granted is B&W vs Color. This seemingly simple decision can and will make or break the image. I remember at the Museum with Ding, he showed me some prints and they were in color. I can’t recall the photographer but just the experience. See, this is KEY! I remember almost every photo I saw there in B&W but this group was in color and I can’t remember the shooter. Back then I was a Leica shooter and just used B&W films. I never cared for color. Now, I don’t distinguish between the 2 to the point that it mandates my thinking or feeling. Now, my only concerns are breathing and really spending time till the end of my life breathing.

I have the tendency to find my own tonal scale in B&W. I always did that in my darkroom and I’m told that i have a palate that is mine. Now it seems I have something similar in digital. I admit it’s a shared palate. So, me brain is thinking, maybe, just maybe we need to understand color in our own palate. So I am analyzing my thoughts and feelings towards color and the effect if has on my prints and more importantly, my vision.

Now, lets clear the air. I have done color in the past even with serious intent. Now with this new life cycle, I decided to do color with a new set of thoughts. I was asked a short while ago, why I write this stuff? Well, I guess because I have to and someone has to do it. I replied, if you need to ask why I write this stuff, you don’t belong here.

I suppose I’ll continue this but for now, I need to rest again.

Color, Street Photography

Ricoh GRII

May 17, 2016 streetshooter 12 Comments

One of the beautiful things with digital photography is that you have a choice of Color or B&W. Back in the day, I always carried 2 M bodies so I could have both films to work with. Now of course, most time you need 1 body. My friend Roger is an avid Leica collector for 50 years, with more cameras that any store. He sent me the M Mono when it came out and he was so excited. Eveyone was, a B&W camera, sooooo cool and soooo great…until you need a color image. Now ya get back to me with my 2 M6’s.

Anyway, the difference between the 2 is more in the mind then the film or camera. I figure it like this. Bear with me as I use terms maybe the wrong way but the way I need to use them. Photographs are on a 2 dimensional surface. The are born from an idea and maybe a scene or something in the 3 dimensional reality most of us share. There happens to be an abstraction from 3 dimensions to 2 dimensions. One of the mosr important things lost in this abstraction is, space or depth. So the photo is as some think, an illusion of the reality it was captured from. It is no longer the reality in 3 dimensions. It now takes on a new reality in 2 dimensions. It’s alive! It has it’s own life and energy.

Here’s some magic. I know youse all know this stuff but I need to write it down so it looks good, ok. If we now take our photograph, which is a new life and see it in color cause we made it a color photo, we have something to deal with on a conscious level. That is, the viewer most likely will use the color photo to transfer the reality in the mind of the image back to the sourse. For exaample….wow, yeah, I know where that is…..or…you nailed that green perfectly. I know that door.

Now, there’s never any one way to do anything in this world. But we are shooters and we are reading shooter’s stuff cause it’s better than washing the dishes. Color has a way of softening the abstraction to the 2 dimensional reality, better known as the photo. Color eases the translation of the visual syntax of photography. It helps to define the meaning and process.

If we were to abstract even more than 3 dimensions to 2 dimensions, and strip the color away, we would have a b&w image. What does that do? Well, it now makes our abstracted image even more distant from the sourse of reality that it was born from.

Ya know what I love about photography? Well, no answers so I’ll tell ya. Photographs give the illusion of being something they are not. A photo is an entity upon itself. It is not what it appears to be. It is it’s own seperate reality. Unfortunately, photos suffer from many things in the reality that they live in. Things like memory, sentiment etc. These things plague the life of our work. People look at the photos and recall a memory of something that the photo sparks. There’s nothing wrong with that and it’s a very powerful, iimportant thing to deal with.

Well, color supports all that and more. B&W on the other hand has the power to stand on it’s own but we as shooters and viewers, won’t allow that to happen. Ideally, looking at a photograph, we only see the world that lives as the image. Even in b&w, we force the memory and sensory input to make the photo relate to some other reality. That reality is different from the photo. There really is a contradiction of terms but we probably don’t want to deal with it.

When I do a workshop, the single most important thing people want to understand, is:…the abstraction to a print. Making the world in a frame and flattening it out. Framing becomes something new because you become aware of the way things get flat. The illusion of space or depth is a stronger illusion in color. The eye travel not only seeks to learn about the subject matter, but also to understand the relationships of the color.

Our lady above is being seduced by a few things. The obvious thing to us is the color. After I made the photo, she asked my why I made it. I told her that I found it very interesting that she was wearing the T Mobile color. She said, “get out… I didn’t know that. I stopped here cause I was comfortable here.”

I have to get to rest….. I need my 3 hours sleep………. seeya’s later, be blessed alls……

……to be cont’d……….

Street Photography Chronicles by Don Springer