Ryan Hardman. Photography: Blog https://ryanhardman.photography/blog en-us ryanhardman.photogrpahy (Ryan Hardman. Photography) Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:33:00 GMT Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:33:00 GMT Street Comeback https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2021/5/street-comeback street comeback 

Intro:

 

Welcome to my blog about the flow of street photography and how this has become mentally invigorating and good for my wellbeing. 

 

I have been photographing Plymouth over a long period of time, having started when I was studying at the University of Plymouth. Over this time I have been learning the art of finding what I want to capture and the capturing of the image itself. There is a buzz to finding an interesting subject, that mixed with the ability to capture it in a way that others will relate to and appreciate is addictive. I am going to include a ‘but’ here, as much as this sounds really very exciting, it can also be challenging and somewhat draining, this may be because you have put too much pressure on yourself, you are struggling to find what you thought you would, or perhaps an off day. How do you therefore keep going, keep motivated and keep capturing?

 

Tips for keeping the motivation:

 

1. As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been revisiting the images in my project so far to see where and who I have captured before. I find it helps to keep an eye on my images to ensure I don’t go off on a tangent...a bit like writing blogs! It could be easy to get held up looking too much at a certain ‘type’ of individual to capture, or a specific location, likewise it might become too broad and therefore disjointed. It’s important to remember my goals, but to also keep the project progressing and moving forward, allowing for the development to build without too many constraints. I guess it is a balance that must be learnt, in the images but also in a project as a whole. 

 

I once thought that a project would have a time limit, perhaps spend a year on one and then move on to the next, but as my skills deepen, so does the project. Perhaps I will always be building on this project with no time limit in a way, it becomes part of you. Although as I think this, my brain is intrigued as it fills with fresh ideas, again, it is a balance. 

 

2. When out on the streets I start by snapping a few warm up photos, these are normally of architecture or graffiti, partly so I can set the camera up for the right light on the day, but some of these will also form part of my final project imagery, as it sets the scene of the city, and provides the viewer with context and more visualisation. 

 

I found that shooting in the city can be overexposed because of the harsh lighting but I don’t want my images so dark that they are hard to edit or see. I put the camera on F8 so that everything within the frame of the image has depth. I need to remember that with my full frame camera, if I am too close to a subject or an object then it could be out of focus. I set the shutter speed to 1000 and may go as low as 500/250 if the lighting changes, I don’t often change the aperture so this will always stay at F8. Once I have control of the camera and the images are set to how I like, I will then focus my attention on the subjects and architecture of Plymouth.  

 

3. When looking for the right subjects to capture, it is common for me to walk 10 miles, it can be time and mind consuming to hunt and find the perfect subject and image. Instead of this being a negative experience, I have realised how fortunate I am to be able to walk this far, to spend time perusing my passion and interests. I find the walking and consuming nature of finding people and situations to capture quite mindful, distracting me from all other aspects of life. 

 

Picking up the camera and continuing with my project has helped to free my mind after such a challenging year, and I am finding that I am also not as concerned to only capture the ‘perfect image’. Instead, I am capturing what interests me and makes me smile, and I’ve found comfort in this. 

 

4. In conjunction to capturing what interests me, I look to frame a subject amongst the background of Plymouth, such as architecture, which is aided by me setting the lighting and taking some early shots of the architecture at the start of my shoot. This framing concept has helped my work to evolve, and change somewhat from how my project was first conceived. 

Something I realised when reviewing my images, was that if I was to only take close up images of subjects, then in theory they could have been taken in almost any environment, in any city. In order for the viewers to connect the images within my project and to connect them to Plymouth, I needed to place the context of the city in the images. The subjects are in the city, perhaps they live there, are there for work or a trip, but their connection to their location is part of the interest and reasoning behind the image, the telling of their and the cities story. 

 

I have found this new way of thinking sometimes more challenging as the background is another element to carefully consider, it needs to be the right balance between intriguing and yet not overpowering the subject. 

 

 

Vibes from the street:

 

From my latest street photography shoot I was unsure of what I would capture, I had checked local news but nothing in particular stood out. I also checked the weather forecast as I wanted to capture some images by the seafront whilst the weather looked good. I went to the Plymouth Hoe in the morning, hoping to capture something different to my usual style, this had been unsuccessful until I was ready to return to my usual spots, when I saw some interesting architecture and the reflection on the roof of a car. 

As the rain started and I took shelter, my mind started thinking more about a hot coffee, as I then spotted a guy wheeling over some stock to a shop which dropped to the ground making a loud slap, and as people went over to help, I quickly started capturing the incident, helping in my own way (I say with a smile on my face). It’s these moments which can’t be planned, you just have to be open and ready to capture what you notice, without second guessing. 

The city was relatively quiet, the light also kept changing which made it more challenging. As I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a couple holding hands with a really visually pleasing backdrop; a corner of a building with colourful and signs covering the windows. I positioned myself so that the building was exactly where I wanted and then waited for the couple to be within the shot. This turned out to be one of my favourite images from the day, what mostly caught my eye was the tag along she had in her bag!

Overall, I have found the return to street photography to be good for the mind and soul, helping me to focus and distract me from being caught up with every day life. Being out and about walking around has given me a focus and a project to think about in some of my down time from work and home.

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary fuji interview leica lieca Matt photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography Stuart https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2021/5/street-comeback Fri, 07 May 2021 18:30:00 GMT
The return to Street https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2021/4/the-return-to-street Return to street

Overview and Introduction

 

It seems fitting that my first blog of the year would be the return to my Plymouth project, the one that has been so rewarding, so consuming and yet riveting, the one that has me so excited to return yet so apprehensive at the same time. Just like the juxtapositions I love to capture so much. I wanted to share my feelings and thoughts on this return, and the tools I used to move on with my nerves and have a great outing capturing the wonderful Plymouth in all its urban glory.

 

So while I am here planning my first outing back to Plymouth since the latest pandemic lockdown, I reflect on the last time I was photographing my project; back in December 2020 and it’s now the following April. I feel apprehensive about returning and capturing those candid images of people. There is not just one reason for these emotions, perhaps my brain overthinking, but over the last year there has been so much change and uncertainty, everyone is bound to feel some nerves, even when it is returning to something you love.

 

Due to the nature of my images, it carries the risk of receiving negative interactions with the public, this has always been in the back of my mind, but the rewards of capturing this city and its local occupants outweigh this fear. I also always aim to be respectful in the images, but also in my nature, I aim to showcase the weird and the wonderful, something many people can appreciate.

 

There is also the concern that I will spend hours searching for something unique, different, special to capture, and yet there will be nothing that I want to capture.

However, my aim is to not overthink situations, to not only look for the perfect image, but to also be kind to myself and to capture what interests me, to trust my instincts and make the most of what is in front of me. I do also aim to react quickly to changing light and framing of the image itself to help me create something I am proud to share.

 

The first step to getting ready is to get my camera equipment charged and cleaned, as I do this I remember that I need a new lens cap as my rubber one split last year. I won’t go in to detail about this here as I’m sure I could talk enough about this to make a separate blog! So, as I look up from my desk I glance over to my photography book collection, this is something I like to do to reconnect and be inspired. In that moment I can feel the excitement for my own project and my candid street photography style. I look for books that are of a similar genre to my own; street with a theme or long term project in a single location. The reason for this is I can struggle to relate to some styles of street photography when the project seems more random. I particularly enjoy the bold and colourful work by Dougie Wallace. Something I notice is he chooses to focus on a specific area of London which enables me to focus on the characters and unique situations more.

 

For my first day back, I plan to capture the pub gardens that will have recently been reopened. I choose this due to the hype of the COVID measures being lifted allowing people to be with others and socialise, this is a momentum moment which I hope to capture. It will also be useful to me in my line of photography that this takes place outside, allowing me to remain in the public area. I also realise that I haven’t photographed pubs as part of this project so it could provide a new angle, one very fitting to the COVID journey.

 

My drive to create new work and be once again featured in photography magazines is another motivational factor for me. In order to do this I look at the local news and conduct some research on Plymouth in to any events, protests or markets that might be taking place. This helps me to know the location I am focussing on and what I can hope to capture that day.

 

 

Looking Back

I am looking back at my work in order to remind myself of the emotions I have felt before, during and after previous shoots, in particular the confidence I have experienced. This helps me to feel grounded, appreciate my previous achievements and to remember that I can take candid images of people that are visually pleasing and worthy of being printed as part of a bigger project and my vision.

It is useful to look through my previous work to also observe the progression and development I have made, work that has been featured in exhibitions in London and Italy, as well as work published in books and magazines. I aim to capture something different after returning from COVID lockdowns for magazine publishers in order to present them with a different feel to my work, including a bridge between architecture and street photography. As magazines focus on different genres of photography, this will allow me to be more versatile.

 

 

 

 

Looking at other photographers work

 

As I’ve mentioned, I have been looking up at my range of photography books, before going out to Plymouth I often get such books out that inspire me and help to visualise my own project.

 

I have been following Nick Turpin’s work for many years and is one of the first I found that inspired me, in addition to Dougie Wallace. More recently, Nick has been photographing London’s financial district and how COVID has affected the way society has changed and in many ways adapted through this pandemic. This helps to inspire me to document these times as he has shown it is possible to continue with a vision, it has also been fascinating to see a busy city at its quietest, providing a unique view and angle on London, in a way this has made other cities, such as Plymouth, more relatable to those larger scale locations, allowing the viewer to notice the architecture and subjects in a new and cleaner way (no COVID cleanliness pun intended).

 

https://nickturpin.com
 

 

 

Planning for the future of my project

 

I want my work to be known for its style, I want the viewer to look at my work and know that I have taken those images. I find that established and well known photographers within the street community have a unique style, in which viewers can identify quickly as the work of a certain photographer.

I also plan to make a new body of work to then approach magazines with. As I have had work published previously, I want to inject new life into my project, change up the style and gain a new motivation and passion for my long term vision.

 

 

Results and vibes from my first session

 

When driving to Plymouth I started to feel a rise in my anxiety levels about the visit, which was slightly unexpected as I thought I would feel more excited than anything, although of course there is a level of excitement at my fingertips.

 

First of all I walked to my usual spots with the independent stores, where I struggled to visualise what I wanted to capture. Later in the day I felt more comfortable and I started to see more potential subjects and interesting architecture, was this because I was feeling more at ease and started to notice more with the right amount of vision? It’s likely, and this is always something I learn from.

 

My aim of photographing the pub gardens did not work out due to the queues. However the streets were busy, the sun was shining and there was a positive atmosphere, this meant I didn’t get too much hassle. There was just one incident of an individual who was part of a protest who got slightly angry thinking I was from a local paper, once I had explained, he settled.

 

Overall, I feel great, if you are feeling anxious about returning then I would recommend doing your research, jumping back in and enjoy whatever images you are able to capture, being kind to yourself and keeping your long term goals in mind. The images below are a few from this session that might make it to my project.

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary fuji interview leica lieca Matt Nick photography portraiture q review street Stuart Turpin https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2021/4/the-return-to-street Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Joseph-philippe Bevillard https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-joseph-philippe-bevillard One shot interview with Joseph-philippe Bevillard 

I have choose the image of Charlotte with her family caravan in the background as one of my favourite and commercially successful as prints and media usages. To date, this particular image received over 40,000 likes on Instagram, thanks to the sharing by individuals as well as collective groups, curators, news agencies and magazine groups. Instagram is an excellent tool to help you decide which images go into book publications, exhibitions and websites.

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was photographing the surroundings looking for elements that are related to the travelling communities before I saw Charlotte walking to me and I immediately start clicking the camera. Her hair contrasted with the neglected brown couch behind her, the lighting from a very low late afternoon winter sun, her state of mind, her sad looking beady eyes, glowing rosy cheeks and the dramatic clouds adds mood to the image which makes it theatrical and poetic. Also the tape to repair the caravan’s window and the sooty black smokestack draws my attention.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the project focus?

 

Yes, it’s part of my ongoing project with the Travellers. I’m documenting the culture and hardships of the people in the travelling communities. It’s my third year using digital camera but I have been using B&W films with medium format camera since 2009. I like using the digital camera since its much quicker to work with and to make prints for the subjects while the B&W films takes months because I have to send the rolls to be developed and then I have to rent a room to scan those negatives which takes months.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I have been photographing Charlotte for three years. There’s so much sadness and innocence in her. She is very photogenic and I hope to photograph her for the years to come to document her life growing up. The future of every Traveller after age of 12 are very bleak and unfortunate. Many left school after 13 and some committed suicides due to racism and bullying by the Irish society. 1 out of 10 Travellers died from suicide. Over 87 percent of Travellers are unemployed. My greatest worries are their future and I hope nothing bad happened to the people I admired and photographed.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I’m a huge fan of photography books. When I was in school, I used to go to library and look at any photography and art books I could find. My brain is like an archive! My greatest inspirations are: Diane Arbus, Josef Koudelka, Richard Avedon, Mary Ellen Mark, Danny Lyon, Bruce Davidson, William Eggleston, Alex Webb, Sally Mann, Brassai, August Sander, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and William Klein.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Nikon D7500 with just one lens, 16-80mm and a Hasselblad 503cx with 50mm or 80mm

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I was born in Boston and was in an orphanage for a month before I was adopted by a French parents. I started drawing and painting after I lost my hearing in both ears at the age of 3. I took up photography during my senior year at a private school in Massachusetts. In 1985, I enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology to study photography where I remained there for 2 years before changing direction in career due to financial circumstances, In 1990 I return to photography to study at the Art Institute of Boston. It was in 1990, I developed a style for square B&W portraitures of people I met in the nightclubs and on the street. After working for several major photo labs in Massachusetts in the last half of 1990, I moved to Ireland in May 2000 to start a property management business. In 2007, I went back to photograph portraits using the same camera and style as I did in the early 90’s. In 2010, I started a new project, photographing the Irish Travellers and four years later, I formed the Irish Travellers Photo Workshop. In June 2018, I started a new project on Irish Travellers using a digital camera and still shooting B&W film with Hasselblad. I currently reside on the border of Clare and Tipperary with my partner of 13 years.

Publications: Amnesty International, Der Spiegel, Vogue Italia, Square, Shots, Lenswork and Life Force.

Recent Awards: International Photography Awards, PX3 Paris, Photo Vogue Italia, and Lensculture. 

Recent Exhibitions: Joseph Gallery, Paris, LesRecontres d’Arles, Espace Beaurepaire Paris, Leica Gallery Milan, Photo London, New Hampshire Institute of The Arts, Royal Hibernian Academy Dublin and Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC.

 

Links to your social media and website

www.jpbevillard.com

www.instagram.com/jpbevillard_colour

www.instagram.com/bevillard_photography

www.facebook.com/bevillardphoto

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica photography portraiture review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-joseph-philippe-bevillard Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Murray Ballard https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-murray-ballard One shot interview with Murray Ballard
 

02_Z_54_1502_Z_54_1502_Z_54_15 from One Week in Moscow

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was in Moscow working on my long-term project about cryonics - the practice of preserving the dead until future technology can bring them back to life - and I walked passed this scene. It looked quite magical - the children playing football in the snow - not a normal sight for me, coming from the south-coast of England. I love snow pictures. And the way snow creates a blank canvas for your subject. Looking at the picture now, it also reminds me of a Lowry painting. 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

It wasn’t taken as part of a wider project, but it became part of a series called ‘One Week in Moscow’. I went to Russia with my then girlfriend (now my wife), we planned on spending a month there, but after a week we had a call from home in the middle of the night. Sadly her mother had been rushed to hospital following a cardiac arrest. We got home as soon as we could, but tragically she never regained consciousness. She had Type 1 diabetes, but nobody thought something like this was on the cards. It was an almighty shock. She was only 50. In an attempt to do something positive and cathartic, some months later we decided to publish a small photography book with our photographs from that week in Moscow to raise money for charity. It was simply called ‘One Week in Moscow’. To our surprise we managed to raise £5000 for Diabetes UK. 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I guess it’s become special for the reason outlined in my previous answer. 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Not really, but at the time I took it I was working as an assistant to Mark Power who was working on ’The Sound of Two Songs’ then. He took a lot of snow pictures for that project and it probably made me see the potential for how beautiful the snow can be.   

 

What camera are you currently using? 

 

Mostly a Fujifilm GFX.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

My name is Murray Ballard. I’m a photographer based in Brighton. I’m currently working on two long-term commissions for Grain Projects, about the rural community in Lincolnshire, and Photoworks, for the Royal Sussex County Hospital, about the South Downs landscape.  

 

Links to your social media and website

http://www.murrayballard.com/
https://www.instagram.com/murrayballard/

https://twitter.com/murrayballard
 

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Ballard camera documentary leica Murray photography portraiture q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-murray-ballard Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Nick Hannes https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-nick-hannes One shot interview with Nick Hannes
 

Dubai. Bread and CircusesDubai. Bread and CircusesDubai, United Arab Emirates, January 5, 2017
Emirati boys are playing pool at Hub Zero, an entertainment hub and fully interactive gaming park located in City Walk shopping mall.

Title: Hub Zero, Dubai, UAE, 2017.

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The combination of the Arabs in traditional costume and the futuristic interior.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

It’s a key photograph from my series ‘Garden of Delight’, a documentary on market-driven urbanization and the role of the entertainment industry in Dubai.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

It is an immediately readable but surprising photograph, which goes beyond stereotypical imaging. Content, aesthetics, composition and timing coincide perfectly. It is a spatial photograph in which each person depicted is in the right place. It is also a theatrical image, which appears staged but is not. It's a good example of the esthetics that I'm after when I go out shooting.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

No. But in general I feel a certain kinship with Brueghel’s gaze and Jacques Tati’s humour.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha 7R III

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I’m a Belgian photographer. I studied photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. After 8 years of working as a photojournalist, I decided to fully concentrate on self-initiated documentary projects. I focus on socio-political issues such as migration, urbanization and ecology, using humour, irony and visual metaphors. Books and exhibitions are the main output of my photographic work. Since 2008 I teach photography at the School of Arts in Ghent. I am represented by Panos Pictures in London.

 

Links to your social media and website

 

www.nickhannes.be

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/nick.hannes/

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/nickhannesphotography

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-nick-hannes Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Gladys Yelland https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-gladys-yelland One shot interview with Gladys Yelland



 

 What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 I loved how the lines bent into the mirror and I shot it quickly within a couple of seconds. Gives a lot to the imagination

 

  Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

No, but I am currently looking into doing projects in the near future but as I have only being doing street and photography in general for over three years, I have been mainly out and practising.I believe you have to go out and shoot at least once or twice a week.

 

 Why is this image special to you?

 

 It special is because I shot something mundane and tried to make it look interesting with a bit of imagination. It was interesting to see how both I and a fellow street photographer took this shot and yet had totally different photo and perspective. It goes to show we all shoot our own way and have our own perspectives in life.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

 Interestingly, no but I have been told it has a lot of influences of vivian maier and that is so flattering in so many levels as I love her work and she is a true inspiration.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

  Fuji xe3

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

 I originally worked as as software engineer for different sectors from medicine to business software. I originally come from an engineering and mathematical background but always

had a great appreciation for the arts . Four to three years ago, i decided to take a career break to spent more time with growing up my family as I felt at the time I couldn't fully concentrate

on my girls and work. However, I found my mind still needed to be kept active, so initially I bought myself a shoot  and point camera and took  general pics and edited them on mobile apps. I was disappointed 

with the pics I was producing, Then 8 months down the line my hubby got me my first ever camera a canon and I was like how the hell do I work this. So I went on a basic course to get myself out of auto mode and went on manual.

After a day with Rich, I then started shooting general things and then I saw a course online on street photography with Ami Strachan. I just fell in love with her images and booked myself on it. I felt Ami gave me the confident to go out and shoot.

Ami was so encouraging she said the only way to learn is go out and shoot yourself and you will learn all the mistakes you make. So I did that and just got hooked. I just couldn't stop myself shooting city life, and people watching 

and chatting with people taught me so much about people..How we are so similar in a lot of ways. I then started a photography course to start learning different genres but street is something I will always love.

 

Links to your social media and website

https://www.facebook.com/GladsYellandPhotography/

https://www.instagram.com/geyelland

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/9/one-shot-interview-with-gladys-yelland Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Orna Naor https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-orna-naor One shot interview with Orna Naor
 

This image is part of a continuous project called "women of the sea"; Israeli women from Machsom Watch organisation arrange for women and children from Palestinian villages to come to the sea summer time  ; for most of them it's their first time in their life. 

I'm taking their pictures for the last 3 years,  watching the joy and laughter,  the relations between women from both sides; my purpose in this project,  as in other projects and pictures I'm taking,  is to show we are all, all, just people who can enjoy the beaches and each other's company.  Not 'Palestinians' and 'Israelis"; people. 

I often say I am trying to regain humanity to humanity.

 

 

I'm using Fuji xt-3 and Leica Q2

 

My name is Orna Naor,  I'm a street photographer from Tel Aviv; participated in many exhibitions in Israel and all over the world; Winner of the Local Testimony Exhibition 2016, 2017, 2018 , Miami Street Festival 2019 and more.

 

 

Links:

 

https://www.instagram.com/orna50/

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/orna.naor.5

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ONPhotography/585470724844395

 

http://www.ornanaor.com/

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-orna-naor Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT
Ones shot interview with Paul Russell https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/ones-shot-interview-with-paul-russell  

one shot interview with Paul Russell 


Title: judging pigs at the Melplash Show, August 2017

 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

This photo was taken at the Melplash Show in Dorset in August 2017. Many of my best photos are quite simple, but here I tried to capture the energy of the unfolding chaotic scene, while still keeping everything in the right place. Of course, the more elements you include in a picture, the harder it gets to keep the composition under control.

 

 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the project’s focus?

 

Yes, it’s part of my Country Show series. I’ve been taking photos at country shows near to my home for over a decade. There’s all sorts going on at these shows – the larger ones have expanded to become like small town centres where you can even buy a car or double glazing, but early on I decided to focus on the traditional elements that the shows originally grew up around. In particular, I’m interested in the spectrum of relationships between humans and animals, which range from controlling huge, violent cattle to affection towards the docile farm dog. A selection of photos from the series can be seen at http://www.paulrussell.info/galleryshow/galleryshow.html

 

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I’ve been shooting the shows for a long time now but a few years ago I became aware that I had plenty of good pictures of cattle and sheep but not many decent pig photos, so I made an effort to record some quality porcine action. The image is special to me because it’s one of the most complex shots that I’ve taken that works all the way from front to back. For example, at the very back of the scene, there’s a girl in a striped top looking through from the other side of the tent. Definitely not a shot for Instagram viewing! If there is a punctum, for me it’s the two judges deep in conversation to the right.

 

Melplash is a one-day country show in August, usually blessed with good weather, and a great day out but unfortunately it’s already been cancelled this year due to covid-19.

 

 

 

Are there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Any book by a photographer making complex tableaux – so maybe one of the Tony Ray-Jones compilations.

 

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

I had to go and get my camera and peel off the black tape to see what it’s called – it’s a Canon 2000D. I use a kit lens for my seaside and event work like the country shows, and the Canon pancake 24mm for more “streety” type scenarios. I also used a FujiFilm X100 extensively for street work until it sadly died a few years ago.

 

 

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

After using film cameras for many years, I bought a digital camera in 2003, and started taking photography a bit more seriously. Around 2010 I was featured in the landmark Street Photography New book and the Museum of London’s history of street photography exhibition. More recently, I was included in Prestel’s “Street Photography: a History in 100 Iconic Images”, a selection by David Gibson.

 

 

 

Links to your social media and website

 

http://www.paulrussell.info/

https://www.instagram.com/paulrussell99/

https://twitter.com/paulrussell99

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/ones-shot-interview-with-paul-russell Mon, 24 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with David Solomons https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-david-solomons One shot interview with David Solomons 

 

 

 

Picture: Piccadilly Line 1995

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The preacher was an obvious subject matter as he was drawing a lot of attention to himself by his intense behaviour, like he was performing some sort of exorcism. I remember the second I saw him I immediately went to take his picture from an angle where he wasn’t looking at me. That shot failed but the flash immediately drew his attention and he turned towards me, where I managed to get this second shot off.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

I was working on a long term project about the London Underground. I didn’t have a specific idea in mind, it was more a case of let’s go there and see what pictures I can take, like a bumbling tourist.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

Most of my work is more of a studied approach, so this is one of those rare occasions where I’ve reacted to an obvious situation and gotten a good image from it. I like the contrast between the tension displayed by the preacher clutching his crucifix and the three seated passengers. The woman facing us seems to lean aside in an effort to avoid him. The second woman stares at him with disapproval, while the Sikh man calmly looks across the aisle perhaps to gauge other passengers’ reaction to the unfolding scene. The Underground is one of those unusual places where people are forced to sit close to other people they're unfamiliar with, so there's this strange understanding that goes on where everyone develops their own little cocoon and minds their own business. As soon as someone breaks that, people start to shift and feel uncomfortable because they know they usually can't walk away that easily. At the time I shot it, it wasn’t one that I’d picked out in my original 20 picture edit. It’s only when I assembled the book for it a decade or so later, that I discovered it as probably the best shot in the series.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Bruce Davidson’s ‘Subway’ was obviously a prime influence as I essentially aspired to produce a London based equivalent. Stylistically however, I was more influenced by Garry Winogrand’s ‘Figments from the Real World’.

 

What camera are you currently using?

Fuji X100F and XE3

 

Please tell us about yourself

I was born and live in London and have worked as a freelance photographer since the late 1990’s. I’ve self published five books and have recently launched a new series of zines on contemporary and historical photography.

 

Links to your social media and website

W: davidsolomons.com

bumpbooks.com

IG: @davidsolomons, @bumpbooks

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-david-solomons Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Gisela Szlatoszlavek https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-gisela-szlatoszlavek
 

One shot interview with Gisela Szlatoszlavek


 

 

what made you push the shutter button to capture this image 

 

 

The image was taken during the Punk Rebellion Festival in Blackpool. 

This was the first time I had visited Blackpool when the festival was on and I was getting really soaked up in the atmosphere. 

Luckily that day the weather was beautiful and everyone was relaxing a guy out of shot made a comment, as you can see this was the reaction and that was the moment I pushed the shutter button. 

 

IS THIS IMAGE PART OF A WIDER PROJECT?

 

In short no, although I always class my images of Blackpool part of a wide ongoing project. Documenting as often as I can through street photography. 

 

WHY IS THIS IMAGE SPECIAL?

 

Firstly because it was taken in Blackpool (are you getting a theme.)

I also know with this shot I had an idea in mind to push myself completely into the image and really capture a emotion. 

We had arrived very early that morning and had already struck up a conversation with the guy in the shot. They had slept rough overnight to save on hotel costs. 

Later around midday I bumped into them again, sat outside Winter Gardens. I went and sat with them for about 15 mins discussing the weather and Blackpool. Everything came together nicely for the shot.

 

ARE THERE ANY BOOKS THAT INSPIRE YOU ? 

 

There are many books and photographers that I can name as inspirations but purely because the man is a legend I would have to say Joel Meyerowitz. He speaks volumes through images and words.

 

WHAT CAMERA ARE YOU CURRENTLY USING? 

 

I use a FUJIFILM XT10 with a Fuji 23mm 1.4 lens. 

Really lovely to use and a camera I am very comfortable with ( like comfy slippers.)

I also shoot on film using my Medium Format TLR Minolta Autocord and my Olympus Trip using Ektar 100. Using film just reminds you to think before pushing the shutter button. 

 

PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF... 

 

I am from the Northwest of England. Born and bred in Oldham Lancashire. My late father was a projectionist and owned his own cinema. Looking back now I never knew my dad out when we were on holiday without his Super 8 filming the family. So I guess I have inherited a love of documenting through my father and street photography has been a passion of mine for over 8 years also luckily a passion I share with my husband Craig. 

I have had previous work exhibited and also in print. 

 

Although born and bred in Oldham my main focus for my street photography is Blackpool. 

I suppose I have always been a seaside girl at heart as I was brought up on holidays at Butlins Holiday Camps and Blackpool. So I do have a strong affinity and connection with the seaside. 

I am also influenced by strong colours this reflects in my work.  

 

INSTAGRAM.  giselaszlatoszlavek

 

FACEBOOK.  Gisela Szlatoszlavek 

 

TWITTER.      GiselaSz

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-gisela-szlatoszlavek Mon, 10 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Jodie House https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-jodie-house One shot interview with Jodie House

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The shoot (travelling circus) was spent understanding how the lives of the people, especially the young women, had been shaped by their commitment to performing. Nearly all the girls had not ever attended school and the was all they know. They were understandably reserved about the circus (they are still using animals in their performances) but I felt that this image captured the strength they have.

 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

It's part of an ongoing interest in people who have or continue to live on the fringes of our normal. I spent many years living, existing, on the fringe of society and as an adult that connection has continued through some of the photography that I do. I am a frontline youth worker and am working on a long term disposable camera project (15 years old now) called MySpaceMyPlace with disengaged young adults. I have over 1000 images that hope to capture a generation who are dismissed by society in a number ways. 

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

It shows strength and re-presents these young women.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

So many that explore close relationships and those nuances that matter in photography.

 

Nick Waplington - Living Room, that book gives me goosebumps. I will own that one day! 

 

Richard Billingham - Ray's A Laugh - I got to see the dummy last year at the Martin Parr Foundation. 

 

Ciaran Og Arnold - I went to the worst of bars...

 

Nan Goldin - The Ballad Of Sexual Dependancy 

 

I trained in filmmaking and early Nick Broomfield films I love, Robert J Flaherty Nanook of the North is great and so is When the Levees Broke by Spike Lee. 

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

RicohGr ii and Canon Mark 5D

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I am a single mum and independent tutor and youth project manager. I live in Weymouth, in Dorset and travel and shoot as often as I can. I am an active street photographer and supporter of Womeninstreet (a collective of fabulous street shooters).

I am interested in the nuances of human life and practice NLP which I feel does cross over to photographing human interest stories. I am an observer, but easily distracted and like to be a bit scared. 

My next big solo trip is in October 2020, revisiting Salinas in California where I will be shooting for a couple of weeks.

I also create paper collages, influenced by society and the relationships that we all have with each other. 

 

 

Links to your social media and website

 

@jodiehousepictures 

@myspacemyplace

@jodiehousecollage

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/8/one-shot-interview-with-jodie-house Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Francesca Chiacchio https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-francesca-chiacchio one shot interview with Francesca Chiacchio


What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was attracted by the background, the people looking down from an upper level reminded me of a castle battlement, and the contrast between them and the sky really suited me. The couple in the center of the image was perfect but what balanced the picture was the little girl arriving from the right.

 Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

This image is part of a series that I shot last summer during a festival taking place each year on the Italian Adriatic coast, in which people from all over the world gather to dress and dance like the 40’s and the 50’s in America.

 

 Why is this image special to you?

 

I think this is the best picture I shot until now, that’s why I choose it and why I am so attached to it. I like the atmosphere, I like the colors but I particularly like the fact that

 the unexpected (the girl coming into the frame) made the picture balanced. I like when something you cannot predict, an unexpected factor, makes the picture even better than

 

 what you planned. Most of the times, especially in street photography, you don’t know how the picture you shot is going to look like until you look at it on your computer. This is what I like about street photography, the unexpected part of it.

 

 Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I can’t tell if there is a particular photography book or author that inspired me, but as one of my mentors once told me, some of my pics are very cinematographic. I have been thinking about that lately and I realized that it’s not a case, since I grew up watching movies. Especially in my 20s and 30s I used to go to the movie theatre two or three times a week, I was a film lover (unfortunately I’ve lost that habit in the years).

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

 I use a Fujifilm XT20 with an 18 mm lens, which I use most of the times, I also have a 35 mm.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

 I started shooting and developing photos while studying architecture in Naples, Italy. After graduating, I attended a photography class and participated to two collective exhibitions. From 1999 to 2007 I lived in NYC working as an architect. Back in Naples, in 2015 I approached Street Photography and in 2017 I bought my first professional digital camera and started to attend several workshops (Vineet Vohra, Nikos Economopoulos, Francesco Cito, Salvatore Matarazzo). Since 2019 I have been participating in various Street Photography group exhibitions (Street Sans Frontieres, Streetfoto San Francisco, Trieste Photo Days, Brussels Street Photography Festival) and my work has been published both online and in print. I am part of the "Women in Street" community and I am a member of the international street photography collective "Through The Lands", which aims to connect 15 photographers from all over the world to show their unique P.O.V. of the countries they visit.

 Links to your social media and website

 

https://www.instagram.com/francescawho/

 

 https://www.facebook.com/francesca.kiakkio

https://www.francescachiacchio.com

 https://throughthelands.com

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera interview leica photography portraiture street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-francesca-chiacchio Mon, 27 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with TBow https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-tbow One shot interview With TBow
 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image? 

 

I was wandering the streets of Miami In December of 2017.  I found some excellent light, an interesting background and a flow of people.  I made a few images of different people but this woman was my favorite of the day. 

I had approached her and quickly explained what I was doing. I took about 6 frames.  It happened in 20 seconds.  She was in a hurry to get home after work. She got on the train and was gone.    

 

 

Is this image part of a larger project, If so what is the project focus?  

 

When I reviewed the images that night I fell in love with that red fence!  Just like fishing, I went back to that good spot the next day.  I created a “Red Fence Series” from that but honestly, once I grouped 8 good red fence images together I kinda lost interest.  The red was kind of overwhelming.  I ended up posting several images individually.  

 

 

Why is this image special to you?  

 

I fell in love with this image.  It highlights my ongoing fascination with the complexity of the human condition.  Im focused on the people I meet and the lives they live.  Oh, and btw.. I think the woman in this image has a odd Mona Lisa thing going on with her expression. 

 

 

Are there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?  

 

I am inspired by the image books and works of Dianne Arbus, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Mary Ellen Mark and Richard Avedon’s, In The American West.  My ongoing love and commitment to photography is continuously renewed by David Bayles and Ted Orland’s book, Art and Fear - Observations of the perils and rewards of art making.  A must read for any photographer.  

 

 

What camera are you currently using?  

 

I’m currently using a Leica Q2 for my street work. I also have other cameras that I use from time to time.  

 

 

Please tell us about yourself.  

 

I worked as a commercial photographer and a television producer when I was young.  Nowadays I continue making images with the people I meet, telling their stories and learning about the lives they live.  My portrait work takes place on the streets and in the studio.  

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-tbow Mon, 20 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Daniel Cook https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-daniel-cook One shot interview with Daniel cook
 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The contrast of the subject in a serene moment against the cityscape. A lone man reading a newspaper on a bench, under a tree, on a beautiful day, surrounded by high-rise buildings in, what should be, the busy streets of London. I call this image 'Le Monde' after the name of the newspaper he is reading.

 

Is this image part of a wider project,if so what is the project focus?

 

I have no projects and that does depress me a little, does that make my photography shallow? In general though, I like to create images that tell a story. Aesthetics are important to me, it would have to be something that I'd consider hanging on the wall.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I'm very self-conscious about taking photos in the street, most of my street photos are shot from the hip, this photo was not like that. I felt so strongly about wanting to photograph this scene that I forced myself to do so, even taking several images from a few angles, all while worrying what the subject would think if he noticed me.

 

I picked this image, not because it was my best or even favourite street image but because of the sense of achievement that came with the capture of it.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I'm terrible for buying books that I never read, so I've learnt not to buy them. Perhaps I will gain some inspiration or at least motivation from watching these free documentaries on photography and photojournalism.

 

https://gallagher-photo.com/2020/03/24/10-free-documentaries-on-photography-photojournalism-to-watch-during-lockdown/

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

I took the featured image on the Leica Q2, the Q series has been a longtime favourite of mine for street photography. I sold the Leica Q2 recently with a plan to purchase the Leica M10 Monochrom and perhaps the 28mm 1.4 Summilux lens. Unfortunately, as a wedding and school event photographer, the pandemic has left me without income. I will need to wait until I can return to work before committing to the purchase. 

 

I use a pair of Sony A9 cameras for work and a Hasselblad X1D II for my personal work (that's dog photos and portraits currently)

 

Please us about yourself

 

Over the last few years, I have made a career change from web development to professional event photography. I photograph a lot of local live music and enjoy street photography.

 

Inspired by the likes of Annie Leibovitz, I'd like to develop my portraiture skills and perhaps create bodies of work that have depth and meaning.

 

Links to website

https://www.instagram.com/dancookphoto/

https://www.facebook.com/dancookphoto

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera danielcook flash interview leica photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-daniel-cook Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Polly Rusyn https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-polly-rusyn One shot interview with Polly Rusyn 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was at a very crowded festival (the annual Horse Fair in Jerez de la Frontera - “Feria del Caballo”), and had been trying to figure out how to make pictures without hoards of people and horses in the background. I decided to try and block out the clutter by using a horse! And managed to capture two men on a horse and cart going by behind, without their horse and cart being visible. The gesture of one and the top hat of the other were why I hit the shutter. And I can’t quite figure out if the driver is looking at me or just in my direction…

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

Yes this image is part of a project, although I didn’t set out to shoot one - it just became one! I’m drawn to all things Andalusian, and have photographed at a couple of the region’s traditional festivals. And I cannot wait to return to photograph more.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

There are very very few images that I have shot where I have felt pleased with myself, and this is one of a handful! It serves not only as a fond memory but also as a picture I’m proud of, plus it still makes me smile. And I was thrilled to bits that it formed part of the Women Street Photographer’s Exhibition at the Brussels Street Photography Festival.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Not consciously. I do think we absorb inspiration from everywhere and everyone though! 

 

What camera are you currently using?

Fujifilm X100V

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I am a professional photographer based in London, and an Official Fujifilm X-Photographer. My client work is mainly personal brand photography, and I also run street photography workshops in London at Street Club, and in Europe through my company The Photo Weekender. My work has been shown in several international group exhibitions, published in Digital Photographer magazine, and I recently presented at the National Geographic Traveller Masterclasses.

 

Links to your social media and website

pollyrusyn.com

thephotoweekender.com

https://www.instagram.com/pollyrusyn/

https://www.instagram.com/thephotoweekender/

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash fuji interview leica photography pollyrusyn portraiture project q settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/7/one-shot-interview-with-polly-rusyn Mon, 06 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with James Featherstone https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-james-featherstone
one shot interview with James Featherstone


 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

Instinct. 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

This photograph currently lives within a larger project I’ve been shooting around the United States. 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I’ve been photographing seriously, with intent, since 2011.  This image was made in Manhattan in 2013.  It’s one of the few surviving photographs from those early days that remains in my portfolio.  At the time of making this image I was focused on honing my skills for photographing candid street scenes.   This image is important to me because it’s a reminder that one should keep all of their visual senses alert with an open mind. 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

There’s an interesting and beautiful abstract photograph by Ernst Haas that had always been in the back of my mind.  (Image below.)   Looking back, my photograph is clearly inspired by his image. 

copyright Ernst Hass 

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

My main camera for the past year has been the Fujifilm GFX50s.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I am a Canadian. I work professionally as a video editor and cinematographer.  I enjoy making photographs for myself.

 

 

Links to your social media and website

Jamesbfeatherstone.com

Instagram.com/jmsbf

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary interview leica photography portraiture q review street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-james-featherstone Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with David Gibson https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-david-gibson One shot interview with David Gibson

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I had to take it, he was just leaning back in the bright sunlight outside North Hollywood Metro station. I’d taken the Metro somewhat randomly to just get away from the centre of Los Angeles — I had led a workshop there — and had a few free days to really explore the city and take some photos. Taken in February this year, it was my first visit to LA.

I walked past the man the first time thinking shall I, shan’t I take a photo? How aware of me is he, etc? He seemed in his own world, a cool guy leaning back. The colours, the shadows everything was there. And crucially the shadow right upon him, I wanted him hidden. I took a handful of shots, edging slightly closer each time and then walked away feeling relieved that I’d got it.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

Not really part of any project, just another street photo.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

Because I got what I saw. Maybe it’s not typical of my style but then I’m not in North Hollywood very often.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Not specifically but I was thinking that this is a bit Alex Webb. I could mention David Alan Harvey too...I have many photo books, perhaps more feature black and white photographs but I love colour. This is my photo though, I always go looking for ‘my photos’.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Fuji x100t

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I have taken photographs on the street for over thirty years, it’s a struggle sometimes and I have bursts of energy. But I started 2020 on a sort of roll, a real burst of energy with a trip to Hanoi, then Lisbon and then finally Los Angeles. Completely different places but the momentum was with me when I took this.

 

https://www.instagram.com/davidgibsonstreetphotography/

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera David flash fuji gibson interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-david-gibson Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Paul Treacy https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-paul-treacy
one shot interview with Paul Treacy

 

Limo To LourdesLimo To Lourdes

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was struck by the strangeness of the scene and immediately made a photograph. This is the first frame I made and I continued to work it for several minutes but as is so often the case, when it came time to edit the negatives, I thought the first frame was the best. William Eggleston only ever makes a single image of a scene, apparently. If there’s time and the situation allows, I will work it but often end up using the first image. 

 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

No it is not part of a specific project but it is part of a body of work on the streets of New York City during my various stays there between 1994 and 2008. 

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

This image is special and important to me for a multitude of reasons. There are many images that are special to me, such as portraits of my wife from our early days together and of our sons and that kind of thing. But this image goes beyond all that because photography is my life. It is my way of going at life, of appreciating and trying to understand it. 

 

I was studying at ICP (International Center of Photography) when I made this image. A gang of us had just left a late evening class and were heading out for some food and drinks when we happened upon this strange scene. Two of us noticed it but I was the only one with a camera so I lingered and worked the scene. When I finished I noticed everyone had left and I tried to find them but couldn’t so I went home. But I knew I had a cracker. 

 

This picture was made in December 1999 on a Konica Hexar, a superb camera. I had been struggling a little on my assignments and workshops up to this point because I had been a news photographer at the Press Association in London before attending ICP and I couldn’t quite break free of the news photographer conventions. Seeing and making this picture broke the mould for me. It’s loosened me up and freed me. 

 

There are certain techniques and standards that news photographers have to use to satisfy their editors. And I also thought that a photograph was not important or any good unless it was news worthy or of historic significance. Making this picture was a turning point because from then on, I was only really interested in mundanity. I started to appreciate the mundane, the everyday, the ordinary moments between significant events. And to this day these are the things that matter to me photographically. 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I think making this image inspired me to seek out photography books that revelled in the mundanity, exuberance and humour of life on the streets. My interest in photography books really kicked off after making this photograph. I do, however, have favourite photographers that I revisit all the time - Sylvia Plachy, Jeff Jacobson, Miguel Rio Branco and Harry Gruyaert. 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

I have two cameras I use, both Fujifilm at the moment. An X100T and an XE3. The XE3 with 16-50 zoom is my go to these days. The sensor is superb and I can stretch the images for large prints  a ways beyond what the X100T can achieve. 

 

However, I continue to crave a Leica M and will do whatever I can to get a good one. For too long I could not justify the expense but I am 50 years old and have decided that I want the very best tool for the remainder of my career. A good Leica M, well maintained, could see me through to the final tape. I just need to figure out how to afford one. But I will get one. 

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I’m an Irishman in London. I have been married since 1999 and we have two teenage sons. I was a stay at home dad for a number of years and this too was a major influence on my photography. I spent three years in art school in the late 80s studying graphic design and this, in combination with my time at ICP, fuels my interest in making handmade photobooks. I am currently developing a sort of hybrid approach to publishing which I would like to teach about and apply to my future books and projects. More on this soon. 

 

I have a bravery medal and citation from the Irish Government's Deeds of Bravery Council for a winter river rescue in 1990. 

 

I was born in Dublin but never lived there. I was adopted within weeks. I grew up in Ireland, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. I have a half sister that grew up here in England. I met her when I was 40.

 

I came to England to study in 1991 and met my wife here in 1993. We have lived in south east London since 2008. 

 

My work has been represented by Millennium Images in London since 2003. 

 

I’m a better photographer than I am a business man and freelancing has been a struggle. Learning of my dyslexia late in life has helped enormously though. I worked as a corporate staff photographer for a while and enjoyed the steady income but it took a toll on my health and I left in November 2019. I plan to make a sustained success of self employment when this pandemic situation eventually ends, combining assignment work, personal projects, book publishing, print sales and teaching.

 

Links to your social media and website

 

www.paultreacy.com

 

www.instagram.com/photohumourist/

 

www.facebook.com/photohumourist

twitter.com/photohumourist

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica Paul photography portraiture q review settings street street photography Tracey https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-paul-treacy Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Stephen Leslie https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-stephen-leslie one shot interview with Stephen Leslie
 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was walking through the cemetery with my dog. The corona virus lockdown had not yet been put in place but it was obviously coming. I was walking with another dog owner that I occasionally bump into and his Huskie. We were talking about plagues and the problems of sanitation and burial in big cities, subjects that he seemed worryingly knowledgeable about. It was a nice, sunny day, probably the first in quite some time but it was still cold, I suppose you could describe it as bracing. As we walked up the path I noticed what I initially thought was a dead body, remember we were in a cemetery. I may have joked that he was an early victim of the virus. Then I realised he was just sun bathing by a tombstone, lying cruciform on the grass. I asked the other dog walker if he would please hold my dog for a moment and I walked over cautiously to take the photograph. I was simultaneously hoping that a.) He wasn’t in fact dead and b.) That he wouldn’t wake up. I got as close as I dared and took the shot. As I walked back to my dog I was angry with myself for not getting slightly closer. Later on, I went back but the bloke had gone. I took this to confirm that he hadn’t actually been dead.   

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

Not really, it might become part of a very long term project on the cemetery as I walk through there a lot. Although they have closed it off now, which is annoying. I do have many, many photos of people asleep in public but this is just an easy obsession rather than a focused, deliberate project.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

Because it’s unusual. You don’t often see people sunbathing with their tops off in graveyards. Or at least, I’ve never seen it before.  

 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

 

No, like I mention above, taking photos of sleeping people is a pretty standard photographic pursuit. I’m just following in a long line....

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

I still shoot on film, this was taken with my almost broken but just hanging in there Contax T3

 

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I’m a writer and photographer. I write screenplays that rarely get made so I’m hoping to publish some books that people can actually buy and read in the near future. 

I have one book currently available called SPARKS which is a combination of my street photography and original stories inspired by the images. I also have 3 zines

recently published by Bump Books. The Schleppers, People Holding Dogs and Where Did You Get That Hat? Each title should be fairly self descriptive.

 

 

Links to your social media and website

www.stephenleslie.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/step_hen_les_lie/?hl=en

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-stephen-leslie Mon, 08 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Peter Dench https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-peter-dench
one shot interview with Peter Dench
 

 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

It had been quite a chaotic day photographing at Royal Ascot. I was a little tired and very thirsty. I saw this man relaxing on the cool cut grass with cold crisp beer. Part of me wanted to be him, all I could do was photograph him.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

The image was shot on assignment in 2017 for The Sunday Times magazine for a feature on the English summer season. The pictures from the assignment get absorbed into my wider reportage on the theme which was collectively published in a zine by Fistful of Books

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

It’s special for a few reasons. Right now because all the events of the summer season have been coronavirus-cancelled, it’s a reminder of the privilege of being able to do the job that I love. It’s also special as I got to meet the man in the image. John came to the exhibition launch in London, a copy of the print now hangs in his home - it thrills me when people reach out.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I always have a constant swirl of books influencing what I do going back to Tom Wood’s, Looking For Love, Twice Told Tales by Greg Leach and the archive of Homer Sykes.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

An Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II which this image was taken on with a M.12-40mm F2.8 lens.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

Photographer, writer, presenter, curator & Olympus Visionary

Links to website

Peterdench.com

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/6/one-shot-interview-with-peter-dench Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Josh iskander https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-josh-iskander  

one shot interview with Josh iskander 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

 

We’d followed Kate and Stephen up to Haytor (Devon) for a short portraiture session. Both had said “we hate being in front of camera and will hate posing…”. I sat them down when the light seemed good and they chatted about the surrounding ponies, Haytor and looked out across the view. I snapped this from the hip with a 50mm lens. I thought the image had the potential to feel a classic without being officially posed in any way.

 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

No not part of a wider project, a wedding early on in my wedding photography career.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

 

The process of choosing one photograph was harder than expected…….. I narrowed it down to about six images but this one kept coming back as important. I should clarify, I believe, I have taken technically better photographs. I have also taken photographs that mean more to me on a personal level, like my new born children etc. However, I think this photograph was a defining moment for me and my photography journey for several reasons. I never wanted to be the stereotypical wedding photographer who takes far too long with the group shots and removes the bride and groom from their guests for a couple of hours for portraits. We did this shoot in well under 10 mins and they got back to their guests. I didn’t pose them once, we just chatted and had a laugh. I made the decision from then on not to formally pose any couple but only look for flattering light and chat with them. Before this wedding I had emailed a photographer I hugely admired (Ross Harvey - still hugely admire) asking for advice on gear and approach. He came back and said ‘buy a D750 and a 35mm/50mm lens and get good with it. If you do that you’ll be better than most’ - I did exactly that and shot this wedding with one camera and one lens - I had more in the bag but didn’t touch them. It opened my eyes to prime lenses, getting closer and really interacting with the people I was photographing. Since then my style and approach have been simpler, I have enjoyed weddings even more

 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Not really. This was taken probably on my fourth ever wedding so I was very much new to the game and finding my style/feet. I love documentary photography so have since enjoyed: Magnums 'Contact Sheets', Magnum ‘Home', Greg Williams’ ‘Bond on Set’ books. 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Main camera Nikon D750 and 35mm. I have toyed with going to FujiFilm over and over as the X100 was my favourite camera ever. 

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

  I am a professional Teacher and Head of Year in a secondary school in Devon. I am married to Hannah and have three children; Evie, Harry and Erin. I love my job and all that comes with it but I also am a totally passionate photographer. I have loved photography since my dad bought me a Nikon D40 in 2007 probably even before this. Since then I have taken A Level photography, had work published in magazines and regularly shot 10 or more weddings a year. I absolutely love people, therefore wedding photography was a natural progression for me. My ambition is to continue to build my photography business and extend into corporate and event photography alongside my wedding photography. I carry a camera everywhere and am not ashamed about being ’that guy with his camera’. 

 

Links to your social media and website

joshiskander.com 

Instagram: @Joshiskanderphotography

Facebook: @joshiskanderphotography

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica photography portraiture project review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-josh-iskander Mon, 25 May 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Daniele dainelli https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-daniele-dainelli One shot interview with Daniele Dainelli

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

I was in india , in the holy city of Varanasi, during the Shiva Festival in august 2018. The alleys were full of these people with little orange containers in their hands. They were taking the water from the Gange river in order to bring it, to their countries. Those peregrines came from all over India, and this thing made me totally amazed. you can feel in the air, a powerful sensation when you understand how important is the Gange river for indians.I found a cool painting on a blue wall, where there was a tiger hunting a gazelle, and shortly after i saw a man who was walking there, so i decided to push the shutter when he was in the center of the painting.He looked at me in the same time that i push the shutter.The blue wall is also a very strong cover for the subject.

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

This image is part of my last project about India, called “Struggle For Saints. This project is my vision and analysis about the duality that leads indians in a balance between the struggle of the daily life and the necessary search for the religion.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

This image is very important to me because it made me understand the beauty of every different religious tradition that we can find in the world. It’s wonderful to dive in other cultures and admire them for the first time. So photography it’s a great instrument to discover and know people.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

No there isn’t a specific book that made me take that photograph, but i often buy books to improve my skills. I consider books an important thing to understand photography, taking examples from the classics and also from the modern ones.

 

What camera are you currently using?

Currently i’m using a fuji film xe2 with a good flash. It’s very small, and so i can bring with me in a lot of situations. I also have used a canon 6d for many street photos with a bigger metz flash, but it’s too much heavy and not so comfortable to bring around the streets.I always bring with me also a compact film camera, the Olympus xa.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

 Hello, I’m Daniele Dainelli, a street photographer based in Florence. i started taking pictures in2012, when i bought my first canon reflex. I started to shoot landscapes and seascapes, as you know here in Tuscany it’s full of wonderful settings. Then i started to discover the pleasure of wandering in the cities of the world, catching with my eyes, every kind of possible beauty. In 2019 i printed my first zine , about the “Struggle For Saints” project, and i made an important solo exhibit in Florence.

 

MY LINKS TO INSTAGRAM AND WEBSITE

instagram : https://www.instagram.com/daniele_dainelli/

website : https://danieledainelli.carbonmade.com

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Daniele leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-daniele-dainelli Sun, 17 May 2020 23:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Justin Van Marle https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-justin-van-marle One shot interview with Justin Van Marle 

 

 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

Question one has two possible answers! Either a: The light coming through the window was just right due to the diffuser I’d put in the window frame and the 2m softbox that was lighting her from camera right (that’s the technical answer). 

 

Or b: Zoe is a mother of two that wanted to show that a still-breastfeeding mother could still be sexual. She commissioned me to take the images and we aimed to capture a vintage/analogue feel to them, without them coming across as cliched boudoir photography with nudity for the sake of it. They were designed to be elegant, rather than cheesy. I’d shot her wedding many years ago and we had a good amount of trust there already, so it felt really natural to be invited to take these images.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

As above really. We spent the best part of the whole day creating a full set of images, and included two images of the youngest child actually breast feeding. It was never intended to be a part of a wider project, but I’ve had a few enquiries for similar shoots after Zoe (who is prolific in the online breastfeeding community) recommended that others might want to do the same. She loved the sense of empowerment that the shoot gave her.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I really like the feel and tone to this particular image and I think I nailed the lighting for the particular effect that I was after. There’s minimal post processing in there as well, which as a photographer who doesn’t like overly-processed imagery, hits the spot for me.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Not particularly, but the best book I have ever read on my favourite subject (portraiture) is Chris Knight’s The Dramatic Portrait. I’ve honestly learnt more from that one book than every other I’ve had on my shelf over the years and the imagery it contains continues to inspire me.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

I shoot a pair of Nikon D850’s and have more lenses than I reasonably need. An extensive Godox setup for the lighting.

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

I’m a commercial and wedding photographer living and working in North Wales, although my job takes me around the country and the world from time to time. I’ve been a full time photographer for the past 12 years now.

 

Links to your social media and website

 

@jvanmarledotcom (Commercial Instagram)

@fresh_photography_uk (wedding Insstagram)

www.jvanmarle.com (commercial website)

www.freshpics.co.uk (wedding website)

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera cannon interview Justin leica marle Nikon portraiture q review settings van https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-justin-van-marle Mon, 11 May 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Adam Maizey https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-adam-maizey One shot interview with Adam Maizey

 



 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The picture was taken in The Blue Mosque, Istanbul last year. I stood there for quite a while waiting for people to move out of the area as I was interested in how the grey fake pillars looked so odd against the really busy patterned carpet. The plywood pillars were covering up steel girders that were supporting the ceiling whilst repair work was going on.

 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

I was in Istanbul taking part in a Street Photography workshop for a couple of days, the remainder of the time was my own to explore. 

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I shot this on a medium format camera which gave a hell of a lot of detail, but also made the image look like its been heavily Photoshopped (I actually do very few tweaks to my images, I am lazy) and has a feeling of being unreal. Its like a high definition Minecraft screen grab, its just really odd. I like the kid taking a picture of his dad on the left hand side, the people praying in the distance, the colours, the overall surreal feeling.

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

I love the work of Alec Soth and also Mark Power and so I think anything I take has a little bit of their influence on me in one way or another but mostly subconsciously. I do not go out to copy anyone, but what you read and look at influences the way you see right? If you do not know Soth’s Sleeping By The Mississippi or Power’s Good Morning America books, you are missing out. 

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Oh gawd. Mostly the Fuji GFX system, but I also got the new X100V just prior to this bloody awful Coronavirus lockdown and its made going out to use it impossible. I am not one for messing about shooting a lot at home other than pictures of Ted terrier in the back garden with an iPhone. I also use a Leica Q a lot for an ongoing project/commission which started about 18 months ago. I do not want to change the camera halfway through. I use a Leica MP when I feel like a lazy and slow day and finally I mess about with a Ricoh GRiii.  I carry a camera everywhere.

 

 

Please tell us about yourself

 

50, happily relaxed in North Norfolk with my wonderful partner Carol (she may read this). Father of Max, and a plaything for Ted terrier. I normally take photos every single day. Street Photography is my first love but New Topographics are a very close second. Formally known as The White Wall W****r, don’t ask…

 

 

Links to your social media and website

 

www.adammaizey.com

Insta - adam_maizey

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Adam camera documentary flash interview leica lieca Maizy photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/5/one-shot-interview-with-adam-maizey Mon, 04 May 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot interview with Graham Long https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-graham-long One shot interview with Graham Long 

 


 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

 

This 'one shot' was literally just that - i had been wandering around the Barbican estate one Sunday afternoon, which if anyone who knows, is a warren of corridors and brutalist architecture - and if i'm honest, i needed the loo so went inside the Barbican building itself and on the way out, coming down the glass staircase, the sun was just right casting shadows on the patio area below and i snapped just two quick shots, as others were behind me on the stairs. 

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

No its a one off and quite far removed from my usual style. 

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

Because its probably been my most successful image across all social media - even though i never really rated it, but whenever i post it, it has huge accolades from fellow street photographers and been awarded "Image of the Day/Week/Year" on social sites  so much so i have also entered it now, into the Lens Culture 2020 Contest in Street Photography genre. 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?  

 

No, i don't tend to read or own many photography books - there are many and varied photographers out there who all have their own style. i  tend to look at web sites and instagram for inspiration rather than books - I'm on the Admin Team on a Vivian Maier Facebook Group and have been to two exhibitions of her work - i love the fact she was unknown and unheard of until she died - so maybe my time will come  . . . .  

 

 

What camera are you currently using? 
 

I only have a bridge camera - Canon SX60 HS or my iPhone 

 

 

Please tell us about yourself

I'm 51 years old hobbyist street photographer, who uses getting out on the streets with my camera as stress release, from the day job, where i am a Manager for a local authority responsible for Town Centre Management and Markets in North Kent. 

 

 

Links to your social media and website 

 

IG: http://www.instagram.com/photographybymrg

 

FB: http://www.facebook.com/photographybymrg

 

Blog: http://www.photographybymrg.com

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash Graham interview leica lieca Long portraiture q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-graham-long Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:00:00 GMT
One shot Interview with Christian Reister https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-christian-reister
One shot Interview with Christian Reister

 


 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

The strange combination of pelicans, plane + a car. I was lying on the beach of Malibu, looked up, saw this - and click.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

Not really. This image was taken in 2006. I was travelling a lot in these times and was very much into street photography. I would  photographed everything, of which I expected an interesting picture.

 

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

I think it's a special moment that I have not seen photographed somewhere else. But maybe it's a very common sight to those who live on US west coast? If so, just don't tell me, thank you.

 

 

Is there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

No.

 

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Fuji x100T for almost everything, Ricoh GR when it's import that the cam fits into the pocket, and the Canon EOS 5 D Mrk III for most assignment works.

 

 

Please tell us about yourself

I'm living in Berlin and I am taking pictures for 20 years. My last book ("Berlin Nights") was published by Hoxton Mini Press, London. I'm mostly into portraiture, daily life and Berlin nightlife.

 

 

Links to your social media and website

https://www.christianreister.com/

https://www.instagram.com/christianreister/

https://www.facebook.com/christian.reister.9

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Christian documentary interview leica photography portraiture project Reister review settings street https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-christian-reister Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:00:00 GMT
Two years with the Q https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/a-year-with-the-q  Two years with the Q

 

Before starting I just want to say that this blog isn’t about not getting the Leica Q2, if I had the money to hand I would buy the Q2. This blog will cover my experience with the Q, these settings and experiences can be transferred to the Q2.

 

When deciding that I was going to commit and buy a Leica Q, I wondered if the fixed lens and the expense would really be worth it, well two years on I haven’t looked back.

 

I feel the camera has become a part of me, an extension of my vision, the camera is a great tool.  Having less features than my Sony A7ii I was worried that not being able to change the lens would be a big deal at the time. What I actually found was that having limitations meant I was pushing my photography and style in unexplored directions, I was getting closer to the subject and felt I had more confidence when using the camera.

I have set the camera up for street photography, I personally struggle with the 28mm super wide at times when constructing architectural images and often feel a 50mm lens would be ideal. However, this is when I fall back to using my Sony A7ii for my landscape, and for me the Q is great for events, portraits and street photography.

The Leica Q-P has been out for some time now, released with a matt finish, a new shutter release button and de-badged. I have taped over the Leica badge on my Q and microphone holes with electrical tape as I’ve had a few people I have photographed who were very interested in the camera itself. The Q-P seems to be the same camera with a different housing, and isn’t one I feel is a worthy progression from the Q.

 

The Leica Q2 has been out since 2019 and the hype for this camera doesn’t seem to be dying down. With the updated battery and enough pixels to blow the the old Q (not out dated) out of the water. I have yet to hold a Q2 but from the update viewfinder and buttons, it looks to be a mighty camera that’s even weather sealed! The Q2 is a camera I would progress to!

Once I gained confidence within street photography in regards to photographing subjects close without their permission, I thought it would be a good idea to buy a Leica SF26 flash. The learning curve for the use of this was challenging, often with the flash being too powerful and over exposing the images. I experimented for over a week, even debating returning the flash and the camera back as I felt I was moving backwards. However, once I overcame some learning and technical difficulties, I continued to use the Q and have found the flash allows for real rich colours and makes the subjects stand out from the background. My photography has since moved on from using flash within my street photography as I think that the flash can be too intrusive when trying to create meaningful candid street images.

 

If you wanted to use flash then these are the settings I have previously found work best with the SF26 flash because the flash uses TTL (through the lens):

 

Flash tech set up:

 

Focus: Auto focus - centre focus

 

Aperture: Auto

 

Shutter speeds 500-2000

 

ISO 100-16000

 

Digital exposure under expose: -2 1/2

 

image using the sf26 flash


My photographic journey with the Q

 

Within a month of having the Q I was featured in Digital Camera magazine. I went on to have other projects featured, I of course can’t put this all down to the camera alone, but having my hand on a full framed small camera has been ideal to help me to construct meaningful street photography documentaries. One of the proudest moments was talking about one of my projects at a street photography festival in London. Overall the Q has had a massive positive impact on my photography life, my photography has also been shown in local galleries and international street photography festivals. 


Screenshot

 

The negatives

 

The camera is well built but there are a few snags I have come across. I went and photographed one of the oldest woods on Dartmoor and waited for a foggy day to make the images atmospheric, but the Q struggled from this outing and the view finder became condensated which I had to get replaced. The microphone holes sit on top of the camera which I have now taped because this could be a place for water to enter the camera. The camera is not weather sealed. The writing speeds to the memory card (I have brought a card with a quicker writing speed) could be improved when using the DNG raw I find the process slow compared to other cameras. The lens cap could also be improved as I found I was knocking the Leica cap off. I bought a rubber lens cap which works well. I have often found the wide angles awkward when I am stood close to the subjects and the overall image looks as though I’m further away, I use the 35mm crop but find the wide lens to be one of the draw backs of the camera. 

 

Overall

 

The Leica Q is still a worthy camera to have by your side, there are other cameras on the market that are similar to the Q but aren’t full frame, I have found the full frame useful compared to micro-four third cameras because of the low light capabilities and the depth of shadows and tones.  I really enjoy the Q, it has to be the best camera I have owned and is my go-to camera, which is what you really want from a camera. You want a camera that you WANT to pick up and use it and feel confident when using the camera.
 


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more straight outta Plymouth images:

https://www.ryanhardman.photography/p342197456

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/a-year-with-the-q Sat, 18 Apr 2020 11:51:05 GMT
One shot interview with Richard Bram https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-richard-bram
One shot interview with Richard Bram

 

 

 

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

 

October, 1992, Sergeiev Posad, Russia. It was the first snow of the season as I stepped up onto the sidewalk. To this day, I’m not sure if I consciously made a quick hip-shot or if my elbow accidentally tripped the shutter of the Leica M3. In the long run, it doesn’t matter.

 

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

 

That trip to Russia in 1992 was a seminal moment in my growth as a photographer. For the first time in my career I was on the streets of someplace new, at the height of my powers, with lots of film, no agenda, no shot list, and complete freedom to photograph whatever caught my eye. It was my first truly great experience of what I would later think of as street photography.

 

Why is this image special to you?

 

It expresses perfectly what I was feeling at the moment: the excitement of being in an entirely new place, far different from anywhere I’d been before, the beauty of falling snow, and feeling very, very cold.

 

Are there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

 

Directly no, but the influence of Kertész, Cartier-Bresson, and others of the classic period is clear to see. They, especially Kertész, were my first masters when I was studying photography in the public library. To this day, I have more books by these two men in my library than any others. I hadn’t yet gotten deeply into Frank and Winogrand; that came a bit later.

 

What camera are you currently using?

 

Mostly either a Leica M10 or a Leica Q, but also a Nikon Df if I need a longer lens. I have a lot of glass for both systems that I’ve accumulated along the way so I try to keep it to one of the two systems. When I shoot film (which I do whenever I want black and white), it’s usually with a Leica M6.

 

Please tell us about yourself.

 

After a lack-lustre business career came to an ignominious end, at the tender age of 32 I went mad and decided to become a photographer. Thirty-six years later I am still doing it.

 

Links to your social media and website

richardbramphoto.com

Instagram: photobram52 

Twitter:Photobram

Facebook: richard.bram.39

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Bram camera documentary flash interview leica photography portraiture project q review Richard street https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2020/4/one-shot-interview-with-richard-bram Tue, 14 Apr 2020 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Giuseppe Andretta https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-giuseppe-andretta

An interview with Giuseppe Andretta 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

A: I was attracted by the violence of self-harming tcharmil teenager in Morocco and when I decide the editorial project as a fanzine I was inspired by punk fanzines and the punk culture because I saw some similariEes between the tcharmil appearance and the punk ground- breaking culture in the ‘70s

 

RH:  Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

A: When I realised that the subject was interesEng for developing a photo project I started to show the photos to some friends and pho- tographers just to have an opinion and a different point of view. This is why it turned out that way,

RH:  Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

A: from the photography side no, but I am very sorry for not having taken any video.

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

A: I’ve tried to face everything with calm and paEence the biggest challenge was to get accepted by the gang, they were much younger than me. I tried to be as much as I could similar to them, I did the same thing they did and be in the same place sharing my experience.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?

A: I am not a professional photographer so this is my second project. The first one last 2 years and the second one 5 years but one was lost for my health problems

 

Editing and Sequencing

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

A: I use to shoot several images and then select and edit only one.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

A: Yes, in the beginning the project was considered for a color print exhibiEon and it ended up in a black and white fanzine

 

Tips and hints

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

A: Just to find a great and interestng subject, no matter which camera or equipment you use.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter?

A: No!

RH:  Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

A: Wow there are so many photography books I have and I think it will be obvious to suggest. I think that the best ones are: “Gipsies” by Josef Koudelka and “The Americans” by Robert Frank. But I will sug-

gest to ‘deviate’ from any standard point of view, I suggest to be ex- tremely curious in every place and situaton.

 

RH:  Would you recommend a*ending photography workshops?

A: Yes, they are very helpful if the teacher is a photographer that you like and has teaching skills! Some great photographers are good pro- fessionals but very bad teachers.

]]>
(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Andretta bojan camera flash Giuseppe interview leica photography portraiture q review street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-giuseppe-andretta Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:30:00 GMT
An interview with Bojan Nikolic AKA Chibsterr https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-bojan-nikolic-aka-chibsterr An interview with Bojan Nikolic AKA Chibsterr
 


copyright Bojan Nikolic

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

BN: Most of the photos I take are in London. I moved here from Sarajevo when I was 8 years old and it felt natural to develop a long term project about the city and my relationship to it.  

 

RH:  Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

BN: I don’t plan a lot in regards to the specifics of what I’m shooting. I shoot what I feel generally and then I will gather the images together and certain connections or narratives will arise from that. 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

BN: Not really, just to shoot whenever and wherever possible.

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

BN: Just to have my camera with me as much as possible. I think moments are happening everywhere and all the time,  the street,  the beach, at home, in the sea, the toilet, a blacked out room. I think its possible anywhere, for me the word “street” just means the reality or life around us. I just enjoy collaborating with it in real time.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

BN: However long it takes.

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured? 

 

BN: I try to take a stand alone single image first then connect it later. Or just something I find interesting and might work later when put with other images.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

BN: I think it can change a lot  and hopefully for the better.

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH:  What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

BN: Shoot what you care about, whether it is specific or not.

 

 

RH:  Does the camera really matter?  

 

BN: Only in the sense that you’re comfortable in using it.

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

BN: There are lots, but here are some that come to mind:

 

The Tyranny of Words by Stuart Chase

The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott MCcloud

Violence by James Gilligan

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate

 

Anything by:

 

Carl Sagan

Bertrand Russell

George Orwell

Vladimir Nabokov

Anthony Burges

Aldous Huxley

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

 

RH:  Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

           

BN: I guess good ones can give you new ways of working and inspiration.

 

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

 

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

copyright Bojan Nikolic
 

 

 

 

 

]]>
(Ryan Hardman. Photography) bojan camera documentary flash interview leica nikolic photography portraiture q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-bojan-nikolic-aka-chibsterr Mon, 21 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT
an interview with Eléonore Simon https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-el-onore-simon  

An interview with Eléonore Simon


 

 

RH: Who is Eléonore Simon?

ES: Eléonore ais French-American photographer based in Valparaíso, Chile with a background in art history and an upbringing that took me to different corners of the world. Before moving to Chile,  Eléonore lived in New York where she developed her first bodies of work, worked as a studio manager and served as a teaching assistant at the International Center of Photography. 

Eleonore Simon / Women Street Photography / 15 septrmbre 2018 / Grande Bibliothèque / Paris / © Gil Rigoulet

copyright Gil Rigoulet

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

ES: I’ve been photographing Valparaíso for almost three years now. I had visited Chile ten years ago, and was so taken by the atmosphere of Valparaíso that I daydreamed of living there, in one of these small colorful houses perched on a hill. In late 2016, I came back for what was supposed to be a short visit, and I ended up moving to Chile. There’s something really fascinating about Valparaíso and the first pictures I took there had something special, so I knew I wanted to keep on exploring the port and channel some of its poetry through photography.

 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

ES: One of the things I appreciate when working in the street photography tradition is that advanced planning isn’t necessary, as opposed to documentary work where I do some research and make initial contacts far before I even get to take out my camera. In Valparaíso, I always carry a small camera, walk, observe and wait. I have never been interested in photographing parades, festivals or large gatherings so I don’t seek out these shooting opportunities. I am most interested in ordinary moments, and the potential that photography has to transform them into something else, something mysterious and beautiful.

 I will say that when I first started photographing in Valparaíso, I was warned multiple times (as in, daily), that parts of the city were dangerous and I shouldn’t venture alone. So when I wanted to see a new neighborhood, I would plan on going with someone who knew it well so I could familiarize myself with the place. Eventually, I got to know the city quite well and learned Spanish so I’m comfortable exploring on my own.

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

ES: Maybe learning Spanish beforemoving at the other end of the world would have been wise? But in truth, not having language to connect with people and feeling rather disoriented informed my work in Valparaíso in ways that are really rich.

 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOAn abstract take on Valparaiso's murals. Valparaiso, Chile - September 20, 2017.
Une interpretation abstraite des peintures murales de Valparaiso. Valparaiso, Chili - 20 septembre 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

ES: There were times when I felt stuck, when I wasn’t getting any interesting photographs, or lost interest in photography altogether. So I would set small goals for myself : shooting for 2 hours, walking until I reached 10,000 steps, picking a neighborhood at random. Sometimes shifting gears and working on a different project (whether it’s curating or photographing) helps me move forward. 

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

ES: I still consider my Valparaíso project ongoing so you may want to ask me again in a few years. I also don’t know that I will ever deem a project truly finished, mainly because I think of all my different portfolios as working together and contributing to a larger body of work. 

 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOA painter at work in Valparaiso's Cerro Concepcion. Valparaiso, Chile - May 31, 2017.
Un peintre a l'oeuvre dans le Cerro Concepcion de Valparaiso. Valparaiso, Chili - 31 mai 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

ES: I usually only have one or two images to choose from for a specific scene. I will have an image in my head of the photograph I want to create and wait for the elements to come together. So I’ll usually know if I got the image I wanted before I take it to Lightroom.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

ES: Absolutely. It is so important to give your project enough time to develop, not only so that you have more images to work with, but because your editing and sequencing matures with time, when you have more distance from your work, and yourself.

When I first started editing my Valparaíso portfolio, I gravitated towards images that were more dense, abstract, even somber at times. I noticed that I gradually added back images that were lighter, more playful. Perhaps I was feeling more comfortable in Valparaíso, or maybe what I appreciate in a photograph, and in myself as an artist, also shifted with time.

 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOPhotograph of a woman walking, taken from inside of a bus. Valparaiso, Chile - February 20, 2017.
Image d'une femme marchant dans la rue, prise depuis l'interieur d'un bus. Valparaiso, Chili - 20 fevrier 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH:  What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

ES: Just go out, shoot and try to stay in the moment (and remind me to do the same!). Pay attention to the things you photograph when nobody is watching, the things you are drawn to when you don’t take yourself so seriously. Starting out with a concept for a photography project can be good, but sometimes it is a hindrance to letting the work follow its natural course. Let the images take you where they want to take you, and be willing to let your ideas evolve with them. 

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

ES: I don’t think it matters terribly. You’ll probably be better off really learning how your current camera works than keep on investing in new, “better” gear. The most important thing is to feel comfortable enough with your camera so that shooting becomes second nature, so you can stay in the moment and focus your attention on the image itself.

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

ES: Tough question as it’s so dependent on the reader! Read photography books, fiction, essays, listen to podcasts, music, whatever you connect with. I’m not against the occasional self-help book either!

 

 

RH:  Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

ES: Photography takes confidence, but also a healthy dose of humility, it’s about continuous learning and relentlessly pushing yourself. Workshops can be a great way to learn and have a dedicated time and space for photography, but they are by no means the only way to grow. It boils down to figuring out how you learn best, and what you can do within your budget. Be voracious, read books, attend festivals, head to the museum, strike up a conversation with a photographer whose work intrigues you. And do take things offline whenever you can.

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOA stray dog scratches itself on the pavement in Valparaiso's Cerro Concepcion neighborhood. Valparaiso, Chile - September 20, 2017.
Un chien errant se gratte au sol dans le quartier de Cerro Concepcion a Valparaiso. Valparaiso, Chili - 20 septembre 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOThe volunteer search and rescue corps of Valparaiso (Cuerpo de Voluntarios de los Botes Salvavidas de Valparaiso) at a yearly remembrance ceremony in honor of their deceased colleagues. Valparaiso, Chile - April 9, 2017.
Les sauveteurs en mer de Valparaiso (Cuerpo de Voluntarios de los Botes Salvavidas de Valparaiso) lors d'une ceremonie annuelle en l'honneur des leurs collegues decedes. Valparaiso, Chili - 9 avril 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOA pack of dogs bark and run after a gaz delivery truck. Valparaiso, Chile - May 31, 2017.
Une meute de chien poursuit en aboyant une camionnette livrant le gaz. Valparaiso, Chili - 31 mai 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

CHILE - VALPARAISOCHILE - VALPARAISOA man takes a nap in front of the Pacific, a dog by its side. Valparaiso, Chile - May 22, 2017.
Un homme dort devant le Pacifique, un chien couche a ses cotes. Valparaiso, Chili. 22 mai 2017.

copyright Eléonore Simon
 

RH: If you want to find out more visit:

Website:www.eleonoresimon.com

Instagram: @eleonoresimon

Studio Hans Lucas: www.hanslucas.com/esimon/photo

]]>
(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary eléonore flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review simon street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-el-onore-simon Mon, 14 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Ben Burfitt https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-ben-burfitt An interview with Ben Burfitt
Copyright Ben Burfitt

 

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

BB:  It’s something I very much fell into by accident. For a long time I was trying to come up with a project but nothing really stuck. I started helping out with my girlfriends dog walking business. When our daughter was born I took over the walking full time and found myself too busy with dogs and a new baby to work on much outside of work or home. I started to take my camera with me to work everyday and I’d say the project developed organically from there.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?
 

BB: There was no real planning at all.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

BB: Not really. It’s all a learning process and every mistake leads to some sort of correction or new idea.

Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

BB:  The dogs move pretty fast and the autofocus on my camera just isn't fast enough, so that meant having to prefocus, which in turn meant needing as much depth of field as possible, which in turn meant needing as much light as possible. Being from London, good light was unreliable, so I started taking a flash with me everyday which has ended up being an integral part of the whole aesthetic of the project. Aside from the technical stuff, there’s also the challenge of doing the same thing everyday and somehow trying to keep it interesting, which in a way leads back to the technical stuff. For instance, I switched from triggers to a TTL cord so I could sync the flash at 1/4000th of second. This opened up new creative avenues and meant I could pretty much kill all the ambient light, allowing me to take a totally different type of photo than I could have before. 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   
 

BB: This one has been going on for about three or four years and I suppose there will be some sort of resolution to it in the form of a book. I’m not actually sure that my projects ever really end. I just tend to shoot whatever is happening around my life at the time, so as long as I’m working with the dogs I’ll continue taking photos of them. having said that I am looking forward to doing something completely different, I don’t know what yet but I’m sure something will present itself.

Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH:  Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

BB: A bit of both, in that I take a lot of photos and usually at the end of a good days shooting I might have three or four half decent ones if I’m lucky (it’s all luck) There seem to be two types of photos that happen with this project; there are the ones that end up good by some sort of serendipity, and then there are the ones that almost turn out good but contain the spark of an idea. The latter ones end up being these obsessions that can take months or years to get. The whole project is pretty much based around a handful of very deliberate images and the rest are just these lucky moments that happened while trying to get something else.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

BB: Definitely, but that’s what I love about it. It’s boring to me if I know where a project is going, or if I know exactly what images I'll be working to get from week to week. It’s the unpredictable nature of the whole thing that excites me. I’ve really only just started editing the work into sequences and trying to work out narratives, and what’s coming out of that isn’t what I’d have expected at all.

Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

BB: Patience and determination are probably the two most important things I can think of. If you stick at something long enough you’re bound to get good at it. It doesn’t really matter what it is your taking photos of, it’s how you take those photos that’s important. I suppose it has to be something that matters to you personally.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

BB: Yes and no. It matters in that certain cameras can do certain things, but it doesn’t matter if you can use whatever a given camera can do to your creative advantage. For example, if you have a camera that produces unsharp, noisy images, and you can make that work in the context and aesthetic of your project then what more do you need? I couldn’t take a lot of the photos I do without a camera that has a leaf shutter which enables me to sync flash at high speeds. That only became something that mattered because the particular camera i use can do that. 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

BB: 

I think photobooks are a very good way of finding inspiration, for me at least.

I’d recommend:

Trent Parke - Minutes to midnight

Walker Evans - American Photographs

Alec Soth - Sleeping By the Mississippi 

Martin Kollar - Provisional Arrangement

Mark Power - Good Morning America I & II

Saul Leitter - Early Colour

These are just a few that I’ve very much been inspired by recently.

I also just finished reading “The Pleasures of Good Photographs” by Gerry Badger which was very good.


RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

BB: If people feel that it would benefit them, then definitely. I haven’t myself but I can see how it would be a good way to speed up the learning process. 

 

 

Copyright Ben Burfitt
Copyright Ben Burfitt
Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

Copyright Ben Burfitt
 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) animal ben burfitt camera documentary dog flash interview leica photography q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/10/an-interview-with-ben-burfitt Mon, 07 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Mik Critchlow https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-mik  

An interview with Mik Critchlow 

Mik Critchlow Photographer 2019

Copyright Mik Critchlow

 

 

RH: Who is  Mik Critchlow 

MC:  Mik Critchlow (b.1955) is a social documentary photographer based in the North East of England.  Mik has worked on long term community-based projects for over forty years.

On seeing an exhibition of paintings in 1977 by the ‘Pitmen Painters’- a group of Ashington men brought together in 1934 by the Workers Educational Association for Art Appreciation classes, he realised the value of art as a social document, the visual representation of everyday life, by one’s own knowledge and personal experiences.

In the same year, he began a long term photography project which documented his home town of Ashington, Northumberland. The son of a miner, he has worked within the community with a deep-rooted empathy for the townsfolk, documenting the area and it’s people during a rapid period of social and environmental change.

Work is held in public and private collections and has been exhibited & published widely including:  Side Gallery, Amber-Side Collection, Northumberland Archives, Brunel University, Museums Northumberland, Durham Art Gallery, Arts Council England, Laing Gallery, Northumberland Libraries , MCC Museum, Northern Arts, The British Journal of Photography, Amateur Photographer, Creative Camera, Museums Journal. 

Recent exhibitions include: 'Forever Amber' - Laing Art Gallery 2014, 'The Share' - Northern Rock Gallery 2014 , 'About The North - Imagined Dialogues' - Side Gallery 2018,  'Pitmen Painters Unseen' - Woodhorn Museum 2018, 'WORK+WORKERS' - Side Gallery 2019.

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

MC: My true inspiration has always come from the people I meet and the stories that they would like to share, I'm an open book, a good listener and find that it's very important to have that real connection with people. My current documentary work is the same story that I've been working on for over 40 years, I've always been in it for the long haul and as long as I can make pictures and share others experiences and situations I'm happy, It's my immediate community, it's all I know.

 

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

MC: You come up with the initial ideas and take it from there, I've never really planned a project unless it needed certain permissions for access to workplaces. I think the real planning only happens if I'm working on commissions and need to meet tight budgets and deadlines for completion. I like to work on the fly and make immediate connections through the people I know who can make things happen for me, it's all about working relationships & contacts. Sometimes I feel that I should be managed as I can be disorganised at times.

 

 

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

MC: In reality I wish that I'd spent much more time with my family years ago, I missed out on so much when I was working away on assignments and commissions. Precious time that you cannot get back.

 

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

MC: I think the main challenge is keeping up the same level of motivation that you had on the first day. Every day is different, you make new contacts which in turn leads to better relationships with the people & communities which you are working in. You've got to keep an open mind and remain true to yourself as well as the people you meet. A high level of honesty and integrity helps - I don't sell people short or bullshit them and don't use images without permission first. I always tell people that their image may be used for an exhibition or book project and usually they are fine with that.

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?

 

MC: My projects have always been done over fairly long periods of time, building the work slowly as I start to understand the bigger picture so to speak.  You start a project sometimes with pre-defined ideas about what you want to say with your photographs and then something changes within the project which takes you off on a completely different tangent.  Some of my shorter projects have lasted between 12-18 months, some have developed over many years, building upon the original story, adding to the work.  My work with Seafarers was originally a 6 month commission and I ended up working on the project for over 3 years, much of that time - self funded. My work in my hometown began in 1977 and it's still ongoing, you've got to have staying power to see projects through.

 

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

MC: It  depends really on the images that I'm working on, in fast moving situations I may take a short series of images as the scene unfolds in front of me, I usually know when I've captured something worthwhile within the scenario and stop at that moment, I tend to work quickly reacting to my first intuitive response to what I'm seeing. I've never used a motor drive and can usually nail the image in one or two shots. I've got a DSLR that is capable of 11 frames per second but I've always got the drive set to single shot, I'm not a 'spray & pray' photographer - You've really got to have confidence in your own abilities to capture the moment. I can't say that I've ever constructed a picture, pictures just happen, I love elements of spontaneity and the way things present themselves in front of me, the only construction element is in the actual framing of the scene. I also hate editing so the less frames I have to sort through the better, I'm an old school film photographer so I still treat every frame as if it's my last, even when shooting digital.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

MC: When you lay out a series it's always fascinating for me to see images which have been shot at different times/places which work well within a sequence, the narrative either changes direction or leads you into other ways of thinking. You find images which work well together and it usually broadens the dynamics of the project.

Winning Brass band - Northumberland Miners Picnic 1990

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

 

MC: I would advise people to find something that they are passionate about, keep it local, there are probably a thousand worthwhile stories/projects within a 5 mile radius of your home. Start with something you know and feel passionate about and go on from that point of initial interest.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

MC: I think cameras are only a means to an end, you just use the best that you can afford at the time, after all they're only tools. You don't get many professional plumbers discussing what brand of wrenches or pipe cutters they use. Jimi Hendrix was a fantastic guitar player but who gives a damn about what strings he had on his guitar, it's the end result that counts. It would be refreshing to  think this should be the case with photographers. I recommend  that you find a camera/lens combination that you are comfortable with and stick with it. Try using only one lens and learn what it can do, I've always found that the best wide angle or telephoto is your feet . For the majority of my work over the years I've used a medium format Rolleiflex TLR which has a fixed standard lens, same with 35mm I tend to only use a 28mm or 50mm lens, keep it simple and don't tie yourself to technology and gear.

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

MC: I would recommend looking at as many photographers monographs as you can lay your hands on, study their work, go to your local library, visit photographic exhibitions, I would advise strongly to keep away from the weekly/monthly camera comics, they only want to sell you the latest gear that you don't actually need. Above all, have an open mind and always be inspired, learn by your own mistakes, sometimes an element of danger is a good thing.

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

MC: I teach on workshops so of course I'm going to say yes, but sometimes people go on workshops expecting the world to open up to them and it doesn't happen for some reason. They've probably enrolled on the wrong workshop with the wrong intentions with the wrong tutors. I would say that they would get better value by just spending the same money to travel and shoot. It's much better to do workshops with tutors/photographers with solid real world experience who are proven experts in the field. There are far too many photography workshops being run by very clever marketing people and so-called business gurus who are only in it for the money, not worthwhile life affirming and useful photographic education. 

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

 

Una's - First Avenue, Ashington 1978Una's - First Avenue, Ashington 1978Una's - First Avenue, Ashington 1978

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

The Banksman - Ashington Colliery 1981The Banksman - Ashington Colliery 1981The Banksman - Ashington Colliery 1981

Copyright Mik Critchlow
 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera critchlow doc documentary flash interview mik photography review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-mik Mon, 30 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT
an interview with Andy Feltham https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-andy-feltham An interview Andy Feltham

copyright Andy Feltham

RH: Who is Andy Feltham

AF: Andy Feltham is a self-taught photographer who lives in Northampton, UK, who also works part-time within the healthcare setting at his local hospital. He has been exhibited in the UK, USA and Italy and featured in numerous publications, both online and in print. He has also been commissioned to work in the commercial as well as the fine art setting.

Feltham seeks to create a tension within each photograph by using meticulous framing, exposure and technique to detach the subject from its surroundings. This lends a subtle disquiet to the underlying themes of beauty, mortality and humour that hallmark his work. 

 

RH: What is your project about?

AF: “The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it”.

Aneurin Bevan, the Health Minister who created the NHS

 

Since its inception in 1948, the National Health Service has been the prized jewel in Britains welfare crown. Asmortality rates decrease year-on-year, the demand for cutting-edge therapies, and their associatedtariffs, continues torise.A victim of its own success, the NHS faces its biggest fight to date.

 

Picture of Healthis my take on a small corner of the NHS today. Shot over two years, starting in February 2016, I was granted access to all areas across Northampton General Hospital, a mid-sized district general hospital in Northamptonshire, UK.

 

In part I wanted to explore the unseen recesses of the hospital, hinting at the hidden complexities inherent within the delivery of care. Further, I hoped to highlight chronic underfunding across the NHS, which has meant that the provision of safe care to the populace of Northamptonshire has become increasingly difficult. Despite - or perhaps because of - this, it was also the aim of this project to celebrate the hard work and commitment shown by staff at Northampton General Hospital in providing the Best Possible Care to their patients on a daily basis.

 

 

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

AF: I work part-time as a nurse educator within the NHS, and was seeing potential images in and around the local hospital where I work. I consider the NHS to be the jewel in the tarnished crown of Britain, and I wanted to do *something* to help preserve it. The inspiration for the project came to me after I’d gone to bed on one night in Jan 2016… I was so excited when the idea dropped that I couldn’t sleep for ages thinking of all the possibilities!

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

AF: There was quite a bit of negotiation required with the project, starting with getting the agreement from the hospitals Chief Executive, who then consulted with the Communications Team. Once I’d got their go ahead, then it was down to me to arrange shoots with various managers, often with tight time pressures as I didn’t want to impact on any of the hospital services. It was also important to me to carefully consider the areas in which to shoot, to give an accurate representation of all the facets of the care provided within the NHS, from birth to death.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

AF: I’m pleased to say I only have one or two regrets in life, but I suppose I could go on and on shooting the series as there are unique moments worth capturing every day in the hospital. This wouldn’t have been practical however as I’m sure peoples patience would have worn thin!

 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

AF: Well my main difficulty now is what to do with the work. My hope is that it’s a story of interest outside of the photographic world, but like many photographers, I’m better at making the work rather than selling the project to others once its done.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

AF: Picture of Health was shot over two years between 2016 - 2018, and I think it’s important to ensure that the work is strong enough to be released on the unsuspecting public… therefore a timeframe of years (the more, the better), to really be able cherry-pick the best of the project. 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

AF: It varies. I’m often quite instinctive when shooting, so it tends to be just one shot, but I know when I’m really excited about the scene before me when I’m shooting multiple exposures to ensure I capture the very best take I can.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

AF: I aways wanted the project to be a celebration of the NHS, so in that regard it stayed on track throughout the process. I certainly wouldn’t rule out any changes, even now a drop of inspiration might hit.

 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

AF: There’s a couple of things I want to pass on… firstly if you’re stuck with for a story, just get out and shoot. As you collect the images, a theme or narrative may well bubble up to the surface. Also, I’d recommend that you don’t second guess what the responses of others might be to your ideas. If you have a location you want to shoot, approach the decision-maker with a smile and simply ask. At worst they can say ‘no’, but you’ll get better at the pitch in doing so.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

AF: Ha! I’m probably not the best person to ask having just bought my mid-life crisis camera (a Fujifilm GFX50R). No it doesn’t matter, in that you can make compelling images with a smartphone; but as I’ve gone up the sensor sizes, I’ve found that you have more options when post processing with larger formats… photography is really just a series of decisions, so to have more options makes the job a little easier.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

AF: I learn something from every photobook I own, and I have a few!! A couple of classics are ‘Uncommon Places’ by Stephen Shore, and American Prospects by Joel Sternfield. My favourite book is probably ZZYZX by Gregory Halpern. Any of these (and even better, all three) would be sure to get the creative juices flowing.

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

AF: I’ve only attended one workshop, a mate and I spent a day with Simon Roberts… my friend thoroughly enjoyed it, but said he didn’t gain that much from it, whereas I’ve been constantly referring to the lessons learnt on that day for the last two years. The difference was that I went with a heap of queries that I wanted answering, whereas my mate went along with nothing specific in mind.

 

Another friend has been on a few and generally refers to them as ‘Snake Oil’ but he says his workshop with Matt Stuart enabled him to visualise possibilities that he hadn’t considered before. So yes I’d recommend it, but have a specific goal and tailor who you go with to fit that objective.

 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

copyright Andy Feltham
 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Andy camera Feltham leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-andy-feltham Mon, 23 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Chris Hilton https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-chris-hilton An interview with Chris Hilton 

 

 

 

CopyRight: Chris Hilton 

RH: who is Chris Hilton 

CH:  I'am a photographer based in Dorset, England. I still hasn’t decided what I really want to be when I grow up ... oh yer I like hats ...

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

CH: The thing that really attracted me to my current project was the travel … I am currently processing photographs from a recent trip to Uzbekistan. So I guess the question, for this particular project should be; what attracted me to Uzbekistan?

A Thousand and One Arabian Nights, The Silk Road, Samarkand, the desert, Bactrian Camels, the Mongol Hordes, Ghengis Khan and Kubla Khan, The Great Game, the Soviet Union and it’s dissolution, the photographs of Rodchenko used in Stalinist propaganda, Russian trucks, architecture, the hats, the clothes, the colours, the people … anywhere that is a melting pot of people is interesting. Throw in a few millennia of turbulent history … and what’s not to like?

 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

CH: As odd as it sounds, the planning stage is really born from another project. About three years ago I started a project called ‘The Things I Saw Today’. The idea was to shoot whatever caught my eye, for whatever reason, be it a colour, a shape, a shadow … anything at all, without any regard for content or meaning. Without even wondering whether it would make a good image or not. I quite quickly found myself photographing things I would usually walk by or photographing things that might not ordinarily seem ‘worthy’ enough.

I take a photograph most days but I am not religious about it, if I don't feel like it then I don't ... it's not forced. There is no plan, no reason, it's entirely visceral. I just react to the things that draw me and, over time, patterns and themes start to emerge ... and it is from them that you start to see the stories ... the real ones, the ones that are already in your subconscious and they are the stories you need to tell, not the ones you feel you 'ought' to be telling.

So what was the plan for Uzbekistan? To shoot with abandon, to shoot what might not seem important, to shoot enough material that themes start to emerge and to hope that when you recognise them there is enough content for a coherent project.

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

CH: If I were a rich man, I’d have two trips. The first would be identical to the one I’ve just done but instead of trying to glean a finished article from it, I would treat the images as exploratory notes and return to expand on any emerging themes. It’s something I have done before albeit closer to home. I am in my third year of photographing a particular military marching band but the first images I took of them were actually whilst photographing the event that they were a small part of. As a result of those first images I have returned to that annual event twice more but with a greater defined narrative.

 

  User comments

CopyRight: Chris Hilton
 

 

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

CH: The main challenge will be whether to treat the body of work (once processed) as a whole, to run with one of the themes running through it, or take a few threads and weave them into something unusual. 

I once toured four Asian countries and ended up with a collection of interesting but disparate photos. But I found that in the majority of the images that were jumping out at me; there was a plastic chair … not always obvious, sometimes in the background but present nonetheless. 

 

The ‘Plastic Chairs of South East Asia’ ended up as a book, albeit with a very modest print run but it sold, and it was a useful method of linking images that, ordinarily, would have been difficult to sequence.

At the minute, I am sorely tempted by the title the ‘Gas Pipes of Uzbekistan’. In Uzbekistan they are omnipotent so most street scenes will contain them … problem is, I have a few belters where the pipes are absent … it’s all a process and, as yet, I am still in its midst.

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

CH: They vary greatly. This particular one, from stepping on a plane to producing a book will probably be the best part of a year ... others are still on-going after five, yet I feel I have barely begun.

 

 

CopyRight: Chris Hilton
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do you have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

CH: I tend to shoot both ways. If it is ‘off the cuff’ then I tend to edit a stream of images down to one. I will frequently shoot wide and crop in order to improve the composition when things are a bit less hectic, sitting in front of the computer.

By contrast, sometimes I will know exactly what I want and will wait to get it.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

CH: Nearly always ... if I’m not discovering something as I’m going along then I’m just not trying hard enough.

 

CopyRight: Chris Hilton
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

CH: To be realistic … to photograph what you have access to. 

It’s no good deciding you want to photograph the social tensions of the Brexit vote within rural fishing communities. Communities that are full of second home owners who voted to remain … if you live in Birmingham and work five days a week … Projects with real meaning take time, and you need to be there. Sea Coal by Chris Killip springs to mind as an example of what can be achieved if you have equal measures of time and tenacity.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

CH: Yes and no …

No … because the most important thing in a picture is the photographer’s input. It’s the thought process, it’s the vision. Whoever said “the most important part of the camera is the bit two inches behind the view finder” nailed it.

Yes … because whatever you ‘do’ use has to suit you and your way of working. For some people that might be phones for others it will be pixel count. Whatever floats your boat?

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

CH: I have recently bought two books compiled by David Campany. 

 

One is ‘Modern Colour’ featuring the work of Fred Herzog. Starting in the late forties he shot two rolls of Kodachrome slide film a week. He did it in Vancouver and he did it for the best part of five decades. It is a beautifully produced book that is worth having for all sorts of reasons but chief amongst them has to be the reproduction of the reds captured by Kodachrome 64.

 

The second is ‘The Open Road’, a sort of greatest hits of the American road trip. There is an extensive forward by Campany from which I will quote;-

 

“Along with Walker Evans and Eugene Atget before her, [Berenice] Abbott understood that what is most familiar to modern life is often what is most fleeting, and its significance may only become apparent once it has disappeared. In this regard one of the highest callings for a photographer, and one of the toughest challenges is to document the present for the sake of the future. It requires acute attention to the things around you that others are taking for granted.”

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

CH: Yes … but not the ones where they tell you where to put your tripod and what setting to use on your camera!

 

 

 

 

RH: if want to find out more about Chris and his work, click on the links below 

Website …  https://www.visuallycuriousphotography.com/

 

Instagram … https://www.instagram.com/chrisjhilton/

 

 

CopyRight: Chris Hilton
 

CopyRight: Chris Hilton
 

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Chris documentary flash Hilton interview leica photography portraiture q review settings street street photography travel https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-chris-hilton Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Salvatore Matarazzo https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-salvatore-matarazzo  

An Interview with Salvatore Matarazzo

 

Planning

 

 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

My current project "Ritratti dalla strada" or more simple "Portraits" is inspire from my old projects. I Had always job in street I started with street photography, but gradually I got more closer to people, now I feel the need to establish a brief informal contact with them, and photograph them with my vision.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

I don't plan my projects in advance, simply when I am on the road I become receptive and in a completely spontaneous way I begin to feel if what I am doing is worthy of becoming a project. Then later, I start thinking and making plans and every plans is different, ther isn't a recipe.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

Yes sure,I am never 100% satisfied, but I think this is good for me, I am always more committed to doing well.

 

Implementation and Completion

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

My biggest difficulty is being able to take my photos in Versilia, the area where I live, a beautiful place, but lately opportunities are running out due to the decline in tourism ... Sure I can take photography in another cities, but for me to photograph in my city is a mission and I am not discouraged rather I learned to exploit all these difficulties in my favor.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish? 

 

I believe that every project of mine is connected and that it is part of a single container, a single long-term project, with small variations and road accidents.

I can say that my project is long all my life.

 

Editing and Sequencing

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

I never staged my photos, and I don't use actors, they are all fruit of the moment, I see a subject in the street that attracts me and I photograph him, using the flash I can't afford many shots so I try as much as possible to view the photo in the istants before the shot.

 

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

Not in this sense, I often felt that I could either remove or add something just to stay consistent with my initial ideas.

 

Tips and hints 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

Well, every genre fotografico has its own "modus operandi" and its various techniques and approaches, difficult to give a unique tip.

The only thing that I really feel like saying is that it is also important to work on single shots at the beginning, these are the foundations for being able to understand yourself and what you want to tell. Once this is done, things get easier.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter?

 

No the camera is just a means of taking pictures, no matter what it is, the important thing is to be able to understand it and make the most of it.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

I would not recommend photo books, but novels, I believe they can open their minds more effectively. Imagining what you read and succeeding in extracting imaginary images with your mind, is a very effective exercise, it makes you receptive.

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

Embarrassing question, I am busy all year as a teacher of workshops, it might seem that I am bringing water to my mill :) But anyway yes they are very useful, if you choose your teachers with the due attention.

Surely it is better to spend money on workshops and books than on expensive equipment and cameras.

 

 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

copyright: Salvatore Matarazzo
 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca Matarazzo photography portraiture project q review Salvatore settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-salvatore-matarazzo Mon, 09 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Robert Law https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-robert-law  

An interview with Robert Law 

 

 

DSCF1069 - Version 2DSCF1069 - Version 2

Copyright Robert Law

 

RH: Who is Robert Law?

RL: Robert Law is a photographer based in Wales in the UK. He specialises in documentary photography, often with a minimalist slant.

He aims to maintain a cohesive style of observation and picture taking that provides the viewer with a fresh honesty and reality.

Robert is a contributor to the London photo agency, Millennium Images and has been shortlisted for the 2019 British Photography Awards and the ESPY Awards 2019. His work has been featured extensively, including Documenting Britain, Aint-Bad and Professional Photo magazine, amongst many others. Twice exhibited in the Reclaim Photography Festival, his work has also been shown at theprintspace Gallery and Safehouse1 in London, the Brighton Photo Fringe and the Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

 

 

 

Planning

 

 

 

Copyright Robert Law
 

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

RL: My current project involves documenting the seaport town of Holyhead, Anglesey. It started off as a curious enquiry into a largely overlooked town 30 minutes away, but also quickly took on a political narrative due to the decision by local voters to leave the EU. This presented a paradox for a port that funnels the majority of goods between the UK and Republic of Ireland and has also been in receipt of generous EU funding for its local projects and infrastructure. Perhaps by honestly observing the town and its people, we can start to decode this paradox.

 

 

RH:  Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

RL: The project has been organic in its execution. No deadline and no specific brief. I do this to challenge myself. Because it’s distant enough not to warrant daily visits, but still close enough to visit during breaks in regular work, wandering the town and looking afresh and recording has produced the content I always enjoy looking for. Opportunities to discover ‘the quirky’ and meet interesting people only come through time put in on the ground. There’s also a challenge in recording the banal, the ubiquitous, pebbledashed housing, for example, and I enjoy that. 

 

 

RH:  Is there anything you wish you had done differently? 

 

RL: Given the amount of time I have and my flexible approach, I have no second thoughts at all. In fact, the further the project progresses, the more potential presents itself. Simple luck and serendipity play a part, especially when meeting people is concerned.

 

 

Implementation and Completion

Copyright Robert Law
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

RL: Portraiture is definitely an aspect that I’ve approached with a little trepidation. As a documentary photographer, I knew it was essential to include people in this project. But by approaching people cheerfully and engaging with them meaningfully, I’ve not only started to overcome this initial fear, but also gained tenfold back in what I’ve learned about my subjects. As far as completion is concerned, my end goal is a solo exhibition and possibly a book. This will involve a massive learning process which I’m looking forward to.

 

 

RH:  How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

RL: My previous projects have been time-limited due to the fact they were taken whilst travelling, sometimes abroad. They also lacked commitment. My current project was a step I wanted to take in my photographic journey and dedicate a least a year before thinking of publishing. It also has the possibility of being on ongoing project for many years.

 

 

Editing and Sequencing

Copyright Robert Law
 

RH:  Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

RL: The latter, definitely. I select and compose with attention and care, until I’m satisfied. Typically with a roll of medium format film, I’m aiming to have, say, 8 frames out of 12 suitable for publication. I’m that cautious.

 

 

RH:  Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

RL: No, but it has ‘grown’. Taking stock of the content so far may dictate looking for specific content on my next outing, for example, portraits or close-ups/vignettes. Also working mainly analogue lets me reflect on what I’ve taken while I wait for the results.

 

 

Tips and hints 

Copyright Robert Law
 

RH:  What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

RL: Do what you enjoy. Don’t expect instant results as projects take time. If you can speak to someone who can offer a little mentoring and review your latest work, that’s like pure gold.

 

 

RH:  Does the camera really matter? 

 

RL: For those that obsess with the ‘tech’ - absolutely not and I wish people could get that on board. Different cameras can affect your workflow and practice, but I can’t stress enough how important it was for me to work in a way that reduced all the technical variables to a minimum. This is the only way as a beginner to produce a cohesive body of work. So keeping it simple by using just one prime lens, using the same film stock and only applying the lightest corrections in Lightroom taught me so much. I now have the discipline to vary if needed. You wouldn’t let a 17 year old new driver loose with a Ferrari, so why a newbie with a pro digital camera and zoom lens? The results are a car crash in both cases. I have images with a premier photo agency shot with a charity shop compact camera and Poundland film. It’s always about the image.

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

RL: Personally, ‘The Life of a Photograph’ by Sam Abell of National Geographic taught me a lot. He has an excellent video presentation on YouTube that accompanies it. Books by Chris Killip, William Egglestone and others gave me visual inspiration. ‘On Photography’ by Susan Sontag was just plain hard-going. I would also recommend the podcast ‘A Photographic Life’ by The UN of Photography for raising interesting questions about our practice.

 

 

RH:  Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

RL: I never have, but would certainly consider. I’m on a massive learning curve and will continue to be on one. And that’s my greatest joy of photography.

Copyright Robert Law

Copyright Robert Law

Copyright Robert Law
 

RL: LINKS:

www.wtgphoto.com

Instagram: With The Grain

Facebook: With The Grain

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview Law leica photography portraiture q review Robert settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/9/an-interview-with-robert-law Mon, 02 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Andrew Kochanowski https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with  

 

An interview with Andy Kochanowski

 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski

RH: who is Andy kochanowski?

AK:Andy Kochanowski is a street photographer. His work has been exhibited in both solo and group exhibits since 2007 in Detroit (where he is based), London, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, New York, Milan, San Francisco and elsewhere. He makes frequent appearances at street photography festivals, and his work has been published in numerous print and web publications. 

 

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

AK: I doubt that what I do is documentary, it is my interpretation of what I see. I don’t see a need to tell a story, I see a need to tell MY take on what I see; and what I see is the little slice of rectangle in my viewfinder. 

 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

AK: I don’t plan much of anything except where to be and to be attentive to what I see. My only desire is to come back with a photo or two that has something interesting in it. I don’t view moody man-on-the street pictures as interesting, by the way. 

I shoot for a few months and then look through to see if any patterns, moods, ideas, notions or fancies caught my eye. The current project has chapters called “It’s A Party,” “Unrequitted Love,” “Signs Of The Apocalypse,” and “LA LA LA Land.” I try to see if there are ten to twenty shots that make me happy in each chapter. Then I publish it, show it, stick it on my website, or forget about it.

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

AK: No, this is the way I work. 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

AK: I view it all as one, shooting, seeing, and later choosing what to show. My biggest issue is always finding enough time to shoot and edit.

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

AK: I never actually finish; then again, since I’m always shooting, I never actually begin.

 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

AK: Well, I don’t really do fleeting moments, one of the things I realized about myself is that I am pretty indecisive if I approach things analytically. I tend to shoot almost unconsciously. Since I use film, I am lucky if I get one shot, much less a series of them. Makes editing easier though.

 

 

RH:  Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

AK: As I said earlier, or tried to say earlier, I don’t have a narrative, I find a narrative. I give it a shape by my choice of film and focal length of lenses, but as to subject matter, I will try to place myself in a position where I have a chance to see something that interests me. Once I go through a few dozen or hundred rolls or so, I will see what interested me. 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

AK: Just this: have some reason to take the photo beyond wanting to get social media approval. 

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

AK: No. Obsessing about equipment is a mug’s game. Film can give you a good look, that’s why I use it, but I also used and use digital or my phone. It’s mostly all the same. 

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

AK: Know what went on before you. It helps to put one’s own work in stark and (mostly) unfavorable comparison. My prejudices are to Winogrand but I’m not categorical about it. 

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

AK: Strangely yes, and not just the ones I give. Pick someone whose work you like, and take the opportunity to pick their brains, there is nothing wrong with that. I did workshops with Mary Ellen Mark, Eugene Richardson, and Alex Webb years ago, found them all to be fantastically instructive.

 

RH: want to findout more vist:

website: www.distreetly.net

Instagram: kochanowski street

 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

 

copyright-Andy Kochanoski
 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Andy camera Kochanowski leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with Mon, 26 Aug 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Alan Gignoux https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-alan-gignoux An interview with Alan Gignoux


 

Planning

Gignoux Dinosaur Adventure Park, Clifton Hill,Niagara Falls, Ontario

Copyright - Alan

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

AG: My current project, Human Accumulations, looks at the long-term effects of exploitation by industry and tourism of Niagara Falls and the surrounding landscape. Once an icon of Nature, the Falls have now become a poster child for environmental pollution and a Rustbelt casualty.

The project was inspired by my ancestor, Regis Gignoux, who was a member of the Hudson River School, a nineteenth century painting movement that celebrates the beauty and majesty of the American landscape .  He became well known for his paintings of Niagara Falls, one of which now hangs in the US Capitol.  

Working with curator Jenny Christensson, I am developing an exhibition and a photographer’s book.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

AC: Following thorough research into the Falls from their discovery to the present we decided to make our first of several visits to the area.  

We knew that we wanted the story of the Falls today to be told by local people and so we planned several interviews with city officials, business leaders and residents.  

As the focus of the visual part of the project is the landscape of Niagara Falls, we researched and identified significant sites and marked them on a map so that we could work efficiently once there.  

In the end we made four trips to the Falls, deepening our understanding and building on our archive of stills photography and video material as we went.  Working with Chloe Juno we are now editing all our material and working on a book draft and exhibition concept.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

AG: Always research the project until you think there is nothing more to research! There is always something new to learn.  Also, make sure you narrow down the focus of your project as this will make it stronger.

 

Implementation and Completion

10th and Ferry Streets, Niagara Falls, New York.
 

Copyright - alan
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

AG: One of the greatest challenges with this project has been to communicate a very complicated story and make it interesting and accessible without over-simplifying it.  We have spent considerable amounts of time editing and re-editing both the photographic and the video material.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?  

 

AG: We started the project in 2017 and we are still working on it! Who knows when it will end! I worked on a project with the British Council entitled, “Homeland Lost – The Palestinians” from the time I pushed the button on the Hasselblad for the first time to the last exhibition, was a total of six years! 

 

Editing and Sequencing

Ferry Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
 

Copyright - AleanGignoux
 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

AG: I have a mixture of sequence shoots and the one precise image. Usually, the sequence shots are of reportage and the precise images are landscape.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

AG: Yes, I have always found my projects are completely different to what I initially envisioned – which is exciting.

 

Tips and hints 

Hornblower Cruises, Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls.
 

Copyright - Alex Gignoux
 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

AG: If you can make sure you have funding in place; I realise this is not always possible and where necessary I have used income from commissions to cover the costs for my personal projects, but I try to secure as much grant funding as possible up front.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter?

 

AG: Of course, today, it is so exciting that there are so many different mediums you can use, from a drone to a mobile phone, but of course the Hasselblad still lives on.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

AG: The Art of Seeing - Berger

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

AG: Photography, like any other industry is always changing so I would recommend attending workshops to keep up with technology but to also get inspired!

 

Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Ontario
 

Copyright - Alex Gignoux
 

If you have an intresting street project or documentary project please leave a comment below

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Alan camera documentary flash gignoux interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-alan-gignoux Mon, 19 Aug 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Yasmin Carter https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-yasmin-carter An interview with Yasmin Carter 

 

 

Copyright- Megan Bendall
 

RH: Who is Yasmin Carter?

YC: Yasmin is a young social documentary photographer based in Manchester, UK. Her work primarily focuses on personal narratives and is currently focusing on her ongoing project Stay Strong Our Kid, which documents the survivors of the 2017 Manchester bomb attack so that the history and their stories are not forgotten. She plans to release the project as a book in the future.

 

 

Planning

Copyright- Yasmin Carter
 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

YC: There were a few things that made me want to document these incredible people, it’s also a very personal topic for me as I am from Manchester and it is where I grew up. To put it in simply my home had been attacked along with some of my friends who attended the concert, and no one was telling their stories or showing the strength that they demonstrated each day since the attack. Their stories needed to be told and it is now a part of Manchester’s history it’s important that people do not forget.

 

RH:  Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

YC: I spent a long time researching before beginning the project and putting things in place for my own mental health so that if I was affected by something, I was told in an interview I would have a support network to fall back on. I then spent a good three or four months building up relationships with each person that agreed to take part in Stay Strong Our Kidbecause before I could even think about taking a photo or talking to them about what they experienced, they had to trust me in order to divulge that kind of personal information. After we had established a good relationship, I spent two months photographing and interviewing each person.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

YC: I wish I had spread the shoots over a longer period of time and had taken more breaks.

 

Implementation and Completion

Copyright- Yasmin Carter
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

YC: It’s such as sensitive topic, approaching people on social media didn’t work out because people didn’t know me and felt uncomfortable sharing their story with a stranger, which is completely understandable. Almost everyone featured in the project was found through word of mouth. Personally, I received a lot of support from the network I began before the project and had continuous help throughout from my university lecturer Grant Scott.

 

RH:  How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

YC: Every personal project I have created so far has taken a minimum of three years to complete, however I plan to finish this project in time for the fifth anniversary of the attack.

 

Editing and Sequencing

Copyright- Yasmin Carter
 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

YC: For each portrait, I took into consideration the background and where the natural light was and used this information to photograph them where they felt the most comfortable. Alongside their portrait, I photographed their items of memorabilia from the night and included a scan of their written statement of their experience.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

YC: Since the beginning of the project, the overarching narrative has not changed, however the unique accounts of the people involved have created their own individual narratives.

 

Tips and hints 

Stay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our Kid is a photographic project on the survivors of the 2017 Manchester bomb attack

Copyright- Yasmin Carter
 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

YC: Fully understand what your narrative is and research the topic that you are choosing to photograph. Be empathetic towards the people you shoot and if you are tackling a difficult subject know that it’s ok to take a break and ask for a bit of help. And just get out there and shoot it.

 

RH:  Does the camera really matter? 

 

YC: The subject can dictate what camera you use. But often it doesn’t even matter, it’s all about how you see the world.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

YC: For me, the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (and of course, The Hobbit) were staples of my childhood, and books that sparked my imagination. In terms of Photobooks, I would recommend Jim Mortram’sSmall Town Inertia and once it’s completed, Stay Strong Our Kid. But overall, my advice would be; read what your passionate about.

 

RH:  Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

I personally, have never been to a workshop because I have been fortunate to be able to learn about photography during my college and university education. But, for those interested in studying it, I would definitely recommend the Editorial and Advertising Photography course at the University of Gloucestershire.

RH: If you want to see more of Yasmins work vist

 

instergram https://www.instagram.com/y.a.carter/

 

website https://www.yasmincarter.com

 

 

Stay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our Kid is a photographic project on the survivors of the 2017 Manchester bomb attack

Copyright- Yasmin Carter

Stay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our KidStay Strong Our Kid is a photographic project on the survivors of the 2017 Manchester bomb attack

Copyright- Yasmin Carter
 

 

If you have an instresting Street Project or Documentary project please leave a comment

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera carter documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q settings street street photography yasmin https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-yasmin-carter Mon, 12 Aug 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Stuart Paton https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-stuart-paton An interview with Stuart Paton

copyright- Stuart Paton

RH: Who is Stuart Paton

SP: Born and raised in the central belt of Scotland, I now live in Milan. 

Photography is my way of out-running my demons and re-enchanting my world. In parallel, it's also an attempt to evoke the sense of alienation, social dislocation and loss of personal singularity characteristic of late capitalism's demise. It's the cracked mirror poetry of an ideological spell unraveling. Eschatological eye-candy. A blend of 'Guernica' and The Shangri-Las.

 

Planning

copyright- Stuart Paton
 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

SP: A fine blend of self-preservation, revenge and a swashbuckling altruism. Photography is my method of coping with the dystopian aspects of Milan. Without a steady supply of new pictures I’d be swallowed up and disappear without a trace or do myself a fuckin mischief. That dialectic then translates into the mood of the pictures you see. I suppose it’s auto-biography overlapping with social comment.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

SP: There was/is no plan. It’s spontaneous, jazzy, stream-of-consciousness. Much like many of the pictures themselves. I see myself as belonging (loosely) to the documentary tradition but believe pictures which resemble thoughts, memories, hopes and fears capture the lived experience of reality with more fidelity that ‘straight’ photography. As if they were shot by the mind’s eye rather than a machine. That’s not to suggest that I’m some post-modernist dismissive of any notion of reality itself but just that I have no delusions of objectivity.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

SP: I wish I’d started earlier and wasn’t in a race against time.

 

Implementation and Completion

copyright- Stuart Paton
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

SP: With self-pity and childish tantrums against the galaxy’s intrinsic indifference to my expectations. But then my upbringing kicks in. A chip on both shoulders. So I tend to use set-backs and betrayals as fuel to the fire and come back out swinging. Ultimately, I’m grateful to them. 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

SP: ‘Haven’, a project following the quiet moments of a group of Pakistani refugees starting a new life in a tiny mountain village in Italy, lasted almost two years. I glibly call my most recent work ‘eschatological eyecandy’ but behind the cavalier term lies a genuine sadness and anger. At its most ambitious, it’s an attempt to document or at least evoke my impressions of a slow-motion, civilisational collapse via a visual collage of alienation, social dissonance and the erosion of individual singularity. If what I’m doing just now is a project then it’s the ultimateproject.

 

Editing and Sequencing

copyright- Stuart Paton
 

RH: Do you have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured ?

 

SP: Both. But I tend to get more satisfaction from the latter.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

SP: I don’t envisage anything. I’m just relaying what hazard and necessity throws my way then standing back to maybe make some sense of it all. I’m more of a messenger than a pivotal storyteller with a preconceived blueprint. There’s no real beginning and ending in real life, just a flowing succession of moments. Right ? That said, I hope to publish my most recent work in book form so I’ve been giving more thought to its eventual geography and soundtrack.

 

 

Tips and hints 

copyright- Stuart Paton
 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

SP: Make sure it’s heartfelt and personal. Be true to yourself. Don’t tell yourself porkies. Pour yourself into it. Practice integrity. Give a toss. Be decent. Be lucky. A bit like in life in general really.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

SP: Of course it does, so don’t let Leica owners tell you differently. It’s basically the (weak) link mid-way between you and the pictures you want to make so it should be as harmonious as possible with both ends of that dynamic. But given that we’re all craven, covetous creatures it doesn’t do any harm for it to be a cool, object-of-desire because that will encourage you to use it more often.

 

 

RH:  Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

SP: ‘One Hundred years Of Solitude’ to stir your imagination, some basic Marxism for a wider understanding and a little Tamla Motown for kinetic energy and belief. To me, whatever creativity anyone has takes its root in our life story. Our loves and hates. Opinions and beliefs. Then all of that can be given purpose and refinement with a solid general culture and exposure to various art forms. From Chomsky to Frankie Boyle via Caravaggio, Lynch and Radiohead. 

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

I provide them, at my own modest level, but I’ve never attended one so maybe I’m not the person to ask. Nonetheless, I’ve rarely heard rave reviews, with the exceptions of Jacob Sobol and Paolo Pellegrin. But no doubt there are good ones available. But maybe just not always from the most obvious people. I see little point in forking out a small fortune in the hope of learning how to shoot like one of your heroes. There’s no such thing as a great tribute band.

 

RH: I you want to know more about Stuart vist the links below.

 

Website : https://stuartpatonphoto.wixsite.com/stuartpatonphoto

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/_stuart_paton_/?hl=en

 

 

 

 

RH: if you think you have a great documentary project leave a coment below!

 

copyright- Stuart Paton

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica lieca Parton photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography Stuart https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/8/an-interview-with-stuart-paton Mon, 05 Aug 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with John Bolloten https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-john-bolloten  

An Interview with John Bolloten

Copyright John Bolloten

 

 

 

RH: Who is John Bolloten

JB: John Bolloten is a documentary photographer based in Bradford, UK.  He is particularly interested in documenting people and subcultures that exist on the margins of society. His book “Nothing To See Here” (2017) opened a window into Bradford’s gritty underbelly of drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness and vice. He has continued to photograph within this community and published a second book in this series “Love Story” (2019) which gave a very intimate view into the lives of drug-using couple. Other books include “Bradford Street” (2014), “Belgrade” (2015), “Shabash” (2016), and “Field of Broken Dreams” (2018).

John is currently putting together his third and final book about people who use drugs which is planned for publication by Bluecoat Press in 2020.  He is also working on long-term projects on the grime and battle rap scenes across the north of England. 


 

Planning

 

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?


JB: My current documentary photography work has been a natural evolution throughout the years. I started with exploring the life of people who use drugs in Bradford which was published as the book Nothing To See Here. That led onto much more personal and intimate work where I spent eight months visiting and photographing a couple in their flat. This has just been published as the book Love Story. Right now I am almost at the very end of the last part in the series for a third book which will feature people telling their life stories as well as following them as their circumstances and conditions have changed. This is expected to be published in late 2020. 

I was attracted to doing this work because I used drugs when I was younger and I understood issues around addiction. The bulk of my photography focuses on people and (sub)cultures on the margins of society. This has included areas like battle rap, grime, old school punk and religious rituals.

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?


JB: I don’t really plan anything when I am about to start long-term work. Obviously I have the idea and I turn it over in my mind quite a bit about how I am going to approach it. But I like to work with a very open mind as often opportunities arise while I am doing it and this can affect the direction of the work.

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?


JB: In the work with people who use drugs then the photos I take are directly linked to what is happening on the ground. The situation is always quite fluid so flexibility and patience have been essential. With hindsight, if was starting from the beginning then I may have done things in a different order like working on stories but I was a lot less experienced then and didn't have any contacts. In most cases it has taken a lot of time to get peoples’ trust.

Copyright John Bolloten

 

Implementation and Completion
 


RH:How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?


JB: There have been many challenges and most have been around the lifestyle of the people I have photographed. It would be common for people not to be in (if they had a place to live) or they didn’t turn up when planned. I learnt to accept this early on and just have the patience to try again or visit somebody else. There were also concerns around people overdosing but I was prepared for that and I am trained in life support and also carried naloxone with me.

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

JB: The work with people who use drugs has lasted five years. This is almost complete and I will need a good six months to edit it and pull it all together. 

 


 


Editing and Sequencing



RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

JB: All of the stories I work on are long term so my main issue is having enough depth so I will shoot thousands of images.

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

JB: Once I am some way in, then I usually have a narrative established. I never seek to put my own agenda on the work. I photograph what is happening in front of me. I will have ideas about sequencing but when I am putting a book together then I will actually start the physical sequencing then.

 


Tips and hints 
 


RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

JB: I found that doing long term projects taught me more than anything else about being a photographer.

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

JB: Only in the sense that one must find one that works for them. The camera is only a tool.

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

JB: Some photobooks that have had a big impact on me would include those by Eugene Richards, Boogie, Miron Zownir, Scot Sothern, Josef Koudelka, Tom Stoddart, Jim Mortram and the British classic photobook Survival Programmes.

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

JB: It’s not for me at all but if someone feels like they need it then why not.

 

Copyright John Bolloten
 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) and black bolloten camera documentary drugs interview john leica pain photography portraiture project q settings street street photography white https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-john-bolloten Mon, 29 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Karl Baden https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-karl-baden An Interview with Karl Baden
 

copyright- Karl Baden

An Interview with Karl Baden

 

RH: Who is Karl Baden

Karl Baden has been a photographer since 1972. His photographs have been widely exhibited, including at the Robert Mann Gallery, Zabriskie Gallery, Marcuse Pfeifer Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Howard Yezerski Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Decordova Museum and The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Musée Batut in France, Photokina in Cologne, Germany, and The Photographers Gallery in London. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Kenan Foundation and Light Work Visual Studies. His photographs and visual books are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Addison Gallery of American Art, Polaroid International Collection, the List Visual Arts Center at MIT, the Guggenheim Museum, the New York Public Library and the Boston Public Library. He has been on the faculty at Boston College since 1989. In 2000, Baden was the subject of a 26-year retrospective exhibition at Light Work Visual Studies. “How did I Get Here?”; a 48-page catalogue, accompanies the exhibition. The 1980s, entitled “Work from two Bodies”. In 2016, Retroactive Books published “The Americans by Car”.  In 2016, Retroactive Books published “Taking Sides”. Karl Baden is represented by the Howard Yezerski Gallery howardyezerskigallery.com

 

Planning

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

  KB: If you are referring to the photographs I made from cars, it was, not unlike many other projects I've ended up working on, a case of not choosing it; rather, it choosing me. More specifically, while there are a number of bodies of work I've preconceptualized; thought through to some degree before I took them on, most projects evolve from the practice of always carrying a camera and using it frequently, taking pictures of what strikes me at the time as some composition or situation that I think might make a decent photograph. Most of the time I'm disappointed by the results, but every so often i find an image that resonates with me, and if I'm lucky, I can build on that. Lots of street and documentary photographers work that way, or at least they used to. Instead of walking around with some kind of a priori notion in your head, you simply pay attention and allow the world to surprise you. This allows your contact sheets - or in a more updated sense - your pictures in Lightroom or Bridge, to show you what you're interested in. There's still a lot to be said for serendipity and surprise as part of one's working method. They offer a freshness and spontaneity to work that is generally more difficult to achieve if you already know what you're doing, because if you already know the answer, it makes the question a bit irrelevant, and posing the question is really the more exciting, fresh and important part of a photograph.

  If I recall correctly, I had just finished working on a project about having cancer in 2000-1, and I was more or less at a loss for ideas. While I walked around and looked, shooting rather randomly, i found myself taking a few pictures through the windows of parked cars, interested in the way people decorated the interiors, or even the things they left on their seats. some cars were filled to  mid-window level with all kinds of stuff, a lot of it what you might consider trash. I got a few interesting pictures, but more important, 

I got to thinking about all the time we spend driving from one place to another, and the kinds of things we keep and leave on the seats, the floor, dashboard, ceiling, windows. Our preference for outfitting these containers on wheels that we sometimes spent more time in than our actual homes.

  Photographing what people carried in their automobiles led to photographing the people themselves, driving this way or that, stopped at traffic lights, alone or with others. I guess that was somewhat of a natural progression, but the work didn't really gel for me as a series until I began to photograph the world that passed by outside a vehicle that I was happened to be in, either as a driver or a passenger. This idea, of course, did not originate with me, but goes back through a number of contemporary photographers to Robert Frank, then to Walker Evans, and even to J. H. Lartigue at the beginning of the 20th century. But I've long since known that most things have precedents, and just because someone did something 20 or 50 or 100 years ago, perhaps even  better than your version, it can still be worth doing, and if you are sincere the work will be personal and accurate to your own sensibilities.

  In the case of the car, I saw the window glass and door joints as establishing a kind of proscenium, inside of which a fast moving drama was constantly unfolding. It became a physical challenge as well as visual, because if you're not stopped, you need to watch where you're going as well as pay attention to what you're passing or what's flashing by you.

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

I think I just did.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

KB: Hard to say. I suppose it would have been helpful to drive as many different sorts of vehicles as I was able, which would mean borrowing friends cars and even renting or leasing. I'm pretty sure that's what Lee Friedlander did in his terrific book America by Car. But he can afford that sort of luxury much more easily than I can.


copyright- Karl Baden
 

Implementation and Completion

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

KB: Well, there are several levels of response to that question. First, you'd want to be able to recognize the formal characteristics of the vehicle you're driving, so you can employ them compositionally. You also have to figure out inside vs outside lighting. This has been a particular challenge to me, as I almost always include part of the car's interior and I usually want it to be lit as brightly as the outside, tho not with the same source or appearance of light. To this end I use a small strobe to light the interior when I take the picture, which in my case necessitates a smaller and less powerful camera than I'd prefer, because I need the flash to sync at high shutter speeds, 1/1000 sec and up, and the larger cameras tend to limit their sync speeds at around 1/250 sec.

Finally, there are much more sensitive and complicated issues involving subject matter, which certainly includes people, but also property; other cars, houses and buildings, etc. "Street photography" (for lack of a better term) has become a much more complicated, problematic and even risky endeavor over the past 20 or 30 years, and even though it is still protected first amendment freedom of expression, in this age of smart phones, surveillance cameras and the paranoia surrounding spying, pedophilia, terrorism, et al, that may be attributed to these devices -not to mention the internet and social media platforms! - ones risk of being stigmatized and even physically harmed increases by orders of magnitude.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?

KB: As long as they need to. I have published small books of conceptually based images that have been put together in as little was a few weeks. At the other end of the spectrum, I make a photograph of my fave every day. It's a lifelong project, started on February 23rd 1987. That's 32 years and counting...

copyright- Karl Baden
 

Editing and Sequencing

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

KB: I have both in this series, but primarily the latter.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

KB: Sometimes. Like I'd said, I try to follow what the pictures tell me, and try not to impose my will on them, tho that can be difficult.

Tips and hints

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

KB: It depends what stage they're at as a photographer, but in my experience, if you're going to be an artist of any stripe, you are going to make the time and priority to work, and pretty much do whatever it takes to get the work realized. There are million excuses not to, and frankly, most people i've known coming up in photography, even those who appeared to have much more talent than I do, have caved in along the way.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter?

KB: In my particular case with this project, it does, for above stated reasons. The pictures you make often indicate how you should modify your equipment. That said, in general terms, a lousy or beginning photographer can have the best gear in the world, and still take lousy or beginning-level pictures, whereas a talented, experienced photographer with a vision can use the cheapest of cameras and make superior images. They can squeeze blood from a stone.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

KB: I tend to stay away from the self-help genre, and only read technical stuff when I feel I need to know it. With a few exceptions, I also try to avoid complex, opaque philosophical discourse, as in the past it made my resemble illustrations of someone else's ivory tower theory instead of being my own. I'm much more inspired by good books: Novels, biographies, histories... and it goes without saying' photography monographs and anthologies. in this case, looking is far more important than actual reading. Reading teaches, looking inspires.

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

KB: I fell into a few workshops, mostly when i was in my 20s. They never did much for me. The only reason I'd take one now would be if there was something specific I needed to know. As I indicate above, to be an artist, one's psyche requires a self-driving engine. Constantly showing one's work to well known photographers, curators or critics may get you someplace, but the odds are stacked against it. Plus, workshops are like being in school, and despite the fact that many have great nostalgia for the fun and comfort of school, if you remain a student all your life, chances of you being able to leave the nest and do good things on your own get slimmer as you get older.

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) baden camera documentary flash interview karl leica photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-karl-baden Mon, 22 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Philip Chudy https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-philip-chudy  

An Interview with Philip Chudy 

 

Copyright- Margot Duane 

RH: Who is Philip Chudy 

Hailing from Zimbabwe Philip Chudy studied in photography in Birmingham (UK) and subsequently worked from studios in London Edinburgh and Frankfurt, before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area. Shoots highly technical advertising and automotive imagery as well as fine art.  Solo shows: London, Edinburgh, Leicester, Amsterdam, Darmstadt, Napa

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

PC: Three things

One: the amazing evening light here in Northern California and the way it is accentuated on all colorful the fairground stands.


The second reason is more technical: I used to shoot street people with 8x10 plate camera and whereas one can include some spontaneity into such scenes, it is basically posed. The Summer Fairs series was a way to capture humanity on the hoof. I transitioned to shooting spontaneous imagery at Burning Man some years back where I shot mainly on 6x7 film hand held with Mamiya RZ camera. The Summer Fairs series has been shot entirely with DSLR and a mixture of long or wide-angle lenses in poor light which would have been impossible to shoot with film in the olden days. The speed and accuracy is liberating after having constrained myself over many years to choose fidelity over spontaneity.

Third reason is how ‘humanity’ and racial/age/ethnic/cultural diversity is on show at these events hereabouts. And, having grown up on Zimbabwe where a lot of things happen on the street but I only ever captured a tiny bit of it, the chance here was to make amends and go for it.  

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?  

PC: There was pretty much no planning for that other than showing up at fairs and shooting. Mostly I go late in the day and shoot for perhaps 2 hours in the sweet light. It is total immersion and I am shooting many frames per minute till it is dark and then I go home mentally exhausted, before the other revelers start to enjoy the fireworks

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently? 

PC: This is a thing I know I will want to have done differently – sometime in the future (when equipment is way better than it is now). I will wish that I would be able to drag new equipment back in time. So can reshoot the best photos I already did better. 

Looking back in time - there are two regrets. I shot a few rolls or street photography in what was Rhodesia in 1971. After that I turned up my nose on 35mm and lost touch with the small camera version of the decisive moment. I wish I had continued to shoot action people pics alongside my mania for ‘larger than street life’ large format fidelity. Also – having worked on Advertising for a decade or more from a big studio in Wapping in the 70’s, apart from a few rolls of Kodachrome I never bothered to lift up a camera and shoot street action or even static large format landscape in London. How lame to have professed (as I did) that London was not interesting in a visual sense. 

 

Simple fact - street photos get better with age but they never can do that if you did not shoot them.

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

PC: You might mange to be sneaky and hide somewhere in an attempt not to influence your subjects by being present in the scene. But it would probably be uncomfortable in that mailbox. I get around this by not being a purist. I let go of the idea that there will never be anyone looking into my lens with a ‘what is that idiot photographer doing’ look on their faces. 

I tend to stand in full view of everyone often wielding my long lenses and wheeling about in what might be deemed a threatening manner. Or I dive into crowds camera at eye close to the people rushing past me. I find that people find you interesting for a while and then get bored and ignore you. I scowl a lot as if I am really finding nothing of interest to shoot. I lift up my camera a lot and point it at people as if to say ‘I wish it were worth shooting you but….’ I try to look impatient for them to get out of the way of the real photo I am taking and usually I get the ‘screw you, I am doing what I am doing and will move when I am ready’. I acknowledge people and smile when our eyes meet as if to say ‘what an idiot I am – you should be glad you are not struggling to get shots like I am’. I look past them a lot as if I am waiting to shoot someone behind them and that party is not cooperating. All this meant to make them get bored with me and discount my presence. 

On a personal level, I look like a real jerk – if you want people to ignore you I think that helps a lot. 

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   


PC: Each Summer Fairs shoot is usually 2 hours or less shooting and many hours of post – trying to see if I got anything worth preparing. The Summer Fairs project is ongoing. So basically as the collection grows some stuff needs to be retired. It takes me a year or more before I don’t care anymore for what I once thought was an exciting or interesting photo. Then I find it easier to dispose of it. 

I tend to find I fall seriously out of love with those photos which endure (ones which others call ‘the best’). I can see they are good but I can get to hate them. I would rather finish my project with an edit of photos which retain a subtle magic for me. It would take me years till I would have the courage to throw away the ‘undisputed best’ ones to give space for the magic ones to breathe. So, probably I will never do that. Thus the project is never finished.

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?


PC: Both can happen. Usually I shoot a stream of frames mostly because I don’t want to lose the pic just because it is not sharp, or the camera shook. I am surprised how often the one of the series of exposures I choose in the end is the very first frame. That is reassuring.
 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?


PC: Not for me personally. After all the years of carefully crafting my photos with a plate camera, where the narrative should be fully under control, I thought I would lose all that with more action based work. I thought it would be a giant crapshoot at shooting stage and a heavy dredge though at post, hoping to hell that you ‘got something’. I am gob smacked to find that I am almost always aware when shooting something good and I know why it will work when I press the shutter. I cannot really understand how this is, because there is so little time when shooting to think about anything. 

At the same time I tend to shoot even when I know it is crap. It is a bit like bouncing the ball to get your muscles warmed up. Or it is like a Mayan ritual sacrifice – forgoing some good photos just to please the gods.  My problem is that good images come in batches and you end up with 10 good pics with the same person in them. You cannot decide which ones to dump. Having to dump anything you like feels like having to accept a diverging narrative.

Occasionally I get the sense I am seeing the project through the eyes of other hypothetical people. When that happens there is not so much a change of narrative, rather there is absolutely no narrative left at all. That is quite strange. I have experienced moments when I look at my work and fail to see a single thing to be interested in or engage with. Seeing things that way would not be surprising if I was depressed but I am not. There has to be some salutary lesson to be learned – namely that whatever excitement one might find in such imagery, represents some crazy good stuff in the mind of the viewer, because it sure as hell is not inherent in the image itself. 


 

Tips and hints 

 

RH:  What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

PC: Only one word – start. And ‘start’ means taking photos and editing them. 

In the main as this applies to photographers: preparing, researching previsualizing, planning are only precursors to nothing. They only serve to ensure that you never get anything done and you will whine on regretfully to your grave.

 

Another thought which can be useful – drop the idea that when you look at a scene you are seeing it. It takes a lifetime to learn to just stand and look at what is in front of you (even in a static scene) and try as you can you will never manage to really see what is right in front of you right now. In view of that, it is a wonder that you might expect to make sense of a dynamic moving scene (as with street photography). Anything you look at in a scene blinds you to other stuff you will fail to see. There is more in a scene than you will ever see and if you are good you will continually seek it out.
 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

PC: It matters a ton what you shoot on (if you can afford it) and it matters also in the negative sense that the camera will destroy your photography if take any pride in, or even notice of what is in your hand when you are taking photos (well, it is ‘you’ really). If you have a crap camera you just need to adapt and shoot what it affords you to. Your photos will be way better than someone who is concentrating really hard to gain advantage from fabulous state of the art equipment.

 

 

RH:  Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?


PC: What is a book? I remember a lot of photos but I stopped noticing books after The Family of Man. I have to say I am not proud to be a book cretin: a book is a fabulous exercise in curation/editing. I am making a couple of them as we speak. Owning a book is one thing, but emotionally I find it hard to imagine why any modern person waste the time looking through one. Not that I prefer online or real shows. Images exist in mental space for me, not in books.      

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

PC: Not really - unless you like paying to socialize. You will learn way more by editing and post producing your photos and shooting than trying to inherit a recipe or formula.

 

find out more about Philips work at:

Fine Art website 

http://www.philipchudyfineart.com/

 

Very Large batch of Summer Fairs photos

http://www.philipchudyfineart.com/projects/proj1/

 

 

blog 
http://www.philipchudy.com/blog/

Instagram 
https://www.instagram.com/philipchudy/


 

 

 

 

If you have a documentary project worth sharing please get in touch by leaving a comment below or email.

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Chudy documentary flash interview leica lieca Philip photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-philip-chudy Mon, 15 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Cam Crossland https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-cam-crossland An interview with Cam Crosland

Copy right - CJ Crosland

RH: Tell us about you yourself.

CJ Crosland is a self-taught artist and photographer based near London, England. Originally a Modern History & Political Science graduate and musician working as a software tester, CJ became hooked on Street Photography in 2010 and is in it for the long haul.
 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

CJ: I experience the world in a very intense way. Often the information flooding into my senses is a source of great delight but equally it can be overwhelming and bring me to the point of sensory overload. I want to be able to express that and to convey to people what that feels like.

During 2016, I made significant changes to become more in control of my life and as I became more confident, I wanted to take more control in my photography. Flash provides the perfect tool for me to be more proactive in my picture making and express my intense view of the world. It enables me to shine light on things both literally and metaphorically. It’s about energy.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

CJ: There wasn’t really a “planning stage”. I got my hands on a flash and started using it on 1stJanuary 2017. I’m very keen on spontaneity and experimentation, and I wanted to see where it would lead me.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

CJ: Not really. I’m very happy with the exploratory nature of the process – it suits how I work.


Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

CJ: The same way I deal with most things. When I hit a “bump”, I pause and reflect on what I can learn and what I need to change. There’s always a way through, even if it takes a moment to figure it out. I’ve always made a conscious decision to keep moving forward.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

CJ: I have no idea! I just keep on going until it feels right to stop.

Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang
 

 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

CJ: With flash you tend to get just the one shot at a subject. For one thing, the flash takes a moment to recharge. But also, once you’ve taken a shot, the person often becomes aware of your presence and their body language changes. Even if they are unaware of your presence or the flash firing, the scene has most likely changed anyway, and the moment is lost. Having been used to clicking away on digital, adjusting to having one shot with a flash has been a really helpful discipline.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

CJ: I don’t know what I envisaged! My aim was always to just get out there for a year or so and take pictures, follow my instincts and see what themes naturally emerged. 

Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

CJ: Just get started! Focus on whatever you are instinctively drawn to, as that will be where your passion lies. If you come up with a theory of what you feel you “should” shoot, most likely you will run out of steam. Once you have gained some momentum and have a bunch of photos to review as a whole, then you can pause and consider “what am I doing? why am I doing it?”. That will give you the clues you need to start digging deeper.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

CJ: Only in that the camera is what differentiates photography from other genres of expression, like painting or writing. Ideally, your camera needs to be good enough that it doesn’t hold you back. But the most important thing is your relationship with the camera – it’s about knowing your tool, so that it becomes an extension of your hand and eyes.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

CJ: “The Photographer’s Playbook” by Fulford & Halpern. 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

CJ: It depends! The main work is what you do for yourself, week in, week out. A workshop can potentially give you a push and some confidence right at the beginning, an enjoyable experience in its own right, or maybe an injection of new insight when you’re further along the line. I think it depends very much on the individual. I personally found that giving and receiving critiques from other photographers was the best way to learn. 

Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang

Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang

Copy Right - CJ Crosland - FlashBang
 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) Cam camera Crosland documentary flash interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-cam-crossland Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Matt Weber https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-matt-weber An interview with Matt Weber

Copy right - Matt Weber 

 

RH: tell us about yourself.

MW: I was born in NYC 1958 and studied oil painting with Nicolai Abracheff who was one of Picasso’s contemporaries and a noted cubist as well. Went to Music & Art high school but unfortunately dropped out to pursue “art” on New York’s subways. I am completely self-taught
in photography, although I did use all three of the books written by Ansel Adams (The Print, The Negative and The Camera) I recommend these books to anyone interested in learning photography.

I started taking photos of the NYC streets while I was driving a Yellow cab back in ’84 The things I had been seeing late at night were so intense that I found myself always saying to myself “I’ve got to get a camera!”

 

 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

MW: I don’t have any new projects. I just shoot New York City. The projects sometimes reveal themselves when I notice I have been shooting a particular subject over and over again.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

MW: There is no planning. I just shoot every day, whatever I see. 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

MW: Yes. I wish I had shot a lot more back in the 80s and 90s.

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

MW: The biggest challenge was switching to digital as I had to learn many different facets of this new media including Photoshop and other programs.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish? 

MW: In 2003, I started two “projects”. I started shooting Coney Island and the NYC Subway system. The two projects remain ongoing and will probably continue until I die.

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

MW: I always look for the best image out of a sequence.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

MW: In 2013, I switched from Black & White to Color photography. My approach has remained the same.

 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

MW: Pick something you enjoy photographing otherwise it will feel like work.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

MW: No. 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

MW: Figments from the New World by Garry Winogrand. 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

MW: No. It’s all about trial and error. Mistakes are the best teacher as you will hate making them, and become better as you learn to avoid repeating them…

website: http://mattweberphotos.com

 

 

 

 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

Copy right - Matt Weber 
 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica Matt photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography Weber https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/7/an-interview-with-matt-weber Mon, 01 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Ian weldon https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/an-interview-with-ian-weldon An interview with Ian Weldon

 

www.ianweldon.com

copy right- Ian Weldon

RH: Tell me a little about yourself?

IW: I’m Ian from the UK and I’m a wedding photographer, but don’t really see myself as a wedding photographer. I feel more like a street photographer that photographs weddings.

About 5 or 6 years ago I took the plunge and agreed to photograph a wedding. Before that I was doing family portraits in a studio and was going nowhere fast. I’d become bored and demotivated as my route into photography was through photographers like Elliot Erwitt & Martin Parr, I was unfulfilled to say the least.

So I did it, that thing that I said I’d never do, weddings. In my naive mind it was beneath me. I can’t say that I enjoyed it at first but as I shot more weddings I started to approach them more like a street photographer and was making images of real life, with all of its beauty and grotesqueness.

copy right- Ian Weldon
 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

IW: I have a couple of ongoing projects at the moment, I’m always photographing something. I’m drawn to different subjects though a mixture of curiosity and duty, I suppose. 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

IW: I’ve never really thought about planning, projects just seem to present themselves and I follow my instinct. I go and photograph and the story will will become apparent, eventually. It’s more about finding my relationship to the subject than it is about executing a plan. 

If the photograph was the ultimate goal then what would I compromise on along the way to get there.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

IW: I doubt that really matters. As long as I approach everything with a pure intent I’ll end up somewhere. Different is not necessarily better, or worse. 

copy right- Ian Weldon
 

 

 

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

IW: The only difficulty I come across, more recently, in suspicion. The age of instagram and facebook have made people more aware of the photographs taken. Even as little as 10-15 years ago there was no real perception of where, or how, the photographs would be used. But this goes back to intent. Understanding what, and why, you are doing goes a long way in that reassurance. 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

IW: Everything is always ongoing. Once I feel like I have enough of a body of work to accurately represent the subject then I will naturally move onto something else. I do have a couple of stories within my ongoing projects that will be released as such, but I’m by no means done with that subject. 

 

copy right- Ian Weldon
 

 

 

 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

IW: I’m certainly not going in with a preconceived idea of how things should look, (I do have a way of shooting that produces a certain aesthetic), so in that sense I will have more than one image of a specific moment/scene. The  photograph I want from that scene may not become apparent for some time, but it eventually will.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

IW: I’m trying not to start with an idea of narrative so all of my projects have an unpredictable nature. Some grow into projects, and others fall by the wayside because of waning interest or my inability to connect with the subject. 

 

copy right- Ian Weldon
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

IW: Shoot what is of interest to you, not what you think might be of interest to others and, approach you subject with a mature sensibility. 

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

IW: Only in the sense that it’s the device that captures the image itself.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

IW: I could name 100 books that were of interest to me, but that might not be fitting for someone else. I would recommend that you just be curious, to find something of interest and follow that thread. It could take you somewhere completely unexpected and your learning would be unique to you. 

I learned more about photography, and myself, by understanding the motivations of photographers that I ever did by looking at their photographs. 

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

IW: I have spent a long time shooting weddings and that industry is saturated with pointless workshops that promise fame and fortune. I can see this trend in street and documentary photography, too. These, I’m my mind, are nothing but a hindrance to progression. Don’t give your money to anyone that claims to have all of the answers. 

Workshops can be incredibly beneficial, and a good teacher can inspire and motivate you. Just do some research, and do it for the right reasons. 

 

Website: http://ianweldon.com
 

 

copy right- Ian Weldon

copy right- Ian Weldon
www.ianweldon.com

copy right- Ian Weldon
 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash Ian interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street Weldon https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/an-interview-with-ian-weldon Mon, 24 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Stephen Leslie https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/stephen-leslie An interview with Stephen Leslie

Copy right Stephen Leslie 

 

RH: Who is Stephen Leslie? 

SL: Stephen Leslie is a writer, film maker and photographer based in London. His films have been shown on the BBC and Channel 4 and his photographs have been used as album and book covers and even on bottles of beer. His ongoing project about the festival of Purim was included in the Unseen London anthology published in 2017 by Hoxton Mini-Press and his first, solo book, 'SPARKS – Adventures In Street Photography' which combines images taken over the past twenty years with original short stories was published by Unbound / Penguin in 2018. Stephen still shoots all of his work on film and occasionally dresses up as giant panda, although it is not thought that these two activities are in any way linked.

 

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

SL: My current / ongoing project is on the Jewish festival of Purim and particularly how it is celebrated by the ultra Orthodox Hasidic community in North London's Stamford Hill. I was attracted to it mainly because It takes place near to where I used to live, and it only happens once a year and, being Jewish myself but totally un-religious, I thought I'd pop along and have look. That was 7 years ago. It's now the most important photographic day in my year and I'm totally obsessed with documenting it as it's truly unlike anything I've ever photographed before. 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

SL: Initially there was no planning at all, I just turned up and started taking photos. Over the subsequent years I have made a few contacts who I now try and meet up with a bit on the day but the truth is that because it is so concentrated around a single day there isn't that much planning you can do other than to make sure to have you enough film and batteries, wear comfy shoes and pack some sandwiches. 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

SL: Not really, it's a very closed community which I have minimal access to – even though I am Jewish I'm nowhere near as Jewish as the people I'm photographing and so, weirdly, it's me who's treated as being unusual by them, which I quite enjoy. So I don't think I could get much closer. I relish the public element of it all and this helps fit with the style of street photography and street portraits I like to take.  

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

SL: The main problems with this project are really all practical, to do with time and physical space. It only really happens one day a year (there is some stuff going on at night too but I'm not overly keen on flash) so it's a frantic burst of activity for one day a year and then nothing else for another year. Then there's the fact that Stamford Hill is quite big and spread out with thousands of people going back and forth for the entire day and so I'm running about with up to  three cameras trying to cover as much as possible. So it's a physical problem as much as anything else.  

 

RH:How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

SL: No idea. Most of my other work is 'conventional' street photography that is ongoing and can take as long or as short a time as I wish. This project is different because (as I might have mentioned already) I can only do it one day a year. So, even though I've been doing it for 7 years now, it's effectively only really one week's work. Although because of the amount I shoot it has also splintered in to mini-projects taken from within the greater whole.

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do you have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

SL: I don't shoot like this and can't shoot like this because I'm still on film. I always try to look for content and a story that can be conveyed by a single image, shooting a sequence of images just isn't my style. Also it's virtually impossible (for me at least) to do on a 50 year old medium format camera!  

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

SL: Yes, as explained above, I have started on several mini-projects that have arisen from recurrent themes I've noticed over the years. I've got a series of people in windows and another of people in cars bioth of which are motifs that I've noticed over the years and then returned to again and again. So it's an organic, living thing. Plus I anticipate doing this for many, many more years so I'm hopeful it will change and grow over time.  

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

SL: Find something you have a link to. While anyone can (and does) shoot Purim, I feel it has helped me understand my own heritage and this community a lot better. In a not too different world, I could be one of the Ultra Orthodox people I'm photographing and having that connection, no matter how slight, has definitely informed my approach. 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

SL: Yes and no. Obviously different cameras and lenses can help you achieve different things. For this project I've been shooting both medium format and 35mm. I tend to do formal-ish street portraits with the medium format and more candid street stuff on 35mm. This is important to me because I think the two different styles of photographs I'm getting reflect the huge variety within both the day and the community.   

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

SL: My book, SPARKS, obviously. 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

SL: Again, yes, but only ones run by me. Honestly, I think that workshops can be brilliant but no workshop can transform your photography in two or three days. At best they can start you thinking in different ways and help you to push yourself but there are many other (and cheaper) ways of doing that besides workshops. 

 

 

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

Copy right Stephen Leslie 
 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary flash interview leica leslie photography portraiture project q review settings stephen street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/stephen-leslie Mon, 17 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Christian Reister https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/christian-reister An interview with Christian Reister 

copy right- Christsian Reister

 

RH: Who is Christian Reister?

Christian Reister has been living and working in Berlin for almost 20 years. The city and its inhabitants are the main inspiration for his photographic work which sits somewhere between documentary, street, and portrait photography.

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

CR: My Berlin Nights series started when I switched from color to black/white photography around the year 2011. I chose film and simple point+shoot cameras and tried out a lot in the beginning. I always had the small cameras with me and took a lot of pictures at night. After a year or so I realized by looking at what I got, that this may be my “new project” and I focused more on my night photography.

 

 

RH:Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

CR:There isn't much planning. I just had the camera with me wherever I went and took a lot of pictures. I had a wild mixture of documentary photography, city scapes, portraits, blurry abstract thing etc. The most creative part for me is always the editing process when I throw out tons of images to get the core and create a good series.

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

CR: No. I may be doing things differently with other projects and series but it is always a learning by doing process and that's essential. I believe, you learn the most by making mistakes and not being afraid to fail.

 

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

CR: The series took many years and I was putting together several exhibitions and books with that imagery. When you are working such a long time with your own images, it is good to involve other people along the way. People whose work you like and who are better than you in different fields (designers, curators, publishers...)

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

CR: Between 3 days to 10 years (and still going....)

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

CR: Both. And anything inbetween. It depends.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

CR: The project was always developping and changing, that's why I do it. It's all in flux. An like I said - there wasn't much planning anyway.

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
 

 

Tips and hints

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

CR: Take your time! Good work takes years or decades. Try out a lot, make mistakes and learn from them. There is no need to hurry.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter?

CR:You should be happy with your working tool, whatever it is. That matters I think.

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

CR: It really depends on what project and style you are working on. I always learn a lot by looking at other people's work, exhibitions and books. The big names of course, but also the local scene, people working in other fields of art, underground stuff.

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

CR: Yes. Especially in the beginning and at the hobby stage it can help you lot to learn from good teachers and to get to know like-minded photographers. If you take it more seriously you should look for long time seminars on photo schools. I had a 2 years course with Andres Rost and 2 years seminar with Ute Mahler/Ostkreuzschule Berlin about 15 years ago and I think I still profit from both. Both, photographically and personally.

My links:
https://www.christianreister.com 
https://www.instagram.com/christianreister

 

NEW BOOK: 
Christian Reister - Berlin Nights 
https://hoxtonminipress.com/products/berlin-nights

 

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights

from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
from the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Pressfrom the book "Berlin Nights" by Christian Reister / Hoxton Mini Press Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights

Copy right-Christain Reister- Berlin nights
 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Christian documentary flash interview leica photography portraiture project q Reister review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/christian-reister Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Daniele Dainelli https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/daniele-dainelli An interview with Daniele Dainlli

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli

RH: Who is Daniele?

DD: Daniele Dainelli approached the world of photography in the winter of 2012, when he bought his first reflex camera just for fun, as almost everyone does. His focus is on street photography, since Florence offers some of the most beautiful settings ( and faces ) in the world.
He started to discover the pleasure of wandering in the cities of the world, catching with his eye, every kind of possible beauty.
He toured lots of Europe nations and USA bringing back some important photographic project.

 

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 DD: India has always attracted me, there is a spectacular feeling about traveling so far away from home looking for new cultures.I’m really happy about the final result of my project “Struggle For Saints” and the printed zine that I’ve made. I’ve seen so many classic and famous photos about India, sadhus, colours and stuff like that.For this reason I wanted to create a project with a new/non-common point of view, creating a dualism between ordinary life and religious life. People aim to the after life ,that’s the most important thing to reach in their lives, and this thing really impressed me. Life in India is very tough and rude, people work 15 hours per day, they only rest few hours and then they are ready to start again his job. But they don’t mind, that’s life.

 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

DD: My girlfriend Irene, helped me a lot planning this trip and this photo-project, city after city. I decided to stay a longer period in Varanasi during the Shiva Festival ( and I’m really happy to made this choice :) ), because that city could offer me lot of magic sets and incredible faces. My whole trip to India lasted one month, full of positive things and negative things, like my food poisoning ehehe! I toured India with trains, flights and also a car ( that brought me through the countryside far away from big cities), what a great experience !

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

DD: No there’s nothing I wish I had done in a different way from mine.There’s only one thing that make me sad : when I was in Jodhpur, I got a terrible food poisoning, and I’ve missed 3 days of my journey in the blue city. I was waiting for a long time to wonder through the little blue alleys, but in that case, luck wasn’t walking with me ! 

 

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

DD: My biggest challenge about my “Struggle For Saints project”, has been to do the edit of my whole pack of pictures. I had to cancel lots of good pictures, but in my personal opinion they didn’t fit into the message and idea of my project. You have to choose only the essential, every single piece of the puzzle has to be a part of you story.  I also have to say thanks to some great street photographers that helped me into the creation of this project and then the zine that I printed, like Salvatore Matarazzo, Gianluca Morin and Lorenzo Catena.

 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

DD: I don’t exactly know how long my project will be. It’s a choice that I plan during my trip, shot after shot. it could depend on various things. I decided to stay one month in India, and for me it was ok. It would have been so difficoult to stay more, I was so tired when I returned home. I’ve also been working on another project for 3 years, about my city, Florence, and that’s is a different way of taking pictures and planning the storyline of a project. I don’t know when it will be ready, I think it will last 2 or 3 years more maybe…

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

DD: In India I had a different approach with people, I decided to stay a little bit far from the subject than I usually do with my tipycal flash portraits, in order to involve the smell of the city, the chaos of the alleys, the holy rivers. I enjoyed a lot the changeling of my style for that month. I was with my camera every day, shooting at every single hour. Don’t get distracted by “common places” typical of India.

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

DD: Yes, while the editing was going on, the project was getting more “powerful”. I think it’s a common thing for every photographer who try to create a story.  It is impossibile to create a project without a deep touch of editing. As I said in the previous questions, some photographers helped me a lot . That’s the beauty of street photography, to share the passion! The editing of my whole pack of pictures lasted more than one month. Then I started to plan and create the photo-couples, that are the guideline of my “Struggle For Saints” project.

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

DD: I’d recommend to read books, learning from other photographers. Another important thing to know, i wanna tell to all the people who shot street photography, follow your heart, don’ take pictures for fun, do it with a personal idea. First You have to plan something, and then you can plan the shot ! Shot everywhere , city, countryside, seaside. Try to re-inspire you buying some new photography books or zines. In street photography there are no rules, every photographer has its own style and how to approach the strangers , don’t be scared and keep your eye trained.

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

DD: Camera it’s not important. To me the most important thing is to be comfortable, I shoot with Fujifilm xe2, it’s old but it is very light to use and to keep on the shoulders for many hours! Now I know “her” very much, and it’s hard to separate each other ehehe :)

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

    DD: I’ve got some books to recommend : 

        1) The eyes of the city - richard sandler

        2) Open at noon - Marc Alor Powell

        3) Charles Traub - Dolce via

        4) After the off - Bruce Gilden

        5) Nick Hannes - Mediterranean. the Continuity of the Man

        6) Wim Wenders - Written in The West

        7) Martin Parr - Life’s a Beach

        8) Harry Gruyaert - Morocco

        9) Dougie Wallace - Road Wallah

       10) Alex Prager - Silver Lake Drive

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

      DD: Yes of course, photo workshops are useful to start creating your way of thinking, your way to create, your way to catch the decisive moment, your way to start to understand what will your photographic style will be. 

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

Copy Right-Daniele Dainlli - Struggle For Saints
 

 

DD: checkout my Instagram and Website

instagram :  https://www.instagram.com/daniele_dainelli/

website :  https://danieledainelli.carbonmade.com

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera dainelli daniele documentary interview leica lieca photography portraiture project q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/6/daniele-dainelli Mon, 03 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Homer Sykes https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/an-interview-with-homer-sykes  

An interview with Homer Sykes

 

HOMER SYKES PHOTOGRAPHERHOMER SYKES PHOTOGRAPHERHomer Sykes 2018 Fownhope Herefordshire photographed by Emma Drabble in her pop up studio. These images are her copyright. If you want to use please make contact with me or Emma directly at:- email: [email protected]

phone: +44 (0)7805059707

copyright Emma Drabble  

RH: Tell me a little about yourself. 

HS: I am a professional magazine and documentary photographer. My principal commissions in Britain during the 1970's - 1980's, were for what used to be called the "weekend colour supplements" such as The Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The Observer, You and the Sunday Express magazines. I covered weekly news for Newsweek, Time, and the former Now! Magazine; covering conflicts in Israel, Lebanon, and Northern Ireland, as well as weekly news in the UK. Over the last fifty years I have shot numerous magazine portraits of the famous and not so famous - at home, at work and at play. I have always worked on personal photographic documentary projects along side commercial magazine assignments.  In the 1970's I started on what has become an on going career project documenting traditional British folklore customs and annual events.  In 1977 my first book was published Once a Year, Some Traditional British Customs (Gordon Fraser). In 2016 Dewi Lewis Publishing re-published this volume with over 50 'new' images from my archive.  I am the author, and co-author-photographer of nine books about Britain as well as Shanghai Odyssey (Dewi Lewis Publishing) and On the Road Again (Mansion Editions). The latter, an American project, was started in 1969, while I was at college. The photographic road trip was repeated in 1971, the work was then put away for thirty years, and in 1999 and 2001 I travelled once again by Greyhound bus criss-crossing America documenting the ‘down home’ idiosyncrasy of everyday middle America. In 2002 I set up my one-man band self-publishing concern Mansion Editions. To date Mansion Editions has published On the Road Again and Hunting with Hounds. More recently Cafe Royal Books have published 20 zines of my work.


 

 

 

Planning

Cocktail party dress younger woman dancing with older man UKCocktail party dress younger woman dancing with older man UKWoman in cocktail party dress dancing with elderly man private party disco Hampshire 2008

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

HS:The prospect of the work being published in book form. 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

HS: I'm reworking bodies of work completed over the last 50 years, expanding and bringing subjects matters up to date.

 

 RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

No

Implementation and Completion

ARMY OFFICERS WEARING PIN STRIPPED SUITS AND CARRYING BOWLER HATS AND ROLLED UMBRELLAS UKARMY OFFICERS WEARING PIN STRIPPED SUITS AND CARRYING BOWLER HATS AND ROLLED UMBRELLAS UKCombined Cavalry Old Comrades Association and parade, Hyde Park, London UK. Young officers wearing bowlers hats carrying rolled umbrellas.

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

HS: Thought more about what i hope and want to say. 

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?  

 

HS: Depends on the project. anything from a few days, up to many years. 

 

 

Editing and Sequencing

MIDDLE AGE MARRIED COUPLE BOREDOM SENIORS OLDER ELDERLY ON HOLIDAY SOUTHEND ON SEA UKMIDDLE AGE MARRIED COUPLE BOREDOM SENIORS OLDER ELDERLY ON HOLIDAY SOUTHEND ON SEA UKAn English "sunrise" motif in a cafe Southend on Sea, Essex. England. 2006. Baileys Fish and Chip shop.

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

HS: I photograph ‘fleeting moments’, and usually many images are made in order to construct the precise eventual image that may in time be disregarded.

 

 

RH:Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

HS: Often

 

 

Tips and hints 

Sir Robin Wells the Mayor of Newham.Sir Robin Wells the Mayor of Newham.Carnival to Welcome the 2008 Beijing Olympic Flame to London Borough of Newham. Stratford. UK April 6 2008. Sir Robin Wells the Mayor of Newham.

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

HS:

  1.  Look at what other people have done, and think about what you are interested in.
  2.  Realize it’s not about inspiration only, but it is always about application
  3.  Work harder
  4. Be visually flexible. 
  5. Read about and understand the subject, know what you want to say.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

HS: The camera doesn’t take the photograph. it’s brain, eye, and hand coordination. 

 

 

RH:Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

HS: Once a year: some traditional British customs, my British archive: the way we were 1968-1983, hunting with hounds.  and of course the photo books by the great American street photographers of the 1960s and 1970s, and many hcb books. 

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

HS: Yes, but it depends at what level you make photographs.

Henley Royal Regatta, Abingdon School rowing team Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England.Henley Royal Regatta, Abingdon School rowing team Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England.Henley Royal Regatta, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England. Exhausted rowers throw themselves on the floor after finishing first in their race. Abingdon School.2000s

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

Peterborough Festival of hunting UKPeterborough Festival of hunting UKFestival of Hunting Peterborough Uk. Hunt staff also know as Hunt servants wearing their dress code dark suits and wearing bowler hats and girlfriends and partners. 2013.

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

HERCULES CLAY PENNY LOAF DAYHERCULES CLAY PENNY LOAF DAYHercules Clay Penny Loaf Day. The Mayor of Newark Tom Bickley and the Lady Mayoress Ondra Bickley, wait in line to receive guests in the Town Hall at the start of the reception.

Hercules Clay Penny Loaf Day. Hercules Clay a wealthy cloth merchant who was a former Newark businessman and in 1644 Royalist Mayor of the town during the English Civil War. For three nights in a row he dreampt of his house burning and he took this as an omen, moving out just before the house was indeed damaged by a ìgrenadoî, a mortar shell fired by the besieging Parliamentary forces. He died in 1645, and in his Will he left a legacy providing for an annual sermon in which the preacher was to ëexhort the people not to set their affections on things of this world but by their good works to lay Ö hold on eternal lifeí, and for bread to be distributed to the poor.

copyright Homer Sykes 
 

OLDER WEALTHY COUPLE DANCING UKOLDER WEALTHY COUPLE DANCING UKOlder couple dancing wealthy rich people private party Hampshire UK 2008,

If you want to see more work from homer.

https://homersykes.photoshelter.com
 

 

 


 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary Homer leica photography portraiture street street photography Sykes https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/an-interview-with-homer-sykes Mon, 27 May 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Peter Dench https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-with-peter-dench  

Interview with Peter Dench 

 

 


copyright Peter Dench


 

  • Made in England 1972 
  • Photographer; Videographer; Presenter; Writer; Author & Curator. 
  • Over 20 years experience in the advertising, editorial, corporate, portraiture and video fields of image making.  
  • Achievements include: World Press Photo award in the People in the News Stories category and participation in the World Press Joop Masterclass. Football's Hidden Story, a FIFA sponsored reportage comprising 26 stories across 20 different countries, received six global accolades. 
  • Solo books published include: THE DENCH DOZEN: Great Britons of Photography Vol 1; Dench Does Dallas; The British Abroad; A&E: Alcohol & England & England Uncensored. 
  • Written contributions have been commissioned for the New Yorker, Telegraph magazine and the film making and photography journal, Hungry Eye.  
  • TV presenting credits include Channel 4 News: What is it to be English? 
  • Dench is a Visionary for Olympus cameras. 

 

 

 

 copyright Peter Dench- England Uncensored

 

Interview

 

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project England Uncensored?

 

PD: As a photojournalist I’ve had the privilege to work on assignment in over 60 countries across the globe, but it’s towards England I consistently point my lens, it’s my home, my passion and it’s people are the ones I want to understand most.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

PD: If you say you’re going to document a community, a town or a country, it’s a daunting task. I try to break it down into manageable themes: alcohol, love, food, the weather, ethnicity, fashion etc and manageable geographical locations: the north, south, east and west. Then you just have to get out there and start making pictures.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

PD: Not really. it was my first significant reportage and book and I learnt a lot from the process.

 

copryright Peter Dench- England uncensored

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH:  How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

PD: Funding the work and producing the book is always a challenge. Leaving loved ones behind to travel long distances to photograph for no tangible reward is a challenge. Maintaining belief in what you want to achieve matters is a challenge!

 

RH:  How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

PD: The first few took around 8-10 years but I’m 47 now. If each reportage took that long to finish, I’d only have a few left. I now try and do one a year. Get it done and get it out there.

copyright Peter Dench - England Uncensored 

 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

The intention, although not always possible, is to take one image that delivers a precise message. I think I got close to that with the image of a couple kissing while a man is sick nearby which you can read about here.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

Some photojournalists think you have to have a clear idea of what you want to say then go out and get the pictures that say it. I tend to shoot the pictures then decide on what I want to say and the narrative in the editing process.

 

copyright Peter Dench - England Uncensored 

 

Tips and hints

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

Trust your instinct. If you have an idea that won’t go away, shoot it. If your excited about it, there’s probably an audience for it.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

Yes and no. Cameras are of course necessary (unless you’re a more conceptual artist and just appropriate ‘found images’). I need a camera that captures what I see quickly and without fuss. My system of choice is the aesthetically pleasing, lightweight, weatherproof and mobile Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IImicro four thirds mirrorless system.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

As a younger man, Jack Kerouac’s, On The Road, got me fired up. I get a lot of inspiration from columnists like Jon Ronson and Danny Wallace (not the footballer). My go-to photo books are Bill Eggleston and the phenomenal iWitness by Tom Stoddart.

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

Only mine :-)

You can find more of Peter's work here http://www.peterdench.com
 

copyright Peter Dench - England Uncensored 

copyright Peter Dench - England Uncensored 

copyright Peter Dench - England Uncensored 
 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera Dench documentary interview Peter photography projects review street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-with-peter-dench Mon, 20 May 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Andrea Ratto https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-with-andrea-ratto An interview with Andrea Ratto

 

copy right Andrea Ratto
 

Andrea was born in Genova (Italy) in 1976, he was based in A Coruña (Spain) since 2005.  Andrea have been attracted to photography from a young age. The camera has accompanied him on my trips across the world. In recent years  Andrea has been drawn to the street photography, which now he sees as means way to documenting society with a critical view.

In 2017 Andrea walked the streets of 26 European countries with my camera in a fully independent journey, taking about 85,000 photos.

 

 

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa

 

Planning
 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

AR: For me, before getting into a project, it is essential to be attracted to it: in general there must be something that catches my attention and intrigues me to the point of deciding to investigate more. This has happened with "Europe" and now with the project in which I am working on: Gentrification in the Madrid district of Lavapiés. I also keep in mind how interesting and useful it can be for the general public or small communities.

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

AR: After having decided the theme of the project, a documentation phase begins that is very important because it prepares me to be more attentive to what I am interested in looking for, sometimes even in a subconscious way. My documentary projects are currently carried out with the use of a candid / unstaged photography, and for this reason it is a great help to be able to work without thinking too much when i stay out with the camera because, in other way, the risk is that i can lose a lot of what is happening. So I follow my instinct and what catches my attention the most. Well, if the initial documentation phase is kept alive during the realization of the project, what you need and what you are looking for will coincide with what instinctively catches your attention. Or so it works on me.

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

AR: I believe that it is always possible to do things in a better way. But ultimately when you do a photographic project, even if it is a documentary project, you will end up talking more about yourself than about something else. And when I did "Europe", I was the one that can be deduced by looking at the book. If you are asking me more simply for the realization of the project, obviously there are many things that may not go as planned and I think the more you can control the process and the better it will be. On the other hand you also have to be able to improvise and know how to change with the work already underway.

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa
 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

AR: Very calm, I think the best thing is to forget everything and focus on a own vision.

The worst thing that can be done is to try to please others. My project wanted to look for the essence of contemporary European society, something very broad and undefined and if I had not focused on what I think and am, I would not have been able to move forward. From a more practical point of view, avoid thinking about going to get the perfect work can be a great help because it allows you to move forward and not block. I do not believe at all in the perfect photo and less in a perfect work, come on, I do not believe at all in perfection in general.

 

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

AR: There is no general rule, each project is different. What I can say is that it is not something that can be scheduled in advance. Or at least, I do not like it that way. I am lucky to work on my projects in a completely independent way and I do not have dates to respect as if they were commissioned. I can think of spending time on a project but if it's going to take me twice as long then it does not scare me. "Europe" took me more than a year and a half and I had to deal with the problem of wanting to talk about contemporary "Europe" and for this I could not take 10 years to complete it. The Gentrification in Lavapiés project is still underway with the participation of sociologist Marta Morán and we may close it in just under a year.

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa
 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

AR: It depends, I do not always work in the same way and I think it's important to stop and try new things sometimes. In general I usually get 2 or 3 images for each scene and I don’t wait long time in one place. Following what I said before I do not believe in a perfect image and I do not look for it. I am interested in capturing the scenes with naturalness to be closer to reality or at least to the idea of reality that i have.

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

AR: This is inevitable because the realization of the project always grows and matures the ideas that had at first and according to them is adapting the narrative form. The experience of the project is something that must be fully lived, it is a fundamental part of the project itself, it changes everything, constantly. Another thing is knowing how to shape the whole in the final phase of selection of photos and editing. I think that's where the project really takes its final form.

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

AR: I can recommend not to be in a hurry and to be very sure of the argument because it is how to choose a job, then you have to do it. You are going to dedicate the most valuable thing you have, your time. So be a project that serves you first as a person.

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

AR: The camera is an instrument, nothing more, but I think that each one has to be comfortable with the one he uses. The most important thing in my case was that I used a fairly small camera because I had to travel a lot and it facilitated my transportation. On the other hand I think  the election of the lens is interesting because it confers a specific character to the pictures. I worked with a 23mm apsc almost all the time. But if you're asking me about brands, I can tell you that they're all good.

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

AR: I think the most inspiring thing is to see other projects and realize that they offer well-documented and, sometimes, unexpected points of view. If I have to recommend a book, I would say "About Photography" by Susan Sontag: and not only because of what the author says in the book, sometimes I do not agree 100%, but for the reflections she invites to do.

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops?

 

Yeah sure ! It also depends on who gives it and taking into account that not always a great photographer is a good educator and vice versa.

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa
 

copy right Andrea Ratto - Europa
 

 

Find out more about Andrea's work 

https://www.instagram.com/andreratto/

https://www.andrearatto.com/

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) andrea camera documentary. photography portraiture project ratto street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-with-andrea-ratto Mon, 13 May 2019 11:00:00 GMT
An interview with Jim Mortram https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-jim-mortram Interview with Jim Mortram 

 

 

copyright Jim Mortram

 

Jim Mortram, is a British social documentary photographer and writer, based in Norfolk His ongoing project, Small Town Inertia, records the lives of a number of disadvantaged and marginalised people living near to his home, in order to tell stories, he believes are under-reported. 

His photographs and writing are published on his website, in a few zines published bycafé royal books in 2013, and in the book Small Town Inertia published by Bluecoat Press in 2017.

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia

 

Planning

 

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

 

JM: Being a carer, subsisting on Benefits, seeing the most vulnerable in my town marginalized ever further bu Austerity, the apathy and spin of MSM, the apathy of society.

 

 

RH: Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

 

JM:It's not a project, it's life. I got loaned a camera and started, learning as I went.

 

 

RH: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

 

JM: Taken a break (s) instead of working flat out of a decade. 

 

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia
 

 

Implementation and Completion

 

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

 

JM: Like water finds the river, you just have to find solutions to the seemingly infinite challenges of devoting a life to a long form body of work, forming real, lasting and loving relationships with my community and the communities online have been lifesaving and work enabling.

 

 

RH:  How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?   

 

JM: It started when I got loaned a camera, it'll end when I'm dead. 

 

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia
 

 

Editing and Sequencing

 

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

 

JM: No rules, I work on instinct empowered by experience, if it feels right, it is. 

 

 

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

 

JM: Nope, I work to fulfil the story shared to me, not to subvert it to suit my own ideas, I am in the service of the person I am making photographs with, not they, I. 

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia
 

Tips and hints 

 

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

 

JM: Make work about something you really, really give a fuck about. 

 

 

RH: Does the camera really matter? 

 

JM: A camera is a paperweight until you pick it up, what matters is the intent we bring to an inanimate tool. 

 

 

RH: Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

 

JM: Don't look at photography books for inspiration, look at them to learn something for yourself, your being, if you look at them to teach you how to make a photograph, you'll end up copying, being influenced, give those books the respect they deserve, look at them with your heart. I'd suggest watching cinema, reading literature, poetry, academic works, listen to music, hell, all of life is inspiration, number one, engage with the people around you, talk with them, LISTEN to them, learn from them, be a part of your community, not and never apart from it. 

 

 

RH: Would you recommend attending photography workshops? 

 

JM: If you have the dime, why not?, it's your call, not my bag though, if I want to learn to do

something, I'll just keep kicking the wall till it topples.  

 

Find out more at 

https://smalltowninertia.co.uk
 

https://www.instagram.com/smalltowninertia

https://smalltowninertia.tumblr.com

 

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia
 

 

copyright Jim Mortram - Small Town Inertia
 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera documentary photography portraiture small street street photography town https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2019/5/a-interview-jim-mortram Fri, 03 May 2019 14:01:45 GMT
ONlY in Plymouth https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/10/only-in-plymouth  

 

Only in Plymouth

 

 

I have been focusing on my project for the last few weeks hence why there has not been many blogs over the last few weeks.

 

Check out the full series  ONLY in PLymouth

 

 

I have been photographing people around Plymouth for the last year and half, I have been working this project which has gone from a street style to a documentary style project. I have become increasingly interested in the social dynamics within anthropological society. The Plymothians have a very extrovert way of presenting themselves with the 1950s architecture as the back drop for my Portraits, I wanted to create a meaningful project.  

 

Plymouth

Originally, Plymouth was 3 individual large towns and villages: Plymouth Dock (now referred to as Devonport), County borough of Plymouth and Urban district in 1928; the three towns became one thus being called Plymouth City. Plymouth is one of the largest cities in West Country; Devonport put Plymouth on the map as one of the leading ship yards in the UK. Commercial shipping in Devonport handled imports from China to America the contents of the imports were copper lining, clay and many other mining exports. 

Now fast forward a few years! 

 

History

1940 to 1944 the city of Plymouth was bombed 59 times during World War 2; this meant that the city (shopping area) was almost flattened through this period of time.  In1941 lorries ferried the children of Plymouth up to little villages on Dartmoor to protect the future of the city; 1,172 civilians were killed and 4,448 were injured. Now 263,100 people live in Plymouth, making the city the 30th most populated area in the UK. I believe the city has survived astonishing times, as a result, the people of Plymouth has become very diverse and out spoken but also unique and individual therefore making some real great street photography moments. 

The Architecture

 

Most of the buildings within Plymouth have become Grade 2 listed, with a grey face to most of the buildings in the city which gives of a bleak feeling when walking around the wide roads of the pedestrianised area which occurred in the late 1980’s. The reasoning behind the wide pedestrianised space was for; aesthetic reasons and shoppers safety while reducing traffic congestion. There are less bus routes in Plymouth and more roads designed again to minimise congestion.  1950s was the time of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, this is really projected through the architecture around Plymouth. Kevin Mcloud said that, “Plymouth will be poorer if it loses theses 1950 building and becomes a faceless city.” The future of Plymouth will be regenerated by 2021 losing much of the grey, over powering buildings. The Civic Centre, which can be seen by the image below, was planned to be demolished but has now been saved by giving it a Grade 2 listing, it’s said that the very top floors would sway slightly in strong winds; it was once an architecture master piece.  With all this churning around in my mind, the prospect of photography around Plymouth is almost immersive of 1950s architecture allowing me to capture images that look ‘stuck’ in the past, the unique subject then bringing a modern twist to the images.

Why boring pictures of shops?

 

 “These are my own thoughts and theories”

I have noticed within Plymouth the divide between the different social classes is increasing. The new Drakes circus shopping centre is where the more expressive and premium shops are with the likes of Apple and other big named shops as Boots and high-end jewellers. When photographing people who are eccentric or have an independent style, I find it hard to place context to the location or rationale of series street portraits. When I started to photograph around Plymouth on a regular basis (often for long extensive days), I was often looking at the shops and wondering why there would be three betting shops next to each other and McDonalds then KFC. The location I photograph in is called the west end with a big indoor market which was once the life line of Plymouth, over the last few years the market has had 1.3 million in renovations. As I was walking around Plymouth from Drakes circus (often referred to as the top of town) to the West end (often referred to as the bottom of town) I noticed that there wouldn’t be any bet shops up at the “posh end” Drakes shopping centre. I believe that the more economically deprived population are choosing to go down to the West end of the city centre as there for more shops targeting the poorer population. Data collected by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveals there is now one short-term loan store for every seven banks or building societies on the high street.

(https://www.theguardian.com/money/datablog/2014/mar/12/payday-lending-shops-boom-in-uk-the-full-data)

I started to research theories around keeping the poor poor and the rich rich; by doing this the shops at the West End are targeting that fact that people are increasingly in need of money and require quick loans, but Drakes shopping centre is advertised as the go-to place in Devon for shopping whereas the west end is not mentioned. Through the project, I have found out many people do not venture to the west end of city shopping area as they feel out of place, do not use those shops or are afraid of the types of stereotyped people that shop or hang out in this area. However, having said all of this, Plymouth University has spent nearly 300k on a big screen that is attached to a building called the Box, unfortunately they are unable to display any images because of a dispute over moving images adjacent to a major road. I know money comes from different pots and streams of funding but over the last few years, there has been an increasingly massive investment of money into Plymouth from visitors and students that certain areas like the west continue to be deprived therefore similar style shops continue to target the more poverty stricken residents. So, with the theory over, I have started taking photos of the shops around Devonport and the West End in a straight format without adding too much excitement. I have been inspired by Martin Parr’s “Boring postcards” and Simon Roberts “Motherland”; I thought it would be a good idea to start to add depth to my street portraiture by adding these images that contextualise to the location; I am creating a back drop and story to the people and letting the viewer immerse themselves in the city of Plymouth.  

   

 

Project focus

 

My project starts off by photographing the people of Plymouth; initially I was intrigued by the style of the people of Plymouth; they don’t necessarily conform to current fashions. Having had my work published in digital camera magazine; I felt empowered and enthusiastic to return to my “Only in Plymouth” project. I started photographing purely ‘subjects’ but in order to relate it to the Plymouth area I moved onto photographing buildings and other interesting things in and around the City. I would like my project to be taken seriously; I am based in the West Country and while it isn’t necessarily hard to photograph “street”, to make a project feel urban and have a ‘bit of grit’ to the images is often difficult; I feel this is due the back group of the sea and coastline in many of the coastal towns. For example, I find that the City of Exeter (45 miles from Plymouth) has a very different culture and environmental feel as Plymouth. The overall focus of the Plymouth series is to create a dynamic and interesting series of images depicting one of the biggest coastal cities in the UK, I want the viewer to look at the series and be able to feel and have a sense of being in the middle of Plymouth.     

 

 

 

Plymothians 

 

The term “Janners” now almost exclusively applies to the inhabitants of Plymouth, it is commonly used and many are proud to say they are a ‘Janner’. From my experiences I have found the people of Plymouth the most interesting and fun to observe and photograph; I think this is because of the interesting and disjointed lay out of the city centre encouraging the shoppers to almost wander aimlessly between the shops making it very exciting to photograph. I have had very few negative vibes from photographing people in a street style. When I first started photographing people in Plymouth the overall feeling of the architecture felt oppressing, but I have grown to really enjoy the feeling of Plymouth and the interesting subjects that call this super cool city home. The most part of photographing the Plymothians have been really enjoyable, the only thing is often I’m looked at oddly because I’m the only one on the street photographing the people and city. The city has a theatrical feeling to be able to walk around the city and create my own view has been greatly enjoyable.  

 

Devonport 

 

Devonport has had 13 retired Royal Navy submarines few of which were removed from service almost 30 years ago. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a further seven sit rusting waiting to be recycled at Rosyth in Scotland, meaning that means a total of 20 Navy submarines are waiting disposal there could be at least seven more returning from duty by 2030 to rust away at Devonport. 

The MoD says the rusting submarines in Plymouth - whose number include the HMS Conqueror which sank the Belgrano 36 years ago during the Falklands War - are “safely stored” and subject to rigorous checks.Also, the people of Devonport and Plymouth have no measurable increase of nuclear exposure

With all this in mind, I wanted to go to Devonport to photograph the houses and town surrounding it. I found the area very quiet but it had a cowboy and western feeling; I just needed a tumble weed to roll through as I walked around. The lack of people around was possibly because most were venturing into the city centre as Devonport has been hit hard from the recession and has not recovered. I photographed interesting buildings and shops that, in their day, were very grand but now look very run down.  I found the area very interesting visually because of the empty streets and the very Victorian and industrial feeling parts of the area gave me. I chose to photograph the buildings in a pictorial way with straight lines and face on; again taking influence from: Martin Parr, Simon Roberts, Nick Turpin, Zed Nelson and Murray Ballard. I feel my photography and style is greatly shaped by these professional documentary and street photographers. As I reflect on my walking around Devonport I felt depressed and very negative from this area, however, I will be returning. But for now, the images I have captured speak volumes about the overall feeling of this area.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/10/only-in-plymouth Sun, 28 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Leica Q the best camera for events! https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/9/leica-q-the-best-camera-for-events

 

Leica Q the best camera for events!

 

 

On bank holiday Monday in August I visited a village show at Lustleigh, which is nestled within the Devon countryside on Dartmoor. The show has been around for over one hundred years and has great historical features with early remains of settlements dating as fare back a 2500 BC. There has been early documentation of a bee-keeper living in the village that is said to be the only one at the time living on Dartmoor (perhaps when everything was in black and white). 

 

With all that information, I was hoping to capture some really interesting Devonshire folks, but also to capture how the society has changed in terms of old family traditions around festivals.

 

I set out for the day prepped from the research I conducted the night before around photographers and Lustleigh.

 

Influence!

 

Martin Parr has been a great influence upon my work with the Chelsea flower show, capturing what he calls ‘Old Britain’, his work and documentary style of both the small and big county shows has made me to want understand the culture and anthropological society around old traditions.

www.martinparr.com

 

After seeing and talking to Matt Stuart in London, I have been fascinated by his style and humour in his work. I started to realised within my work that I was starting to rush for one gold winning image. I felt I need to blend in with the crowds at the show, be nice and not aggressive, to enjoy watching and waiting for the key moment to capture unique subjects. Prior to the show I contacted Matt for his thoughts where he gave some really encouraging advice.

www.mattstuart.com
 

I met Stephen Leslie at the Street London event, who was a truly amazing person with a wealth of knowledge. His latest book ‘Sparks’ has really inspired me to take my time when capturing the street characters. I have thought about my work in contexts of the subject, always having to look at me/the camera to create an impactful image. 

www.stephenleslie.co.uk

Gear for the event!

 

I have thought about this for a while, even though I carry a camera around my neck I don’t want to shout about me being a photographer by having a massive bag and a large number of big lens to lug around. I have often thought that going out into the urban environment with one lens has pushed how I work.

 

Below is a list of what I tend to take out with me when in street photography mode. 

 

In the rucksack

 

In the front pocket

 

Electrical tape (black)

Spare change (for coffee)

Mints 

Business cards 

RPS card that explains photographers rights 

Lens cloth in pouch

 

Main pocket 

 

Camera bag 

Reusable Hoxston mini press bag

 

In the camera bag  

 

Leica Q

SF 26 flash

AAA batteries 

Leica battery 

Polarising filters 

 

 

Tips for keeping style when photographing events

 

I have found personally using a small camera or small prime lens allows me to get close to the subject and interact with the subject whilst creating powerful imagery. I would recommend that you take your time with events  and not rush into photographing people, there may be a lot of people that look different or dress in a unique style, but it may be for the show itself. Take your time to find the true individuals and characters. 

 

How you take your images in the street will apply to how to capture the people in the events; stay true to your style and technique and the events will become a type of street photography.

 

 

Below are the images from the event enjoy!   

 

 

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/9/leica-q-the-best-camera-for-events Sat, 08 Sep 2018 08:57:39 GMT
My Street London Photography talk https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/8/my-street-london-photography-talk

 

The spotlight event

 

I entered the spotlight event after meeting Nick Turpin who advised that my work was worth exhibiting. I applied and managed to get into the event to talk about my latest photography project for 10 minutes. Below is an audio clip and images of the talk, press play and scroll through the blog to see the images. If on the mobile check the images out after the audio Enjoy!

 

 

PRESS PLAY ON THE AUDIO VIDEO TO HEAR MY TALK

 

Big thank you to Adam Maizey for the image and audio, you can see more of his street photography at Adam Maizey

 

 

FIXED WING PROJECT

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/8/my-street-london-photography-talk Sat, 25 Aug 2018 18:12:51 GMT
Street London Photography Festival https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/8/street-photography-festival  

 

Street London Festival 

The  Street London festival is an event focusing on the genre of street photography. The event was over the weekend of the 17th-19th August 2018. 

 

 "Hoxton Mini Press, the renowned East London publisher, joins iN

IN-PUBLiC

Nick Turpin and guest creative directors, Kristin Van den Eede and Olly Lang, to once again create an unrivalled gathering in the world’s capital of street photography. Originally founded by Jason Reed of the Observe Collective, this annual event has become a highlight of the street photography calendar.

 

 

 

Travel

 

I was very excited on Friday morning traveling up to Exeter airport in the early hours. I arrived in London City airport for 7:45am, which meant I had the day ahead to explore London and capture some interesting street photography. I thought I would visit the hotel first to drop off my luggage, I had been to the Holiday Inn hotel before and knew where it was, so it should be an easy process, or so I thought! I got to the hotel and to my surprise, my booking could not be found on the system, after having a manic month getting MARRIED I thought I mustn’t have booked a hotel. After a stressful few minutes, it was discovered that I had been prepared and booked, but I was in the wrong hotel! A quick tube journey found me at my correct destination. 

 

    The Art of Street

 

Buy a good pair of comfortable shoes, have a camera around your neck at all times, keep your elbows in, be patient, optimistic and don’t forget to smile.

Matt Stuart - www.mattstuart.com

 

I walked for 12 miles around London from the London Bridge to Brick Lane in Shoreditch, and I found the most interesting place to photograph was around the tourist parts and Brick Lane as these areas had more unique and interesting characters. I also looked for where the venue was for Friday night’s ‘meet and greet’, I saw that Nick Turpin was in the venue setting up for the weekend ahead, we had a quick catch-up. I was then really excited when I spotted out of the corner of my eye my image in the ‘street swap exhibition’, I was very honored and privileged to have my work displayed again in an exhibition in London.

 

 

Fast Forward to the Evening!

Walking to the event I was getting very excited to see who would be attending the evening. Looking at the list of professional photographers coming to the event as guest speakers; I was hoping to brush shoulders with the likes of Matt Stuart, Zed Nelson and Simon Roberts. Photographers who I have been studying on my BA (Hons) and researching their work.

 

The people attending this event were all so welcoming, approachable and friendly. I have been to events before and found people to be awkward to talk to and socialise with, so this event was easily the most comfortable one yet. Sharing the same interests with others also helps to spark conversations! After the welcome party, most of the people moved onto the pub down the road from the event. I found this to be the real ice breaker where I was able to really get to know the attendees.  

 

Saturday 

 

I turned up early Saturday to book myself onto the workshop with Nick Turpin as there was only eight places available, I really wanted the opportunity to be involved with this and learn more from Nick. The event started with the usual coffee, welcome and introduction to the events of the day.

 

Simon Roberts

www.simoncroberts.com
 

“For over a decade, Simon Roberts has photographed events and places across Britain that have drawn people together in public, communal experiences. This has often been an implicit theme of his work, the apparent desire for common presence and participation and the need to share a sense of belonging, suggesting something distinctive about our national character and identity.

Whilst Roberts’s interests have often gravitated towards evolving patterns of leisure, and the consumption and commodification of history, he has also chosen to photograph events and places that have a more immediate, topical significance in the turning of Britain’s recent history, and which – summoning the sense of a national survey – collectively form a visual chronicle of the times in which we live.

Merrie Albion ranges across several of his projects from the last decade, projects that have explored not only our leisure landscape but also our social and political landscape. The book registers a distinct shift in approach, and tone, from his work in We English. Roberts has exchanged the element of discovery and revelation evident in his earlier travels through England, for a form of ‘reporting’, in which he responds to subjects and places that are already firmly positioned within the public consciousness – defining locations in our recent national story.

 

The book Simon was discussing was called Merrie Albion, his knowledge about the genre was amazing, and photographing in a style that includes landscape and people, I was completely immersed within his talk, powerful and thought provoking. I managed to catch five minutes with Simon who was very down to earth and a pleasure to meet. 

 

  Exploring the Borders of Street Photography

 

This was a really interesting debate exploring where the street photography sits within photography; does street lie only on the urban streets? With a panel discussion we explored the borders of where street ends and starts. This was a heated debate and towards the end of the discussion the overall feeling was that the boundaries within the genre of street photography are blurred, but as more people photograph street, the more we will understand where the genres true direction lies.

Spotlight - “my time to shine!

 

Watching the five spotlights go before me made talking about your work in front of over one hundred people seem easy! The talks were all very interesting and thought provoking, despite having my upcoming presentation in the back of my mind. 

 

I was talking about my project called ‘Fixed Wing’, where I photographed the Air Show in my local area, my project was different to everyone else's because it was of an event with a street twist, having photographed the people watching the event. I walked up onto the stage feeling nervous to be talking in front of the heavy weights of street photography. When I finished my talk many people were really interested to hear and see more of my work. I felt accepted in the community of street photography.  I felt so good after my talk! I have since been contacted by a camera club to discuss my work in the future and I feel my presentations within street photography is positive for the community. 

 

If you have the opportunity to present your work, do not hesitate, it is a great experience!

 

Street Walk with Nick Turpin

 

This is the first time I have been on a photography walk and workshop, which I booked on the Saturday morning with Nick. This walk was very enlightening being able to talk and walk with a professional street photographer, but also see how his mind works when creating images was so interesting. We walked around in a small group with a range of abilities. I felt that I have learnt a great deal from Nick and I cannot wait to put this into practice.

 

Sunday - “when legends visits”

 

It was rumored all weekend we would be graced with Joel Meyowitz on the Sunday of the weekend event, I had doubts as to whether Joel would make the event, I was over the moon when I realised he was in the building. 

 

Matt Stuart

 

Matt’s talk was about his latest work which I found interesting how the boundaries of street photography can be used within a documentary sense, I was blown away by Matt’s engaging images of the USA and his travels. Matt’s work has only got better and better, he is definitely a street photographer to keep an eye on and to be inspired by.

 

Joel Meyerowitz 

Meeting this amazing photographer was a dream come true, I have researched and written about Joel in my BA (Hons) and have been inspired by his work time and time again. His words of wisdom were to stop focusing on social media and what other people’s photography, in-terms of there being so much imagery taken that focuses on your work, and to concentrate on what it is you produce and to create and showcase where the passion lies.

 

Overall Thoughts 

 

The weekend has been one of the most interesting and thought provoking events I have been on focusing on the street photography, I will be keeping this date in my calendar for next year! 

Few shots of london

 
 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/8/street-photography-festival Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Street photography 10 commandments https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/street-photography-10-commandments

 

My street photography 10 commandments

 

These are my thoughts and my own views

 

1 Never Hide

 

 

 

Over the past 4 years of creating street photography I have found it best not to hide the camera from sight but also not to be afraid of what other people think and how You photograph the subject, I’m not doing anything wrong!

When I start out photographing street photography I used to hide the camera and us a zoom lens. I used to look at other artist work such as Dougie Wallace, Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden and Nick Turpin I know their loads of other great street photographers but these were my first to really inspire my work and my contemporary style so I guess I appreciate them above all other street photographers.

 

I would always wonder why my work was not like the other professional street photographers I thought I needed a bigger zoom lens. This was wrong I just felt like the paparazzi. So I started photographing from the hip and now hiding my camera, but this felt like I was doing something dodgy but I also noticed my work was really poor or I wouldn’t really be sure what I was photographing.

 

The process I go through now, to create street photography is to have my camera around my neck I don’t hide it anymore. I see the subject I want to photograph I either wait for the subject to get closer then capture the subject. Sometimes if I’m behind the subject I will quickly get in front of the subject to capture a dynamic street image. 

 

2 Take your time!

 

 

 

I found I was always afraid of confrontation and aggression from the subject if I photographed them without permission, I would therefore, rush to capture the subject and lose the context of why I was capturing the image.

I now slow everything down if there is an area worth photographing I will hang around, where I gain confidence and knowing there are interesting subjects to photograph and watch. By taking your time and not hiding I found I was about professionally structure the image and create an interesting style to my work.

 

3 Confidence

 

 

This will take time to develop, the more you photograph subjects without asking in a public area you will eventually start to gain confidence in-turn getting closer to the subjects. I have gone from photographing without flash to stay almost hidden, to now photographing with a flash so the subject will see I’m pointing the camera at them but the flash will go off as well. The road to gaining confidence within street photography can be very fragile because you could be confronted by an angry subject and you with have feeling of resentment for photographing the subject, you may even question values and ethics around the street genre. Stay true to your vision and be creative and you will be able to roll with the ups and downs. go out there be brave and be confident to capture your style of street photography and enjoy.

 

4 Disadvantaged

 

 

I would like to say that I have never photographed the homeless but I have, these were early days when I thought that the homeless faces showed stories I would get from the higher end of Society.

As I grew as a photographer and tried to sell my street photography I found that the viewers enjoyed looking a the street portraits of the homeless but I never sold any. I felt if I created a body of work and theories around being homeless this might have been better received. I then realised that if you spend more time observing the societal patterns and social interactions I would see interesting subjects and other exciting things to photograph. Saying all this the photographer can create power within the image without knowingly doing so but not in a good way, if the subject is smaller than the photographer why stand at your eye height. I crouch or make sure I’m not pushing my confidence  towards the subject and powering the image and let the subject create the artwork by being the centre of my photography.

 

5 Keep both eyes open

 

 

This isn’t a wise tale or something you say to protect yourself when shooting street. This all about literal when photographing your subjects keep both your eyes open, it’s odd at first but the more you practice the better you will become. The reason I photograph in this way is so you can watch people come into the frame easier and create an exciting structured to the image. The process will create more interaction from your audience when viewing your images and I believe these are the stepping stones to making art rather than just photographs. Give this style of capturing images time we are binocular within our vision,why shut one eye?

 

6 Stay true to who you are as a street photographer 

 

 

I have had a rocky road to get to this level of street photography but I still feel I have the long way to go.

I have had my work published and have made to the final rounds of big internal photography competitions but still have not been noticed.right getting to the point now, my images are crisp and clear and have good subjects matter but I found people find street photography hard to take in or understand. To stay true as a street photographer and to who you are, you need to have loads self-drive and not create the images because of the fame or the money but for yourself. I’m still exploring Anthropological theories around human behaviour and the action, we can identify with one another but we also enjoy looking at each other “people watching.” I have had people tell me to stop photographing street because there isn’t a career within this genre but also have had people tell me my work is intrusive and makes them feel sick, to be able to create an outspoken voice from your audience is a massive achievement even if it’s negative. Focus on yourself as a photographer and why you're photographing this style and genre and you will become a great  humble street photographer.

 

7 Theme, theme, and more theme.

 

 

 

I have noticed over the last few years there has been a massive rise in street photographers and street photography images. But when I have talked to people who see lots of images like a photo editor or publishers their response to street photography is negative or turned off and not interested because there is a massive amount of street photography images without any meaning or understanding of the context of the images that have been created. Let’s remember street photography is a sub-genre of documentary photography, so let’s start here documentary photography has a purpose so should street photography! Now I’m not saying that every image you photograph in the urban environment should be part of a wider body of work but I would like you to consider why it is you have created the image and reasoning. I have created 4 projects over the last 2 years they were not massive but there were published because the work has purpose and story to images.

 

8 Use a notebook.

 

I’m not an avid writer but I have found that using a note book has helped focus my themes and styles photography. The note/journal has given purpose to my street photography and direction.

 

9 You don’t have to always capture street

 

I’m always carrying my camera around, but often just observing the social interaction  between humans. I would recommend just walking around the areas you want to photograph getting used to the feeling the areas give you. I would then use my notebook to make a note of times when the area is busy and times the area is busy. I will also look for places I can walk away safely from photographing if I’m confronted by an aggressive subject. 

 

Safety first!

 

This might seem silly about having this in my Ten Commandments But the streets genre can be so unpredictable when photographing people you never know how the subject is feeling or how they will react. Tell someone you where you're going and how long you will be out for. I would recommend you think about why you are photographing street photography and how to want your work to been from a wider audience. If you confronted by the subject you can confidently explain your theory and rationale around why you have photographed the person. If you get a feeling from a person do group even an area that is negative listen to that feeling and move on. Photography isn’t always worth the risk your health and well being is the most important matter to consider when photographing.

 

Now get out there and create some positive street photography!!

 

 

 

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/street-photography-10-commandments Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:10:35 GMT
London Adventure with Leica Q https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/leica-london-adventure

 

Leica Q London adventure round 2.

 

 

27th June I sit here in the hotel in near White Chapel. I have chosen to stay at this hotel because it is near the AOP student awards exhibition held at Wex photo and video. But enough this poetic moment lets rewinds a few hours.

 

I arrive in London at 7:45 am really early I have left my camera at the Leica Mayfair store for a new viewfinder as mine was suffering from condensation build up. I travel on the DLR and the Central line to get Mayfair store I arrived at the store collected my Leica Q to find the list of fixes where amazing, the was covered under warranty the staff at the sorts are so helpful it makes the high prices of the camera worth expense when you get a top service like I had.

 

List of fixes.

 

Viewfinder - needed a fix

Sensor clean - maybe need 

New leather outer- not need 

New hot shoe plat- not needed 

Even though I listed items that were not needed the camera is now feeling brand new and I’m very happy with the service quick turn around.

 

AOP EVENT.

 

About the AOP and how it will befit the street photographer.  

 

The Association of Photographers was first formed in 1968 as the Association of Fashion and Advertising Photographers and is one of the most prestigious professional photographers' associations in the world.

The Association's aims remain the same today as they were almost 50 years ago: to promote and protect the worth and standing of its members, to vigorously defend, educate and lobby for the interests and rights of all photographers, especially in the commercial photographic industry.’ 

 

I traveled by Underground to the AOP event ‘beyond the lens’ this was an event for AOP members and students starting out on in photography. The venue was amazing it was a storage unit underneath the Overground it reminded me of a WW2 bunker inside every time a train passed overhead the room almost shock. The unit was a big photography studio with a back drop that was painted white this was one of the biggest studios I have been in it was HUGE! 

 

This is the brief overview of the day I may go into more depth in another blog. 

 

Being an assistant photographer for a studio photographer sounds like it would be very rewarding work but difficult as well, long days and lots of running around if the photograph asks for the lights in the studio to be made here this is what the assistant will assist with amounts other things. I believe that my view of where I want to be is not assisting a studio photographer because of I that the street is my focus at the moment and if I could be an assistant for a documenting photographer or help with an ongoing project focused on street photography this would suit my needs more. 

 

I have learned that photographers are very chatty when talking about different events a networking so my advice would be when meeting photographers and other people of influence that help you on your photography career are to very helpful and polite and always ask no matter small and silly it may seem. The more you smile and network the easier it will become to eventually break out professionally.

 

The student Awards night!

 

7:00 pm I  turned up to the Wex Photo & video 200 guests had been invited to this event including agents and magazines editors this was going to be a great evening. I was very excited and nervous I believe in the work I have now been shortlisted for may exhibitions and events over my short street photography career just over 3 years. Once in the event, it was very busy loads of people talking and networking it was very hard to tell who was part of the exhibition and who was there because of business. The drinks were flowing with an open bar, the time had come to go downstairs and here the announced winners the speaker staid on the second floor which was a balcony overlooking the store. This was it! I will finally win an award for my photography, but to my surprise I did not win the competition, this was a strong year with 15000 entries 60 shortlisted and only 4 winners overall just to be there was amazing to see my work in London exhibition, I needed to take five minutes out of the store to gather my thoughts before going back into the event to talk and mingle and enjoy the rest of the night.

 

 

Street photography time.

 

I arranged to meet a friend who is local to long and a friend through Facebook we both share common interests in the genre street photography and Leica brand. I meet Darren at the Wex Photo & video store at White Chapel at 10:30. We walked from here along tower bridge and around the Thames and the Business areas with really interesting architecture. The day was really bright and sunny I really enjoy meeting people with a passion for Photography as I do.  hopefully, I will be able to meet Darren next time I’m in London.

 

Images of the exploring London below. 

 

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/leica-london-adventure Sun, 01 Jul 2018 23:30:00 GMT
Leica Q UPDATE!!! https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/leica-q-update

 

Finally the 3.0 update for the Leica Q

3.0 Leica Q Update

 

 

Finally the Leica Q has updated has arrived after 3 years in the waiting, personally, I was not really interested in the new update I was very happy with the 2.0 version.

I offered last week by a friend to ask at the Leica Mayfair store to inquire if the rumours were true that there was new update for the Q, when I ask the staff member the response was that there will be an update on the 29/6/18 but no news to what the update will be until release day.

29/6/18

 

The update his here and the Leica community cannot get enough of the news of the update being true and most people I have seen or talked to have updated the Q. I thought I would wait for a little bit just to see if there was any teething users or anyone struggling to update or “bricking the Q” but to my amazement, Leica has delivered as the solid update. TIME TO DOWNLOAD!

 

Original menu

The menu was very easy to navigate and use below are few images of the Q menu before the update. 

 

How to update the Leica Q

 

Click on the link at the top of the blog. 

Once you have downloaded the zip file here are a few basic instructions to have a successful update.

 

  1. Make sure the camera battery is fully charged.
  2. Take out the memory card from the camera
  3. Put the memory card into the computer. 
  4. Copy zip file which contains the firmware onto your memory card.
  5. Put the memory card with the new update into the Q.
  6. Turn the camera on while holding the record button.
  7. The update takes 90 seconds
  8. Make a coffee while the camera updates!
  9. Turn the camera off and take the battery out and put it back in again.
  10. The camera now will have the updated installed and will need out your personal settings reset to you're liking. 

 

  1. Coffee time!

My thoughts on the update!

 

I was really excited about the new update once installed. The menus are still clean and clear to us and there have many improvements to the FN function and also there is a way of renaming your user profile which I thought was a great idea. I will be using the Leica Q in the next couple of days to how the update really stands which the field of street photography.

 

Key updates 

 

 

 

– Favorites Menu 

A user can now enter and save up to 15 settings for faster access in a Favorites Menu. 

– Power Saving Mode option 

The camera can now be set to switch to Stand-By Mode after 10 seconds of inactivity. 

– Extended functions for the FN button 

Even more, options can now be selected for use with the multi-function (FN) button. 

– User Profiles 

Custom User Profiles can now be imported from and exported to a memory card. 

– Optional ‘Auto‘ setting for OIS 

This setting enables automatic activation of optical image stabilization at shutter speeds of 1/60s and slower. 

– EVF/LCD setting options 

This menu item can now be assigned to the FN button. 

– Settings for the electronic shutter 

The electronic shutter now has the option to be set to always on.

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DNG files 

The processing speed of DNG files in the camera has been increased. 

– Autofocus metering fields 

The last AF metering field used is now maintained when switching the camera off and on again. 

– Self-timer 

The setting is now maintained when switching the camera off and on again 

– Exposure preview deactivation option 

Exposure preview can now be deactivated in manual mode (especially useful when shooting in the studio with flash systems, underexposed settings or in dark environments). 

– Image review 

Automatic image review remains active as long as the shutter release button is held down halfway.

 

 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/7/leica-q-update Sun, 01 Jul 2018 09:00:00 GMT
Leica Q in London! https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/leica-q-in-london

 

The travel 

 

7:45 I arrived in London flew in from Exeter airport. This was an interesting experience as soon as I got comfortable it was time to land. The travel from London city airport was very confusing, the advice I got from the desk was wrong either that or I staid on the underground for too long. I got off the train at Farringdon and walk about 15-20mims to the hotel I was staying at a Travelodge, the hotel on first look was clean and the staff was helpful. My room was boxy but should be comfortable for the next few nights. I then traveled to Shoreditch to the old Truman Bury this was were the free-range exhibition was happening I put up my work on the wall in a square format. I then went on to explore Shoreditch and London. 

 

 

Evening of free-range

 

The evening of the show I was running late on the tube, I aim to get to the show for 5 pm but I gonna to arrive around 6 pm spend too long enjoying lunch overlooking the Thames sat in the sun. 

Once I arrived at the show there were hundreds of people waiting outside wanting to get in the exhibition. I was feeling very excited and anxious about the show and who was going to be there, possibilities of British Journal of photography and the other companies looking for the next photographer to break out into the professional world. 

 

The evening went on into the night with an open bar and loads of really exciting new work displayed. 3 floors and many different universities.

 

Exploring London with Leica Q

 

 

I walked around Farringdon the area had a few small shops and cafes around I went and had a coffee outside this really interesting coffee shop when I spot a guy walk by in his tartan pajamas, I quickly finished my coffee and walked after him to photograph him. When I got to a good position to photograph the guy he when into a corner shop, I thought this it I have just missed the unique character so I hovered outside the corner shop until he appeared. 

I thought my next place to visit would be the Leica Mayfair store to have a look at new straps. On my travels passed Piccadilly Circus I saw all sorts of interesting cars and people almost too much to take in. I was crossing the road when I saw a 1959 Corvette in pearl white with a young man driving the shadow and the angle of the car was the perfect SNAP! I captured this stunning image below. 

 

Leica MayFaire Store!

 

Once at the Leica store, I had a walk around the store which is small but the work on the walls and the cameras on display are stunning. I picked up nice new oranges roped Leica strap when I approach by one of the staff members which were very kind and helpful. I bought the strap and talked about my practice and the issues I’m currently experiencing with the Leica Q I have condensation in the viewfinder the staff looked at my serial number and noticed the Leica Q was in someone else’s name on the system. I asked how much the service would cost I was expecting to pay through the roof but staff said they would honour the brand and the age of the camera and would sort the issues out for free I was over the moon I ask could I pick it up next when I arrive back in London and then to my amazement the turn around time was quick for my service. People may turn their noses up on the overprice in of the Leica’s but the service from the helpline and the staff at the stores are outstanding.

 

Meeting the one and only NICK TURPIN!!

Who is Nick Turpin

 

 

I had been planning to meet Nick for some time now. Nick is most famous for his night bus project, I was very excited about meeting him. Meeting a true street photographer a hero of mine, I was very nervous about meeting him because a few street photographers and artist can be very cold or distance when meeting fans or photographers alike. Nick was super friendly and real down to earth person to be around, I meet nick by the Gherkin building he was photographing an art installation being put in on the street which was a statue of animals all intertwined this was very exciting for me to be there in London with Nick Turpin talking street photography and the people he has met on his journey as a commercial photographer and street photography. The people that make the statue were from LA and the team helping with all the official art installing like closing the road or organizing the lorry to collect the statue were from France again for myself this was a great networking time and I feel very honored to have been part of this setup. 

 

 

MY NEXT BLOG WILL BE OUT ON MONDAY I WILL DISCUSSING THE LEICA SERVICE AND THE WEX VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD NIGHT WITH AOP PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE CONFERENCE BEYOND THE LENS 2/7/18

 

 

 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/leica-q-in-london Mon, 25 Jun 2018 14:11:27 GMT
Review of the KUVRD lens cap for Leica Q https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/review-of-the-kurd-lens-cap-for-leica-q  

 

Quick Review of the kuvrd lens cap

 

KUVRD Lens cap

The kuvrd universal lens cap is your all in one solution to protecting your lens in the out environment. The cap is made from a high-performance rubber ULC stretches between 60mm to 150mm cover most modern sizes of a lens. The rubber lens cap is dustproof shock absorbent ever waterproof. 

 

 

Does the lens cap work with the Leica Q

 

I really enjoying using the Leica Q for street photography, but over the last few months I have been constantly dropping the metal lens onto the floor or knocking the lens cap. This is frustrating because when I’m not in the zone shooting street and going in and out of coffee shops and another place around town I wouldn’t put the Leica away but would often knock the lens cap on silly things around the shops lithe my bag or corners of shop displays. 

 

The Kuvrd lens cap was advertised on Facebook it can up a few times and I thought nothing of it. But will the continuing knocking off the original lens cap it though about giving the rubber cap ago?

 

 

 

The pros and cons of the rubber lens cap 

 

Pros

 

> Easy to install on lens.

> Stays on the Lens well and has a tight fit.

> Does protect the Lens well from dust and weather.

> Projects well from bumps and small knocks

> Makes me feel more confident to have the Leica around my shoulder.

 

 Cons

 

> fiddly to get off the lens in a rush.

> I wouldn’t put on and off between Photographing because I would miss the shot,  trying to get the lens cap off

> looks ugly on the Leica Q

 

Overview 

I would love Leica to remodel the Leica Q lens cap to a more practical version until then I will be using the rubber lens cap, it was very expensive $29.99 it’s about £22.37 plus post from the United States. The post was quick look about the week and a half. The cap gives great projection and is easy to clean and wipe clean, I would highly recommend this to a Leica Q user to project the lens. 

But a word of warning when photographing put the cap away as it is very difficult to get off in a rush but this also fills me with confidence that it won’t fall off randomly.

 

 

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/review-of-the-kurd-lens-cap-for-leica-q Sun, 17 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Shooting street photography within events https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/shooting-street-photography-within-events

If you want to see more of the images Fixed Wing Project

This project will be featured in Digital Camera Magazine!

Fixed wing project 

 

The air show has been held in Torbay for three years attracting just over 150,000 people to a beach in Paignton the planes fly over the beach just little out from the pier. 

“Torbay Airshow will return this spring with breathtaking air displays over the stunning South Devon bay. The two-day show will take place over the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd June 2018 on Paignton green offering free entertainment for all the family. The bay provides a stunning natural amphitheater for viewing the Airshow, providing a perfect location for large coastal Airshow. The event is free to attend.

 

Press pass

 

Because I blog and often write educational blogs I was able to apply for a press pass. I know you might be thinking why has he got a press pass for an event to photograph candid street portraits.

The reasoning is because I wanted to gain access to the VIP section and put my subjects at ease when photographing. I became focused on Martin Parr’s work on the Chelsea flower show and Bruce Gilden’s after off project learning how to capture the event through a street photographers eye. Whilst every other photographer has the massive lens and pointed their camera up to the sky to capture the planes I was focused on the hustle and bustle of the people of the event from spectators or the VIPs to the parachuters.

 

 

My approach 

 

After studying how Parr and Gilden approach to capturing events, I had set out a plan to photograph a few subjects: pointing, ice cream, eating, planes flying over the crowd and the VIP area. I felt that this would be best to explore and photograph to represent the Air Show. I would walk up and down the beachfront keeping my eyes out for interesting and unique subjects on Saturday the show had a festival feeling and was very busy but not too many exciting subjects to capture. On Sunday the show had a relaxed holiday feel to a crowd I was able to capture the key subjects I had in mind.

Creating a context to the images the face of the people I wanted to capture the only issue with this was that the project may turn into a series of faces which is not what I want to photograph I want the expression of excitement and planes in the background. I was then on the idea of photographing stalls and traders and the backs of people watching the show so I would them look for uniquely dress subjects that stood out to creating interesting images. 

 

Problems!

 

What could go wrong I have a press pass! Saturday I was photographing for a few hours getting some great results and unique characters, when I photographed a subject who objected to the image being taken I walked off thinking nothing of he chased me and grabbed my arm aggressively. 

 

Me: Please don’t grab me!

Subject: You can not take a photo of me

Me: I can within public spaces I’m well within my right plus I’m an events photographer for the Air Show.

Subject: I don’t Care!

Me: You need to calm down I will delete the image.

Subject: GOOD!

 

As this was going on the security team were on close just in case the subject lashed out this is the first time I have been grabbed and talked to this aggressively within the street photography context. I felt I handled the situation well but this knocks the wind out of my sails for a short while I went and got a coffee collect myself and set back out again.

 

Gear

To capture the day I was using my trusted Leica Q and my Sf26 flash and the polarising filter. The flash made it a little difficult to capture some subjects because of the TTL feature so I had the lens set a 1.7 not to overpower the flash as the day was very bright and did not want to overexpose the subjects. The picture created I felt to be of the high standard from the day and also have a unique edge because of the flash.

 

Overview

I would definitely recommend to any street photographer to get a press pass for an event and capture the subjects as this makes it easier to make a project focus on human interaction and have a different angle on the event.

 

 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/shooting-street-photography-within-events Mon, 11 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Creating a community through photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/creating-a-community-through-photography

The interview 

I have been recently be managing the Leica Q photography group, I have been changing the banner of the group page every few weeks. I have been enjoying creating a competition for photographers of the group to send in their images so I can judge the images. The winners will then be the banner for the next few weeks. The level of the images that have been submitted are outstanding I believe people need a chance to talk and express their thoughts about their imagery. I would also like to find out more about the images myself I then decided to empower the photographers of the group and give them exposure by interviewing the winners, this has been a really enjoyable experience I will be continuing to run this competition on the group but also create a need to emotional express the art of photography.

 

Below there is the recent interviews and images from the Leica Q photography group.

 

Interview one

Luca Vinci 

Ryan: What made you capture this image? 

 

Luca: it was 1.AM o’clock and I was coming back in Hotel, in Asakusa, one of my favourite district in Tokyo. Then, I found this image, I waited the man was in the middle of Temple for shooting; and I understood immediately this image was the cover of my third Japanese Book.

 

Ryan: is this image part of a wider series? 

 

Luca: My first Japanese book has taken with Canon 5D and Fuji X100s, (too heavy for my shoulders to carry around). For the second travel and book, I travelled light with Sony RX100M4 (Small High Quality Camera, but with less feeling inside the hands).

 

Ryan: what do you enjoy about using the Lieca Q?

 

Luca: last year I tried Leica Q and I was falling in Love: “she” was my definitely camera for my travel.

With “her” 28mm I can “write” much inside a picture.

Recently, I come back from India but my heart wants to go again in Japan with my Leica Q.

 

 

My Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/luca.vinci

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucavinci75/

 

Interview two

Vivek Prabhakar

What made you capture this image?

 

The moment I saw the cotton candy seller, I knew there was a picture in there somewhere. I followed him around before I was happy with the frame. This was taken at 7 am.

 

Where was this taken?

 

This was taken at the Magh Mela which is one of the most crowded festivals in India. Over half a million people a day visit to take a dip in the holy water to cleanse themselves.

 

 

Small bit bout yourself? 

 

A bit about myself. I picked up the camera in 2017 for the first time. I love shooting street. Camera of choice is the Leica Q.

 

Link to your website/FB page?

 

More of my stuff can be seen at desirednameunavailable.com

 

Interview three

Levanter váradi

Since early childhood I have strived for an understanding of Hungarian folk dance and authentic culture of ethnic groups livink in this region. I was an active dancer for 22 years. 

I have taught folk dance and managed folk dance clubs and classes for many years in Hungary and in California.

In the process of learning the Hungarian folk dances, I interest grew also in the related arts, especially photography.

I started focusing more on photography during my university years, I have been greatly influenced by the work and documentary photographs of Hungarian photographer Péter Korniss, particularly Korniss’s photos of the Honvéd Ensemble. From my mentor, Péter Siklós, learned analog photography as well as dance and theatrical photography.

 

Photo story

 

The photo is made as part of an international program that I have been created in 2017.

 

The program is called the Holy Lanterns, whose purpose is to present the cultural value saving of the Carpathian Basin in Europe.

 

In the framework of the Szent Lámpások program, I use the tools of photography to present the efforts of the Carpathian Basin and the surviving  community to preserve the traditional peasant culture.

 

  The Holy Lanterns are outstanding individuals in Hungary and across the border who help locally assist the dispersion communities with their pedagogical programs based on local folklore.

 

For the purpose of authentication, I spend several months in the given regions annually.

 

The photo was made with Leica Q. The Transylvanian Kalotaszeg in 2018.

 

The official page of the program has not yet been completed.

 

Site

 

My photos are partially found here, my brand is: www.facebook.com/lumidance

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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera leica photography portraiture q street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/6/creating-a-community-through-photography Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Lens culture review https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/lens-culture-review  

I recently have a had my project reviewed by the professional over at Lens culture. I would  definitely Recommend doing this if you have a major project.

Project review 

 

I enjoyed this submission and series. You are in good company photographing people on buses and I thought I would refer you to a couple of other examples. You must look up Tom Wood Bus odyssey - which is a book and project. It is an amazing group of photos of people on buses in Liverpool and becomes a really amazing chronicle of life in Liverpool. I think your images also speak about the isolation and separation the attitude almost - people have when on a bus or other forms of transport. Where they become engulfed in their own world and thoughts. I have worked with an artist on a project that has explored this also in photography and drawing. It is by Dryden Goodwin and I would suggest you look at his work Caul, but also his drawing of people on London Underground. I note that a number of your subjects notice you are taking the shots and so look at you. Dryden chose to work at night and use a telephoto lens. There are ethical issues with this approach as obviously the subjects have no idea they are being photographed. Another photographer who has taken shots in public spaces but remained unseen was Philip Lorca Di Corcia for his series Heads. Take a look at those and also the court case for Philip as it was a test case around the ethics of the way he works. Tom Wood - worked so close up people knew he was there so you may feel more comfortable with that approach. The strongest image here was the lead image - The portrait - amazing shot and well worth submitting to portrait prizes etc. What a great face ! I also loved the black background on this work. However you will need to take alot of shots to get a good and tight edit - and that is about a volume of work and working out the best time of day etc to take the shots. I would suggest you try at night. You are at a stage where you need to experiment and take alot of images to work out where you are going. But you have found a good subject and it shows great promise.

Recommended Books & Photographers

 

Photographers (fine art & street)

Relevant Quotes from Past Jurors


  • "Does the image tell the story or illustrate the photographer's vision clearly? The difference between a good photograph and a great one can be subtle, but a great photograph evokes an emotion/connection in the viewer. — Patricia Lanza, Director of Talent & Content, The Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA, USA

  • "A good text with the pictures is short, concise, to the point, informed, descriptive. I find it helps to imagine you are speaking to a smart child who would rather be outside playing with friends: you have very little time to tell the story and explain WHY it matters. The same holds true for captions.
  • 1st sentence: describe the image 2nd sentence: why and how this image fits into the body of work." — Daphné Anglès , Picture Editor, The New York Times, Paris, France.
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) camera culture leica lens photography portraiture q review street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/lens-culture-review Mon, 28 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Meeting Murray Bullard https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/meeting-murray-bullard Meeting Murray Bullard!

 

In April I met one of my photography heroes! Murray Bullard, he is a documentary photographer with a great deal knowledge around long-term projects and photography as a genre, I first met Murray when he was presenting a talk about his long-term series about being frozen for the afterlife his first opening line had me hooked!In 1962, Robert Ettinger published 'The Prospect of Immortality', the book that gave birth to the idea of ‘cryonics’ – the process of freezing a human body after death in the hope that scientific advances might one day restore life.” 

Murray has had a book published by gost publishing it took Murray ten years to become established as a documentary photography his work was 6 years in the making, I was interested in discovering how he kept motivation and creative when documenting similar environments.

 

Who is Murray Bullard?

 

 

“Murray Ballard was born in Brighton, UK and remains based there. Murray graduated from the University of Brighton in 2007 with a BA in Photography and was selected for ‘Fresh Faced and Wild Eyed 2008′ – the annual showcase of work by recent graduates at The Photographers Gallery, London. In 2011 the British Journal of Photography recognized him as one of the ‘Emerging Photographers of Note’, following his debut solo show, ‘The Prospect of Immortality’, at Impressions Gallery, Bradford. Murray’s work has been published internationally in a range of publications including GEO, GQ, The Guardian, Intelligence in Lifestyle, Wired and the photography journals: 8, British Journal of Photography, HotShoe and YVI. Murray chooses to work on medium and large format cameras mainly and creates highly stylised imagery which lends itself well to documenting innovative science research projects.

 Credit: Murray Bullard: http://murrayballard.com/info

Patient Care Bay (Bigfoot dewar being filled with liquid nitrogen), Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. October 2006Patient Care Bay (Bigfoot dewar being filled with liquid nitrogen), Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. October 2006Patient Care Bay (Bigfoot dewar being filled with liquid nitrogen), Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. October 2006.

 

Above is Murray's image from his series, within the image the scientist is getting the chamber ready for the body to be frozen.

I traveled to Brighton to meet Murray to assist him on a project for Brighton hospital. I was going to catch a train to Brighton but was soon to realize that the train would take 7 hours to get from Devon to Brighton when I looked at a map is didn’t look that far but the train network doesn’t travel along the coast so I drove. 

When meeting Murray it was foggy and raining I thought I won’t be meeting then to help with his project which was set to walk over the South Downs photographing the Ancient yew tree it’s said that “

Who or what lies beneath Kingsley Vale? Tales of hauntings in the dark and silent grove of ancient yews will come as no surprise to those who know this spot. But are the ghosts marauding Viking warriors, left to rot until the trees grew over their bodies, or do the gnarled trees take human form by moonlight?

 

 

6 mile walk 

I had a call from Murray to say we were still going on the photo shoot and I was going to help I’m. Murray was shooting on film medium format this was cool because I have not shot on film in this way before. We managed to find the Kingsley vale to photography the trees the mood was ideal very Eyrie with the mist setting in. I learned a great deal from Murray to take my time when creating photography as a street photographer I often rush to capture the subject or location I should blend into the city be one with the motion of the crowd and city.

Image above is the trees Murray was photographing. 

When going to Murray’s office he had loads and I mean loads of photo books from street to landscape to documentary, I have learned from looking over his book collection to broaden the knowledge of my photography by viewing not only street photography books but photography genres this will give me a greater understanding of photographer.

 

I would recommend meeting your photography hero if possible even if it was over coffee to gain more confidence in your own work and learn how to create a professional body of work to show to the world.

 

My tip for myself, if I was starting off in the street photography genre, would take my time create a film my audience will understand and be bold and brave don’t hesitate when photographing the subjects, the main advice would be to understand my reasoning for the project I’m undertaking. Research and research use a notebook and create a solid outline for the body of work.

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/meeting-murray-bullard Mon, 21 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Is it dooms day for street photography? https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/is-it-dooms-day-for-street-photography  

 

25th May is this the end of street photography?

 

Let us start off by saying I’m not a lawyer or person with great knowledge of the law. This is my view on the new data protection act. I have been hearing many conversations about the new data protection act, this has got photographers worrying about the future of their craft that they won’t be able to create street projects. 

 

Personal data is defined as information relating to an identifiable natural person, in computing world this includes IP addresses and the use of cookies if they are capable of being linked back to the data subject. This also includes physical & physiological, cultural or social identity.

 

So does this mean I can not create street photography any more!

 

You still can create street photography as a freedom of self expression as an art form basically the rules haven’t changed within street and creating candid images without permission, for example: if I took a photograph of  someone in the street and sold it for advertising that would be a not be advisable due  a breach of data, you have not got consent to have the image sold commercially without permission of the subject, this still applies now. 

 

When your managing data for a photography business, I think it’s similar to how businesses handle their databases for clients now, contact details etc., plus archived client images. Most businesses should have been aware of previous data protection laws, basically, GDPR which covers data security and how you keep data safe from hackers, issues around deleting records, backups etc. if the data subject requests it, plus the use of facial recognition technology. Law around data project is to tightening up but also to keep up with evolving technology for this the law needs to change. 

 

Confused?

 

Let’s try and figure this out the fact for a fact!

The face is a biometric information or data. The GDPR defines biometric data as “personal data resulting from specific technical processing relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person”.  It is called  “special categories of personal data” that can only be if:

• The subject has given explicit consent; this were the model realise form comes into use but we are alreadyusing this system now.

 

But I’m a street photographer this GDPR won’t effect me!

 

If your a photographer that is creating small Individual projects you might not be so concerned, e.g. consider a street photographer that has creating imagery for a new photobook. Now, do they stop every subject and ask for a model releases forms from every subject? Well no they don’t  because if the images are for the purpose of art and If the book is made and sold in UK, there’s freedom to take images in public places. 

So is my work Art?

 

The Data Protection Act in place now, exemptions exist for photographers for images taken as art and for journalism.

With the new GDPR allows member states to introduce exemptions. These were not in the Data Protection Bill – it could be likely there will be a similar exemption for personal data processed for the purposes of “journalism, literature and art but the GDPR has not yet been approved and agreed by Parliament.

 

“Journalistic, academic, artistic and literary purposes

24 (1) In this paragraph, “the special purposes” means one or more of the

following—

(a) the purposes of journalism;

(b) academic purposes;

(c) artistic purposes;

(d) literary purposes.

 

Overview

If your an amateur street photographer taking candid shots in the street you  will be exempt from the GDPR regulation. The arts are free to create, according to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

If I am reading the law correctly, and remember I’ am not a lawyer, photographs would only be able to be used without the law applying if used for journalistic/academic/artistic or literary purposes.

So, if I took a photograph of you on the street and published it as art, then this  would be okay because it’s freedom of expression.

 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) flash gdpr law lieca photography q review settings street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/is-it-dooms-day-for-street-photography Mon, 14 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Quick tips on Street photography themes https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/quick-tips-on-street-photography-themes

Blurred boundaries 

 

 

Street photography is a sub-genre of documentary photography I feel to start building a successful body of work we need to go back to creating a documentary piece of work below is a  few ideas I use to stay focussed and on track when creating a body of work through street photography.

 

 

 

Creating a theme

 

The most challenging task of street photography is to create a body of work that can be taken seriously, personally, I often find myself so excited to photograph interesting characters in an urban environment. I often found that when presenting my body of work to judges and other influential photographers the theme can be hard to get across because apart from the area I have taken the images the subjects are not linked together strongly enough. Bruce Davidson is a photographer that inspired me to start to work with the theme because the street photography will have the main focus to create an interesting story, street photography can easier to understand when I use the documentary style to my street photography I find this helps funnel the impact and main focus of the series. 

 

Bruce Davidson image: 1980

USA. New York City. 1980. Subway.

Bruce Davidson is a magnum photographer he has recently had his subway series re-issued printed this is his first extensive series in colour. Davidson focuses on the Subway riders the subjects are set against a gritty, graffiti-strewn background, displayed in tones that Davidson describes as "an iridescence like that I had seen in photographs of deep-sea fish". Never before has the subway been portrayed in such detail, revealing the interplay of its inner landscape and outer vistas. The photographs move from the menacing to the lyrical, from the soulful to the satiric. Just from this brief over few of the project I was hooked I need to create a documentary street photography style project.

 

Theme ideas can be easy few ideas below

 

1 Colours

2 Bikes

3 culture

 

I know there is not a massive list but these are just to get the ball rolling for you start your own street theme.

This use of a notebook!

 

For the last few years, I have heard professional photographers use notes books I could not think of anything worse, I just want to create images not write! I thought I would give the notebook idea a go I can honestly say this was the greatest thing I did. I bought myself a nice leather notebook to hopefully encourage the writing process. In my notebook, I wrote about the themes around which I will exploring through street photography but also any experiences I have had within the street environment and any setting for the camera. I have also used the notebook to document any unique subjects I see and the places and times. 

I found that having a notebook has made me more productive when starting and maintaining a focus on my theme. 

 

Printing 

 

Over last few years I have found that printing of my body works helpful, a contact sheet has the entire body of images on one sheet of paper, this meant I was able to see all my images and select the best images. Once I had selected the images best for my project I would the print off below is Martin Parr ’s the contact sheet from his last resort series.

finally, once I have selected my images 6x4 size then I  place them out on an open space so help put the work into an order that body of work is easily understood by the viewer. 

 

I then created a focused impactful body of work which they will be put on my website to act as a digital portfolio.

Overview 

I have had success in my street photography being printed in Digital Camera and Devon life I put this down to create a strong theme throughout my work and the use of a website has also helped create a professional outlook on my work. I felt for a while street photography almost relays on the one perfect image that helps establish how good a street photographer is but often this means that the images as a collection don’t sit well together this why I would encourage street photographers to focus on a theme and work on creating an outstanding body of work. 

Quick tips 

 

Look at past professional photographers work to help influence your work.

Take your camera out with you and your notebook everywhere if possible.

Plan your shoot days. 

Make prints once you feel your work is something to show the world.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your creative thinking to create interesting photography.

Must read blogs!

Photography show 2018

SF26 flash!

ethics within street photography

10 reasons I use the Leica Q

Street Photography books

 
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/5/quick-tips-on-street-photography-themes Wed, 09 May 2018 09:58:07 GMT
Photography show 2018 https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/3/photography-show-2018

 

Photography Show Birmingham 2018

 

The Photography Show returns to the NEC for its fifth year, between 17-20 March 2018. Full to the brim with everything a passionate photography enthusiast or a well-seasoned professional photographer could possibly dream of; including the latest technology from all the leading brands, demos of the latest kit, conference sessions and a complete range of talks and seminars guaranteed to meet your needs, whatever your level. Join like-minded photographers at the must-attend event in the image making community’s calendar”.

https://www.photographyshow.com/welcome/about-the-show

 

This will be my second time at the photography show, after visiting in 2017 and was blown away because of how big the event was and how many people attended. The weather forecast this time round was set to be heavy snow showers, which in the UK is something of an oddity, I have already experienced one snow storm a couple of weeks beforehand, but thought being hit by another storm would be unlikely or if it happens it would be a light showering of snow.

 

Sunday’s weather was worse than expected, Torbay (my hometown) stood to a standstill, making it a challenge to get to the coach station in Plymouth, in order to catch my pre-ordered coach to Birmingham early hours on a Monday. Once arriving in Plymouth, the snow was not as heavy, which helped to feel more positive about traveling up to Birmingham NEC early Monday by National Express. The journey was almost 5 hours and very sketchy in the heavy snow conditions.

Images of the travel up to the show

Once at the Photography Show, I was not disappointed, with so many stalls ranging from drones to light stand cameras and more tech and accessories! I walked around the show is very excited about the equipment and how busy it was, being able to share the passion and interest for photography with so many others. There were great talks by Adobe Lightroom experts and Studio Photography Professional hosting many live stage events where you can watch and learn how to perfect studio skills.

 

I used the opportunity of being at the show to talk to editors of magazines and publishers, my idea was to network and show my work to the people with the goal of being published in a magazine or working alongside publishers to get my work into the mainstream. I had missed Dougie Wallace by a day, which was disappointing as he is one of my hero’s within photography but I did manage to pick up 2 of his signed books: stag, hens & bunnies and Road Wallah.

 

I stayed in a Premier Inn up the road from the NEC in Birmingham, which was clean and quiet – ideal for what I wanted. The food in the hotel was expensive but I felt I had no choice because of the location is far from town. However, there was a shopping center a few minutes’ walks from the NEC which I would suggest visiting for a wider variety.  

 

Space was used well with so many stalls and shops I had to walk around several times just to work out where everything is within the NEC. The staff working on the stalls were super friendly and knowledgeable about the stock they are selling. I was eyeing up some tripods but there are so many styles and prices I was just overwhelmed by this so nice time I go to the show I will be doing a little bit of research into the best time of tripod for my commercial use. There was also little-hidden gems hidden around the show there were a few exhibitions showcasing the winners of the Photographic society 160 and  Amateur photographer of the year competition there was plenty to get the photography imagination going.

The second day

The second day was about visiting the live talks and getting useful tips from the professionals. I watched some of the Lumix ambassadors talk through current projects and other useful settings relating to the Panasonic range. The Live stage was very interesting to learn how to create stunning portraits with very little equipment, this has planted a seed for future portraits of commercial portraits with just one light stand and a small backdrop.

I talked to the Royal Photographic Society and handed out my business card and a postcard with my latest images, where I the hope I spark someone’s interest.  The stalls around the show had some good discounts, which I felt were more prominent on the last day, perhaps because some companies wanted to push the sales of their merchandise, this was a great opportunity because I was able to get some good discounts.

New case

I would recommend people to visit, make the most and enjoy the Photography Show, I would say that two days is enough, taking into account the possible travel and visiting the stalls and stages whilst there.  

 

I was also able to capture some street photography (always carrying my camera on me and keeping an eye out for opportunities) at the event, the people around the show had some interesting features walking around, where I realized that we as photographers are very quirky ourselves, and so I captured this!

 

Other images from the two day event
 
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(Ryan Hardman. Photography) leica photography portraiture q show street street photography https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/3/photography-show-2018 Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:56:41 GMT
Leica SF26 Review 8 of 10 https://ryanhardman.photography/blog/2018/3/leica-sf26-review-8-of-10

Leica SF26 Review
 

I brought the Leica SF26 because I felt my street photography needed to have more light and edge to the images. To buy the SF26 was fairly difficult because Leica has stopped making this model of flash, there has been third party flashes with the same body and styling. The look alike model called Mez does not talk to the Leica body and lens very well, but the price is significantly cheaper than the branded Leica SF26.

 

When the Leica SF26 arrived, it was compact, taking AAA batteries due to the size. Once the flash fitted on to the Leica Q, it looked very professional and I was impressed with the overall appearance, with it also being lightweight.

 

Using the SF26 flash was a whole different story, my images after the first few shots were completely over exposed because I found the flash to be very powerful.  The rest of this review will explain how I overcame some of the technical challenges.

 

The first round of settings when using the flash.

The flash uses TTL which means Through The Lens’, so the flash takes all the light and metering information through the lens, I found this to be confusing because I am used to using flashes that do not use the camera. In other words, with a normal flash you are able to control the flash with the manual settings on the back of the flash unit, but the SF26 has to be set up through the camera itself.

 

I was setting the camera up for my street photography, as I normally would without the flash  (f.56, shutter 1000, ISO between 100-1600) I was finding the SF26 flash would over expose the subjects I was photographing. The flash needs to send out a pre-flash to meter the distance of the subject, to then tell the flash how brightly to illuminate the subject, I found my