streetphotographer

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

Perfect Strangers.

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It's a strange time for the creative, especially the street photographer who thrives off the busy streets. The lunchtime rush is no longer there, and the race to get home has all but disappeared.

We have a city in slow motion, and it can be difficult to find that creative thread.

For me, photo books are a great source of inspiration, and my latest addition is.

Melissa  O'Shaughnessy – Perfect Strangers.

This book has been like a breath of fresh air, especially in these uncertain times.

Melissa is our modern-day Helen Levitt, as both are beautiful humanists. I know that is high praise, but I would like to think if Levitt were alive today, she would be taking these kinds of images.

The framing of the subjects on a moving street is a testament to the hard work and dedication needed to produce good quality work on the street. And I, for one, admire that dedication.

Look closely enough, and you start to feel the sensation of the hustle and bustle of the city street.

We are there in the crowds, being pushed along and seeing what she is seeing. We witness kindness and, at times, tenderness, but there is also this movement that only adds to the narrative.

With each turn of the page, you can feel the rhythm of New York.

I have never had the privilege of watching Melissa work the street. I imagine she is so stealth-like that the subject only sees her for a fleeting second, and then she is gone looking for the next stranger.

Joel Meyerowitz wrote that this book would become a historical document in 20 -30 years. These images show us what the world looked like before Covid.

If you are looking for inspiration, I suggest adding this to your collection.

Thank you, Melissa, for giving us your Perfect Strangers.

Keep the Faith.

KV

https://melissaoshaughnessy.com/

Perfect Strangers on Amazon

Published by Aperture

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.

Like for Progress

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Like for Progress.

We can get bogged down with the constant barrage of images that we see online.

Instagram is a prime candidate for this. The more we look, the more we can become caught in the snowstorm of images.

We can look at the number of likes and see this as a success factor that has a knock-on effect on our progress. Our progress should not be graded on the number of likes we receive because that will always negatively affect us.

It was a conversation with a fellow photographer and a good friend who got me thinking about how we look at progress.

He was telling me about an image that he had taken and the thinking behind it. He explained the process and the way the composition came together. And to be fair, it is a decent enough image. The colour is spot on, the depth of the image is good, the technical aspects are all correct.

All in all, this is a successful image and one that he should and was proud of, but he based the success of that image on the number of likes he received. Reread it. He based the image's success not on the technical aspects of the fact that he had taken a decent photograph but also on the wider audience's engagement.

Social media is a game, and we are all being played off each other. Thankfully, I stepped out from that arena a long time ago.

Keep the Faith

KV

Northen Quarter , Manchester FujiFilm X100F

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

Progressing the Process.

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My life before photography was pretty chaotic. I was on a downward slope with no exit plan. So, when I eventually sorted my shit out, and the clouds of doom began to lift, I decided to fuel my interest in photography.

In the early days, it was all about nailing the image and shooting anything that moved. My approach was very sporadic, and I was blinkered because there was no real direction for my work. I was too busy looking for my next hit as I wanted photography to make me feel better about myself.

I could see myself burning out with the days of failure and frustration because photography was not providing me with the constant highs.

So, what changed? Me, I had to change because I was the problem.

It took me a good few years to find a style and an approach that I enjoyed doing. Nowadays, I work mostly in colour, and yes, I enjoy working with light and shadow, but I try and keep progressing bit by bit.

I still have them days when nothing is going my way, and I can find myself in the right place at the wrong time, but I no longer get frustrated and start questioning why am I doing this.

The difference between then and now is that I enjoy the process instead of expecting the process to make me feel better. There is no progress without failure.

Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, we all get there in the end.

Keep the Faith

KV

FUJIFILM X100T CLASSIC CHROME - JULY 2017

Marinade Your Work.

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First thing first, I am not talking about smearing your camera or laptop with BBQ sauce.

How many times have you been out on a street walk, and you think you have a couple of keepers in the bank and then rush home, get the SD card out, turn on the laptop find your keepers, give them a quick edit and upload them on to social media? From the street to social media in a matter of hours!

In my early days, I thought this behaviour was normal until I started to see the work that I was posting was not that good, or my image choice was not the correct one. At first, I put this down to experience, but then I realised that I was still emotionally attached to the image.

Over time, I have learned to step back from that day’s work and put it on the back burner and let them “marinate” doing this has helped me critique my own work without the emotion and excitement of that day.

Having this system has allowed me to build up a steady back catalogue of work.

Ask yourself, why are you uploading your work that quick? It could be one of a hundred things, but I have a sneaky feeling that you want that added gratification of not only taking a fine picture but the rewards of likes on social media.

Slow down, and the true rewards will come.

Keep the Faith

KV

MANCHESTER - 20TH JANUARY 2017 - X100T

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

Under the Influence #2

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Alex Webb.

Magnum Photographer Alex Webb is best known for his complex and vibrant street photographs from Latin America, Europe, and Africa.

 It was in 1979 that he made the transition from black and white to colour and the rest you can say is history.

When I was taking my first steps into the world of colour street photography his image from Tehuantepac, Mexico taken in 1985 was the one that fired my imagination.

If you are not familiar with the photograph, then I will describe it the best way I can and hopefully, you will find it on your next search for inspiration.

There are blue and white stripes on the building and monument which match the children’s clothing. At the forefront, there is a boy spinning a ball that looks like a globe of the world. Within the frame, there are 7 subjects and each one is serving a purpose not only are they bringing balance, but they are moving the viewer’s eye forwards then backward. But the most remarkable thing about the whole composition is the basketball going through the hoop at the top left of the image.

What can we learn from Alex Webb?

For me, its to try and look a little bit deeper, be patient, and trust your instincts.

I will never get to Alex Webb’s level, but I use his style of photography as a guideline for what is possible. And in street photography anything is possible.

Recommended Books – The Suffering of Light is a must for anybody’s collection.

"I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heart of the known awaits just around the corner" - Alex Webb

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