Talking to Simon and
Duncan
26th
November 2013
Proposal
explained: Photowalk, incorporating Lomography cameras and
encouraging different viewpoints around York. A fun guided tour with
an element of education in photography, and ending with a large print
of a photo as a souvenir.
- Simply too complicated.
- Get rid of all the camera equipment stuff (Lomography)
- Everyone has their own camera e.g. camera phone
- Appeal to people who love taking photos
- Themes: Christmas, Street, People, colour etc.
- Competition: add a competitive element
- Places even the locals wouldn't know!
Photowalking
A photowalk is simply
going out with the aim to take photos of your surroundings. Usually
associated with a group of photographers walking together along a
planned route. It is often a social event in itself, with new people
meeting each other, interacting and sharing a similar interest. (Jeff
Revell, 2008) These events vary from club members only, to public
meet-and-greet types. It is a fun activity and is welcoming to
everyone; even if you do not consider yourself as a photographer, but
enjoy taking photos, you are are welcome. There are often relaxed
rules on camera equipment, age groups and finishing times. The main
emphasis of these events is to enjoy photography, getting to know
each other and learning about photography at your own pace. A
diversity of skill levels and new people offer a lovely charm to
these events and help each other learn. (Tiffany Mueller) Kai Wong from Digitalrev TV does something similar, in that he walks the streets of Hong Kong taking pictures of what interests him. He talks about what he finds interesting and it is easily visible on his photos.
So once you've taken
the first step of getting involved in a photowalk, what do you do?
Firstly, there will always be a leader/host; follow their
instructions and listen to what they have to say at the beginning of
the walk and remember who they are! Because, if you are unfamiliar
of the route or area, knowing who to keep an eye on could save you
from getting lost. Next, is to socialise! Talk to others in the
group and don't be afraid to ask questions whether it be related to
photography or themselves. However, be considerate and don't hound
people when they are taking photos. Don't always stay with the
group, try exploring your surroundings for a different viewpoint, you
never know what you might discover. Don't forget also to check out
what equipment people use whilst on the walk. Ask what camera they
use and how they like to take photos. Everyone is different, and
especially when you are starting out, there will always be types of
photos that interest you. Find out how they are produced and try it
out yourself.
Photography is so vast,
I think there needs to be a simple guide book that needs to be taken
on these walks for the amateur photographer. Here are some classic
quotes in the world of Photography; Kai elaborates on some of the
quotes:
“Your
first 10,000 photographs are your worst” Henri Cartier
Bresson
“Try new things and
reflect on them. Don't just take 10,000 pictures of the same shit”
Kai Wong
“If
your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough”
Robert Capa
“The
single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches
behind it” Ansel Adams
“You
cannot depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus”
Mark Twain
“The
most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put
your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt”
Henri Cartier Bresson
“If
you can smell the street by looking at the photo, it's a street
photograph” Bruce Gilden
“A
great photo is about depth of feeling, not depth of field”
Peter adams
“Which
of my photographs is my favourite? The one I'm going to take
tommorrow” Imogen Cunnigham
“It's
not what you look at that matter, it's what you see” Henry
David Thoreau
“I
am forever chasing light. Light turns the ordinary into the magical”
Trent Parke
“theres a certain
beauty to light and different kinds of light that you can shape or
hunt for to make your photo look that much more special” Kai
“I
only use a camera like I use my toothbrush. It does the job”
Don McCullin
“Seeing
is not enough, you have to feel what you photography” Andre
kertesz
Kai's own quotes:
“Emulate some of the
style of the greats to get you started, but don't keep on doing it”
“Photography is as
much a reflection of the person taking the photo”
“Shoot to please no
one apart from yourself”
“Setting themes keeps
you focused and gives you sense of direction”
“Be critical of
yourself and you will continue to improve”
“Be brutal when
you're deleting photos”
“Show only your best”
“Changing photos to
B&W doesn't make an uninteresting shot interesting”
“Look at other
people's work, consider what makes the shot good and what makes it
bad”
“Post your work
online and let people critque your work”
“Use
your creativity in the viewfinder and not in the sky” kai
There are many videos
on Youtube to get a feel for what they are like. There are a few
notable leaders and organisers of these events such as Trey Ratcliff,
Larry Becker and Thomas Hawk. To get a feel for such an event, I
have been trying to find an event in York. So far, I have booked the
event “Mobile Masterclass” run by www.yorkshirephotowalks.com.
It is run by Tom Marsh and the event is catered for shooting with a
camera phone. It takes approximately two hours and begins and ends
at York Minster. This is on the 14th December 2013.
(Update: The event was cancelled due to low numbers of participants.)
References:
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