How I got into Street Photography

I forced myself to learn new skills every year, two skills actually. Usually, one in the fall for rainy days and one in the spring to inspire and motivate me. Flowers/Digital Processing, Birds/Mastering RAW, Street Photography/B&W Photography, Fine Art Landscapes/Darkroom, Fine Art/Digital Printing.

Wait, what? Darkroom. Yes, that was the “Darkroom” you saw there. I won’t get into the long list of why I chose each of those two topics/subjects to learn year after year (and new ones since) but let’s touch on the darkroom.

To this day some of the best prints in the world are old-fashioned B&W Analog Prints. Not those we do on RC Paper but those toned Fiber Prints or even those Platinum Prints (OK and carbon prints and others). The point is those prints are all very special. How was I going to learn how to make similarly exceptional prints when I did not even know how they were made, or how they even actually looked like up close. I spent a lot of time in the darkroom in the last six years of my schooling. My teacher was an exceptional photographer and he drove me to make great RC prints. But, as good as my prints may have been, they were not at all like some of the exceptional prints I have seen since in galleries. So, back to the darkroom I went to learn from two other exceptional analog photographers and printers. I worked hard taking 3 college darkroom courses over a two-year period. During that time, I read up on what makes great B&W prints, what qualities do they have, or need to have. And, what makes great B&W Images in the digital world. I worked on my Digital printing and strived to make them as near as I could to perfect analog gallery prints.

I learned a lot and had a great time being back in the darkroom. I made some good friends. And most importantly, I became a much better Digital B&W (and Color) printer.

The point is I pushed myself into learning Digital B&W Printing using magazines, books, classes and lots of Internet research. Oh, and during that time I did a ton of digital printing and even learned how to create better RAW images that would result in better quality prints.

After I finished my quest for better B&W digital printing, I next chose to push myself out of my comfort zone by diving into Street Photography. The ‘photography’ component was not out of my comfort zone as I had done years of news and sports photography, but despite not being shy, I still didn’t feel comfortable capturing images of complete strangers without first asking for their permission.

I stumbled across a one night “Introduction to Street Photography” class offered by a local Street Photographer, took the class, and fell in love with Street Photography. Literally as simple as that. Using the same techniques and drive that I had for other learning opportunities, I threw myself at Street Photography and never really looked back. I still work on some other photography, some art projects and such, but more and more I find myself wanting holidays in large cities rather than beaches and tourist locals and traps.

Since then, I have travelled the East Coast of the U.S. hitting Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, some of the West Coast including Vancouver, Seattle and Portland and some European cities like Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Venice and others. I was even in Jerusalem, and as much as I loved my tour of Israel including Masada and Petra, Jordan, it was Jerusalem and Palestine I fell in love with. I didn’t have to think very long about why that was, it was the amazing people I met and the incredible photographic opportunities.

Now I find myself already booked on another trip to Paris in October. Partly to get some me time, but also to get more shooting in and, to take two back-to-back 3-day workshops with Valerie Jardin while I am there.

If you want to get better at something, throw yourself at it. And not with a little bump, but with enough force to make a big crash! Learn what you need to learn properly, give it time so you master it. Not become a master, but rather shoot it without having to think about what you need to do, what settings you should use and so on. Do it long enough so that it’s at least second nature and comfortable.

Also, very importantly, learn all the different ways and techniques required for the genre you have chosen. In Street Photography, learn shooting blind, from the hip, point and shoot, dive in, and the various other techniques including some clandestine methods. You will inevitably like one style more than the others. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you only tried the technique, you hated the most? Do some research and give yourself some boundaries that fit within your persona and ethics whether you shoot pure Street Fashion, RAW Street Photography, Street Portraiture, Cityscapes, or some other variant.

If after that time you do not really like this new quest, you have taken, its ok, nothing you have learned will have been a waste of time. All the skills and techniques you learn make you a better photographer in almost every other genre. Street photography is no exception. Many Wedding Photographers and Photographic Story Tellers owe their success to street photography.

It’s time to make some noise, what will you throw yourself at?

See you on the streets!

We learn from others via meetups, coffee with peers, clubs, magazines, books, classes, and workshops (online or in-person) and even by looking at many images. We take bits and snippets of all that knowledge that we deem to be true to what we do or want to do as artists. When we take a workshop and listen for two or three days, we hear a lot we already know, we hear things we do not think are good or valid for what we do or how we shoot or we may just not even want to try it. We will hear new things that make sense and based on our success when we try it, we will keep doing it or we will toss it aside.

Over time it is a culmination of all these things we learn, and the decisions we make as to which we will implement or toss aside, that fashion who we are as photographers and artists. They are what will guide our path to ‘our’ style. But, are we making the right decisions as to what we choose to accept as photographic truths that we implement in how we photograph?

New photographers that have just picked up a new camera are excited. They want to be photographers and will go around and shoot whatever they can. Cats, dogs, fire hydrants (because it’s not running away). They try to take in as much as they can as quickly as they can usually from the internet which is filled with many sites that frankly give bad advice; often, incorrect advice. As they progress, they often turn to clubs that then guide their hands and eyes into specific paths that are led by the club organizers and ultimately by the associations the clubs are members of.

Through the club, they will do outings or evening workshops and they will try many new things and new genres. Flowers one day, landscapes another, and long exposures on yet another day. They often only get a general gloss over on how to do these things. Then, based on what they have learned, how they did in their first few attempts, and even on how good the presenter was, they make a decision on whether they like the new skill or genre or not.

This is a bad way of learning new things and a bad way of making decisions on whether you like something or not. How can you decide something when you do not know how to do it, or how to do it well, or correctly?

When I returned to photography after an 18 year absence, I used something that at the time I called “Forced Learning” to help me learn new skills (technical or artistic). The first Forced Learning tasks I gave myself were Flower Photography and Digital Editing. Flower Photography because we were entering the rainy winter season and what I was going to shoot were flowers in a Studio setting so I could get back to working with Portable Flash units and Lighting. Flowers are also very difficult to photograph and decided to take on the challenge of creating good flower photos. Digital Editing was because I knew nothing about it and knew that I needed to learn it.

The important part was not my decision to just ‘try’ something, but rather to master these things. To learn it very well to the point I could teach it if asked. Well enough to win some awards with my photos, even if only at club level.

Both of these things made me a better photographer. I learned an awful lot by mastering these two skills. The following season I tackled Bird Photography and D.A.M. (Digital Asset Management.) and then the following year, B&W Photography and Printing.

B&W Photography and Printing so much so that I decided to take some darkroom classes to get back into the darkroom so that I could learn to make my Digital B&W Prints look more like classic Darkroom Prints. This helped tremendously. The point is that learning these things to the point of mastering them, is not only what helps you become a better photographer, but after spending months working and learning a new skill, you are in a much better position to decide whether you like that genre or not.

For me, the realization was getting into Street Photography. This was one of my Forced Learning skills. I had chosen it because it was going to take me out of my comfort zone. Because I knew nothing about it. And, because I dreaded even going out and shooting strangers on the streets.

I ended up taking a three-hour evening Introduction to Street Photography class, then read a few books while I forced myself to go out and shoot. And here we are, years later, and Street Photography is now my favorite genre; all because I chose to master a new skill.

Forced Learning is your friend. It WILL make you a better photographer. You can use ut to learn new Genres like Street Photography, new Skills like B&W Conversion from Color, or even new Techniques like Zone Focusing. Think about your weaknesses and choose some Forced Learning challenges that will improve your weaknesses or skills you need.

It’s time to become a better photographer! See you on the streets!

Finding motivation, let alone inspiration during these extreme weather, lockdown, potential war, COVID times, can be very difficult for some. Add to that a spouse that gets a brain aneurism followed by a stroke, followed by a nasty long to deal with CDIF infection, three surgeries, and COVID-19. That made for difficult times for me. In the past, I was able to turn to photography to rest my mind. But, with everything going on and with work so extremely busy, it has been nearly impossible. I have not picked up a camera in 2 years and a bit.

Things are turning. My life is settling down after a difficult move. Things are settling in. In the last two months, I have judged/critiqued for clubs and in the next week, I will do one more remote session and will for the first time, judge/critique in person!! I am so looking forward to that.

I have dusted off my cameras and lenses and I am eager to get back out shooting. My first foray out will be this Saturday in an easy-to-shoot neighborhood. A camera, a friend, coffee, and a Camera Store. The makings of a perfect day provided the weather holds.

During my COVID break, as I call it, I did very little except for reading some photography books, working on the conceptual aspects and planning of several projects I am working on, and listening to a whole lot of podcasts.

A great street photographer, Valerie Jardin, whom I am sure you are all familiar with (if not, you should be) has been podcasting for 8 years. She finished her show with her final Episode of “Hit the Streets” (https://valeriejardinphotography.com/podcast), Episode number 192 on September 2, 2021.

In that series, there are some excellent episodes and interviews. I tend to listen to them in the car, rather than listening to depressing news when I’m not listening to music. All part of my dealing with the COVID Break. It has been fantastic. There are other Street Photography podcasts I will mention that are also very good, but I wanted to mention this one now as I heard that Valerie Jardin may not keep them available on-line much longer. She suggested they may be gone by the fall or sooner.

All the episodes are available to download for free on her site (link above). I do suggest you grab them while you can. For now, my break is over. I will share some images, even bad ones if they are all I have, after my outing!! Time to get back to work! See you on the streets!

The Photographers Journey from Composition to Personal Style

Dates:  November 23 & 24, 2019 (Sat & Sun)
Location:  Ladner BC.

A comprehensive two-day workshop that focuses on a better understanding of Composition beyond the basic “12 Rules of Composition”. This workshop will introduce you to many more Composition Guidelines including many advanced techniques.

This workshop will examine:

1. The 12 Basic Rules of Composition
2. The Science and Psychology of Composition
3. Breaking the Rules
4. The Importance of Subject Matter
5. Elements of Composition
6. Medium Specific (In-Camera Controls)
7. Placement/Point of Focus
8. Division of Space including (Foreground/Background, Negative Space)
9. Understanding and Guiding Eye Movement
10. Display
11. Balance and Weight (including how to recognize balance)
12. Notions and Devices

And will further define and explore Style:

1. What is Style
2. Where does Style come from?
3. Artistic & Photographic Style
4. Defining your Style
5. How to refine your Style

We will also do a quick review of “Projects” and why they are important for you to develop as a Photographer and Artist and how they relate to Style.

Although this is a Photography workshop, it is perfect for most artists including Painters and Illustrators. Based on class composition, Jean-Francois will discuss some other Mediums when appropriate. This class has some pre-workshop homework. This two-day workshop is $189.00 per person plus taxes. Note that this class is limited to 8 students and has sold out quickly in the past. Classes will run from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday in Ladner, BC. Lunch will be from (approx.) 12:00 to 1:00 each day. There will be Q&A time throughout the class and from 4:30 to 5:00 each day. Breakfast (Muffins, Donuts, Fruit) is included both days and Tea and Coffee will be provided throughout the day. Students to provide their own lunches. We will break for 1 Hour for lunch each day. There are several local food vendors nearby in Ladner where classes are being held.

Register here: Weekend Workshop – Finding Your Voice

Questions? Contact workshops2019@northernexposures.com