Sep 14
We are pleased to have Jan Meissner, New York Photographer with ‘street’ sense as our #11 featured photographer.
You can check out the interview under “Inspiration” here in this blog. This is her bag of goodies!
IN MY BAG:
Bullit Backpack
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 24 to 105 lens
Canon 14 prime lens
Extra battery
SanDisk 16 GB card
SanDisk Extreme 8 GB card
Lexar Professional 8 GB card
Notebook and pen
Sunglasses for a sense of invisibility
Leica Liker is honored to have Ed Peters, a New York Street Photographer as our #9 guest.
I’ve written much about how street photographers try to capture the decisive moment, sympathizing with life of others on the street. This time I would venture to say that we are looking at quite the opposite: we are looking at the emotions of the artist/photographer, Ed Peters, expressed in an artistic way.
Ed is drawn by color. His compositions are impacted by the advertising and commercialism surrounding our environment. His images imply that everything and anything, including a colorful plastic bag, every day objects, can be seen as art. Even pure advertising, whose sole goal is to lure in a customer to spend, can be seen as art. Something to be celebrated and enjoyed as well as function as a thought provoker.
When you look at Ed’s photos, you can’t help but think: pop, poetic, lyrical. Some of his images are like metaphorical mirrors of our own creation. Others stir something intangible in us. Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of a simple and grounded life against the complex and superficial quality of our society as demonstrated in billboards, graffiti and advertising.
Ed’s images have one thing in common though, they spark our existential imagination. Opening our minds to new ways to look at our world, color, and anything else that comes to mind. This phenomenon help add a kind of authenticity to our busy daily lives. What a wonderful gift of a man from Patterson, New York.
Here’s my interview with ED PETERS:
Nick Name: None
Currently living in: a suburb of New York
Motto: None
Street Photographer Since: The 1980’s
Profession/Job: Retired photo journalist.
Websites: http://www.epetphoto.com/
Organizations or groups: http://www.street-photographers.com/
Favorite street camera & lens: Leica M9 with 35mm lens, or Canon 5d Mark II with 24-105mm lens (not usually carried together)
Why do you like the Leica M9? I am not wedded to the Leica, and other cameras intrigue me. When I shot film, I used the Contax G2. I do, however, like the viewfinder of the M9. With it, I can often zone focus, and get the camera to my eye very quickly. The sensor is also good, but you start picking up significant noise when you get past ISO 800. The Canon 5D Mark II is cleaner.
Favorite back up street camera & lens: Canon 5D or Ricoh GR2 (taken only when traveling)
Favorite photography gadget: Plastic freezer bags (purchased in supermarkets). They’re great for organizing everything.
Favorite street food: Nothing special.
Do you listen to music while shooting? Never
Favorite Music When Shooting and/or Editing: My tastes are varied, but unrelated to photography.
Favorite photo software: Lightroom. When I first began working with digital images I used Photoshop. A few years ago I purchased Lightroom, and can’t remember the last time I used Photoshop. I just upgraded to Lightoom 4.
3 Favorite Master Photographers: I couldn’t pick only three.
3 Favorite Contemporary Photographers: I have to give the same answer, but would like to elaborate on both questions. It’s possible to “name names”, and round up the” usual suspects”, but I think it’s important for photographers to see their work as part of a broader visual tradition.
All too often, photographers mention a handful of well known photographers that they admire. I too have been influenced by many of the same people, but I’ve also been influenced by the work of other artists. Anyone, for example, who wants to see color used in a masterful way couldn’t do better than viewing the paintings of Henri Matisse or Pierre Bonnard.
Which three photographers prints do you own? I don’t own any, but I do own a ridiculous number of photo books. They seem to pile up everywhere. One day I’ll have to organize the chaos.
Color or Black and White? It’s been color for a long time, but I don’t know what the future will bring.
Shoot Film or Digital? Digital. For many years I used film for my professional and personal work. I’m not the most technologically sophisticated person, and it took me a long time to adapt to digital. Once I shot digital, I never looked back. It’s so much more flexible, convenient and inexpensive (no film and processing costs). I know that some photographers are still fans of film, but I’m not one of them.
Is there a special time of day that you like to shoot or is any time good? My preference is for early morning and late afternoon/evening light. Harsh midday sun is the worst.
Do you ever shoot on non-sunny days? Yes, to some extent, but if the weather is really terrible, I probably won’t go out. When it’s sunny, and I can set a small aperture ( to achieve great depth of field) I like to use the M9. If I have to slow things down, because of low light, I prefer the Canon. It’s a shame the rangefinder doesn’t have auto focus. I know that would be a heresy for some, but I just don’t think that a person can manually focus as fast as a camera that has autofocus. I know I can’t.
Why did you choose street photography and not another form of photography like stamp collecting? I find it enjoyable. Otherwise why bother? I like the process of walking, the challenge of making successful images, and the element of gamesmanship involved. If my circumstances change maybe I’ll practice another form of photography – or take up stamp collecting. Perhaps I’d love it.
What motivates you to photograph the streets? Read my previous answer.
Is street photography an obsession? That depends on what you define as an “obsession”. When I look at the work of a photographer I don’t usually care what their state of mind was when they made their photos.
Are you a lone shooter or do you like shooting with friends or groups? I’m a lone shooter. I can’t photograph on the street while socializing with other people. There are too many distractions. Yesterday, I was at a parade with some friends, and felt like putting my camera away.
Favorite street photography city: I live in the New York /metropolitan area, so I do most of my street photography in Manhattan. It’s a great place to photograph, but ( like Paris) is one of the most photographed cities in the world. There’s a history of great photographers using New York as their subject, so I sometimes feel that I’m walking on all too familiar ground.
I also think, however, that photographers can approach their subject matter like a jazz musician interprets a familiar standard, and through improvisation, create unique images. The other city that I’d like to mention is Oaxaca, Mexico. Whenever I go there, I always return with images that please me.
What inspires your photography? I guess it’s primarily an interest in the visual arts. I’d also describe myself as a voracious reader, and that’s probably also influenced my choice of subject matter.
Since you look at a lot of photo books, then obviously you’ve seen Constantin Manos and Alex Webb- were you influenced by them or did you develop this high contrast imagery by yourself? I think I saw Webb’s work first, and admired it very much. Maybe he was an influence, but a lot of other people were too. By the time I got to Mexico, where there’s always this dramatic light, I guess there were parallels developing .
That raises an interesting point about the influence of place. The location itself is important. If you look at Alex Webb’s work in Istanbul, the photos have a different quality than those taken in Cuba, or Mexico. And for me? I’m very curious about India. It’s a high energy place, and I’m curious about the contrasts of traditional culture and modernization.
Is there a philosophy or aesthetic behind your compositions that you apply to your photos? I wouldn’t call it a philosophy. We all have particular strengths, weaknesses, and subject matter that we’re interested in. I think my work is quite graphic. That’s not a philosophy, it’s just a quality that it possesses.
How does journalism affect what and how you see? I always practiced street photography. I appreciate the work of many photojournalists, but I don’t see myself going back to that.
What do you look for in a photograph by others and by yourself? That’s not a simple question. It depends on what the purpose of the photograph is. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that I just appreciate photos that are well composed, timed, etc.. I also appreciate photos that function on more diverse levels. If you look at a book like Walker Evans’ Many are Called, the individual photos look like haphazard snapshots. In a way, that’s what they are. Evans made those photos with a hidden camera, and didn’t even look through the viewfinder when releasing the shutter. He later sequenced those photos for the book, and it’s in that context that they took on power, meaning, and relevance.
How do you go about shooting a street photograph? It varies. Sometimes I raise the camera to my eye quickly, and there’s only a brief opportunity to take one or two exposures. At other times I can be more deliberate, frame my composition more carefully, and wait for events to unfold.
How do you go about composing a shot? See the above answer.
Best three tips for shooting the streets:
1. First study your camera, it’s potential, and limitations.
2. Be ready for the photo. You don’t want to be fumbling with camera settings, focus, etc. while taking your shot (unless for some reason you have that luxury). Most good street photography requires being quick.
3. Be patient. If you think that there’s a potential for a successful photo at a given location, but that extra something hasn’t arrived yet, hang around.
Do you shoot a lot? When I’m traveling, I shoot every day. At home,, my schedule varies.
Can you give some advice on creating a series or photo essay rather than one off photos? I usually don’t photograph with a fixed agenda in mind. What separates street photography from photojournalism is a certain “open ended” quality. In photojournalism, you photograph a previously defined subject matter. It’s more explicit than street photography. Some people have compared the two genres to poetry and prose. Prose is more specific in it’s meaning; poetry is less precise. This ambiguity invites viewers to more freely interpret an image.
At the completion of either type of project, it’s important to edit photos. I think a good place to start (at least for street photographers) is to look at Robert Frank’s The Americans. When he published the book, he was very aware of how each image related to the others, and what their collective meaning might be.
Best Single advise on how to improve your work: Study the work of photographers, and artists, in various media. As I said above, we’re part of a long tradition. This is one of the most important things that a person can do. An ignorant photographer is probably a bad photographer.
Best single advise on how to edit your work: Look at a lot of photo essays and books.
Best single advice for someone who wants to get into street photography: Do it if it gives you pleasure, but don’t expect to make much money from it.
What’s the best moment in your street photography career? Nothing stands out.
What is the worst moment in your street photography career? Once again, nothing stands out, and I’m reluctant to use the term “career”.
What projects are you working on? Besides my day to day practice, I’ve begun photographing in Calcutta, India, and I hope to return there before the end of the year.
Where do you want to be in 5 years with regard to your street photography? That time frame is too distant.
Are there exhibitions planned in the future? Not at this time, but I might put together something with my colleagues at Street Photographers.
Leica Liker thanks Ed for sharing his experience and inspirational advice with us. We look forward to checking in on him in the future.
You can check out Ed’s gear in “Liker Bags’n Gear” here.
This is Ed’s self portrait.
Leica Liker is honored to have Charalampos Kydonakis, a Rethymnon (Crete) Street Photographer as our #7 guest. He’s also known as Dirty Harrry [sic], author of a very informative and purely visual street photography blog – Dirty Blog.
If you’re like me, I began my street photography journey by poring over countless photography books and of course, the ubiquitous internet. One of the first websites I came across was Harrry’s ‘Dirty Blog’. It is a wealth of information. Photos upon photos, conveniently organized into categories and alphabetized. You can see some very inspirational photos by masters, contemporaries and even little known photographers.
What really drew my attention was not Harrry’s encyclopedic endeavors, although I very much appreciate it, but rather his own photographic work. Many of his photos are raw images (raw in the sense of visceral) of people and animals at night, instilled with a surprised and sometimes nightmarish vision. They occasionally hark of alcoholic induced momentary flashes (literal with flash lighting) of the figurative paintings of existentialist painter Francis Bacon. And with a little inspiration from master street photographer, Bruce Gilden to boot.
Harrry’s street photography work takes surrealism to another level, in particular his multiple exposure photographs. His use of allegory is whimsical, adding a layer to street photography that is not often seen. My favorite being the feature image here with the dog’s face overlaid over a woman smoking. Some have a twisted sense of humor which often appears even in his less ambitious street photographs. And his subjects are not always shown in the most positive light.
We live in a world where we are bombarded by images of flawless people, photo-shopped to absolute perfection no matter if you live in a developed or underdeveloped country. So it’s refreshing to see artistic images that poke fun or simply point out the banal side of our human selves.
Here is my interview with CHARALAMPOS KYDONAKIS.
Nick Name: Dirty Harrry
Currently living in: Rethymnon, Crete
Motto: If I get to 80 years old, maybe I ‘ll have one.
Profession/Job: Architect
Street Photographer since: I started shooting street photos in 2008. But I consider myself just a guy with a camera shooting and not strictly a street photographer.
Street Photography Blogger since: March 2011
Websites: http://dirtyharrry.blogspot.com and http://mydreamsyournightmare.blogspot.com
Favorite Street Camera & Lens: Canon E60D with a Voigtlander Colorskopar 20mm , f3.5
Back-up Street Camera & Lens: I don’t carry a backup camera. I always carry a second battery and a second memory card. When the batteries run out or the cards fill up then it’s time to put the camera back in the bag and go get some rest.
Favorite photography gadget: My bicycle and my sport shoes.
Favorite street food: Beer
Do you listen to music while shooting? No
Favorite music when editing Photos: Astor Piazzola, Vicente Amigo and many more.
Favorite photo software: I open the raw archives with Lightroom 3 and the jpegs with Photoshop CS4.
3 Favorite Master Photographers: Weegee, Martin Parr, Garry Winogrand, and Diane Arbus. Sorry. I couldn’t end up with 3.
3 Favorite Contemporary Photographers: Martin Parr, Bruce Davidson, Trent Parke
Which 3 photographers’ prints do you own? Unfortunately I don’t have prints by others. The only prints I own are about 30 of mine. Unfortunately, I have not been able to see all my photos printed.
Color or Black and White? In the past, I shot only black and white. Now, I think about 5-10% of what I shoot end up in black and white. I only turn to it for a few photos, mainly the ones that I shoot at night. It’s difficult for someone to throw away the easy vintage-romanticism of black and white photography and create something with valour in color terms. But I believe this is the challenge. I still like black and white photography and haven’t rejected it. But I think the future belongs to color.
Shoot Film or Digital? If there were someone to develop and print for me for free, maybe I would shoot film. Right now I think spending time and money in developing and printing can make someone a better printer, but not a better photographer. Time is more important to me than exposure tolerance, grain etc..
Is there a special time of the day you like to shoot or is any time good? I like to shoot early in the morning (unfortunately this can happen only on weekends and vacation), or 1-2 hours before sunset. The light in the beginning and the end of the day is beautiful.
But most of the time I prefer to shoot at night. It somehow has different rules from the day. In the day you can be invisible. At night I use a flash. You can’t be invisible and I don’t’ care. I just shoot. Most of the time it doesn’t work. But once in a while you get lucky. You just have to shoot a lot. It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night. The more you shoot; the more you read; the more you see what other people shoot; the more it helps your photography.
Why did you choose Street Photography and not another form of photography or stamp collecting? I bought my first analog camera in 1997 while I was at university. It was required for my studies and work. At that time, I shot only buildings and urban spaces. In 2008 I bought a digital camera and started to shoot more. Then I saw some Magnum photos and realized that I would like my photos to tell human stories.
Street photography is what gives me adrenaline. But lately I have started to shoot anything and everything, not only street.
What motivates you to photograph the streets? I like the surprising wind that blows out there. You never know what to expect. It’s a challenge to walk endless hours trying to discover things around me.
Is Street Photography an obsession? I think photography is an obsession, no matter if it’s street or not.
Are you a lone shooter or do you like shooting with friends or a group? When I shoot strangers I want to be alone. It’s definitley fun to go out shooting with friends but if I look at the final result, all the times that we didn’t separate while walking I ended up with nothing. I need to concentrate. But I do have a few photos of my family and friends that I like. And finally, I don’t care if the subject is of strangers or friends or whatever. I just care that I end up with something worth viewing.
Favorite street photography city: I ‘ve shot in some European cities and it’s nice to shoot anywhere. But as everyone’s finest work is a result of how much time he has spent somewhere, I must say that my favorite photos I have are shot in my town, Rethymnon in Crete.
What inspires your photography?
-The work of masters of photography and a lot of contemporary photographers
-Movies by Sam Peckinpah, Akira Kurosawa and Luis Bunuel
-Books by Nikos Kazantzakis and Gabriel Garcia Marquez
-Alcohol
What do you look for in a good photograph? The composition and the possible story that might come out of something unimportant that passed before the photographer’s eyes.
How do you go about shooting a street photograph? I always carry my camera with me. Whenever I see something that catches my attention I go close and shoot one or more photos.
Is there a philosophy or aesthetic behind your compositions that you apply to your photos? Back in 1997 when I was in university, we had a drawing and painting course. Instead of just drawing, my professor wanted us to present black and white photos of what we saw. So I bought my first camera. I learned how to ‘see’ and compose that way.
The main thing is I shoot a lot. I also spend time looking at other people’s photos. Maybe I get some ideas that way. I’m sure it’s in the back of my mind. So when I go out and shoot, I might see something and find a connection between what inspired me and what is in the street. But none of it is conscious.
As for aesthetic – My images may seem surreal but it is my effort to interpret reality. What I mean is, you see something real and then you give metamorphosis to it. If there is no metamorphosis, then you are just documenting life. Documentation is somehow objective and I want it to be subjective. I want to tell my story. I’m not interested in documenting life.
I also love spontaneity. When I drink alcohol, I always experience spontaneity.
You’ve been shooting more multiple exposure shots. Is that your new aesthetic? I get bored doing the same thing. I wanted to try new things. There was a time I did ‘Gilden-type’ street portraits. This has its limits. I needed to get over it and move on. And street photography has its limits. We must be as open minded as we can. In the end, I don’t care about labels- I just care about what I see and if I like it or not.
Are the multiple exposure images planned or random? With multiple exposures, you only see the first frame. The second, third or subsequent layers are done by instinct. I know the focal length and I know my 35mm lens well and the specific angle I will get from a specific distance. That’s it.
When doing multiple exposures it’s more conceptual and less spontaneous. I have to think 2 or 3 frames in advance although the shots are made up of spontaneous un-posed moments. But in the back of my mind I have to try to combine these things.
Why did you start a street photography blog? I began with a Flickr account to post my work. But I wanted to really show my images. At the same time, I was looking at a lot of photos from other photographers. And I would come across photographic diamonds. I discovered so many good things that I wanted to share them. I also want to see these gems again and again because they are inspirational to me. So I decided to present their work in my blog along with my own images.
You’ll notice my blog is about showing photos and not a lot about my opinion of the work or the photographers. I just want to show photos. I get bored reading too much. For instance, I don’t care to read about tips. Photography is about images. I don’t care if the photographer is famous or not.
Why did you name your blog “Dirty Harrry Blog” (now titled Dirty Blog)? I don’t know. Harry is short for Charalampos. It’s pronounced ‘Haralampos’. The ‘C’ is silent in Greek. And then there are my dirty photos.
Best 3 tips for shooting the streets:
What I usually do is:
-Try to forget everything and concentrate on what is happening around me.
-I shoot without thinking if it is right or ethical to shoot.
-When I ‘m out in the night, I drink beers.
Best single advice on how to improve your work: Forget anyone’s tips and just open your eyes.
Best single advice on how to edit your work:
Best single advice for someone who wants to get into street photography: Shoot whatever can tell a story, no matter if it’s peopled subjects or unpeopled. No matter if it’s pure street or not.
What’s the best moment in your street photography career? I don’t have a career, that’s why I don’t know its best moment. However, I know the 2 most funny moments while shooting:
What’s the worst moment in your street photography career? Once I went alone into a decadent bar to shoot photos at 4 o’clock in the morning. Everybody in that bar were like gangsters and criminals. I was excited to come upon such a subject. Unfortunately, I didn’t succeed in taking any photos because the owner of the bar pushed me out when he saw me with a camera in my hands. He threatened my life if he saw me again. The bad thing wasn’t that I was kicked out of that place or that I was threatened. The bad thing was that I didn’t take any pictures there.
What projects are you working on? I’ve been shooting street photography for many years. Now I think I am interested in anything: Landscape, portraits, still life. Every form has its difficulty and its charm. Shooting anything (or almost anything) helps me to observe better.
Where do you want to be in 5 years with regard to street photography? In the future I will try just not to get bored of what I shoot. Which finally means not to get bored of myself. If my photography will be street or whatever, I don’t really care.
Are there exhibitions planned in the future? I have an exhibition titled ‘CIVITAS RETHYMNAE’ from July 8 to August 30 at two different locations here in Crete, together with my friends Lukas Vasilikos (Leica Liker Interview #2) and Ania Vouloudi . Everyone is welcome 🙂
Leica Liker thanks Harrry for sharing his experience and inspirational advice with us. 
We look forward to checking in on him in the future.
You can check out Harrry’s gear under “Liker Bags’n Gear here.
This is Harrry’s self portrait.
Leica Liker 