Who inspires me - an open thread

I met street photographer Brian Lloyd Duckett in London's Brick Lane a couple of weeks ago, and spotted him there again today. Brian's approach to street photography is somewhat different from mine, but I still find myself inspired by his YouTube videos, so I'm sharing them with you.

That's very cool garry and fortunate timing to meet him twice. (y) I've watched all but his last few videos. I like the way he discusses aspects of street photography. Did you get to chat with him for a few minutes and what sort of things did he say?
 
I only met him the first time, Lee. The second time he was busy taking photos and I never interrupt someone who's in the moment. We only spoke for a minute or so. Something like, "Hi, are you Brian?" "Yes!" "I thought so. I've seen some of your YouTube videos. Very informative." "Oh, thanks! Are you a street photographer?" (Exaggerating) "All the time." "Well, I hope you get some good shots today." "Thanks, Brian, good to meet you." 'Likewise." Both of us keen to get on with it, and some of Brian's friends (presumably) waiting on the sidelines.

So, as you see, I was wringing out of him every last clue as to how to be an excellent street photographer. :D
 
I met street photographer Brian Lloyd Duckett in London's Brick Lane a couple of weeks ago, and spotted him there again today. Brian's approach to street photography is somewhat different from mine, but I still find myself inspired by his YouTube videos, so I'm sharing them with you.


Many thanks for posting that Garry, although I have watched some of his vid's before and although he does come up with a few good pointers I must admit he doesn't actually do a lot to inspire me.
 
I only met him the first time, Lee. The second time he was busy taking photos and I never interrupt someone who's in the moment. We only spoke for a minute or so. Something like, "Hi, are you Brian?" "Yes!" "I thought so. I've seen some of your YouTube videos. Very informative." "Oh, thanks! Are you a street photographer?" (Exaggerating) "All the time." "Well, I hope you get some good shots today." "Thanks, Brian, good to meet you." 'Likewise." Both of us keen to get on with it, and some of Brian's friends (presumably) waiting on the sidelines.

So, as you see, I was wringing out of him every last clue as to how to be an excellent street photographer. :D
Clearly! :LOL:(y)
 
Everybody whose photos I have ever liked has inspired me to try harder.
 
Thanks to @Mountkeen I've discovered another photographer who inspires me to the point that I want to go out with my camera RIGHT NOW. Robert Blomfield, who did a lot of documentary and street photography in Edinburgh, London and elsewhere, from the 1960s onwards. He said, "I think in a lot of these pictures, they were put there for me to take a picture of. I didn’t have to set the stage, the stage set itself. The picture was presented in front of me. All I had to do was use the camera.” Maybe so, but first he had to see what was presented - a skill that takes most of us a long time to acquire.

An article on the PetaPixel website:

A 16-minute video featuring Robert and many of his photos:
 
Thanks to @Mountkeen I've discovered another photographer who inspires me to the point that I want to go out with my camera RIGHT NOW. Robert Blomfield, who did a lot of documentary and street photography in Edinburgh, London and elsewhere, from the 1960s onwards. He said, "I think in a lot of these pictures, they were put there for me to take a picture of. I didn’t have to set the stage, the stage set itself. The picture was presented in front of me. All I had to do was use the camera.” Maybe so, but first he had to see what was presented - a skill that takes most of us a long time to acquire.

An article on the PetaPixel website:

A 16-minute video featuring Robert and many of his photos:

Inspiring material indeed Garry, his actual story echo's Vivian Maier the American street photographer even to the point of material being discovered after the photographers death.

I agree with you that the images certainly do make you want to get on out there and get snapping. Thanks for the link.
 
Thanks to @Mountkeen I've discovered another photographer who inspires me to the point that I want to go out with my camera RIGHT NOW. Robert Blomfield, who did a lot of documentary and street photography in Edinburgh, London and elsewhere, from the 1960s onwards. He said, "I think in a lot of these pictures, they were put there for me to take a picture of. I didn’t have to set the stage, the stage set itself. The picture was presented in front of me. All I had to do was use the camera.” Maybe so, but first he had to see what was presented - a skill that takes most of us a long time to acquire.

An article on the PetaPixel website:

A 16-minute video featuring Robert and many of his photos:
I love his work. Just a shame that his innocent images of innocent children cannot be replicated today as photographing children in the public realm is a real no-go area today.:(
 
I love his work. Just a shame that his innocent images of innocent children cannot be replicated today as photographing children in the public realm is a real no-go area today.:(

I agree. My favourite out of the photos in the PeatPixel article is *Jamaica Street 1966*. Street photography, documentary photography, the human condition, and pathos all in one photo. If that little one is still around she'd probably be about 60 now and I wonder what her life has been like in the intervening years.
 
Someone who I've started following on Instagram is _mikey_dee If you're into Black & White street photography then he's well worth a look.
 
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I only met him the first time, Lee. The second time he was busy taking photos and I never interrupt someone who's in the moment. We only spoke for a minute or so. Something like, "Hi, are you Brian?" "Yes!" "I thought so. I've seen some of your YouTube videos. Very informative." "Oh, thanks! Are you a street photographer?" (Exaggerating) "All the time." "Well, I hope you get some good shots today." "Thanks, Brian, good to meet you." 'Likewise." Both of us keen to get on with it, and some of Brian's friends (presumably) waiting on the sidelines.

So, as you see, I was wringing out of him every last clue as to how to be an excellent street photographer. :D
Haha, hi Lee. I was probably running a workshop at the time :)
 
Lately, I've been watching more film photographers on YouTube - mainly colour, landscape/urban walkabouts, American as it's worked out..... I've been following for a while but just got back into things a bit (we also watch a bit of wild camping/adventure stuff)

Inspiration......? Yes. And I wanted & needed it I think. I've spent ages going out (for a digital) sunrise for example, to a location, & sitting on one composition, waiting for the light, editing for a clean image (healing brush!) and posting one image from a morning out - which I sort of don't mind, but then sometimes there were no images because things weren't 'good enough'......

What I like about these (mainly) MF film photographers I watch, is that they shoot for light. Maybe colour, maybe contrasts, maybe other things.... But mainly the light. They don't worry about frame edges, telegraph poles, cables, bins, cars.... And I've started to love that. I also love the fact they don't shoot honey pot locations!

So, not direct inspiration I suppose, but more of a style/subject inspiration. So much so I've finally started a little project that I'm really looking forward to following through which is going to take us to different & new local places & hopefully see them in a different light!! :)

Brae Hunziker, Kyle McDougall, Willem Verbeek, Grainydays.
 
I have been watching a lot of videos, both vlogs and documentaries. There are some that I appreciate and they give me ideas about subjects and techniques. That's inspiration, right? Two I have discovered this week fall into this category, both much younger than me and both definitely not the "pretendy-clever modern sh*te" I was expecting.

Siegfried Hansen's street photography shows a brilliant eye:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dop_ya02GJ0


Emil Gataullin covers many genres, some street, some portrait, some landscape, some disturbing and some made me laugh out loud, but all wonderfully shot:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHy_iK1tN_Y
 
For those who are fans of Wes Anderson's very deliberate compositional style, he has a new film coming out, "Asteroid City", the trailer of which demonstrates that style perfectly. I love the vintage film palettes he's used - VERY Wes Anderson.

(Looks to be very funny too.)

 
Lately, I've been watching more film photographers on YouTube - mainly colour, landscape/urban walkabouts, American as it's worked out..... I've been following for a while but just got back into things a bit (we also watch a bit of wild camping/adventure stuff)

Inspiration......? Yes. And I wanted & needed it I think. I've spent ages going out (for a digital) sunrise for example, to a location, & sitting on one composition, waiting for the light, editing for a clean image (healing brush!) and posting one image from a morning out - which I sort of don't mind, but then sometimes there were no images because things weren't 'good enough'......

What I like about these (mainly) MF film photographers I watch, is that they shoot for light. Maybe colour, maybe contrasts, maybe other things.... But mainly the light. They don't worry about frame edges, telegraph poles, cables, bins, cars.... And I've started to love that. I also love the fact they don't shoot honey pot locations!

So, not direct inspiration I suppose, but more of a style/subject inspiration. So much so I've finally started a little project that I'm really looking forward to following through which is going to take us to different & new local places & hopefully see them in a different light!! :)

Brae Hunziker, Kyle McDougall, Willem Verbeek, Grainydays.
Just saw this and I agree completely, those guys are about the only Youtube 'togs I watch regularly.

Regarding the light, again I'd love to shoot like that but I am inclined to think that those guys living in California have it a bit easier than I do in NW England where most days its just grey.
 
Just saw this and I agree completely, those guys are about the only Youtube 'togs I watch regularly.

Regarding the light, again I'd love to shoot like that but I am inclined to think that those guys living in California have it a bit easier than I do in NW England where most days its just grey.

Yes. They do certainly have the locations and weather much better than us over here. They also don't have the brown of the Severn Estuary either! :ROFLMAO:

But still, inspiration is still inspiration :)
 
For those who are fans of Wes Anderson's very deliberate compositional style, he has a new film coming out, "Asteroid City", the trailer of which demonstrates that style perfectly. I love the vintage film palettes he's used - VERY Wes Anderson.

I don't recall ever seeing a Wes Anderson film but it seems that almost every shot is a like a very carefully constructed animated photo with little movement from the actors. Even the pans and tilts are like the Ken Burns effect. And, is there any modern American actor who isn't in that film? The cast list reads like the Oscars attendees. Definitely a film to watch.
 
I don't recall ever seeing a Wes Anderson film but it seems that almost every shot is a like a very carefully constructed animated photo with little movement from the actors. Even the pans and tilts are like the Ken Burns effect. And, is there any modern American actor who isn't in that film? The cast list reads like the Oscars attendees. Definitely a film to watch.
You're missing out on some gems. The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favourites.

Here's a video that dissects his style
 
You're missing out on some gems. The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favourites.

Oh, was that his? That has long been one of my favourites!

EDIT: I just did a search and found that I'd heard of two of his other films, The Royal Tenenbaums and Isle of Dogs, but I haven't seen either.

Thanks for the video link. I'll watch it later.
 
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For those who are fans of Wes Anderson's very deliberate compositional style, he has a new film coming out, "Asteroid City", the trailer of which demonstrates that style perfectly. I love the vintage film palettes he's used - VERY Wes Anderson.

(Looks to be very funny too.)


It does look lovely. Picture book Fifties.
 
I've recently started following a member of Flickr who does some very nice street photography pics particularly in low light. If you're into that type of snapping then its well worth giving them a look. The person I'm talking about goes by the name of :- K.M.D
 
I've recently started following a member of Flickr who does some very nice street photography pics particularly in low light. If you're into that type of snapping then it's well worth giving them a look. The person I'm talking about goes by the name of :- K.M.D

Some excellent moody mono shots in his collection. Thanks, George.
 
I've recently started following a member of Flickr who does some very nice street photography pics particularly in low light. If you're into that type of snapping then its well worth giving them a look. The person I'm talking about goes by the name of :- K.M.D
Yep...well worth following, thanks, George.
 
I've recently come across this guy from NYC that I find produces some very nice street material, certainly in the style I strive to get. So I thought some of you might like to give some of his work a look.

View: https://youtu.be/LUBRdE7tyVg
 
If you're into B&W street snapping then this guy's work is well worth a look.

View: https://youtu.be/iBoowVPsxG0
I think, for me they're average photos that have been converted to B&W. There's little of interest or remarkable in those. There's some great photography (and B&W) being made in NYC at the moment and I'm not sure this is it. *Just my view of course :)
 
I think, for me they're average photos that have been converted to B&W. There's little of interest or remarkable in those. There's some great photography (and B&W) being made in NYC at the moment and I'm not sure this is it. *Just my view of course :)

Everyone is entitled to their own view of course, but I like them.
 
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