Summer of 2022 On Portra 400

Two summers ago I shot around 30 rolls or Kodak Porta 400 on my Leica M3 and Nikon F100. It was my film phase and I didn’t shoot any digital photos for three months. I finally got around to editing my favorites down and posting my gallery on here. As much as I want to fight it, photos shot on film just look better to me. Still, I hate the workflow and cost so it’s not something I’m going to pursue anytime soon. You can check the gallery here.

In-N-Out Burger Is The Best

It took me a few years to truly understand how great this place is. My first time going was during Covid. I got the animal fries and since there was no dining at the restaurant, I ate them cold. I wasn’t impressed and didn’t try In-N-Out for another year. But then I had the Double-Double. It’s a pretty basic but delicious double cheeseburger. What makes it stand out is the toasted bun on the inside. It gives an extra crisp. And the prices. The photo here shows a Double-Double, two orders of fries, a fountain drink and a 3×3 from the not so secret menu. All of this was $22 with tax and after the outrageous fast food minimum wage increase to $20 for fast food workers. What a steal and I hope the prices remain the same. And then the people. Everyone is polite and happy. I’m guessing it’s because the company is good and treats their workers well. How about the speed. The busiest In-N-Out I’ve been to is in Vegas. No fewer than 100 people were inside and outside either eating, waiting for food or placing their order. And I’ll still get the food within 10 minutes. So great food, great prices, friendly people and fast service. It’s fast food done the best.

DTLA On Easter Sunday

Took a stroll on Easter through the dystopian city center of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. It was supposed to be raining most of the day from yet another atmospheric river. Ended up being another beautiful LA day with the added bonus of interesting clouds with not one drop of rain. As I wandered the streets, I couldn’t help but think about how ashamed the politicians of this beautiful state should feel. On nearly every block was trash, grime, homeless and drug addicted people. It was especially glaring on this holiday as the city was less packed with people than usual. As a resident, I’d feel depressed having to see the chaos on a daily basis. For me as a street photographer, it’s a bit like paradise. Still I didn’t manage to make any stellar photos, but I did manage a few keepers.

My Unconventional Path To Street Photography

I’m not that in tune with the world of street photography. I don’t study the history of it or look for new inspiration. I’m not even sure why I’m attracted to this weird hobby. What I’ve discovered is how my upbringing and approach seems to be different from other street photographers. I’ve never gone to art school or been involved in the world of art. I don’t use fancy words to describe photos. I don’t wear trendy clothes. I’m not on IG so I don’t even know what the new trend is. I just use my past experiences as fuel for vision (whatever that is). My former life as one of the only white kids in school, to the backwoods of Indiana, the military, life as a slumlord, plumber, and communist organizer (ya that one was a blunder). Now I’m cruising around taking photos everyday. None of this was planned. I just stumbled upon a YouTube video a few years back and been hooked ever since. I used to be insecure about my ignorance on this hobby I’m so addicted to. I didn’t know anyone or anything about it. But now I view it as kind of a superpower because I’ve found less influence is good for me. Kind of weird that less knowledge about a particular subject is beneficial. But that’s how I feel. Just see something, point and shoot. Move on to the next one.

New Color Street Photography

Well I thought I’d never go back to shooting color, but here I am. I just got bored shooting black and white. I’m finding that I actually take more photos in color as I’m looking for me than just light and texture. My photos are fairly different in color than black and white. It’s more of a documentary style finding moments rather than abstract and artistic photos I tend to make in black and white. It’s cool how I can change my style just by shooting in a different way.

My goal is to stay as productive as possible and resist boredom and stagnation. So shooting in a way that keeps me motivated and interested is important. My biggest problem with shooting color in the past was in post. I wasn’t good at all in processing my photos. Especially the photos taken in harsh light. My photos looked dull and washed out unless shot in the best light. Now after the last 18 months of shooting 99% of my photos in black and white, I’ve honed in on where light comes from and so it’s helped me shooting and processing in color. I’ve also done a deep dive into Lightroom which has helped me in post. I created a more filmic preset and work from that.

Is The TikTok Ban Good? Perspective From A Street Photographer.

I don’t have TikTok and I’ve never used it. But 170 million Americans use it an average of 90 minutes per day. That’s a wild number. The House passed a bipartisan bill to ban TikTok. And when BOTH parties push a bill through The House, it raises an eyebrow. The reasoning behind the ban is China. Or so we are told. China is collecting information on us. So let’s just ban it. I don’t buy it. I think it’s an attack on our speech and the speech of 170 million Americans. And the information China is supposedly collecting on us is already widely available for free on The Internet.

Now as someone who loves street photography, I do not support anything that attacks my speech. Street photography is considered free speech and protected by the 1st amendment. So first we ban TikTok, and who knows… maybe public photography comes next. I don’t like it and anyone interested in upholding their rights to free speech shouldn’t either.

I hadn’t thought too much about this but then I watched a video by Glenn Greenwald that opened my eyes to this issue and the real motives behind the ban.