IN PASSING

Il Postino -  a love letter

So I was going to write about how you can never be taken to 'the road'. You have to find you own way there. No matter how sincere your intentions are, unless someone is ready to take that first step themselves, you may as well save your energies for your own work. So, I am saving my energy...

In passing

I recall the film Il Postino. More than a beautiful love-story. More than a postcard of the beautiful island of Sicilia, where I have visited many times. It is a story of bravery. Mario Ruoppolo want's better for himself. He is stuck in life. Life is passing him by. Through a chain of events he discovers life, and love, is wondrous. He becomes a postman, and his path crosses that of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and discovers poetry. Not having any understanding of the mechanics of poetry, he falls in love with words. He loves the sounds of words, and how they can describe life with metafore. While intoxicated with this new found love, he finds his heart's companion, the sultry Beatrice Russo. After loads of fumbling from our Mario, she is won over by his honesty and sincerity. Meanwhile a new poet is being created. A poet for the popoli. At this point you realise that creativity is something that can't be bottled up, kept on the back burner or put on the top shelf (sorry, got carried away there). Our Mario is swept away by this outlet for this new love. He produces a tour de force which sees him attending a political rally. Tragically he is killed during the crack-down by the authorities. His poetry lives on with his friends and loved ones, and his, never seen, son. A great movie, which I have watched many times... I guess I have to make my point here.

So, this story could be about anything you choose. I want it to be a romantic tale of the powerful tug of creating art. I want it to be about the knowing. The knowing that you do have a voice. You have a special voice, and you need it to be heard. We all have that voice. Some, sadly choose to ignore it. Some wait until it irrupts. We postpone it because it is scary, very scary. All it takes is a little courage... ok, plenty of courage. But it takes bravery to stand proud and say, this is mine!

I would like to celebrate all who create. No matter how insignificant or trivial it may seem, someone listened to that little whisper. And that is a good thing! It is a wonderful thing. So what if it's not to your liking. Say, well done, and move on. They have produced something. And that needs to be celebrated.

Thanks for taking the time to read some more ramblings of a die-hard romantic. Have a look at Il Postino if you get a chance (I am sure you can find a copy with subtitles). It is a beautiful film. And have a great week. A

Out of the Shadows

Being true to yourself

All well and good being true to yourself and your vision. But, man it's easy to find yourself pandering. And I mean pandering in a bad way! I find it really difficult to stop myself from making and posting images that don't have any context to what I want to create.

 

 

When catching up on the various communities, and seeing something that catches my eye, I tend to go to the persons 'home page' and have a wee gander. I feel that the majority of photographers out there try many different styles, too many different styles. And this dilutes that one good image. I am almost always disappointed at what I find. A great street image lost in a sea of macro flora shots. A great landscape lost amongst all the bad animal shots. A great macro shot hidden in an orgy of sunsets. We as photographers are a sad and insecure bunch sometimes. We drift from pillar to post without really being aware what is a good shot. At some point we should stop and ask ourselves, what do we really enjoy shooting? What is it that makes us happy to see on our photo stream? And when we have answered that, stick to it. Explore the genre. Enjoy the subject matter. Edward Weston shot peppers!! All kinds of peppers!! He went to market to look for interesting peppers, came home and became one of the best proponents of use of light this medium will know. He stuck to it when he needed to investigate.

 

I am not sure what would have happened if he were alive today, and had to deal with this crazy world of online sharing. But while photographing all those peppers, he became an innovative artist. He worked at refining his technique and vision. It took time to develop. And he endured all the self doubt because he had a vision and a goal. Well, the romantic in me would like to believe this. And he was sure that what he was doing was the correct thing for him to be doing. Now, of course I have no idea that it was like this, and maybe he was working alone in a cocoon. Or maybe he had lots of other on-going projects and influences. But I would like to believe that he was brave to tackle this subject and project and see it through' to it's logical conclusion. As I've said, I am not sure how he would have worked in this day and age.

 

But I am working in this day and age. To be brave and stick to my vision, I have to be stubborn. I have to believe that I desperately want to see where this road leads me. Everyday I have to say, yes. I have to yes to what I post. But I also have to be honest. I have to be brave and honest. 2 virtues in sad shortage these days. Or maybe I am just a bit of a megalomaniac. But maybe I have to be one. I have to say, yes! this is what I do, and I like it. And for now, this is who I am!

 

I am happy to have this opportunity to be this stubborn and be true to my vision. And be true to myself. Thanks all.

 

I can also be found at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/choose_life_hcb/

http://www.streethunters.net/streethuntersindex/listing/anton-fortein

https://www.facebook.com/anton.fortein?ref=tn_tnmn

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104126857963051978234/posts

 

 

 

Bardot of Mayfair

No rhyme or reason

Bardot of Mayfair

So why do I make images? More to the point, why do I share images that I create? I could very easily become like Vivian Meir or Gary Winogrand, (and I am sure there are many who are not as well known) with thousands of images unprocessed. This is easy!

 

 

 

 But I will share with anyone who cares to take a moment to look. I will admit that I do share less these days. I have tried to share at least one image per day since I started sharing online. And I still keep true to this, sharing one image per day. But something is changing. I feel I am becoming more critical of my own work. Some days I struggle to see the relevance of a post. I also never repost. That is another constraint I set myself. Once it is out there, I will not succumb to posting it again somewhere else. I post to mainly 3 sites (the Flickr, Goolge+ and FB) and now, here on this blog (were I will post a picture posted somewhere else)

 

I have a nagging feeling that I need to push myself to do something more collective (as a body of work). Over the past few weeks I have noticed my work is becoming a bit directionless. I enjoy being part of sharing communities and I have already learned so much being part of a few. And continue to enjoy the interaction. But I have found how easy it is to get sucked into the maelstrom of being in a community. It is all too easy to slip in that image that you feel (or discover, as I have) is sub-standard. I think my enthusiasm to share sometimes overpowers my sense of 'me' in the piece.

 

I think we should all, from time to time, take a moment to reflect on 'where' we are as an individual. And that is the paradox of sharing. Being true to yourself, and still be active in sharing yourself with a community.

 

Back to no rhyme or reason... I posted this image as a point to illustrate how you have no control of how your work is digested. My 'Bardot of Mayfair' was captured in a micro second of seeing her slide past the person in front of me. I was fortunate to have a camera at the ready. I fired off the shutter in the next half a second that I had. This image was posted on the usual 3 sites. Not much action on 2 of them. However on one site it is one of my most viewed images (over 9500 views) I really like this image, but why is it so popular on one site in the context of all 3 sites. No rhyme or reason...

 

Sorry, about this meander through my thoughts today. It's been very muggy and uncomfortable in London today, and I think my brain is just a bit too mushy to be very coherent.

 

Just a quick thank you for those who are taking the time to read about my meandering thoughts and feelings as my adventure continues down the road of art and creating art. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

 

I can also be found at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/choose_life_hcb/

http://www.streethunters.net/streethuntersindex/listing/anton-fortein

https://www.facebook.com/anton.fortein?ref=tn_tnmn

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104126857963051978234/posts

 

 

 

 

Dreaming of the ceile de Paris

Why try to copy the masters

Dreaming of the ceile de Paris

Why indeed? Why try to emulate someone who has succeeded in expressing themselves as you feel you wish you could? I find most people have a repulsion toward copying the masters. I just don't understand this negativity to trying to hone your style.

I think one of the main reasons is arrogance. Of course everyone masks it as modesty or a noble sense of respect of their idol. I am almost 100% sure that if, as in my case I try to emulate the style of Daido Moriyama, he became aware of my desire to 'copy' him, he would find it very amusing. No matter how many rolls of TMax I shoot, I will never be able to portray the world as he sees it. I can't see the world as he does! But, I like the 'words' and 'sounds' he uses to describe his world. I enjoy trying to find that sweet spot where he may have been when he created a certain look, and feel. I use the same 'words', but my accent is different. I have to find a way to use my own voice. I have to find a way to describe what I see. Even though we use the same words, we construct our sentences differently. I study others work, try to emulate them, to try to find my own style. I feel it is important to do this, as you need a starting point. It is vital to find your way. The alternative is to be lost in a wilderness.

Unless of course you are arrogant to believe that somehow after 2 or 3 years you have found your voice. In this modern age we expect to have a quick solution. We must have answers at our fingertips. Most masters started out studying past masters, for years in some instances. Only when they had mastered the basics of the language did they start moving toward their own truths. Of course there are a few prodigies. But for the remaining 99.99% of us, start at a place where the formulas have been studied and already defined and refined. There is no way I could ever copy any of Daido's work. I can however use his map as a starting point to finding my own way. And if I find myself traveling the same road has him, I will congratulate myself finding myself there, and then enjoy the view.  

Boredom

Me and my Ricoh GR1

Boredom

 

 

Yes! I will admit I am a very happy camper. Until now, I have not found any piece of gear that I feel at one with. Yes, it is a little point and shoot that was introduced by Ricoh in the late 90's. Yes, it is a film camera. Yes, it is auto focus, auto advance and has a little 28mm lens.

 

 

But, could I get this shot with a large DSLR? I could possibly get it with my mobile. And before someone starts a flame-war, I have no issues with using a mobile phone camera. Some amazing images can be had from a mobile phone camera, and some street photographers wield it to perfection. I do find my little point and shoot actually fits better into my hand, and is so much easier to use than a mobile phone. So ergonomically, it is an extension of me. I still need to iron out a few issues with usage though. But it's all a learning curve. I own this camera for about 3 months now, and I am very happy with it (sorry, I think I may have already said that)

 

Before I managed to buy this near mint version of the GR1, I was using amongst others, a Leica iiib, a Contax 167MT, an Olympus OM20, a Yashica Electro 35GT, an Olympus Trip 35 and a YashicaMat TLR. Yes, I still have these cameras, and occasionally I still take one of them out for a drive. But, the Ricoh GR1 has made itself home in my hand. With it I can create images that I want to create. I guess what I am saying is that it is important to find the piece of kit that works for you and what you want to create. Search until you find what you can push to do what you want it to do.

 

I read about so many photographers offering up excuses about the lens, or camera not being able to do what they had planned. Next thing they have a different camera (often a brand new camera) Have they taken the time to learn what the camera can actually do? Maybe it doesn't fit what they are trying to do. But at least use it for a couple of months... or look at what they are shooting and what they are trying to create. Most people get bored far to quickly with what they have, instead of learning to use what the have.

 

Hope you all had a good weekend, and best wishes for a great week ahead.

 

Time to Dream about driving Cadillacs

Are, Bure and Bokeh

Time to Dream about driving Cadillacs

 

 

Grainy, blurred and out-of-focus elements can be misconstrued as a bit over the top sometimes. Someone once said that my images look very different to many others'... I am not sure if that's a good thing or a bit of a side-swipe.

 

I replied that I can only make images that I feel are true to who I am. I make images that I want to see. I make images that I like. I have thought about the usual things like hit-counts, likes and +1s, but I feel I need to be true to myself and make images that I feel reflect my vision and my truth. My images are who I am. My images are about who I was when I pressed the shutter-release. My images are ME... and I am happy with that!!

I was lost in the city

Art and Fear

I was lost in the city

 

 

Why am I afraid? What holds me back from creating what I know I want to create? None of that 'fearing success or failure' for me I feel. It might all sound too esoteric or just good old semantics for some. But here goes...

 

 

I think what holds me back from pushing myself further is the nagging feeling that I has nothing to say. Wait, hear me out!
Ok, so I have a typical 9-5 job pushing a desk. I really enjoy my job, as difficult as it is. It does however drain me of energy, physical, mental, emotionally and spiritually. You see I think I am an artist. I know I am an artist! You see I create! I create images. In my books that defines me as an artist (I will include those who create under the umbrella of crafts) For me an artist sees the world, interprets and creates a representation of that experience. No matter how that final product is consumed. Sat on, eaten, viewed, listened to, or however it is used by the public (or oneself), it was created.

Now the nitty-gritty... To interpret something you need to have an opinion regarding the subject. What if your feelings and thoughts regarding the subject are just mundane, or silly, or just nostalgic and has no relevance in the world we live in today? What if what I have to say is just not important? What if what I have to say is seen as pretentious? How would I feel if my work is viewed as a waste of time? If I succumb to that nagging feeling, I have nothing to say.

So fear of saying something holds me back from saying anything.