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	<title>Street Life - This Photography Life</title>
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	<title>Street Life - This Photography Life</title>
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		<title>Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/havana-through-my-lens/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=havana-through-my-lens</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2020 03:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thisphotographylife.com/?p=2545</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It was early March and the weather in Havana was lovely: warm, but not too humid, breezy in the mornings and with occasional rain showers in the early afternoon. The city was exactly as I had remembered it from a few years ago: noisy, colorful, full of light and life that seemed to have frozen in time. As I stepped onto the streets on the first day of my fourth visit, I was hit with a faintly perceptible nostalgia. The scenes so familiar from the past unfolded before me. Classic cars wheezed by, occupied by happy tourists and their stylish chaufeurs, the smell of cigar smoke permeated different corners of Havana Vieja and the on the Malecon locals and visitors alike strolled lazily along the boardwalk’s impermeable sea wall.   Perhaps that is precisely why Havana appears so charming to those who visit it: it doesn&#8217;t change all that much through the years. While I don&#8217;t doubt that living in Cuba is a challenging endeavor on many levels I cannot help but feel love and nostalgia for the people and the country. I am also grateful for the plethora of photographic opportunities present on every corner. Having visited Cuba, and specifically Havana, a few times at this point, I can confidently say that the city is one of my favorite places for street photography overall. The combination of beautiful light, colors and shadows along with the contrast of grand yet dilapidated buildings makes for some of the best opportunities to capture emotionally evoking photographs. I consider it an especially fantastic place to start in street photography. If you are a novice who still feels shy and unsure about capturing street photos, Cuba is the place for you. Let me prephase the next part of this post that I do not necessarily consider myself a &#8220;pure&#8221; street photographer. While I photograph on the streets a lot, and even though my has work been featured in street photography exhibits around the world, I don&#8217;t consider myself an elitist of the genre by any means. Over the past several years street photography, in my opinion, has come to symbolize specific type of images where quirkiness, mystery and perfectly organized chaos prevail. My photos tend to be much more simple than that. Nonetheless, just like in any genre of art, there will be a variety of artistic expression represented. So let me share some street photography thoughts in general and how photographing in Havana can help you make the best images possible. Of note, this most recent visit to Cuba was one of my last travels for a while&#8230;As soon as we returned back home at the end of that first week in March, the Covid pandemic hit the world at full force and became a harsh new reality. It didn’t feel right for me to talk about the visit or post photographs from the trip as everyone struggled with illness and anxieties of the unknown. But now I find myself reliving the memories and finally going through the photographs I had taken then. It was the very first time I photographed solely with a wide angle prime lens and doing so was quite an adjustment from my usual shooting style. Nonetheless, I am happy to share some favorite images here.  Cuba, you will always have my heart.&#160;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/havana-through-my-lens/">Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/havana-through-my-lens/">Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Photographer Spotlight &#8211; Sofia Sebastian</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/photographer-spotlight-sofia-sebastian/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=photographer-spotlight-sofia-sebastian</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2020 01:50:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spotlight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thisphotographylife.com/?p=2460</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Hi Sofia! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I am so glad we got to meet last year, during the Miami Street Photography Festival, where you were one of the speakers. Can you tell us a little more about who you are, where you are from and what you do? You’re welcome! I love your blog and I’m honored to be part of it. Miami was amazing and meeting you and Sonia was one of the best parts.&#160; I am originally from Madrid but now I live in Washington DC. I studied international relations in college and right there I knew I wanted to travel and live in different places. I came to the US to continue my studies, then moved to London to do a doctorate, worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and end up back in the US for personal reasons. For the longest time I was a library rat.&#160; 2. I noted that you have a background and education in economics, social science and foreign affairs, but I mainly know you as a fantastic street photographer! What was the journey like for you, going from unrelated fields and into street photography? How did you get started in this particular field? What is it about street photography that draws you in and compels you to photograph it? My first encounter with photography happened when I was 15 years old. There was a TV show in Spain that played classic movies and featured a debate with prominent experts in the field that thoroughly discussed the movie every week. I probably spent more than 500 nights watching these films. I fell in love with&#160;movie masters such as F.W. Murnau, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Francois Truffaut, Luis Bunuel and many others.&#160;I didn&#8217;t know at the time but the visuals from these movies became embedded in my brain. Instead of following this early passion of mine, I went on to pursue a career in political science and international relations. It was much later that I discovered my love for street photography.&#160;After a year of waiting for my security clearance for a state department job, I got restless. When a friend asked me to join him in a street photography workshop I didn&#8217;t hesitate. I have been hooked ever since. For me, street photography is about exploration – I love getting lost in cities and experiencing the street. But it is also about the chase and the reward. It’s about bringing it all together and creating something new that is meaningful and unique, it’s about that split of a second that brings together a beautiful or mysterious moment.&#160; 3. You are the first female photographer I had gotten to know personally who has young children. What are some of the challenges you face as a mother and photographer? Does being a parent help you create stronger visual work? If yes, in what ways? It is a bit challenging sometimes. When I started doing street photography theone thing I kept hearing was that you should do it everyday. I knew that that was not going to work for me. But then I realized that you have to adjust your practice to your lifestyle and to your personality. You have to do what feels right for you. There are no rules. Before the pandemic, for example, I would do short trips to New York, alone, so that I could be fully focused on photography. No distractions. I really enjoyed that. But with the pandemic I’m not sure when I will be able to do that again.All in all, it is undeniable that having kids poses some extra challenges in terms of finding time to photograph but it is a challenge I accept and try to make the most of it. I have started to find ways to incorporate my kids into my street work, which is exciting for me.In terms of how being a parent may help create stronger visual work, I am not sure. Maybe it makes you more productive when you go out because your time is limited. Perhaps I am more focused. Maybe. Although I also have really bad, unproductive days like everyone else! 4. Your photographs often depict a wonderful play of light and shadow and carry an air of mystery to them. Are there any particular elements you focus on that help you achieve this type of look in your work or do you leave it more to chance? Is any time a good time to photograph the streets or is it better to preplan a little bit? I do love how light can turn ordinary situations into something extraordinary and unique. I know a few places in Washington DC and NYC that allow me to play with light and shadows and I go back to these places quite often. Generally speaking, I tend to look for interesting light arrangements and wait for something to happen like I did in one of my black and white pictures of the train station in Washington DC. But often times I simply walk and leave it to chance.&#160; When I started photographing the street, I would go out at any time during the day. But I became obsessed with good lighting to the point that I only go out when the light is most beautiful, that is at the end of the day. I realize this is a mistake and I am trying to address it. Now, I take a camera with me wherever I go, just in case. There’s always an opportunity for a great picture just around the corner! 5. How has the pandemic and subsequent quarantine affected your creative process and your photography? Not being able to take pictures on the street, did you find yourself shooting at home or did you put your camera away altogether? The pandemic has been incredibly challenging in so many respects. For the first couple of weeks I couldn’t function. I was paralyzed, trying not to think about the implications of it all. I was also worried about my family in Spain, one of the hardest hit countries, so I was in a constant state of anxiety.&#160; But soon things started to look like a new normal. And the photography community became very active right away. I joined a couple of initiatives and started to feel inspired by other photographers taking pictures during the pandemic. I took my camera. My kids were home with me so I couldn&#8217;t go outside but I turned my camera to them. The work that I have done during the pandemic feels very personal and very different from my street work so I have not shared a lot. I don&#8217;t even know if these pictures are any good! But I have really enjoyed being creative in a different way. It has also kept me motivated during this difficult time. 6. Are there any particular projects you are currently working on? Or do you have any in mind that you&#8217;d like to materialize sometime in the near future? Before the pandemic I was working on a project on and off about social fragmentation in urban spaces. I am fascinated by the business of everyday life in big cities, but my interest in this series was driven by the sense of chaos. In these pictures people are competing for a space that I create with my camera. The characters are not interacting with each other; they are mostly engaged with something that happens outside of the frame. But the common denominator is that there is an element of distress. I use the deep contrast provided by light and shadows to accentuate the drama. I like to get very close to people so I am not sure when I will be able to resume this project. I enjoy doing different things to keep myself motivated so it may be good to have a bit of separation from this work and explore other venues.&#160;&#160; More recently, and before the pandemic, I started taking pictures during my outings with the kids, which I would like to turn into a series, but this is in a very early stage.&#160; All in all, I still prefer to go out on the street with no agenda and see what kind of photographs I can make. I like to experiment and be surprised. I have been using some flash lately to create more drama in my images but I’m still pretty clueless about it. The results have been for the most part unexpected, which can be good and very bad sometimes!&#160; 7. What is your best advice for someone just starting out in street photography? What is the one thing you&#8217;d like them to know and focus on? Go out and discover the magic in the street, with no pressures, just for the sake of exploring like it is completely new to you. Practice as much as you can and learn from your failures and successes. Study your pictures and think about the common elements that interest you and then shoot more.&#160;Once you become more familiar with your own style and triggers, you can start looking for them in advance.&#160; If you can, get some feedback from a street photographer you like or trust. Try to join a street photography photo walk or workshop, if there are any in your city. These are great opportunities to hone your skills, meet other photographers, create a community, and get valuable feedback.&#160;&#160; Most importantly, study and review the work of the masters of street photography or other artists you like. Look for guidance and inspiration in them. Ask yourself what pictures you like best and try to understand why (so that you can better understand your own work). At first, it is ok to emulate what others have done or are doing. It is helpful to learn from others’ bodies of work, methods, and techniques. But ultimately, you have to follow your own path, develop your own methods and your vision, and adjust street photography to your lifestyle. It is not easy and it will not happen overnight but I believe this is the ultimate goal, to make the process of shooting and the pictures you make your own.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/photographer-spotlight-sofia-sebastian/">Photographer Spotlight – Sofia Sebastian</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/photographer-spotlight-sofia-sebastian/">Photographer Spotlight &#8211; Sofia Sebastian</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Tips and Ideas on Photographing Strangers in New Mexico</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/shooting-in-new-mexico-and-how-i-finally-got-over-my-fears-of-photographing-strangers/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=shooting-in-new-mexico-and-how-i-finally-got-over-my-fears-of-photographing-strangers</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thisphotographylife.com/?p=1075</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As I’m beginning to write this, my suitcase still lies unpacked in the hallway and the photos from the trip’s last day of shooting sit unloaded on a memory card in the slot of my camera. The few days immediately after any trip are slightly chaotic, as I try to fight off jet lag, catch up on chores left behind and start my regular work schedule, which can be quite taxing on the body after such a blissful break from the ED. But nonetheless, I always want to get back on my feet as soon as possible and share my photos with everyone who visits my blog and social media. It’s exciting to talk about my travel and relive the memories all over again. Isn’t that precisely the point of all photography anyway? To capture fleeting moments in time that will never happen again, at least not in the exact same way or form and to relive them days, months and years later? Maybe that isn’t the onlypoint of photography, but a huge part of it anyway. My travels this time took me to Taos, New Mexico to a photography workshop with the great Harvey Stein. Harvey is a street and people photographer from New York City and even though his style of shooting is quite different than mine, he is a wonderful teacher and his workshops have a lot to offer. I have never been to New Mexico and wanted to see it through photographer’s eyes. I have heard many positive things about the place and I was really curious to check it out for myself. The workshop was based in Taos, an artsy town full of galleries of every kind and surrounded by Sangre de Cristo mountains. It’s located close to the Rio Grande river gorge and many hiking trails of various levels of intensity. I was told Taos has been the gathering place of numerous artists, writers and photographers over the years…I believe this to be true; the creative energy there is palpable on every corner. Throughout the week we not only explored Taos, but also ventured beyond its borders, driving along the High Road with its stunning views of the mountains and valleys below, visiting small towns and churches on the way and continuing as far as the road to Santa Fe. There were many photographic opportunities, including landscape, architecture and people alike and the light never disappointed. My wish is that I had more time to explore New Mexico and to follow its scenic routes toward places like White Sands and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. New Mexico has so much to offer and I’ve only so far touched the surface. As much as I’m a nature lover, I have always been most passionate about photographing people. I didn’t know what to expect, but the trip turned out to present plentiful opportunities for people photography. I don’t think I have ever taken portraits of strangers on my home soil of America, something I consistently do when I travel abroad. However, this time I knew I had no real excuses, because I had to present street portraits for a critique with Harvey. And this is where I discovered something fascinating about myself: I have actually overcome my fear of photographing strangers on the street! Over the years of learning photography and experimenting with different genres, approaching strangers for a portrait has always been the one thing giving me tremendous anxiety. I have missed hundreds of opportunities for a beautiful portrait simply because I was terrified to ask. During my very first workshop years ago with Joe McNally, I got a taste of what it feels like to photograph strangers on New York city streets. Joe was very encouraging and made sure we approached somebody for a picture; anxious, trembling and with sweaty palms I realized that the task at hand looked much scarier than it actually was. But even then, years later I still faced dread and apprehension when making street portraits. It wasn’t until my first workshop with Harvey in Miami, followed by my Cuba workshop in Santiago when I finally forced myself to put my anxieties behind. After all, I had to have images ready for my critiques and I think that was the biggest motivating factor for me: produce images of strangers, however bad, or face the humiliation of being the only participant without any work to show. The first argument won. During the time I started to embrace photographing strangers on the street, I have gotten rejected many times. Sometimes the rejection was outward obvious and rude, sometimes a little embarrassing and sometimes kind and apologetic yet firm. Sometimes I pressed on a little more, but most of the time I respected people’s choice not to be photographed. I used to get discouraged with every rejection, but it no longer deters me. I realized that rejection has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the person making the rejection. Maybe they are having a bad day, maybe they don’t trust strangers, maybe they are worried what will be done with the photograph after. And I totally get it. I have had those same judgments at one point or another. Most important thing to remember is that rejection is not a reflection of you or your work. It’s just simply a rejection, not something to be pondered over for hours or overly rationalized. You smile politely anyway and you move on to your next subject. I know many photographers who don’t ask for permission when shooting; I am just not one of them. I try to think of how I would want to be treated in a situation like this and apply it to others. I believe asking is simply the right thing to do and can many times result in a stronger photograph as you make a connection with that person. Some say when you ask a person to “pose” you lose the genuineness of the moment. Perhaps you do and there is a place and time for this type of photography. But when you try to make a portrait, I believe the best thing to do is to ask and allow this person to give you a part of themselves in the process. My best photographs have come out of a brief but honest interaction I’ve had with another person and the connection we made in that moment of time. To me, that is priceless and beats a “candid” portrait many times. So to summarize, here are a few suggestions for photographing strangers: Be open about the fact that you want to make someone’s photograph; sneaking around may make you look suspicious and less trustworthy Let someone know that you’re in the process of learning photography or that you are working on a specific photo project. That often raises their curiosity and they are more likely to help you in this endeavor. A line I often use is “I’m a photography student and I’m working on a project of photographing hundred strangers on the street. Would you mind if I take your photo?” I have had a really great success in my approach this way. Once a person agrees to be photographed, don’t be afraid to move them against a more flattering background. The way I look at this is, they are generous with their time and you owe them the best possible photograph you can take. And that sometimes means having a background that compliments rather than distracts from the portrait. The same rule applies for taking multiple photos of the same person from different angles and at different focal lengths. Take one “standard” shot, but don’t leave it at that. Move around, get closer or further, zoom in or out. Take at least four to five photos and trust me, you’ll be so glad that you did later. To pose or not to pose is an individual creative choice, but most important thing is to not force anything that feels unnatural to you and your subject. Sometimes people are looking for direction and I will provide it. Sometimes very subtle changes in the angle of the head or the positioning of the hands can have a big impact on the overall feel of the photo. Execute what feels right to you and what fits your overall creative vision. In the end you’ll be rewarded much more than when strictly following some ambiguous rule. And please, have fun in the process! Remember that rejection is a normal part of this process and has nothing to do with you – it’s about the person’s state of mind at that moment or their attitude towards photography in general. Rejection is not the end of the world nor should it be discouraging. Thank them anyway and move on; you’ll quickly forget the rejection once you get ten other people to agree for every one who doesn’t.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/shooting-in-new-mexico-and-how-i-finally-got-over-my-fears-of-photographing-strangers/">Tips and Ideas on Photographing Strangers in New Mexico</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/shooting-in-new-mexico-and-how-i-finally-got-over-my-fears-of-photographing-strangers/">Tips and Ideas on Photographing Strangers in New Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>South Africa: Making Photographs in Langha Township</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/south-africa-reflections-part-i/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=south-africa-reflections-part-i</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2018 21:30:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thisphotographylife.com/?p=955</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>We stepped off the bus and grabbed our luggage. The flight to Cape Town from Johannesburg’s Tambo International Airport was scheduled to take off in a couple of hours. The group scattered about collecting their belongings and chatting happily away. Waiting to get into the airport’s terminal, I looked off to the side and caught his eye. He was a young boy of maybe fifteen years old, standing reservedly to the side, holding a large clear bag in his hands. Inside were a few plastic bottles he has been trying to collect. Our eyes met briefly: we gazed wordlessly at each other until I looked away, feeling a wave of emotions sweep over me. Thoughts raced through my head, but I had nothing to add to his collection. In this moment I felt sadness, guilt and shame, all at once. Sadness for him and his unfair start in life. Guilt for not being able to help him and shame for all the days of my western life where I failed to appreciate how incredibly lucky I am to have been given all the opportunities along the way.We didn’t stay long on this tarmac of the terminal and the boy quickly moved on to search for bottles elsewhere, but his gaze and his expression stayed with me long after. Even now, writing this story, I can vividly recall the deep sadness and apathy of his expression. Here I was on this wonderful trip, traveling in a country rich in natural resources and popular for tourism and I was not able to shake the feelings of partial dejection. Why was that? The more I saw and the more I learned about South Africa, the more I realized how deeply it can get under your skin. The country is definitely hands down one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its geographical location, diversity of natural habitat, rich history, and warmth of the people who inhabit the land are rarely matched to other parts of the world. However, South Africa is also one of the most heart breaking places you’ll ever visit. The disparity between the rich and poor is evident on every corner. The wounds of apartheid and racial segregation run extremely deep and there are no easy fixes for the problems that exist here. You cannot talk about South Africa by choosing to stay at the expensive hotels, eat at the fancy restaurants and at the same time ignore the poverty found on the outskirts of its cities. The upscale South Africa is built for the rich, but this is only part of the story. There is so much more that runs through the veins of this land and it is an injustice to deny otherwise. During my visit, I had the privilege to see and experience both. We stayed at the fancy hotels, but also visited the poorest parts of Soweto and Langa townships. We ate at the upscale restaurants available to the tourists, but also spent an hour in line at the local Middle Eastern eatery just to get a taste of local curry. I delighted at being able to photograph the rugged coastline of Cape Town’s beaches and the wildlife of Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg, but my favorite photos are of the people who live in the toughest conditions and still manage to do so with dignity. In this part of my South Africa post, it’s precisely those images I’d like to share with you. I chose to present them in black and white, something I do not normally do (although black and white is one of my favorite photographic mediums). For comparison, you can see some of those images in color on my Instagram page if you’d like. For reasons I cannot clearly explain, I felt compelled to show this part of South Africa in black and white. Perhaps my creative choice hints at the bigger problems that plague this beautiful and dignified land. I don’t know. But I do know that despite all the current hardships, South Africans look into the future with hope. Recent political changes sparked a wave of cautious optimism and the increasing impact of tourism brings with it the anticipation of improved economic conditions for all. As long as we, the travelers, are willing to look at the whole picture, and not just its individual parts.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/south-africa-reflections-part-i/">South Africa: Making Photographs in Langha Township</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/south-africa-reflections-part-i/">South Africa: Making Photographs in Langha Township</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Santiago de Cuba: Street Portraits that Moved Me</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/santiago-de-cuba-street-and-portraits-that-captured-my-heart/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=santiago-de-cuba-street-and-portraits-that-captured-my-heart</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2018 14:11:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thisphotographylife.com/?p=894</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The sun was hovering just above the horizon when we approached the tiny fishing village on the banks of the Caribbean Sea. A few shy but curious youngsters approached our group of five and studied our faces intently. A woman dressed all in pink came out to greet us with a smile. ‘You’re lucky,” she said in Spanish, “the fisherman caught a shark today. They are cleaning is right now on the dock.” Our excitement over the photographic opportunity that this presented grew immediately. We walked the narrow dirt path a little further in and a picturesque scene opened up before us: three fisherman side by side, each cleaning a chunk of a newly caught fish, their silhouettes illuminated by the setting sun&#8230; The sky was just starting to blaze with faint shades of orange, the waves of the sea calmly lapping against the shallow shore. We got to work immediately, shooting from all different angles, chatting and laughing with the fisherman all at once. A few more villagers came to watch the spectacle of our group of gringos, strangely excited over their daily catch and their little boats ready to be docked for the night. But we knew this to be a very special moment – to be able to witness and photograph a glimpse of life on this enchanting island that was for so long closed off to its largest neighbor. The light, the people, the quaint atmosphere surrounding us came together to create the rare opportunity to be a part of something bigger, even if just for an instant. I felt excited and at peace all at once and at that moment I knew that this, this was precisely where I was supposed to be and do exactly what I was doing. In this moment, the rare feeling of being aligned with the universe and with my greater purpose came over me like the tranquil waves lapping against the shallow shore. I was on my third trip to Cuba and by far this was my best. I traveled to Santiago, located on the eastern part of the island as part of Peter Turnley’s photography workshop. I didn’t really know Peter before this, but I was familiar with his work and I knew that he was exactly the teacher I was looking for. It was also a trip heavily focused on portraiture and street photography, which is something I am always looking to make more of and improve on. It was definitely a perfect fit for me. For six days I spent my time photographing in one of the most picturesque places in the world, mentored by one of the finest photojournalists in the world who pushed me to go beyond my doubts and self-imposed limitations and helped me see the world in a new way, translating that into my photographs. I was surrounded by kindness and light and hospitality from people I barely knew, but who were willing to open their hearts and help me create the images I wanted to create. I’m proud of the work I’ve made and I have been waiting eagerly to share it. I did something different this time – I created a slideshow of the best images instead of just putting them into this blog post. I also added music. Cuba has taken a very special place in my heart. I feel lucky that I live so close to its borders and I’m planning on seeing it again. If you’ve ever had any doubts whether you should take the leap and visit the country, I highly encourage you to do so. Cuba to me is an absolute visual delight, to say the least. It’s a place of no doubt many hardships and adversities and life for its inhabitants is not easy. Yet despite all that, the spirit of Cuba and the Cuban people shines on every corner and invites you in. I feel honored to have been able to experience it again.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/santiago-de-cuba-street-and-portraits-that-captured-my-heart/">Santiago de Cuba: Street Portraits that Moved Me</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/santiago-de-cuba-street-and-portraits-that-captured-my-heart/">Santiago de Cuba: Street Portraits that Moved Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Art Basel mania!</title>
		<link>https://www.thisphotographylife.com/art-basel-mania/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=art-basel-mania</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Megan Kwasniak]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Dec 2017 00:54:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Street Life]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thisphotographylife.com/?p=615</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in Street Photography Festival as part of Art Basel Miami, a once a year ginormous art fair that gathers artists from all over the world. Although this is my fourth year living in south Florida, I have not really participated in this amazing event until now. I’ve always known about it, but for some reason I did not venture out to explore it. A few months earlier, however, I had signed up for a photography workshop with Harvey Stein, a renowned New York based street photographer who has published several books and whose work is well known in the street photography world. I’d signed up for this particular workshop, because it promised a heavy emphasis on people photography and as you guys already know, I love photographing people and I’m always looking for ways to improve my technique. The workshop was part of the Street Photography Festival and Art Basel Miami. Looking at his work, Harvey has a very different style of shooting than what I’m used to, but I must say, I am so glad I took his workshop because I really learned a ton this weekend. Mr. Stein is a great teacher and gives you lots of individual space to work with while at the same time providing constructive critique on the final results. For three days each morning, a small group of us gathered in a classroom to go over some techniques on people photography and to discuss philosophy behind portraiture in general. Afternoons were for shooting and the next morning we had a critique session on our seven best images from the day before. It was an intense workshop, but also very gratifying. From the beginning I had decided to get out of my comfort zone and try different techniques of shooting to get my creativity flowing. Sometimes doing things the same way over and over again can really put you in a creative rut and prevent you from reaching your highest potential. This time I committed to doing things differently and uniquely from my usual style. It wasn’t easy, because our natural instinct is to always fall back into what feels comfortable and familiar. However, I gave it my best shot and and I even agreed to using flash! Which I never do…But I ended up having lots of fun with it and will start using it more often, as I’ve found out it can be very rewarding to experiment with all kinds of light. Unexpectedly on my part, Art Basel turned out to be an amazing experience. We shot lots and lots around Wynwood area, where most walls were covered by some pretty rad graffiti done by artists from all over the country and abroad. It was people watching heaven. Lots of colorful make up and outfits ideas, crazy hairdos and gaudy jewelry and most importantly, lots of very unique personalities strolling down the streets. Everyone who came to Art Basel did so to express themselves creatively and to network in what can sometimes be a pretty exclusive art world. I went there to work, to find the most creative personalities around and to convince them to let me photograph them. Thankfully, the atmosphere was pretty welcoming for this type of endeavor. Most people agreed immediately and some even approached me and my classmates asking to be photographed. So if you are looking to sharpen some of your people photography skills and want to overcome shyness in approaching strangers, I highly recommend visiting Wynwood during Art Basel week. I promise, you will not be disappointed and will leave at least a little bit more confident in photographing complete strangers on the street. I’m super excited to share some of these images with you. Enjoy a little part of Art Basel Miami as seen through my eyes. As always, let me know what you think and feel free to share my blog with your friends. And don’t forget to visit me on Instagram @megankwasniak where I post most of my work on daily basis. Till next time friends… Thanks so much for visiting.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/art-basel-mania/">Art Basel mania!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com/art-basel-mania/">Art Basel mania!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.thisphotographylife.com">This Photography Life</a>.</p>
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