Tag Archives: Personal Work

Photography, Street Photography, Streetshooter

July 1st, 2017 … An Old Friend Comes Home … Leica X-E

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….. Roger and I are standing at the counter at B&H. I think it’s like 2012 of 2013. The salesman is working with another customer when he sees Roger and says I’ll be right there. Sure enough in 15 seconds, he’s shaking Roger’s hand.  He doesn’t acknowledge me and that’s fine.  Roger looks at me and does that silly thing with his eye. I’m supposed to know what it means but after decades, I still don’t. He tells the guy I’m his partner and all the sudden the salesman wants to  give me his firstborn son.

Roger gives the salesman an order number. The guy goes to the back of the store an in 5 minutes returns with a look of curiouosity on his face. He says, “there seems to be a mixup with the order, they didn’t specify which camera and lens you wanted”. Roger looks in the box,  picking up the Monochrome, the M24o. There around 7 lenses in the box. Roger says to the guy, yes a mistake has been made. Where is the Canon 5D and 24-70 and the 35 1.4? The salesman says, “can we get the Leica that you want first”? Roger immediately says, this box is part of my order.  It all goes with me.

I think the salesman is like 27 yo but he needs to wear a diaper. I think he dropped a load.

He says Yes sir, be right back. On his return Roger says he wants to see the Leica X-E. Well the salesman runs and comes back with a new X-E. he opens the box and loads a batter in it. He hands it to Roger who in turn hands it to me. I start checking it out. They finalize the bill and for some things ordered a few weeks ago. I figure it’s around $80,000.00. A man walks over to Roger and thanks him, shakes his hand and says’ “We want you to have the X-E as a gift to a loyal customer”. Of course Roger is very gracious and thanks all concerned.


We carry the two boxes out to Roger’s Jag and put them in and we head back to Philly. We get to the first rest stop and of course I need to go. So, we pull in and Roger waits in the car as I go in. After a few minutes I come back to the car and get in. Roger starts the car and hands me a box. He says, I want you to have the X-E. I tell him thanks but no thanks. That cmera goes against everything I have going on. I like to set my camera on M mode, auto iso and then choose f/stop and shutter speed. This way I can control my exposure and the camera works with me selecting the ISO.

The Leica X2 and X-E do not do this. They will not allow auto ISO in M mode. I tell him forget it. Then as we are driving along, he’s telling me that I am too comfy in the way I work and with the cameras I work with. He tells me that I don’t think anymore but just respond to the scene kinda like a very open minded auto mode. Inside, I am getting pissed. Not because of what he’s telling me but because it’s all true. He reminds me that in my film daze, I would have a fixed ISO, sorta of maybe but I ain’t sayin’ nuttin about that stuff. I smile and admit he’s right but I don’t want to fix something that’s not broken. He tells me keep the X-E and just enjoy it. I used his X2 many times before so I know the work involved in un-taking-for -granted and adapting-what-I-know-but-don’t-use -properly.

So I used the X-E for almost a year along side other cameras but it doesn’t like to share experiences and knowledge with any other camera. Leica’s are greedy with time and love. They do not like to be with a ny other camera out working. So after a while I stop using the X-E. All my other cameras are ok with each other. So, why rattle cages when it’s not necessary. Roger is in India and Pakistan working on a case and I take some things out to his home and put the X-E on the shelf. Life goes on. Time passes and here we are. Weekend before last Roger and Mary come to Philly from Hong Kong for a visit. He wants me to come out to his home on the main line and check things out. I do the inventory for his acquisitions. This at times is a task but I do it because he’s my friend. So we are in the vault and looking at some nice Leica’s. He picked up a 250FF I think it’s called. Nice stuff. Then I see on shelf where I placed it years ago, the Leica X-E. I smiled.

Roger said once again….”take the X-E and use it. Don’t return it, it belongs to you and it will help you discover your inner self again.I shrug my shoulders because I know the camera pretty well and I know it will do what it wants and not what I want. There is a compromise with it but I need to just let go and open my mind and heart. I tell Roger, ya know something, I will take it and use it. I need to be on a screen camera again. Even the GRII is very fast and intuitive but the X-E makes me slow down and live and feel the moment.

The Leica X-E will not give you Auto ISO  in M Mode. The screen is the pits. It takes a while to turn on and it goes to sleep in a minute. It focuses ok and manual focus is very good. The lens is a Leica Lens and any Leica shooter will be happy. It’s an outstanding lens. You can make an exposure and it’s slow to write to the card.

So why use this age old camera? Ok, first off, it is ELEGANT. Even tho it’s not fast it’s very Elegant. What it does it does well and what it doesn’t do, I don’t need with this camera. There is a cerebral connection that this camera offers and supports and all I need to do is stop having pre-conceptions about what I want it to do. So, I am back to the raw elegant basics and I have a companion with me that is an old friend. I will not take any other camera out with the  X-E. If I did it would be Mom the Ricoh GRII because she’s a screen camera also. You all have a fine weekend and HAPPY JULY 4th to one and all. I’ll be working with Dad the Leica X-E for a while.

Black & White, Inspired Eye, Street Photography, Streetshooter

June 18th, 2017 … Father’s Day … Some Observations … Pen-F

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Happy Father’s Day.  I’m an observer. Not just a photography observer but a life observer. What I notice and find most interesting is the search for identity. It seems to that everyone struggles with identity. Brands are all over everyone and everyplace. Racial identity, gender, religious, education, city, state, country, camera, lens…. the list goes on and on. We form groups of like minded people so our search for identity is not a lonely one.

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So as photographers, what are we really searching for and how do we know if we find it? Let me say this: I don’t have an identity issue. I know who I am and the others inside my head know me also. So there!

Lets cut the search to bare bones. We all have cameras, lenses, dark rooms, computers etc. We all fit in our gear and lives neatly and perfectly. We have our vision, our stance and everything we as individuals deem necessary to travel our quest. Nice feeling. Nice to be equipped with stuff and more importantly, emotionally stable.

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So what in our inventory is missing or worse, there but quiet? What do we have to hold stock of our life and our struggle to find our selves?  What is it that we produce, protect, promote?  Perhaps, maybe just maybe our photographs. Is it even possible that an image we produce has the ability to justify all that we are or hope to be? Is it possible that our images are or could be the catylist for conversation, criticism or self exploration and even self discovery? Well, believe this, it’s totally true. Your identity is visible in your images.

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Think about this. No 2 photos can ever be the same. Don’t get cute and think about copies. “No eyes ever will nor ever shall see what I see now”. MBW

So then if we are lost in a world that swallows up our identity, it is the simple fact that our photos are our identity. They are the artifacts and DNA of us as individuals. They are the evidence that we are alive and here and working. So, if it’s just this photograph that is a record of our individual existence, maybe we need to take it more serious than we do. Well, I don’t know about youse but for me, it’s over 50 years as a photographer and my awareness of myself, makes me happy. It’s time to stand tall if you can and be proud and happy with the life you live and the work you produce.

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We need to understand that whatever our work does, it represents our existence. If it is a truth and it is that Margaret Bourke White, (I pretty sure this is hers….) “No eyes ever will nor ever shall see what I see now”, then that means that your work is unique and you should be proud of it. You also may feel the need at times to defend it but I wouldn’t. I don’t think anyone serious about photography would give bad words and thoughts to another’s work. The ones the do are obviously lost in the world of confused identity and that is the reason they do such horrible things. Those that love photography must and should bear in mind that when they see your work, they see you.

The only bad photos are the ones that don’t get made………

Peace and be blessed all…………………………………………..

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Street Photography

June 2nd, 2017 … a Matter of Perspective … True Confession … Fuji X-Pro2

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Ok, first off I will explain that I do things in a semi deliberate manner. That also means that I do things in a semi un-deliberate manner.

Flashback to 1970. I have my M-4 with a 35mm Cron on it. My M-16 at the ready. WE are going thru a small village near Chu Lai and I’m snapping away making photos. There’s some press corp guys with us cause they wanna see where theB52’s dropped their load and how close it was to the village. Click, click….yup, I’m working. Jock is about 25′ away from me. Jock is a tall guy thin stature and from OZ. OZ = Australia. He works for the Press Corp for France and OZ. We became friends and I looked forward to him being around because it gave me the illusion that I might survive this shit hole.

Jock comes over to me and  says “Jingles, why don’t you use your 50mm more?” Eureka! I replied that I wasn’t comfortable with the compression and the crop of the frame. I wanted to portray the scene the best I could and a 35mm was perfect. … it dawned on me at that moment that I should try the 50mm and be serious with it. With all the film I shot over there, I don’t think I used 2 rolls with the 50mm. It just didn’t click with me.

Inside me, I had this nagging feeling that Jock was implanting in me to use the 50mm. Flash forward to the mid 70’s and I shooting the street with my 35mm Cron and of course my trusty 50mm Cron in the waste pack. it’s been years since Jock mentioned the 50mm to me. I still have that nagging feeling that I need to get the 50mm and use it.

Yeah sure, sometimes I’d use the 50mm just to do it and prove to myself I can. Then another year would pass and I’d have it with me but not use it. If I did use it, I didn’t have a sense of being with it.

So, the issue for me is to adapt my aspect and frame to the 50mm FOV. Let’s get something straight from the get go. PERSPECTIVE.  There are 2 perspectives that we deal with in photography. The first is, stance. Where you stand sets your perspective….but really the position of the camer is setting perspective. Set your camera on a tripod and then move all around but leave the camera where it is and the perspective changes for you but not the camera. When the camera moves, the perspective changes. If you hold your stance and then change the lens on the camera, the perspective stays the same but the Field of View changes. If you change aspect ratio, perspective stays the same.

So, the reason for me to wrestle with the 50mm is not perspective but the FOV crop. I guess most take it for granted that just changing lenses is an easy thing and requires not much thought or practice. Lucky for them, for me it’s like a new set of eyes and a new way to think. It challenges me to see the world thru different eyes and to think and work differently all the while protecting my 35mm FOV.

So I’ve had many cameras and many lenses that wore the 50mm crop. I was not comfy with any of them until the Fuji X-Pro2. When my lady friends gave me the camera and the 35mm = 50mm lens, they knew what they were doing. They knew I would love working with the camera and they also knew that at last, I’d be able to use the long lost love, 50mm FOV.

So, it seems that it took decades for me to find mt stance with this lens and I did. I have to telly youse that for me, the Fuji X-Pro2 is the finest camera I could ever with to work with.

Whenever I get a brain fart, I can always use the Fuji X100F.

seeyas after the weekend my friends…… peace

Street Photography, Streetshooter

May 27th. 2017 … Working thru GAS … NOT the Tums Kind … Fuji X-Pro2

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We all know what GAS is. Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Most address this a a detriment to your character and work and you are to feel inefficient if you have GAS. You are maybe hiding behind your gear because you don’t have it enough to make good photos. You are to feel that if you get THAT camera or THAT lens, all will be well in the world. Damn right your right. Go for it. I do and stand proud to say I am a Gas-aholic, well… tums usually cures my gas but I have no issues acquiring new gear if I feel it will open me up some.

I have posted countless times, well at least a few about standing on your own and making your photos the way you want them to be and don’t give a hoot who likes it or not.  Well, here’s something against the grain of most shooters and bloggers.  Gear does make a difference to your work. Like it or not, every single shooter and every single person on the planet, planted or walking around, needs INSPIRATION.

I will expose my GAS and you will see that I’m nuts and you are rather not as nuts or maybe more nuts than me but we doin’ care anyway.  Recently I acquired the Fuji X100F. Great camera and I had no choice, nor wanted one because I had every version of the X100 series and loved them all. The X100F is a very capable camera that can do most things. The camera is named Andre’ after Kertesz. all is well so far but then Serendipity the Olympus PenF wanted to go out and work.

I see things this way. I get an item or camera, lens etc to inspire not direct my energy. Scenario….: I’m laying in bed and relaxing and letting myself fall asleep. Well, a few hours of that and my mind starts to wander. I get maybe a vision or thought train about walking around with my Ricoh GRII. It’s an omen I tellya. In the morning I’ll take Mom the Ricoh GRII out to work. Like it or not, that’s inspiration and the moment is inspired. Usually when this happens, I’m on a very inspired session. Maybe I saw a vision of the PenF with the 12mm. Perhaps I just saw the Ricoh GRII and the Fuji X100F.

This is normal GAS and it is not dangerous at this point. I have gone thru this for decades. I’m a GAS survivor. See, getting gas is normal and how you approach it it the all important thing.

I had a session with some students/friends and we were at the diner and Suzanne and Polly handed me a box and insisted I open it immediately.  I opened the box and low and behold, there was a new Fuji X-Pro2. There also was a 35mm F2WR lens. I asked them why and Polly answered, you have the Fuji X100 so this gives you 35mm & 50mm, your favorite combination.

Ok, no GAS there but inspiration. Ever hear of buyers remorse? Yeah, yeah, we all get it at one point or another. Usually for me it comes when I am tired of a camera and it no longer inspires me. Then I get remorse like, WTF is this stupid camera here for anyway.

So if you don’t have a justification for something, then it’s not inspiring you. Little did the ladies know that the Fuji X-Pro2 would be the camera that lites a fire with me that hasn’t been a flame in a long time. Is this GAS I ask you?  I did not buy the camera. It inspires me more then I thought because it’s a gift from 2 student/friends. I can’t imagine falling out of love with this camera.

It’s impossible to not think about a camera you have or want to have. To be slammed into a corner because someone says you have GAS is self defeating. We all need inspiration and we all need to allow our creativity to flourish. Taking the heat from others and implanting it into ourselves is extremely self destructive and eventually we do as others say and do and not captain our own ride. THE HORROR! We talked about how this scenario is similar to your photos but we doin’ need no more talk about that. Youse are all Life Warriors with a Camera.

So, this is like Rolaids for GAS. If something calls out to you and you feel that it will inspire you, then go for it. ( note ) GAS is an issue that is widely discussed but, in no case should you allow GAS to take funds from your families needs etc. We must always follow a prioritized structure of acquiring things.

So, I hope you get the message that you need to satisfy your creativity without guilt or remorse. Remember that no matter what you feel or think about GAS, it’s true that it can control your expenditures and have a drive that seems to take over. It’s also true that GAS can provide inspiration that feeds your soul. The way you deal with this is like a stance that you take as if your making photos. You are you and how you do and present things is the beauty of you. If you need a camera to satisfy a need, by all means get it.

I need to write about GAS for camera bags and I will try to confess my illness.

next post…..Have a Blessed Memorial Day and even if your in another Country…….

Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Photography, Street Photography

May 21st, 2017 …The Hot Sauce of Photography

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Hot sauce is a great metaphor for your individual photography. I mention this because it rekindles the emotional state that can over come us about intent and acceptance of our work. You can get all the cameras, lenses, pc’s, software etc but the final residue of emotional stance is in the photos.

Once you make the photos and then put them out there, well hot sauce starts to cook. Why Hot Sauce? Well, here’s my take on it. There are countless variations of Hot Sauce. Some are mild, some hot, some hotter and even some that require a stretch to the definition of the word HOT. Then we have many labels, sizes, colors scent etc. oh, don’t forget some are just hot and too hot to really taste and others have hot but a distinct flavor.

Then there are the users of the sauces and people vary in an undefinable number. So many variables. I suppose after spending time going thru what you like and don’t like, you choose what best suites you.  At that point it’s about taste and it becomes a personal taste and you have to support it regardless of what others feel about your sauces. Some will like your choice of sauces and others may not. You may even feel intimidated from some who claim to be very skilled and knowledgeable about sauces.

Believe me, there are those among us that are professional Hot Sauce appraisers. Some of these people can tell you the vintage of the Sauce. Some are gear oriented and can discuss the bottle, cap, label etc. The thing is that everyone has an opinion and many like to express it to others about others hot sauce. Of course usually they become defensive about their own sauce and maybe that’s why they go on the offensive, because it protects their sauce from open opinion and critique from others.

So, as I said in the start, Hot Sauce is a metaphor for photography. If you just think about the hot sauce metaphor and then apply it to your photography, maybe, just maybe, you can realize that your have your own bottle of sauce and like it or not, not all with like the look or flavor or aroma. You have to accept the fact that a photograph that you make and love is your hot sauce and has a right to be on it’s own.

Your life is a competition. Don’t believe it’s not. You are competing against yourself. No matter how you bet, it’s always against yourself. We will not survive the end of the competition. What does that mean? For me it means, I do my work because I have to. I would lose a reason to breathe without it. If I meet others that are as serious as me, don’t I have the responsibility to accept them and their work? No one should pass judgement upon another’s sauce.

What hurts me if I see someone with potential doing beautiful work, and that person gets criticism and then they sloe=w down or stop, that’s F***ed up stuff.

Do your thing and find your vision and don’t get sidetracked by the the so called negative energy users. You will never make too many photos and you’ll never have too much time to do it.

Enjoy your hot sauce my friends…….I’ll be around……peace

Dreamcatcher, Philosophy of Street, Street Photography

May 5th, 2017 … Seeing Your Way Thru The Masses … Fuji X-Pro2

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….so as a follow up, what does it mean this ….”Personal Work”…?  Ok ok, isn’t everything personal work. I mean I do things and take it personal, so what’s the difference, personally I’d like to know. Interesting and don’t take this too personal but maybe a little personal.

Bob Dylan wrote a song named, “Ya Gotta Serve Somebody”. What this means to photography is exactly what it sounds like. When a client calls you about a gig, ya get excited and know that your gonna make money and your cameras etc are now tools. Hate to tell ya this but you are now a tool also. Perhaps a past client or friend of a client etc recommended yo to the new client. Nice. Confidence is high. We got this and the Pro attitude kicks in. This is all good but you must remember the reason for you getting the job, the reals reason.

…..the reason is because you are the total package. You know your craft, have good communication abilities with people, turn out a good produce and know how to make all satisfied. There’s other things involved but this is the crux of it. So you are focused on your intent, presence and objective to make a great job and your client happy. Wait, wait, wait….something is too easy, something could be amiss. Well, your right, the inverse square law says less is more and more is less. There’s another law that gets to play and here in Philly it’s called Murphy’s Law. See this law states that if something could go wrong, it will.

C’mon, what can go wrong when your at the top of your game? Mother Light has never shed her Grace upon a shooter that never had problems at one time or another on a shoot. It’s true I tellya. There’s a bird flying around, we don’t always see it but it’s there. It’s called the Blue Bird of happiness. When this bird flies over you and ummm, well…drops a poop bomb on you, your supposed to be blessed and all things in your existence for 3.5 seconds are perfect.  Well, it’s true too but at second 4, things go back to normal and ya have bird poop on your head. Not so happy any more.

So there’s the basic idea of working for bucks. You will serve others then yourself. You get paid and that’s the reward. What about working for yourself and there may be some other reward? The heart and soul of your photographic existence relies on your INTENT. You work to satisfy the client inside you. Of course it’s nice to have people like your work but at this point, that can not be the motive for your work.  There is a life force that insist on living inside us. We dare not ignore this force. For most, we can’t anyway. This force is the very essence of our heart and soul. It is the only client wee serve for our work. “It is not the ego that drives us. The ego is a byproduct of the essence of the force of our creativity.” When we finally recognize this force, hopefully we can then see our work as the preservation of our existence.

So, it seems to me and I’m writing this, that there are to clients if you may, that we will serve. The business client that gives us the money to survive. The personal work client that gives us the will to breathe.

How do we keep the 2 in check? That’s the trick. I think that we need to observe and manage our intent. Kinda like multiple personalities. One is the money client and the other is the personal client. There are missions and ways to perform the missions that are similar. This is where we get lost. It’s extremely important to observe your stance on both clients. Know which is which and also know how to feed each. There are to driving forces and we must see that and accept it. The first is the money client and we focus on that and get work, make money, make clients happy and inside us hopefully there lives a little shooter that says, we made it, we can pay the bills, feed the kids etc.

Then there is the second client that is your personal work and it screams out in horror. What about me, don’t forget me. I’m dying. See, this is why you need a dual personality. You need not give up either, just embrace it with all in the moment and perform as focused as possible. Shed the guilt of being one or the other.

Wait a minute dude. What if I’m a carpenter or exec in a business. Hey, maybe I make burgers at McDonald’s. Yo, I am a CEO of a telemarketing firm …and I am a Medical Research Doctor. The point is that you can be anything you want or need to be. Ya know how ya get in the here and now and the the moment when you are shooting? Well, that focus must be in everything you do in life. You absolutely must not resent your work for money, just embrace the beauty of it as it provides the path that is clear for your personal work.

There was a really famous circus and the new owner was walking around meeting all the people that worked for him. He came across the elephant tent and there was a guy shoveling elephant shit and stacking it in a pile. The owner started talking to the man and they had a lengthy chat about politics, medicine, finances etc. Finally the owner asked….”You are so intelligent, why do you shovel elephant shit, you could work anyplace?” “The man stopped shoveling and looked the owner in the face and said….”What and give up show business?”

Life is full of many wondrous things, We all get to chose and observe some of them. The ones who have a focused intent breathe and are excited to do so because they are in the here and now even shoveling shit. The ones that aren’t in the here and now, well… they become lawyers and politicians.

We are gifted with the Grace of Mother Light. This blessing enriches our soul and we need to be aware that we are not alone but we serve ourselves but not only ourselves. We need to share our thoughts, our images and our lives.

If you don’t agree with me, kindly move on and if you do…pass the shovel.

Dreamcatcher, Philosophy of Street, Street Photography

May 4th, 2017 … The Struggle to Survive … Fuji X-Pro2

21 Comments

A few conversations have come up about being true to yourself vs being true to the $$$. This has been food for the devil forever. Back in the late 70’s, I was married, 2 kids, house and apple pie. I had a good photography gallery in old city. We did ok. I wasn’t cutting it financially. My friend asked me to do a studio with him. So we set out to make a killing in the photo market. Long story short, after about 14 months, I felt lost in America. I looked at my inventory of personal work and was horrified. I has less then 20 roll of film exposed. I couldn’t breathe. I felt my essence had died and I knew what had to happen.

I told my partner friend that I need to do something for money. We split and I called my grand father and uncle. See, we had a Hardwood Flooring Business since 1905. I dreaded going back into the business but hungry wives get pretty sore, and kids even more. I always carried my M4/35 crom.

I made photos all the time. One day my grandfather and I were driving to a job and he said…. I know how much photography means to you and I’m glad you are doing something with it.

Then he said, during the WW1, I wanted to be a lawyer. I studied and a firm said they would help me. I had 7 siblings and they had to eat. So I was enlisted to work and take care of my family. “I really wanted to be a lawyer Donald, you be what you want.” Well, I don’t cry much after Nam. But I sure as heck had tears inside hearing about pop like that.

Ok, here’s the point. I tried endlessly to find work as a paid shooter. I did some weddings, events, news paper stuff but never enough to really make it. I always looked at my work and I could see photos I liked. So I did hardwood floors. I worked very hard and was proud of the jobs my family turned out.

Photography was happening all the time but it was different then what I had my preconceptions focused on. One day Mrs ISL banged on my head and told me to focus on the here and now. See, Mrs Inverse Square Law knew what I was thinking and how I was wrong.

In that law which governs photography, it shows that less is more and more is less. So as I was working hard at the floor business, my shooting and processing time was limited. I had less time to do it. I had more productivity then I expected. See, the struggle to survive is what gives the flavor to life. That flavor is what we need to appreciate.

I know of many shooters that work as a paid shooter. They make their money and they are professional but, there is a lacking and longing for the personal work. Yeah, yeah, I know, some even say….”My work is my personal work.” BARF! There is a need for the SOUL to feel nourished. Most won’t feed their SOULS with money. The ones that try hard, don’t have a SOUL anyway.

So ya get a job as a paid shooter. Yippee! Ya work hard and make the ducketts and have nice cameras. Then the day is over and ya go home and do what? Many drink beer and watch sports. Nothing wrong with that and in fact, it’s some of the best anti-politician therapy made. But for a shooter doing personal work, ya got a problem.

So it seems even if your born to a family with all the advantages, emotionally and aesthetically, your on common ground with every single shooter ever born, ever will be born and even the ones that don’t know they are born. The idea of being a paid shooter and still doing your personal work without restrictions of any kind seems easy enough but yet, it’s the elusive butterfly. The idea of doing personal work and getting paid for it is also an elusive butterfly. Just remember, even butterflies may be caught with the right bait and net.

I won’t speak for anyone but myself and that’s not always the right thing. For me, I would rather do menial labor then lose the inspiration and desire to shoot for my self. Ya know how opposites attract, well this does too. When I was doing hardwood floors I was always dusty and dirty. Then I would get almost sterile and go to the darkroom. it’s polar opposites that were working.

There once was an amazing shooter and his name was Ralph Eugene Meatyard. He made the most bizarre photos but I loved his work. I was lucky to acquire a half dozen prints and I still love them. Anyway, he was an optometrist by trade and photographer by love. Closely related but in the heart and soul, I don’t think so. The dichotomy of a dual life is the driving force that could save one from thinking ….”oh, my job sucks and ruins my life”. There is always a saving Grace and we need to appreciate that and also to break the walls that bind us to our own preconceptions.

When I figure out how to do it, I’ll post it here…..

Go in Peace my friends, but go with a camera………….

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Photography

May 2nd, 2017 … On Vision … Seeing With the Fuji X-Pro2

6 Comments

There comes time that I have to take inventory of what and why I am doing what I am doing. It’s not about justifying gear or computers, software or any tangible items. It’s about Intent and the Fulfillment of Intent.  Believe me, it’s a heck of a lot easier to justify buying gear than it is to check your motivators and what drives them and the hunt for satisfaction. I mean, I could say, I need a new lens, save up the ducketts and get the lens. Case closed.  Yeah, I want the New Fujicanikonlei camera. Save up the money, (no ducketts for this camera)….get it and once again, case closed.

What comes to me in this thought train is….what is the common denominator? There is one and that’s what needs to be addressed. Perhaps Olivier was right when he wrote his piece on GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome. So, if gear is a deterrent for close evaluation of the work and the process, what is it hiding? What is the TRUTH that we all need but yet fear?  Why do we fear this TRUTH and why do we not address it?

When I was an ADMIN at Amin’s forum, M43.com, many many members would ask about gear in the open threads. It was and still is the most user friendly forum still in use. There would be many opinions raised and facts that sprang forth and all was settled because everyone had that in common, gear. Some knew that I had  a long history in photography and with galleries etc. So, sometimes I would get a message or email requesting a conversation about someones photos. I loved it and always responded quickly.

The point is, not that the questions were asked but…..the fact that they asked me in private and not in the open forum. I found that very interesting. It means that with gear etc, all can chime in and no feelings get hurt. Then when they wanted my opinions about their work, that became very personal and also very touchy. So we would do sessions in private.

I sought the common denominator above and truth of what that is. It’s vision and the judgement of such vision. Everything a photographer does or thinks about is about VISION and the PHOTOGRAPH. We can buy gear, read books, collect images, buy software and take workshops, go to universities and it all comes down to VISION and the IMAGE. Everything, every single thing you think about or manage to do can be used as a deterrent. It also can be used as a means to an end providing you stand in the face of your work, recognize that work, recognize that you are the maker and the one accountable for that work.

Keep in mind that there are many masters to compare to, many friends and many you don’t and never will know. There are photos plastered all over the world. Yours are just some in the mix. There are shooters that work and get paid high bucks, many that work hard and get little bucks. Many shooters are in it just to have something to do, many want the fame and sometimes fortune that may happen. There are those among us that want to use photography as a tool to meet people.

The motivators are to many to fathom. So, what we need to do i stop hiding from our work. Stop running from the fear of acceptance or rejection.

What matters not just in the end, that implies that the journey is over, but what matters is you standing with full accountability in front of the mirror of yourself and your work and say…..

I am the one who saw and made these photos. Good, bad or indifferent, I am proud to be accountable for this work and my life in photography. Regardless of what others think or say or feel, I will not be controlled or sidetracked by them.

I stand naked here with my photos and recognize the fact….hmmmm wait a sec. Don’t stand naked around and have your photos… I think I might understand but spouses and parents and siblings and mostly…. shrinks will never get it.

Be blessed my friends. Remember, what you do and think is in your photos. Find and make them interesting for YOU. The others may or may not get it but you need to.

 

 

Photography, Street Photography

April 28th, 2017 … Philly Street … Fuji X-Pro2

13 Comments

So after a long deliberation I decided to sell off some stuff and get the X-Pro2. I had the X-Pro 1 and an XE2 and other things. Fuji didn’t see fit to make me an X shooter so I did it myself and I answer to no one. The X-Pro2 is now my interchangeable camera. The job was taken from Serendipity the Olympus PenF. I love buying cameras and gear but hate to part with them. This is not GAS, it’s DSG. Oh, DSG = don’t sell gear. Truth be told, it’s important to shake the cage some and rotate cameras regardless of how you feel for them.

I think the Mother Processing Computer at USA Central Headquarters, Weather Control Unit has also made changes. In a few days we went from rain and chilly to sunny and 84F.

See, sunlight is necessary for shooters because, well I think we all have our own reasons so I will let that one go. What I been going thru is validation. I mean I have to accept what and why i am doing with photography. So, like I go out and make photos and I need to validate everything. It’s about commitment and acceptance. Those elements are not active without intent. So I been examining my intent and the after work of it.

I had breakfast with a small group last week, also the reason for no post in a week), and we were discussing things like intent. One guy had an attitude and was riviting a youg woman about her work.

She was getting upset and almost in tears and I jumped in  and tried to rescue her from despair. So, I said…..leave her alone as you are no authority. Right away he lashed out to me. (now I must admit, I am not good at holding back but there was 3 woman at the table so I didn’t curse but invented words that meant those curse words.) He said, Don, I don’t care for much of your work. I think you are wasting time doing photography. I smiled. So I leaned back and said, ****. listen, I will put orders in to the international congress of photographic rules and guidelines. I will state that every shooter and every one that will be a shooter or that will be born and become a shooter, learn your guidelines and rules and esthetics and all, every single one get your stamp of approval for their work. The the whole FUC**** world can be to your satisfaction. Will that satisfy your ego?

After he stood up and left, the crowd clapped and we had a much better time without him. (note, I called him a day later and we talked and he didn’t apologize but kinda backed off. The call was tense and I could feel it. So, to break the tension, I said… I know the issues for you. You haven’t figured out how to check every ones work in a good manner. We both laffed and I expect him to return to breakfast next trip.)  So this hit home base for me and I realized that …. to quote Dylan…”One should never be where one does not belong.” What that means at the moment for me is, that if your working for something other then your own satisfaction, it’s issues that will arise.

What makes a good client shooter is not the gear so much. It’s discovering your client’s wants and needs and then finding a way to satisfy them. So in a way that could mean that you are a formula shooter. You have recipes that work and then decide which one or mix gets the job done. Then you get paid. The reason you got the job was because you understand your client’s needs and wants.

It’s the same but even more intense when you are your own client. So we need to discover motivation, obstacles and intent to start. It sounds simple for real but the underlying reasons and motivators could be very intense. When I was doing many workshops, it was a period of complacent satisfaction. UI was teaching what my students wanted to learn. One day long time ago, I realized that my ability to help my student uncover the obstacles that created blocks is what was really appreciated. This certainly isn’t an easy task. It requires drowning in ones emotions and intent and swimming to the surface and seek solid ground to build upon.

 

….gotta go but will continuw this on the weekend………………………………………………………

 

Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street

April 19th 2017 … Thoughts and Findings … X100F & GRII

4 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ya know that it’s not easy to work the same region all the time and find your photos in there and to do so consistently. This is something we all do everyday and not pay attention to it. What, you don’t think so, ok. Look we have the central processor in our head called the brain. That brain person stores the data from our past experiences and put’s it into some part called memories etc. The etc is called etc because the brain sorts things out and files things in different categories. When you pickup your camera, the signal goes to the brain and it starts to tell the heart and eyes to go to work. The heart pumps caffeine thru the system, it’s a network of many different parts of the body to complicated for mortal shooters to understand. So shooters don’t care how things work, just that they do.

I was about 10yo and my mom was in her bedroom. I went in to see her and she was kinda upset. See, she had great legs. No, not me that felt that but she told me that my dad loved great legs and he loved hers. He dies when i was about 6yo. Anyway mom showed me her veins on the back of her legs and she was upset. She had varicose veins and was really sad. Mom always told me things about my dad, I guess because I was the oldest and understood more.  Years later I was showing photos to Jeff K and he said I had a thing for legs, all legs. I never paid much attention to the road map of my work but he did and made me aware of it also. Jeff showed me some of his photos and I was really like in awe of some of them. He had one he made at the Museum of Michael Hoffman taking care of the elderly Paul Strand. It looked like Michael was caring for his father. I was touched and Jeff told me he felt the same way and then he spurted out …”Gambe’ Game”. He looked at me and smiled. He said, that’s the thing you do with legs. So the title of my leg photos was borne and I still use it today and will never change it. I have a trigger for legs, any ind shape, color whatever.

Thanks Jeff for recognizing my work and me. Mom, I miss you forever with a less then perfect heart that’s broken. Thank You.

Life passes us by quickly and we need to appreciate each and every breath. No, not ours but the ones we love and care for, we want and need them to continue breathing procedures.

Paul C was looking at my work back in the mid 70’s. We were very close then. Paul M was there also but he was not a close friend at all. He was my brother. Anyway, I had some prints of windows and mirrors etc and Paul C said, Don, you seek your self with your camera and these reflections are perfect. Hmm I thought, as Paul C looked at the photos I was too like I was looking at someone else’s work. I could detach back then but can’t now. I’m too old and too much in love both photography and life.

Paul M said , Don, your always reflecting yourself upon what your seeing. Hmm I thought. So a title for that part of my interest and work was born. “Reflecting Reflections.”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I don’t know why I make photos like this. I think but not sure that it’s a reminder that not everyone comes from a golden castle or lives on Capital hill. There people in our lives that move us and then there are people in our lives that make us move.

….don’t take this personal Don but….WAIT A MINUTE! What does that mean? How do I take it if not personal? We are talking about my life and my work. (this is one of the few times I have placed life before my work). If I don’t work personally for me, then whom should I work for? Who are you working for and why? It’s not my business but if you look at my stuff, I’ll look at yours.

We all have taste buds that are sensitive to different things. The buds trigger what we like and respond to and what we don’t. What’s important is to recognize what your buds are tasting and to decide if you respond favorably or unfavorably. The important thing is to be faithful to your own buds and always let your internal systems, named…Eye, Heart and Mind do the work, then pick up your camera and work, or go process what you did. If you feel the photos is a reflection of you, good, if it feels that your reflecting you upon the photo, good just recognize the difference.

I have a set of taste buds that crave breakfast and my eye, heart and mind is projecting these thoughts and feelings upon my wife, Tanya to see what she conjures up.

Be blessed all and pray that we can find peace with each other……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..