X100F

Courage to Change

There comes a time in our lives when we need to concentrate on the things that matter. And for me, these past six months have been that time.

Photography has been pushed further and further down the pecking order of the things that matter.

My photography opportunities have become less and less, and I was becoming more frustrated with the lack of time with the camera. I knew something needed to change, so I had to decide. Concentrate on one thing at a time, and the photography will return.

I have made some changes to my life. I decided I needed a career change. With any decision, there needs to be action.

In November, I decided to go back to college to train as a counsellor. I knew there would be sacrifices and one of them being my photography.

Juggling photography with work, home life, and college was always going to be tricky. Something needed to change, and photography had to be sacrificed to put all of my free time into pursuing a change of direction.

Making the little changes have paid off as I already have a new job. It will be a significant change, but it is one that I am relishing.

Photography will always be that little piece of escapism that I need to keep the dark clouds away, but there comes a time when we need to step back a look at the bigger picture.

It is about changing the things I can and not worrying about the things I have no control over. Staying mentally and physically well will always be paramount, and if I'm to stay well, there must be the courage to change.

Keep the Faith

KV

Goodbye 2020

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Goodbye, 2020.

Here are my photographic highlights from the past 12 months.

Keep the Faith people as nothing lasts forever.

Woodland Walks.

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A few images from my recent walks around the local country parks.

All images were taken with my FujiFilm X100F using the Classic Chrome film simulation.

Somethings never change.

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With the lockdown restrictions beginning to ease, the homeless and the unfortunate are steadily returning to the city streets.

As a rule, I never photograph the homeless as they do not choose to be on the streets.

There was something about this scene that made me press the shutter button.

I could see some emotional upset and comforted each other; they are lost in that moment so much, so they do not even see me with the camera.

We will never know what was going on. It could be one of a hundred things.

Maybe it is the prospect of a night on the street or the realisation that they have no money for the simple things we take for granted like food and a warm bed. We will never know the truth.

This pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, but some things it seems will never change.

Street Photography is Weird.

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I wouldn’t say I like street photography – Not my words but the words from a friend.

At first, I was a little bit confused by this statement because I am a street photographer, and this is my thing, but then I realised it is not the like, but maybe its the understanding of street photography that he doesn’t understand.

Street photography from an outsider looking in can seem a little bit strange. We walk around open spaces and take pictures of strangers. Sounds weird.

Some use street photography for documentary purposes, and some use it to express their creative mind. 

To get a real understanding of street photography, we need to delve into the back catalogue of those that have gone before us. I have made it my business to study Gary Winogrand, Joel Meyerowitz, Cartier-Bresson, Saul Leiter, Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, and Tony Ray-Jones, Ernst Haas and many more. It is not about emulating them. It is about seeing the possibilities.

What I love about street photography is not knowing what you will see. You cannot go out there and think I will get this or that because it does not work like that. You must go with the flow, and if it happens, then it happens.

I go out there with a blank canvas, and sometimes I will return with what I think is a masterpiece and then there are the days that I can come back with a bag of shit.

Slow down, take your time and get some decent footwear.

Keep the Faith

KV

FUJIFILM X100T CLASSIC CHROME -MANCHESTER

Colour v Mono

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The colour v black & white debate is something that I had a good few years ago and I decide that colour was the way forward for me.

This was partially due to my purchase of the X100T. Once I set the camera to classic chrome and looked through the viewfinder it was like a switch going off in my head and I was sold, hook line, and sinker.

Black and white still have its place especially with my commissioned work like weddings and portraits but with street photography is was going to be colour. For me, it is the difficulty of the two as there is a lot more thinking required, as all the elements need to be spot on for colour to work on the street.

I am not disregarding BNW but there is always the temptation to cover up the faults of the image by clicking that black and white button in Lightroom. And I think we can all agree that you cannot polish a turd by switching it to BNW and pumping up the clarity.

This is not me saying all BNW street work is shit because that would not be right as there are some superb street photographers out there who are producing some beautiful images in black and white.

And this is the point that we go full circle. I recently acquired the Fuji Film X100F and I am in love with the Acros film simulation settings especially the Red & Yellow filters. It was like a déjà vu moment when I looked through the viewfinder and I was seeing this beautiful grainy BNW image.

It is just small steps back into the world of BNW, but I am enjoying the process, so much so that I have opened another Instagram account for my BNW work.

Have I missed working in black & white? Yes and no but if I can have a slice of both worlds than I am happy with that. At the end of the day it is all about doing the things that make you happy.

New Instagram Page - https://www.instagram.com/kv_mono/

Keep the Faith

KV

MANCHESTER - X100F ACROS+RED

Comfort Fear.

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We all feel safe in our little photography comfort zones, but if we occasionally break out of it, then that’s when things can happen. We can get that lightbulb moment that pushes us on to the next level.

But what stops us from stepping out of this imaginary zone? And the simple answer is Fear.

Fear of being ignored, fear of negativity, fear of only getting a few likes on Instagram!!, fear that they will see your weak side or is it the fear of failure that keeps us in our little box.

Photography is about pushing our own creativity, and let us not forget why we picked up the camera in the first place. We did it for us, and we did not do it for likes and followers; we did it because we wanted to be creative.

I have always believed that if people enjoy my work, then that is a bonus, but if I start playing to my audience, who do I please them or me.?

This brings me on to my attempt at still life photography.

It was quite different from my usual work style, but I enjoyed the therapeutic process, and it got me out of this mental comfort zone.

Keep the Faith

KV

Fujifilm Love Affair

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I purchased the Fujifilm X100T about 5 years ago, and it was a game-changer for me.

The film simulation Classic Chrome opened a whole new way of seeing, and it was then that I decided to work more in colour.

My street settings for CC are quite simple.

Highlights -1 Shadows + 2 Colour +2

White Balance, DR, ISO all on Auto as I want the camera to do the donkey work.

Why the T? This is such a versatile little camera, and I have taken it to the limits, and it has never let me down. Even in trying conditions, the T keeps going.

I have shot a full wedding with it; my bare fist boxing was all done in jpeg, and probably 90% of my street work has been done with this camera. I have hardly ever used RAW, and that is because the jpegs give me everything I need.

But my love affair with the T is nearly over as I recently acquired the X100F, and this is a thing of beauty. It has renewed my interest in Black and White with the beautiful Acros film simulations.

It is just like the T but with steroids. ISO is better, the focus is sharp and quick, and it looks and feels good.

I also own the Xpro1 with the 35mm 1.4, again a superb camera that can be temperamental at times, but this camera can produce some beautiful images when it is on it.

Everyone is different, but I like to keep my set up nice and simple I do not chase after the next big thing in the hope it will make me better photographer as its practise that makes you better.

When things are not going right, always remember it is not the camera's fault. It is the idiot holding the camera.

Keep the Faith

KV

X100T Classic Chrome