Street Photography

No better advice has ever been given to street photographers than that offered by Walker Evans, one of the greatest American photographers of the mid-twentieth century: ‘Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.’
I have been following a project that has been running on Flickr that is based around street photography.http://streetphotographynowproject.wordpress.com/ I thought this might be fun to try. It actually proved to be more difficult than I presumed. The first problem  was trying to find out what actually constitutes street photography, after a quick google search, it seems that it means many things. So I had to come up with my own definition. I think it is a desire to record the reality of everyday life, the private and public faces of people going about their daily life, in crisis, in happiness, in sorrow, alone or together, aware or unaware of the photographer.
One of my all time photographers was Dorothea Lange, she captured the forlorn, down trodden, helpless and homeless during the dust bowl of the 1930's.http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=d_lange 

I think we often forget that the  images of today are the photographic memories of tomorrow. The photographs that future generations will look at and try to imagine a time like we are living in today. The hardest thing about street and documentary photography is knowing what to capture. So I'm going to have a go at this project on flickr, I'm going to read the brief each week and see what I can come up with, trying to remember that they don't have to be clever or earth shattering, I just have to record a picture of life as I see it today.
This weeks brief was "look closer to home".

Yesterday we went to the Mango Strut http://kingmangostrut.org/parade.htm in Coconut Grove - Miami, Street photography was all around me. I didn't want to use a photograph of the parade though, as I don't think this really is street photography, although the parade is very controversial  and political, it is very obviously staged...not great for realism!
Brian and I were having tea in a French Bistro called Le Bouchon, I'm done I've taken loads of shots hoping I'll have at least one that I can use for the brief, when just as my tea and chocolate mousse arrive, I look up across the street and notice a couple sitting on a couch in the street, this was the shot this scene made great street photography!!!!!I took the shot and then went over for a chat to get some information about the couple.The couple owned the store or studio as they called it. It actually doesn't sell anything its a front for their catering company called Lasso the Moon., and they where just enjoying the winter sunshine, relaxing after a busy holiday season.

The contemplation of things as they are
without error or confusion
without substitution or imposture
is in itself a nobler thing than a whole harvest of invention. 

Thats my photo.....

Today I won the Photo of the Day at the Aperture Academy. This is a great feeling to be recognized by other photographers. I am pleased as punch as I won also in October with a close up of an Iguana's Eye. This photo was taking of South Havens Pier, just before sunset. It was a lovely evening made all the better as I was sharing it with my best friend Kim, who lives in South Haven. As this is the second post today just a quickie, have fun looking at the link and all the great photos. Its very interesting to see how many NYIP students have won over the last couple of months.http://potd.apertureacademy.com/index.php

Stop and take the Photo.

So today I was getting ready for the journey north, away from the sun and into the cold and snow. Im washing the dock down and lo and behold about 15 pelicans land in the marina. I carry on doing what I was doing, thinking all the time I should grab the camera......."this could be the shot". So I have to go inside the boat get the camera bag the tripod, change to my long fast lens...time is passing, but I didn't need to worry, the birds are having a feeding frenzy down the dock because a fisherman is cleaning fish.
I was glad I took the time to stop and take the picture, I ended up with several very nice shots. This is one of my favorites.

Camera Settings- f/2.8 ISO200 spot metering 1/2000 shutter.

Don't jump ahead.

For me this is one of the hardest things to learn, I am constantly jumping into the middle of things, I don't read manuals very well, I usually don't make it to the middle let alone to the end. Now I'm not talking novels, I read those, every word in the right order, I'm talking all those technical manuals that seem to accompany every piece of electronics we buy.Ive been using Photoshop for about 8 years now and it was only last night after receiving some bad prints back from the printer,that I picked up the CS Bible and started to read.Now Ive only just purchased CS5 and bought the "Bible". Never read much of it!!!!  Yesterday  I came across something interesting, there is a setting for your task bars that is especially for Photoshop users. Now to all you geeks out there, you can snigger, but to  of all those just like me let me show you:

1. Right click on your desk top
2. Choose personalization window color and appearance.
3. Choose Graphite.

Now how simple was that, I know its not rocket science but then I'm an artist not a Technie.
This is one of my favorite Photoshop Sites.http://www.planetphotoshop.com/

Looking towards 2011.

I've been on a journey this year that has brought me closer to who I am and to where I want to be.
I started the professional photography course with New York Institute of Photography, and I can't  tell you how much I have learned; its like drinking from a fire hose, a continuous stream of information. I've decided to record my journey this year, as I am hoping that I will take a huge step forward in marketing and selling my work. I have 10 new resolutions ( I know that resolutions are usually ignored once the alcohol wears off) but I'm determined in a way that only people who know me can understand. Join me on this journey as I share with you  what I have learned about life while looking through the lens of my camera.
RESOLUTIONS 

1. Finish NYIP course by fall of 2011.
2. Attend a photography workshop on wildlife.
3. Spend 20 days in the Everglades photographing wildlife.
4. Maintain my Web site on a regular basis (weekly).www.lost-lenscap.com
5. Find a studio or gallery that will display my work.
6. Put together a portfolio.
7. Hand out at least one business card a day.
8. Never leave home with out my camera and tripod.
9. Have confidence in my abilities to produce good work.
10. Never forget - "Don't dream your life, live your dream"