Shot with my Fujifilm X100T.
Category: New York City
Last Friday, in New York’s Central Park, we came across a father and his two sons singing hymns in this underground terrace. Their singing was majestic – and I captured a few images of them singing. This is one of my favorites – Abraham.
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.
I’m just back from a beautiful week of street photography in New York City. Here’s the story about this remarkable week.
My friend Doug Kaye and I happened to learn about photographer Peter Turnley during a visit last fall to the new Leica Store in San Francisco. Their first exhibition was of Peter’s work – and we were truly struck by his wonderful work, all displayed in black and white prints.
After that visit to the Leica Store gallery, we began learning more about Peter and his work – and about his workshops. Sometime late last year we both decided to sign up for Peter’s New York City workshop to be held in June 2015. Doug and I had thought we were pretty much done with workshops – but we both really appreciated Peter’s work so we signed up. We weren’t disappointed – this was a beautiful workshop, one which I would highly recommend.
I’m still thinking about the teachings Peter shared with us during the week – and will post more about that soon. Meanwhile, here are a few of the images that resulted from Peter’s encouragement – all shot with my Fujifilm X100T.
Categories
The Greatest Days in New York
I’ve been continuing viewing Ric Burns’ New York documentary – and am now up to Episode 7 – The City and the World (1945-2000) – on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
A few minutes into this episode, David McCullough comments that if he could pick a time to be in New York, it would be at the end of World War II – in the spring of 1946 when the American troops were coming home from Europe on the great ocean liners like the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary – twice a month ferrying troops back into New York City.
Ray Suarez comments that the thing about New York is that there isn’t just one thing. It’s vibrant. Pete Hamill notes that it was then still a manufacturing town. Proud guys, working guys, but troubles ahead. While New York comes out of the war on top, other forces are at work. LaGuardia ends up dying of pancreatic cancer at 64 years old – after 12 years as mayor. And the changes begin.
The back story about Robert Moses – and his beginnings described in Episode 6 – is fascinating. Robert Caro, author of “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
I’ve got an old used book copy of The Power Broker on the bookshelf behind me. Seems like a particularly good time to pick it back up and re-read once again before I head to New York again in June.
I’m only now coming up to the description of building the UN headquarters building in New York. So much more…
Categories
Ric Burns “New York”
I’ve been enjoying this 1999 documentary recommended by my friend Jamie Smith. It’s available for free streaming on Amazon Instant Video.
I started on episode 5 which began in 1919 and went through the building and opening of the Empire State Building in 1931. I’m now into episode 6 which starts out lamenting the impacts of the automobile on city life.
Filmed before 9/11, many of the images include the World Trade Center twin towers.
I’m just back from a very quick trip to New York City – and while I was there I took a subway ride from lower Manhattan up to Spring Street – starting on the 4 line and connecting, at the Brooklyn Bridge Station, to the 6. For a brief moment while I was transferring, I snapped this shot across the platform with my Fujifilm X100T.
Here’s one of my favorite shots – from several years ago – inside the Brooklyn Bridge Subway station.
When you shoot almost 2,000 images during a five day workshop, it’s amazing how many you initially overlook as you review them. This is one example – a very friendly construction worker with a great smile. For some reason, this image hadn’t caught my eye until just yesterday when I was looking back through my New York street photography images. It’s another example of capturing gesture.
Shot with my Fujifilm X-T1
This is one of my favorite images from my recent Jay Maisel workshop in New York City.
It was early evening on the first day of the workshop and we were walking down Spring Street toward Broadway when we came across this brick wall and window across the street. As usual, when you find a stage like this you setup the camera and wait for an actor to appear. A couple of folks did – but none as interesting as this woman – who, with her beautiful skirt, just matched the colors of the brick. Lovely!
Shot with my Fujifilm X-T1
Walking the streets of New York early in the morning reveals new perspectives. This image is an example – a worker waiting outside and checking in before heading inside to get to work. And that blue front wall in the midst of being prepped for a final coat of new paint! From my recent New York City street photography workshop with Jay Maisel.
Shot with my Fujifilm X-T1