As a photographer and editor, I’ve recently become distressed by those few photographers who insist on taking photographs that don’t conform to common photographic practice. That is to say, these frondeurs ignore 180 years of tradition and insist on taking shots that are unique, having little or no banality to speak of. I don’t understand…
The one comment that people always make, when I tell them I’m a street photographer, is, “I don’t think I could ever work up the nerve to photograph people like that.” Often, that statement is followed up with, “Don’t they ever get mad at you?” Since I first started taking candid photos in the street…
This following piece has been inspired by many a discussion with Bill on the subject of photography and all the idiosyncrasies that occur repeatedly it seems, as a result of those trying to define the pursuit of photography. My reasons for writing this particular piece are two-fold: I am deeply passionate about photography. I’m fortunate enough…
The longer I pursue photography, the more I am convinced that is it too ephemeral to capture. It is a fleeting thing, an idea, really, as we attempt to capture light with a butterfly net, all the while being enraptured by the shadows they make on the ground beneath our feet. There are those who…
Now, if you’re old school like me, you might think my title is an invitation to play a little one-on-one basketball. However, no, my knees are too rooted to the earth for that. In this case, I’m referring to the language that surrounds photography. To the bristling disdain of my American ears, many professional photographers…
This is an extension of a post I published on my photography blog, FirewingPhotography.com, regarding the photo below and the idea of truth in street photography. This is a simple shot of two people sitting in an old Citroën in Lido, Venice, Italy in late September 2016. It’s approaching sunset, the sky is filled with…
M and I have been talking about leveraging our series on the Art and History of Street Photography into a sort of online course on street photography and art and photography in general. All of that has been on hold with all of the activity in our lives, namely her moving to the U.S. from…
1. “Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.” — Robert Frank Truth: Photographers used black and white because 1) it was much cheaper than color; 2) color chemicals would eventually cause permanent physical damage; and 3) It’s easier…
There’s been a lot of debate about the use of raw processing (including some in the Jones-Phillips household) and whether its benefits outweigh the storage burden. After some early raw trials on my Nikons, wherein I determined that for all but the completely failed shots raw was superfluous, I have to admit I was firmly…
Sometimes you’re lucky in your life, and you get a benediction from somebody who actually speaks your language and cherishes that you’ve joined the tribe … you’re no longer lost.
Raw, Naked Art 