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Interview With Petach

Thank you Pete for your time, patience and energy for participating in the interview.
I'd like to invite any questions or comments from the membership. Please post on this thread and every effort will be made to address those questions and or comments in a timely fashion.

Thanks also to Pavel for providing the resources for this forum and it's content.
Don
 
Pete, another question.
Do you notice a difference in your thinking and approach between the street stuff and the tripod stuff.
 
Hi Don, Yes....the tripod makes me stop and think more. As I undo the legs I look at the intended subject, place it carefully so the head points the right way (despite it being a pan head) I am careful to level it. A little while ago I used a monopod for street and it just didn't work. I was missing stuff through placing carefully. For me, street is get the shot no matter what, it's immediate, bang, bang, no matter how skewed, how contrasty....or dark just get it and hope to rescue later if necessary. Tripod work is more like being a sniper. Paitence pays.

Street has to be like that for me. My left hand tremor is pretty bad and affects my shooting hand...so it has to be snap function....raise your arm, fire immediately.....no time to frame. Tripod requires the use of a remote trigger or timer. I cannot press the button right handed now as the tremor does get through. If I have no tripod when using the big guns, I crook the 70-200 across my raised elbow (like Bond shooting his pistol) set it for fast aperture/shutter and fire before tremor gets too bad. I have about 2 seconds to shoot before tremor become uncontrolable.

Even typing is difficult. My left hand beats out a different tune on the keyboard, so backspace, delete, correct is a regular ritual for me and Mr Right Hand.
 
Hi Peter -

Good to see that the thread has been re-opened. Like I mentioned in another post, I really enjoyed this interview and the sincere introspective character of it. Thanks, Peter, for sharing your thoughts about your journey in photography, and thanks to Don for the initiative and interesting range of questions.

I'd also like to ask you something, Peter, if it is not too personal. I like to ponder about what motivates people (including myself) and makes them connect to the things they do in life, try to understand what seems to be the core feeling or thought that is somehow the "central station" of the mind, if it can be described like that..

Do you think there is a connection between your choice of profession (police work) and your choice of photographic subjects? Yes, faces and people interest you - but why? It looks like the moment you had with the photo of the hooded guy, was sort of an "aha!" moment - when you suddenly realized that a situation that you had previously considered in a certain way (guardian of the law), turned into something else that enabled you to look upon it from a different perspective...maybe one with a certain type of beauty, or benevolence, as opposed to what you were used to before.

In order to give you an idea of what I mean, I can only say that for me, I think getting into digital photography happened because I was looking for a way to connect to the beauty around me, after realizing that the question of beauty is one of the most mysterious there is. So this is what mostly influences my choice of subject matter- perhaps trying to hold on to some of this elusive matter...

So what do you think made you specifically enthusiastic about "people watching" that transformed into people/street shots?
 
first of all Quester....thank you for your kind words. What motivates me? wow! Hard too answer that one. I often felt motivated to do all sorts of things, but the reality interfered with the vision....ie too much like hard work to achieve the aim. I'd loved to have been a drummer but wanted to drum without learning paradiddles (or whatever) I wanted to drum like Baker, Bonham etc. I wanted to draw or paint, but the discipline wasn't for me. I am an avid people watcher, as is my wife. We can sit an a cafe for ages weaving a fantastic story around people we see. AS for my cop background, I liked reading people, sizing them up before the interview as a suspect, preparing the ground, researching etc. So.....street photography seemed a natural extention to people watching. Why didn't I think of it before? Not enough time on my hands maybe.

The meds play a significant part. This is particularly so in respect of behaviour...ie addiction, compulsive behaviour etc. Thankfully for me (and for my wife) it comes out as photography. I think about it every day, I do it every day.......and wished I had done it before now. I am positive I am a changed person through photography....more thoughtful towards others, more human, softer and more rounded, less arrogant......I see things differently to how I saw 2 or 3 or 10 years ago. More accepting of traits in others than I may have been as a cop.

I think being a cop in the past helps my eye because it is so hard to become blase about your surroundings.....you scan everything, everybody as you walk, board the bus or train....looking for the threat. Now, my scanning is more benign.

Thank you for your interest....I hope I have answered.

Regards and respect

Peter
 
petach":1al2hm9p said:
I am an avid people watcher, as is my wife. We can sit an a cafe for ages weaving a fantastic story around people we see.

Now that's interesting. I know someone like that, and I think that this is a remarkable characteristic. It probably adds a dimension of imagination as you use the camera.
Thanks again for the openness and interesting story.
 
I too want to reiterate this addition to the Ricoh Forums and Peter being the first interviewee. I have even more appreciation for your work Peter now that I know more about your personal life and every day challenges you have. It seems the Ricoh camera "snap" function is a God send for you and find your work helps motivate me to try to get a little closer to people on the street in my travels.

Look forward to seeing your future work.
 
thank you also Duane for your kind words and encouragement. I must say that although my condition affects the way I manage my photography, I am still in pretty good shape in comparison to .....say....Ali or Michael J Fox. It is more of a frustration....an impediment....at the moment. I want to do and learn as much as i can about this fantastic art before the rot really set in. hopefully i may have years more to enjoy it.

regards & respect
 
This interview thing turned out like I expected it to bee: Interesting, personal and straight. Thanks a lot, Pet. I hope to see more of your pics in the future. They are always an inspiration.
 
Thank you Kum, great to know people enjoy looking at my own input.

by the way, i love your shot of the stacked chairs behind the lady sitting and texting. Takes a good eye to see the possibilities and translate.

regards & respect
 
You are always welcome, Pet.

Let me add one more question, if you don't mind. I'm always struggling with editing my pictures. As I see, you are very productive in this. How do you decide which one is good enough to be shown, how do you choose the keepers?

Do you aim at the audience? Have you got the future viewer of you pictures in mind while selecting pictures? And one more: Have you got a future viewer in mind, while taking them?

Cheers -

KUM
 
What an interesting question! To be honest, I thik I take pictures for me, for my own satisfaction. But then....if that is the case.....why do I post them on Flickr and on this and other forums? Is it to seek praise or share experiences, is it showing off?

I lik to share my shots with like minded people. It doesn't bother me if I receive no comments, but it is nice when someone takes time to do so. I don't bother showing them to those who have expressed negative views about street photography..no point.

Keepers? decision? Easy. It's a bit like a book. I take a book at random, open it at random and read a paragraph. If it resonates with me....I buy iy. The photo I shoot has to say something to me....if it doesn't I trash it. Sometimes I don't even know what it says, but it says something.

I try to edit sympatheticaly, to suit the mood (mine or the scene? don't know) to wring every ounce or gramme of emotion or interest out of the photo.

In terms of my landscapes/night shots.....I am ruthless in trying to sell them :0)

Thanks for making me answer this question. It actually challenged me to think of "why".

regards & respect

Pete
 
petach":3ehi4k97 said:
Sometimes I don't even know what it says, but it says something.

Hahaha :D You made the point!

Well, having future viewers in mind ... Hm ... Make me think too ... There definitely is a deeper relationship between you an the audience. It's not to obey them ore to please them ore anything else like this. And it's not this "like it", "amazing", "excellent" kind of commenting, we are expecting from them. It's just: To whom do I tell the story I'm telling here with my pictures? There definitely is a kind of audience-influence in our way of taking pictures. You would tell your wife a story in other words than your grandchild, wouldn't you?

Hm ... still thinking ...
 
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