Nightski

These didn't attract much interest in the other street section, so I thought I would see if anyone here finds them helpful. These videos certainly got my wheels turning. Hope somebody enjoys them as much as me.

Episode #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEApQ1Erbk
Episode #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ_O3qwnGFw
Episode #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPvL84ky210
Episode #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUlsyq1Hk2M
Episode #5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyD0hSYqddM

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Pretty good catch, for what should turn wheels! But I guess that is a typo the way you said it, because it attracted just about exactly zero interest! Nothing of substance, at least in the first 24 hours, about what got your wheels turning. (Citing five episodes that each go over several photos is a bit much. Just two or even only a single cited video would have been sufficient.) [Edit: The typo has been fixed in the OP only.]

Chuck Jines is an accomplished photographer, who does Street and related genres of photography. As is not uncommon he also does workshops in order to make a living. His talent at making photographs allows him to charge enough for a workshop to enable him to continue making photographs! A typical circular life support system.

Jines is good at photography because he can target what he wants his camera to focus on. He knows the subjects that he wants, and adjusts the DOF to provide a focus gradient that changes, as he wishes, the association of surroundings with that targeted subject. And he is very good at organizing the targeting that produces attractive pictures and the DOF judgments to make his subjects interesting to his market. He isn't following a bunch of Rules of Thumb, but actually looking at both his workflow and at his product.

Maybe he isn't that good at organizing a photo critique though. He misses on targeting the topics and doesn't handle how well defined the surrounding topics are. For example, he says a picture is Street and then explains something that would make it more attractive in the commercial market as either documentary or portraiture! Opps, thats not a critique of Street!

Jines describes photographs based very much on the way he seeks out scenes to photograph. That has advantages and is appropriate for a workshop presentation, but it is significantly lacking in explaining what makes a given photograph what it is. The difference is demonstrated by the way Henri Cartier-Bresson described (and is commonly misunderstood) his methods. Everyone misses "geometry" and picks up on "decisive moment". HCB didn't even use the term "decisive moment"! It comes from the Introduction written by someone else! What HCB said was to look for geometry that will make a good pictures, and then wait for a peak of energy in the scene. He did not ever say that a photographer walks around looking for a decisive moment! Look for the right geometry... wait for the moment.

Jines critiques photographs mostly by pointing out geometrical aspects that are appealing! (He loves to see three of anything!) He tells you what he would be looking at if he were at that scene with a camera. The problem is he tells you where to focus the camera, but not where to target a picture! What is the subject! Which is also to say, who is going to buy the photograph and for what purpose? Is it a People Picture? Is it Documentary? A picture that documents people standing in the street is not necessarily Street Photography. Jines targets people that make interesting pictures. And often that is not Street Photography, and when it isn't his comments are on how to depart from Street for the purpose of more attractive, and marketable, photography. He never says that, and instead says he is critiquing Street Photography when he is not.

Examples are repeated comments about Robert Capa's statement on getting closer. Good for documenting people, not necessarily for Street. Comments on bokeh and on busy backgrounds ignore the fact that often the specific details he would diminish are important for Street and need to be made prominent. His comments are always about people or other objects as the subject, but in Street the subject is the intangible relationships between objects, not the objects!

On the other hand, in terms of composition, Jines' comments about symmetry and balance in photography are virtually always dead on... except I saw no indication that he was doing anything other than responding to "gut emotion". He showed no actual knowledge of the psychology of human visual perception (e.g., Gestalt Theory).

In short, it's an interesting item to put out for conversation, but not something to bookmark as a knowledge resource. Chuck Jines is a really good photographer. If you want critiques of Street Photography read Garry Winogrand, Colin Westerbeck, and Joel Meyeowitz. If you want to understand them, read Rudolf Arnheim.

Nightski

Please edit my post to say "these didn't attract much attention"

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Okay. That helps make the topic less complex, so it seems worth doing. I left the quote in my response alone, but people will gloss over that.

I do hope it gets attention here and that folks see why you've made an effort to bring it up! Chuck Jines' observations are really worth noting. He is giving a mini-example from his workshops! It's like walking down the street working with him. Okay maybe he isn't Joel Meyerowitz, he is still good!

Nightski

There are three things I got out of the videos. Picking a composition out of a crowd. Getting over the "fear factor". Empathizing with the homeless instead of treating them as a spectacle. Even worse is the photographer that takes advantage of their poverty by giving them a few bucks to pose. Then he does the extreme post processing thing on their faces to elicit a shock and horror response on the part of the viewer. I find that practice to be disgusting. I truly love the approach of Graham Smith. I come away with respect and empathy for his subjects, which is what he intends. This is because he has a sincere empathy for his fellow human being. It's something every street photographer must have in my opinion. If you listen to Jines, you will realize that he believes in getting involved with your subjects. He doesn't agree with the paparazzi style street photography.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Pretty well stated! All such practices should be avoided!

I do get a "kick" out of the idea of "fear factor". I don't take pictures of people I'm afraid of. I want to steal a little of their soul, to keep it separate and preserved in my photograph. It's not the homeless, it's those that perpetuate a culture that makes some people homeless that scare me. I've never been afraid of Communists or Mexicans, but wall builders really frighten me.


I can't totally agree. But Graham understands more of it that most... and he is very good at landscapes!

Paparazzi don't do Street. Chuck Jines is primarily interested in Pretty Pictures, but you are dead on right about getting involved and the respect that genders. Sitting down for a discussion with a homeless person is one thing, but actually caring about them is another. Money for a picture that will be displayed to ridicule their circumstances and make a spectacle of them is disgusting.

I want pictures that make a viewer feel they too could sit down and chat with the person. Just the same as pictures of anyone else...

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

First thing first, I am not a good street photographer. During street shooting things are happening fast and I do not believe the photographer has the time to compose and plan his or her shot. No wonder it is called "the decisive moment." We shoot, or at least I shoot, to capture the subject as I see it.
I have heard many street photographers tell me that it is imperative to be close and classically lenses like a 35mm lens has been the norm to capture subjects in street photography. I find, and let me repeat I am not an expert, that many times a short tele helps me to isolate the subject better without being intrusive.
Many times we only have a fraction of a second to capture the subject. Nobody can compose that fast.
My approach has been to shoot and then in editing the pictures selecting and cropping those I consider to be my best.
These are only my opinions.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Your opinions seem to be very well sorted out!

Watch videos of Winogrand, as an example that can be just astounding. He'd shoot every thing in sight, and work a scene to death if he could. Then he would throw the roll of film in a drawer and wait. Lots of folks never did understand that part of it. Winogrand waited until the memory of his emotions at the scene were gone. When the image was more like something that some other photographer had shot, he would make contact prints and select specific images for further work.

As you say, nobody can compose that fast (if they think about Rules of Composition). Instead they fire away at everything that looks like it might be interesting. Later, when time is not in short supply, the thoughtful analysis is how images are selected to do further work with an editor.

It may not be as obvious as Winogrand's style, but all of those other great Street Photographers did and do just about the same thing.

GPS Phil Loc: Dayton Ohio

I had time to make it through 3 Sandra, very informative, and like you said, sparks the motivation. Always exciting to learn something new. Thanks much!

Phil

Voss

I've seen three of these so far (thanks, Nightski), and have mixed feelings. I say "Amen" to camerapapi's comments. Jines seems to do his composing in the field, but, "good luck" in most cases. There's no time to stand around and consider what f-stop to use, and so on. (I lost several shots yesterday for lack of time just to get the camera to my eye.) I'm also disturbed by some of the things he says or implies about composition, but that's a picture-by-picture thing. (And thank you, Apaflo, for your earlier comments and references on Gestalt Symmetry. It's most interesting.) All in all, I pretty much agree with comments made by the other posters.

Nightski

Thanks so much for the thoughts, people. I guess I would say this. I am not a street photographer, though I do dabble a bit in it once in a while. I mostly do landscape and wildlife. Wildlife is much like street in a couple of areas.
#1 You never know what is going to happen and it happens fast.
#2 The best photographs are the ones that capture the subject doing something meaningful or interesting
#3 You need to understand your subject and get familiar with it's habits.
#4 It's important to be familiar with the area you are planning to work in. (This requires a daily visit to the area)
#5 You need to be aware of where the light is coming from during the times of your visits and position yourself accordingly.

I am sure that people, like animals have daily habits and schedules. If you know your area, you may know when a particular subject will come along and what the light will be like when he/she does. Sure, there will be surprises everyday, but if you are familiar with a place, the regulars, and the light, you will be much more successful in composing a shot instead of just snapping whatever comes along. If you are out there daily, you will also become more keenly aware of your backgrounds. You will have made mistakes that you don't want to make again and you will be more prepared the next time. Now it's true that with people(like animals) you have no control over their positioning. BUT ... a step to the left or the right can make all the difference in the world and if you practice, you will improve on your timing. I know I have grabbed some bird shots this spring that I would not have gotten last spring because I would have hesitated too long ... standing there thinking that I am not quick enough to get it. Well .. shots are free .. so when a shot like that comes along, just shoot.

One note on the F/stop .. figure out your exposure when you get there. Know where it's at. Test it in light and shadow and know what you have to change. This is what I do with birds. It's not like you're going to have a dozen different settings in a two hour period. Shoot shallow for street, have your shutter where you need it and adjust the ISO to get the right exposure. Watch your meter. If you have a chance to get the ISO down do it. This is my method with birds and it works.

Nightski

Here is a recent street shot I did. I don't do many.
http://500px.com/photo/152323981/passing-though-by-sandra-nightski?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=5883322