Any comments please, on my review from LensCulture?
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Submission Reviews – LensCulture – Series Category by Keith Goldstein
Within my work, I try to capture a mirror of the emotions within myself. I look outside to look inside. I am not looking for truth. I seek proof of life.
Reviewer Feedback
Keith, thanks for submitting these intense scenes of street-life.
In the urban jungle, photographers have the challenge to put in relation various – often conflicting – levels: traces, things, architecture and, obviously, people. I think you accomplished this mission, and choosing to focus on people makes your work spread through the feelings of humanity and empathy. I guess this is because you “look outside to look inside”, as you wrote in your statement.
I particularly enjoyed some of your pictures, as “Father and son”: the father’s gesture of putting his mature hand on the eyes of the little one looks like a desperate attempt to protect the enchantment of childhood from the hardness of life. I can find the same intensity in pictures n. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 (in your sequence). The remaining selection is a bit less incisive, partly because the situations represented are more ordinary.
Anyway, all the images are well composed, and I’ve notice particularly a sense of movement (dynamism) in the most successful of them. It means you explore your subject in a truly active way, and this is great.
In order to make this submission more cohesive, and strong, consider to remove color. Black and white, in this kind of scenes, is a formidable way to preserve the original emotion you felt while shooting. I don’t think you need color to create more emphasis.
To get the idea of how black and white could be strong enough in visual terms, please look at the work of Josef Koudelka (among my book recommendations)
I believe that, in order to get a successful body of work in reportage photography, it’s crucial to shoot a huge (hundreds and more…) amount of pictures, and then proceeding to a very good selection of them. This is why I recommend you to keep on shooting a lot.
Moreover, to became a good editor of your work, it’s extremely important to look at books and work of other photographers.
All the best.
Additional Recommendations
Recommended Books
- Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb on Street Photography and the Poetic Image
- The Americans, by Robert Frank
- Photography as Activism: Images for Social Change by Michelle Bogre
- Josef Koudelka, Invasion Prague 68
Relevant Quotes from Past Jurors
- “Remember, without editing, there is no articulation. Selection and ordering means creating authority over your expression. It is what makes music out of noise, or meaning out of words. Photographic editing is somewhere in between music and (linear) writing.” — Erik Vroons , Chief Editor, GUP Magazine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Rate this review 
Well, for one thing, the tone feels to me like the author is unaware that you’re a mature artist rather than some tyro. And, while I believe we both have a great regard for B&W, I am a bit tired of the assertion that one should stick to it for street photography. I assume you make considered judgements about when to render in color vs B&W, just as I do.
That said, my experience from having others look at my work and curate it, includes a really strong bias to finding images that have a strong thematic and or stylistic similarity – so it doesn’t surprise me – I think that is, perhaps, what the B&W comment is about in the end – maintaining a degree of similarity among the images that makes it easier for the viewer to latch on to a single, easily discerned “style” by which your work can be identified and remembered.
Congratulations on being reviewed! – I seldom get that far when making submissions.
Thanks Adam. Yes, I do make very considered judgements as for b&w vs. color. The image, my thoughts, feelings, dictate the outcome. Since I began shooting digital, I’ve always defaulted to color. When I was a film shooter, b&w was the flavor of the day. It’s really the last few years that I began to explore b&w again, but color for me allows another level of expression.
One of the most dislikable aspects of online critiques to me is that the reviewer rarely knows very much about the photographer. That may not be a terrible thing because the work should speak for itself. But, you inform the work. Your personal intent matters.
To my way of thinking, the review came off a little high handed. One, the work he/she suggested you look at is predictable. Who’s doesn’t look at Robert Frank or Alex Webb? Two, I know you to be a very fine picture editor. I’m not exactly sure you need to practice. Three, I think you and I are the same. We always photograph something. We make a lot of pictures. Oh, like your friend Adam, I’m getting a little tired of hearing that black and white imagery adds a kind of gravitas. Shoot what helps you to express your vision.
Exactly Ray.
Hi Keith,
I agree with Adam and Ray about the bw comments (and condescending tone). For me the colour images you included appear stronger for being colour. The way you handle colour in your work adds a new level of information about the grittiness of the city that I don’t get from the bw images.
Excellent though the Webb’s book is, it seems odd to recommend a book dominated by the work of two renowned colourists (in the context of this review).
Who’d be a reviewer?
Best,
John
Thanks John.
I have no idea who the reviewer is. I would think it was one of the judges.
I’ve been contemplating what has been said about my work these past few days. I took a chance to include color along with the black and white. When I was more of a film shooter, I was totally committed to black and white 99% of the time. I only went to color with digital because that was by default. I almost didn’t even think about the change. It was just another layer. An additional emotional aesthetic layer to work with. I’ve only just returned to black and white fairly recently. An emotional aesthetic choice as well. I wanted to mix the two to show that there in some sense was no difference for me. Obviously the reviewer felt differently. I’ve read ad nauseam how many feel about the differences and I don’t agree. Just because an image is in black and white does not make it any more compelling than a color one. People feel that the absence of color strips the image down to an emotional level that a color one might mask. I would love to disprove that statement.
Cheers.
I personally think that we all have our own artistic sensibilities, our own vision on the world and life in general, the way that we should or should not photograph people on the street. I think you make very good pictures and I especially like the color pictures in the street. As thou sense with your heart, a color photo bit as strong as a black and white! http://www.chrislavaud.com look my site, I present most of my color street photography because I love that. Standardization not please me, but I’m a rebel by nature !! Continuous take pleasure Keith.
Thank you Chris. Work with your heart,
I can agree!
Hi, Keith! My belief is not what critics think about my work as a photographer but what my audience thinks of my work. Not only that, I produce work that I enjoy making and hope that others will, too. If not, that’s fine with me. There are many photographers submitting work to personal blogs, social media and photo-hosting sites (Flickr et al) whose work is outstanding (to my eyes) yet they receive very little “support”. When it comes down to it, we are all only as popular as our audience allows is to be!
I always enjoy seeing your work – keep on posting, my friend!
Best, Tony
The support of my friends and fellow photographers are much more important to me then what a critic might say. I work for myself first and foremost. I let the rest fall where what may.
Thanks so much Tony for your support!
My pleasure, Keith.
So glad for all the support you received from those who know you, Keith. I think your photography is exceptional and cuts right through to the heart of the matter. Thanks, Reviewer Feedback, but no thanks.
Thank you Lois. I have always appreciated your comments and the thoughtfulness of your blog and work.
Dear Keith,
Your photography captures the heart and soul of the people that cross your path on a daily basis. The images are alive and a truthful presentation of the streets of New York City. Further, you are building a massive, highly professional and historic collection of New York City street photography.
Happy New Year!
Joelcy kay
Edge of Humanity Magazine
Thanks so much Joelcy! I appreciate your comments, especially coming from you!
Happiest of New Years!!!
Well said Joelcy.