What to Photograph: Try a Photojournalism Approach to Your Neighborhood

Photo from "If this street were mine" / Raphael Alves

Raphael Alves can give us all a great deal of inspiration. The photographer, located in Manaus, Brazil, undertook a project to begin photographing his neighborhood. His approach is classic photojournalism, capturing secret moments, candid action, and hidden beauty. But capturing what is real and what is in your face, should one only happen to look closer. There is colorful lyricism in today's featured video outlining Raphael's project and showcasing some of his beautiful work.
 

In our photography courses at the New York Institute of Photography, we often stress that the everyday makes for extraordinary subjects. If tourists from abroad were to visit your neighborhood for the first time, they would photograph every single detail. It would all be startling, exotic, and new to them. What you might not fully appreciate because of your daily exposure will intoxicate others. So learn to look with fresh eyes at your surroundings. Pretend that you're a tourist in your own community, if that's what it takes to see your world from a photographer's perspective.
 

 
 

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

I'm a Fan of Photographer Darnell Scott

Darnell Scott, Photographer

 I'm always on the lookout for photographers who produce images that draw me in and engage me. That recently happened when I came across a video interview conducted by photographer Darnell Scott. Scott's winning style and embrace of multiple from genres, from street and fashion to skateboard and landscape, takes a fresh "why not capture it?" curiosity with the world, and he's an articulate representative of the profession. In his modest words, "I bring optical promise."
 
 

Street photo, Darnell Scott
 
 

 

Skateboard moves, Darnell Scott
 

 

Top and bottom fashion, Darnell Scott

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do. WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

3 Photographers, 3 Black-and-White Portraits

Black-and-white images are arresting and timeless. Both contemporary and older b&w images have a timeless quality, and they immortalize faces, expressions, and personalities. I've selected a few portraits that particularly spoke to me, each by a gifted photographer.

Photo by Chim (David Seymour)

David Seymour began taking portraits of children orphaned during World War II, as in the above example of a little girl scribbling on a chalkboard. Her haunting, mature look gives us a window into her soul. Seymour, known by his pseudonym Chim, went on to take celebrity portraits.
 

Photo by Weegee (Arthur Fellig), 1960, "Marilyn Monroe"
Arthur Fellig, known professionally as Weegee, was a scrappy street photographer who captured many crime scenes, general street scenes, and celebrity portraits. The above photo of Marilyn Monroe was shot using an elastic lens which distorted her features, a technique he used on different occasions with his celebrity portraits. His technique emphasized Marilyn's playful personality, and turned her classic beauty into the zaniness of a funhouse mirror reflection. 
 

Photo by Robert Capa, 1936, Barcelona boy, Spanish Civil War

Robert Capa was a photojournalist who documented numerous wars, and sadly lost his life in 1954 in Indochina while on assignment, stepping on a landmine when he got out of his Jeep to get a better shot of the advance of French troops. He had made this earlier comment: "This war is like an actress who is getting old. It is less and less photogenic and more and more dangerous." Capa's 1936 portrait of a boy during the Spanish Civil War captures the innocence of childhood, forever changed by the harsh realities of wartime.
 

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

Video Pick - Chicago Street Photographer Interview

Photo by Jason Martini Photography

Jason Martini takes client portraits - the kind of formal portraiture and candids many photographers take (visit his website for examples). But we found this video interview with Jason, and it's a great video portfolio of his street photography, his philosophy, and reactions of others to having their pictures taken unawares in public places. Photojournalism and street photography fall under 1st amendment freedoms, by the way, and are protected for photographers. No permission is needed, nor signed releases required for images taken in public places or public venues published online or offline in the United States (crossing over from artistic to commercial use for your images is another matter). Click here to read more about rights issues for street photographers, but realize that you should always get advice from a legal authority for specific cities, states, provinces, countries, and public venues where you'll be taking pictures (use common sense and street smarts, too).

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

Our Best Flower and Heat Photo Winners

In our fifth and sixth Top 10 Photos post, we did a Web image search on the word "flowers" and "heat," respectively, and chose 10 of our favorite images for our blog followers and fellow photography enthusiasts to vote for. Well, we're excited to announce that almost 900 of you voted in our Top 10 survey. Many thanks for taking the time to register your vote with us, and not to mention making this our most popular photo vote yet! Here are the top vote getters for both surveys - and congratulations to all of our Top 10 photographers. Click here to view the original Top 10 Photos in our flowers competition. And click here to view the original Top 10 Photos in our heat competition. Another Top 10 Photos vote will be coming your way soon ....

Flowers

Photo #1 (tie): Purple Hydrangea Flowers by Jagna Birecka

Photo #1 (tie): Hibiscus and Iris by Brad Rickerby

Photo #2: Blood and Hydrangeas by Kala

Photo #3: Flower Pot Baby by Ali Mocabee/Souriant Designs 

Heat

Photo #1: Camilla Akrans beach scene

Photo #2: Siesta by Brian Furbush Photography

Photo #3: Heat Wave Open Hydrant by Mechy 

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]