Shy? Get Over it and Take Some Pictures - NYC Photo Workshop Part Three

On day one, we were told that we weren't in a workshop to take far off photos of landscapes. We were in a photography class in New York City - people are everywhere, are interesting, and that's what the class would focus on. After all, you open an issue of National Geographic, and you're not looking at landscapes of cities all too often. If you're looking at photos from cities, people are the centerpiece - their lives, their personalities. So, what's the big deal?

Taking pictures of random people going about their lives, often without any interaction with them, and completely candidly is an intrusion. You're capturing them because they seem interesting to you. Something about them is captivating and beautiful. But how do you get those photos without operating a spy camera? Or by busting out a long lens and making like a birder? One of the best pieces that I've read on this is here.

For this class, we didn't get articles to read. What we got was a meeting time in Chinatown/Little Italy on a Saturday morning. Then, a simple instruction. Go out and take a biographical portrait of someone. Tell a story about the subject - not just that they're in front of your camera, but something about them, what they do, what makes them smile. Oh, and Chinatown, during market day? Not a friendly place for people with cameras. Too many tourists come by with cameras every week, and take "exotic" photos.

Some of my classmates were shy, and got "surprise" biographical photos. Others, like me, tried to chat with people and convince them to have their picture taken. I had a failed attempt to buy a fresh apple and turn that into a chance to produce images of a green grocer. The apple was pretty delicious, at least. A few of my classmates were able to make some great photos! I was jealous to see some of what my classmates produced, but everyone brought something unique to the table, and produced cool images that brought their subjects to life.

So get out there. Talk to people. Take their pictures. Offer to email the pictures to your subjects. I did that with three folks over the workshop, and they loved getting them! I may not be the most experienced or best photographer, but it makes you feel pretty good to make someone happy with a photo that you took.

Equipment Used

Nikon D7100 Camera
35mm f/1.8 lens


Images

Becoming a Better Photographer By Not Taking Pictures - NYC Photo Workshop Part Two

The afternoon and first evening of the photo workshop took us to Central Park South, 5th Avenue, and the top of Rockefeller center. After the amazing experience of the morning, this was something of a wake up call. But, more than that, it was a moment where I finally thought, "Wow, I'm stuck. There isn't anything I want to make a photograph of. But that's ok. I won't force it, but I'll find it."

That afternoon and evening were frustrating as anything. Central Park South was beautiful and filled with people. But it didn't grab me. There weren't any scenes that or people that made me want to take pictures. Sure, I took some. But very few of them were, in my mind, keepers. Night time at the Top of the Rock was very much the same. I got some spectacular images of the sun setting over Manhattan, and was able to build a great night panorama of the southern end of the island.

One place made me feel happy to have a camera, however. On the penultimate level of Rockefeller Center, there is a room of LED lights that reacts to motion, setting off random combinations of colors throughout the room. I was lost in there, trying to get longer exposures of people enjoying the lights. With hand holding the camera and without any form of mechanical stabilization. The best shots were at 1/8 and 1/13 shutter speeds, but even then, they weren't perfectly crisp. But crispness wasn't the goal in playing with light that way. It was about creating images that could be literal, but could also be a bit abstract - and I loved it. Of course, now, in addition to my outdoor photography plans when I go backpacking, this night just made me want to purchase a small, easily transportable tripod. Maybe someday...

The next morning, we had to present 20 images to the instructors that, straight out of the camera, were our best. I won't lie. I struggled to find 20 that I found worthy of saving, much less showing to other people! Even from those 20, some lacked sharpness, some lacked interest. It was a rough lesson to learn, but it has made me that much more appreciative of the moments that scream "take photos now!" I don't just see what I like, frame it quickly, and shoot. I now take the time, examine the viewfinder for extraneous objects or bad cropping.

I'll post more in a bit, but this weekend I spent at a horse steeplechase event in Virginia. I brought along my camera and found that in addition to spraying and praying as a couple thousand pounds of equine sped by mere inches away, that I was preparing myself, even in those instances, for good framing of the scene. When you don't see photos, it turns out it helps you to prepare even more for the times when you do see photos!

Equipment Used

Nikon D7100 Camera
35mm f/1.8 lens
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens



Images