What you know (no photo's)

michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
edited January 9, 2013 in Street and Documentary
There's an adage in writing that the best way to start is to write about what you know.

One of the things that I think is hugely missing in this group is the willingness to be intimate and compassionate with your subjects. I'm as guilty as any of us.

Imagine the subject of your image being a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, parent. Is it still something you'd post here? Would you have taken the shot differently? Been closer, more personal? It's a variation of the "No Bums" rule. If there's no contact or human interaction, meaning you as the photographer, it's liable to be missing the mark as an image.

This is an open invitation to all on DGrin to post story telling family shots of the holidays here. On Documentary.

Photograph what you know. Share a story or two.
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Comments

  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited December 12, 2012
    I'll be direct. Stop trying to get the perfect street shot. There are folks out there that are oddly really good at it. I love a solid street shot. The best are frankly confused or perfect in composition. Despite any other direction, street is a slow art. You have to look for a spot and sit for hours while humanity wanders by. In case there's someone watching, i'd say explore the moment, observe and snap.

    Still, we all have relations, close friends, siblings, kids. There are images to be found. This should be the "People" forum to the extent images here should be about people. Tell a story.

    Engage a subject. Engage a viewer.
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited December 12, 2012
    michswiss wrote: »
    I'll be direct. Stop trying to get the perfect street shot. There are folks out there that are oddly really good at it. I love a solid street shot. The best are frankly confused or perfect in composition. Despite any other direction, street is a slow art. You have to look for a spot and sit for hours while humanity wanders by. In case there's someone watching, i'd say explore the moment, observe and snap.

    Still, we all have relations, close friends, siblings, kids. There are images to be found. This should be the "People" forum to the extent images here should be about people. Tell a story.

    Engage a subject. Engage a viewer.

    Or, as I have said since joining the forum, it should be called "Real World - Real images of real people doing real things." Whoever, where ever, whatever. rolleyes1.gif
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • lensmolelensmole Registered Users Posts: 1,548 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2012
    No Title
    i-RMFs594-L.jpg

    Lensmole
    http://www.lensmolephotography.com/
  • thoththoth Registered Users Posts: 1,085 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2012
    Living in a small town, most of my photos fall into this category. I shoot my family and friends and, on occassion, a local event or carnival. So here's a contribution to this thread.

    sam_halloween_2012%20%281%20of%201%29-L.jpg
    Travis
  • JuanoJuano Registered Users Posts: 4,890 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2012
    Two fun shots with that emotional connection Michswiss is talking about. Well done.
    Cristóbal


    www.mind-driftphoto.com
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2012
    I'm really please the two of you shared these. They are both absolutely great!

    I hope to see more in this thread, or in and amongst the rest of the forum.

    Happy holidays!
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2012
    Why didn't you say so??rolleyes1.gif

    This was shot a few years back while home for Thanksgiving. My mother (then about 94) is renowned for having difficulty staying out of the kitchen when we kids are cooking meals. She is always worried that we're not doing things as she thinks we should. Once again, she was in the kitchen while my daughter and niece prepared the meal. We call her "the kitchen table quarterback" - always calling the plays. She (now 97) is in Halifax warming up for our arrival Christmas Eve.

    Halifax-1133-1-L.jpg


    My great niece trying out her camera on her stepdad Christmas night a couple of years ago. Ryne was great with her and played it right up.

    untitled--L.jpg
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2012
    I'm diggin' your second shot Patti. The story with the first certainly makes it special as well.

    Keep'em coming folks!
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2012
    Thanks Jenn. More please, folks.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2012
    RichardLookingatThomas-XL.jpg

    Wyatt2012-XL.jpg

    IMG_4372B%26W-XL.jpg
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2012
    Oh I like these Benjamin, especially the first. Is the boy in trouble? Is the man imparting some bit of wisdom? Well seen.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2012
    Patti wrote: »
    Oh I like these Benjamin, especially the first. Is the boy in trouble? Is the man imparting some bit of wisdom? Well seen.

    Just an eye to eye

    Here's another
    FasinatedByMinatures-XL.jpg
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • damonffdamonff Registered Users Posts: 1,894 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2012
    fp4%2520%25287%2520of%252018%2529.jpg
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2013
    Great shot Damon. It's amazing how quickly your boy is growing up.
  • damonffdamonff Registered Users Posts: 1,894 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2013
    Thanks Jenn. The 21mm lens makes him look bigger than he really is!
  • QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2013
    wow..these are some of the best images i have seen in this sub-forum. instant connections.
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2013
    Great thread.

    This pic is one of my all time favorite photos. My oldest reading to my youngest. The look I got as I intruded on their private time was priceless. The book title fortuitous. They have been inseparable since.

    82906-2-XL.jpg
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited January 4, 2013
    Mitchell, Qarik,

    Thanks so much for joining in. I'd like to see a lot more of this sort of candid, intimate work in this group. As I originally wrote, I think photographing the people you know is a great way to build skills that you can take into other documentary and street work. It gives you more chances to explore humour, joy, intimacy and pathos amongst other things. All necessary ingredients to story telling.

    Looking forward to seeing more.
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited January 5, 2013
    123012_Snow_Pups.0001-X2.jpg
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    Do we need to see faces to tell a story? I don't think so.



    untitled-6139-L.jpg
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    Not at all. Terrific, Patti
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    bdcolen wrote: »
    Not at all. Terrific, Patti

    Yep, look for this all the time

    PinkyRing-XL.jpg
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    Thanks bd.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    Couple of my coworkers' kids at the company picnic last year:
    th2011-06-18_101.jpg

    My niece takes a bite out of a water balloon at a family picnic:
    th2010-06-12_055b.jpg
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2013
    Nice - especially the second. :-)
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • TonyCooperTonyCooper Registered Users Posts: 2,276 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2013
    Son, d-i-l, and two grandsons over to watch the Alabama/Notre Dame game...two 'Bama fans, one Florida fan but still an SEC fan, and one neutral observer.

    i-QtVp2rT-L.jpg
    Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
    http://tonycooper.smugmug.com/
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2013
    EtchASketch-XL.jpg
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • bdcolenbdcolen Registered Users Posts: 3,804 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2013
    Tony - wonderful. Ben, close, but...there's just too damn much hair in the artist's face.;-)

    P.S. I LOVE the contrasting sippy cup and Starbucks cup. Wonderful!
    bd@bdcolenphoto.com
    "He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan

    "The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2013
    Tony, I'm finding the colour distracting. I like the intensity of concentration across the faces. Big fans?
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2013
    Ben, I like this a lot, especially the mood conveyed by the light but have to agree with bd. It would be great to see a bit for of the artist's face.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
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