Fishing Is Lame. Get Off The Crosswalk

Go hunting, it’s a lot more fun and good exercise.

We kinda look creepy leaning on lamp posts with our cameras ready for the next character to cross the street. I used to do this a lot. I’d stay on one corner for 30 minutes just waiting. Waiting for the special moment, that never happens.

I don’t think the photos below are horrible, but imagine looking through your archive and all your photos contain the crosswalk lines. All on the same few corners, people walking towards you.

All the photos in this post were taken on a hot summer day in Downtown Los Angeles, 2021 using Fujicolor C200 film.

These next two were taken a few minutes apart on different corners. I think these two photos stuck with me. Get off the corner, I look creepy. I’m trying to remember if I’ve been flipped off since. I don’t think so. But what a day. How rare is it to get the bird twice in one day like this.

If you think it’s rare to get the bird twice in one day, what about three? I did not tell this person to flip me off. I just had a look that day that told the masses I’m a creepy asshole.

There’s something lacking from the spontaneity of a street photo when you know the photographer has waited patiently for the right character and light in one spot. I prefer random moments. They take more time and luck, but you’re rewarded with a photo that is special and unique. Fishing photos can often be easily replicated. I do respect however, the photographers perseverance to fish. I know in the back of my head the photo was a bit staged.

We all find our way eventually, well hopefully. I could be way off on this subject. I do know if I was a fisher, I’d have 10k fewer steps each day and that is enough for me to banish it all together.

Koreatown on Ilford HP5 PLUS

Koreatown Los Angeles is the most densely populated neighborhood in LA. You’d think it would be flooded with people taking photos, but I very rarely saw anyone doing this. I lived there with my better half in early 2021. It was the height of Covid and I was pretty bad at taking photos. These are my favorites of the many rolls of film I shot back then. Most were taken in harsh lighting. They are grimy and grainy. I like the look, much more now than initially. I think as I mature as a photographer, the more I appreciate mood and content over perfection.

Does This Make Me Bad?

A few days ago my downstairs neighbor passed away. He was very young, probably in his 20s. I immediately thought about the picture I could make of this. I imagined the body carried out on a stretcher, covered by a white cloth. The photo would contain the grieving family and my onlooker neighbors. I had the perfect vantage point from up above. The photo would be powerful, show a moment that would surely touch the viewer. But is it off limits, to catch people in this moment? I got my camera out and I was ready, but they took hours to bring the body out so I ended up eating dinner and forgetting all about it. I’ve seen my fair share of dead people in life so I’m desensitized. It’s just another part of life to me.

Just Walk Away Man

Confrontation seems to be a popular topic in regards to street photography. It will likely happen to you. If it doesn’t, you better shoot more. I was confronted a lot early on, but it was mostly my fault. Be an actor on the streets. Walk around with a smile, be a goofy tourist. Don’t shoot if you’re in a bad mood. People pick up on your bad energy and think you’re up to something sketchy.

I still get confronted occasionally. Mostly when I’m in not an actor, so it’s my fault. I don’t blame those people. I’ll occasionally chat with them about what I’m doing and it’s turns into a positive interaction, which is nice because it puts me in a good mood.

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you subscribe today.

Subscribe

There’s nothing good to come from this encounter. It’s just going to put you in a bad way and likely ruin the rest of the day. Better to ignore them and move on.

I think we all have a tendency to want to prove ourselves as valid artists. Also ego plays a part. Don’t have an ego. Let the person win. You don’t need to come out on top or win the battle. Better to win the war.

Street Photographers Are Problematic

Strolling through short form content like Reels, Shorts and Tik Toks you’ve most definitely seen people recording individuals doing goofy things, pranking and creating drama for likes.

Carrying a camera used to be cool, seen with prestige. Now people look at photographers with suspicious eyes. Who wants a video of themselves at their worst moment floating around the web. It’s understandable. Street Photography doesn’t have nearly the reach as some of the content creators but the effects of drama for likes has trickled down to us. And we kinda deserve it. I’m guilty of taking photos of people doing weird things, looking odd or dressing funny. I post those photos online. I’m no different than the content creators I suppose. Just dumb because at least they are getting money for low hanging fruit.

It’s especially common in NYC street photography. There are so many street photographers over there capturing all the strange NYC people. Most times they aren’t even doing anything, just walking and looking a bit odd. At a certain point, it’s not a challenge and it becomes repetitive and boring. I mean whats the point of street photography anyways though. I tell myself it’s for documenting purposes, but it’s probably just a fun challenge that keeps me out of trouble and a good for the steps.

It would be nice though to lower my expectations and be happy with a unique image every couple of months. I’m trying to stop taking pictures of low hanging fruit and work on creating more unique photos (whatever those are in 2023).

Shooting Street Photography In Color or Black and White?

This is the question, something I’ve struggled with. I recently purchased a Leica M8 to shoot in color. My only camera at the time was a Q2 Monochrom. Come to find out, the M8 is a wonderful black and white camera.

The photos in the post all have some things in common. A 28mm focal length, all black and white…but maybe the not so obvious is they are all shot in dull gray weather. I’ve come to find out that I’m really bad at post processing color photos in less than ideal weather. I know it’s possible, but I’m just not there yet.

I believe the moment is the most important thing is street photography. And moments occur in all lighting. Just so happens that sunny Southern California hasn’t been so sunny this year. Since 2023 it has rarely been sunny at all, solidifying the need for me to shoot in black and white. Now some of these photos looked good in color, but the lighting was dull and uninspiring. I’m able to make them pop in black and white. The post processing is a breeze in Silver Efex Pro.

Another option if I want to shoot in dull weather is to shoot flash. I’m able to make interesting light and I like the images. Flash is basically a cheat code in my eyes. But I don’t want to shoot flash all the time and my go to for flash would be the GR3 and Q2M. As weird as it sounds, the Q2M is overkill. The GR is fragile so I limit it’s use as much as possible. And shooting a rangefinder is the most fun way in my eyes to shoot street photography, so I I’m more inspired to shoot with the M8.

What do you think? Are you in the same boat as me? Can you make a nice color image in dull weather. I don’t think of black and white as a knock off alternative to color for my street photography, but necessary to inspire me to keep working at it regardless of conditions.

I want to continue exploring color photography. It’s another challenge. Something to keep me intrigued. I don’t want to keep making the same images. But looking at the weather, no sun for the next week. Been an odd 2023 in Santa Monica. Black and white for the foreseeable future.

Anyways, here’s a slideshow of the photos as well. Cheers and keep shooting.