Brooklyn Analog

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Finally made it back out to Coney Island this past weekend. It was unseasonably chilly, but it kind of worked out in our favor, because the beach and boardwalk weren’t too crowded, but there was still plenty to work with.

You can’t really go wrong at Coney anyway - it’s almost too easy, even with how much more family-friendly and less characteristically gritty it’s become over the years. There is still so much color and action to work with.

Anyway, I took Diana and the LC-A+, and I definitely got better results with Diana this time around. These are two of maybe a handful that came out of the camera that I felt were acceptable, but I LOVE them!

As for the LC-A+… well, those results left much to be desired. I took a roll of Sensia 100, and they came out quite washed out and grainy. I’m currently working on salvaging what I can from this roll but I think I may have to take this one as a learning experience… from now on I’ll need to be more discriminating about how expired the film is.

I’ll be posting more so… stay tuned.

Happy Spring! (Finally.)

Coney Island, Brooklyn. Diana F+, cross-processed Fuji Provia 400f (expired).

Changing things up a bit…

Obviously it’s been a while since I blogged and I’d like to post some updates. I also want to add this disclaimer: yes, my blog is based primarily on analog photography.

However, the fundamentals of good photography remain the same. We are lucky to be in an age where technology allows us to see what we photograph right away. My digital camera has been a tremendous leaning tool for me. Therefore, I felt these photos and my recent experience at the International School of Photography in New York merited some attention here.

I took the photos above as part of a two-day course at the International Center of Photography with instructor Lester Lefkowitz, a photographer, author of four photography books and consultant to the Polaroid Corporation. The course was called Exposure, Light and Composition, and aside from an introductory course I took in college on black & white film photography and working as an assistant, I have had no formal training.

These were shot at Grand Central yesterday morning with a Nikon D60 and 35mm 1.4 prime Nikkor. Since my “thing”  is candids and I have a passion for street photography, I thought these were a good start for the direction I’d like to go in.

In this class I learned about things like scale, juxtaposition, and the importance of time of day when shooting with natural light. The message in each photo is different, and I guess I’d like to leave it up to interpretation, although I have my own explanation for each one.

I also stepped outside my comfort zone and just photographed people without worrying about an adverse reaction from them (and explained myself later if they looked like they took notice). I tried to forget about “rules” like the Rules of Thirds, the Golden Ratio, etc., and just find an interesting subject and take their picture from various perspectives until I got the shot I wanted. After all, it is this freedom of shooting endlessly that makes digital such a great learning tool.

These photos aren’t perfect, but I feel like they are compelling in some way - the lady with the banister as a noose around her neck, the light on the man with the camera’s fingers and the scale, the juxtaposition of the man in the red coat with the American Flag.

There is also a common theme - although taken in a bustling, busy Grand Central, I somehow isolated each one of them, which I think makes a pretty bold statement.

Of course, I’d like to apply all of this to film. The point here is that regardless of medium, a photo should tell a story or make some sort of artistic statement. That holds true whether you’re using a consumer DSLR, a $2,000 Leica or a $30 Holga. The important thing is to know what you’re doing and why. I think these photos serve their purpose, so here they are.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Grand Central Station, NYC. Nikon D60, Nikkor 35mm 1.4.

Valentine’s Day

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York. Lomo LC-A+, cross-processed Fuji Sensia 100, Diana Flash with red filter.

Winter

Wow, I haven’t blogged in like, forever! I’ve been so busy with work and getting ready for my opening and whatnot, and it’s been so damn cold I haven’t even wanted to leave the house. Yeah, I’m one of those.

Anyway, here’s my latest, taken all over Williamsburg with the LC-A+, the day after that huge snowstorm. We had one of those strokes of luck where it snows a ton, and the next day is beautiful, sunny and (relatively) warm.

My favorite is definitely the large image on the top - I literally chased the guy down the street to get that shot while my friends waited. I probably looked like a crazy person. But it was so worth it!

I think I’m getting better with focusing too - it’s tricky with the LC-A+ and that f/2.8 lens!

Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Cross-processed Lomo LC-A+, Fuji Provia 100f.