As with many forms of expression there is something about the feel of the pen on the paper, the touch of the brush on a canvas, or in this case the need to press that button and hear the click and shutter noise that keeps us wanting to do it again and again. We don't know why this happens. We just know that we believe we see something that we must record.
Whether it is in the form of a painting, a poem, a photograph, a story written or told, there's an idea behind it pushing in our veins and activating our bodies to express it in physical form in order to get it out into the open.
For this particular exercise, I decided to give myself a destination and do a little street photography in an attempt to get a more intimate understanding of what makes Los Angeles special. Now, please understand that I find photojournalism, nature, and street photography to be some of the most challenging genres in the medium, and that I hold those who do it with the upmost respect.
This is by far a craft that is very difficult for me, and my little field trips are small attempts to walk in the shoes of those who have mastered the craft such as André Kertész, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bill Cunningham and so many others and examine the relationship between the photographer, the city, and its people in an age where our consciousness of the camera is either this ubiquitous annoyance of people taking selfies all around us, or that of an intrusive eye hatching over our everyday lives.
Whether we like to admit it or not, the relationship between a photographer and his / her subject is very different today than what it was just 20 years ago.
Digital vs. Analog
There is of course many sides one can take about what equipment is best to use for what situation. I will leave those discussions to those who are well versed in the latest equipment and / or tutorial sites, which by the way, can be very helpful if you are looking for a place to start your research. My personal attention is more towards the experience of being a street photographer and what effects it may have in my (or your) growth as such.
Most of the time I shoot with a Canon 50D, and if I'm going to an event or location where photography is typically expected to occur, or while travelling I will take that with me. But, for me, digital has two consequences;
1. Since it allows you to collect as many photos as you can fit in your memory card, one tends to do just that and shoot indiscriminately while letting the camera do most of the work. In this situation, I find many times that although I may have collected many photographs, I have missed the experience of being there, especially if visiting a museum exhibit, travelling, visiting a building, or a performance event. The rare exception to this is in occasions where your whole body is fully involved as when taking photos of sports like surfing or skateboarding. I believe in those situations, your level of awareness is heightened exponentially for reasons of self preservation.
2. Disposability. When shooting digitally some of us may simply not take the time it takes to make the shot count. Although I do have a tendency to "shoot from the hip" and sometimes catch some worthy images, I mostly appreciate those shots where I slowed down, composed the shot and waited for the right moment. The limited number of exposures, and the cost of film and developing force me to think about what I'm shooting.
That said, I currently shoot with a very well worn Canon A-1, or a Continette Ikon. I also find that most people are curious about someone shooting with film and tend to be more friendly. Compared to the 50D with a zoom lens, the smaller size of the film camera body and (fixed) lens are also perceived as less intrusive. On the other hand, it does mean that you have to be where the action is to take the shot.
What I chose to share with you in this blog are mostly shots of the mundane day to day details of the world around us that for some reason grab my attention. Moments or situations that are sometimes inspiring, sometimes ironic, funny, disturbing, sweet, graphic, violent, romantic, unique, redundant....you name it. Basically the shit that we see everyday that perhaps if captured in a photograph may just slow us down for a moment of contemplation.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jorge