Long exposure and light trails

Try capturing light trails by shooting long exposure in low light conditions.
If, like me, you don’t have a tripod you can open a larger aperture (at about f/2).
This will allow you to adjust the shutter speed to something more reasonable, at around 5 seconds.

Photographing the empty streets

When I first arrived to Cleveland I thought I will never find anything to photograph there; it was a hot hot day at the end of Spring and the streets were empty, I mean, no people, no cars, stores are closed and no place to buy a good meal.
It felt like being inside the History Channel’s Life after People documentary.
But as it turned out a city that is on the verge of death, is a sad destination for the average tourist but quite an impressive place for a photographer.
Downtown Cleveland Ohio (Spring 2011) Camera: Minolta SRT Film: Kodak Tri-x

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Cross-processing

Back in 2006 I was determined to cross-process as many different type of slide film as I could lay my hands on in order to find out the different effects each one of them produces.
I think I ended up shooting and cross-processing about 9 or 10 different slide films.
And yes, I did find out each one of them is distinctively unique.
When I visited NY that year I took a bunch of transparencies along with me, but I think this one, Kodak Elite Chrome 200, was one of my favorites as it produces not only the usual grain but also has more of a warm tone to it rather than the usual greenish cast.

 ”

The Empire State Building, NYC Camera: Nikon N75 Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Technique: Cross Processed

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My first classic camera was a 1952 Kodak Brownie.

I found it in a garage sale in Los Angeles and even though I wasn’t sure it was working I took it home ($8), loaded it with black & white 120 film ($2.49), and took it out to the streets.
The images turned out beautiful, soft and dreamy ($ priceless).
The Brownie was a definite keeper and the beginning of a beautiful relationship with (many) other classic cameras.

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International Street Photography Award 2012

 

Posted by Brett Jefferson Stott

THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
International Awards 2012

The International Street Photography Award is looking for exceptional international photographers that display a unique style and depth of work in the genre of street photography. The genre crosses over into portraiture, documentary and art photography.
See the 2011 winners

 

What is street photography?
The London Street Photography Festival defines Street Photography as:
“Candid photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings.”

PRIZES & CATEGORIES
The international winner will receive £2,000 cash PLUS a solo exhibition in London PLUS an all-expenses paid trip to the exhibition launch and awards ceremony in London in June 2012 – total value £10,000.
Selected finalists will be exhibited and one image from each entrant will be showcased in a digital display in the same gallery.
The first 500 applicants will be automatically entered into a draw to win some fabulous prizes including: a signed print from one of the 2011 exhibitions, an Olympus PEN camera, £100 Blurb voucher, a Crumpler Muffin Top camera bag, photo-books by Magnum and Thames & Hudson. Categories include an overall winner, a runner up, and 10 finalists.

ENTRY FEE
£30.00
• Participants from certain countries receive a 50% discount on the entrance fee.
• You can submit between 5 and 8 images within the fee.
• One image from ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS will be displayed on a large screen during the Awards exhibition and profiled (optional) on the LSPF website.
• ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS who enter will receive a £28.95 voucher to print their own book with Blurb, which expires on 31 March 2012.
• FEEDBACK: For an additional £15, LSPF can provide written feedback by an Award judge on your submissions. Choose the “Written Feedback” drop down when you submit your images to the Awards.

REGISTER ONLINE

APPLICATION DEADLINE
05 January 2012

Hollywood nights

 

 

Since the Holga doesn’t have a light meter or a real shutter speed and F stop settings, you might find yourself at the mercy of your film’s speed if you are shooting at night.
The Holga 120FN version has a super advanced feature: it is called the B exposure. But before you jump for joy you might want to know the way it really works is that you need to press the shutter release button for as long as you want your exposure to last. ouch!
Unless you have the shutter release cable it will be impossible to keep steady for long enough to prevent that horrible camera shake (the ugly cousin of the attractive motion blur). This is where your choice of film can help.
If you don’t mind long exposures, go for the 400ASA film and expose your film in the average lit area for about 30-40 seconds!
800ASA will allow you to cut down your exposure time to a good 10-15 seconds.
But at last you will see the light when you use 3200ASA, which tolerates an exposure of somewhere between 1-3 seconds.
And the results are not bad at all!

Photographing on the move

is easier if you don’t have any bulky equipment. Street photos are often formed on the move. Consequently, there will be no time to address the usual photographic practices and very often even focusing can become an extravagance.
Street life has its own pace.
Therefore it will make a lot of sense to record street life by using what’s out there rather than sitting around patiently waiting for the right circumstances.
Adjusting to the energy of the street often means fast thinking and quick reaction. Fiddling with the camera or other equipment you carry will result in the disappearance of that Kodak moment.
As it is, the best results in street photography are often achieved owing to the photographer’s eager, insightful eye but seldom to the highly sophisticated equipment.

 

 

You can find this article and many other photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography
eBook edition Price: $10
Kindle edition Price: $10
Print edition Price: $35 (Now on sale for $27.00)
Black & White print edition Price: $20

Go fix this photo

In a perfect world every picture we take would have been framed, exposed and focused just right and without any flaw. But in reality some (if not most) pictures need a bit (if not a lot) of post-processing improvement work.
One of the more common fixes I often have to execute is cropping my images. I guess it is an obvious issue in street photography when quite often there’s no time to control all variables.
This is an example of an image I chose to crop as well as convert the original color to black & white which is often just a matter of taste.
And in case you were wondering, there are of course many ways to convert color images to black & white, but I usually choose to do it during scanning, meaning I scan the color negatives under black & white settings.

 

[Photo taken on Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles. Camera: Holga 120N. Film: Fuji Pro 400]

 

Wall art series

 

Here is another way to present your lovely photos. You can select pictures in a series or pictures that somehow relate to each other, or even photos that just look nice together.
Here is what you need:
Any size wood panels (you can get them in any arts and crafts store)
Photos printed with inkjet, laser printer or toner base photocopies
Mod Podge
Acrylic paint

1. If necessary sand and prepare the surface of the wood panel.
2. Using acrylic paints, paint the panel with the color of your choice. Alternatively you can replace the painting part with wood staining or even adhering designer paper to cover the surface.
3. Carefully measure and mark the area where you want your photo to go.
4. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the wood surface, paste your photo and make sure to smooth out any air bubbles from underneath your photo. By the way, instead of pasting the photo onto the panel you can alternatively transfer your image onto the surface.
5. Brush a layer of Mod Podge over your photos to finish and protect them.
6. That’s it really. Now you can hang these wood panel beauties on your wall or display them on a shelf.

 

You can find lots more photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography
eBook edition Price: $10
Kindle edition Price: $10
Print edition Price: $35 (Now on sale for $25.20)
Black & White print edition Price: $20

Unplanned photos

I hardly ever know what pictures I’m going to take ahead of time. I grab my camera on my way out the door with much excitement and some curiosity about the images I’m going to come across that day (although the hunting feeling that I’ll never make another great image in my life is always there)
Of course there are some photographers who prefer to stage their photos and there is nothing wrong with that, but in Street Photography, there’s no need for that, especially if you’re eager to capture the energy of the streets (or maybe too lazy for big productions). Just take advantage of what’s already out there. All you really need is to keep an open eye (Ok, an open mind as well won’t hurt).
And though I often try to avoid photographing kids in public, I just couldn’t help it this time.

Don’t buy expensive cheap cameras!

[Holga 135BC ]

If you really like the images produced by the Lomo L-CA but can’t afford it, I know just the camera for you. It is a 35mm version of the Holga called Holga 135BC, where BC stands for black corners. Basically it’s a smaller
Holga that is adapted to take 35mm film and includes the Holga’s signature dark vignetting.
This plastic camera is sold for $42 at Freestyle.
It is ridiculously light and very easy to shoot on the go, two characteristics that are an apparent benefit in Street Photography.
The Holga 135BC produces interesting photos, and in fact they look a lot like the photos produced by the Lomographic Lomo L-CA except with a much lower price, which brings me to the question: if both of these plastic cameras produce similar results why pay the Lomographic Society $250 or more for another piece of plastic? It doesn’t make sense, right?
In fact, I think that even $42 is a little too expensive for a toy camera.

International Street Photography Award

Posted by LondonStreetPhotoFestival

Hi all, I am Director of the London Street Photography Festival and wanted to tell you about our very new and exciting Street Photography Awards.

The International Street Photography Award is looking for the world’s best street photographer as part of the first annual London Street Photography Festival in 2011.

Open to photographers (and photographs) from anywhere in the world.

THE INTERNATIONAL WINNER RECEIVES:
• £1,000 cash
• All-expenses-paid trip to the exhibition launch in London to the value of £1,500
• An Olympus PEN camera (worth over £500)
• Open Award catalogues and £100 book voucher from Blurb to print their own books

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Submit five to eight of your best street photography images from anywhere in the world.

The London Street Photography Festival defines Street Photography as:
“candid, un-staged photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings.”
Street photography is perhaps more easily defined as a method than a genre. The results can fit into documentary, portraiture and other genres, but the key elements of spontaneity, careful observation and an open mind ready to capture whatever appears in the viewfinder are essential.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 31 March 2011
ENTRY FEE: £30.00
SELECTED ENTRIES submitted will be projected during the Awards exhibition and profiled on the LSPF website.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS who enter will receive a £28.95 voucher (free!) to print your own book with Blurb.

Go to: London Street Photo Festival

Posted by LondonStreetPhotoFestival

How to handle criticism

Yesterday I read an interesting article in a photo magazine talking about criticism and how to handle it. It was a nicely written article and as I was reading it I realized that, maybe unlike most photographers, I really didn’t have to deal with criticism.
Its not to say that I didn’t get any negative criticism but it was not my work that was ever criticized it was my ideas about non.photography that irritated a few people and even sparked some anger in a couple of beautiful souls.
True, some people don’t feel comfortable straying away from the herd, but I think they dislike it even more when someone else does. However, I often find that this type of criticism actually fuels me, helps me stick to my ideas and it even drives some of my ideas further into the extreme.
Come to think of it, I do have one short criticism-of-my-work story to share with you.
It happened in 1997 when after a few years of living in Los Angeles I decided to put together a website (www.streetsoflosangeles.com) to share my view of this city through pictures I took while bike riding. It was a website about the city, not the photography, and the photos where just there to help me share my view.
It was all nice and mostly fun until I received an email message from a photography professor. He absolutely hated my pictures and claimed I had no idea what I was doing. This was absolutely true. But as it always happens in my life, disapproval pushes me in the exact opposite direction, into the realm of “I’ll show them!”
Obviously I knew he was right, and that I was not a photographer, but that doesn’t mean I cannot take great pictures, right?
So instead of having a normal and sane reaction to his criticism, you know, just telling him I’m not trying to be a photographer and then moving on with my life, I essentially began developing my non.photography approach and never quite looked back.
Imagine what a great loss to the world of photography it would have been
had I indeed listened to him

I know, most articles, books and “professionals” will tell you, you should listen to criticism and try to learn from it. They will also tell you that constructive criticism improves your photography.
I’ll tell you what, the only thing that will improve your photography is YOU and YOU doing your thing just the way it feels right to YOU .
That’s it.
Negative analysis of your work, or what is sometimes politely referred to as “constructive criticism”, should be avoided if not ignored.
Yes, there are types of advice that might do you good, but this kind of advice you will only get from your friends and perhaps a couple of strangers who really appreciate and care about your work.
These are the people who will give you true constructive criticism and you can definitely listen to them.
But other than that, criticism should be ignored as it will only divert you from the true nature of your artistic SELF expression.
(Btw, the above mentioned professor who criticized my photos; After a period of great debates he said that in fact he only wrote to me because he thought I showed “a remarkable potential” to grow and become a great photographer. )
You go girl!

Legs on Melrose

I took this picture on Kodak Plus-x 125. It’s actually the first time I shot this film simply because usually I prefer to shoot 400ASA.
Six minutes in the developer at 68 degrees. Not too bad. It has a nice sharp quality and fine grain.
Legs on Melrose: back to the streets!

Photographing people in street photography

Photographing strangers is one of the most challenging aspects of street photography.
Most frequently street photographers aim for candid shots; pictures taken without the subject’s knowledge, and quite often they are presented with a difficult decision whether to ask for permission, to secretly photograph people or maybe find some compromise between the two.
Most photographers will develop some method or another to deal with this challenge in a way that works best for them.
1) Some photographers choose to secretly photograph people; Walker Evans employed this method while photographing people in New York City in the 1930’s and 40’s hiding his camera under his coat and capturing his subjects through a buttonhole. After talking to many street photographers through emails and blogs, I find that many of them often choose to photograph people using this approach and though I’m not a fan of this method, I recognize why many photographers will choose to be unseen as it gives them a truly candid and authentic looking photos.
They will typically take pictures using automatic compact cameras or even telephoto lenses so they can photograph their subjects from a “safe distance”.
2) Other street photographers believe that sneaking on people is morally wrong and therefore should be avoided. They rather ask for permission before taking pictures of strangers, arguing that even if not candid, engaging with the subject will always yield better results. And sure enough this method works just fine sometimes and I agree it can actually be rather fun, not to say interesting, to meet and learn something about the people you are photographing. However this technique is certainly not always practical and speaking for myself, I’m not always in such a frame of mind to stop and chat with everybody I photograph.
3) Finally there are those street photographers who simply opt for the “fast shooter” method which consists of making quick snaps without attempting to hide or be unseen. This method can produce candid photos however eliminate the creepy factor. I know it because this is how I shoot for many years now. People simply don’t get offended or annoyed just because you picked up your camera and took a picture.
You are in public and taking pictures in public is legitimate and most people get it. But people get awfully suspicious and even angry if they notice you sneaking up on them like you’re doing something wrong. As a “rule” I avoid photographing people who don’t want to be photographed. It’s their right and I respect it. Now, if I was secretly photographing them I would have taken that right away from them. Though I have to mention that at times I take pictures of someone, who, for various reasons, just doesn’t notice me, but as I don’t take compromising, offensive or questionable pictures to begin with, the risk of ever upsetting anybody is quite minimal.
If you really think about it you will recognize this method of capturing street photos makes a lot of sense because it demands that you adjust to the energy of the streets; quickly recognize your potential scene and grab it.
With some practice you’ll be able to make your picture just as you imagined it and before the scene changes forever. You’d be surprised how positive people’s reaction can be in the face of your confidence and candor.
And it won’t hurt employing your cute smile as well

            

Best camera for street photography

[I hope you will choose to participate in voting for your camera of choice.
The results of this poll are going to be considered and published in my next book.]

I imagine some photographers will find it difficult to pick their favorite camera for street photography but whatever it might be, the selection will be especially diverse.
Common sense dictates that the camera is compact, light, quiet and fast, though I’m sure this is not always the case. Most photographers will probably select the camera based on the desired appearance and quality of the final images. And besides, photographers can be quite a fussy crowed and often become rather attached to their camera regardless of its adaptability to the streets.
Having some experience with street photography and shooting a variety of SLRs, rangefinders, box and toy cameras, I would have quite a difficult time choosing one favorite camera.

Generally speaking, I find SLR’s are especially demanding of my undivided attention and in addition they can be quite heavy cameras.
TLR & box cameras are often complicated to operate and just like toy cameras they can be fairly unreliable. In addition toy and box camera’s manual winding is a definite drawback if you want to keep up with the pace of the streets.
Rangefinders, though posses most of the ideal attributes, they sometimes turn out poorly focused images and sadly not everybody can appreciate this trait

As far as digital cameras go, I can only assume there is no wrong camera for street photography and that most digitals can get the job done and with rather decent results.
But what do I know?

You can find this article and many creative photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography – eBook edition is now on sale for $10.
Get it here

Taking pictures at night

People often think photographing at night is a difficult challenge.
Some photographers believe it is necessary to use a flash or carry around one of these tripods in order to come up with a picture that is not completely dark (or somewhere near it). But in fact, shooting in the dark, with the right attitude, can be easily done;

1) Camera settings: It is obviously very helpful to have a fast film in your camera or simply set your digital camera for night shooting. Most film and digital cameras have camera settings for night photography that can do the job.
The majority of classic and toy cameras have the B (bulb) exposure which allows long shutter exposure by letting the photographer keep the shutter open as long as the shutter release is held down.
2) Flash – do you even need it? : Besides its tendency to change the whole natural and interesting appeal of the nighttime, the flash is often limited to 4 feet or so, which makes it totally useless when making street photos.
3) Leave the tripod at home! : I find it difficult to understand why would anybody with a clear mind choose to be attached to one of these 3-legged thingamajigs, while there are so many objects out there which can be used as temporary resting places for the camera (like; mailboxes, cars, fences and even your loyal friend’s back!) for your long shutter shots.

So all you really need for a successful night shoot is to keep steady hands and hold your breath while pressing the shutter button (hopefully without passing out).

Dealing with people in street photography

I find there aren’t many books out there which handle the realistic side of street photography in great details and offer any form of useful information. Maybe that’s why I get plenty of emails asking me for such practical advice regarding street photography and quite often asking me about, you guessed it, photographing strangers.
One of my weaknesses in life is books, and especially old books, so sometimes when I come across an old photography book in a thrift store or a garage sale, I just have to have it, even though I’m quickly running out of shelf space.
Such a thrift store find is a photography book I got recently for a $1.50. It is a book published by Kodak in 1984 titled “Photographing the drama of daily life”.
It has some really fun street images and several useful ideas to go with these images.

Here are a few good suggestions from the chapter – Dealing with people:
“The most completely candid photographs are taken without the subject’s knowledge. …More often you will need some degree of cooperation from people to obtain a satisfying result. In most circumstances, a friendly manner and a smile will do the trick. If you look solemn, people may start to wonder just why you are photographing them whereas a smile can disarm their anxieties and help to put them at ease.
…Legally, you do not need to seek permission from people you want to photograph in public places if the pictures are for personal, editorial, or exhibition use rather than for a commercial purpose such as advertising (when written permission is required.)
However, judge the situation carefully, do not invade people’s privacy and be ready to diffuse things with charm and tact.”

A day in Philadelphia

We drove from Virginia into West Virginia, then through Maryland, along the Amish Country of Pennsylvania and into Philadelphia.
It was pretty cool to find myself in a big city after a few days of countryside, small towns, rivers, waterfalls and hiking in the mountains.
So I took street photos like there’s no tomorrow.
And tonight? Tonight I’m sleeping in Valley Forge where George Washington and his army camped over the winter of 1777–1778.
And if by any chance you’re under the impression I’m on some follow-the-George Washington-trail, I think you might be on to something.

girls

I came across this picture while looking at my old photoblog. I think I took it around 2002, when I was young and beautiful.
It is one of these pictures that will always keep me wondering; What was this interesting group of women doing together in this room? Ah, I’ll probably never know.
And that’s, ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of street photography!

About color photography and color frustration

One beautiful, sunny morning I woke up with a crazy thought; it might be an interesting challenge coloring outside the city lines.
The problem is that color always drives me to a great frustration; I can never get the hang of it.
Maybe it has to do with the old days when I printed color photos in the lab at school.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care about correct, proper or even real-life colors, it is a scientific drivel anyway, and I don’t claim to be color blind either. But poor me, I just never know what I really want (obviously this is not the only area in my life where frustration is present..) and what did I visualize?
So it seems I often have the impulse to go bold with colors, maybe to a point when it is absurd. Poor me. clearly I need help.

Failed street photos

I know you’re all thinking I take incredibly wonderful photos and you are wondering how I do it, what’s my secret, etc. I can’t really blame you for thinking that (and if you were not thinking that; what’s wrong with you?) But now its time I come clean and tell you the truth; I know you will be shocked to read it but actually not all my pictures are that great…
in fact some of them really suck.

So just to make you feel better about your photography I collected some of my bad street photos and missed opportunities, and I put together this flickr slide show just for you. Enjoy. And then go take a few great photos. Just make sure they don’t look like any of these:

The wonders of the expired film

Though some people believe shooting expired film is a crime against photography, I was always a big fan of the unique and unexpected results of the long-expired film!
It’s the extra grain, and the softness, the dark edges, and if you’re really lucky you get some real fading and other beautiful signs of aging (just like wrinkles).

girl and a puppy. 3rd street promenade. June 2009.
camera: Olympus 35RC.
Film: Ilford HP5 400 ASA

These are the times

Yesterday I received an email message from my friend Garry Mark Smith at streetphoto.com
He ended his email with these lines:
“We’ve been hearing some interesting economic news from your parts. And now Michael Jackson’s memorial service there. Those could be some interesting (flamboyant, culturally historic) streetphotos that would have long-lasting play in that part of the world. If I were you, I’d shoot that circus all day (even if just as an excuse to be out there, if not for the art).”
(did you notice how he refers to street photos as streetphotos? How charming!)

My first reaction was, OK, no way! I’m not going to participate in the circus.
I mean, it is quite obvious the media lost its mind with their over-coverage of the life and death of Michael Jackson to the point where they just come across ridiculous. But it’s not just the media. It is also the fans, the millions of them, rushing to eBay to buy MJ memorabilia, crying on TV and crowding the streets near UCLA hospital where he died. Ok fine. I’m not a big fan of pop music so maybe thats why I think its silly when the so-called experts claim MJ was the greatest entertainer ever lived. Give me a break.
But really the worst part about it all is that I notice it is all beginning to look like people are actually actively worshiping the guy. No, really. I know, it sounds crazy. Well, yes, it is all pretty crazy around here.

Ok, so this was the clear voice of sanity. But then the photographer in me began arguing against judging and questioning reality. It is what it is. This is where we’re at in 2009. and the photographer is there to make honest record of our days.
Or is she?
I don’t really have an answer to this one, it’s a long debate I have with myself, but anyway, this morning I decided to take my camera and go downtown and see what’s going on.

And I’m just a spectator, trying not to judge.

            
      

twitter is killing the blogs

I read an article in one web design magazine declaring twitter is going to kill the blogs. In fact, the article argued, many bloggers already shut down their operations and twitted over to a better place such as facebook and twitter.
The article pointed out, with some satisfaction, the new rising culture of “140 characters or less”.
So, I had no idea, but it turns out the people of the net, I mean you, my dear readers, are apparently awfully shallow, cannot sit through a few paragraphs of text and allegedly suffer from the familiar 21st century symptom of short attention span.
Well, OK, nice observation, but I don’t buy it for a moment.
As I see it, there are 3 types of blogs: personal (I decided to die my hair pink today after I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me… etc.), professional and the good ones.
The daily-routine personal blogs did move to twitter heaven and better so. It is just the perfect place for them.

The professional blogs, which are traffic-driven and typically exist to enhance sales of ideas, services and products, they will adapt to where the traffic is.
And as they are the marketing savvy ones who know best where to find their crowd, I can only assume they are now twitting (or is it twittering?) fast-paced clever brief ideas, maybe some are still keeping the blog around but only to complement their 140 characters reality on twitter.
And then there are the good blogs. These self-driven blogs are the ones that present rich, educational and informative substance. They often focus on a topic or a theme and provide their visitors with a wealth of content that usually originates from personal learning experience. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t see these types of blogs dying any time soon, simply because twitter and facebook cannot replace the same type of web presence.
Bottom line, these fine blogs are safe, well, at least for now, until the next craze.
Now, let me know, in 140 characters or less, what is your take on this new wave of fast-paced short-burst twitting (or is it twittering?)

When do you photograph?

I’m not sure why but from the beginning I indexed my photos using the following order:
year –> month –> camera –> place or theme –> name(place)Date.jpg
I’m sure you can come up with much better systems, maybe using tags and labels but anyway this one works great for me mainly because this method lets me locate my images quickly, as by looking at the image file name I immediately know in which folder it’s located.
Yesterday I was curious to see which time of year I take more pictures. I think I already knew the answer though. And thanks to this method of organizing my pictures it was an easy question to answer.
And by the way, this is not going to include pictures I take when traveling, because this is when I go wild with my cameras, so I’m just not counting these binges in my ”when does Nitsa take the most photos” study.
Ok, so the answer is: Winter.
Must be all the drama of the rain, mist, puddles and spectacular skies that captures my attention, though I’m sure the results would have been quite different if I didn’t live in sunny L.A. where rain is always an astonishing event.

how NOT to photograph

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a deviantart group who was interested in posting one of my articles about street photography on their website.
I agreed and they, without any delay, posted my article “The Challenges of Street Photography” on thier group’s site. As you can see here soon enough readers of the article began posting comments and then someone asked about my advice for shooting strangers which is probably the most debatable and challenging aspect of street photography. He had a legitimate question: in the article I wrote it’s not advisable to creep on people and secretly photograph them, but also I said it doesn’t make sense to ask for permission. So he was confused, if both are not desirable options, then what is he suppose to do?
Maybe I wasn’t so clear in my article but anyway, my advice was that shooting quickly without trying to hide yourself or the camera will yield great results. I know it because that’s how I shoot for many years now. People simply don’t get offended or annoyed just because you picked up your camera and took a picture. You are in public and this is your right and most of them get it. But people get awfully suspicious and even angry if they notice you sneaking on them like you’re doing something wrong. And well, in fact you are doing something wrong. I mean, in my view, it’s morally wrong to photograph people without them having a chance to avoid it. I don’t photograph people who don’t want to be photographed. It’s their right and I respect it. Now, if I secretly photograph them I take that right away from them. It’s true at times I take pictures of someone, who, for various reasons, just doesn’t notice me, and these cases obviously fall under the category of “oh well”, but I can tell you that I don’t take compromising, offensive or questionable pictures to begin with.
Anyway, back to my article on this street photography group: they completely misunderstood what I said. Maybe they didn’t really read it!? Their answer to the confused chap was to shoot fast so people don’t see you are taking a picture of them and then of course act naturally so they don’t suspect you.
Thank you! This is exactly what I advised NOT to do. Their suggestion obviously advocates photographing people SECRETELY, so not only they misunderstood what I said but they also made sure to completely twist my words.
I’ve been misunderstood before and I really don’t worry about it too much. Its Ok. Not everybody gets it. And besides since I wrote my book No Rules Street Photography, I believe I was able to collect and express my thoughts and techniques in a way that it will be quite complicated to misinterpret me anymore. But then again, I should always anticipate some incapacity, although not to worry, in some cases, I’m simply being entertained.

raw street photography

With everything else I’ve been occupied with lately (i.e. mosaic, mixed media, and painting) I just forgot all about one thing I so much enjoy doing: simple raw street photography.
So last week I took my cameras and was headed to spend a day in downtown L.A. where I always feel like a tourist in my own town.
I think taking a break from this type of craft made street photography all the more special thing to do now.
Also there was no pressure to make photos or focus on anything but a nice good flow of strolling the busy streets of downtown and photographing whatever and however.
I was quite delighted to find out how easy it was to photograph the people out there, much easier than it was in the past, it seems. Just raise the camera and make the exposure. No apologies. But no intrusion either. Most people did not seem to care. It was almost like being in New York.
So maybe the real lesson here is that if you feel like you hit a point where inspiration and creativity are gone it might be a good idea to take a break, relax, and do something else for a while. And then when the time is right, try again.
You’ll discover new possibilities.

And I still have two rolls of film to scan.

Around town with a toy camera #13

Hollywood blvd. / Holga / Fuji Pro 400H / 2007

Around town with a toy camera #12

Venice, CA / Holga / Kodak EPD 200 / 2006

Around town with a toy camera #9

Norms on La Cienega, Los Angeles / Diana / Kodak EPD (x-processed) / 2006

Around town with a toy camera #8

Shana Tova (Happy New Year)

La Brea Blvd. Los Angeles / Holga (woca) / Ilford Delta 3200 Pro / 2006

Around town with a toy camera #4

East L.A/ Holga / Kodak Ultra 400/ 2006

Around town with a toy camera #1

Hollywood blvd. / Holga / Kodak 400TMY / 2008

My neglected digital camera

Recently I’ve been feeling guilty neglecting my digital camera (Nikon D-60 which I purchased a few months ago with your generous help)
Its true I got it so I have a camera to use while I travel, but as my summer was quite low on traveling my poor camera is simply sitting quietly on the shelf, collecting dust.
So I grabbed my Nikon on the way out to Santa Monica to try some nightly images.
I was wondering how well this camera will handle the night. Especially since I read something somewhere about the Nikon D300 capable of taking better pictures at night.
But hey, the results were pretty good. Though to be honest, I took most of the night pictures at the 3rd street promenade where there was enough light to shoot f/3.5 at one second, so the challenge was not all that great. Still I love the results.
And again, I’m impressed with the noticeable lack of noise (please be aware of the obvious oxymoron).

Next, I’m going to try long exposures. And I do welcome any advice you might have for me. Well, anything other than suggesting I must use a tripod!

A special ordinary photo

You know how sometimes you come up with this type of a picture: there’s really nothing what-so-ever special about it. It is a normal recording of an ordinary moment in time. But yet there’s something special about the photo, something you can’t really put your finger on.
Maybe one of my greatest shortcomings in photography (and I have a couple) is that I don’t know how to “read” photos. Yes, I admit I’m one of these people who are drawn (or not) to a photograph but cannot say anything intelligent about it.
Ben Lifson told me once:”…you’re good, this much I know. I’m pretty sure you know it too, but I’m not sure you know why, or just how good your work looks to others or what makes it strong, gives it a sense of promise, to say nothing of the energy, force and freshness…” (yes, wow! And no, he was right, I have no idea)

So this is one of these photos. I don’t know why I like it. Maybe I just had a good day.

Adams Morgan, Washington DC 2007

You know you’re in Beverly Hills if…

1) The stores seem to be too expensive even for the good old fashioned window-shopping.
2) Everybody around you is engaged in a lively cellular phone conversation, including the couple having a candlelight dinner.
3) A pile of recycled bottles turns out to be a sculpture.
4) Every 3rd person is holding a sophisticated camera and is speaking Japanese.
5) Taxi zones are occupied by fancy limos.
6) Even the restaurant kitchen workers are dressed better than you.
7) You’re worried the bottoms of your shoes will stain the sidewalks.

[Text from my book "Streets of America"]

my favorite rejected photos

One of the greatest challenges of photography is storing and organizing all these wonderful photos we accumulate through time.
I’m not sure how photographers kept organized in the days before personal computers entered our lives. I suspect I would have been very frustrated with the limited choices of sorting and arranging my negatives. Even now, when I sort through my negatives which are kept in folders and are all marked and labeled nicely, it still takes me a while to find the photo I’m looking for. It definitely takes much longer than it takes to find it on the PC where my pictures are organized into Year – month – camera – place.
But really what I wanted to talk about are photos that fall through the cracks. You know what I mean, these photos that we just don’t know what to do with them or where to place them.
Some photos are the perfect choice for a book and others go on a website or a blog. Some photos should be printed out for display. Other photos are great to “recycle” into other projects; mixed media, image transfers etc and some pictures are printed out to be used in a journal.
But there are always these photos that just don’t fit anywhere, yet, I wish to keep them around.
So finally I decided to gather all these photos around, make them look their best and burn them all into one CD. It seems to be the best solution for now, until something better comes around – something like a book titled: my favorite rejected photos.
Just wonderin’ how’d you get organized? If you found the magic formula please please Let me know.

Stand in the place where you shoot

So as some of you, or at least one of you, I think it was actually just Rory who suggested I won’t give up on my Canonet QL17 and give it another try.
So I did.
But this time I made a point to take my time when using this camera. Meaning, not to shoot it on the move as I often do. So for each picture I took, I actually stopped, took my time focusing and only then made the exposure. I have to say this was a (cruel and) unusual practice for me, but the end results definitely made it worth while to go a bit out of my way.
I know the standard practice in photography is to have the camera fitting and accommodating to our needs, and not the other way, but sometimes with classic cameras, well, it’s a good idea to slow down, be patient and more flexible.

Pricing your photos / part two

In my previous post about pricing your photos, I neglected to mention another important factor to consider: your target customers.
If you want to reach just about everybody and anybody, if your target customer is the average person who would love to have one of your beautiful prints next to his bed, then obviously you should set an affordable price. Maybe somewhere around $20-$30 for an 8X10. It’s a reasonable price and I’m sure you think since it’s such a bargain people will jump on it. And in a way they will. From my experience, when you set the price low, a lot of people will inquire and show interest and ask questions. All kind of questions. That’s fine. People should ask questions and find out all information possible before they buy something. However, you will soon discover that a few emails later, most of these nice people simply disappear. Where do they all go? I don’t know. But I know that just a few of the initial inquiries end up in an actual sale.

Now, that’s fine if you enjoy an endless exchange of fruitless emails but if you really want to sale your photos, the best way to go is to raise your price to something that is beyond the reach or interest of the average person.
Its really simple, when you increase the prices (and therefore the value) of your photographic prints, you attract a whole new crowd of people. Some of them just like to display beautiful and VALUABLE art in their homes and offices , and some are art consultants, interior designers and such. And they actually buy your art. And they don’t even ask too many questions.

RAW question

So I ran out of film the other day and so I cleaned up the spider webs off my digital Minolta and took it along instead.
I read somewhere before that many photographers shoot only RAW because it’s an unprocessed format and so it gives the photographer the most control possible.
I must say I quite enjoyed processing the images myself instead of letting the camera making the choices for me.
The only problem I had with it, was the length of time it took the camera to store the image after the exposure was made. I’m not sure how long it was exactly but it felt something like 10 seconds which is awfully a long time to wait in between shots when we’re talking about street photography.
So I was wondering if anybody knows and has any advice on this issue…

By the way, Larry King said “good morning” to me shortly after this picture was taken… Can you imagine what a great honor it must have been for him.
I’m sure he told all his friends about seeing me walking by.

Rain in L.A.

It doesn’t rain much in Los Angeles but when it does, the result is a great panic.
Traffic is even worse than usual, the city ends up looking like a big lake due to a bad drainage system, and mudslides are winter’s answer to summer’s fires.
The local news stations send out their “storm watch” teams to cover live how the brave LA natives are handling the drizzle.
And they do handle it pretty well;
armed with winter gear and umbrellas they abandon the streets to find cover in the malls and coffee shops.
[Text and image recycled from my book "Streets of America"]

Layout and composition

While sitting in a coffee shop with George K., my photo editorial adviser, and going over my book, I was again reminded of my inability to really UNDERSTAND composition, layout and such artistic necessities.
I mean, there he was, sitting there sipping his coffee and analyzing, not only my photos, but also wowing over the fine layout and design of my book, while I couldn’t see any of it, and so obviously I had no idea how I did whatever I did.
Simply put I am not aware of the aesthetic characteristics of a photo when I capture it and I don’t recognize any of the artistic qualities unless someone points them out for me.
So you might think this fact is a supporter of the argument some people are simply born with what people often call “a good eye”, they are talented from birth.
But maybe people are not really born “gifted”, it is possible they are just good at unconsciously absorbing the aesthetics of design throughout their lives (by a daily exposure to communication, media and art)
In any case, may the fact be people are born talented or not, I do believe one can learn how to see, though, unlike most people, I don’t think the answer will be found in books nor in a classroom.
In fact the solution is simpler than it seems:
Being out there and taking lots of pictures.
The recipe for greatness in every area of our life is ‘doing again’ and photography is no different.
So now, go out there and take some great pictures.

Days of rain in San Francisco

The creepy street photographer

As I’m known (among my three readers) to practice street photography disregarding the customary rules of photography (i.e. nonphotography) I do have to admit that while enjoying the freedom of nonphotography I did develop (and self inflicted) one forceful rule. It goes like this: Do not, I repeat, do not sneak on people!
I find that creeping on people with a camera is simply an immoral and dishonest performance and not only will result in low score photos but also will eventually help label street photographers as good as paparazzi.

HOWEVER, saying all that, in this particular case… lets say, I just couldn’t resist :-/

Women on a bench in Alexandria, VA

. . . . . .

Night photos

When it comes to night street photography I often prefer black and white photos;
I just don’t care too much for the orangey cast. I guess there’s a cure, using filters or tungsten film (or finding the right settings on the digital camera) but generally speaking I just like my nights in black and white, and the grainier the better.

Downtown Petersburg, Virginia

street photos

. . . . .

Frankly, I didn’t think I will find any street photos outside of Washington DC but as it turned out Virginia in fact offered plenty of opportunities for street photography.
Most of them were found in Richmond but also in small charming towns like Alexandria and Petersburg.

By the way, in order to create an x-processed effect in this image (which was taken at Main Street in Richmond), I added more contrast and then accentuated the green highlights.

. . . . .

Light leaks

One of the cameras I will be taking with me to the east coast is my beloved Holga.
Every proud Holga owner will tell you that a light leak in a Holga is an accepted risk of the trade, sometimes even sought after.
Myself, I don’t mind the light leaks however, recently I found out, my glass lens Holga (aka. Woca) (I have 4 different Holgas) produces a big red light leak at the top center of the negative which, to be honest, is quite ugly. I can only guess this particular light leak comes from the red counter window. And even though I’ve never taped my Holgas before I think this time I’m going to get the black photographer’s tape and seal her up.
And then I’m going to join the League of Photographers against Light Leaks…

Long Wharf, Boston
Camera: Holga 120FN Film: Ilford Delta 3200

Altered prints

Harlem, New York [2000]

I wasn’t sure what title will describe this process best; abused prints? Modified? Battered? Weathered? Distorted? Distressed?
So I decided to go with ‘altered’. It doesn’t sound as violent.

Altered prints, what are they good for? Actually,they can be a unique addition to various projects such as collages, altered art or journals. And since it’s such a free form you can “torture” your photo print any way you wish. However, keep in mind that most techniques won’t work as well with the homemade inkjet print and for best result you should use a photographic print which was printed in a photo lab or on a high end printing service such as dotphoto.com .
In order to achieve this distressed appearance I began with scratching lines onto the prints using an artist knife. Next I used sandpaper to get rid of the gloss appearance and bring out the color beneath the top layer of the print. In addition I randomly added acrylic paints and at last sanded the print again in order to bland the paints into the print.

Xerox image transfer

In the past I always made my image transfers from images printed on my Epson inkjet printer. Now I decided to try transferring photocopies I made of my photos in Kinkos.
I wanted to try transferring a photocopy for three reasons: 1) Curiosity, 2) different (and presumably higher quality) toner and lastly 3) because every time anybody talks about transferring images they are talking about photocopies.
I must admit this was no easy task. I found myself having trouble keeping the ink on my receiving surface and I had to throw a real fight trying to separate the original photocopy from the receiving surface. Maybe I waited too long after applying the transferring medium… I’m not sure.
Anyway, I’m going to try again and report the results back here. I have to; I made too many photocopies…
The image here was transferred onto a photo satin paper using Gel medium (Gloss).

Hollywood/ holga panorama