INTERVIEW EXTRACTED FROM BOOK

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1- Thank you for asking me for the interview. I do not work in the photography industry. I am an amateur photographer but my involvement and immersion with photography is at the level of a full-time job (without responsibilities).

 

I began photography at a serious level at the age of seventy when I wandered into The International Center of Photography in NYC without a plan and stayed there for about ten years enrolling in as many courses as possible. After a few years focusing on portraits and studio lighting, I discovered street photography and realized that it was a perfect fit for me. As a child and quite some time thereafter, I was very shy and instead of being with others, I would walk around on the streets alone observing people. In a sense, I had begun street photography early in life but without a camera. I did have a camera and took a few pictures as early as age eight, but I never stuck with photography until over a half a century later. Once I began street photography about twelve years ago, I was totally addicted and have a constant urge to pursue it.

 

2- When I began street photography, I did street portraits with permission. That was followed by candid street portraits with context, and finally my style developed into street scenes with multiple people, interaction, and layers.  I seem to be drawn to busy complex photos that fill the frame. I rarely achieve good complex photographs, but the quest is always there. It occurs to me that there is some history that may explain my attraction to “busy” photographs. I have no art education at all and have rarely been exposed to art (family dynamics accounts for this.) However, I arranged to have two posters of paintings hanging in my room as a child. One by Bosch and the other by Dali. Both were complex and full of stuff throughout the frame. I have a hunch that this informs my photographic preferences.

 

3- My greatest strength as a photographer is persistence. I believe that truly worthwhile photos are rare and the constant pursuit to achieve one is addictive. Street photography is mostly about failure and the possibility of a worthwhile photograph in the context of primarily failure, is a recipe for addiction. I prefer to call it “persistence”. Another strength is consideration of context. This “strength” may be a weakness as well because I sometimes get too involved with composition at the expense of content.

 

4- Choosing locations to photograph is simple for me as I rarely travel, and since the pandemic, I have not been anywhere except close to home in New York City. In Manhattan, where I live, I photograph in the usual haunts of street photographers. I believe that the subjects in my pictures find me, in a sense, rather than visa-versa. The more I actively search, the less I see things. I am a big believer in letting it happen.

 

5- Almost all my photos involve people. I love a good landscape or cityscape as much as anyone. However, I am constantly drawn to looking at people.  I have always been fascinated by people, first as a child walking the streets and later in my profession as a clinical psychologist.

 

6- Somewhere along the way in my development as a street photographer, I started to lose interest in attending primarily to individuals and started to prefer broader scenes with multiple people involved. I believe that was always my primary interest, but I lacked the skill necessary to perceive multiple things at the same time. I believe doing so is a more complex perceptual act. Fortunately, the camera is a partner in achieving this sort of perception. I am constantly amazed at how frequently the camera “sees” things that I don’t see. To give myself a bit more credit, maybe my vision is largely unconscious (as opposed to attributing perceptual power to the camera). There may be a technical element that helps. I used a 35mm prime lens for many years. A few years ago, I started using a 28mm lens. The wider lens enhances the possibility of multiple people and layers in the photograph. Of course, altering vantage point can achieve the same thing.

 

7- Staying inspired and motivated to create new and unique images is built into the process. By this I mean that I am pulled along by the hope of creating an exceptional photograph and the possibility of a meaningful series. I will repeat what I said in a previous interview. (As with photos, writing tends to get repetitious).

 

In Ernest Hemmingway’s short novel, “The Old Man and The Sea”, the old fisherman says: “My big fish must be somewhere” and “It is silly not to hope”. I feel like the old man and the street. The hope of a worthwhile photograph around the corner keeps me going. The act of photographing may be a sufficient motivating force regardless of outcome. Looking and seeing something that perks my interest and the feel and sound of pressing the shutter are pleasant sensations and is an enjoyable activity in and of itself.

 

8- It is not for me to say what sets my work apart from other photographers. I often feel that I am merely one more street photographer creating photographic clutter. I do have a photograph of a family on the subway that has won lots of acclaim (“Q Train”, 2019). My subway series apparently is noteworthy too.

 

9- The biggest challenge I face is the tendency to take a variation of the same photo over and over. It is difficult to do something new and different. Another challenge which may be more unique, is that I began serious photography late in life and as I age further into the middle eighties, the physical aspects of photographing become more difficult. I can no longer chase after potential photos in the distance. Instead, I rely more on finding a spot with an interesting background and good light and waiting for the picture to emerge.

 

10- The photo “Soho” was chosen as a winning photograph by TDM in 2021. I try to title my work by location only so as not to plant ideas in the viewer. However, this image could have been titled, “Waiting for Kate Moss” The celebrity model was about to emerge from a hotel. Paparazzi gathered as their network revealed her location. I joined in but soon I realized that I couldn’t get close enough with my wide-angle lens among the long lenses of the hoard of photographers. I intuitively recalled that the great street photographer, Garry Winogrand, sometimes turned around to photograph in the opposite direction from the point of interest. I did that and pressed the shutter without more thought. The camera did the rest.

 

11- As I mentioned previously, candid street photography is primarily about failure. Achieving a handful of truly worthwhile photos in a year is the best that can be hoped for. I often compare street photography to a sport. In almost all sports, failure is more common than success even for world- class athletes. Slumps occur with the very best in their given sport. That is true for street photographers too. It is easy to get discouraged after a day of shooting results in zero photos worth showing. That is inherent to what we do though. What feels like a slump, is practicing street photography. Realizing that, enables me to go out with my camera day after day and that is essential for any kind of success.

 

I just used the word “success”.  That can mean many things. So-called success can be enjoying being outside, enjoying the thrill of not knowing what may be seen at any minute, getting a good picture, the feeling of shooting, winning a contest, and not to be ignored, friendships made by belonging to a community of photographers.