Tag Archives: Streetshooter

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

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 26 … Street … Finding Direction … Fuji X100s

October 21, 2015 streetshooter 9 Comments

Did you ever notice that if you look at a map, you have your starting point and your ending point? Yes, shooter how you gonna screw this up? Good question and I’m a gonna tell ya right now. The points in between the start and finish are the most important points. They are the anchor points and they give us a fixed idea of what the journey is about. We all start the journey of life different, but we all end up the same. The beauty is not in the destination but in the journey itself. That means to be in the here and now.

Points along the way

So we know that the map of our photography has a start point and hopefully a destination and that we reach that destination in good health. But if the journey is more important than the destination, what about the journey? Well, I see it like this. During our travels thru a life with photography, certain milestones or markers make themselves evident. These are points of inspiration or interest that we are drawn to. We see these being borne in our photos.

Here’re a few points that I have in my photography.

Icons, Shadows, Reflecting, Walk/Drive by Shootings, Light/Shadows, Dreamcatcher, Public Transportation, Human Condition, Isolation, Juxtaposition. Now of course any and all are sometimes working together. The point is, I have a set of guidelines that help me work. You could call these series. I certainly have spent my life so far tinkering with all of these. Why is this important and most important to recognize?

Well, we have enough bullshit distractions going on that we need a lifeline to hold us into the light. You can do as you damn well please but I’d bet there isn’t one photographer from all of time and won’t be for all of time that doesn’t do this. The issue is to be aware of the fact that you are doing it. This doesn’t guarantee you anything but peace of mind especially when you are lost with what you’re doing. We all get lost, tired of the same stuff, bored…but WHALLA!

If you take thetime to discover what you are doing naturally without realizing you are doing it and make an effort to discover the points in your photographic journey, you will never be bored again. You have a system of working. Looks, it ain’t playtime out there. If you are a camera player and that’s what you do, leave my blog and never come back. The serious readers and shooters here have no time for that shit. They are busy getting shit from me but at least, I have an idea of what I’m talking about.

So, next time you have some time, go into your catalog and especially the processed and published photos. Then look for similar thoughts, feelings whatever. Group them together. Be a hard ass with yourself. This is your life! Respect it, honor it and get it together. Then when the galleries and museums start to call and want an exhibition from you, your organized and dammit…….

grab your camera, open your eyes, smell the exhaust, get your butt out there, your a Street Shooter, is there anything better………..

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

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 23 … Street … The Awakening

October 8, 2015 streetshooter 28 Comments

The weather is changing and so is the light. Here in Philly, it changes 4 times a year but I hear that this is not common for all the world. C’mon, youse weather changing peoples know I can’t travel all around to check to see if this is a fact. Not only does the light change but emotionally everything changes too. I get into this groove where I feel and see humanity being gobbled up by the environment. They seem kinda lost in time and space and not even being concerned about it. Maybe that’s what bothers me the most. The way we are indoctrinated into a society that is more about the political and corporate machine then about human beings.

There aren’t many smiling faces anymore. People wear their disbelief and disgust right on their face. This rubs off to others and more and more. It’s a virus of discontent and complacency that threatens our very life force and survival.

All this brings a weight on the soul that has a cost we can not pay, we are helpless in the life that was appointed to us. What does this have to do with photography? Well, for me it’s what I see and feel and think about. I’m sure others do too and you can see it in their work. I know there are many that teach that photographs tell a story. I believe that and I think the story is not of the subject, nooo, the subject is telling the story about us. Our photos are our self portraits. Ok, to be fair, not one single photo could be a self portrait but…. looking at your work, that is the portrait of you.

I used to think I was lost in my work. I guess the reason was acceptance. Yeah, o shit. I wanted all my stuff to be accepted by others. Then I had a revelation that it don’t mean nothing really, what will matter and always will matter is my acceptance of myself and my work. Now, all these years later, I still feel the same but the difference is, I am almost at the point that I accept my work and see the beauty in the intent of it. I still don’t and never will accept myself and I feel bad about that but it’s not got a chance of changing.

Have a blessed journey my friends………..

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

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 17 … Fuji X100s … Ideal Street Camera

September 5, 2015 streetshooter 11 Comments

It’s hot on the camera shelf and Andre’ the Fuji X100s was beside himself. Andre’ called to me, oh yes, yes, he called to me and it wasn’t a pretty picture either. He said, Yo’ shooter. if you don’t get me outside and working, I’m gonna have a breakdown and my firmware is gonna go kaput, my lens is going to go off center…etc. Well, I’m not one to argue with a camera that threatens me and with the expensive self-inflicted repairs either. So……I did as I was told and took Andre’ out for a walk, actually more of a hike then a walk.

The temperature is like 93F and humid. Andre’ is dangling around my nech cause it’s too damn hot to have him on a wrist strap. Besides, I can just wrap the neck strap around my wrist and that’s that. So lately I’m tuned into “Icons” and they seem to be haunting me a lot. I’m walking under an overpass and I’m looking at this wall. Seem to me that there are nice tones in there and it’s kinda emotional and looks like a state of depression all over the wall. I raise Andre’ to see what it looks like in a frame and then I feel someone walking behind me… I frame and then all the sudden this woman walks right into my frame and……CLICK!

Well, here in Philadelphia there is a long going debate as to the race of Jesus. See, Philadelphians are the brothers and sisters of love and all that good stuff. They just wanna know and see who they be loving. I’ve seen this vehicle a few times around the city but couldn’t see a photo of it. Then I see it today and I know that I need someone in the left side cause that’s what I feel. On the Fuji X100s I use the AEL/AFL to just do AFL, Focus Lock. Yeah, yeah, youse all know that and do that too. I lock focus and use the screen to frame. Then all the sudden this guy walks not just exactly when I want him to be but he looks ate Jesus and ….CLICK.

He didn’t know I made the photo. See, I have my Shooter’s invisible streetshooter cloaking device on and no one can see me. Then a man behind me says to me, yo, that ain’t no Jesus I ever saw. Hmmm, I thought. He says, Jesus was white and we all know that right? I said, well, I think that THE LORD doesn’t need to be any color and neither does JESUS. He says your crazy man, JESUS is white and don’t like no…I never used the words to describe race that he did. I said, what if your wrong? He says you are fucking crazy and don’t believe that JESUS is American. I said, yo dude, see the POPE coming here in a few weeks? He says yeah, so whad da fugg about it?

Some people are about as sensitive to life as the bricks we walk on every day. Nuff said……

I’m uhhhhh, hmmmm,… ummm, kinda a CNN freak. No I don’t watch TV that much but when I do it’s usually CNN or BBC. What does happen is that the news pollutes my mind and vision I suppose. Ya know, it’s just a crazy thought but I just might be and I’m not sure but I think I am and could be almost maybe…. effected by the world and life. This phenomenon could actually be a daily occurrence. I know it’s hard to believe but there have been good shrinks in me poor brain and head and they kinda see what I see except for the empty space in me head.

The empty spaces in me poor brain are for temporary shit. I took Andre’ the Fuji X100s out for a photo walk and the photo up top is an example of how Anderson’s shit makes it into my photos. So I wonder how the world effects what I make photos of. Back in the early 1970’s my best friend and brother Paul, made a statement that I’d share with you.

He said, “Most people look at the World through Rose colored glasses, I look at a Rose through World colored glasses”. I never forgot those words or the meaning they invoke in me. I know this statement applies to me and to all without actually realizing it but I think that before I die, I’d like just one time, one itty bitty time to see the world through Rose colored glasses. I don’t even need a camera cause the experience would be to precious to capture.

Be blessed on your journey my friends and good light to all……

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 14

August 26, 2015 streetshooter 4 Comments

Ok, laffing is not polite and supportive to anyone except the patients in the Loony Bin. Well let me start by saying I have more camera bags in every imaginable configuration as every invented. I’m serious. Ok which one of you admits to NOT having the Perfect camera bag for every occasion syndrome. Damn right no one. So I decide that I wanna have Andre’ the Fuji X100s and Walker the Olympus Pen 5 together and have them in a bag. Now of course this is an impossibility because one of the 2 will be working and either in my hand or around my neck. The other one will be resting and absorbing the input from the street ready to process it into me poor brain.

So, I ask you, does this mean I need a small bag for one camera because I would never have both in the bag at the same time UNLESS! AHAA! unless I carried a 3rd camera. See, it’s confusing and leads to camera bag acquisition syndrome. Luckily I have enough in the closet that I shop in there and usually find what I need. Ya know, I saw this sexi azz bag on eBay….nah… forget, da wifey is home.

Market Street is a source of life for me. I used to be inspired just walking and looking around. Id make photos at anyplace I saw fit and usually be happy. I used to look at ppl sitting against a wall, standing on a corner, leaning against a fireplug, everything and was always nice to see them. For years I would see guys on the short wall at Burlington Coat Store.

Ya know I used to think, what are these people doing here all the time. Many familiar faces at the same places. I mean it was amazing, year after year I’d see these people. The other day I saw a few guys dealing their stuff and walked by and I recognized them. The been there for years. One tall guy looked at me and said, “What’s up shooter, peace brother.” Then I got to 12th street and a guy in a wheel chair said to me….”hey shooter, ya got that buck you said you’d have for me next time?” I walked over and handed him the buck.

I had a realization that hit hard to me. I realized that I am as much a part of the scene as they are. I mean they see me almost every day making photos and I’m just shooter making photos like they are Dennis dealing his stuff. Amazing realization to me.

It was maybe 30 years ago and I met a guy named Jeff. He was connected at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He talked about photographs like I hadn’t heard since Ding McNulty. He had photos of Paul Strand and of Michael Hoffman cleaning Strands feet. He had photos of many famous shooters and I new some but most were from the turn of the century. He asked to see my work and I was excited because he knew what was going on. I never went to school and anytime I got some help I felt that was my education.

….anyway, I brought down many prints and he told me he was surprised because I had a real presentation. So we chatted and he asked me if I trusted him. Dude, Paul Strand trusted you man, fucking A diddly I trust you. (Sorry Tina) So then he took my matted prints that were so perfectly presented and so precious and tore the prints from the matt. (breathing heavy, panting, holding myself back from a place I never want to be again)

Jeff says… Don, you need to focus on this… hands me a print and not this hands me a matt. I said immediately, why can’t I focus on both? Because no one can, it’s impossible. He told me to leave and if I wanted to come back for a session again to call him. I asked him when do we meet again? Tomorrow 6:00pm for dinner, your buying. Ok man, see ya then. he hands me the 30 matts and keeps the prints.

The thing about ART is… Art is the Human. The fact that you created ssomething like photos gives them value maybe just to you but that’s the value that’s most important. The heart and soul live in your work. If others adopt a love of your images, that doesn’t change the value of you and your work, it just adds to the intrinsic value associated to you and your work. The basic core of love and acceptance is and should always be yourself. If this sounds like egotistical so what, fuckit… it’s your stuff and you better love it.

I will tell ya about Jeff and the Gambe’ Game my next post.

Till then…. don’t forget an extra battery and to always format your card… of course get the photos off it first……

Be blessed my friends……………………………………………………………………..

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

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 13 “Hit The Road Jack… and “

August 17, 2015 streetshooter 4 Comments

OMG Shooter, get off it dude, ya been whining for long enough. Get yer ass back to work and stop this simple shit. Ok, ok, cut me a break aight. That’s how Walker the Pen 5 treats me. No time to slow down and no pity. So, the shooter bluez are “Hit the road Jack and don’t ya come back no more, no more”. Hey youse all know I name my cameras and have conversations with them so when I get the bluez, they are called Jack, what else?

So I am rediscovering the 50mm FOV. I had a desire to work with it as my primary lens at the turn of the century. Well, it only took 15 years and I am trying hard to adapt to the 50. Youse can think I’m crazy as a loon but I don’t really care. I know that adapting to another FOV can happen 2 ways. The first is to just use it and have fun, nah, not me, I ain’t looking for fun, I’m working, it’s my life’s work ya know. I like to have the FOV become my natural FOV. Right now and for decades it’s been 35mm.

Here’s what this means. You walking and see something that you want to make into a photo. You look and raise the camera and at this precise moment, you will make or break your image. If you raise the camera and see the frame is way off, if you think you can just zoom by feet you are wrong. Many teachers say to just move in or out but this is wrong. What attracted you to the frame is the subject and the perspective. If you move when you get to the frame, you change perspective. That is controlled by CAMERA POSITION. So ideally, when the camera is at the ready, your framing is very close to what you visualize in the image is what you get.

I was on Market Street and I saw this family walking hand in hand. I thought it so beautiful to see this connection in the city where there is very little connection. Maybe I made the photo because I loved seeing hat connection and maybe it woke me up and I realize that it is my issues out there, I lost the connection. Simple huh, bullshit. I now know what I lost and now I seek to find it again even if it takes a new form.

So shooter is out there again and going strong.

Be blessed my friends…………………….end transmission……………………………………………

Black & White, Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Street, Street Photography

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 12 “On The Turning Away”

August 13, 2015 streetshooter 20 Comments

It is that every now and then I feel detached from my work, well, maybe from life itself. See, if I get detached from life, I always had my work to keep me in touch with things. Kinda like a life line. The scary thing for me is not being detached from life but when I start to detach from my work. It’s my thread to existence. It’s what I do in reality and it’s for life. So if I let myself detach, poof!

So in these times of the image wasteland I struggle to even find meaning in what I’m doing. I guess I push myself to the street and endeavor to persevere my journey. I walk around in a general feeling of apathy and I lose interest quickly. …and during all this self generated pity and lackadaisical attitude, I still go work. I still push myself to seek my next image. Am I a hero, fuck no I’m just an aware shooter that knows in time, things may pass.

When I was young I knew things would pass but now as a seasoned human, I don’t take the passing for granted anymore. I want it to pass but now know only I can make it do so. That or a great camera store… nah, I got all I need.

So maybe it’s nothing that will pass by itself this image wasteland I am traveling thru. Maybe it’s the Turning Away that is happening. The problem is to recognize where the Turning Away is happening.

Maybe it’s me doing the turning away from my work and efforts and just maybe I am complacent with my region I choose to work, or maybe it’s the vision of the lens, or maybe emotionally I am drained and weak and not up to the task, or maybe a million other things I may be Turning Away from.

What if it wasn’t totally me at all? I mean life is not just a 2 way street, it’s also a shared street. So what if I am punishing myself because I feel I am at fault completely but, maybe, just maybe life is playing a role in this dance thru the image wasteland with me. What if life is smarter then me, imagine that, and trying to mentor me to take things to the next level and because it’s the next level, I have no conscious awareness of it because I ain’t there yet so maybe that’s why I feel lost cause I am actually lost cause I am entering a new region unaware to me.

Well. I’m gonna take Walker the Olympus Pen-5 out again with the trusty 25mm 1.8. This is not my preferred focal length but in these times of uncertainty, I need to unload as many preconceptions as I can. ufff not easy.

I’ll be back in a day or so and I would appreciate some comments to share… thanks all…..

shooter and his mind…out……………………………………………………………………………

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Street

Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 4

June 16, 2015 streetshooter 4 Comments

Andre’ the Fuji X100s has been a loyal friend for over a year. So again today we went out together. I know many think that it’s all about the photographer and a good photographer can make a great photo with any camera.I agree with that totally but I choose my camera carefully and test it carefully and some, not all get a name. I don’t want to go thru life with just having tools and things that don’t get named. I want to love the experience of living and love making photos with a camera I’m in love with. I want to love seeing and relishing the gift of sight. I want to love making photos so much that without doing that, it’s not happening for me. I’d be dead inside and lot long after, outside.

So Andre’ is in his favorite place, my hand. He’s comfortable there and I won’t think about putting him somewheres else. there’s many people walking around, it’s 93F and lots of exhaust from the vehicles. Then I see this black truck thing and this guy that’s like 1500lbs and 20′ tall. His hands are like baseball mitts. He’s got like size 50 sneakers on and the sweat is dripping off him like a river. I mean the street is getting soaked. I see the windows open as he walks away. The ground shakes with every footstep he takes. Buildings shake in fear of collapsing. But Andre has no fear. (See if you name your camera and then get caught making a photo and someone don’t like it, just tell them that Andre’ did it, not me). If that works, please let me know.

Well, the windows are open and being the smart street shooter that people think I am, I know there’s some one in the truck cause in Philly if you walk away from your truck with the windows open, well, you need to take the bus home cause even if your a 1500lb giant, they get your shit. Just then, well a bit before then but just then, this woman sticks her head out and looks dead at me. I lower the camera because I want to see and not be seen. So she looks away from me and is looking for her 1500lb giant son and then she just doesn’t see me and CLICK!

I’m walking on Market heading East, that’s the opposite of West. This young girl walks past me and says, “Thank You Sir”. See, I wearing a POW/MIA tee shirt, like I would wear anything else for the last 30 years. I said thank You Hun and as she passed me, cause shes young and not a shooter so she gets to walk faster and not see anything just look for things that may hurt her cause she’s a pretty girl and believe it, there’s ppl and things that want to hurt young girls but if I saw it happen, well I’d be in court for fucking someone up.

Then I see her back with the Tat on it and I scurry to make a photo. She turns and says, it’s my brother. He died in the war. So now I don’t care if anyone likes this photo or not, it’s important to remember those that have fallen and that are STILL MISSING so that we can be free to live our lives.

For the kitten, he’s a hero but for him, he’s a waste. That’s how society treats people that get in financial trouble. It’s not always drugs, many times it’d because the Banks take everything from you and your still in debt for 2045 more years. I wonder what the schedule is for the Presidential Candidates to come and speak with the homeless. The they homeless won’t have to worry because the lying bastards won’t waste their money or time.

Oh, I’m sorry, did I get off track?

Yes, I remember ……………

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Philosophy of Street, Street

Street … More Thoughts … More Findings

May 25, 2015 streetshooter 8 Comments

It was hot as hell. I don’t really know that it’s hot as hell cause I hear tell it’s really hot there and I have no desire to find out anyway. So let’s just agree that it’s bloody hot. I’m walking my bloody hot zombie walk and I can’t be satisfied cause I don’t drink beer anymore. The problem is that I drink a lot of water. Yup, that H2O wet stuff. When I’m working the streets, I have a mental map of where restrooms are so I can take a leak. See, water goes thru me quickly. So I try to just drink enough to stay alive and refresh when I get home.

I was getting tired and decided that I had enough for the day. I think I did like 27 frames in a 3 hour period.

So I started to walk to the Elevated entrance at 11th street. As I get close to the stairway, there’s a young woman looking at me like she’s seeing Death. I looked back at her and I felt the same vibe as she did. Now I don’t really know what she was feeling but I felt it anyways. She never took her eyes off me, not for a second. I wasn’t like a sexual feeling, I know that all to well. It was more a lonely feeling and for a brief moment we shared that loneliness together. I made the turn to go down the steps and readied Walker the Nikon Coolpix A and as I started down the steps, I froze and looked her right in the face. Our eyes met as if we knew we would never see each other again and that made us both sad. I raised the camera and as our eyes locked, Walker mad the photo.

I started to descend down the stairs and still her eyes locked upon me. I looked at her and as I was now going out of sight, I saw her bend over and continue to look at me till we both disappeared in the darkness of Humanity. I got on the train and sat back in a seat with a young black girl next to me doing magic on an Android. It amazes me that these things can even happen on a phone. She looked at me and smiled. I started to check out the photos from the walk and as I did, I notice the girl stopped playing Android and started to look at the screen on my camera. When I got to the last frame, the one above the girl said to me, that’s awesome mister.

seeya tomorrow…………………………………………be safe out there but shit, be yourself……………………………….

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

Street … The Inverse Square Law

May 20, 2015 streetshooter 10 Comments

I been out there and shooting a lot of photos, well a lot for me at any rate. I think if I make 25 frames on a walk-a-bout, that’s a lot. I hear tell from others that 25 is a smoke break. To each his/her own, right. The thing for me is to really be aware or to be in the here and now and aware of being there. Armed with the tools of the trade, Eye, Heart and Mind and the Intent might get realized.

Well, I been in and out of City Hall making photos for over 45 years. I used to go on top of Uncle Willie’s hat but that was a long time ago. More recently I got first hand tours of closed off offices from Edmund Bacon. He loved City Hall and instilled that love into me. In fact he planted the ideas and concepts of Architecture and City Planning in me as we walked on our tours of the city in search of photos I could make that reflected his thoughts for our unpublished book.

I had Walker the Nikon Coolpix A with me and we were snapping photos as we found them and then we decided to walk thru the passageway under neath the building. Now I walked thru here more times then I can remember and I’m not counting. The light under here has captured scores of shooters and many photos have been made here.

George Krause, Ray Metzker and many others have made photos that I have been captivated by. Any way,I have decided to apply the inverse square law and live by it again. That means shooting less and getting more satisfaction from the work. It’s not that I shoot alot, I mean almost everyday but not alot of frames. I’m looking for that one shot that turns me on.

The one above in one of thos photos.

seeya tomorrow……………………………………………………..shooter out…………………………………………………..

Color, Philosophy of Street, Street, Streetshooter

Nikon Coolpix A … The Streets of Philly

May 19, 2015 streetshooter 8 Comments

There comes a time for me when I need freedom. It’s not the camera that gives me the need for freedom, it’s the freedom to be able to change to a different camera. I’m working with the Oly Pen EP-5 and the Fuji X100s. So it was a day to take out Walker the Nikon Coolpix A.

So beings a screen camera Walker lends himself to working the streets really fine. I don’t feel different aesthetically or emotionally with the Coolpix but yet I know there’s something going on whenever I change cameras. I don’t now what it it is but it’s something I tell ya.

I can’t write because it’s election day and there’s not one politician in office or that wants to be that will address the POW/MIA issue and fuck if I’ll vote for anyone that doesn’t support the issue.

seeya’s later………..

Street Photography Chronicles by Don Springer