Last week I participated in one of Peter Turnley’s Streets of New York Workshops. I’ve been to a number of photography workshops over the last few years – but this one with Peter was quite special.
Peter’s workshop was all about celebrating life – and using the camera to capture life as it evolves right in front of you. As one who has shot a lot of street photography, I appreciated his distinction between street candids – shot anonymously from a distance – and street portraits that are shot while directly engaging with the subject.
I spent the first two days of the workshop frustrated – as I wasn’t confident enough to engage with anyone on the street. On the third day – our trip out to Coney Island – it all clicked for me and I had a great time interacting with people who were just enjoying themselves – as I was – at the beach. I was pleasantly surprised how New Yorkers were open to talking and having me make their portrait!
Watching Peter work, he brings a wonderful balance to his approach – one that both is disarming in how he approaches someone on the street and then very serious as he does his work – shooting perhaps 20-30 images once he’s secured their agreement.
Peter brings his life experiences as a photography into the workshop – adding real depth and meaning to the experience. This was a beautiful workshop experience for me – one that I highly recommend. You can view my images from the workshop here on Flickr.