Tag Archives: Intent

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

February 6th, 2014 ….. My Fuji XP1, Named Andre’ Loves The 18mm

February 6, 2014 streetshooter 12 Comments

There comes a time where your inner vision tries to meet with your outer vision. Of course at that time when all things just seem to make sense and just work together. Well, let me tell you something! At that time, what you don’t need is your camera to have a sense of humor, good or bad. This is why I talk about intrusions and the need to avoid them. The wrong camera at the time of the The Coming of The Joining and your not going to be happy.

Think of it like this……. it’s summer time, all over the world, even in The Land of Oz. Your sipping you favorite beverage. Your wife, girl friend, partner whatever just wants you to be happy. “Sure my love, buy as many new cameras as you like. I think it’s a great idea.” See, in reality, at least the one I’m in…this is a dream come true. Your laying back just so relaxed, that maybe this is even better than Heaven, well…at least here on the earth. Then as you dreaming about the new FUJI XP5 that has a four speed and makes coffee….all the sudden…there’s a BUZZ around your head. It won’t stop…that nasty mosquito just wants to intrude on the dream and it does. You no longer relax, you wife, spouse, mate, partner etc is yelling at you again because on you computer screen is the new camera you want….

See, that’s an intrusion. When you have the joining of inner vision and outer vision and your camera is a mosquito…….well….eBay has moved more of my cameras until….the XP1. See, The XP1 doesn’t have a sense of humor. It doesn’t force you to work in any way, shape or form. It never imposes itself upon your vision. What it does do and very efficiently is….work with you and your vision to make the photos that your inner and outer vision finds. The camera as a friend just helps you along without intrusion of any kind.

What I find interesting is that on the street, I am completely comfortable with the camera. I never have to look at it while working. I can change f/stops…shutter speeds without thinking. I just just do it. My XP1 is named Andre’ after Kertesz. Now I feel bad about doing all the work and getting the photos so Andre’ and I had a meeting of the minds. Your camera does have a name and mind, doesn’t it?

Andre’ was getting kinda bored with how easy things were going so we agreed that he could do the metering and even adjust ISO. If Andre’ was any other camera, we’d have to renegotiate is part of the deal. Luckily, Andre’ is an XP1 so I trust him completely. I hear tell from the camera shelf…well the XE1 named Ding that the cameras may not trust me as much as I trust them. (here’s a tip….if you ever have a problem with any of your cameras and if they get cocky…just don’t charge the batteries.) That’ll learn em’.

The 18mm gets a bad rap from the pixel peepers. They, every one that exist now or that will ever be borne, says it’s not sharp enuff….whaaaahhhh shut up! For me and every street shooter that is here now or ever will be…it’s the ideal FOV. That’s Field of View. All these shots were from the 18mm. See, all over the world, every house, apartment whatever…all those hundreds of shooters…they all say the 18mm is a 27mm lens. Even Mother Fujifilm says it’s a 27mm lens.

Ahhha…here in North East Philadelphia, here on Montour Street in North East Philadelphia, in the back room known as the office….the 18mm is a 28mm. So U have adapted to the 28mm thru the years and got some great photos from great and not so great cameras. Now, I have it all. I really feel that my cameras have learned how to work with me and not be a mosquito.

Maybe you think I’m crazy and your probably right. I know a few things at this old age time of my life. I know that it takes passion with a sense of humor to survive. Just because someone is living, that doesn’t mean they thrive and survive. It doesn’t mean that they are enjoying life or a part of it. If your a photographer, I hope you get the personal fulfillment from the journey as I do.

If you think I’m selling Fuji Cameras, your wrong. I do believe Fuji should sponsor me because I have passion for photography and my cameras. I live photography and I grok most of it. I’ll tell ya this….I am satisfied and excited every time I go to the streets.

I hope you feel the same way.

Seeya’s tomorrow………. end transmission………………………………………………………………………………………….

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

February 4th, 2014 ….. Fuji XP1 Works the Streets of Philadelphia

February 4, 2014 streetshooter 7 Comments

I’ve started a project that will continue. It’s about how and why I make photos and it’s on this blog. Apparently some are getting much out of it as some post were made and I have a fair amount of emails. Anyway, here on this post in the here and now with my eye, heart and mind…I’m digging into the XP1 again.

One of the things bloggers do to generate income and traffic is to do reviews of popular cameras and lenses etc. I read a few but to be honest, I feel that I don’t get the shooters real view as most bloggers have the camera for a short time and have a responsibility to the supplier to make a review and then, go to the next.

So when I write about the XP1 or XE1 or even the GRD4, it’s because I am using them for way more than a few days. I also think that anyone reading anything I write expects a certain approach in truthfulness that I try to maintain.

I’m not putting anyone down and not building myself up. I’m just explaining that I am a serious photographer and I don’t care what someone tells me about how good a camera etc is, I want to find out first hand….and I do!

I had the 18mm on the XP1. The lens suits my vision and is about perfect for the street.(Enter all the doom-slayers….it’s not that sharp, it’s not as good as the ….) I was watching these young kids talking and hugging and stuff. This old guy is right in front of me and he’s kinda watching but I can feel he’s uneasy. I could feel his anguish in being alone juxtaposed against the young love in front of him. Where does that put me…c’mon…the XP1 got exactly what I was feeling and wanted. sheeeesh…. shooters make photos!

For decades I walked and used a variety of Leica M cameras. I had many but my favorite was always the M4. I loved the way the camera responded with a 35mm lens on it. There was no intrusion at all. No light meter, no ISO, it was ASA and it was not adjustable. Anyway, that experience is etched firmly in my brain. I of course adapted to digital imaging like flies on..uh..uh…you get the idea. The XP1 gives me a similar comfort zone but updated. A camera needs to just be there in the hand or on a strap and just wait for the moment. It sounds like an easy task but it’s not.

I was walking again…I usually do that on the street, other places too…hmmmm. I came across a window and I am always attracted to windows, reflections etc and as I raised the camera, this guy opens the door and as he just realizes that my camera is pointed at him….CLICK. The OVF is great as I love using 2 eyes open. This is one of those times. It doesn’t always feel comfortable but heres a trick….. Look thru the OVF. You can see slightly around the frame…then close that eye and open the other. What should happen is that you now can see more of the area that interest you. If you do this back and forth, in time you’ll get very accurate and will get tighter photos because you see more before exposure.

Ya know, I have some lenses that work well for me. Of course they don’t work well together and that’s why they make zooms so all the lenses can live together in harmony. My lenses told me that they like to be out on the town with me by them self. Yeah, lenses are jealous and even tho’ they all see differently, they all see the same.

Today I used the 28mm (18mm). I said this already but I wanted to say it again. I”m told by many a forum dwellers and professional antagonist that the 18mm ain’t no good. BUNK! No other lens see’s like the 18. There’s something about using it on the XP1 that has me really clicking…in more ways than 1. See, with my Leica’s, I never liked the 28mm even tho’ I had every version. I never adapted to it. I got 2 M6’s because I wanted to see 28mm but it never really hooked me. I always saw the 35mm.

The XP1 does the opposite for me, it wants me to see the 28mm way. Yeah, yeah, I know…what’s the difference. Well, here it is….the DOF is much better in the 28mm and….the lens is smaller and…..I need to get closer. I love being able to get closer…..That’s why I love some other lenses but not for talking about now.

I walked bu the Post Office Window at 9th and Market. I saw this guy doing what he was doing and quickly went to the side window. I got excited and raised the camera…..I breathed, focused the camera which the XP1 and 18mm does very fast….I held the shutter at 1/2 mast and then….CLICK!

I made this photo because I wanted to and because I could. If you don’t like it…take it up with management…..

As I was on the escalator the light was getting me drunk again and I could feel a Dreamcatcher shot growing. In a matter of a few seconds, I completely reconfigured the camera to get this shot. I love my Dreamcatcher photos. I love all my photos and I love my cameras.

They are an integral part of my vision and are my friends and not tools. I do understand people that think of their cameras as tools and I feel for them and hope some day they can come to terms with this and find a new friend in thier hand and not a tool. The XP1 would of course help in this area….

Peace to all….yeah, yeah,,,,bunk….shooter out…………………………….

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

February 3rd, 2014 ….. Defining The Self Thru Your Photos ….. Part 2

February 3, 2014 streetshooter 17 Comments

Minor White impressed upon me the importance of intent. To be perfectly honest, I grasped the words, concepts, thoughts, feelings etc and stored them in my brains memory stick. When I returned to Philly I felt enlightened but still I needed confirmation of all this by my mentor, Ding. I explained everything to Ding and he looked at me and asked me…”Don, the lesson Minor was teaching you was about intent. By questioning the information you gathered, you question his intent”. I didn’t mean anything to be an insult, I just wanted to make sure I understood all of it before I spent the rest of my life living it. After breathing all this, one day it came upon me and jit me like a log on the head. That felt very normal because my wife made me feel that way many times.

The point! I talk about the here and now a lot. What that really is in a simple meaning is….CONCENTRATION! An intrusion is something that breaks your CONCENTRATION. Working with the Eye, Heart and Mind is nothing more than being aware of what you are doing and having total concentration to be focused at the moment of realization and exposure.

Yeah, yeah….Realization is when your working your subject matter and all the sudden, you have an awareness that there is a photo waiting for you to make it borne. When that happens you must be free from distractions of all sorts and be at the ready to release the shutter.

Disclaimer. What I am talking about may not fit everyone that makes photos but I guarantee if you are of the serious nature like me….it means a lot and makes perfect sense. I am totally aware that many do not live photography as serious as I and others. So, if this is too heavy or it seems that you are not at the right place….don’t sweat it.

Here’s another thing to consider. There are at least 2 important regions for intent in photography. The first region of intent is the camera. This area of course is using the camera, finding the subject, capturing the image. There is more involved but I’m sure if you made it this far in the post, you understand what I’m explaining. The second area is the processing formula.

The second area is where many fall short of their expectations. You have to open you mind and let different things enter it to discover the INTENT in this region.

I’m going under the gun here…..I’m on the street. I have the XPRO1 with the 28mm (28mm) on. I’m using a wrist strap and just walking as I do, slowly looking, seeking an image. I can smell the homeless man on my left….front right is a really cute girl with above the knee skirt and hair set in Jersey style. I can hear the traffic, buses, cars, motorcycles, peropl talking, cursing, hustling up and down all over.

All this stuff around me is information, info for me to respond and react when I find the image. All the sudden the light gets really strong, a woman walks out in front of me….I immediately raise the camera and the exposure says, 1/250 f/8. I right away set the camera to 1/250 f/4. This makes an over exposure photo by about 2 stops. WHY!!!!!!?

Well, I knew at a glance that I would want to make this into a Dreamcatcher image. I want the high tones to just go away. I finally get home and load the card into the computer. LightRoom 5 starts and I get the files into the folder. (More about organization later) I look at the image of the woman crossing in front of me and I see the high tones blown.

My initial intent was to capture the image and then the second intent is to process it. This is the act of rephotographing, rediscovery if you like. It is not written in the bible that an image captured must be the best representation of the subject as possible. I want to discover the image for what it brings to me or communicates to me. If very often has not much representation of the reality in which it was recorded. So what!?

Here’s where we challenge the Intent of Intent. I wonder if Picasso got frustrated by painting on canvas and being stuck in 2 Dimensions. There was this Artist named DUCHAMP that saw things differently. He made a very famous piece named, “Fountain”. A fountain is most often thought as a place where water comes out. Many people saw his fountain as a Urinal, a place where urine goes in. I’ve seen enough urinals in my life to recognize one when I see it but when I see DuChamp’s, I see a fountain.

Picasso may have been influenced by the shooters around him when he discovered and presented Cubism. I would think that Cubism looks something like a flattened perspective of 3 dimensional reality on a 2 dimensional canvas. Lets stretch this somewhat and say that maybe, just maybe…photography does a similar thing….seems crazy huh?

I see many, many shooters tied to the 3 dimensional world in their photos. They are concerned with the finest resolution, the most accurate tonal range duplication, the reproduction of every detail recorded to the best ability of the shooter and camera alike. There is nothing wrong with this.

We as people are bombarded by the rules, preconceptions, guidelines and everything that can stifle us into behaving as normal or set sent back to the factory. As photographers, we have a responsibility to the image. We have a responsibility to photography itself and we have a responsibility to ourselves as shooters and as viewers. What the heck are you getting at shooter?

At the precise moment of release, all that you are is captured in the frame. We try to be as normal as possible but yet we strive for exceptional work. When we get to the processing part of the image, the same thing happens whether you are aware of it or not. You are now at the point to try to define the image. Sure, it’s easy to just try to make the image as close to what we think of reality as possible but wait!!!!!!

Working your photography is not only about finding great images, but about finding who you really are. So why restrict your vision by trying to work within a box that you see as the frame…..why not see that frame as a window and see many possibilities for the birth of the image and of course yourself. See, it’s like this….if what you do with a camera effects the outcome of your image, it stands to reason that the final image should effect what you do with the camera.

If your out there making photos and your not looking for yourself, who are you looking for?

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

February 1st, 2014 ….. Defining The Self Thru Your Photos ….. Part 1

February 1, 2014 streetshooter 4 Comments

I’ve been asked recently by a few shooters why I make the photos I make. They are talking about the Dreamcatcher series. I can explain my almost rationale behind this.

Basically we all live in a shared reality. Well some of us don’t get to share in reality to well and then some of us have altered reality. That’s all cool as no one person should have power over another’s perception. Who’s in a different reality now Shooter? Ok, I don’t want to go off on this too much and I also have been prompted to explain what and why I do with photography. So the month of February will be dedicated to my thoughts and actions. If you find this interesting, great if not…well…there’s plenty of gear related forums and blogs around. I will talk about gear but basically, it’s photography as my life’s work.

I see photographs and making them as a means of personal expression. I see viewing other shooters photos as their personal expression. Viewing photos on Flickr for me is the same as finding my own out there…..> When I post a comment on someones photo, I do so fully aware that it will have value to the maker. It has value because the comment is a mark of approval, acceptance, understanding etc from maker to viewer. There are times when I get Flickr burnout and I delete 100’s of emails with my friends photos in them. I do so because I maybe am burned out. The same thing happens on the street. At times I just don’t want to see out there. So the visual pert of seeing others and making my own shares certain aspects with each other.

One of the long term series I work on is called the Dreamcatcher. I call it that because it sounds like I feel the photos. The idea is that, if we all work in a shared reality, then how does one find one’s own photos out there?

I’m asking you……! Ok, I’ll give it a shot. If your out there working and so is many other shooters, what makes you different from them? NO! It’s not camera and lenses. It’s probably not location either. What it is, is the fact that the shooter could find a way to relate to him/herself and dig deep into the core of their being and try to get some of the crux out and make photos of/with it.

My father was killed in an auto accident when I was 6 years old. I remember like yesterday the State Troopers coming to the house and standing there telling my pregnant mother that her husband was dead. The in an hour, my Grandparents arrived. They are my Dads parents. My Grandmother put me on her knee and told me that my dad was on his way to heaven and it was a one way journey. She pointed up to the ceiling but she meant the sky. She was a strong woman and her concern at the time was for me to understand and not for her to mourn her lost son.

The reason I mention this is because at a very young age, I was introduced to the other side, or at least the dream of the other side.

Go to the light! Go to the light! The light will show you the way…. Follow the light….. that concept has lived and grown inside me for over 50 years.

So I am forever on the search of the LIGHT. The transition of dark and light and the haze, glow all intoxicates me. It enters my mind and when it does, I’m always at the ready for another Dreamcatcher image. I have developed presets for Light Room that are imbedded in my brains firmware. I get periodical firmware updates as I develop more presets.

So, as a street shooter, I have to deal with many attractions/detractions when I’m working. Here’s something…… If photography has the captivating magic of showing one person what another person saw and made a photo of, are we in fact limited to the shared reality we all take for granted? No, of course not. I don’t chase the Dreamcatcher because I want to be different, I do it because I want to THINK and SEE things differently for myself.

In 50 years, I dare say I have never been bored and I tried never to be complacent about my photographic journey. I have always felt like a child that has lost his dad and wondered where he may be. I have always cherished the journey and always, always try to find another path to travel with my camera. What this means to anyone reading this, is to seek your own vision and find your own path for your journey.

There’s an old saying”It’s all been done before”…HORSE TURDS! What you are doing and going to do has never been done before. It’s an adventure that you and you alone take by yourself and the result is unknown. If it were any other way, life would be way too predicable and boring. So why would you settle for less in your images.

So lets look at it in a more realistic approach. (This term is used loosely as I may not be the best at reality) When you go out to shoot, what your looking for is images. Your looking for photos that in the end, partly define you. These photos are a part of the definition of what others and even yourself see to define YOU. So, if your out there trying to find Bresson, Krause, Kertesz, Winogrand, Friedlander photos, you have my sympathy. Sure they are all masters but I promise, they were not out looking for YOUR photos, why the hell would you seek theirs? If that’s what your INTENT is, it’s better served in a library or collection some place. There you don’t have to work and you can try to grasp what they were feeling and thinking at release. Good luck!

You do not have to be a Bresson to make photos. (I heard that there were around 15 shooters worldwide that never even heard of him.) It could be more but I can’t know about that stuff. So, what we try to do out there is find parts of us that help define what we are and how we do things. In the course of our photography, we have to come to terms of what OUR PHOTOS look like. This is entirely up to you and if your happy to have things look like everyone else, that’s great as it’s much less work.

I’m not saying that you have to intentional find a way to LOOK different but I am suggesting you take the time to try to discover some things that start to define you. It’s a journey we as shooters take and hopefully share on the way to the self. The interesting thing about photography is that we get to share our vision with others but I think it’s all important to make sure that vision is starting to define the shooter. Then, the next time you share work, people look forward to seeing what you see……

I’m keeping this series going until my brain goes on vacation. Any questions, comments…please speak up….till part 2….

shooter out………………..

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

January 28th, 2014 ….. The Ricoh GRD4 … Perfect Off Street Camera

January 28, 2014 streetshooter 12 Comments

I know, I started a good thing yesterday about Street Shooting. Ya see, at my age which is now, they tell me 64…that’s the temperature in Fahrenheit that I like to be in. Well, someone thought to play a trick and try to tell me that I’m now 12 Years Old because it’s 12F outside.

See, a smart street shooter knows how to adapt to adversity and overcome and conquer. Beings that I’m kinda Smaart (Fredo from the Godfather)…..I found a way to control the environment. There’s this little box on the wall and it has a wheel thingy on it. If I get cold, I turn this wheel and whalla…I getz warm again.

Well, I turned the wheel and it got to 20F real fast and that’s nice. Why can’t they figure out how to install a wheel on the streets? So, vision is a product of seeing and adapting to your environment. The well tuned shooter can find photos under any circumstance and that should most definitely include Off Street.

I find the Ricoh GRD4 the perfect camera for anything but especially for off street, in da house stuff. It’s a very disarming camera. I need that with Mrs Shooter. See, there are Rules Of Engagement for the Shooter household.

1. Thou shalt not make photos of me in any circumstance unless so prompted by me and the results are subject to inspection and approval by me and me alone. (Obviously this is Mrs Shooters Rules)

2. You will adhere to the above stated rule to maintain harmony and peace in the Shooter household. You will not explain your findings on that 1st Amendment thing about Free Press , Free Speech etc etc as I am Russian and that does not apply to me.

Well, I’m a rebel and so as not to antagonize the powers that be, I us my special skills I learned in the army. I conquer and overcome but in a manner of little risk and chance of getting caught. I leave no trace materials of films, papers etc. I leave no trace of links to postings, Flickr etc.

This may seem very trite to you but I assure you, it’s all about being a healthy, informed Street Shooter. If in fact I am posting tomorrow, I didn’t get busted with this post on the blog etc. If I don’t someone else needs to carry on for the sanity of all street shooters that came before or that are here now or will ever come after.

End transmission……………….shooter out………………………………..

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

January 27th, 2014 ….. Street Shooting with The Eye, Heart and Mind.

January 27, 2014 streetshooter Leave a comment

Regardless of how we think or even with what we try, we are polluted with the history of our very being. Don’t get me wrong….yeah you in the green jacket….be cool dude….the idea of personal history is a very cool concept if you know what it is and how to deal with it. When it comes to ex-wives, nah I can’t deal with it. When it comes to missing a camera I used many years ago, I can kinda deal with it.

These are not the history we need to discover and work with on the streets. Say we are walking down Market Street….go on say it…..ok…..

Maybe I’ll just explain how I do things and then if you want to figure out your own stuff, ya might get an idea from this post. Ya might not but then it’s your issue, not mine.

I’m walking down Market Street and it’s kinda funky light. In one area about 20′ in front of me it’s shade….then 20′ more and we have that harsh winter sun, ya know the kind that doesn’t even add warmth. So the issue of light has to be resolved. Of course light is what makes the exposure reading from the meter in the camera tell us what to adjust to get the photo recorded in proper exposure. Well, technically that’s kinda what happens but not for real street shooters.

See, street shooters are very fast in seeing because every one that has ever been borne or that will be borne is working at a super higher rate of consciousness then the people walking the streets without a camera. See, it’s because they, the camera toting people known as street shooters are in touch with their Eye, Heart & Mind.

A couple of pointers here. I use Auto ISO because I shoot in Manual Mode. This means I set the shutter speed and the aperture that I want and I trust my camera to set the proper ISO. Why do I trust the camera to do this and to do it well. Because I test my camera and the way it thinks. You can change the way a camera works but you can’t change the way it thinks. So what I am getting at is simply difficult. When we SEE something we want to make a photo of, at that point, there can be absolutely no intrusion from the camera. So we would get the camera at the ready and the exposure WE want is already set and the CAMERA will make the exposure work. If the photo works, it’s because we were in the EHM zone of photo awareness. If the photo doesn’t work, it’s because we were distracted by something and hopefully it’s not the camera.

Maybe for the casual shooter this stuff sounds boring and or to deep for what it is. For the serious shooter, especially on the streets….it’s just the beginning of understanding the journey and finding one’s way on the street.

I’ll do more tomorrow….. Make sure to grab a copy of the Inspired Eye Magazine….it’s a great issue.

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

January 23rd, 2014 ….. A Muse, a Mentor and it’s Freakin’ Cold Out but the Fuji XP1 makes it WARM!

January 23, 2014 streetshooter 5 Comments

See that Kewl Kat…that’s Barsik. He’s not really cool at this moment, he’s warm. He’s my main Muse and when it comes to relaxing…he’s my Mentor. So I went upstairs and grabbed my XP1 and put the 35mm 1.4 on it. I came down and put the camera on the table and sipped some more Green Tea. Barsik looked at me with a grin. He knows when I want to make photos….like always. See, cats are easy to work with cause they just sit and try not to move. Barsik of course has a sense of humor and that is flavored heavily with a Russian taste. He will sit still until just before the shutter gets to release…..then right at that fraction of a second….he moves and sometimes changes position all together.

I know and appreciate the fact that he’s teaching me patience, framing, improvising at the spur of a moment….I get all that, I really do…what I don’t get is a good photo. Cats will only provide a good photo if an agreement is made for exchange. Food, brushing, lap holding, any number of things will do but it’s gonna be something or….no photos for you!

The above shot was a sneak attack and I used all my military training to sneak the shot. Luckily the XP1 has a good screen and even at odd angles, you can see and make the shot. I knew I had him…it was a sweet feeling, I mean I got the Barsik and he didn’t know…..Proud I was and happy with my trusty camera……then I looked at the file in LightRoom…..sure enuff…..sucker got his eye cracked open. Sheeeesh….just when ya think ya got it down……..!

I’m outside now, well not really now but then. This is my favorite Rose. We planted it this year and it did ok. I made many lovely photos of it and it’s friends all around the garden. See that last remains of the last rose just laying there all alone? Well that’s the hope of next season. It’s my favorite plant outside and we have a lot. This rose for me, especially at this time in these conditions is what survival and diligence is all about. I look at this rose every day and I get a lift to just move on and not be deterred from progress.

The temperature at exposure time was: 4F or -15.5C. Now this is Philadelphia and know for the City of Brotherly Love. Well, you can bet there’s a lot of lovin’ going just to stay warm. I wanted to make a few photos just because I could and I owe it to all this people, friends, shooters etc in Australia that are sweating it out….Tsk Tsk whatever shall they do…….

This is my bench in the back of the garden. It’s the safe spot for me when Tanya gets pissed off and I have to sit like a bad school boy. I actually don’t mind it at all. It provides a safe haven away from the ruckus in the neighborhood. Well, the snow likes the bench also. I asked it….Snow, when will you get the hell off my bench? Snow replied, it’s cold out and I have more snow friends coming in a few days. so get used to it.

I asked the bench,,,,,Bench, are you cold? The bench said to me….yo…I’m made of cement, I ain’t go no mouth, I gotz no ears…..what the hell are you doing talking to me stupid? I thought for a moment and decided that there exist no logical answer to this riddle. I also knew that if I mention this conversation to my Dr, I’ll get sent back to the factory.

So I just decided to mark the moment and make a photo. The XP1 turns me on more and more day after day. I’m hard on a camera. No I don’t mean banging it around….I mean application. I make all kinds of photos and if I find something the camera won’t or can’t do…..someone else gets to try. The Fuji XP1 so far has proven the most capable camera I have used since the start of the digital revolution. I won’t name names like Canon, Nikon, Leica, Blad, Olympus, Panasonic etc…..just know that if I’m still using a camera after a good period…..it’s a winner.

What makes me different than anyone else? I will not tolerate the slightest intrusion on my process at anytime whatsoever! I do not compromise with cameras.

Have a safe good day and night……

shooter out……………………………………….

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

January 21st, 2014 ….. Fuji Weatherproof X Camera in a Snow Storm

January 21, 2014 streetshooter 9 Comments

C’mom, you know the XT something isn’t released yet but the XP55 is a true weatherproof, waterproof drop proof camera that makes the drudgery of walking in the snow fun. I gotta tell ya, the snow was falling hard on the good city and people of Philly, on me too. The wind was a blowing and a howling and just making things less than enjoyable. I pulled out the trusty Fuji and started making photos. In no time flat, I was having a good time clicking away. I would have loved to stay and really do a shoot but Tanya is worried I’ll fall and won’t be found till I’m frozen solid.

At this point in the day we had around 5″s on the ground and it was just getting started. The buildings protect the pedestrians and the homeless from the wrath of the storm. You can see that the snow is very light on the ground here near the Reading Market. Of course I had to go to the Market to eat before I go to the hospital. I just needed prescription refills and anger management session.

By the time I got out…the snow in West Philly was hitting around 8″s and climbing. The buses. I didn’t make any photos on the trolley, train or bus. See, we all know that Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love. Everyone in the world knows that. What they don’t know is that in times of stress, duress,storms,rain, lack of toilet paper, cold weather, warm weather, hot weather, I’m fighting with my husband…if you breathe near me I will cook your heart for dinner…

See, in Philly if any of the above situations or any other situation…..the law of the City of Brotherly Love is null and void. That means that as I’m on the bus, trolley or elevated train, if I bring out a camera….well, it won’t be a pretty picture. So beings that I’m smaaart, I chose to just look at everyone and spare all of us the agony of seeing my camera.

On the street, people just think I’m an idiot. I like that cause I’m an idiot with a camera. They don’t know that I’m a very serious Pho….idiot! So this storm will pass and the VA Hospital will treat more Vets and I’ll continue working on the next Issue of the Inspired Eye Magazine.

So be smart, safe and find the courage to continue your work….without using GAS for a reason to do so.

On the sidebar you’ll see some blogs that I like and visit. Check it out and if you have a blog etc, I’ll be glad to set a link for ya…..

Till later…..

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

January 20th, 2014 ….. MLK Day ….. Was I even Thinking Today?

January 20, 2014 streetshooter 6 Comments

Sometimes I like to just walk the streets and not look for photos. I suppose it’s an exercise to see if I can not make photos. I have tried this many times and I fail almost all the time. Some may think it’s a good failure but I on the other hand, think it’s important to pass this test. I don’t like to get complacent with my surroundings etc. So, by not making photos…I am passing some trigger mechanisms and just letting them be.

Could I be just clicking photos because I am there and the camera is at the ready? Is it possible that I am taking things for granted, like my wife says I do with her? Not a real pretty thought I tell ya. At what point do I say about my photos, “I like this, it matters to me”? How easy is it to just make photos just because I can? At what level do I have to make a photo to be satisfied? Can I just be happy being an old shooter and not be thrown off because I feel that some works are beneath my standards I set for myself?

I know that youse do not share this problem and that’s why i ask these questions for you to ponder.

If I think an image in my mind at the time I see some stimulus and I compose and click the shutter….is it justifiable to the state of my craft?

Here’s what I think. I think it’s ok and important to just make photos because you are in love with the entire process. I think that the standards we set for ourselves are beneath what they should really be. It’s easier to succeed and harder to fail with a lower standard. I think that I am my own worst enemy to my life and my work.

It’s ok to slack off once in a while. It’s not ok to not know your slacking off. If you are aware of your work, and work in the here and now…it’s ok to drift for a spell as long as you know your drifting and more importantly….you know where to get back to.

Have a good day………

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

January 19th, 2014 ….. Observations With The Fuji XP1

January 19, 2014 streetshooter 11 Comments

It’s a very interesting observation using the XP1 against the XE1. I’m not saying one is better than the other, just different working with them. The XP1 by default for me draws me to the OVF. I’m not talking about settings, I’m talking about working with the camera. The XE1 for me, draws me to the screen. Yeah, yeah, they both have screens and they both have EVFs. It’s a fact that I prefer the screen on any camera because of the way it presents the image to me. I haven’t likes any viewfinder since the Leica M cameras.

This is the OVF with the 27mm (40mm). I’m close and the accuracy is very close to what I’m seeing even tho’ I’m close. C’mon man, we all know the EVF is closer…yeah but the OVF allows me to use both eyes open. The thing that turns me on is that I can use both eyes. Well, there has to be adjustments made due to Focal Length. So, like the M, we can see the AF patch and frame lines with the right eye and by either squinting and or opening and closing the left eye, see the scene without the frame lines etc.

I’m not posting the most amazing images but I am posting different ways I see and work with the XP1 and now the 27mm. Tomorrow I will try the combination of the 18mm and the 27mm. That’s the Ricoh dream.

I am not trying to do a review of these cameras. I feel that in order to get a firm grip on the camera and my photography, it’s only right to do so after using them for a good period of time and experience. Yeah, you can go to the hot blogs and read all about any camera and get all excited and then, after a week, the blogger is selling something else. I’m not writing about getting yours or my GAS in high gear. I’m writing about making photos with a well tested camera that I still use after 15 new models came and went.

Street Photography Chronicles by Don Springer