Show or Tell?

I love photography.  I love taking pictures.  I love seeing pictures that other people have taken, whether it's street, landscape or whatever.  I love reading and looking at photography books and blogs.  It may sound silly to some people, but I feel like photography makes me feel complete. Whenever I go out, whether it's to run an errand, spend time with family or friends, go for a walk, etc., I find myself involuntarily looking for what would make a good shot, or I hastily reach into my bag for my trusty point and shoot to photograph a great moment before it's gone.

In a lot of what I've read, either in books or online, a lot of photographers favor not giving any kind of background on their photos and letting their work speak for itself, and letting the viewer try and figure out for themselves what is going on in the scene.  While I enjoy this method from other photographers, I myself go the opposite route.  Sometimes you need an explanation.  Not a ten page essay on the situation, but just a few lines about what you observed.

Union Square, NYC 

For this picture you couldn't not see this guy.  I'm not sure what his deal was.  He was just going up to people and talking to them and then moving on.  No story of any kind is needed for this picture (in my opinion, of course).  His unusual outfit speaks for itself.

This picture, in my opinion, needs an explanation and it can be found here.  This picture makes me laugh every time I see it, mostly because I remember my brother's reaction when I showed this to him.  

I like both ways of presenting photos.  Sometimes, a photo truly can stand alone.  Other times, an explanation just adds to the photo.  Every picture has a story, and sometimes sharing that story makes the viewer connect more to the photo.  It just really irritates me when I read about how things should be.  Photos either should be in black and white or in color, but not both.  You either should shoot street photography or landscapes.  You shouldn't have a story with your photos.  You should let the viewer make their own stories.  Personally, I feel that the only "should" is that you should shoot first and foremost for yourself.  If one day you feel like shooting landscapes and the next you're drawn more towards street shots, do that.  If you take photos based on what other people feel that you should do, isn't that like living your life for someone else?  Be creative.  Take risks.  If people like it, great.  If they don't, well that shouldn't be your problem.  As long as you are being true to yourself and your art, then photograph whatever moves you.

Subway Entertainers

I try not to take the trains too often.  I prefer to take buses to wherever I'm headed.  The trains are just too crowded and hectic.  Walking through train stations makes my heart pound.  Everybody seems to either be running or cutting in front of someone else who is running.  Then there is the added stressor of getting a seat or being body checked by someone who barrels through a crowded train if they even sense someone getting up from their seat.

We also have to deal with subway musicians and other entertainers.  Who are those guys who do the flips and other acrobatics on a train?  I wonder if they've ever kicked someone when they're flipping around?  You can't go into a subway without seeing someone playing some kind of instrument with their instrument case opened in front of them with a bunch of change and a few stray dollar bills already in the case.

Delancey St. station on the Uptown F platform

 

Subway musicians are as a much a part of the NYC subway system as the transit riders themselves.  From the guys at the 34th St. Herald Square station who seem to have a preference for Michael Jackson songs, to the random rappers, a capella oldies singers, classical musicians, etc., a ride on the trains means free entertainment, whether it's wanted or not.

So what are your thoughts on subway musicians/entertainers?  Are they a welcome addition to an otherwise dreary subway ride?  Are they an all around annoyance that makes you wish for earplugs? Or does it depend on the type of mood you happen to be in that day?

Consistency in Photography

I read a lot of photography blogs, and something that has come up on a few of them has been the need to be consistent in your photography.  I read one blog where the author said they don't like when they see a mix of black and white and color.  Another gripe was the mixing of street photography with the odd landscape shot.  While I can understand disagreeing with mixing street and landscape shots, even though I personally like to see a variety of photos, the dislike of mixing color with black and white confused me.

Sometimes a picture will look better in black and white and sometimes it will look better in color. Should a photographer miss out on good shots because it doesn't fit their usual style?  Doesn't that limit a person's creativity?  Or if they normally shoot in black and white, should they just blindly make everything black and white, even if color would make the shot more interesting?

I normally prefer my photos to be in color but every now and again I will mix it up a bit.  Take this shot for instance.  It would have looked nice in color, but I felt the black and white just added something.

The next day I was walking through Union Square in Manhattan and I saw the chess players.  I snapped this shot, but I left it in color.  I felt that the yellow of the school bus and the different colors of the children's clothes would not be as interesting in black and white.  

Personally, whenever I'm looking through someone's Flickr stream and I see pictures that are all basically the same, I click out.  For instance, if the pictures are close ups of people's faces, and you have hundreds of pictures of people's faces, they all start to look the same after a while.  It's a case of "Seen one.  Seen them all."  There is no variation that makes me want to continue looking at your photos.  I'm not saying one way of photography is the correct way.  Art truly is subjective.  Maybe someone likes looking at pictures that are just close ups of faces, or just black and white, or just color or whatever.  I just get confused when people say that you should either only shoot black and white, or only color, etc.  To me, photography is about what moves you.  What motivated you to take a picture that day?  I personally am a street photographer who prefers most of my shots to be in color, but every now and again I'll throw in a black and white shot or a random landscape.  Like this shot:

I love this shot.  I currently live in NYC, but I am just not down for living in a place where you can't even move without bumping into someone, where the noise never stops and where you can't just stop for a minute and breathe.  I took this shot yesterday when I was walking around in the Bronx. I've never been to the Bronx, but I had some free time yesterday and decided to take the 4 train to the very last stop.  Fine, the Bronx isn't exactly some isolated spot in the middle of nowhere, but it was definitely less intense than Manhattan.  I loved it as soon as I stepped off the train.  This is the kind of spot where I'd just relax and read and be able to spend hours just zoning out.  This spot was so beautiful that I had to photograph it, even though it's not the kind of shot I normally take, like this photo:

There is a variety in my shots and that is how I feel comfortable.  That doesn't mean that my way is right, but it doesn't mean that it is wrong either.  At the end of the day, photography is a creative outlet and however one chooses to express that creativity is the correct way for them.  I have to have a camera with me at all times.  The one time that I forgot to take my camera with me, I was so annoyed because I saw three amazing shots that I missed.  I don't get the same feeling of happiness that I do when I'm photographing what I see.  My mind is always wandering to "this would be a great shot", whether it's when I'm on the bus, or when I'm working at some desk job.  To me, photography is a way to document the present and leave a piece of it behind when we are all long gone.

Return of the Chinatown Singer

I decided to go back to Chinatown because during my wanderings, I passed by a bakery that had some amazing looking desserts.  (The Audrey Bakery and Cafe at 12 Chatham Square in case anyone is interested.)  As I was walking out of the bakery, I step to the side to turn my camera back on, when all of a sudden, I hear a familiar loud singing.  I think to myself "No way it's the same guy", but as I turn towards the sound, I see that it is indeed the man himself.  Here he is, in all his singing glory.

  

I was told when I posted this video on my Flickr page, that he was singing in a dialect called Toi San and that he was singing about wandering around and searching for something to eat. I was tempted to go back to Chinatown the next day and see if I could run into him again.  

Since this was last week during those icy cold days, I took very few shots before my numb fingers and toes forced me to go back home.  The majority of them did not make the cut, but then again, even on a day with good weather that is usually the case.

I was going for a shot of the man, but as usual, I hesitated too long and the woman turned around and caught me, but I actually like this shot.  I think it's because the woman has that something that makes an interesting photo.  The leather cap on top of her red hair is, in my opinion, a better shot than it would be if I had gotten the shot that I had originally wanted.

Black and white shot of the crowd crossing the street in Chinatown.

Waiting For The Bus

I was recently in Michigan visiting family and while I was there, I got used to getting in a truck and going where I needed to go.  I didn't even really notice the snow or the cold because I was only outside for as long as it took for me to get in the truck.  Coming back to NYC has always been sad for me because you get used to the calm and quiet and then have to come back to the hustle and bustle.  Because I hadn't been able to take pictures while I was there, since the sidewalks weren't shoveled, I decided to cheer myself up by getting back to doing what I love.  

The weather was crisp and cool, but not bitter cold on this day.  I snapped this picture because it made me laugh since it was one of the things that I was in a funk about.  I wonder how long these people had been waiting for the bus?  

Abandoned Building

I love abandoned buildings.  Even though this one is closed out, boarded up and has graffiti all over it, it still has so much character.  I love buildings like this because ever though, at first glance, they look ugly and dilapidated, the more you stare at it, you realize that it's beautiful because it's so imperfect.