Yesterday I received John Harper’s newsletter about his usual December TWELVE which concludes the current photographic year. A bit of pressure as it’s been a while since I’ve written and photographed too. But I also wanted to write this last Blog of this year because as you may have noticed, I have not been very active since July this year. I even feel like this year ended in July as far as I’m concerned… Anyway, I didn’t want to end this year without publishing a last blogpost!
Last week, for the first time in a long time, I spent some time in Saint-Denis. It was a strange feeling to be in the streets. It was crowded, but I wasn’t really comfortable and I was even rather clumsy! I felt like I had jumped back several months. Nothing is taken for granted on the street. This is the first time in 6 years that I have gone several weeks without taking photos. So despite the difficulties I experienced, I still enjoyed being in the city with my Ricoh GR3 on my wrist. Even if I haven’t been able to walk the streets yet, on Saturdays with a lot of people, it was quite busy with Christmas shopping. Here are a few photos I took last week.
If I had to make one resolution for 2023, it would be to go back to taking pictures a little more regularly. I still have this fear of not wanting to do it anymore. Not the fact that I’ve done the trick, because that would be pretentious after just six years of practice between Aix-en-Provence and Saint-Denis. But that it’s me who’s done it and that I’m no longer interested. In short, we’ll see. In the meantime I leave you with my 12 photos that I have selected for this year 2022. Even if my work was interrupted in July, it still represents this year. I wish you all a happy holiday season and I’ll see you next year!
TWELVE
Well you’ve still got it, rusty or not. I’d say last week’s session was a success. Cash Convert and Father Christmas are great.
The Twelve; I could look at them over and over again. Each image draws the viewer, they’re very sophisticated and complex photographs. Even if we took what at first glance appears the simplest of photos (the stairs, man and shadow) there’s a lot going on. The colours and geometry are sublime. The car/arm shot and the balloon/tree are possibly my favourites. Though the last one with the woman and hat could be. It’s difficult to choose, I genuinely like all of the selections. Impossible to pick as they’re such a high standard.
Don’t give up Jeff, your work is far from done! Happy New Year to you and the family.
I’m rusty. I can feel it and my body language on the streets don’t lie. 2023 will be, I hope a new beginning ! I might swich (again) for the Fuji XF10. I need to start from scratch and to be honest even if the GR3 was my main gear during 2022, I was always grumbling about his lame AF capability. I want to go back to Zone Focusing with the XF10. I will set it to f11 or f16 and I won’t care about the ISO. I want to capture moments at ISO 200 or ISO 25600. I won’t care as long as I can get what I want. It’s funny how my photography evolved. I looked at my old photos of 2016 and what I saw was dark black and white photographs. High contrasted one. I remembered showing some of supposed best shots to M.E Sweet and he told me that they were good but I had to let the light come into my photos. There was no point to hide in the dark. 6 years after I really think that his words were damn right.
How can you explain that we both had the lost of interest in photography at the same time ? Looks like Aix-en-Provence and Bath are more than twinned ! There might be some kind of more important link ! Or may be that’s because I went to Reunion Island that the link was broken and we were cursed !
Anyway, Like you, I’m willing to start 2023 with the resolution to get back on track !
I’ve spent years trying to avoid too much contrasty black and white, more greys are needed, get out of the shadows. We’re talking about photography right? I still haven’t managed to do it, no matter how hard I resist. Sweet is absolutely correct.
You jinxed us moving to Reunion. It’s a curse!! If you were still living in Aix then things would be so different. I would have visited Aix, my photography would have improved beyond belief. This year I’m going to blame you every time I take a crap shot…!
You can still come to Reunion! It will be a little more expensive ??
It’s always great reading, and great pictures, from your gr3, the fuji I always thought were flat, but your composition right on target! Look forward to more of your output next year! Be safe stay safe, take care your wonderful family!
I think that it depends how you post process your files. I have the tendency to saturate a little more my files to have more vivid colors. That’s what Streets of Reunion look like to me with the harsh light and the colorful population. All the best for 2023 John ! Keep shooting ans stay safe as well !
I always find inspiration from your work Jeff … On a personal level I really hope you keep sharing your work here during 2023, and that you rediscover the joy of street shooting. Happy New Year … Buon Anno from Rome!
Hello Deborah, I wish you as well, all the best for 2023 ! Hope that the Chinese releasing hundreds of new variants won’t ruin our efforts to end the Covid Crisis :/
I need to force myself to get out and shoot. I still enjoy and love the beauty of fleeting moments but what I was fed up with was the time spent on the streets and may be that this personal crisis was the kickback of the Covid Crisis. I went through these 2 years without experiencing any change in my Street Photography. May be that now, it’s payback time !
Well I really want to start this 2023 year with the resolution to be back again!