OAXACA 2023
Workshop day two
Monday
GROUP EDIT
The primary workshop activity each day was a group edit. Luis put our images on the screen and Alex would direct him to advance from one to the next, first looking at our A selects (1-5 pictures) then our B selects (up to 25 images). As they proceed through the images, Alex led a commentary, noting images that he responded to, discussing briefly with Rebecca, or pointing out images that sort of work but don’t quite.
Then, after going through all of the pictures, Luis would pull up the thumbnails and they would say which of them to move to the ‘selects’ folder. Sometimes they would convince each other of the selected image, but usually, they would immediately agree on the ones to keep. The selects from each day are the basis of a final edit and sequence for the last day.
When it came time for me to share, I prefaced with the fact that I didn’t think any of the festival photos would be part of my assignment, but I included them to get a response.
They pulled up my pictures and as they went through, crickets. Next. Next. Next. Once in awhile they would discuss quietly among themselves, but unlike with prior students, they didn’t pause or comment on any images along the way.
On this picture, Alex said, “Ok so here the focus is all wrong. You’ve only focussed on the feet and nothing else. It could have been more interesting if you focussed on only the crowd in the background, or if the whole image was in focus. The rest of the picture is totally uninteresting. But it’s framed well.”
I asked about this picture, though I couldn’t say what I liked about it. It might have just been the feeling I had when I took it, more than an objective selection—the moment felt something like the Athens curtain, a small breakthrough.
Alex said he didn’t see it, that he didn’t find the wall all that interesting.
They ended up selecting four images, though they were hesitant about three of them. Their favorite was the face-mask stencil, for it’s formal composition. “I sort of seeing what you’re doing with the other two [in the A folder], but I’m not sure they’re quite successful. I think the [mask one] is really successful in that direction.” AW
PHOTOGRAPHER SURVEY
In the afternoon, Alex gave a presentation to both groups that looked at many of the photographers who had an influence the street photography tradition.
Somewhat discouraged from the edit in contrast to the high from the previous day, I immediately went shooting after the group edit, without stopping for lunch. Again I went north, but this time wandered small, winding streets and quickly regained my excitement.
1.2 miles
1h 20m
267 photos
5 portraits
At the beginning of our walk I saw these women selling flowers and managed to ask them if I could take a picture; like the girl in the photo I was too shy to get close.
More gratitude
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