The Decisive Moment that Lead to the Decisive Moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908 – 2004), is considered a pioneer of photojournalism, though he himself claimed to be a surrealist photographer; it was Robert Capa who suggested to him that if he wanted to get any photography work, then he should call himself a photojournalist.  Cartier-Bresson is revered by many modern street photographers, and rightly so. What many don’t know is that as a young man he spent some time in Africa, where he got into a bit of trouble, made heaps of sketches and then, finally something happened that changed his life and the history of photography too.

Cartier-Bresson was trained as a painter, and that really was his passion and way of recording and interpreting the world around him. In a sense he wouldn’t necessarily describe himself as a “photographer”; he said that he turned to photography simply as a way to ‘testify with a quicker instrument than a brush’. But what led him to this change, to the picking up of a camera?  Well, still in Africa, he saw a photo in a magazine. This photo:

Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika (1930) Martin Munkacsi 

Seeing this extraordinary photo by Hungarian photographer  Martin Munkacsi, Cartier-Bresson understood immediately that, ‘photography could reach eternity through the moment’. He realised the potential of the camera to capture the ‘decisive moment’.

So, that was that. He bought a camera and the rest, as so many say, is history. Using a 35mm camera with a standard lens, allowed Cartier-Bresson to work quickly and unobtrusively.  The title of his book, Images à la Sauvette (changed for US publication to The Decisive Moment) means images on the sly; in other words, candid photography. I am not fond of the word sly, but that's just me. We know what it means really don't we?

Cartier-Bresson insisted on strong composition. He used the viewfinder to frame subjects precisely, preferring to crop the image in the camera (though, contrary to popular belief, he was no purist and cropped images if it suited his needs or what he wanted to say).

He shot in Black and White because he regarded the camera as simply a ‘sketchbook’. It's as simple as this. Perhaps this point may be a contribution to the black and white versus colour debate in street photography? Something to think about at least. For Bresson the choice was not one of aesthetics; it was merely a practical choice that met with his requirements and purpose.

Anyway, I digress. This simple but lovely photograph of a moment of joy being expressed by three young boys was a decisive moment which prompted this great artist to produce not only some of the finest photographs ever made, but also to actually shape the history of photography and especially street photography. 

Or, is this photo really of a very ordinary moment that, with the keen observation of the artist who senses when all the elements just come together to form a harmonious whole, is made decisive because it has been recorded? Makes you think of all those unrecorded moments doesn't it?

Create and Share That Which has been Created: A Mantra for all Artists

Hello My Darling (Melbourne Australia December 2012)

I wonder how many of your know that I am a poet. Well, to put it more accurately: I sometimes write poems. I might go a year with no poems appearing, and, then, as has happened recently, I will write one a day for several days in a row.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I was reflecting in my journal (yes, I keep a journal too, and have been for over 35 years, again with the occasional break) on one of these recent masterpieces, and I found myself writing that I was really quite pleased with the poem and how I expressed some real feelings in the piece and that it contained some really nice images (of the wordy variety that is).

I stopped writing at that point to think about it a bit more. Then I started writing again. Here’s what I wrote:

I’m really struggling to come to a point where I do all my creative work and especially my photography simply because it is what I want to do, and to let go of any expectations of it being liked by anyone else or commented on or whatever. I am trying to realise that my role is to create and to share. That is all

Then I stopped again. After a few moments, I wrote in bigger letters and in the middle of the page:

 Create and share that which has been created

Okay, it’s not a new idea, this do your art because it’s what you want to do and don’t worry about the reactions of others. I'm sure you've read the same thing on other blogs, but it’s an idea worth talking about again; it’s a kind of reminder to self (and maybe to others?) that it is why one does something that matters most. Although of course, being human it’s always nice when people approve of what one does. I guess it’s about not worrying overly much about what other people think. It’s about not thinking about what’s popular, what sells, what gets the most “Likes” and the rest.

So, that’s what I am trying to do in my work as a street and social documentary photographer: make the photos I want, for the reasons I want to make them. I always aspire to make my photos the best I possibly can, just as I always try to have the best possible reasons or motives for making them. In a sense, once I have done my best to send them out into the world, I have no control over what impact (or lack of impact) my photos have. Same goes for this blog or anything else I do.

Anyway, I am glad my sub-conscious presented me with a new mantra as I wrote in my journal:

               Create and share that which has been created.

 Peace

From Russia with Love: Making a Life of Beauty, Simplicity and Fearlessness

Tibet Himalayas, 1933by Nicholas Roerich (courtesy of Vanishing Ice)

Nicholas Roerich was a Russian, one of those crazy Russians who believed in beauty and art and culture as the means to create peace. Well, if he's crazy, then I sure would like some of whatever he had. Bring it on, that's what I say. Here's just a tiny snippet of what he said, as quoted in a very groovy book called Nicholas Roerich: A Master of the Mountains by Barnett D Conlan:

'... every Art creation is a dynamo charged with uplifting energy and a real
generator of enthusiasm and he (Roerich) looks to Art as the most effective instrument for leading towards a life of 'Beauty, Simplicity and Fearlessness', to a
'Fearlessness which possesses the sword of courage and which smites down
vulgarity in all its forms, even though it be adorned in riches.'

In the years before World War II Roerich set up what he called Centers of Culture around the world. I don't know too much about this aspect of his work, but I plan to check it out. His idea was that Art and Culture were the perfect tools for attaining peace. He was a painter (I went to his house in Naggar in the Himalayas in India which is now a gallery and museum. His paintings are almost not of this world; ethereal and radiating a kind of gentle but powerful energy of their own. If you want to see some of his paintings, go to this link), an explorer, linguist (he was the first to compile dictionaries for various Tibetan and other central Asian languages), and a writer.

I've been thinking about what he says about every work of art being a dynamo full of uplifting energy. Whether you are an artist or not, you are bound to feel this sometimes when creating or looking at a piece of art, in whatever medium. Of course it is also true to say that so much of what passes for 'art' or 'culture' is lacking in any energy at all; it's lifeless, made to serve the needs of the ego, the market or some other materialistic purpose. And then there is the art that, while it might be that dynamo full of energy that Roerich describes, has been created with sinister or destructive purpose in mind and emanates a whole other kind of energy.

I guess what I'm saying is that it is the intention of the artist that is key. Most of the artists I know (including myself) create with the intent of making something from our hearts, from our souls, and that we can put out there into the world carrying goodwill with it. These artists (me too) seek to record and interpret the world around us in a way that is enriching for others as well as, of course, for ourselves.

Whether we are aware of it or not, every time we unleash that 'dynamo charged with uplifting energy', we are contributing towards a life of  'Beauty, Simplicity and Fearlessness' for all of us. There could not be a more positive, more true reason for creating Art ... whatever that means for you.

Peace from me to you

All I Need is a Dollar a Month

Over the several years I have been focusing more and more on my work as a Street and Social Documentary photographer, and sharing my photographs with you all on the internet, I have received so much support, love and encouragement from so many people all over the world that I can hardly find the words.  I’ve discovered that, not only do many people like and value my work, but they have also shared me with how much they admire and support the vision that motivates me and informs all that I do.

And that leads me to the reason for this post. A couple of days ago I suddenly thought all I need to continue and expand my work is $A1 a month. Well, actually that’s a dollar a month from each one of you! I have so many plans, so many ideas, and while I intend to carry on as I am creating photos, expanding on my blog and whatever else I can think of to get my vision out there, that $1 a month will make it a lot easier and less stressful for me, help me get more of my work out there and enable me to share my vision with as many people as possible for as long as possible.

Some of you may be asking: Why should I give him $1 a month? What’s in it for me?  

These are both very good questions that I think only you can answer. You have to decide whether you want to support me and my work in this way; you have to decide if what I am doing is worth it.  The best way I can try to answer your questions is to tell you a little bit more about myself. 

UPDATE: As a thank you gift, I would like to offer anyone who chooses to support me in this way at least two full resolution, electronic versions of any of my photos for you to print and frame as you wish (the vast majority can be printed up to very large sizes).

As many of you already know I am a Social Documentary and Street Photographer. I come to my art from a Humanist perspective which means I strive in my work to celebrate humanity in all its diversity and specialness.  I believe strongly that there are no ordinary people, nor are there any ordinary moments. And I seek to share some of those moments. Love, Compassion and Empathy are the guiding principles that inform my work. If you would like to read a little more about my vision, you can read my Artist’s Statement here.

A few years back my partner Pauline and I decided to simplify our lives in order to focus on the things we consider most important. So, we sold our house, cars, furniture. Gave away our books, records, CDs and all the rest of the material evidence of over 30 years (and you should have seen the tons of rubbish we threw out as well!).

We live a very simple, minimalist lifestyle: we now have very few possessions (only what we can carry) and as a way to explore more places and live more frugally, we do house and pet sitting. We support ourselves through the sale of my work.

It is not an exaggeration to say that my work, my art, is my life. I am either photographing or writing, thinking about photographing and writing, researching and learning, communicating with others about their work and mine. In fact it’s part of my plan to really focus on sharing the work of others much more than I have in the past.

You can find out a lot more about me by going to the links below. Or you can talk to me directly with any questions or comments.  If after learning more about me and my work, you decide to support me with $1 a month (or more), then just follow these steps:

1. Go to my blog here
2. At the top of the right hand column you'll see a section with a Subscribe button and a dropdown menu
3. Click on the dropdown menu and choose the level of support you prefer
4. Click on Subscribe. You will be taken to PayPal
5. Follow the prompts at PayPal  to complete the (very secure) process

Thank you all so much for your support, whatever form it takes. I hope that I can continue to share my photographs, my experiences and my vision, with you all

with love

Paul

Links to my sites.

Paul's Pictures (my website)Instants Out of Time (my blog)Flickr (my photostream)About Me (a page with all my links)

The Rubik's Cube on a Beach Down Under

Rubix No Mystery for Local Surfer Boys (Sydney Australia May 2015)

No, your eyes do not deceive you. This is a giant Rubic's cube. On a beach. An Australian beach called Maroubra. Well, it's also the name of the suburb and right now we are staying about a kilometer from the beach. Maroubra is a word from the language of the Dharwahal Nation, the Indigenous people who lived in this area for many thousands of years prior to the European invasion and means place of thunder. A fitting name in a lot of ways: we've had some tremendous storms since we arrived here a couple of weeks ago. 

This over-sized Rubik's cube is something of a mystery (hence my title. Inspired huh?). The structure itself is the cover of a storm water drain. On a morning in 2009 locals taking their daily strolls noticed that overnight the plain concrete cube had acquired the look you see here. 

Of course it's been guessed that some time during the night preceding that fateful day, local artists made their way to this beautiful beach and did the deed. Naturally nobody has ever come forward to claim the work as their own; nor have investigations by the media and various other people, uncovered any clues.

So, it remains a mystery to this day. It is also a quirky addition to the beachscape and a colorful sight to behold. It also seems to be a favorite meeting point and even climbing apparatus if my observations today are anything to go by. Whoever painted it, the cube is an excellent example of how public art can improve what local governments like to call the amenity of a space. Color, humor, mystery. All in a what was once simply an unattractive block of concrete. 

Peace

Centuries Old Artistic Tradition Enriching the Streets of a 21st Century City

The Sun Shines Upon the Artist (Sydney Australia May 2015)

In the city of Sydney there is a train station (and ferry terminal) called Circular Quay. And in that station there is a platform with a view that just has to be the best view from a train station anywhere in the world. Well, I am sure it's up there anyway. Anyway, today, as I looked at the view, I saw a scene that really added that something extra and it was right below me on the quayside pavement.

Pepe Gaka is a pavement artist, or as they are called in Italy (Pepe is originally from Turin) madonarri. I had never heard this term until today when I read Pepe's signs. So, I looked it up on Wikipedia and here's what I learned:

The Italian Madonnari have been traced to the sixteenth century. They were itinerant artists, many of whom had been brought into the cities to work on the huge cathedrals. When the work was completed, they needed to find another way to make a living, and thus often would recreate the paintings from the church onto the pavement. Aware of festivals and holy days held in each province and town, they traveled to join in the festivities to make a living from observers who would throw coins if they approved of the artist's work. For centuries, many Madonnari were folk artists, reproducing simple images with crude materials such as tiles, coal, and chalk. Others, such as El Greco, would go on to become household names.

Interesting stuff don't you think? And to say that Pepe's work is absolutely stunning does little to convey its beauty and extraordinary technical quality. And this artist is not only talented, he spends his spare time volunteering as an art teacher, gives away completed works to charities and is, in the next couple of months, headed off on a world journey that will take a few years and see him travel around Australia and New Zealand, to several Asian countries, to Canada and the US, before heading for Europe. 

Pepe makes his living from donations from passersby who appreciate his work, just like all the madonnari before him. It's a fine tradition, and one that is alive and well on the streets of this modern and cosmopolitan city thanks to this fine artist.

You can find Pepe Gaka at the following places online:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

His own site

Or, if you're really lucky, you can find him most weekends at Circular Quay in Sydney. Either way, make sure you check him out; you won't regret it

PS: I'm hoping to post more photos, and perhaps a short video, I am planning on making from that train platform. So, stay tuned!

Peace 

For All Firies (firefighters) Everywhere: A tribute

For Firies Everywhere (Sydney Australia April 2015)

Firefighters are respected, even loved, everywhere. And that is exactly as it should be. I saw this mural on the back wall of the fire station in Newtown (an inner-city suburb) in Sydney Australia. 

While it is only one of many fine examples of wall art or "graffiti" in the area, I specifically chose to photograph this because I feel it is a fine tribute to all the firies (which is what we call these brave people here in the land of Oz).

So, there it is. I post this with love, respect and thanks to all the firies everywhere who daily risk death and their short and long term health to keep us safe.
Peace

One Street Photography Lesson I've Learned from the singer Kenny Rogers

I'm republishing this from a few months back because I think it's a lesson worth getting out there. Enjoy!

Okay, let's begin at the beginning. Kenny Rogers is (or was) a very big name in Country music. Not an obvious introduction to a post on street photography you might think. Well, you see, among his many chart topping hits, there was one called The Gambler. He made that tune famous!

  Anyway, it's about a couple of guys stuck on a "train to nowhere". One, a gambler, starts talking to the other guy because they're both too tired to sleep. He says (and forgive my paraphrasing) "You know son, I make a living out of reading people's faces. And I reckon that yours suggests you've seen better days. So, if you give me a swig of your whiskey I'll give you some advice, an 'ace' you can keep". Or words to that effect.

   He then drinks the whiskey and starts to give the guy some really good advice about knowing when to walk away, knowing when to run; when to hold your cards and when to throw them away. Still, I hear you saying, what's this got to do with street photography? Okay, here's the bit of the song I'm talking about:

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done.

Still not being real clear am I? Alright, here it is in street photographer lingo:

You never chimp* while you're on the street and still making photographs. There'll be plenty of time later once you've uploaded your memory card to your computer for checking how many good ones you got, and how many you didn't; what you've done right, and what you've done wrong.

Now, all of us who use digital cameras have been guilty of such behavior. And it's a very bad habit! I mean, while you're busy peering at the monitor on the back of your camera, you aren't there and then; you're no longer on the street. You are no longer of the street—and you are no longer in the moment either. You're off in your head somewhere, analyzing. You've left the Zone'! Not only does it take some time to get back into the Zone when you lift your head once again to the street, just think of what you have missed as the life of the street has just flowed right on by while you've been distracted by your monitor analyzing.

  Many street photographers actually turn their monitors off, so they aren't tempted to 'chimp'. And of course this is where our film using sisters and brothers are ahead of the game. They have no choice but to wait till later to see what they've got.

  The gambler gives his advice about not counting your money while still at the table because he knows that once you take your eyes, mind and heart off the game, you set yourself up for a losing streak. Think about when you last caught yourself chimping. Do you think you missed some good opportunities? Did you miss some good moments? Did it take you some time to get back into the game, sorry, I mean the Zone?

  So, here's what I suggest you do: Resist the temptation (and after several years of photographing on the street, I admit I still succumb occasionally—and pay the consequences too). Just don't look at your monitor. Turn it off if you like. It really is that simple; Tough love of this sort is the only solution. Actually, that's the tough part. You can add some love by setting up a reward system for when you find yourself not chimping for a whole session on the street. Here's what I do: I remind myself that I am going to sit down "in a little while" to have a coffee or cup of tea. Just to rest my legs you understand. If I've been good and not chimped, I will then—and only then—allow myself a quick run through of the images I've made so far.

   But, even then, though, I don't like to spend a lot of time analyzing what I've done. If I do, I run the risk of getting too much into the thinking mode, and right away from the Zone where I am really in and of the street, and in the moment. And, really, that's where the best street photographs are made.

*The Urban Dictionary defines 'chimping' as:

What one does after taking a picture with a digital camera and looking at the result.(My Note: The street photography take on this would be: checking whether or not we have "captured the moment").  Derived from the words they (photographers) speak when chimping: "Ooo-oo-oo!" (as in the sounds chimpanzees make)

 Disclaimer:

         I do not endorse gambling. In fact, I believe gambling (as in poker, horse racing, sports betting            and the rest) is a curse and more often than not simply another way for the rich to get richer on          the backs and with the money of the poor.

PICK OF THE WEEK: My Work Goes On despite distractions

Hi everyone
This week's Pick is actually my Tumblr Pick of the Week from this week. I just felt that it is such an important post that I really needed to repeat it here on Instants Out of Time. Hope you don't mind!
As always I really do welcome your comments or feedback.

An Outstretched Hand Ignored (Ubud Bali Indonesia)

Our five weeks in Bali is rapidly drawing to an end. And I thought for this week’s pick I would just talk a little about some thoughts I’ve been having the last couple of days. You see, I have felt distracted here. Yes, I know it’s a funny word to use in the circumstances. I mean, here we are in Bali for crying out loud! It’s a beautiful place in so many ways; it’s given us so much to think about and it’s been overall a hugely interesting and valuable travel experience.

I find it hard to just have a “holiday”. I want to be out on the street working all the time. But as I’ve just said there is so much to see here and such colour to occupy the eye and mind that focusing on street photography has been just too difficult. I know, I really should have just said, “Hey, relax. You’re on vacation.” But there you are. I can’t and couldn’t. So I just did the best I could, and in the end I have managed the odd image that I think works.

Anyway, the thoughts I’ve been having about distractions. I have decided that I don’t really want to photograph pretty landscapes or other scenes. I don’t want to do flowers or trees or sea scenes or anything else. All I want to do, all I’m any good at all at, is humanist street and social documentary photography. You see, when I go out to the streets I want to just be there, and not looking around for the pretty scene, building, tree or statue or whatever else that isn't about the people and life there and then.

I’ve found it’s pretty much impossible to do justice to my work or even to whatever it is that distracts me when I am not focused on the work. And, at the end of the day, that’s the point really. The work I do is too important to allow it to be diluted by a wandering eye and mind that is distracted by other things. I do not suggest that those other things are “bad” or it’s wrong to photograph them. Not at all. There are so many wonderful and talented photographers who show us every day what a wonderfully beautiful world we live in with their landscapes, nature photographs, and the rest. I for one am grateful to them all.

My role however, is as a street and social documentary photographer. I am rededicating myself to my work and my aspiration to become good at what I do.

The photo I have chosen for this week’s pick is stark and dramatic.  It is a market scene that could be anywhere in the world. But it happens to be in Ubud in Bali. I will let it speak for itself.

Peace

Stealth Has No Place in Street Photography

"Have you got the latest stealth camera from.....? It's great for street photography."
How often have I read this or something similar  How often have I read the need for stealth when doing street photography. How often have there been arguments about the pros and cons of big cameras versus little (usually expensive and "trendy") ones. On and on it goes with the great hunters who think that shooting people and doing it in a clandestine manner like some spy with the latest "stealth camera" is what street photography is about. Why, did you know one of the most expensive camera names in the world (no names are here mentioned, and it would be a mistake by legal eagles to think they know what I'm talking about) is touted by some as being an ideal stealth camera for street photography? 

Before I really get started, why don't we look up a definition of stealth? Hang on, I'll be right back. Okay, a quick search and here is the first definition that came up (I've cut and pasted it directly):

stealth  

/stelTH/

Noun Cautious and surreptitious action or movement: "the silence and stealth of a hungry cat".

Adjective (chiefly of aircraft) Designed to make detection by radar or sonar difficult: "a stealth bomber".

Synonyms noun.   secrecy adjective.   secret - recondite - insidious - clandestine Blimey, it's heavier than I thought. You see, I had the idea to do a post on stealth because I dislike the word when it's used in the context of street photography. I knew it was the name of a bomber, but "surreptitious"? I can kind of live with "cautious" but, "insidious"? Wow. Actually, now I think about it, this all fits nicely with my thoughts on the subject of stealth. You see, one of the big argument for stealth in street photography is that "street photographers"  don't want to appear creepy or sneaky or in some other way disreputable. For me, street photography is about documenting real life as it occurs. As you've read and heard me say before,  I think there are no ordinary moments, all moments have the potential to be decisive. Anyway,today is not the day to  go over all that again. Cutting to the chase, I will just say stealth goes totally against all I stand for as a street photographer and as an artist. I believe in honesty in all things, and photographing people on the street is no exception. Now, while I don't often ask for permission from subjects, I never try to hide either myself, my camera or my intentions from the people I hope to be fortunate enough to photograph. But, I hear some of you say, if you're seen that makes it no longer a "true" street photograph. It changes the scene, it influences the subjects. On and on it goes. But, really, is this all actually true? Well, obviously sometimes a subject will see the camera and change their expression or do something to "pose" or whatever. What's wrong with that I would ask. It's not as if it happens very often. Well, not to me anyway. I haven't actually looked at the percentages, but I think the number of people who actually see me or my camera is pretty low. And what happens when they do see me and it somehow changes their manner or pose or whatever? Well very often it is just that change that makes the image what it is. A genuine human interaction takes place; a moment is shared and experienced together. And, in my not ever so humble opinion, that is a great thing indeed. And the times when it doesn't "make" the image? Well there's been no harm  done and it's still pretty much a positive experience all round. Oh, one more thing. Not only do I use a DSLR (with a battery grip for easier vertical work), but I also use either of two zoom lenses ranging from medium wide to telephoto. It can be a heavy beast and a pretty plain to see one as well. But I don't care! I love using it; the quality of the images it produces is amazing; and if I am going to record other human beings then I have a deep responsibility to record them in the best possible way I can. That's what I try to do. Everything I do as a photographer in the streets is done in plain sight. Note, I do not say that I "hide in plain sight"; I never hide. There is no reason to. I do not claim to be a great photographer; no, not at all. But, I have to say that what I do and at least some of the results I achieve seem to fly in the face of the conventional  or received wisdom or lore surrounding street photography: I do not hide, yet I am able to go unnoticed most of the time; I use a "big" camera, yet still go unnoticed much of the time; my camera is heavy, yet I am able to record moments quickly, even movements as they happen; I do not "zone focus", yet my AF lens seems to record all kinds of little nuances; I use a long lens, yet I am still (according to many viewers of my work) able to achieve a sense of intimacy with my subjects that street photography lore says can only be achieved with a short lens and by being very close to the subject. Need I go on?  Well, there is one more thing I want to say. I've seen and heard so-called street photographers and "teachers" of street photography say that it is a dangerous thing to be doing. By this I mean to say there is a fear that is promoted (and I mean promoted) that a street photographer runs the risk of being attacked physically by irate people not wanting to be photographed. I even heard one of these "teachers" ask one of his "students' on a video: "Have you been punched yet". This might be a slight misquote, but you get the point I think. Is this why so many people are "doing" street photography now? To prove bravery and/or bravado in the face of a perceived physical threat? If it is, then it's a very sad and scary development in the history of photography. In my entire life as a photographer (it's a lot of years!), and more to the point, in my four or five years of "serious" street photography work, I have never been punched. The nearest I have ever come to being even verbally attacked is a guy in a car yelling at me as he sped past using some colourful language about my camera which was at that point hung innocently over my shoulder. Even when people have objected to being photographed (another myth: "most people don't want to be photographed. Total and absolute rubbish. I accept that it is true in some cultures of course, but the exact opposite has been my experience) they have simply said no. Sometimes more strongly than other times, but never in a way that could be seen as "violent" or attacking. Look, in truth there is nothing special about me. There really isn't. I am not on a hunt; I don't shoot people; I don't steal souls; I don't capture subjects. I do not sneak around looking to catch people doing silly or quirky or "interesting" things.  I simply practise my art, my street work, with compassion, love, respect and in a thoughtful, calm and, I could say, prayerful  manner. I have no need to hide, as I have already said. I have no need of stealth. I do not do anything that could be construed as insidious. Perhaps there are a few questions those who wish to work as street photographers need to ask of themselves. Why is it that I need to hide? Do I need a "stealth" camera or mode of operating? If I do, why do I? And the big one: Do I really want to peruse an activity that could be seen as insidious? I for one do not want myself or my work to be seen in a negative light, when what I do is so enriching, so important (in my opinion) and seeks to present an honest view of people going about their normal lives in the world we all share together Peace to you all

Lightroom Black and White Processing for Street Photographs See My Video!!!

Well my friends I am venturing into the wonderful world of YouTube! I have not only put up four slide shows of my street photographs, I have now produced a video of the Lightroom process I use when preparing my street photographs for the web.I find that for the vast majority of images, Lightroom is all I need, only rarely venturing into Photoshop for any odd bit of cloning or similar. But, I avoid that as much as possible, particularly in my street work. I hope you find it illuminating and, as always, your comments or criticisms are most welcome.

PLEASE GO HERE TO VIEW THIS VIDEO!

Let Me Go to the Spirit in the Sky



When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky