Caught In The Act!

I love to look at photographs, the real things - not on a computer screen. New York City is heaven for it with all its galleries and museums. And I love to collect photography books, but it's expensive. Still, when I'm at home on a rainy day I can spend a day with Gene Smith, Winogrand, Walker Evans .... and Robert Frank. Speaking of whom - I just received a book by Frank entitled In America which is a collection of work edited by Peter Galassi. It has some of the same work included in the classic Frank book The Americans but presented in a different context. The two books go hand in hand with Walker Evans' American Photographs and all three provide a glimpse into an America of the past century that I only faintly remember. As I look at the people in those images, I see an entirely different kind of American - jaded, unworldly, chauvinistic. Almost all of the images are more considered than Winogrand's, but just as spontaneous and candid - not as studied as Cartier-bresson's work. This is definitely not 'street' photography. I find a lyricism and poetry in it that's completely absent in the work of Martin Parr and his ilk.

When I listen to music, see a drama on stage, look at photographs (or any art work) I want to be blown away by it, or pinned to the back of my seat, or have my guts twisted. Otherwise it's boring, and why bother. Evans, Frank, Smith, Winnogrand - these are the guys that do it for me.

Oh how I wish I could have that effect too.

I had to drop off a portfolio of work in Midtown yesterday afternoon, and afterwards had a chance to roam around Times Square to photograph. I must have been surrounded by bright orange light because I was caught in the act quite a few times (even by Elliott Erwitt - the last photograph)

                                     

                                     

Who, me?

I spent three days at the Photo Plus Expo in NYC. Met some great people, collected some printing paper samples, and saw lots of gear and software that I have no use for. Two of the three days was dedicated to networking and personal PR work, but it was all fun.

Even though Saturday was rainy, I spent about an hour on the street before my train back to NJ. Shooting in inclement weather can be uncomfortable, but rainy days, while posing their challenges, also present some interesting opportunities. When I pointed the camera at him, this gentleman suddenly turned guilty-looking (wonder what he did).