Black and White Photography Blog, Vol. I

[Power Circle, Grand Central Sta.]

I thought this was a pretty comprehensive view of street photography, i.e. what it is (no one really knows); and what is legal (most things): Wiki Street Photography.

When the police, or security guards tell you that you can’t photograph a public place - they are breaking the law. Frankly, you could tape them, or have someone secretly videotape them; and then sue them for infringing on your civil rights. You may lose your camera in the process, but such is the price of free expression.

It feels as if everyone took their proper places in this shot. Weather: film noir. Dogwalkers: Ready. Headlights on: Check. Now when I say ‘action,’ I want the lady with the shawl to step on the curb; and you - delivery guy on bike, make sure to take a beat before going on down 2nd avenue. Yeah, like that. Good.

Okay everyone. Roll film. Cue extras. Take one. Clapboard. Action!

Dave - I’ve noticed that you shoot a lot of old, infirm people; as well as children. Is there a connection? I’m not sure if I see it. [R.J. from NJ]

RJ - I think that I’m just looking ahead (my own fate awaits); and backwards, that’s what it was like for me back then. The people in the middle are able to hide their state of existence better. Of course, the country is very youth-oriented. The ads are all about the fountain of youth for the boomers. But we may live longer, but you can only escape the infirmities of age for so long.

The new lottery game is called, Jewelry School-bus. Rather than the profits being sunk into the black hole of public school infrastructure, the board of education has decided to hand out jewelry to all 12th graders who can read at 12th grade level. You heard right. So study hard, and let the lottery pay for some of your gold chains and diamond nose studs. As extra credit, can you name one of the first character in American literature that wore pierced ears? (Hint - he didn’t drive a bus).

These days, mom and dad talk constantly to invisible adults. They - the adults - can be and are interrupted at any time. They have put themselves at the mercy of the interrupt-driven chip. (That btw is how chips work in the first place, just sitting there waiting for interrupts to be called). Now that microchip way of life has morphed into the family way of life.

It feels like there’s something wrong with this, but I can’t say exactly what it is. There is the primary effect on the adults who can no longer carry on a train of thought longer than one minute. That’s obvious - and the drugs to treat these ailments are selling like hotcakes.

But the other victims of life interrupted - are the children. They are the most helpless. And they are so young that they don’t remember any other way of life. So when they grow into adults - this way of life will seem perfectly normal. And in fact, according to the Darwinian laws, those who can multi-process the best will make the most money, and will survive. I wonder how long it takes for brain mutations to become part of man’s evolution.

Well - that’s the old geezer in me talking. Maybe there are benefits that I can’t see. The car was certainly a great productive benefit - though we like to romanticize life before the car.

No - I’m no Luddite. I spend enough of my day working with chip technology. But still - I have to wonder whether the kids will be needed to lead us across the street someday as they know we are busy on the phone and not paying attention to cars.

You know, it does get annoying. I was at my local subway station doing my usual thing - photographing people who would one day do something interesting - when I was approached by a sunglass wearing cop. He told me that it was illegal to photograph in the subway and that I should delete whatever I had photographed.

I replied that as far as I knew, it was not illegal. That they had tried to make it illegal but weren’t able to.

Let me see what you shot, he said. I noticed that he had some white stubble on his chin and was wearing body armor.

I showed him a couple of shots of people near the turnstile.

You need to delete them.

I hesitated.

It’s either that, or I’ll have to take your camera.

Please - don’t do that, I said. I scanned for a bad shot, and deleted it.

I’m a fine art photographer, I said. Still in begging mode. Would you like to see some ID?

That he liked. I showed him a check that was made out to Dave Beckerman Photography that had my address on it that I hadn’t had a chance to cash yet.

So what do you do, he asked.

I walk around just shooting things that might be interesting.

He was softening a bit. He repeated, fine art photographer, to himself, then said - Where do you live?

I told him.

He was pretty close to me, but he took one step closer and whispered: listen, just turn off the camera, and make believe you deleted the rest of the pictures. But don’t do anymore shooting in the subway.

I nodded, and turned off the camera. As soon as I got onto the crowded train, I turned it on again - and went about my business. I got some excellent shots on the train at the Times Square shuttle platform. Really. I walked back saying - well that was definitely worth it. I wonder why the high security. I think I heard that the pope was on his way.

Now I suppose the idea is that the presence of police will make the terrorists think twice before leaving a bomb at that particular station. So they go to another station. You can’t protect them all. In fact, I found it telling that the bomber who left his calling card at the recruiting station in Times Square was able to go about undetected because he was wearing a ten dollar hoody. That area is, after all, the most heavily photographed spot in the city and they still couldn’t get a clear shot.

And really - if they think that the terrorists are walking around with 40D cameras posing as photographers and shooting in the middle of four or five cops decked out in sunglasses with wires coming out of their ears.

Uh, I don’t think so. Oh, and on the train, there were a bunch of tourists with point and shoots firing away with flash and everything in the conductors’ car. At least I think they were tourists.

So you want to know - what would I do if I were king?  I know some of you won’t like this, but I’d put in place a real ID card that would be way difficult to forge.  And I’d have people carry them around.  You want to take a picture in the subway - okay - just let me scan the barcode on that card; or the retina scan; or whatever.  Then go about your business.

But Dave - that’s giving up civil liberties.  I don’t mind giving up my identity.  They can always get it if they want it anyway.  This just makes it a little bit harder to forge; and let’s me go do my thing without being hassled.

Press passes are hard to get.  If you want to offer press passes for independent street photographers - do that then.

It’s hard for me to think of a store entrance that is more intriguing to photograph. I like this better than the entrance to the Louvre (though of course they’re on a different scale.)

Canon 50 mm @ f1.4

Canon 40D @ 1600 ASA