Steve M.
Veteran
You're a brave man to sun bathe in San Francisco. I was always freezing when I lived there.
For me, junk yards, classic car meets, and most any big public event (where people are not concerned about being photographed and seldom even notice you) are good fishin opportunities. If I can drag myself out of bed early enough, the beautiful light gives everyday objects a special look, at least for a brief period of time. 4 PM and a little after are good too. You get that side lighting, and there's still enough sun to get good contrast. Boats and their reflections in the water usually work, and lately I've been shooting B&W stuff at the beach where it's really difficult to get something worthwhile. When you do it's pretty neat. I always have a camera w/ me when I step outside. Always. There's a bad memory of a once in a lifetime shot that wasn't taken due to having no camera. My philosophy is not just for cameras....it's better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
For what it's worth, galleries seldom seem to want journalistic shots, or portraits of people who are not famous. They don't sell. I'll still include a portrait or two if it's truly exceptional when approaching new opportunities to show, but I've slowly learned to go after more of an "art" look, whatever that is, when approaching art galleries, which is really why I shoot. They like experimental stuff too. B&W photos are a tough sell to most galleries anyway. No matter how good the work, when placed next to a painting w/ juicy colors it goes pretty much unnoticed. The photo usually involves going slower, and getting up close to see what's going on. The painting gets your attention w/ just a short look from afar, and you can process all the information very quickly. Which is why I go for a more painterly look now. Simple composition, large print size, dark blacks, lots of contrast. A Leica lens usually solves all that nicely :] Of course, unlike the painting, I need the right subject in front of me first, which is not that easy. B&W photography is harder than I ever imagined it would be, compared to painting anyway.
For me, junk yards, classic car meets, and most any big public event (where people are not concerned about being photographed and seldom even notice you) are good fishin opportunities. If I can drag myself out of bed early enough, the beautiful light gives everyday objects a special look, at least for a brief period of time. 4 PM and a little after are good too. You get that side lighting, and there's still enough sun to get good contrast. Boats and their reflections in the water usually work, and lately I've been shooting B&W stuff at the beach where it's really difficult to get something worthwhile. When you do it's pretty neat. I always have a camera w/ me when I step outside. Always. There's a bad memory of a once in a lifetime shot that wasn't taken due to having no camera. My philosophy is not just for cameras....it's better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
For what it's worth, galleries seldom seem to want journalistic shots, or portraits of people who are not famous. They don't sell. I'll still include a portrait or two if it's truly exceptional when approaching new opportunities to show, but I've slowly learned to go after more of an "art" look, whatever that is, when approaching art galleries, which is really why I shoot. They like experimental stuff too. B&W photos are a tough sell to most galleries anyway. No matter how good the work, when placed next to a painting w/ juicy colors it goes pretty much unnoticed. The photo usually involves going slower, and getting up close to see what's going on. The painting gets your attention w/ just a short look from afar, and you can process all the information very quickly. Which is why I go for a more painterly look now. Simple composition, large print size, dark blacks, lots of contrast. A Leica lens usually solves all that nicely :] Of course, unlike the painting, I need the right subject in front of me first, which is not that easy. B&W photography is harder than I ever imagined it would be, compared to painting anyway.
Sparrow
Veteran
... David Bailey said the same the other month on the wireless ... I find I use progressively fewer films in places that I return to regularly, but I like to think the quality of the photos improve as the quantity decreases.
Rodchenko
Olympian
The Yorkshire Dales lend themselves easily to my eye.
I find it difficult to find much more to say photographically about the desperately dull London suburb I live in, but I still try. Similarly, the walk to work is boring, and hard to extract anything of interest. I often find myself taking photos I've taken before.
I find it difficult to find much more to say photographically about the desperately dull London suburb I live in, but I still try. Similarly, the walk to work is boring, and hard to extract anything of interest. I often find myself taking photos I've taken before.
Sparrow
Veteran
... however if one lives there they pass unnoticed much of the time
Rodchenko
Olympian
I lived there for a portion of my life. But not as a photographer, sadly.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Back on topic: the north west coast of Scotland.
Regards, David
PS Re: boring walks to work. Mundane shots are never taken and then years later you realise it's all changed and you can't show a picture of it. People think you're daft as a brush when you take them but they gain in value over the years.
Regards, David
PS Re: boring walks to work. Mundane shots are never taken and then years later you realise it's all changed and you can't show a picture of it. People think you're daft as a brush when you take them but they gain in value over the years.
noisycheese
Normal(ish) Human
Mongolia; ho-lee crap, talk about a target rich environment for your camera!!
You are very fortunate having had the opportunity to travel to Cuba. It is on my top five "must see" list.
semi-ambivalent
Little to say
Sparrow
Veteran
Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
Absolutely! For example, a boring mundane picture of a railway platform...
...but put it together with a boring mundane picture of the same platform, a few years later...
...and you have history!
:angel:
David_Manning
Well-known
Great shot list, Roger. Now, where was that passport...
David Hughes
David Hughes
Absolutely! For example, a boring mundane picture of a railway platform...
...but put it together with a boring mundane picture of the same platform, a few years later...
...and you have history!
:angel:
Yup. Exactly why it should be done. You'll miss the fire in the waiting room too...
Regards, David
fotomeow
name under my name
Yes, Cuba is a living library. And I also find this to be the case with any other country that has a strong cultural history mixed with colonial influences which has been preserved to some degree: the mix of the really old-school and unique cultures with that of the "newer" cultures of the west. Not just Havana/Cuba, but Burma (Rangoon in particular), Mumbai - Laos -and the Hill Tribes there are fascinating. I think Buenes Aires would be fascinating too, but haven't been there yet (yet!).
Paul Jenkin
Well-known
I'm not sure I subscribe to the belief that there are guaranteed, sure-fire, point-and-shoot photographic destinations. I can only speak for myself but, for me, it takes a while to get my "eye" focused when I'm somewhere new. I'll agree that there are some places which lend themselves to being photographed more than others but there's the risk If you can call it such) that what you're photographing has been shot a thousand times before and usually better (certainly in my case).
Nothing wrong with shooting the odd clicheed scene but I try (not always successfully) to look for the off-beat and quirky. The things that are less obvious. That's probably why most of my photography only really has much meaning to my wife and myself as we were the only ones there at the time.
Nothing wrong with shooting the odd clicheed scene but I try (not always successfully) to look for the off-beat and quirky. The things that are less obvious. That's probably why most of my photography only really has much meaning to my wife and myself as we were the only ones there at the time.
It's funny, but I'm the opposite. I only get better as I get more familiar with an area.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
I am increasingly convinced that there are two major groups of photographers: those like me who prefer novelty and those like you who prefer familiarity. I wish I could feel the way you do, but I can't. The trouble is that surprisingly many on each side feel the need to put the other side down. Odd, that.
Cheers,
R.
gns
Well-known
I guess there is a third group that prefers neither. Those that do not avoid the novel or dramatic scene, but also happily photograph the banal as well. They accept that a good photograph could happen just about anywhere.
Gary
Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
Indeed. There's always something I can find to photograph
Sparrow
Veteran
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Gary,
Of course a good photograph can happen just about anywhere. That was not how I understood the discussion though. I understood it as a matter of which you find more stimulating, the familiar or the unfamiliar. This is why I'm not sure there's a "third group".
Also, "banal" and "familiar" are not quite the same.
Cheers,
R.