Article Dedication
in Honor of
Frank Tartaro & Bob Pace
Two Greats from the Dye Transfer Printing Era.
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A good interview with Susan Meiselas…style can’t sustain you.
Backup link:
As far as style can’t sustain you? Projects can sustain you, at least they sustain me.
I’m bored with photography…that was what a film shooting, photo forum member posted a while back. He said he wasn’t shooting much, maybe a roll of film every few months and was losing interest in photography. It is hard for film to compete with digital in our instant world. I’m an old film photog from the 1960’s and shot film for many, many decades. But I am not into ‘the process’ for jollies…I just want the iconic photo brought in by the best and easiest means possible.
I used to be on the APUG film forum until they threw me out. Seldom did I see AYTHING great ever come out of that forum. The film fondlers were in love with the process, not the result. Since this bored photog does not produce anything worthwhile, he has to put his pride in saying ‘Hey…look at me, I shoot film.’ (The camera fondling digital photogs are not left out of the ego battle even if they don’t shoot film. Their chant…‘Hey…look at me, I shoot manual!)
The bored photogs problem is that he has no reason to shoot. You can only get so much satisfaction in saying ‘I shoot film.’ Especially if your reality is; you seldom do shoot film. It does not matter if you shoot film or digital, Â having a great project is very important to the photog. A project gives a photog direction and purpose. A project can showcase the photogs talents. Many great photogs are known for landmark projects they have done. I’d advise any bored photogs to find a project and devote themselves to it.
In my own photo life I seldom shoot anymore unless it IS for a project or to put a shot into a institutional collection or my portfolio. I can’t afford wasting time shooting stuff that will go nowhere, just no time to fool around. Even if I stopped taking photos today I have 3+ years of photos I have not even looked through yet and tons of artist’s books to finish.
A complete list of artist’s books by Daniel D. Teoli Jr…
https://danielteolijr.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/artists-books-by-daniel-d-teoli-jr-2/
My photo problem is not boredom, it is the opposite. Too many projects and a lack of time. If I wanted to shoot the garden variety, camera fondler photos, like they have on the photo forums, I could shoot day and night 7 days a week. So, how is there any time to be bored when it comes to photography?
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Street photography is like fishing – you can put in the time and still not reel anything in. So, I have a number of projects that I shoot off the cuff to keep me pressing the button through dry spells.
A little known book, Smokers and Sleepers was done something along these lines.
http://www.amazon.com/Smokers-Sleepers-Photographs-Mallmann-Catalogs/dp/093290002X
One of my boredom projects is shooting people while yawning candid. It is good practice for fast shooting a yawn does not last very long.
Shot with infrared flash.
Only problem with people yawning is they seem hard to come by.
Kissing is another area that can produce some nice photo ops while on the street.
…I’m not that fussy about what they are kissing either…
People pointing is another good subject for fast shooting.
I have lots of pointing pix, but don’t want to put them in here. I don’t want to sign my name to them online since they will dilute my portfolio of good work. They are something you would find on your average photo forum and nothing special. I shoot em for fast shooting practice and out of boredom.
Further reading:
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From Girls of the Beat Generation
https://danielteolijr.wordpress.com/2016/04/21/girls-of-the-beat-generation-artists-book/
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