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Mike Peters interview on Cinemafia Photography
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"Street photography is very approachable, the best practitioners tend to be people who discuss their work plainly, and thankfully without resorting “art-speak” or academic jargon. It looks and sounds easy, so anyone thinks they can do it just by walking around and taking random snaps of people walking towards them on the sidewalk.
A lot of what I see on Flickr, though popular, is not really well informed or particularly interesting. Far too many of the people posting on Flickr have no idea of any of the work that was done long before they were born, or started shooting, they seem to have no point of reference, so it’s hard for them to know what they’re doing in any context as to what has been done. Not that today is any different from 30 years ago, we just get to see it all online instead of having it stuffed in shoe boxes under the bed where much of it belongs. Probably much of my work, too.
There is some good work there, but you really do have to sift through it, if you have time. I’m just as guilty at not being especially selective with my own work. I use Flickr as a place for my initial scan selects from contact sheets. Not all of those will make the grade, but I get to live with them, and a bit of feedback, and to see how long I can stand looking at them and whether they will make it to my web site, or to the trash." - Mike Peters
Mike Peters
Originally posted at 1:41PM, 29 November 2010 PDT
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bryanF. edited this topic 18 months ago.
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Very nice! very down to earth!
Posted 18 months ago.
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good interview.
from the current photography that i'm exposed to, i think he's doing some of the most important stuff out there.
especially when it comes to nyc-centric shooting.
his body of work is going to mature into something very special
Posted 18 months ago.
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I like his take on flickr.
Then again up to the 60's many of today's revered photographers were working in their own bubble, no international agencies, academics or foundations etc.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Interesting debat Bryan. But your point of view may be very questionnable.
I'd like to quote Stuart: ( from Guardian ):
Another sphotographer Matt Stuart tells me: "People say street photography is somehow old-fashioned and cliched, but, if that's the case, so is portraiture or sports photography; you might even say so is photography itself. Sure, we're recording the everyday world in much the same way that street photographers have always done, but times change and things move on, and street photography is a record of that at ground level. That is why it is so important to resist calls for it to be banned or controlled."
So what is really the point? Must we invent a new framework to be "registrated" as Sphotographers? It may be much more simpler. SP's framework has been fully described in the 60' and 70's. So, most of our street shots look like what has already been done before, look "old-fashionned". I am not sure it's a question of reference.
Posted 18 months ago.
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@FredLM: Um, that's a quote from Mike Peters, not me.
Posted 18 months ago.
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fuck. Did not see the quote :) So replace "your" by "Peters'" ^^
Posted 18 months ago.
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Yeah, not really clear with the block quote I guess. Should use italics.
Posted 18 months ago.
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It's not about reinventing street photography, or claiming that one way of working is out dated, I never said that. Yes, street photography has a look, but in the end, just assuming that style is not enough to make it interesting. It's form without content.
I do think it is always a good idea to be well informed about the history of whatever endeavor one is involved in so as to be able to accurately asses where you are in relation to what's been done, that's all.
We are all singular beings with disparate backgrounds that thoroughly inform who we are and how we see the world. I believe tapping into that individuality has the potential of making what we do unique, and frees us to work within the framework as established by the "masters", or invent one of our own. Add content to form, strike a balance, or make them fight, but one without the other is just dull. One should have something to say and find a way to say it in a way that is all one's own, and distinguishable from the work of others.
The fact is, HCSP rejects much of what is submitted, so I think my argument that a lot of what is produced these days just doesn't hold up is validated every day by the administrators of this group.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Has mike peters got any shots in the pool?
Originally posted 18 months ago.
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benroberts edited this topic 18 months ago.
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*snort*
Posted 18 months ago.
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Well, I have one...
www.flickr.com/groups/onthestreet/pool/87476996@N00/
Posted 18 months ago.
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A true HCSP Classic.
Posted 18 months ago.
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nice one mike, i was making sure, just in case this thread took a turn for the worse.
;-)
Posted 18 months ago.
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hey mike - what do you think of wayne lawrence's work? i like both your work and his.
waynelawrenceonline.com/
Posted 18 months ago.
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Thanks Ben. I like Wayne's work, he certainly has a strong visual style, when combined with his appreciation and empathy for his subjects, it make his images quite powerful and well suited for the editorial market. I can see him doing quite well commercially.
Our styles are quite different, his use of flash and predisposition towards posing is the opposite approach of my natural light and spontaneous don't ask / don't pose approach. I usually just see someone I want to photograph, stand in front of them and wait for them to look at me. Sometimes I'm engaged in a conversation and will make an image in the middle of it. On a rare occasion I will ask, but it depends on the situation.
Posted 18 months ago.
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james.morris [deleted] says:
Mike: interesting to discover you were doing LF street photography before this work -- is any of that online?
Posted 18 months ago.
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Is now... www.mikepeters.com/early/index.html
This is from 1978 to 2000, all 4x5 color transparency.
Posted 18 months ago.
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How about Erica McDonald living in Brooklyn, near me actually? She also likes the square format. She does portraits, some posed, some not.
Here is a nice set:
www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com/#/new-york-city/surf-manor-adu...
Of course the rest of her website is there too.
Check out her Park Slope portraits, right in my neighborhood, I have seen many of the people here IRL she has portraited in this set:
www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com/#/new-york-city/park-slope-bro...
Originally posted 18 months ago.
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shveckle edited this topic 18 months ago.
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Oh yes, I know Erica's work and am insanely jealous as to how amazingly good she is. She does everything well and manages to imprint her point of view on landscapes as readily as people in the street or on a white background.
I'm also quite taken with Amy Touchette's work, another neighbor of yours. www.amytouchette.com She shoots on the street too.
However, we are all quite different despite the similarity of our format.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Thanks for the link to the early work Mike, really enjoyed going through them this morning with my coffee.
Posted 18 months ago.
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james.morris [deleted] says:
Yes, very nice stuff.
Posted 18 months ago.
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That early stuff is really nice. Thanks for sharing.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Mike. Don't win an award mate.
Edit. Looking forward to seeing your Lf stuff tomorrow.
Originally posted 18 months ago.
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two cute dogs edited this topic 18 months ago.
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I'd have to enter something in order to win something.
I've sworn off contests and portfolio reviews. If people like what I do, then fine, I'm happy with that. However I'm not going to pay so I can beg for acceptance or praise, nor do I need direction or ideas from someone with their own agenda about what I'm doing based on 20 pictures in 20 minutes of knowing me. It's never been very productive in my experience. The photo-industrial complex has gotten out of hand IMHO.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Well said. Think if instead of spending money on reviews and contests, photographers bought self-published books and zines.
Posted 18 months ago.
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Bryan, you mean a better investment would be self-publishing or supporting other self-published works?
Posted 18 months ago.
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Sure.
Posted 18 months ago.
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