Hyde Park
photography
the magazine made by photographers thinked for the photography addicted
MONTH'S THEME
street PHOTOGRAPHY INTERVIEW WITH
MARKUS HARTELand ERIc KIM FELIX LUPA ANNA MONTUORI DARIO DUSIO IAN BRUMPTON LUCA NAPOLI LUIGI ZEZZA LUCA FARINELLI PAOLO BOLOGNA MASSIMO NAPOLI MARCO MARASSI SAGI KORTLER GARY GUMANOW SERGE BOUVET LUIS A.DE JESUS ED HAWCO JIM WICKS LUKAS VASILIKOS MADDALENAZAMPITELLI JANE MACNEIL OMAR BIAGI BIAGIO DE GIOVANNI RAFFAELLO FERRARI SARA NICOMEDI
index 4 editorial
FELIX LUPA
6 ANNA MONTUORI
interview with MARKUS HARTEL
DARIO DUSIO
IAN BRUMPTON
10 LUCA NAPOLI
street photography and pop
LUIGI ZEZZA
PAOLO BOLOGNA
MASSIMO NAPOLI
12 LUCA FARINELLI
the best camere for the street
14 MARCO MARASSI
SAGI KORTLER
interview with erik kim
GARY GUMANOW
SERGE BOUVET
ED HAWCO
JIM WICKS
LUKAS VASILIKOS
MADDALENAZAMPITELLI
JANE MACNEIL
OMAR BIAGI
BIAGIO DE GIOVANNI
RAFFAELLO FERRARI
SARA NICOMEDI
LUIS A.DE JESUS
18 NACHO LOPEZ, the hystory instigator
web site - http://photo.rivistahydepark.org email - redazionehydeparkphoto@gmail.com ART DIRECTOR - MArco Savarese photo editor - alessio coghe
20 the troublemaker
editorial assistant - antonio borghese cover photo - ian brumpton REGISTRATION TO THE COURT OF NAPLES CON IL N. 66 DEL 28/09/2009
REDAZIONE hyde parkPHOTO@GMAIL.COM
EDITORIAL
alessio coghe
W
hen Marco contacted me to talk about the project HYDE PARK PHOTOGRAPHY I already knew that it would have been a success, especially considering my previous contacts and collaborations with him as photographer and columnist of HYDE PARK, the free press magazine from which this new editorial challenge stems and in whom I figure as photo editor. The minute I accepted, I thought: this is the chance, one in a lifetime, to create the magazine of my dreams, the one which I have always wanted but have never found in a bookstall! The project is ambitious: to offer a magazine that talks and focuses on photography in terms of language and form of art that “writes with light”. Art, of course. When we talk about photography we often forget that we’re talking about a form of art, and this unfortunately holds true even more for Italy where, with the exception of a few cases, specialized publishers consider photography nearly exclusively in terms of updating potential readers on the latest photographic equipment and camera models found on the market, instead of publishing articles that talk of the “daguerreotype” or of important personalities like “Henri Cartier Bresson”. The end result is that readers who are not interested in buying a new camera will end up with a magazine full of articles that are not of their interest. This is where our idea stems from: the creation of a photography magazine done by photographers and for photographers, both at an amateur and professional level. Our intention is thus to offer a magazine totally open to the collaboration of readers giving care to the final product by offering a magazine of quality and, equally important, that is novel to the market. The editorial and market needs impose us to keep pace with time so that the magazine will also have a web interface. Also communication has changed since the advent of internet and this will be taken into consideration by HYDE PARK MAGAZINE in its way to propose itself to its readers and collaborators. We have an internet site that presents the magazine well and functions as active instrument in terms of presenting the product as well as functioning as interchange between the editorial staff and our readers/collaborators. From a personal point of view, my role as photoeditor and supervisor of the proposed projects is a role that is involving me a lot and will continue involving me constantly also in the future. This implies contacting the possible photographers who we want to involve in the project of the month: the magazine will have a main theme on which we will build our planning and selection of photographers and columnists. Behind this project is an editorial board focused on selecting and choosing the theme and contents offered to readers month by month. Inevitably, my work and that of the editorial staff implies rejecting many projects that do not correspond to the quality and standards of HP Photography and this is necessary to be credible at an international level. We expect that who proposes to publish for HP Photography is not a professional photographer, but rather an amateur or experienced photographer who has the need and will to be known and to be able to present his/her work in an effective manner. In these past weeks I have had the chance to analyze many portfolios, some being incredibly valid projects others appearing instead more like a scattered bunch of photographs put together but disconnected one with the other both in style and contents. We will have the chance to go back to this subject in a later issue as my intention is to prepare an article strictly focused on the tips to consider in the presentation of a photographic or image portfolio/project. This said and going back to our editorial choices, I would like to underline that we will not for bias automatically exclude to publish articles that talk of camera models and photo equipment within the magazine but will however try to talk about these subjects using a different approach, focused maybe on where the market is going more than classically reviewing a certain product tested. So we start from here, certain that this editorial adventure will take us far. We believe in this project and in its potential and are sure that we will capture the heart of many readers and collaborators willing to get involved in a magazine of quality done by photographers and devoted to all those having a passion for photography.
4 4 ||editorial EDITORIALE
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FELIX LUPA
FELIX LUPA
street photography www.felixlupa.com ukraine
HP PHOTOGRAPHY | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
FELIX LUPA
HP PHOTOGRAPHY | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
ANNA MONTUORI
ANNA MONTUORI
street photography http://flickriver.com/photos/annamontuori italy
HP PHOTOGRAPHY | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
ANNA MONTUORI
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markus hartel street photography http://www.markushartel.com
INTERVIEW WITH MARKUS HARTEL
6 | INTERVISTA A MARKUS HARTEL
HP PHOTOGRAPHY | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
W
hen we thought of this first issue and has been accepted my proposal to dedicate to street photography, immediately my mind is stroke to Markus Hartel and the idea of interview him. I know virtually Markus for several years, and sometimes we have to discuss in the various platforms where we meet online about hamburgers in the street of tour respective city or about web initiatives, up to the photography of course. I know him as kind person extremely helpful and courteous. His affability, confirmed during this interview, is a lesson in humility for photographers all over the world, and he is for me - but i’m not certainly alone in thinking this - is the greatest contemporary photographer.
Hello Markus, thank you for your time and sharing your expertise and experience with us. Can you tell us a little bit about your background before you came to New York? Tell us how you got started with street photography. Thank you for inviting me… I have a professional background as a typesetter, one of the remaining old-school graphic and print designers. I remember using my grandma’s rangefinder camera for family pictures and I always had an interest in photography, but never photographed in the streets until I moved to New York, which was a great inspiration to me. How do you work are you a photographer in constantly moving, looking for interesting scenes or do you find a backdrop and wait for people to fill it? What’s your approach to taking photos in the streets?
Normally I’m not very patient and can’t stick around in one place for a very long time. I need to keep moving to keep things interesting. Tell us about your project Americans 2010… The idea of traveling the US by public transportation sounded romantic at first, but was incredibly hard to do within a short timeframe and a very limited budget. I have done quite some interesting work in the Northeast and in the South, especially New Orleans, and I hope to get back on the road soon. The economy has been unstable for some time now and it shows anywhere one goes. How much more difficult has your street photography become in these last years, with the increased suspicion over photography in public places? There certainly is a heightened awareness of photographers in public, but I also must say that upcoming street photographers need to be aware of their surroundings and should never forget to shoot with a courteous attitude in mind. Do you think the public have become more paranoid about photographers too? The public gets driven by the media and is generally more aware of photographers in public. How important is gear to you as a photographer and what are you shooting with at the moment? What do you think is the “ideal” camera for street photography? The camera is important on a subconscious level, and one should use what feels right in their hands. After shooting with a lot of different systems, I keep going back to Leicas, because rangefinders feel right to me. photo.rivistaydepark.org | 7
markus hartel
Leica, overall. Why? They’re simple cameras that get the job done, computer aids and autofocus tend to be counterproductive for my work, with some cameras I like to use aperture priority though. What do you think about the mirrorless camera systems? The 4/3rd system does have potential, paired with the right lenses, and image quality gets better with every generation that comes out. Finally manufacturers have learned that one can cram only so many pixels on a sensor without degrading image quality. What is one of the most memorable street shots you have taken? I personally love the subway motion studies and have a huge 60” print in my living room. In your website there is a section with great tutorials. I’m talking about the section LEARN FROM MARKUS… Thank you. I love to share my knowledge – feel free to send questions my way and I will publish tutorials around them when I get a chance. You are born in Germany. How much is important for you a city like New York for your photography? I grew up in a pretty rural area in Germany and coming to New York inspired me tremendously – there is so much to discover at any time of the day. How much do you thank the smoke in New York City? The smoke is a very characteristic “element” in NYC during the winter, and I’m absolutely fascinated by the visuals it presents. Tell us one tip you would give to aspiring street photographers… Act natural in your environment, as if you belong there, don’t try to “sneak” a picture.
Additional quick questions:
MAIN CAMERA: LEICA M9 PREFERED LENS: 28MM ELMARIT POST-PROCESSING SOFTWARE: ADOBE LIGHTROOM 3 FAVORITE LIGHTING: NATURAL LIGHT, ESPECIALLY DURING OR AFTER RAIN ONE CHOICE: BLACK AND WHITE OR COLOR? BLACK & WHITE FILM OR DIGITAL? DIGITAL FAVORITE QUOTE RELATED TO PHOTOGRAPHY: I PHOTOGRAPH TO FIND OUT WHAT SOMETHING WILL LOOK LIKE PHOTOGRAPHED A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE PAST: GARRY WINOGRAND A CONTEMPORARY STREET PHOTOGRAPHER: BRUCE GILDEN A LIFE WITHOUT PHOTOGRAPHY IS... UNINSPIRING FAVOURITE BOOK: “CHOKE” CHUCK PALUHNIK FAVOURITE MUSIC: REGINA SPEKTOR 8 | INTERVISTA A MARKUS HARTEL
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DARIO DUSIO
DARIO dusio
street photography web: www.dusio.net italy
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DARIO DUSIO
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IAN BRUMPTON
IAN BRUMPTON street photography www.ianbrumpton.com UNITED KINGDOM
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IAN BRUMPTON
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LUCA NAPOLI
LUCA NAPOLI
street photography www.flickr.com/photos/luca_napoli italy
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LUCA NAPOLI
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redazione hyde park
10 | street photography AND POP
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STREET photography AND pop PHOTO by andrea bancone IF YOU SEARCH ON THE WEB FOR ARTICLES CONCERNING THE HISTORY OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY YOU HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ALL START FROM THE ORIGINS OF THE “GENRE”, RANGING FROM STRAIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY TO DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND REPORTAGE. CORRECT, BUT IF I ASK YOU TO GIVE ME AN EXACT DATE CORRESPONDING TO THE ORIGIN OF THIS PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE, WHAT WOULD YOU REPLY? I BELIEVE THAT TRUE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WAS BORN IN THE ‘60S, IN THE YEARS WHEN IN AN EMBLEMATIC CITY SUCH AS NEW YORK CITY (UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED AS THE CAPITAL OF THE GENRE BY JOEL MEYEROWITZ E MARKUS HARTEL) THERE HAPPENED TO BE AN INTENSE RE-EVALUATION OF REPORTAGE. LEE FRIEDLANDER BUT ESPECIALLY GARRY WINOGRAND FOCUSED ON THE INCONDITIONAL CAPTURE OF IMAGES OF CITY LIFE (FAMOUS IS THE PORTFOLIO ENTITLED “NEW YORK” OF 1963). IN PERFECT CONTINUITY BETWEEN REPORTAGE AND THE NEW BORN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, LEICA ACCUSTOMED A FETISH CAMERA TO CAPTURE SCENES CONTAINING SUBJECTS THAT WERE UNCONCIOUSLY PHOTOGRAPHED, WITHOUT GIVING ANY IMPORTANCE TO THE PREPARATION OF THE SCENE OR POSING OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SUBJECTS. WINOGRAND AND FRIEDLANDER TOOK AN ENORMOUS QUANTITY OF PHOTOGRAPHS (IN THE ORDER OF SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS),
GAINING A TRUSTFUL AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT BY THE GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION; IN TERMS OF EXHIBITIONS, THEY WERE BOTH FREQUENT GUESTS OF MOMA, IN PARTICULAR IN 1967 - TOGETHER WITH DIANE ARBUS - WITH THE EXIBITION ENTITLED “NEW DOCUMENTS”. STEET PHOTOGRAPHY MIXES WITH POP CULTURE, AND THIS IS TRUE TO THE PRESENT DAY WHERE OFTEN PICTURES THAT OBTAIN THE GREATEST SUCCESS ARE THOSE THAT REMIND US OF THE MYTHICAL ERA, MAYBE EVEN SIMPLY BY A PAIR OF SUN GLASSES FRAMED IN WHITE OR BY THE FACE OF AN AGED WOMAN WITH FLUFFY HAIR (ALWAYS RARER TO COME ACROSS NOWDAYS). THIS IS ALSO THE REASON WHY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IS OFTEN IN BLACK AND WHITE. SOMETHING TO REFLECT UPON... AND STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, IN MY OPINION, HAS THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN LEVEL OF AESTHETICS, LEAVING THE FREEDOM OF LANGUAGE TO ANYONE WHO HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO EXPLORE OTHER MOODS AND MENTAL FACADES, EVEN TOWARDS THE MOST FUTURISTIC OF BEINGS. BUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WILL ALWAYS INEVITABLY TAKE SOURCE FROM THE POP CULTURE, BECAUSE THE CITY AND METROPOLIS IS POP, THE IDEAL JUNGLE (ALTHOUGH NOT THE ONLY ONE) FIGURING AS PERFECT LOCATION FOR SNAPSHOTS BY THE STREEPHER.
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LUIGI ZEZZA
LUIGI ZEZZA
street photography www.flickr.com/photos/luigizezza italy
HP PHOTOGRAPHY | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
LUIGI ZEZZA
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LUCA FARINELLI
LUCA FARINELLI
street photography www.lucafarinelli.org italy
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LUCA FARINELLI
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redazione hyde park
THE BEST CAMERA FOR THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO BY AMOS FARNITANO
A
n important premise: the art behind street photography is not to take a beautiful picture, but to take a significant picture. Contents is at the core of street photography and often the best way to reach this core is to focus on the essence of the photograph more than on its technical quality. Thus, good street photographers, or streephers if you wish, tend to use literally any technical device. This is what is nice about street photography: some use their iphone, others a proper reflex camera, others still toycameras (such as Holga, Diana and plastic derivates). A prerequisite of street photography is to use a camera that is portable and compact, the ideal cameras for street being light in weight and discrete (the less you are seen, the better). The great masters of reportage belonging to the past analog era used to use cameras that still to the very day have a reputation that borders on myth, in spite of the predominance of digital. We will start our discussion from analog cameras, and then pass on to point-and-shoot
cameras to conclude our article on the new mirrorless devices.
ANALOG CAMERAS The best analog cameras for street photography are rangefinder cameras, such as Leica M or Voigtlander Bessa, with lens of optimal quality, ranging from 35mm to the canonical 50mm. Wide lenses can be a good alternative if you’re searching for a different perspective or point of view. Let’s focus on the main points of strength of rangefinder cameras. - They are compact so that they do not draw much attention. Imagine walking with one of these cameras hanging from your neck but close to your chest and wearing a black T-shirt or pullover: the camera will be practically invisible. - They are light in weight. Street photography requires long walks. Your back and arms will be grateful for having to carry such a light weight! - They have a very silent click.
12 | le migliori fotocamere per la strreet photography
Other than rangefinder cameras, also consider medium format cameras: Rolleiflex above all, but also Mamiya 6x6. A camera like a Rollei, a true legend, will give you the chance to aim and shoot by looking in the cockpit, o even to avoid looking in the cockpit altogether in order to prevent people from suspecting that you’re taking photographs in the first place.
POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS A premise is necessary at this point of the article. What I present in this section is not intended to be exhaustive in any way since this “special section” on cameras is deeply influenced by my way of doing street photography. Many people may take great street pics with a 5D so that please don’t consider “my recipe” as being universal. Let me just add a further note. Digital devices, for their nature, compared to analog cameras, suffer from getting quickly out of date so that while the first section on analog cameras can hold true also in 10 years time, this section on compact cameras will obviously be out of date just as soon as the cameras listed below will get older and be substituted by newer ones.
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Compact cameras, commonly known also as point-and-shoot cameras, have progressed rapidly over time. Fortunately for professional photographers, there are compact cameras on the market that guarantee absolute freedom in decision-making giving the photographer the possibility to take creative pictures so that defining these cameras as point-and-shoot cameras is dequalifying and incorrect. Think of the Canon G series, for example, now presently at G12. This kind of compact camera can be considered, to a certain extent, as a mini reflex camera. It is solid and compact in structure and its performance is truly surprising. I personally own a G12 and have defined certain performances, even in dim light, to be outstanding. Continuing with Canon, to mention is also the S series, such as S90 and S95, practically with the same sensor as the G12, but having a brighter lens and a body considerably more compact also due to the less focal range. How not mention the Panasonic LX series? In particular the LX3 model is famous among street photographers in search of compactness, discretion and good performance. LX3 has a twin Leica model, pratically identical to the former, and again as an owner of such a jewel I can as-
sure you that it can give you a lot of satisfaction. Joe Wigfall has a LX3, for example. Other compact cameras worthy of note are Samsung EX1, the recently introduced Olympus XZ-1, Ricoh GRD III, defined by many as the ideal compact camera for street photography and equipped with a modular technology, and Sigma DP1. Going further back, we find the Panasonic TZ series. Alex Majoli, photographer of the famous Magnum agency, has utilized Olympus compact cameras and has recently brought the Olympus Pen with him in Afghanistan. Markus Hartel (refer to interview in this issue) uses an incredible variety of point-and-shoot cameras, including GRD II and Sigma DP1. Péter Van Agtamael, another Magnum photographer, uses GRD and Leica Digilux, among others.
THE REST: MIRRORLESS, REFLEX, OTHER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS The so-called EVIL cameras (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) are revolutionizing the market. This is an incontestable point, clear
to all: every day we have news and rumours asserting the interest of the biggest brands in the reflex market (e.g. Nikon, Canon) towards this very peculiar group of digital cameras. The compactness of a point-and-shoot camera coupled with image quality and flexibility of a digital reflex, this is the promise behind a mirrorless camera: these premises/promises are in some cases already true. Certain mirrorless models have in fact equaled or even surpassed the performance of reflex models, for example in conditions of dim light. And more and more professional photographers give credit to these kind of cameras, like Alex Majoli, mentioned above. EVIL cameras have obviously gained a lot of success among street photographers, to the extent that one may come to the conclusion that certain models have been planned and manufactured specifically for those interested in street photography. The Olympus Pen Series, Panasonic GF Series, Sony NEX, Samsung NX100 are the first models that come to my mind. I wouldn’t underestimate the similar NX10 and NX11 of the Samsung NX series, which, in spite of having a DSLR design, are much lighter and less bulky and therefore are very practical and handy for street photography with the added value of having an incorporated electronic viewfinder. Of the same category are also the Panasonic GH Series, although they are bulkier and nearly in the same size range of a typical reflex camera. By the way, are reflex cameras to be forgotten altogether? Not at all. Let’s avoid to talk about the most famous commercial brands Nikon and Canon, although the D90 model counts with many estimators among streephers, and instead mention the Olympus E-420, that used to be a true legend years back but still gives a lot of satisfaction to users. This camera presents a solid body yet compact for a DSLR. The other model I would like to mention is Pentax K5, a solid reflex camera, not particularly cheap but again extremely compact in size. Concluding, I can’t but mention a brand that opens your mind towards intriguing although expensive alternatives. A name for all: Leica. The M9, a digital rangefinder twin to the famous M series, prize: roughly 5800 euros. Also to mention is Leica X1, a super luxury compact camera to which Fuji recently responded with the X100 model, which is similar to a certain extent in kind of proposal and users to whom it is addressed. Ultimately, there is an ample choice of digital reflex cameras although, for obvious reasons, what holds true today could already be surpassed as early as tomorrow, this being the biggest problem of digital devices compared to analog cameras. As a personal note, I would like to conclude underlying that no camera is the perfect camera and the best one is always the one more fitted for you, the one you tend to use the most, whether it is an analog or a digital camera. photo.rivistaydepark.org | 13
PAOLO BOLOGNA
PAOLO BOLOGNA
street photography web: www.illotempore.it italy
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MASSIMO NAPOLI
MASSIMO NAPOLI
street photography http://flickr.com/photos/bananocrate italy
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MASSIMO NAPOLI
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MARCO MARASSI
MARCO MARASSI street photography http://flickriver.com/photos/marcomarassi/popular-interesting italy
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MARCO MARASSI
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SAGI KORTLER
SAGI KORTLER street photography www.sagi-k.com israel
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SAGI KORTLER
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eric kim
INTERVIEW with ERIc KIM
14 | interview with eric kim
E
street photography http://erickimphotography.com
ric Kim is a photographer based in Los Angeles . He’s a careful street photographer , with an eye naturally led to all that happens particularly in the streets. Entering in his site and see his portfolio is a bit like going around the world. There are shots taken everywhere. At times the street is strictly urban, but it’s the attention on detail to make the difference in his photography. Kim is also a photographer very careful to the web, present on various social networks, launching interesting initiatives on the network, confirming that the photographer has the obligation to know the mechanisms and the sharing tools existing today. To start, tell us a little bit about yourself? Hi, my name is Eric Kim and I am a street photographer based in Los Angeles. I have traveled the world to places such as Paris, Rome, Florence, Prague, London, and Seoul. Did you go to school to study photography? I did not go to school to study photography. Rather, I learned everything I know about photography through the internet and simple experimentation. However what I did study in school was Sociology, which helped me understand how people communicate and interact with one another. I would like to begin by asking you about your photography approach. Are you the type of photographer who carries a camera wherever you go? One of my rules as a photographer is to always have my camera by my side. I have noticed that I most often get the best photos in the most unexpected places. Therefore I always urge others to do the same. In street there are two types of street photographers who sit and wait at a location for something to happen and those who are constantly on the search. I would like to ask you what is your street photography methodology? My style of street photography is a combination of both. There are times in which I will be roaming the streets and I am fortunate enough
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eric kim
16 | interview with eric kim
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to take a photo of something that happens right in front of my eyes. There are other times in which I see beautiful scenes in which I wish to capture it with a person. Therefore at times I wait for the right person to walk by, but I typically don’t wait for over a minute. What is the street photography for you? Street photography is about capturing the beauty in the mundane. For this it means capturing ordinary moments in our everyday lives—which we typically dismiss. It is about documenting real life which is often unscripted and underappreciated. How would you describe your style? I would say that I like to capture juxtapositions—whether it is in shapes, colors, or people. I love to focus on contrasting elements in my viewer, which tells the viewer a story. Why Black and White? I love black and white because I feel that it helps the viewer concentrate on the image, and not get distracted by other elements or colors. Not only that, but I feel that black and white is able to capture the soul of people-beautiful and raw. You are essentially a digital photographer. But…what do you think about Analog cameras for Street Photography? For example I dream a Rolleiflex… Although I shoot mostly digital, I have recently been shooting quite a bit of analog. I have an old World War II Contax IIIa Film Rangefinder which was inherited from my late grandfather. I have noticed that it helps me slow down and concentrate, and focus on taking better photos (as I have limited film). Not only that, but I love the grain and richness of film photographs. You are very busy on internet. How much is important the web for a photographer today? If you wish to become well-known for your photography, using social media on the web is essential. This means having an active online presence on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. Although it does take up a lot of time, it is a wonderful way to build a community with like-minded photographers. Not only that, but it gives you a wonderful audience to share your photography with. Fixed lens for your photography. I’m in total accord with you. Would you want to explain to our readers the reason of this choice?
For street photography, you should always stick to prime lenses (not zoom lenses). The reasoning behind this is that with wide-angle prime lenses, you are forced to get closer and more intimate with your subjects. With zoom lenses, photographers often get lazy and become voyeurs of a scene, not participants. Furthermore, prime lenses allow you to become more creative with your shots through the limitations of the focal length—and concentrate on making images. How do you feel about cropping an image? Although it is ideal to take a photo that doesn’t need cropping, I don’t any problem with cropping. This can often help the photographer tell a better story. If your photo would look better with cropping why not do it? What has been your most memorable assignment and why? My most memorable street photography was when I was shooting in the streets of Beirut, Lebanon. A few months back, I was invited by an organization called Spreadminds to teach a street photography workshop – and I had the time of my life. I met so many wonderful and kind people, and people actually liked getting their photos taken in the streets! Not only that, but the food was amazing as well. Your favourite photographer? Tell us one of the past and one contemporary… My favorite photographer from the past is Robert Doisneau. I loved the images that he captured in Paris which were often uplifting and happy. Not only that, but he was able to perfectly capture the innocence and beauty of children. My favorite contemporary photographer who is influencing my work is Daidò Moriyama, a Japanese street photographer. His black and white images are full of emotion and energy—raw and gritty with a heavy vignette. Next projects? I am in the works of publishing a street photography book which is focused on practical tips and advice through a Swedish publisher. Not only that, but I plan on teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton, UK on May 21st. I also hope to continue building up my blog and meeting other famous contemporary street photographers. Tell us a street photography tip to our readers… Follow your heart when taking street photos and don’t be afraid. Get really close to people when taking their photos, and see yourself as their friend rather than a stranger. Appreciate life around you, and never take the small things for granted. Love and capture the world around you. photo.rivistaydepark.org | 17
GARY GUMANOW
GARY GUMANOW street photography www.gumanowphotography.weebly.com u.s.a.
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GARY GUMANOW
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SERGE BOUVET
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SERGE BOUVET
street photography http://sergebouvet.com FRANCE
SERGE BOUVET
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LUIS A.DE JESUS
LUIS A. DE JESUS
street photography http://myephemerality.com U.S.A.
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LUIS A.DE JESUS
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ED HAWCO
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ED HAWCO
street photography www.blork.org/streetscene canadian
JIM WICKS
JIM WICKS
street photography http://photo.rivistahydepark.org/jimwix UNITED KINGDOM
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JIM WICKS
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LUKAS VASILIKOS
LUKAS VASILIKOS street photography http://www.lukasvasilikos.com greece
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LUKAS VASILIKOS
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MADDALENAZAMPITELLI
MADDALENAZAMPITELLI
street photography www.maddalenazampitelli.tk italy
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MADDALENAZAMPITELLI
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JANE MACNEIL
JANE MACNEIL
street photography http://streetsofliverpool.com united kingdom
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JANE MACNEIL
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OMAR BIAGI
Mars Attacks!
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OMAR BIAGI street photography http://photo.rivistahydepark.org/Omar%20Biagi italy
OMAR BIAGI
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nacho lopez
NACHO LOPEZ, THE HYSTORY INSTIGATOR Photographs protected by copyright Nacho López Fund © all rights reserved
“P
hotography is an intriguing visual document”, Boris Kossoy. Mexico and photography. An intense dialogue that generated masters of photography, renowned in the whole world: from Manuel Alvarez Bravo with his wife Lola, to Henri Cartier-Bresson, who stayed for a extended period in Mexico City, up to Edward Weston and Tina Modotti, who, linked by an intense love affair, arrived in Mexico when the country was living a true cultural and political turmoil following the revolution of 1917.
Ignacio López Bocanegra, better known as Nacho López (Tampico, Tamaulipas 1923 - Ciudad de México, 1986), was a history instigator and a creator of a photographic vision that drew inspiration from the historical and political context of the period, and who worked intensively all his life producing more than thirtyfive-thousand photographs and three-thousand slides. Very little is known of this enormous archive. Nacho can not only be considered a photographer, but also a film-maker, photojournalist, documentarist, professor and critic. Most of his work as a photographer was concentrated in the ‘50s although the breadth of his prolific production extended between the ‘40s and the first half of the ‘80s. The last five years of his life, however, were distinguished by a different phase, not detailed by historical biographers, but 18 | NACHO LOPEZ, THE HYSTORY INSTIGATOR
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yet considered to be terribly important for the history of photography: the role of Lòpez, in fact, was influential to all newborn groups of photographers, who were organized together to define their conceptual and technical ideas. As a critic, Lòpez opposed certain schools of thought predominant in the period, in particular that of the Primer Coloquio Latinoamericano de Fotografia, since he asserted that the mentioned school had inspired ideas and intentions that were against his ideological principles. As early as 1979, in an article published in “unomàsuno” entitled “Cuestionando al Consejo Mexicano de Fotografia” he asserted: “If photographs exhibited in a museum exhibit are not accompanied by a critical position and strong contrast in terms of aesthetic language, their risk is that of becoming mere folkloristic objects, a product of turistic subculture”. And continuing: “Beauty is certainly not that of a landscape, of folklore, dance, architecture, nude, ecc. […] To speak of beauty is to mistify reality. It is to deceive what is evident: the misery of our people is in contrast with the aesthetics of the pure beauty photographer. […] Photography is principally a means of documentary expression in which contents should prevail on aesthetics and that can only become a true form of art when it reflects timeless values that can be shared among most people, since I feel that the mere game of aesthetics is a sterile operation”. By applying a very personal vision of the city and of the time he was living, Nacho Lòpez figured as an active testimony of the transformation of a society in costant change. Filtered through his lens, light gave birth not to simple pictures but to true stories. And he was able to render this at times with a surreal and at others with a iper-realistic point of view. The end result of this work has become an archive of photographs depicting Mexico City’s numerous contradictions: phantasmagoric, hazy and bright, full of joy and brio, famous for its anonymity, divided in districts and roads, festive, libidinous, labouring, brave, lazy, ritual, anarchic. The adjectives link together well, yet they only just brush the world of Nacho Lòpez. Carlos Monsiváis. Lòpez’s thorough research of aesthetics and contents is an important milestone for photography world-wide, to consider with absolute respect not only through the observation of his shots but also, if not most importantly, through the understanding of his ideological principles in his way of telling stories through images. photo.rivistaydepark.org | 19
BIAGIO DE GIOVANNI
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BIAGIO DE GIOVANNI
street photography http://biagiodegiovanni.smugmug.com italy
BIAGIO DE GIOVANNI
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RAFFAELLO FERRARI
RAFFAELLO FERRARI
street photography www.raffaelloferrari.com italy
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RAFFAELLO FERRARI
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SARA NICOMEDI
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SARA NICOMEDI
street photography http://www.flickr.com/photos/sara_nicomedi italy
SARA NICOMEDI
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redazione hyde park
alessio coghe
THE TROUBLEMAKER NOT HE WHO IGNORES THE ALPHABET BUT HE WHO IGNORES PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ILLITERATE OF THE FUTURE (Walter Benjamin)
S
20 | the troublemarker
timulated by a question that often comes back to my mind when I observe the work of other colleagues, I would like to focus on a subject very dear to me: why is it that photographers so very often tend to repeat themselves with cliche? It is more and more common to recur to something that has already been seen, considered as a soothing refuge for many photographers who continue proposing the same themes and who surprisingly continue gaining prestigious awards even at an international level (we could criticize the various photography boards and panels distributed world-wide, but this would go beyond the point at the moment). An example is the photojournalist who was recently awarded for having taken a portrait, which can be fully traced to the legendary shot of an Afghan refugee by
Steve McCurry and who matters if this new proposal depicts Bibi Aisha with her nose terribly disfigured by her taleban husband and relatives. Repeating old formulas is certainly easier than finding a new path, a new language of expression. But how can we hamper this trend, this block of inspiration? The answer is in trying to educate ourselves to a visual culture. Since we are children, before we even learn to speak, we are used to think through images. Thought can be simply considered as a series of images in a row. Moreover, the ease with which we all use the new technologies that are constantly proposed by the market, which encourages more and more to consumption, has transformed our world in a planet dominated by pictures. The bombardment of pictures and images has however not been accompanied by a visual education, i.e. by the acquisition of sufficient tools that can overcome our level of unconsciousness and make us see and “read� images with a more critical point of view and interpretation. The end result is the fact of not being able to appreciate an image in
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PHOTO BY matteo signanini terms of its aesthetic feeling and contents. Not he who ignores the alphabet but he who ignores photography is the illiterate of the future (Walter Benjamin) This citation is perfect for the scope of this article, since images present values that require specific cultural tools to be perfectly comprehensible. And the capacity of analysis is the only way to reach an authenthic and active condition in visual culture. Thus, to have a visual culture is not only important to photographers or to those who work in visual arts, but to all of us since it is the only way we have to defend ourselves from the bombardment of images that are literally “vomited” on us every day. Starting from this principle, why isn’t visual education provided to us during our schooling as children? From a photographic point of view, if young people do not have a visual education, it will be highly unlikely that as adults they will have the capacity to take interesting photographs, shots that make you reflect, that are propositional, and, why not, that break the rules, since it is through
the violation of codes that personality emerges and where we find something new to say. It will be highly unlikely, therefore, that they will have the instinct and courage to face the risk of constructing a photograph with a personal vision, since they will not have had the possibility to develop a personal vision altogether. To know your camera is an important prerequisite for a photographer, although it isn’t enough. I have recently admired the shots of Che Guevara as testimony that a photographer before even being defined as such must be a human being, with his/her sensibility and culture to be able to obtain a glance of the cultural heritage and experience through his/ her photographs. As already stressed before, images are linked to humans since the origin of mankind. But the main point is again to obtain the consciousness of what surrounds us by visual literacy. It is only through visual literacy that we will be able to think and not perceive passively at what we are looking at, and be able to “communicate” with a certain image by raising questions on our surrounding visual world. photo.rivistaydepark.org | 21
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BLACK AND WHITE photo by OMAR BIAGI
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