Whats that smell ?

I'm beginning  to worry about the well-being of Street Photography, it appears to be under attack from all directions. I appreciate that both sides of the pond appear to be embracing change at any cost but surely the lunatics have not taken over the SP asylum, have they ?

The first thing I noticed on my Twitter feed this week is that some Japanese manufacture had introduced a new letter or number to a previous model number and togs seemed to be conflicted between feelings of enticement, excitement and inadequacy !  

The second thing I noticed this week was a article in the Guardian promoting the work of female photographers, apparently SP has been dominated by the "male gaze" for longer than is good for the art form so a woman only group has been set up to right this wrong.   I was more than a little surprised to find out that my SP sisters were feeling less than equal in the Street Photography community so I set about seeking a male only tog group but came up empty handed, it appeared that all the groups I found embraced equality and diversity. I did find one group that was only open to those who believed in the creative qualities of Hobnob biscuits but even they allowed Bourbon fans to join.

All in all as I sit here I'm feeling as if the Street Photography world is becoming more selective than ever before, I'm starting to feel anxious, if I don't buy this camera that has a new improved model number or start treating female togs in a more positive way I'll be doomed to a life of Luddite or sexist accusations. 

The cynical side of me believes that the problem with open photo groups is that they are not unique and that's not helpful if your seeking to create a USP to sell a few prints, I hope it works for those involved but I worry about the long term cost of disingenuous divisions.

The way I see it is very simple, there are only 2 types of Street Photographs, those I like and those I don't !  I care not one jot about the sex, sexuality ,race or nationality of the author and just for the record I care even less about camera kit and have no understanding of the excitement created by the launch of a new bit of Japanese tech.

It would appear that marketing is at the root of all things smelly this week as I can't believe that the latest Japanese offering or a photo group that excludes others is either needed or necessary ?

Those of you who have made it to the end of this piece have probably already guessed what the smell is,  

Keep it real !

The Blue frame project

Happy New Year !  If your reading this you managed to survive the festivities, congratulations !

During the Christmas break I was invited to participate in a picture per week project for 2017 and of course I accepted without really considering the logistics, the problem I have is that I'm not a city dweller, which is a bit of a disadvantage for a Street Tog, anyway I decided to shoot this 52 pic challenge with a conceptual approach and was inspired to buy a blue framed mirror for two quid from a local charity shop and investigate the creative potential of this mirror that had almost reached the end of the road .

I had made a capture a few years ago at a car boot sale that had sparked my interest in the way reflections can create a surreal vibe if considered carefully. The truth is that this idea had been put on the back burner along with many others, once I was confronted by my moment of inspiration (The charity shop moment) I knew I had to give it a go.

The first picture for the project came within minutes as I needed to rest my new blue friend against a wall, combined with my shopping I was struggling to make it back to the car without a breather, I did not plan to buy a great big mirror !

Anyway the view that the mirror picked up led me to believe that I might be onto something, I managed to capture 3 decent views before I returned back to my car. The mirror now lives permanently in the back seat and will be taken out 51 more times this year, madness !

That's how the Blue Frame Project was born, I'm unsure that I'll manage to create 52 shots with it before the seven years bad luck curse catches up with me, we'll see.

Apologies to the Street Photography Police for going off piste but the conceptual thing can't last, can it ?

Ask Why !

Now that 2016 is rolling to its end I have been evaluating my personal photographic motivation and trying to understand why I do what I do and trying to identify any changes that might bring me closer to my creative Utopia !

1. Why bother taking pictures ?

My personal reasons for practicing photography are simple, my captures now give me a connection to the times and environment I live in . My motivation was not always this noble, the pursuit of cash and technique motivated me for more than 25 years.

2. Why should I shoot Street Photography ?

The buzz of creating a image that has a element of surprise, sadness or humour is the only motivation I need to pursue "Street" pictures, the thrill of extracting these moments from real life without intervention is both a torment and a minor miracle when these collisions of coincidence occur .

3. Why do I shoot everything in colour ?

Colour photography for me is the medium of the here and now, the practice of removing (colour) information from a photo does not sit well with me, for that reason I have no intention of exploiting monochrome imagery in order to bring a pseudo level gravitas to my work. despite my reservations I must confess to liking Dalmatians shot in Black and white.

4. Why do I share pictures on-line ?

Photography for me is a isolated activity, my on-line activity helps me to feel part of a larger community, the feedback can be both a blessing and a curse which is most welcome but I never allow it to influence my visual agenda. I will probably post fewer pics during 2017.

5. Why am I buying fewer Photo-Books ?

One of my treats in life is to invest in photo-books, I have bought fewer this year than ever before . This is not a conscious decision, I'm just not seeing or should that be feeling it, many of this years publications are wasted on me !

Depardon's Glasgow is a gem !          

Self evaluation is never a bad thing especially at the end of a year, The "why" question should be a important question for all of us  and is far more valuable than the glib "why not" answer !

Keep it real in 2017 !

Visual Integrity or Aesthetic Vanity ?

Is Street Photography losing it's shine ?

As we head towards the end of 2016 I'm beginning to wonder if the limitations of Street Photography are becoming exposed and I'm asking myself if the stylized aesthetic we all bought into should be exchanged for a more meaningful Documentary approach ?

The overused visual devices that are looking so tired now are becoming parody's that define the art form, the Street Photography Now book should be re-released with the title Street Photography Then , as it is more useful as a historical record than a source for inspiration and is probably the greatest contributor to SP cliche !   Many of the on-line resources appear to be more engaged with kit rather than promoting the understanding of the "Street" environment that togs shoot and should be trying to interpret.

The value of the moment is  becoming diminished due to the volume of "special moments" that appear to be captured everyday with 99% of them having nothing to say,

The series I'm shooting at the moment is nothing more than a dead pan record of two dimensional closed doors that will probably never open again . The surprise for me is that I feel as if these simple pictures reflect my life more than the slices of life I have shot previously. The UK appears to be a place of increasing uncertainty and change, but I see little of this reflected in the work. being created on the streets, the search for honesty and truth in personal picture taking has been replaced by the pursuit of pictorially pleasing anonymous shadows and silhouettes that avoid the real lives that create them.. 

2016 has taught me that I must bring more of myself and my life to my work , I believe that a greater level of visual integrity is more useful than my technical and aesthetic vanity .

Keep it real !

Closed Doors

" Tombstones that mark the demise of community "

In mid November 2016 I was struck by the sight of my local pub as it lay in a decayed state having been closed for many years. I then came across the remains of a local boxing club that had lost the fight against a changing youth culture. Both of these sights filled me with sadness . As a photographer who had invested his life recording everyday happenings in the hope of understanding the society I live in, I began to wonder if the everyday things that were not happening were having the greatest impact on shaping our communities.

My thoughts then moved towards the failed businesses that these buildings had once housed and the sense of loss that must have been felt at the time of closure,  I  considered the people who were no longer able to socialise in these facility's, and felt a greater sadness, these thoughts inspired me to start The Closed Doors Project as i began to believe that these often overlooked derelict entrances to the past symbolised much more than entrepreneurial failure, . to me they represented social, political and economic failure, these closed doors could be read as barometers of austerity as they appear to measure the slow erosion of community and that is perhaps the greatest loss of all.

Individually these works tell a depressing story, collectively they may help us understand the country's political climate that led to the Brexit vote !

The surprise for me while shooting this very simple project was the discovery of the inherent beauty that these gateways to the past possessed, they appear to take on a dignified stance against modernism, like abstract tombstones that mark the death of community and mourn the passing of lost opportunities.

A Studio Approach to Street Photography

Many of the photographers who prosper on the streets are equally at home in photographic studios , today I want to examine what crossover skills are being brought into play and how you can start using these approaches.

The first thing any tog will do before contemplating setting up a table top shot is to examine the product to be photographed, is it textured, translucent, dark etc, this initial examination will determine the suitability of backgrounds, lighting and viewpoint.

Note that the first decision is background, is it coloured , neutral or detailed in someway,( eg old wooden planks) this principle is the first lesson we can bring to Street Photography !

Build your shots from the back, ask yourself. Will the view behind your subject compete with your intended subject, hopefully it will complement your subject, even though we might not be aware at this stage of what or who will become the main subject of our "random"  street pictures. Some of my favorite Street backgrounds work as abstract compositions independently, this is usually a good start.. Let me state here that backgrounds with reasonable footfall in front of them are my preference but I will invest more time waiting and adopting a fisherman's approach if necessary.. 

A early test shot from my Another Species of Giraffe pic, the light was a no-go so I returned in the afternnon.

Okay, so the background has been chosen, now for the lighting,  although most of us rely on natural / available light for our Street pictures that does not mean that we have given up control, we can choose when we shoot to ensure the best lighting is exploited for our work. Sometimes that can mean returning later in the day, on another day or even a different month in demanding circumstances. The take away point here is, shoot on your terms and don't be too quick to accept the picture conditions offered when you discover a potential location.

Some locations demand back-lighting or flat overcast soft light, think about what light is best for your intended capture, don't rely on luck, take  control, .revisit the same locations throughout the year and learn from what you see. You can be sure that our studio photography colleagues are in total control of every element of their compositions.

Last but not least , the viewpoint you choose should not be underestimated . taking up different positions around your location is never a waste of time, you will also discover that eye level views are rarely the best. Check out low, high, left and right views and decide which one you want to invest in, quite often the best view will be the most uncomfortable to maintain, such is life.

Background, check, Lighting , Check and viewpoint check !  You're ready to go !

Congratulations ! You have done all you can to capture the best image, all that is needed now is for a moment to unfold before you, yes a element of luck is still required for your Street picture to happen but this decision making process will reduce the odds of failure and put you in control.

Spontaneous captures are fantastic, however serendipity needs a helping hand occasionally.

Keep it real !

I invested a bit of time into this location due to the light and background and was rewarded with this.

Analysis Of A Moment !

What makes you pull the trigger on a moment ?

Great light, interesting subject, juxtaposition, humour and/or social comment could all be viable answers to the question above ,however I'm not sure that any of these responses satisfy me entirely, as I believe something deeper might be responsible for our successful spontaneous captures.

The word capture is a interesting description, when it is used to describe the trapping of a moment in its latent form. All photography freezes a moment in time that is the nature of the beast, yet many of us dispose of these fragments of time without a second thought as we edit our shoots in search of meaning.

Lets make it clear the moments I'm writing of today are the ones that are captured in a almost subconscious way, they are inevitably what I call "One Framers " as they are so fleeting they feel as if they just happen to you rather than being the product of any conscious or creative thought process or act.  These moments make me feel like I have become the fortunate benefactor at the centre of a conspiracy of elements that are not only beyond my control but challenge my understanding. The images that have been gifted to me in this way are few but they are some of my favorites, putting such captures down to luck is too simplistic in my view and this explanation does not do justice to the phenomenon I'm trying to describe here.

We all like to take the credit for the special moments we find, but what if these "Special happenings" are finding us ?  What if the presence of a street photographer becomes a catalyst for unusual events to occur ?

The most skeptical among us have to admit that many of the "unbelievable" images displayed on the Street Photography web sites appear to defy the normal expectations of chance alone delivering these special moments. I do not consider myself to be religious or spiritual but I have to admit that some of my own captures feel as if they happen to me rather than being the product of a identifiable considered creative act !

I wonder if SP puts us in touch with the ancient "capture" instincts of our hunter-gather predecessors ? I wonder if I visit a part my mind that just goes into a form of auto pilot and works all this clever stuff out in a fraction of a second ?

If I had just read this piece I would ask myself if it had been written by a crazy guy, however I have just written this post and am still asking myself the "crazy guy" question.

The only thing I know is that I don't know !

Your comments are most welcome.

This image lived on my HD for more than a week before I discovered it, the capture was so spontaneous I had little memory of it !

Buy One Today !

Regular readers will already know that I never plug kit of any sort, today is the exception.. 

I captured a image recently that would have escaped me had I not invested in this essential bit of gear that is overlooked by many togs. Most of us already own one or two but choose not to use them for reasons that remain a mystery to me,  Why !

This piece of kit will ensure maximum performance from your lenses in all weathers and offer physical protection from knocks etc.

The humble lens hood is the item i'm promoting here, they come in all shapes, sizes and materials and are relatively cheap !

No excuses use a lens hood on the streets, protect your glass from stray light rain and snow, you know it makes sense .

Shooting against the light becomes almost impossible without one.

Do you speak foto ?

We all acknowledge that photography is a international language and universal form of communication, however it appears to me that many of us would benefit by developing a stronger visual vocabulary. A greater understanding of "foto-language" would enable us to create images of greater significance and help us to increase our understanding of works created by others.

The benefit of adopting icons, symbols and logos in our work is that our audience will already have a understanding or emotional response to the message they intend to communicate. These established symbols can be used as intended but also give photographers opportunities to subvert the original intention or juxtapose against existing events or imagery. 

I created a image this week that surprised me, at first glance it appears to be little more than a man carrying a table down the street which offered a slightly humorous view of a large teardrop shape with legs, this shot did not appear to have what I call a lot of "meat on the bone !

On closer inspection I noticed the chrome cross and associated it with the teardrop shaped table top that appeared to echo the shape of a crusaders shield to me, classic religious iconography. Finally while editing I noticed that the composition directed the eye towards the cross of a church on the skyline .

All in all this "Man carries table" pic appears to be rich in religious parallels for those that see more than a bit of furniture being moved .begging me to question whether this is a serendipitous capture or a piece divine intervention.?

Enjoy your Sunday and keep it real !

Serendipity or divine intervention ?

Think Like a Artist

As a formally trained photographer I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by folk who could teach me the nuts and bolts of professional photographic practice from a early age. Looking back my photographic education was vocational and very little emphasis was given to the creative process from my photographic lecturers, thankfully I spent two days each week studying and practicing Art, despite my limited skills with brushes and paint I found this area really stimulating and valued the way that the Art lecturers were able to help me see things in a different way.

The combination of technically gifted photo teachers and free thinking Art lecturers was a intoxicating mix for a aspiring teenage photographer, I realised then that I needed the technical stuff if I was to have any sort of control over my photographic process but I also became aware that a deep understanding of exposure, depth of field and the scheimpflug principle would be of little use unless I could develop a creative thought process.

What is a creative thought process and how does this relate to Street Photography ?

The biggest mistake I see in SP is the passive attitude that we have to accept any opportunity that appears when we are shooting, even when making candid captures a level of creative thinking and selection should be exercised if a coherent narrative is to be constructed, the alternative is a form of photographic litter picking !

The creative currency is ideas and the ability to see potential and beauty when others see nothing.

Many creative thinkers start out with only a mental framework of ideas at the beginning of a project and are happy to create in a spontaneous way within the already established criteria of established thoughts., this approach appears to meet the flexible demands of Street Photography. The idea of stepping out on a shoot with a blank mind devoid of ideas, is not the same thing as a open mind !

The take away message from this piece is a plea to physically slow down and bring a higher level of consideration to your pictures, consider the elements of a scene  individually and collectively, this is your palette and your chance to create something that has meaning .

What solutions will you discover ?    

 My final piece of advice may appear to contradict everything I have written above , leave a space within your creative practice for serendipitous events to occur as this is the magic we should all embrace when it comes our way. this is the elusive woofle dust that will change your well considered successful capture into a memorable unique Street Photograph..

Invest enough time looking & thinking and you will see.

Keep It  Real !