On Photography - The Medium or the Mesaage - Daido Moriyama (Sat 19 May 2012)

Street Scene - Sumida / Tokyo (Sat 22 Sep 2012)
Daido Moriyama (*) states in Daido Moriyama: Journey to Something (*):

It is not so much about the medium, as it is about the message.

The above quote came from a question relating to his preferences to shoot film or digital, where he responded:

Since three years I am using either film or digital. So I am not much concerned about the ways of the digital camera. Depending on the theme of what I would shoot.. if I feel like I want to shoot in film, I shoot in film. If I want to shoot digitally, I will do that.

Empathy - Eric Kim (Sun 26 Mar 2017)

Vic - "10 years since I was last here, but he remembered me" - Downtown Milkbar and Coffee Lounge / Manuka / Canberra (Mon 27 Mar 2017)

Eric Kim on Empathy:

To shoot personal street photography is to only photograph what appeals in your heart. To use your street photography as a tool to empathise with your subject. To show your own soul through the photos you shoot of others.

via How to Shoot Personal Street Photography by Eric Kim.

Why Photography Matters - Kirk Tuck (Sun 03 Aug 2014)

Untitled - Lisbon (Thu 15 Aug 2013)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes On Photography (*) and why it Matters (*) :

Shoot (*) for the fun (*) of it. Shoot for your own self-discovery (*). Shoot for the glory (*) of having seen something unique (*) and having savored it well. [..]

Let the images you take be your enduring guides (*) to your own vision (*) and your own past (*) and leave it at that.

via Celebration Post. Landmark. Milestone. Crazy accomplishment. A "Thank You" to the readers who have stuck around over the years. And more. (*) by Kirk Tuck (*).

A photograph of a person will always.. - Looking for Snapshots (Mon 16 Sep 2013)

Darcel (*) - Cafe Sofia (*) / Erskineville (Fri 08 Feb 2013)
Looking for Snapshots (*) writes on Portrait Photography (*):

a photograph of a person will always tell us something about the relationship between the photographer and the subject—that is, it will show the relationship as well as the subject. In most kinds of photos the relationship is so attenuated that the subject is really all that’s left. But in a snapshot the relationship is a real and enduring one, not a merely professional one that exists only for the purpose of the shoot. We can see it clearly in the photo along with the subject, and we can also see that the photo occasion itself is tangled up in it.

via Relationships (*) by Looking for Snapshots (*).

On Photography #2 - Chris Leskovsek / Michael Ernest Sweet (Sat 20 Sep 2014)

Bart Simpson with Blue Car - St Julians / Malta (Sat 20 Sep 2014)
Chris Leskovsek (*) writes Photography (*):

When I shoot (*), I focus (*) on what is in front of me. But when I edit (*), I concentrate on what I want to say or tell, and most of the time it ends up being different from what I thought it would be. I think I can say that shooting for me is an intuitive (*) process, but editing is a very conscious (*) one.

via Talking Photographs with Chris Leskovsek (*) by Michael Ernest Sweet (*).

The Arrow - The Way of the Bow / Paulo Coelho

Directional Arrow - Avenue du Mont-Royal / Montreal (Thu 25 Aug 2011)
From Paulo Coelho's (*) short story, The Way of the Bow (*)..

The Arrow

The arrow is the intention.

It is what unites the strength of the bow with the centre of the target.

The intention must be crystal-clear, straight and balanced. Once the arrow has gone, it will not come back, so it is better to interrupt a shot, because the movements that led up to it were not sufficiently precise and correct, than to act carelessly, simply because the bow was fully drawn and the target was waiting.

But never hold back from firing the arrow if all that paralyses you is fear of making a mistake. If you have made the right movements, open your hand and release the string. Even if the arrow fails to hit the target, you will learn how to improve your aim next time.

If you never take a risk, you will never know what changes you need to make.

Each arrow leaves a memory in your heart, and it is the sum of those memories that will make you shoot better and better.

Plenty of great metaphors for our life experiences here.

fail forward! - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Apr 2012)

Chinatown (1 of 2) - Lower Manhattan / New York City (Fri 12 Aug 2011)
Chinatown (2 of 2) - Detail - Lower Manhattan / New York City (Fri 12 Aug 2011)
Note to self - Need to shoot at higher ISO on the street.

Vern Gambetta recently wrote [Tue 02 Apr 2012 (*)] ...

Lets face it mistakes and failure are part of the growth process of [oursleves]. Failure and mistakes are only bad if we do not learn from them. [..]

fail forward! It is ultimately a failure or a mistake if you do not learn from it - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Apr 2012)

On Making A Photgraph - Rachel Kara / The Design Files (Mon 03 Nov 2014)

An Afternoon at Eileen's (*) - Ealing (*) / London (Sat 13 Sep 2014)
Rachel Kara (*) writes on making Photograph (*):

I always walk into a shoot and try let the space or person have a chance to show themselves to me, rather than the other way around

via Rachel Kara (*) by The Design Files (*).

You see (*) it. And you know that feeling. That feeling that you just want to take a photograph. It comes from seeing and observing something - a curiosity. As Rachel says, it shows itself. I just wish I had the courage to make the photo from that feeling. Most times I just let it go even when I have my camera in my pocket.

But sometimes you push yourself and don't let it go .. an example (*) from just on 10 years ago. Maybe one day I will change and make these moments happen more often.

When you travel you feel you have permission to be a photographer and that's why in part I've pushed myself and come to love travel for 10 years now and I thank Jenny (*) and Joanne (*) for that.

The Gift of Photography - Kirk Tuck (Thu 29 Jul 2010)

Intersection - Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes On Photography (*):

You can't swim without a pool.You can't shoot without a camera. Don't leave it at home. The camera is like your shirt or your shoes. Take it everywhere you take your body. Then you'll be ready when the image you love arrives in front of you like a gift. Be gracious. Be ready to accept the gift.

via You have to get wet if you want to learn to swim. (*) by Kirk Tuck (*).

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (3 of 3) - Boston (Oct 1988 / 22 Aug 2011)

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (*) - Boston (*) [Mon 22 Aug 2011]
The Museum had not changed too much in 23 years since I was last there on my first visit to Boston in Sep 1988. This is my favourite photo from both visits. I love the complexity, contrast, colour, light and mostly the shadows on the white concrete wall to the left.

The way I see has changed a lot since those early days when I travelled with Pentax K1000 that was a gift from my Family for my 21st birthday back in 1981. I still have the K1000 and it would be fun to get it out and shoot a few rolls of film to see what comes out.

Love my little Canon S95 (*) [the most recent version being the Canon S110 (*)] which I bought in Jan 2011. It has taken just over 22,000 photos and is still going strong. It (*) has been to New Zealand (*), USA 2011(*), Hong Kong 2012(*), Korea 2012(*) and  Japan 2012(*). It fits easily into my pocket and it goes everywhere with me. I have recently printed a few of the photos to 30x20 inch (*) and they are crystal clear.

On Self-Doubt - Streetshooter (Sat 19 Dec 2015)

Stairway to No Where - Ultimo (Fri 11 Dec 2015)

Streetshooter on Self-Doubt:

Did ya ever feel like your going against the flow that others do? How about feeling like you’re alone and there are many others around? How about you doubt yourself and what you’re doing? Not a pretty picture huh [..]

The land of complacency and mass acceptance swallows up many individual people every second. That hunger that wants to devour us has an insatiable appetite and is coming for you any minute.

via Streets of Philadelphia … A Visual Diary … Page 37 … Olympus Pen EP-5 … One ShoT pEr ShOOt by Streetshooter.

When you doubt yourself, that is when you need to believe in yourself the most. Streetshooter. My favourite photoblogger!!

Where The Street Have No Name - U2 - Rattle and Hum

Where the Streets Have No Name by U2 from Rattle and Hum
Remember seeing the Rattle and Hum Movie with my younger Brother, Tim, in 1988. This song (Where the Streets Have No Name) stood out for me, both musically and visually (the silhouette effects). When I would visit him in Canberra, over the following years, I would ofter hear Tim play this song as he got ready for work (I like the way this song builds in energy over its duration). For these reasons, in part, I would decide to play this during his Funeral in March 2005 as we reflected over his life, after I had asked his Family and Friend's to forgive him for what he had done to himself (and all those that loved him) and at the same time try to understand his silent suffering.

When I ran the New York City Marathon in Nov 1990, I borrowed Tim's small point and shoot film camera (no commercial accessible digital cameras back then) for the trip and ran with it during the Marathon. This is my favourite photo from the run - I heard and saw the band playing on the side walk (you can see the Northern World Trade Centre Building in the distance on the left of the photo), just pulled over for a moment and snapped this shot. I love the one lone audience member - the guy in the Blue Shirt. Also the car with the boot/'trunk' open.

Street Band - 1990 New York City Marathon - Sun 04 Nov 1990

Street Photography - Xyza Cruz Bacani / James Gabrillo (Sun 17 Jul 2016)

self portrait - Surry Hills (Sun 17 Jul 2016)

Xyza Cruz Bacani on Street Photography:

The thing I like the most about street photography? It’s free, [..] I shoot daily to relieve my stress. It’s my way of having fun.

via Filipino photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani’s story of perseverance is inspiring by James Gabrillo.

Street Band - 1990 New York City Marathon - Brooklyn (Sun 04 Nov 1990)

Street Band - 1990 New York City Marathon - Brooklyn (Sun 04 Nov 1990)
When I ran the New York City Marathon in Nov 1990, I borrowed Tim's small point and shoot film camera (no commercial accessible digital cameras back then) for the trip and ran with it during the Marathon.

This is my favourite photo from the run - I heard and saw the band playing on the side walk, so I just pulled over for a moment and snapped this shot.

You can see the Northern World Trade Centre Tower in the distance on the left of the photo - it is from there I took this photo of the Brooklyn Bridge in Oct 1988.

I love the one lone audience member - the guy in the Blue Shirt. Also the car with the boot/'trunk' open.

A Reflection on the Little Things - Kirk Tuck (Sun 09 Nov 2014)

The Little Things - Monet's Garden / Giverny (Wed 17 Sep 2014)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes Success (*) and Failure (*):

Funny how all the little things add up to success or failure

via I wrote a blog about an LED panel on Friday. I wrote it in a hurry. I didn't like it so I ultimately deleted it. I'll get a new one up after tomorrow's shoot. (*) by Kirk Tuck (*).

A reflection on the Little Things. My experience (*). Little things are hard to catch first time around. Only when you reflect (*) that you can see the reason for the success or failure. That's why it is important to reflect. Now you have this experience, if you are paying attention, you can catch the little things next time around. This is what experience brings to a situation. Sometimes it is ignored or undervalued, but good people want to find it, draw on it and react to it. In some ways this blog is a reflection of the little things and that's what keeps me going. Thanks Kirk, I learnt a lot from those little words above.