Tag Archives: Fujifilm XE1

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 19th, 2013 ….. It’s The Time of the Season … Holiday Antics

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11-13-0455What happens here in Philadelphia at this time of the season is, we tend to lose an f/stop of light. Now ya gotta understand. Philly shooters contend with this phenomenon in different ways. Some choose to gather the light during the year and save it in little boxes until it’s needed. If your not from here, you may call this a flash unit. Here in the land of Brotherly Shooters, we call  this box…the little light box.

I’m going to expose a secret and please don’t repeat this as my sanity could be attacked by shooters outside the Philadelphia Metro Area. Many of us but not all, prefer to use a lens with numbers on it. Yeah, yeah….When the light changes, we shooters change the numbers to match what our mind tells us is correct. Oh yeah, hard core we are. Then what we do is to set our camera to change the ISO, (really ASA but we humor the world by using ISO) …. I know this might sound crazy but when no one is around and you are alone with your camera, try this, it’s so crazy it just might work.

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11-13-0454Here in Philly, the time of the season is to spend money. Of course beings true American Citizens, we Philly dwellers have no money to spend because all the politicians have found it in their heart to keep all the money so that regular citizens don’t have to  worry about what’s happening to their money cause they don’t have any. I thought that was very nice of the politicians and leadership of our country.

So the general smell on the streets here is one of discontent because the cards from all the banks arrived and they even increased the credit limit so that we Philadelphian’s can but things for the holidays and not spend any money. The cool part is, that after the holidays when the credit line is due, we get to sell our cars and houses and little kids so that we can pay the debt. It’s great because you never worry about money. So, just look around at holiday dinner and decide which kid or person is not on your good list and later that’s the person to sell. It’s a crazy system but it works.

11-13-0468You can see how happy and excited this guy is, especially as I put my 15mm Heliar on the XP1 in his face. Oh yeah, I’m about 1 meter away from his but the camera is much closer. As I looked up to him after he pushed me to the ground and I fell…no sweat, Airborne Training teaches ya how to fall, I realized that a shot from down low would have worked. I guess I’ll just wait until the next subject knocks me down on the ground and make that photo then. ………. NOT!!!!!

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People are hustling out there. If your not from Philly, I urge you to come and make some photos. The Streets here re alive and active. Ya know….maybe, just maybe…you can find some streets where you live. I know, I know…it’s a crazy thought but did you expect anything different here?

If ya did…well…your crazier than me….

 

 

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

November 15th, 2013 ….. The Ups and Downs of it All

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11-13-0353I gotta tell ya, I’m completely fried. Maybe it’s the time of the year. Holidays often get people into a frenzy of some kind or another. I had the XE1 and the 15 Heliar on. I love this combo. The FOV is around 22.5mm. The camera is fast, comfortable and very efficient. I use the screen most times but every now and then, I use the EVF.

11-13-0339The thing with a camera is that it must make you want to work. Oh’ believe you me, I don’t need much encouragement to make photos, just the opposite. I’m probably a camera totin’ picture hunting making processing presenting philly style fool. I donotcanknow any other way. So Andre’ and I kept walking. What? Oh…sorry, my XE1 is named Andre’. Now here’s the thing…well, it’s a streetshooter thang. If the 15mm is on Andre’ and the 15mm thinks it’s 22.5mm then it stands to reason that the lens should be named Garry. See that Winogrand fella liked the 21mm sometimes. Well, I made an executive decision to name the XE1 Andre’ cause since 1970, I always had one of my cameras named Andre’. Youse all know that already. The XP1 is named Garry because I can name the camera any damned thing I want cause it’s my friend.

We was walking around Market Street looking for some photos that were hiding from us.

11-13-0348Sometimes out there on the street, I’m not the only strange character. Take the guy above….please take him, he needs a friend and I’m not the guy. This is at the Broad & Chestnut Street subway entrance. I walked by and saw this guy standing there. I stood for a minute, 2 minutes then more and this guy didn’t budge. I thought he might be one of those statue people that come to life just when you have no toilet paper with you. They stay perfectly still and then the element of surprise catches you off guard. Well that ain’t this guy.

Ok, so I’m thinking this is one of those guys. Nah, he’s just standing there doing what in his mind seems like a good way to spend time. Click…then I realized that he was put there by the Dept of Photographic Subject Matter. I walked away but he never budged. I’ll be there again just to see if he’s still there.

11-13-0347So the walk continued and I realized I needed to find a …a…male relieving station. So I headed to the Reading Terminal Market. I exit stage left and saw this man sitting there. Now, he lives in Philly and I live in Philly and we have crossed paths many times. He always calls me sir cause I have a POW/MIA hat on, always and I always give him a few bucks cause it’s respect both ways. After I handed him a few bucks, he asked if I could make his photo like I saw him just this minute. Of course I agreed and made the photo. He then gave me his email address and asked me to send it to him. Hmmmmm, email address, he checked out my Flickr from his iPod….dunno, I’m so up and down with things…..

 

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

November 4th, 2013 ….. Brisk Cold Air and 2 Shots of Single Malt … Streetshooter Day!

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11-13-0096The XE1 with the 15mm Heliar was the way for me to go today. I had the 21mm Skopar with me in a pocket. I moved thru the crowd like I was invisible. I felt that way. Yup…forgot the meds this morning. Ahhhh, the cameras are better for grounding anyway. So, in the near distance I see this person coming towards me and I raised the camera. See, with the Heliar at f/8  and the XE1 at 1/250 I have under 2 1/2′ to my friend  Pete over in the UK in focus. So I never worry about DOF with this combo. I am not anal about sharpness etc. I make photos and if sometimes sharpness has left me cold, so be it. This guy is getting closer and I am starting to feel that he sees thru my invisibility.

Lets keep in mind that with the Heliar, the camera sees as if it’s a 22.5 mm FOV. Well, here in Philly 22.5 mm is equal to 21mm. That means for all intent and purposes, one has to be comfortable getting close on the streets. This guy is less than 3 feet, well 1 Meter from me. I snapped the shutter as fast as I could feel the frame.

Here’s a side note. See, as a 64 year old guy that was a hippie, a soldier, divorced and married a few times, has many friends in the art community and is for all intent and purposes a straight male with straight friends and LGBT friends from all walks of life. Ya know, I believe everyone has the right to love and even marry who they choose. I’m open minded but, well…this guy wasn’t kissin’ me no matter what.  As the shutter clicked, just as the shutter clicked, I found out this guy is French…no offense implied to anyone but what am I, this straight Nam Vet to think?  I mean I know I’m a street shooting stud with very intense sex appeal but fact is and truth be known….. I kiss my wife, I might kiss my cat but that’s that!

11-13-0103Sometimes I see juxtapositions and make photos of them because I can and because I want to. Sometimes they work well and other times, well…..you decide.

11-13-0100Human Beings are really a special species. If you have some near you, I really think you should check them out. No, this is not one of those moments where I show my uh…uh..well…insanity. This is fact! See, all Human Beings are people but not all people are Human Beings. There used to be a term when I was a Hippie, Soul Mates. It meant someone very special that you would feel a kindred spirit with. Well, see…here in Philly and on Montour Street in the NE Section of the city…there lives a guy that use to think a Soul Mate existed. Yeah, he did…I did. What I found out is that Human Beings are Soul Mates. It ain’t about sex either, it’s about living and dying.

It’s about sharing time on the planet with others that appreciate your existence and you appreciate the existence of them. Some may be lovers, friends, enemies, partners and yeah, even wives. You carry the essence of the Souls with you at all times. How do I know this? I’ am blessed in the knowledge that if I do something it will have an effect on the Soul Mates of my life. There exist responsibility and accountability in life.

What does this have to do with photography? To find the answer, look in the mirror, then look at your photo catalog. See, I told ya…..

Your a Human Being Shooter….there ain’t nuttin’ like it on a Cold Brisk Day. Well, 2 shots of Fine Single Malt sure nuff will help!

11-13-0107There is always some watching someones back………!