Choices

 Photography  3 Responses »
Sep 052009
 

Bubba: Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.

If you have ever seen the movie Forrest Gump, then you probably remember Bubba. Bubba and his family had been involved with shrimp for years and years. It was quite comical to see him go on with his list of ways to prepare shrimp. Shrimp provided a lot of choices, probably not as many as chicken, but you get the idea.

So it is with cameras. As I picked up my D300 and began taking pictures my Leica, I thought about how many choices in cameras there are out there. None of them is the ‘perfect’ camera for everything. Add to that the choices of lenses, flashes, filters, etc, and you have almost infinite number of choices to make, giving you a kit that is unique to your personality and needs. When I see the list of equipment that someone like Joe McNally has, I’m in awe. That looks like an inventory list from B&H photo or perhaps some photographers very happy dream. Probably my favorite things that he takes with him are his movies:

Blazing Saddles, This Is Spinal Tap, Young Frankenstein, Super Troopers, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Office Space, Hot Fuzz, etc. This guy’s sense humor is right up my alley! I’d love to meet him just to trade movie quotes … it’s a guy thing!

Anyway, back to what I was talking about, choices. I bought this most recent camera because:

1) I don’t indulge myself often with expensive things, so I wanted to give myself a gift.
2) I really wanted a camera that is pretty unobtrusive. Nothing like trying to take a candid shot with a D300 and hearing this loud ka-thunk as the mirror slaps up and down. This is not stealthy! I want stealthy sometimes, not suspicious looking stares!

It’s doubtful that this M6 will ever see a tripod or landscape photography. That’s not what I intend to use it for. It could be used for that, but you can use a screwdriver to pound in nails, too. I know that it’s a bad analogy, but I like it!

I like having choices, except perhaps when I go to the grocery store to get something that I may not be so familiar with and there seem to be 200 choices, all of them very subtly different. Then, I just close my eyes and sort of pick one! I mean really, how many different types of toothpaste, toilet paper, or dental floss do you need?

 Posted by at 00:00

Dave : It’s about respect!

 Photography, street stories  10 Responses »
Sep 042009
 


The sale that got away

I thought the title of this post fitting. During my conversation with Dave, I didn’t count but I bet that he used the word respect at least a dozen times. I believe anything that you want so desperately from someone else is something that you are lacking for yourself, but that’s my opinion. Dave’s word was Respect.

As I was heading back towards my car after talking to Justin, Dave stopped me and asked if I’d like to buy one of his flowers that was made from palm fronds. He was selling them for $3 each. I told him, no thank you. Of course, being the salesman that he was, he wouldn’t take no for answer. I told him that my wife was not in town and I couldn’t do anything with it. He asked when I was returning home and I told him on the weekend. He indicated that this all-natural creation would keep for a very long time, well past the weekend. Again, I said no. Time for the next approach, bonding.

“Hey brotha, I’m just out here trying to make it. It’s nice if brothas, like yourself, who have made it, could help out.”.

Ok, just one more time for effect: No. Thank you! Hmmm, what other approach?

Well, how about a donation since you don’t want the flower. :-)


Nope. No donation. By now I was getting a little impatient, but stuck around anyway. Dave talked about all manner of things such as his just having gotten out of prison two weeks ago and the fact that he is never going back! He talked about how he taught the kids how to make the flowers. He spoke of respect and how he didn’t like when people disrespected him all the time by not even making eye contact or talking to him. He didn’t like people judging him.

I tried to offer alternate explanations like people might not want to spend $3 on a palm frond, or that they might be tired, or scared, or whatever. He wasn’t hearing that. It had to be a lack of respect. I didn’t argue the point.

During the time that I stood there, he sold several flowers. One group offered him $3 for 3 roses. He was insulted, telling them that this was hand crafted work that should be respected. They made him a final offer of $5, which he took. Then he came back to me and complained. Imagine, he said, someone going into a high priced restaurant, looking at the menu and saying I’m not paying $20 for that meal, I’ll give you $8 for it! Man! That’s a lack of respect! (See any pattern?)

I was past ready to go and thought that I’d offer him a small donation of $2, just because I was happy to see that he was out trying to earn some money, even though I had some small misgivings as there was a not so faint smell of alcohol on his breath, but judge not! He took it with some reluctance. Not the reluctance of pride, but the reluctance of it’s not enough. He said: OK. I’ll take your $2 if that’s all you have to offer. I looked at him and said: Well, Dave. I’ll tell you what. I’ll just put this back into my pocket since you don’t seem to need or want it and I’ll be on my way. He quickly recanted his statement, apologized, and accepted the donation.

A few minutes later I was about to walk off and then turned back:

Paul: Dave. Would you mind if I take your picture?
Dave: How much more money are you going to donate?
Paul: None. I don’t pay for pictures.
Dave: OK. Then you can’t take it.
Paul: Cool. It was nice to meet you, Dave.
Dave: Hold up man. Are you going to sell this picture to make money?
Paul: No. I just like to take photos of interesting people, but I understand.
Dave: Alright, you can take my picture.
Paul : OK. (I took a few pictures over the next few minutes as he did his business)
Dave: I can tell that you really want to hang out with me.
Paul: Really? How’s that?
Dave: I can just tell.
Paul: OK. (Smiles)

Finally, a couple came by, the ones pictured, and he convinced the man to buy his lady a rose. After the transaction was complete, Dave asked them if they’d like to be in a picture with him. They said sure. Dave tried to get the wife between him and husband, but the husband was having none of that. You see that she is safely on the other side! :-)


Dave: See, I got you a good picture. You should donate some more money.
Paul: Nope. No more donations. I have to go.
Dave: See! All of this conversation that I shared with you and you can’t even give me more than $2.
Paul: Oh! I didn’t know that the meter was running! I didn’t realize that you were charging me for conversation!!
Dave: Naw man, it ain’t like that! I take it back. I’m sorry.
Paul: No apologies needed. It was really nice to meet you, Dave. I wish you well!
Dave: I’m going to be alright. Look for me next time you are down here.
Paul: Will do.

I finally was able to leave and head to my car. As I walked away, I could hear Dave in the background with his, now familiar to me sales line:

“Flower for the lady? Handcrafted! Only $3″

In street photography, you don’t get these types of opportunities unless you stop and talk. I am grateful to Craig Tanner and his Next Step Workshop that helped me get over some of my fears of taking pictures of people. Without that, I would have never gotten to hear these great stories and meet these interesting people! And to be sure, Dave was an interesting person!

 Posted by at 00:00

Justin : Living on your own is expensive!

 Photography, street stories  11 Responses »
Sep 032009
 


This is a photo of Justin. He looks pretty laid back, no? I was walking down the sidewalk and saw him relaxing on his bicycle taxi. I told him: “Looks like you have everything under control”. He laughed and said that business has been really slow, but that he could use some relaxation time. He said that he works about 70 hours a week. He has a full time job at a restaurant and then drives this ‘taxi’ about 30 hours a week and he was thankful that this summer has not been so hot. You could have fooled me!

I asked if I could take his picture and he said: “Sure. What do you want me to do?”. I told him to go back to what he was doing, so he reclined back in his seat, and resumed what he was doing … not much. I only took one picture, the one you see here, then struck up a conversation. He asked if I was a professional. I told him that I was a hobbyist. He said that he thought that everyone should have a hobby to get them away from the stresses of life, but he admitted to not having one.

We talked about a myriad of things, life, jobs, parents, etc. He said that he has been on his own, mostly, for the past 3 months and is enjoying his freedom, but he was not quite prepared for how expensive it is to live. He admitted that he isn’t fully on his own as his parents are still paying for his car insurance, cell phone, car payment, and a couple of other things. He’s paying rent, food, utilities, and gas for his car. He said that being on his own made him really appreciate what his parents are doing for him because he’s not sure how he would survive without their help and that he liked the freedom, but could appreciate the responsibilities!

We talked more about life. He just graduated from college but is not sure of what he wants to do and asked me for advice. Of course, I couldn’t give him answer except to say that there are as many ways to live life as there are people on the planet. He said that some people were telling him that he needs to get a good paying job, but that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. “What if I get a job that pays well, but I don’t like it.?”. I told him to find something that he loves to do, whether or not the mainstream thinks it’s a ‘good’ job, and do it. Further, I told him that he may have to adjust his lifestyle to accommodate his passion, but that I didn’t think it was a good idea to take a job just for the money. He really liked that idea and said that no one had ever told him that. He always thought that he had to go to college, get a good job, marry, have a family, etc. He said that he was really glad that he met me and feels somewhat relieved, now. His mother had suggested that he go to a college job fair and he’d been resisting the idea, but after talking to me, he thought that he’d go and see if it sparked any ideas of what he might want to try. “It can’t hurt and I don’t have to do anything!”. Smart fellow!

He asked if I liked my job. I told him that I did and I was one of the fortunate few who have had a job for 25 years that they really liked, but I did admit that I’m getting very weary of the software ‘game’. We chatted about so many things over the hour, but had to cut our conversation ‘short’ as it was starting to rain, so we parted ways. He told me that he’s usually right there our in front of the Market Pavillion Hotel. The next time that I go down there, I’ll be looking for him.

 Posted by at 00:00

Leica Street Stories : First Run

 Photography  20 Responses »
Sep 022009
 


Where to begin. On Tuesday I left work, grabbed the camera, and headed downtown. It was very much overcast and threatening rain, but I couldn’t let that stop me. I was a man with a mission and a new camera. :-)

i entered downtown where I always do, Waterfront Park. When I got outside I had all types of fears. Had I loaded the camera correctly? Would I know how to use it right? Had I taken the lens cap off? I would look pretty stupid shooting with the lens cap still on, which is perfectly feasible with a rangefinder. Also, which of those frame lines do I use? Inner set? Outer set? Hmmm, I think that it’s the outer because I’m using a 50 mm lens. Let’s roll with it!

OK, off to take some pictures. As it was overcast, I took a reading at what I would consider a medium type scene, set my aperture to f/5.6, exposure to 1/250, and away I went. No need to change.

The first thing that I saw were some cheerleaders practicing. I took a few shots of them, then of some kids playing near the fountain, then of someone lying in the grass, cheerleaders in the back ground. Go, Team! Go!

The first cool thing that I noticed is that people have a look at you, see the camera, then dismiss you almost instantly. It’s a small camera. No threat. Obviously not some crazed-lunatic-psycho-pedophile-terrorist-minded photographer out to exploit us. Keep moving. How cute! He took a picture of us. Now, where was that ice cream stand. I felt nearly invisible! Perhaps it has a cloaking device built in that I didn’t notice. :-) I must have activated it by mistake, but it sure is handy!

The second cool thing is that not only are you cloaked against sight, you are cloaked against sound. I stood almost right behind someone sitting on a bench, framed them up, shot, and they never even turned around or flinched. Had that been my D300, the mirror-slapping-sonic-boom would have had them diving for cover. Well, maybe not, but it would have been very obvious that I had just taken a picture. The slight “snick” sound of the Leica’s shutter is not enough to attract attention more than a few inches away. I would imagine that you could hear it in a very quiet environment, but on the street, no way.

So, I walked around taking this picture and that. Man! 36 exposures is a lot! I only did the whole roll because Anita told me to! I felt compelled to do it. Of course, as is normal for me and my street shooting, I spend much more time talking than I do shooting. It’s a wonder that I was able to squeeze of 36 shots in the 2 hours that I spent down there. I had two pretty long conversations: One with Justin, whose story I’ll tell tomorrow. We talked for at least an hour. The other with Dave, whose story I’ll share on Thursday. We talked for about 30 – 45 minutes.

After talking with Justin and Dave, I had burned all of shooting time and it was heading towards sunset so I went back to Waterfront Park, sat near the fountain, took a few more shots, then waited for the light to fade. When I got home I was very hungry but eager to develop the film. I ate something quickly, loaded the film, developed it, and held my breath, hoping that I had some pictures. What do you know, 35 perfectly exposed shots! I know, it’s a 36 roll, but I screwed up on the loading and took up too much film on the front end and only got 35 shots. I remember that I used to be able to get about 38 on a 36 roll. I just have to get better at loading the film! :-) They were all very well exposed, but I blew the focus on a couple of them. Oh well, I’ll get better!

It was fun. I hope to do some more tomorrow, though not an entire roll, Anita!!! I’ve still got lots to share from this roll. 36 shots is a lot, especially when you have the gift of gab, and I’m very gifted in that way.

 Posted by at 00:00  Tagged with: ,

Photo archetype

 Photography  8 Responses »
Sep 012009
 

A short post today. Over the years, I’ve taken this same photo over and over again. No, not the exact photo, but the archetype, so to speak. Big sky. Imposing clouds. Small people. Small buildings, etc. I’m not sure exactly what it means and I don’t want to over think it, but sometimes I do wonder what’s beneath that.

I can catch myself trying to take it and I usually will give in to that desire and take the shot even though I have dozens upon dozens just like it. Somehow it suits me, but I just don’t know why.

Do you have any shots like that? Those that you seem to take over and over again, but they satisfy you deeply on some level. Also, if you see a similar shot you’ll stop and have a look for a moment, two, or perhaps longer.

 Posted by at 06:00
Page 3 of 3123
© 2011 Paul Lester Photo Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha

Bad Behavior has blocked 261 access attempts in the last 7 days.