Black & White Street Photography - POST

garryknight wrote in post #18985887

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2i9Q​rea
Changing a Light Bulb by Garry Knight, on Flickr

Well Garry, I guess that answers the question of "how many people does it take to change a light bulb in London?"

airfrogusmc wrote in post #18484846

A picture that's worth 1000 words....

Hey Stuart,

I don't know if you saw this but I had an exhibit in Hamburg Germany last May and here is a review of the exhibit. The exhibit received 4.25 stars out of 5. Here's a link to the review. It is in German.
https://www.kultur-port.de …chicago-claus-friede.html

Here's what it translated to in Google Translate

"On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the town twinning between Hamburg and Chicago this year, the America Center in Hamburg HafenCity is showing black and white photos by the American photographer Allen Bourgeois.

The Chicago-based bourgeois served as a soldier with the U.S. Marines for several years before a scholarship enabled him to study photography. Since then he has only been armed with a camera - and apparently he always has it with him.

The strong bearded man has a friendly charisma and is happy about the many visitors to his exhibition opening. Nevertheless, he tries to stay hidden, does not push himself forward in the direction of the lectern, and has to be looked for in the crowd by the opening speaker: “Allen, where are you? (Everyone, where are you?) "
He can obviously make himself invisible, because his “Streets, Alleys and Other Observations” from Chicago testify to this. He loves the situation, he is looking for the right moments to trigger the action with a breath of motion. He never comments on himself in his photos, prefers to remain hidden.

Bourgeois works with contrasts, reflections, shadows, looking through, is almost always artistic and only a little documentary on the way. He tells photographed stories, not fairy tales, not invented ones, but rather real life stories.

His photographs are influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), Robert Frank (* 1924) and Garry Winogrand (1928-1984), whom he also immediately gives as role models. And he speaks of them with great respect. He also appreciates Vivian Maier (1926-2009) and finds her more international than Robert Frank, who was born in Switzerland, although she took photographs in the USA.
He surrenders prefers not to take on any label as a categorization, not even that of "street photography". He is an observer, a master at recognizing and capturing moments that usually happen in a fraction of a second before they disappear. Spontaneity is the hallmark. “I can't plan my photos,” he says, “I experience these moments with my eyes open and my eyes wide open”. This is how they come about, his photos, and lie between humor and irony, but also oppression, and sometimes they are sometimes based on tragic moments.

Congratulations, and great pictures they are, too.

unclejohn wrote in post #18986152
Congratulations, and great pictures they are, too.

Thanks!

Lights at the end of the tunnel...

airfrogusmc wrote in post #18986112
Hey Stuart,

I don't know if you saw this but I had an exhibit in Hamburg Germany last May and here is a review of the exhibit. The exhibit received 4.25 stars out of 5. Here's a link to the review. It is in German.
https://www.kultur-port.de …chicago-claus-friede.html

Here's what it translated to in Google Translate

"On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the town twinning between Hamburg and Chicago this year, the America Center in Hamburg HafenCity is showing black and white photos by the American photographer Allen Bourgeois.

The Chicago-based bourgeois served as a soldier with the U.S. Marines for several years before a scholarship enabled him to study photography. Since then he has only been armed with a camera - and apparently he always has it with him.

The strong bearded man has a friendly charisma and is happy about the many visitors to his exhibition opening. Nevertheless, he tries to stay hidden, does not push himself forward in the direction of the lectern, and has to be looked for in the crowd by the opening speaker: “Allen, where are you? (Everyone, where are you?) "
He can obviously make himself invisible, because his “Streets, Alleys and Other Observations” from Chicago testify to this. He loves the situation, he is looking for the right moments to trigger the action with a breath of motion. He never comments on himself in his photos, prefers to remain hidden.

Bourgeois works with contrasts, reflections, shadows, looking through, is almost always artistic and only a little documentary on the way. He tells photographed stories, not fairy tales, not invented ones, but rather real life stories.

His photographs are influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), Robert Frank (* 1924) and Garry Winogrand (1928-1984), whom he also immediately gives as role models. And he speaks of them with great respect. He also appreciates Vivian Maier (1926-2009) and finds her more international than Robert Frank, who was born in Switzerland, although she took photographs in the USA.
He surrenders prefers not to take on any label as a categorization, not even that of "street photography". He is an observer, a master at recognizing and capturing moments that usually happen in a fraction of a second before they disappear. Spontaneity is the hallmark. “I can't plan my photos,” he says, “I experience these moments with my eyes open and my eyes wide open”. This is how they come about, his photos, and lie between humor and irony, but also oppression, and sometimes they are sometimes based on tragic moments.

An already older man with a highly durable gel and a pointedly raised but only moderately styled punk hairstyle looks with wide eyes at the display of his smartphone. From a passing sport utility vehicle (SUV) you can see a woman behind the tinted window, who in turn photographs this man with her smartphone, while Allen Bourgeois takes photos of the whole scene. Like a quick ball effect, there are lines of communication within the picture that react to each other and are connected to each other. This short moment of happening tells a whole story only through this photograph and promotes thinking far beyond this moment.

In the same row there is a picture showing two young people taking a selfie. The photo cell phone attached to a telescopic pole, in which the two look in love, is a very different moment for them than for the equally young man, who slumps down on a blanket a meter away, crouching on a blanket. The plastic cup in front of him is almost empty, maybe just two quarter-dollar coins in it. The cardboard sign is crumpled and almost in the same pose as the person, on which it can be read that he is homeless ... "Due to family and job loss ..." (Because of family and joblessness).

In another photo, we are directly looked at by a man whose eyes contain fear and pain as well as hope and comfort. Between his hooded sweater and his face you can still see the edge of a wool hat that keeps him warm. He, too - can be presumed - is homeless, but proud.

Two women walk in front of a large window in which the person opposite is reflected and talk. They ignore the happy dancing shadow sisters dancing around them as shop window decorations. "En Passant" would have been a good title, but all of Allen Bourgeois' work is "untitled".

The longer Bourgeois worked on this observation project, the clearer it became to him that these photographs are also a mirror of our society. They are snapshots - sometimes ironic and sometimes banal, often humorous but sometimes - like here and there - sad. Observations that may show us all how careless we are and who we are."

I added the photos Claus Friede was mentioning in his review.

That's an incredible accomplishment Allen and I'm sure it gives you a wonderful sense of validation - congrats! I do recall you mentioning something a while back but hat totally forgotten about the Hamburg show.

With no disrespect to my very talented POTN friends I feel there is a small group of people here who are very, very good at shooting in a narrative style. This doesn't mean that anybody else is bad. IMO it just means that these folks see the world and shoot in a style that has a greater depth in the SERIES of their images, that is visual story telling at its best. Allen, you are a great example of that!

sapearl wrote in post #18986349
That's an incredible accomplishment Allen and I'm sure it gives you a wonderful sense of validation - congrats! I do recall you mentioning something a while back but hat totally forgotten about the Hamburg show.

With no disrespect to my very talented POTN friends I feel there is a small group of people here who are very, very good at shooting in a narrative style. This doesn't mean that anybody else is bad. IMO it just means that these folks see the world and shoot in a style that has a greater depth in the SERIES of their images, that is visual story telling at its best. Allen, you are a great example of that!

Thanks Stu. It was quite an honor to have my work selected. My travel and hotel expenses were unwritten as well as the matting and framing of the prints.

Britania757 wrote in post #18512283
Fuji Gw690III
Ilford Delta 400
Epson V550
Havana, Cuba

Hosted photo: posted by Britania757 in
./showthread.php?p=185​12283&i=i241417517
forum: Urban Life & Travel

5 gold stars from me, what a capture, so much going good here , contrast of light and dark of the stairway, old man's gesture toward girls, one girl turned, just wow!

From archive

sapearl wrote in post #18986349
That's an incredible accomplishment Allen and I'm sure it gives you a wonderful sense of validation - congrats! I do recall you mentioning something a while back but hat totally forgotten about the Hamburg show.

With no disrespect to my very talented POTN friends I feel there is a small group of people here who are very, very good at shooting in a narrative style. This doesn't mean that anybody else is bad. IMO it just means that these folks see the world and shoot in a style that has a greater depth in the SERIES of their images, that is visual story telling at its best. Allen, you are a great example of that!

Hi Stuart,

Getting back to this thought. I think on forums rarely do things like bodies of work get seriously discussed and it is kind of a shame. In my opinion one good photograph no more makes a great photographer as one good at bat makes a great baseball player. In photography it is about bodies of work and all you have to do is look at the greats. If you are chasing the one good photograph then so many personal directions that could wind up as a great body of work that develops into a personal style might be overlooked.

To me the greatest compliment a visual creator can get is that people recognize a piece by that creator without looking at the signature. Things like composition and technique all become part of a personal way of seeing. The way an individual makes their personal visual statements.

As you know it is so important when putting a exhibit or a book that features a body of ones work together that images are picked according to how they are working together. Then when the project is actually being put together flow from one image to the next is working. Scale is also important as is presentation. All should be working and working together to help convey the over all statement of the creator. Where like pieces of a puzzle each individual piece works together to make a more important whole.

I remember reading something that was a lightbulb moment for me when I was a fairly new photographer and still studying it when I was n college. IIRC it was something Ralph Gibson said. He was working on a project and while working on this particular project he made what he believed to be a really strong photograph. When he finished this project that particular photograph was left out of the final body of work which wound up being an exhibit and a book. He said that he left the photograph out because it wasn't working well with the other images in that particular project. That photograph was what he called a point of departure and the start of a new project. I have pulled photographs from exhibits when I was down to the process hanging a show because they just were not working with the other pieces.

Like you I do not to dis any of the talented folks here on POTN. I agree that there are some that do have their own style. To me they are working on a level that is beyond things like rules and technique and have their own way of putting images together concerning all things including technique These photographers have developed their personal way of seeing. Getting to a point where everything like their own way of composing, editing and presenting are all complimenting what they are trying to say. And they have something to say which is key.

That's my 2 cents,
Allen

airfrogusmc wrote in post #18986407
Thanks Stu. It was quite an honor to have my work selected. My travel and hotel expenses were unwritten as well as the matting and framing of the prints.

Double Bonus - to have everything PAID FOR!! Although I think you meant to say: underwritten But I knew what you meant.

sapearl wrote in post #18986701
Double Bonus - to have everything PAID FOR!! Although I think you meant to say: underwritten But I knew what you meant.

Ha ha YES UNDERWRITTEN.