Ask the question, take a risk !

The great thing about creating images for yourself is that no one has any expectations of you and you enjoy total creative control over the process, no client and no pressure to perform.

Many of us behave as if we must conform and meet the expectations of peer groups, on-line communities or quite often the photo press etc. Your photgraphy is exactly that "YOURS" and its important that you embrace the ownership of your own imagery as an expression of yourself !  

    Now and again we should ask the question "what happens if " and maybe explore the question deeper, a exploration of what is unknown to you is possibly more valuable than a demonstration of the knowledge you possess.

Yesterday I asked myself the question, What happens if I shoot with a underwater camera stored in a plastic bag full of water ?

The results were certainly unpredictable, I got some pretty straight looking shots, some very soft ethereal looking pix but I also got some distorted views that might be worth exploring further and trying to refine the technique although I must confess to loving the lack of control this approach offers, you don't even get to touch the camera during use !

I'm sure I'm not the first to try this method but its new to me and I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has "mastered" this underwater street photography.

This is my favourite shot from yesterday !

Does Your Work Have An Opinion !

Lets face it Street Photography is a very simple art form, one camera , one lens and a mindset to record the life and times we live in ! Job done !

Not quite , the problem with the above statement is that it does not include you, unless your views, personality and opinions are represented through your pictures the work is danger of becoming passive.

I was reminded of this principle this week when I created an image that really summed up how I was feeling following the result of the General Election, I spotted a scene that I had come across before but had never really appreciated the irony of the visual elements when they were unified.

Opinions can be difficult to express through photography and can easily be missed by many viewers or even worse misread, but that does not mean we should be afraid of expressing our thoughts and even concerns through our work, the picture below could easily be read as a patriotic jingoistic celebration of the UK.

It is not !

The Hospice Fundraising Shop 2015

"Another Day Off" almost done !

My another day off series will be completed soon, this will be the last summer to feature in this project and I already have a few ideas of what I want to shoot next.

In order to evaluate where the project is now I have created a dummy book to help me sequence the series and identify areas that need to be revisited in order for the pictures to communicate my original idea of showing a English nation at play in the 21st century.

This is the first time that the pictures have taken on the feel of being related to each other and I have to admit to being pleased with the project so far. The book only contains 24 images and I have written a introduction which although short and simple was almost more difficult to create than the 126 pictures that currently represent the series so far !

The novelty of seeing the work in print rather than on screen has been well worth the effort and has taught me a lot about my own work. this book has helped to motivate me for the final leg of my Another Day Off series which will be complete in September .

Keep it real !

http://www.photobox.co.uk/creation/3370268482

What Street Togs Can Learn from The Wizard of Oz !

Street Photography is often described as a personal journey, this got me thinking about all things yellow brick road, which is one of the greatest fictional journeys of all time. The solitary figure of Dorothy setting off on her great adventure to escape her real life troubles may well reflect the escapism SP brings to many of us but I believe other lessons can be found in this 1939 movie if we look for them.

The scarecrow in search of a brain is a great reminder that togs should try to bring a level of intelligence to the work that they create, the togs that have taken time out to think about approach and technique are quite often the most successful. The Tin Man in search of a Heart can be seen as a metaphor for bringing an emotional element to your Street Photography, this is a much overlooked element in my opinion but is the difference between good and great photographs.Its never a bad idea to shoot with your heart !

The Cowardly Lion can probably teach us most, his pursuit of courage underlines the importance of not shying away from getting the shot and making sure we get close enough to fill the frame with our wide angle lenses. Courage is also required to take on the challenges and obstacles Street Photography presents us with, not to mention the bravery required to follow your journey to the end and maintain the belief in your work to get you through the dark days when confidence and your mojo is low. 

 The revelation that the wizard is little more than a bogus old man using trickery to maintain  his perceived wisdom, has many parallels in the SP global community but  I'll leave it to you the reader to cast your own wizard as I believe there are many to choose from in the land of Street Photography.

Finally if you take only one thing away from this piece it should be that the journey is far more important than the destination and that the bauble that the wizard rewards you with is  not the real prize.

The real reward is the work you create and the life lessons you learn along the road, remember if you want to get off just click your heels and you'll be in Kansas !

There's no place like home, There's no place like home !

Keep it  real !

The journey is more important than the destination !

Counting Elephants !

Pinhole day has been and gone and what a great day it was, I always try to support this event as I believe pinhole photography is a much underestimated art form, but the best reason for shooting with film and a pinhole camera is that its great fun !

I had not used a tripod for some time or measured my exposure in "Elephants" for even longer  as I have been shooting street almost exclusively for what feels like ages.  I love the differences between Street and the slower methodical approach of pinhole photography, not having to focus due to the huge DOP is also a bonus.

I have posted off the film today and can't wait to see the results, I'm quite excited about a number of the frames I made, I have included a set up shot I made on Sunday with the pinhole although this is a digital camera version that I made to share here.

The picture below was possible due to the help of a passing young man who looked a little sceptical when he saw my camera but agreed to help me by posing for this shot anyway, a big thank you to him, sadly I did not get his name,  he managed to hold the pose for all of 3 elephants  (F120 ish)  on the pinhole shot, well done !

Developing Pangs of Guilt !

I recently read an article on another blog setting out solid arguments for developing "Gear Avoidance Syndrome", you're probably familiar with the thoughts so I won't echo them here Before I go any further let me add that I believe that this "G.A.S"  is a a piece of solid advice and I have suggested in the past that Art Photography books will probably influence your photography more than photographic ephemera. 

The confession I need to get off my chest today is that I have only ever sold 2 cameras in my life and regret parting with both of them ! I still own every camera I have ever bought (except 2) and thats a big number. The truth be told is that these cameras were only ever sold to help the folks who bought them rather than for the cash. I am not prepared to share a itinerary of kit, but will say that every photographic format is covered with at least two systems and thats before we get onto studio kit. The only defence I can offer is that I am emotionally connected to much of this kit and associate it with important images I have created in the past, I should also add that 95% of this gear has paid its way many times over.

Street photography does not demand heaps of kit, in fact it is the simplicity of both the approach and the equipment needed that makes it so attractive to many, including myself. 

It is a very strange state of affairs that makes me pick up Olympus Trip & XA cameras over more sophisticated 35mm cameras that I own and plastic Holgas with and without lenses instead of medium format film cameras that are held in much higher regard by many. I see pictures on the internet of film camera collections that have been built up by young people in a relatively short space of time and wonder if the creative potential of all this kit will ever be realised but it reassures me that the predictability of Digital and top quality film kit is becoming less appealing to a new generation of tog's who want to experience a photographic creative adventure and embrace a level of serendipity rather than follow the rules of the old guard.                               Long may it continue !

Speaking of serendipity, I must beat the drum one more time for World Pinhole Day on the 26th of April, I promise analogue pin hole pictures seem to contain elements of magic and we all need a little bit of magic in our lives.

Keep it real ! 

Forget What You Know !

The longer I shoot street photography the less I understand it !

I am beginning to wonder if I create the work or the pictures are something that just happen to me, let me explain . I took to the streets of Gloucester yesterday and was rewarded with nothing, I took a few frames of some faded signs as things were quiet,the usual little things that fire up my "Street" radar were not happening and the more I tried to make something happen the harder it became.

After 2 hours of nothingness I decided to call it a day as I thought I might as well head home and watch the live football rather than be tormented by the lack of opportunities in town. I switched my internal photo radar off and headed back to my car. Walking back to my car I thought how unusual the day had been as something usually turns up when I put this much effort in, but today it had not.

No sooner had this thought crossed my mind and I noticed a gull flying at waist hight towards me, I lifted the camera more in hope than expectation and shot one frame without regard for any other elements, background etc... As I have already said I was desperate to salvage a picture from the day so I could not wait to check the screen and see what my efforts amounted too.

The picture below has been cropped but other than that is a true representation of that fleeting moment, the real surprise to me is not the bird but the way the background, scene and colours have come together without a thought from me.

This image may well be credited to me but I don't think I had much to do with it ?

Keep it real !

Aintree Losers !

Organisers of the Aintree Festival introduced a policy of removing photographers from the course who appeared to have an agenda of showing "Ladies Day" in a" negative light", following negative reporting of the drunkenness and anti-social behaviour that took place at last years horse racing event.

This sort of media control is an interesting development as the organisers choose to control the togs rather than modify the behaviour of a minority of race goers who go overboard each year.

Any policy that interferes with reporting the truth in any media should never be welcome in a democratic society.

Organisers of events that need to control photographers in this way should take a closer look at the quality of their events rather than bring a Big Brother approach to media restrictions.

Bit by bit the rights of photographers to record the society we live in are being eroded.

What are you taking pictures for ?

I recently discovered an old Camerawork magazine from November 1977 that asked the question above, most of us have probably been asked the question many times by Police officers or other jobs-worths on the streets as we pursue our legal right to take photographs of strangers in public places, the question in my opinion is barely worth an answer however I  believe the question has greater value when we ask it of ourselves !

 Anyone reading this who is motivated to create Street Photography for anticipated financial gain is heading for disappointment, some might manage to earn from workshops and lectures but this should not be seen as an income from SP as this is an income from teaching. The old adage of those that can , do and those that can't, teach might be relevant here.

I have some reservations about teaching Street Photography to anyone as I believe that "street" should be a personal vision that is best left uncorrupted by "experts" in the early days of a photographers development. I have no problem with the teaching of the mechanics of photography to newcomers but I see no value in burdening new togs with do's and don't s and visual limitations as these new togs bring fresh eyes to the party and that is an increasingly rare quality amongst seasoned street togs !

I spent many years creating images for money, I like everyone else needed to make a living, with hindsight I regret not using photography as a form personal expression earlier in my life, the conflicting demands of personal photography, commercial shoots and life in general make a balanced approach difficult to maintain.

This question of motivation is a much easier question to ask than it is to answer, the question or more importantly your answer should help you discover a lot about yourself and your relationship with your own photography. 

What price are you prepared to pay to maintain your creative integrity and photographic independence ?

Street Photography With Social Comment

Every now and then I create an image that really resonates with me, at the time of capture I recognise the irony of the moment but with time the image takes on a deeper significance. Thankfully I am able to recognise these moments quickly but I must admit that I am unable to see the deeper social comment that my work contains until I have lived with the work for a much longer period .

The image published below was captured at a Thomas The Tank Engine event and I was attracted to the man in HI-Viz clothing going unnoticed by those around him. With time this image has taken on much deeper meaning to me and I believe it represents prevailing social attitudes.

The image was captured quietly and quickly and could of quite easily have gone unnoticed by me, I managed only one frame before moving on.  Some might argue that Street Photography with a social comment is better described as Documentary photography however I believe that the best Street Photography is good because of its social relevance and is stronger because it reflects society's attitudes.!

Subtle is allowed !

Keep it real !

Invisible Man, Gloucestershire 2014