Concept inspiration from one of my students

I have been procrastinating doing final grades (tomorrow, I promise) so I don't want any of my students who are reading to think that this post means your projects aren't good. I just happened to look at Ryan's yesterday because he was in my office, and I liked the idea so much I thought I'd share it as concept inspiration. Seriously, I wish I had thought of this.

Here's the background: He was in the library searching for a book. Next to the computers are little slips of paper for jotting down references. The slips were made of cards cut in half, cannibalized from the thousands of index cards that have since been replaced by computers. It's kind of tragic, really, to think of those relics of the pre-digital world ripped from their original role and cast aside next to their victors. But I digress...

Something sparked an idea and Ryan asked the librarians if they had any more of the old cards. They responded by hauling out a big box full of them, and he went to work giving the cards a new life.

I won't explain the rest because he has written an excellent intro in his own post and I want you to check it out. It's a three part post, very entertaining and inspiring. I would love to see an entire book of these. Enjoy:

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
  

Concept inspiration: John Baldessari

John Baldessari photo © 2007 Sidney B. Felsen

For those of you who read my blog mainly for the tutorials, I promise that one is coming soon. But if you also like inspiration, you'll be seeing several posts this month about creative minds doing conceptual work. First up: coneptual artist John Baldessari.

I'm skipping the bio (you can get that at the links) and giving you a few examples of his conceptual work. Maybe one of them will inspire you:

• The first time he used photography in his work was on a project where he looked at the letters C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A on the map, drove to the precise location of each letter, made that letter on the spot out of found objects, and then photographed it. I wish I had thought of that (but then, I was a newborn at the time so I had other things on my mind).
  
• The relation between text and image is a recurring concern in his work (I could go into pedantic mode about the relation between his work and that of various surrealists, but this is supposed to inspire ideas, not sleep.) I love "the pencil story" from 1972-73 (on a side note, don't you find dual dates strange? I mean, it's two pencils and some text, pick a year. Unless he made this on New Year's Eve, I'm just not buying the two dates thing):

(In case the text is difficult to read here it is: "I had this old pencil on the dashboard of my car for a long time. Every time I saw it, I felt uncomfortable since its point was so dull and dirty. I always intended to sharpen it and finally couldn't bear it any longer and did sharpen it. I'm not sure, but I think that this has something to do with art.")

• Long before others were doing it, Baldessari worked with found photography. He would raid the garbage bins of photo processing companies, for example, or simply rip photos from a dictionary. Sometimes he overpainted the images, other times he used them to create collages. Once, he took photos from TV shows, asked his assistant to write a one word caption on or below each photo, and then organized the project into a visual dictionary.
• He collected a series of movie stills and made grid-like collages of heavily cropped sections. In one work, he gathered images of people's hands pointing guns.

Kiss / Panic, 1984, Medium black and white photographs with oil tint

• He often adds bright round circles (like price tag stickers) over the faces of his found subjects

(buy this and others at the Barbara Krakow Gallery)

And finally, here's a little Wikipedia excerpt about Baldessari's conceptual games:
"Baldessari has expressed that his interest in language comes from its similarities in structure to games, as both operate by an arbitrary and mandatory system of rules. In this spirit, many of his works are sequences showing attempts at accomplishing an arbitrary goal, such as Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line, in which the artist attempted to do just that, photographing the results, and eventually selecting the "best out of 36 tries", with 36 being the determining number just because that is the standard number of shots on a roll of 35mm film."

The point in this and future posts on conceptual inspiration is not to give you ideas to copy, but to try and appreciate how one artist's mind works, to get you thinking about and reacting to that work, and from that thinking/reacting....who knows?

Want to read more about Baldessari?
Read the X-TRA interview.
Read Wallpaper's article about the recent Tate show and watch the slide show.
Read the Smithsonian's oral history interview with Baldessari.
Another interview at Art Review.
An interview with Seesaw magazine that I find particularly interesting.

Don't want to read?
OK, watch an interview.

Want to buy a book?
I recommend Pure Beauty. I own it and I love it.

Spark

Street photography at night can be challenging, but it's worth a try. One night in Paris a few years ago, I was wandering around with my camera and came across this great scene. Firemen had been called to a café named l'étincelle (that's "spark" in English). Because of the limitations of my camera back then, I had to do a longer exposure which accounts for the blurred movement. It makes the photo more abstract (I have not done any retouching on it), but I think that's why I've always liked it. I have a copy of it on my office wall.

Night photography is another thing to try for this month's "street photography" challenge. Use ambient light to capture the feel of the night. And if you're shy about taking photos out on the street, the anonymity of darkness may work to your advantage. Give it a try and post your results for the "monthly special." So far only three have dared...maybe you could be next.

Quarter to Five at the Louvre

I came across this photo while I was doing some spring cleaning of my photo library. You may have seen a different photo of this installation in a previous post, but here is another take on time that I really like. It may be a stretch to call this "street photography," although I was actually outside when I took the photo. At the Louvre, a windowed passage looks into one of the Richelieu rooms. I was passing by and saw this very bored worker dangling her shoe from her toes while waiting for her shift to end. The clocks, frozen at 5:45 in this photo, seem to condemn her to an endless wait.

More New Orleans Street Photography

Before I move on to some small town street photography experiments, let me share a few more pics from New Orleans.

Another street portrait. I told her I loved the hat and asked if I could take a photo. She told me I was probably the fifth person that day to make the same request, then she struck a pose that she described as "Audrey Hepburn-esque." I think she pulls off Audrey quite well—and that's no easy task.

Audrey Hepburn via "the glamourous graduate"

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a city that has a higher per capita tuba ratio than New Orleans.

About 30 seconds before I took this, the guy broke a guitar string. A quick cigarette and then he hopped on his bike to go buy a new string.

I couldn't help but wonder if the kids who tap dance with mason jar lids stuck to their shoes aren't having a laugh at the tourists by playing to ethno-economic stereotypes. In any case, they put on a show and I emptied my pockets. I later noticed an unwitting self-portrait in the reflection, and resisted the temptation to photoshop it out.

A little less dancing, a little more money-making. When I gave money to the boy in front, the one holding the box said "Hey. What about me?" "I'm all out of bills," I replied. "That's OK. I'll take your change." And he did.

This photo was just asking for a bleach bypass treatment. The guy playing the drum appeared to have the most monotonous musical job in New Orleans—or so I thought until I heard an NPR spot about a new CD that promises to treat the listener to "55 Minutes of Solo Triangle." Seriously, give it a listen. I know that the NPR spot wants the earnest musicphile to readily differentiate the nuanced variations of triangular ting ting tings, but to me it's like revisiting "Ice Ice Baby v. Under Pressure" —and no one should expect you to endure that kind of memory on your morning commute.

Uh-oh!

It pays to have your camera out and ready for the everyday stories the surround you. I happened upon this little crisis along the New Orleans waterfront. If I were your local news reporter, I would have to call it a "kite-astrophe." (hardee har har. Get it? kite-astrophe. Ugh. Sorry for that. That's just one more reason I avoid the local news.)

"Nawlins" at Night

I had better luck yesterday with street photography at night than during the daytime. I didn't want to do any photos with flash (I didn't even bother bringing a flash), so I set my camera's ISO to 2500. Here are some of my favorites:

A worker in a restaurant takes a break. My favorite detail is the bead necklace not far from his feet.

A concert for no one.

A brass band draws a crowd.

Possibly my favorite because of the man dancing.

I love the rich colors at night, but I'm also torn between color and black and white.

The atmosphere of this restaurant really comes through at night. The large windows also made me think of Baudelaire's "Les yeux des pauvres" ("The Eyes of the Poor")—a prose poem that describes how a couple sitting inside a restaurant reacts to a family watching them from the outside.

Tough sell.

Another colorful night shot that would have looked too ordinary during the day.

Street Portraiture

A couple of posts ago, "P" posted the following question:

I've developed an interest in street photography and taking portraits of strangers. Do you have any tips on how to approach people on the street for a quick portrait without creeping them out?

In response to that question (See how much I like comments!), I decided to conduct an experiment here in New Orleans. My goal is to ask ten people on the street if I can take their photo. So far I have only asked four because it takes longer than you might think to find a subject. It also takes guts. Here are the results so far:

subject #1: Irina.
I saw her sitting in a park taking a beer and cigarette break. I simply approached her and said something like "I love how colorful you are. Can I take your picture?" She put down the cigarette and I asked her to keep it for the photo. We talked for a while and she asked me if I would be in town next week to do some body-painting photography for her (I won't, although I'm sure it would have been interesting). We talked about her recent trip to Amsterdam, about neon paint, and other things. Approaching her for the photo led to a memorable experience that was well worth the potential refusal.

subject #2: the tattooed girl with bike
Emboldened by my initial success, I reacted quickly when I saw a girl with some pretty original tattoos coming toward me with her bike. "Great tatts! Can I take a picture?" She obliged. It was that simple. We talked about how a friend of hers did the tattoos then she introduced me to her girlfriend (I really should have taken a picture of them together), and that was that. I love the personality in her expression.

subject #3: washboard musician
Street portraiture does not always have to include faces. Here, I just wanted the hands of the man playing a washboard with a jazz band in the street. In order to take the photo, I had to get right up behind him while he was playing. He looked up at me and I mouthed "Can I take a picture" while pointing from my camera to the washboard. He nodded yes. I then stuck around and listened to the group.


Above is a shot of some of the other musicians. The singer (dancing at left) reminded me of Gelsomina in Fellini's La Strada. I tipped them after taking some photos (always tip street performers if you photograph them) and then I bought their CD. Another great experience.


subject #4: feet of tourists eating beignets at the Café du Monde.
Next to the Café du Monde, where tourists wait in endless lines to eat beignets (basically a rectangular donut covered in powered sugar), I noticed ground flocked with excess powdered sugar and asked the couple seated on the bench if I could take a picture. OK, I didn't exactly ask. I just sort of told them. In some cases (you be the judge), telling is preferable to asking. For me, this was a better souvenir than a beignet, and I didn't have to wait in line.

I need to get back out on the street now. A few thoughts before I go:

• Street photogrpahy is more fun and less expensive than buying souvenirs. I haven't set foot in a single shop.
• Most people will let you take their portrait if you are natural, complimentary, and friendly about it. Tell them it's for a project if you like or an assignment from a crazy blog that you read.
  
• Even though I am currently batting 1000, I think that pre-screening your subjects is necessary. What I mean is that some people don't even want you to look at them much less take their photo.
• Remember that the type of photo you get from a street portrait is not the same as a candid street photograph. Each has its place, but don't expect to make one into the other.
• Don't hesitate or you will miss an opportunity. I saw the toughest wheelchair-bound guy ever today. I wanted to take his picture, but we were both crossing the street in opposite directions. I later regretted not turning around.

If you decide to give it a try, post your results on your own blog (or photo sharing site) and link them back here on the monthly special page.

If there are no people is it still street photography?

Yes. At least in my opinion it is.

Eugène Atget—one of my favorite photographers of the 19th century—took plenty of "street scenes" that did not depict people. His photos of storefronts come to mind. If you were to get argumentative on me you could say that those photos fall under the category of "architectural photography." But I'm in no mood to argue. I've got a paper to present at a pop culture conference in New Orleans tomorrow (on the representation of telephones and fear of nostalgia in horror films. odd. I know.) and I have yet to write it.

But I did manage to get outside for a couple of hours and take some photos. I will post some people photos tomorrow. Today, I wanted to do a share a few nostalgic images from my wanderings in the French Quarter. The photo at the head of this post was just begging me to give it some soft vignetting to complete its postcard look.

A straightforward toned shot of a café. This photo belongs in a kitchen somewhere.

I put in this last one for the amusement of my family (big fans of Little Debbie).

Even though I would rather see you venture out and take some photos of people for the monthly special, street photography without people might be the solution for the the super shy.

More street photography for the timid: Demonstrations

In 2004, when Bush paid a visit to the French, he was not greeted with the kind of fanfare he would have encountered in Texas or Utah.


Never one to miss a good public uprising, I ventured out to the anti-Bush demonstration with my camera. Now, before I offend anyone, let me say that this has nothing to do politics and everything to do with a good journalistic-style photo op. Back in the 2002 during the French presidential elections, I attended the right-wing rallies in the morning (although I have to admit that the giant image of Jean-Marie Le Pen on a big-brother-sized screen in front of L'Opéra gave me a sick feeling and I had to leave) and then the massive anti-Le Pen demonstrations in the afternoon. I took video that day rather than stills, but I am glad I have the first-hand footage.

The anti-Bush demonstrations of 2004 were relatively mild. My favorite photo is the one of two "Americans against Bush" looking around for like-minded protesters. To be fair, Bush's approval ratings had already taken a nose-dive (46%) in America. But the image makes me laugh, nonetheless.

I wish I had taken more photos of the anti-McDonald's/Americanization protest performance during which students fell to their knees in mock-praise the golden arches.

I treated the images in a sort of low-grade Holga manner in homage to William Klein's grainy May 1968 photos. The vignetting seemed especially effective in isolating the two Americans in the first photo.

Practical lessons for street photography

• Get journalistic. Whatever your political point of view, a demonstration makes a great opportunity to practice your street photography.
• Plenty of people will be taking photos at a public demonstration, so there is no need to feel timid.
• Your photos of political/social events have more personal value than a newspaper photo. I certainly would love to have photos of the events witnessed by my grandparents.

Have you ever had the opportunity to photograph a public event such as a demonstration? I realize that they may not happen as much in your city as they do in Paris, but when/if they do, you might want to get out your camera.

First steps toward street photography

Let's assume for a moment that you are a little hesitant to try street photography. Perhaps you are worried about photographing strangers. Where do you start?

One good way to get your feet wet is to take pictures of people who will appreciate the attention. One day in Paris by the Bastille metro stop I happened upon a group of skaters doing jumps off some stairs. Their sport is very much about spectacle and showmanship. Each jump is an attempt to impress fellow skate punks as well as the inevitable onlookers—Place de la Bastille is hardly a secluded area. You can tell by the angle of the photo that I wasn't trying to be subtle about my presence. In fact, I was crouched on the ground fairly close to the landing point. I was shy at first, taking a few photos from the side, but soon I realized that with only one exception they didn't mind at all. I caught the attention of the one wary skater (not pictured above). He happened to have the best style and most interesting board, so I approached him and volunteered to send him copies of the photos via email. That was all it took.


If there is a lesson to be learned here it is to start with people who don't mind the attention. Offer to share your photos with them. After all, unless your picture is horribly unflattering (and I highly recommend cultivating a sympathetic rather than a judgmental eye), most people would probably love a copy of your work. Suddenly, your intrusion will have become a free photo session. This kind of quid pro quo is not always practical, but it is a good strategy to keep in the back of your mind.

April Monthly Special: Street Photography

Marcel and Fritsch guessed it right: street photography is the theme of the month. I am thrilled to be focusing on street photography this month because it is one of my favorite ways to work.

Introduction
What is the definition of "street photography"? Wikipedia does a good job of demonstrating the difficulty of a one-sentence answer. According to the article overview, street photography is " a pure vision of something, like holding up a mirror to society." The article asserts that street photography "tends to be ironic and can be distanced from its subject matter and often concentrates on a single human moment, caught at a decisive or poignant moment." The latter part of that sentence is a not-so-oblique reference to Henri Cartier-Bresson's concept of "images à la sauvette," or "photos on the run," which was translated into English as "the decisive moment" for a 1952 book of the same name. The Wikipedia article points out that street photography is just as likely to display complete subjectivity as it is to be a mirror to society. I am not sure that I like the insistence that street photography "tends to be ironic and distanced," because that judgment depends as much on a person's reading of the photograph as on the original intention.

I much prefer the definition given by Nitsa. Her "no rules" approach fits perfectly with my own beliefs in photography as a means of personal expression first and foremost rather than a demonstration of technique and adherence to classical rules. Her blog is an excellent source of information and inspiration for street photography.

The challenge

Take your photographic eye to the streets this month. Look around. Capture what you see. There are no rules, only viewpoints. Share how you see the world. Document your own culture or one that is foreign to you. Search for glimpses of larger stories in the everyday.

As I said in my previous post, for some, this challenge may stretch your comfort zone to its limits. For you, I anticipate the following possible reactions:

I don't live in a big city. Nothing happens here. What will I photograph?

I do understand your concern. In fact, when I moved to Utah I shifted my focus to portraiture because I had no appreciation for my new environment (except the nature, but as a fan of big cities, I almost never do nature photography). It took me a long time to begin to appreciate my area on its own terms rather than wish it would be more like Paris. If you feel that you have nothing to photograph besides your family, maybe I can help change your mind.

I'm too shy to take pictures of strangers. Besides, won't I get in trouble for that? Isn't that a violation of privacy rights?

I admit that it does take guts to take pictures on the street—especially of people you don't know. A massive telephoto zoom lens certainly doesn't hurt, but your simple point-and-shoot can yield amazing results. As for violation of privacy, the law changes from country to country. In America—big surprise—there is virtually no such thing as privacy in public places. That doesn't mean that you should act like obnoxious paparazzi, but it does explain how they get away with it. I am no lawyer, but according to my understanding of the law in the U.S., you can photograph people and/or property in public for non-commercial purposes as long as you do not violate the expectation of privacy (e.g. perverts taking photos up skirts, in bathrooms, etc. are definitely violating the law). If you are shy, start with a public event such as a parade or a demonstration. You won't be the only one with a camera and you will soon see that most people will not mind at all. Don't focus on Ninja-like stealth; focus on your subject. It's OK to let them see you taking pictures. If they ask you to stop, respect their privacy, delete those photos, and move on. Avoid taking photos of government buildings or secure facilities as well as in places where photos are prohibited (as is the case in many—but not all—museums).

Why would I want to take pictures of people I don't even know? I'll just stick to my family, thanks. See you next month.

Wait. Don't go just yet. First of all, not all street photography focuses on people. Second, your photos of the world around you will document your own ideas, your own unique perspective. You will capture a moment in time and a moment of your own life as you engage in street photography. Try it.

I look forward to a lot of great work this month. Now take that camera and get outside.