John Crosley Photography

Whoa! Great street work John. Real classic style to the B+W work.

I never heard of Henri Cartier-Bresson until long after I began taking "street" photos. He's my "ideel". I worked with a colleague who worked side by side with Cartier-Bresson in China and said he was "most unassuming", almost invisible. Watch this space for "lost photos" being resurrected.

Geez thanks John! Your comment means alot! People i know don't like any of my photos so i really appreciate your kind comment. Thanks mate! Will be looking here for your resurrected photos.

John please do post your other works. I've checked your portfolio a few times to see if you have updated shots and each time i'm amazed at the great street work. They're so inspiring because I know how difficult it is to get anything good out there. If you'd like to give me any street tips or things that could help it would be much appreciated.

Look under Never Viewed Photographs and be one of the first in the world to see photographs I've taken. You'll see the rest of the "street" work I've considered worthy of exhibiting and all I'm going to present for now. The father of all "street" photographers was Henri Cartier-Bresson, a Frenchman who studied art formally, picked up an early Leica, toured Europe gathering images in early 30s of the 20th C., then went on to worldwide fame as he toured the world and founded the Magnum Group of Photographers. Use Google.com to find his images which are scattered in many places throughout the web. He's first and most famous photographer exhibited in the Louvre in Paris and a French National Treasure (died Aug. 4 2004 in his '90s, having retired from photography in the '60s and '70s to follow his love of drawing and painting). He took tens of thousands -- perhaps hundreds of thousands -- of images. Which is a lesson for you and other "street" photographers. Take as many as you can, and learn from each one. Exhibit only the best, and keep all your negatives but show them to no one. In effect, be your own photo editor. You are only as good as the images you allow others to see, and, as so many Photo.net participants know who only have 5 or 10 good ones on display, if they're really good, then they get respect as able photographers. (As for me, I care little about that personally and you'll notice I have more than one "style"). I didn't encounter the work of Cartier-Bresson until the '70s at an exhibition, bought all available books of his, and still treasure them. But he kind of ruined 'street' photography for me, since my work couldn't hold a candle to his work and I only had a few good images to his thousands. Plus eyeglasses hindered my ability to see through a viewfinder. Hi-eyepoint viewfinders, diopter lenses, etc., have revived my ability to enjoy photography more recently, and so I've resumed. View and study Cartier-Bresson's work, but don't try to be him or you'll just be an imitator. Instead, be a Phil, and you'll be the best Phil there is! Get as many images as you can and edit them mercilessly, showing only the best. Seek others' opinions, but go with your gut too. Respect YOUR EYE. You have it. Develop it. And if you want to be a "street photographer" get a "fast" 35mm or 55mm lens and get out from morning to midnight and walk the streets; and go from event to event, wherever there are people. You'll end up with wonderful photos. Guaranteed, if you have talent; And you do. John

You don't have to stumble upon a Critique Request to rate a photo. I don't when I'm browsing someone's portfolio. I rate and leave comments freely, and as a one-time photo editor have received thanks for some very constructive comments. I appreciate the helpful suggestions of others and benefit from them; I can be very myopic in some regards towards my images and others' visions can wake me up to reality. And sometimes some people can see things in my own images I don't recognize, especially friends who have a very keen eye for such things.

Addendum 2006: The ability to rate photos that have not had a critique requested has been disabled rendering this comment no longer applicable. j(c)

hey John, i have an answer for ya, its posted on the orignal pic, just want to make sure you get the message. take it easy.

John i'll be thinking of your advice as i walk the city streets tomorrow, looking for the action. All your info and insight is damn inspiring. I really appreciate your feedback and i'll tell you if i have any new shots which you might like to help me with. Thanks again mate.

Hey John, please have a look at my new shots in street folder. Any feedback? ta.

thanks for your sincerly comment your alone in this site!!!!!!!! maybe the best thinghs is.... not rate ... but enjoy the pictures and nothing else.. thanks and sorry again for my rate!

i hope you understand my english!

your portfolio is great!

Andrea, Perhaps you have me confused with someone else, but you gave my photo a 7/7, and it was a favorite of mine which some had overlooked. I happened also to have liked your portfolio and commented on it (no tit for tat). So, there's no reason for apologizing ever for rating a 7/7 on any of my photos. (I know some people were complaining about your ratings, but my style very much was in synch with yours, and I felt a communality of viewpoint. My only concern was to ensure that all ratings were honest and I wasn't benefitting from an attempt by you to "bend over backwards" to make up for complaints of your past transgressions in ratings. John

John, I have came across a photo of yours that I had rated low and will write my comment at its own page.

However, you have really really good photos here. I loved some of the color portraits. Black and whites are even better. Let me openly comment that, the tree aside, you have got a tremendous portfolio here. I hope to look at each in more detail as I will mark this spot. Bye.

I always appreciate critiques that accompany a lower rating as they allow me to "grow" as an artist/technician, and to visualize the meaning behind the criticism. Thank you for the compliments on the B&W portfolio, which had heretofore been almost entirely private, and which soon will be taken down for re-scans, then uploaded one by one, and submitted for critiques with new and fancy rescans. The present quality of scans shown as submitted when I joined and submitted content Feb. 6 this year was atrocious; I didn't own Photoshop, didn't know about the Marquee tool, cutting, trimming functions, or any of that, and owned a rudimentary scanner. Now I have an Epson Expressions 1640XL Graphic Arts with SilverFast Software complete with histograms, etc. so the quality of the B&W reproductions should increase to show quality when reposted over the coming months. Plus I'll repost other B&W work that you probably have not seen that complements the other work that few have ever seen at all. It was posted for a very short time; and also was taken down for rescanning. Thank you for stopping by and again for your compliments. (Further comment) And now that I have gone through my portfolio, I agree with the numerous ratings you have made and the suggestions you have made; thanks! Your taste agrees with mine. John

Hi John - I was enticed into your portfolio initially by that great photo of the guy building his own boat, and then again by the thoughtful comments you left both in my portfolio and on the photos of others.

You have the rare ability to convey stories and real character through your photography - particularly with your people shots. Thanks for sharing your photos and your insight here on photo.net as you're the kind of photographer the rest of us can learn from.

Hi. I just wanted to apologize that my system was so slow that I thought your whole photo had downloaded and I only saw the animal part of it after I had gone on to the next pic. I would have rated you 6 for originality but I am not able to change my rating.Sorry :(

Also wanted to add that now that I got a chance to look at your portfolio, I think some of your work is breathtaking.

Thank you for your comment on my in my tub photo. I agree with you and I will try to reshoot it soon. Thanks.

John, before I even looked at your portfolio, I read many of your comments on other's work and found your critiques to be thoughtful and accurate. You are evidently a person with the rare gift of imparting knowledge to others, along with the patience and measured approach that so many lack (a case in point would be your handling of Tony Tunder - I doubt I would have managed your restraint)

I would be honoured and delighted for you to take a brief glimpse at my fledgling portfolio and offer up some of your wisdom...

.... then I looked at your work. Wonderful! I love the lighting and contrast and mood of your B&W photographs, and the vibrancy of your colour works. I shall certainly be marking you as interesting and spending more time browsing this excellent portfolio, but it's after 3am now and I need to hit the sack. ;-)

All the best, Ross

It's been three months and 150,000 views + or - a few (Photo.net's count has been down a couple of times, so the count is not accurate) and I want to thank everybody who has clicked on a photo of mine . . . "Thank you". I uploaded my first photo about Feb. 6, 2004, after years of wondering what to do with my photography . . . and finally had decided to build my own web site just to post my B & W photos, and let it go at that. I had enrolled in a Dreamweaver class at my local College, just to help me gain the skills to design that web site. But Photo.net gives me the audience of a web site x 1000 or 10,000 that any single web site could give me, and worldwide exposure for my long-ago images. And it solved a problem that long had been with me: What to do with my photography? Although I long ago knew I had some skill, I did little with it, taking a few photos here and there, and literally had no one to exhibit them to -- at least the ones that I judged had "photographic merit" and least of all, to have someone with a discerning eye to critique them for me. Without that, and not wanting to join a "photo club" with a bunch of old guys sitting around talking about their "sandwiches" and "filters" smoking pipes, I eschewed photography, didn't take an image, sometimes for a decade or more at a time, only picking up my cameras (or even adding new ones) when the mood struck me, or someone entered my life who appreciated photography. Now, with an audience provided by Photo.net, I have the parts I was missing, and I think that photography will become a permanent part of my life. I long had envied Henri Cartier-Bresson who build his own life around something he envisioned and that just evolved . . . and I did the same with my life in other directions after a beginning in photography . . . but that led in far different directions. Now I am home to one of my many roots and happily so. Many thanks to Photo.net and to the people responsible for those approx. 150,000 mouse clicks and image views in the last three months! John (Crosley)

John, thankyou so much for your kind words towards my portfolio. Your comment really made me feel honoured, and happy. Honestly, you are so kind for saying what you said. Thankyou so much, really. Thankyou, and I will never give up my quest in photography, thanks again!

P.S - I love your black and white photos, inspirational.

Rebecca, the joy of giving is highly underrated. It cost me nothing but a few moments of my time, and a little fingerpower on the keyboard to tell you a true story -- that of my impresions about the power of your images, the maturity of them, and that it mattered not what the age of the finger was that pressed the shutter release. The truth sometimes is just sooo simple. It's joyous, in fact, to see such amazing and "focused" talent grow, and I shall be watching. John.

you commented on my photo of a bunch of hooks (snakes) at a factory, and said to look at your photos (the boat yard). i did. you have some really nice work, and i enjoyed looking at it. some of my favorites were the boat yard worker portraits, the tool photos, the night shopping in hk, and esp the lady(rest stop) at the end, and the working hands. great texture and contrast! i have been taking photos at factories on and off for 2 years....i about 1-2 times a year. i have added some of the photos from my trips to my pf, if you would like to check them out and let me know what you think that would be great! thanks and i enjoyed looking at your work, hope to see more coming!

Your 'folio, especially the people shots, are top notch. You have a good eye. I struggle to catch shots like you have. Keep up the shooting and experiment in PS. Posting is really tricky...I find it harder than printing. Take care.

If only you could see the number of "failed" photo attempts I've made. In reality, that's the price of taking successful photographs in my opinion. For every early successful B&W photo in my portfolio there were 60 or 120 "misses" or images that were just "blah", and to take two successful images on a roll was an almost unheard of joy. It still is. (Although my recent series Watch The Lines! Steelheading the Kalama, is an exception and contains perfect exposure after perfect exposure and a series of wonderful photos.) I measure success by the number of failures. I remember once in my early days when a darkroom technician took my transparency film he just developed and pointed out TWO good photographs -- photographs that still are on my walls. I was so proud, because to get just ONE photo properly exposed with good composition, color, and worth keeping on a roll was a triumph, and TWO was a miracle. (No Ansel Adams, me . . . sadly). John

A second view to your portfolio... Beautiful images but the most is how u get those so natural expressions in your portraits, compliments :)

The 'natural expressions' come about in a variety of ways. As a 'street' photographer I used to be surrepititious about taking photographs, and no longer am so much now. Now, I will engage my willing subject with talk, and I often will carry the most outrageous equipment, sometimes three cameras with lenses, and occasionally a monstrous camera or two with monstrous lenses, say an F5 with 80~200 f 2.8 Nikkor and a F100 with auto Nikkor 24~120 f 3.5~5.6 with lens hoods on both, and people not only assume I'm a professional but they allow me all sorts of license to take unusual photographs. And one of the latest is the professional digital camera with fast lenses and good composition. I go out, take a few frames, and if they show my subject off well, offer to review them with my recalcitrant subject. It works astoundingly well, with the subjects often repeating actions or spontaneous poses or adopting new ones without much prodding, or any at all. It's wonderful! Of course, there still is the old superstition that you steal someone's soul when you record their image, but that is hogwash; I never asked a Viet Cong for permission to photograph him, or my soul would have been knocking on St. Peter's gate. The reality is every photographer has his or her own style, and mine has evolved over time. Even my reaction among subjects changes with the equipment I carry and how much of it. If I struggle under the weight of professional equipment, subjects REFUSE to believe I'm not professional and behave as though I just landed from Time or Der Spiegel or some news agency or magazine. Tant Mieux! (So much the better in French). I hope that this helps anyone reading this comment, who has struggled with how much to reveal they are photographing, especially 'street' photographers, to realize that their angst is not something peculiar to them, and that there are ways around it. I just spent dinner time and had four gentlemen seated at my table. I asked them if I could use my digital D70 Nikon to take photos of flowers at our table, then a portrait or two at ISO 1600. I showed them the results, and they saw they were serious work. They then evolved into conversation, with Italians and Germans gesticulating Italian style and my snapping off 90 frames. They gave me their email and asked for copies. In that case I just sort of faded into the trusted background, and they even bought me a bier or two (which I didn't more than sip) as I snapped happily away at their amazing gesticulations and uninhibited laughs from across the table in a foreign restaurant. The key is to develop or allow that trust to develop, or to fade into the background, as my ideel Henri Cartier Bresson did, according to a one time mutual acquaintance. John (Crosley)

Many times in my travels and at other times, people will see me with my cameras and ask me 'What Kind of Photos Do You Take?' I have struggled with the answer, as you can see my portfolio does not just have one style and those who think I stopped taking B&W photos haven't looked closely at some of my color photos and imagined them in monochrome. But the simple answer is I hope: 'INTERESTING PHOTOS', sometimes beautiful, sometimes outrageous, sometimes puzzling, and I hope not entirely boring. Perhaps that is the ultimate sin in communicating -- to be boring. John (Crosley)

average very nice portfolio...

I was astonished one day to open my portfolio and find you had gone through it and placed what I considered quite low ratings on all or almost every photo in it. I was indignant -- "How dare he, and who does he think he is?" I thought. Not long ago, I came across in someone's portfolio a forum discussion thread which I read that started as a complaint about the ratings system, but which deteriorated mostly into a series of complaints about an individual -- you -- who rated tens of thousands of photos and never uploaded a portfolio for others to evaluate -- and moreover, that critic -- you -- almost never left comments explaining any ratings, low or not. Well, since then I have taken a careful look at two things -- your own list of highly rated photos, and the ratings you have placed on photos in my own portfolio. I strongly disagree with many of the ratings you have placed on some of my photos, and so do many of my raters, for your ratings are often a point or two below what other raters in the critique forum will give. But I have a RESPECT FOR THE INTELLECTUAL HONESTY OF WHAT IT IS YOU ARE DOING, however much I disagree with this or that rating, or even the conservatism of your personal rating system. I am used to finding 4/5 and 5/4 ratings of yours as well as the occasional 5/5 rating on photos others rate as 5s, 6s, or occasionally a 7. (And I even have gone so far as to question someone who placed a 7/7 on a photo which I didn't consider that worthy). Those who are concerned about your conservative ratings should take far more umbrage at the ratings snipers who roam the portfolios and arbitrarily leave 1/1s 2/2s etc., for no apparent reason and won't explain why or how they came upon such a rating, but for the most part, such raters soon enough disappear, and they are a hazard of exposing photos to a forum in which the public is invited to pariticpate without presenting any qualifications. .[.Z -- Your ratings system, however conservative, displays a certain intellectual honesty, and for that it has my respect. Whether or not it comports exactly with the Photo.net rating system is less important to me than to see through experience that your ratings are NOT ARBITRARY, however subjective they are, and that they do fit within a schema, and that schema leaves almost no room for a 7/7 photo. Those who would complain about your ratings should remember, that your ratings are (1) just the ratings of one man, who apparently has a broad and very strong interest in photography (based on the sparse comments publicly available and who regrettably chooses not to share it very much), and (2) your ratings do seem to serve an useful purpose by being consistent -- no matter how subjective your own personal tastes are. So, in retrospect, I want to say you are always welcome in my portfolio, and that I always pay attention to your ratings, and I always consider them. I do wish you'd also comment on how to improve photos, for I sense a certain negativity, such as in your recent comment when I invited a moral to the photo and story of Leonard Fristoe, escaped, murderer who was returned to the Nevada State Penitentiary afer 47 years of freedom. "If you've got a buddy, loyal and true, give him the shaft before he gives it to you.

.[. Z"

I think you may know more about photography than all but the most elite participants on Photo.net, and I wish you could find a constructive way to incorporate that knowledge into comments that would help others improve their photography. Nevertheless, even though this may go against the grain of Photo.net opinion, I welcome your ratings, and hope you keep stopping by my portfolio and continue to rate my photographs, even if they are low ratings. John (Crosley)

Addendum 12/26/07

.[. added a lengthy and quite flattering remark which said among other things that he liked my photography and even rated one of my photographs among the highest and it appeared in his highest-rated photograph and that remark stayed here for two or almost three years, but when he stopped participating a while ago, the remark disappeared some time later.

He again is on the service, and my invitation to him still stands -- he is free to continue to rate me, high or low, anonymously or not, and with my thanks -- and any comments he cares to make -- which has had made for my photo(s), something he rarely has done for others -- are still welcome. His comments are taken with great seriousness, for his collection of best-rated photographs was the folder of a true connoisseur of fine photography. (the one photograph he had chosen to rate highly was truly at the time my best ever, and maybe even my best ever to this date -- my very first posting on Photo.net, found at the start of my Black & White, Then to Now, folder)

John (Crosley) Addendum 12/26/07

For those of you who have struggled with the awful quality of my B&W scans from my older B&W portfolio (the half that is posted), I have begun to post new scans. This is a work in progress, and I am open to any suggestions from experienced scanners and PhotoShop users to improve the quality of those B&W scans. In many instances, I have posted temporary scans -- all scanned by my Epson Expression 1640 Graphic Art XL scanner -- from same prints as the original scans -- negatives all not being available, and sometimes with astonishing results (other results still wanting). I welcome your comments in whatever way you wish to transmit them to me. John.

I stumbled upon your portfolio as a result of curiousity about a comment another member had made about your photo of Leonard Fristoe. Consequently, I've added you to my "interesting photographers" list. I will be back to take a look at your very meaty portfolio as time will allow, since one visit will hardly do.

BTW, I was most interested to read your comments on AZ. I, too, am very respectful of his photographic erudition and welcome his periodic splashes of cold water. A high mark from him is one that is truly earned, on a site that has seen a marked devaluation of its ratings currency over the last few years.

John,

I hope the comments I have left in your temporary folder will be helpful. You and your images have a lot of potential, I think. it is only your tendency to fill the frame too tightly at the edges that detracts from your images display a greater aesthetic quality.

I shall be happy and look forward to revisit you other folders and look through the rest of your work sometime soon.

Peter

Thank you for taking the time for adding comments to the "temporary" folder of color images which soon will be taken down with some images posted permanently. Your comments are highly valuable to me; I can be myopic about my own images, which is why I posted the "temporary" folder for comment -- I wish more had commented.

As to the issue of "tight cropping" especially the tops of people's heads, hats, etc., that is a personal idiosyncracy that either is a bad habit or is artistry depending on how you view it.

If you were a magazine photographer taking a photo for the cover of "Newsweek" when they printed the cover logo "NEWSWEEK" over the cover photograph, one always had to leave lots of room at the top of each image for the possibility of their being a magazine logo at the top, or forego cover possibilities.

There are other editorial demands and idiosyncracies, depending on publications.

I have often found that ANY space at the top of a portrait subject's head detracts from the intensity of the focus on the face, especially where the background is in focus.

This is the case even to the point where as I did and still do my final composing in the viewfinder, it seems appropriate and artistically proper to cut off part of the top of the subject's head -- and because of the vagaries of the viewfinders on cameras which frequently show from 92% to 96% of the true full image, I may be thinking I am cutting off slightly more because the viewfinder does not show the full image.

(That may be compensated for in film images--which are by definition 100% of the image--by the film printing equipment which does similar cropping, often reducing it again to, say 92%, and NEVER prints exactly full frame in almost all usual commercial applications).

Yours is an interesting observation, and you are the second person in my life who has made that observation to me.

You will notice that in many images where the background is "out of focus" and the background often is in "circles of confusion" that I have no such cropping tendency, as the intensity of focus is preserved, and cannot be pulled away by a distracting background. Thanks again and best regards. John

Thank you for your interest and very kind words,they make me want to go out and take more photos,and that`s what it`s all about.Keep shooting,W.

My Kids and I really like your work. Look forward to anything you put up!...;)...J

Thank you for your and your childrens' wonderful thoughts and expression. By the way, I love what you did with murals, I prefer the Angela Ann version, and when I have 53+ minutes of easy listening time, unaccountable to any one but me, I expect to view your concert film (without falseness). I think your life must be VERY RICH. John.

Wojtek, you are one of the most original artists on Photo.net, and I am always pleased when I find you have rated one of my photos. Where, when and how you managed to develop such an eye is an amazement to me, but you have developed into a treasure -- anyone can take photos of flowers, hummingbirds, Nat'l Parks, or even people on the streets, but you seem to "make fine photos appear out of almost nothingness". I put the quotes there so you can quote me in your later autobiography (to save you the trouble). John ;~))

You have given me hope. Thanks for the critiques and advice. Beginners need all the help they can get. Much appreciated. Thanks!

I uploaded my first photo Feb. 6. I did have some experience, but went decades without taking a photo. Read all you can -- photo magazines, books, etc. Soon you'll find everything repeats everybody else and you'll be the expert and every new fact will fit into place much easier because you will have a large body of knowledge. I was stuck in the hospital with a gunshot wound for weeks and a stack of old photo magazines for company, and that's how I went to Photography school! Soon, I found the issues and columnists began to repeat themselves -- the basics don't change -- shutter speeds v. f stops film speeds/iso/asa settings., depth of field. Just get to know the basics and rest will be incremental and you can learn at your own speed. John.

The B&W Portfolio I has been entirely rescanned and replaced. Although some scans will be replaced over time, the show quality prints have been rescanned with an Epson Expression 1640 XL (Extra Large) Graphic Arts Scanner with results that are much better than the prints and for a scanner with a glass platen just about as close to archival quality as one can get. However, your PhotoShop hints are most welcome, as I am quite an amateur at that. I am a photographer, not a darkroom technician -- digital or otherwise, although I'm working on it, very slowly, as necessitated by taking some of my recent work digitally. John

Dynamic, beautiful, and yet meaningful photography. Strangely, when viewing your images individually some seem less attractive and/or effective than others, but when viewing your portfolio as a whole, everything takes on a whole new meaning - all your images come together, and your unique vision shines through. Inspirational work... indeed, it is quite enlightening. It's hard to explain... but for me your portfolio is like a kind of nostalgic interpretation of all humanity, all time, and all places. Breathtaking. Thanks for sharing your passion.

If you only wanted to view the photos that ranked highly, you would view the most frequently ranked photos as shown on my bio page. But that would skip the Black and White I portfolio where my highest rated photos are, almost entirely, as its entire contents have never been submitted for rating -- all ratings were from browsers who came and rated voluntarily. The point of posting my work here is not to show how wonderful a photographer I am -- I am not necessarily -- but sometimes I do see things differently (or more complicated or simple) than others. There was a time when I only posted photos if I thought they would reach the most viewed photo list and to get a high rating -- but that's a certain tyranny, and I have broken away from that and begun to post more ambigiously interesting (or uninteresting as you view it) images in my folders, just for the heck of it, whether it brings my averages down or not. (If I wanted high averages, why not post my entire Black and White I portfolio, many of which are extensively commented on?) It's nice to take a well-received image, but nicer when I see negatives developed or see an image on my digital screens that excites me. That is what I wish to share. That excitement. And for that reason you'll seldom see two of any photo in my various folders (with one exception -- a set of photos which belong together). And my images are not meant to appeal to everyone or have everyone like every image. Some of them I don't feel too strongly about myself, or don't quite see what others see in some very popular images. While others squawk and complain about the rating system, I enjoy it and post what I will, and hope that those who stop by will find unexpected surprises buried in my various folders, most of which never will be posted for critique. You are always welcome in my portfolios and folders, and I always take your comments to heart, whether or not I act on them immediately, as they are always well made. John

Amazing gallery you have. Photos are so strong that they made me just a little bit sad that i didn't see the world. Tina

But don't be sad . . . if you wait (as I do), transAtlantic tickets from the West Coast -- for instance -- to a low cost gateway city in Europe can fall as low as $250 round trip in the winter. That's how I do it. And certain hotel chains have rooms for $35.00 a night in Paris, a Metro ride from everything. That's cheaper than going to Portland or Orlando for me. Give me Paris. Don't be 'sad' just get yourself a passport . . . that's the first step, then e-mail me . . . I'll show you how to do it on the cheap. But if you cannot go away, I invite you to view the portfolio of Lee Park of Austin who doesn't travel and who follows Imogen Cunningham's advice to be able to make magnificent photos in one's own backyard. With great thanks for your kind remark. John.

Addendum: tina, if you look closely, you'll find photos from both my front and back yards, as well as my neighbors, and down the street, most identified as such. I also try to practice the advice of Imogen Cunningham (and Lee Park who espouses Cunningham's philosophy). JC

This is a great bunch of pictures.

Great portfolio, John. Thanks for your nice words about my "Look". All the best. Bebe

Very impressive portfolio. Much to learn from. Cheers.

John,

You have a stunning portfolio, it's hard to know where to start in commenting on it. I'll guess I'll start with your earliest work, the B&W shots.

In these, you've captured moments of history (the protest shots and Nixon esp). Plus, you've shown the quirky side of life (the airconditioners stand out), and some great faces (Hmong girl etc) and characters (No checks, no minors etc). All in all, great B&W.

Onto color. In my eyes, your color shots are your strongest. Particularly in the single photo's and 24 hour series, you have shot some very strong images. In some ways, your color work is more reminiscent of HCB than your B&W - if that makes sense. I won't single out any shots, as there are just too many great ones.

Thank you for sharing your work with the world, via pnet. It's a pleasure to be able to browse your photo's.

Cheers,

Craig

Thanks for using the word 'stunning' and my 'portfolio' in the same sentence; it gladdens me greatly. (Who would've thunk it just one year ago? Not me, even as I approach 2 million views of my images on P.N.)

Interestingly the B&W work did start a very long time ago, but there are one or two choice shots from 2004 in that folder and a few from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s also there or awaiting upload.

There may be 15 photos awaiting upload -- maybe less, with one stunning photo, never before seen, which will finish the portfolio maybe in a month or three. (I'm a patient guy).

I barely picked up a camera, however, since 1973, until Feb. of this year, except for a week or two from decade to decade, just when someone double dared me, or showed an interest in my work (or said they doubted I could take a decent photograph).

It's greatly interesting to me that you find that my color work bears greatest resemblance to H. C-B, since I figured just the opposite, especially since he shot predominantly in B&W (few know he also shot a little in color, but did not master the medium) plus he used predominantly a 'normal' lens or a slight wide angle and a moderate telephoto -- literally all that Leica made for the better part of his career and all he used, and my B&W portfolio is limited almost entirely to those lenses (and 'street' photography).

Now my mobility is limited and much of my photography is with a telephoto (and not having an appropriate wide angle for a D70 Nikon digital, so I take many images from an auto, bus, or other transportation, or just plant myself waiting for the opportunity (which breeds an ability to foresee that great 'shot' and pick the appropriate 'background' for that shot.

I figured that my color work was of a different genre altogeter -- or a variety of genres --- maybe a pastiche, which I still feel. I guess I beg to differ.

I'm working my way through a newer C-B publication A Propos de Paris, which I've picked up. Some images I'd never seen.

Fascinating what the man did with a camera. He was both a guiding light and an overshadowing presence.

John

THANK YOU JOHN,[AGAIN],W

Wonderful body of work, John, I don't rate but prefer to comment.

wery good work. my regards

Fantastic portfolio. I hope to spend much more time looking at your photo's.

Stumbled across your folio here... beautiful and inspiring work. I like and respect your take on everyday life. Something to strive for. Thanks for sharing.

How do you do!:) I wish you all the luck and unexpected nice things to come in New Year!:)

Wondeful Portfolio the mix between eastern and western is excellent. You focus on small thngs but that are really very significative of the different ways of life. I enjoy this very much.

so many diffrent genres of photography in one portfolio -i really enjoyed the visit! :)

www.charlotteaberg.com

It's approaching the end of the year, and nobody could be more surprised than I at my standing on Photo.net. I joined Feb. 6 this year to upload some old B&W photos that were gnawing at my soul because few had ever seen the best of them; others had been seen by no one at all. (Major parts of my previous portfolio including my Viet Nam combat portfolio and my 'stock photo' work from 35 years earlier had been destroyed regrettably, but these had been salvaged and were representative of good work, I felt.)

The color work, with the exception of two photos (a third to be uploaded) is almost entirely the result of shooting since joining Photo.net.

As I write this, Dec. 30, my single photo folder has just gone over 1 million 'views' and several weeks ago or so, all my photos had gone over 2 million 'views'.

This is a continued amazement to me, a guy who never could stand to take photos because it was hard, hot sweaty work, but now it's somehow fun, and enjoyable. I often snicker when I take a particularly interesting photo, thinking of my 'audience's' reaction or the reaction of certain individuals to particularly 'surreal' or 'interesting' photos -- which I seem to produce in some abundance.

I have been 'accused' above of having many genres, and to that I plead 'guilty' without any mitigating circumstances or explanations -- I view my photography as a growing and learning experience, and just as I value the Renaissance ideal in everyday life, I also value the Renaissance approach to photography.

In a world where everybody is 'specialized' I'd rather do photography much as I practiced law -- keeping it interesting not by slicing it thinner and thinner and becoming an expert in narrower and narrower fields, but by becoming an expert in a wide variety of fields -- all quite diverse and requiring different skills.

I hope that is reflected in my portfolio and its various folders; I've tried hard to do so, and to 'keep it interesting' for the viewers.

After all, who wants to see 100 shots that all look alike or are all of the same model.

And, even though I easily could have (for I have an archive of such shots), I haven't resorted to the artifice of posting nude photographs to gain ratings, although that also is an interest of mine.

It is a joy to find three of my folders in the top 500 of this year's folders, and quite an amazement.

Thanks to each of you who've taken a tour through my portfolio and various folders.

COMING SOON

Now that I have well over 300 photos uploaded with various viewpoints, many are coalescing into their own genres.

It would be difficult and destructive to take apart my folders and re-assemble them to make folders of say 'street portraits' for instance, but through the magic of 'presentations' I can do just such things.

I am in the process of creating 10 or more 'presentations' using my many photos to illustrate various points about photography, from the use of murals as backgrounds, to the portrait with an out of focus background, to legs (and feet) as seen in my photographs, etc., etc.

I will make those presentations available to those who place my name on their 'interesting' list, and later, I'll decide whether to make them public.

Again, thank you viewers. I never thought this would happen, or that I would get such joy from my photography.

John

I have posted a new folder this morning (Dec. 30) titled (for now) 'One Rainy Winter Afternoon and Evening' With the exception of one night photo, all photos were taken in one and one half hours, which I am told exceeded my attention span by one hour.

'~)) John

back for another visit! what a diverse portfolio -it's prolific! i love your more abstract work and your documentart style shots are fantastic. you definately have artistic vision! :)

www.charlotteaberg.com

If you are new to this portfolio or a return visitor, you might want to see a new folder, 'The Fire', shot at 3:30 a.m., available light, photojournalistic style. Just one of my various styles.

. I like your way of photographing. . Your portfolio deserves a long stop.!!! Great - great - great!!!! Bye - Maurizio

Well John, Where to start! I stumbled upon your work by reading a comment that you made to somebody else about their low rating of one of your photographs. So, I clicked on your name and am I glad that I did. Reading your biography really touched a chord with me because I am of the same thoughts about doing nothing to "enhance" my images. I love to shoot and thats it. Pretty simple. You have a great gift in your ability to SEE, then move on.... I will visit your LARGE portfolio often , as it will take some time to look and appreciate it the way it should be. Thank you for posting a magnificent portfolio. TK

I like to look at pictures about as much as I like making them with a camera, this bunch of photos will keep me occupied for a long time.

Many of my best photos were never posted for critique and therefore may never make the most-viewed or highest-viewed pages photos. I could post them just to get the ratings, but for what purpose? It's fun for viewers to hunt down the good ones, I think and gives some purpose to clicking on a folder. Hint: Look in my folder currently titled 'Early Black and White' which really isn't confined to 'early' photos, and in fact has a photo taken two weeks ago as I write this. But it's entirely Black and White, even if the images are desaturated (even some original images were desaturated e.g., converted to B & W from color slides. (I never shot color negative film as I didn't understand it and I shot 'stock photos' for two agencies which absolutely refused to consider color negative images.) Happy hunting. John

Very good stuff. like your point of view and your approach to the subjects, especially your portraits. keep on oing this great work. regards

I cannot rate and comment all your photos...First because, I will often have nothing to add to the previous comment, then, because, you don t always need rating,,that s almost all good. YOu not only are a good photograph, but a good writer as well. It s a shame for me, I cannot participate as I would like, coz my poor english level. Go ahead, and thanks for your contribution in PN, without this kind of contribution, I would wonder, if i would stay. Thanks

Dear John,

You seem to be a writer as well as a photographer; at any rate you handle the English language with a dexterity that a few other posters on this website could well emulate to their advantage.

I am very impressed with your photography. I have commented on and rated but a few of your photographs. I prefer to browse, mull and consider things before I comment. I generally don't rate unless I comment first. Your work is both professional and wonderfully natural. There is none of the stony artifice that I often see in many technically perfect but heartless highly rated photos in Gallery. It takes a bit of brain work to read your photographs properly. I shall be coming back for more browsing and mulling.

I can well understand your displeasure when a poster like .[.Z gives you the low rating that you do not deserve. Your open letter to this individual was the kindest and most generous I've seen addressed to him. To be perfectly honest with you, I do not think this person has much in the way of intellectual honesty; neither to I find much intellect in what he choses to publish on this website. On many occasions he has been a gratuitous bully (I can document this if necessary). His comments are generally little more than sound bites. I have yet to find him engaging in anything like a real intellectual discussion whereby he offers anything like rational analysis. I believe his system of rating to be essentially based on prejudice. He rates highly what can best be called fine art photographs; street and documentary photography get low to midling ratings from him (4 in general and 5 on rare occasions from what I can determine). He has at this point rated close to 60,000 photographs in Gallery. I think it is fair to assume that he puts little thought into each individual photograph that he rates. His excuses for not posting photographs on the website are familiar cowards' dodges: He fears retaliation from all those "idiots" whom he has offended with his ratings. Translated, this means that he can dish out the criticism but he cannot take it. .[.Z may well be the nicest of people in real life, but on this website he leaves much to be desired of as a critic of his fellow photographers' works.

At any rate, it is a pleasure to come across your work.

Thank you for the kind (and high) ratings and the several nice comments throughout my portfolio -- they are most generous and I think well-considered (of course, since they are flattering ;~)) )

Kidding aside, your comments are thoughtful and I take them to heart. As I state in my biography, and as my originality scores show, I don't take photos like most people, and I see things through the viewfinder unlike many on the site; I could strive also to take those 'technically perfect but heartless' photos, (BUT MY HEART, BY DEFINITION, WOULD NOT BE IN IT).

Many people who meet the colder, gruffer, more dismissive me, have to do a complete re-analysis of just who I am after they assess my photographs, as they completely misjudge the man inside this body, or the brain inside this head.

(And I think you may also misjudge the man that is the object of your wrath: .[.Z -- Bailey Seals, who certainly is lacking in some basic courtesy, but not deserving of your screed here (and maybe you should rethink about using my comments to post it here, for it causes me to have to defend him).

I admire his taste in photographs and while he may be stubborn, even adamantine, in his defense of what he views as art, and even inflexible to the extreme in the view of many, it is only one man's view, and in my opinion, it is a highly intelligent and intellectual one -- coming from a place of extreme intellectual honesty.

I am reminded of Jack Nicholson playing a Marine officer in the movie 'Guantanamo' who, during a famous court-martial scene, declares 'You Can't Handle the Truth!!!!!!' at his inquisitors.

From postings, I judge that Z is an attorney, (based on analysis posted today of a legal matter involving web copyright issues and terms of service), and that he lives under constant attack probably as a litigator.

I once lived that life, under constant attack from every quarter -- and it does not breed compromise, but each threat results in renewed fighting spirit.

Whether or not he is an attorney or litigator, he is a worthy critic (and a featured critic of Photo.net, if you hadn't noticed), and worthy of respect just for that, and he admits his own predilections and idiosyncracies (see above in this column).

He appears to me to be highly intellectually honest; his ratings uniformly are low, but there is one reason, I think.

I spent the entire last eight hours purusing the Magnum site for photos of Henri Cartier-Bresson and your post prompted me to review them in view of Z's rating schema.

I judge that he rates not just for what is being posted today or yesterday on Photo.net but against ALL that has been or will be posted on Photo.net and against all that he believes good in Photography as a medium for all time.

His apparent bitterness aside, I suspect he is a sensitive photographer, just as is fellow standout 'Pogue Mahone' who expresses bitterness at the status of today's 'digicam world' but has shown a portfolio of wonderful, sensitive, humorous, insightful photos with some simply amazing and stunning. (I judge that he probably also is an attorney -- or one retired, my opinion based only on his use of words common to attorneys).

I don't defend use of words like 'idiot', (nor the use of commentaries to post screeds).

I do thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful comments on my photographs, and encourage you to browse through my portfolio and various folders as much as you wish -- you are always welcome.

The point is, everybody is always welcome, whether they rate me high or low, so long as they do so from a place of intellectual honesty, and the object of your wrath has passed that test with me.

I hope you will not judge me a sycophant (I do suffer from those low ratings, also) but don't mind them because I judge them to be honest, and in his 'highest rated' folder is my absolutely best photo, posted when it was literally in the poorest scan condition. That earned my respect in the end; and I hope you will rethink your anger.

Best wishes and thanks.

John

Hi John, I really love your BW 'street' portfolio.

Although labeled my 'Early B & W' folder, I've been posting to it regularly lately and of the last nine postings, 6 were from the last few months, two were from the 90s, from a brief period when I took photos, and one was from 35 years ago.

Go figure.

I feel I'm back to the level I was when I gave up photography way back when (and much more multi-talented than then).

John

Very good portfolio. i like your point of view and your approach to the subjects, especially early black and white.

It may be assumed that 'Early B&W' is a style from my early days and my Color or Single Photo style is a later acquisition, which is only partially true.

In fact, I was shooting 'stock photo' and other color work at the same time I was shooting the photos that were in the early part of my 'Early B&W folder and had two very different styles.

I shot simultaneously color and B&W and the two styles were very different because of the exigencies of the two media -- color just has different requirements.

I only have a very few of my early color works available, the rest were destroyed by fault of someone/something that should be recompensed as the value becomes known, and there were a large amount of color AND black and white photos all of equal quality to what is posted now or superior quality.

For the B&W, at least, a treasure of lost photos, has been lost because of some entity's absolute disregard for my rights, and only recently has their 'worth' become knowable, through the viewership of 'sister' photos of theirs on Photo.net.

The 'Early B&W' photos were 'typical' of what I was taking in my early days with a camera, armed mainly with a 50 mm lens, but I was very prolific then, and most of that work survived, only to be destroyed more recently, without salvage, all due to fault of other(s), utterly irreplaceable.

It's far worse than having a house burn down, to lose an entire portfolio like that of B&W photos and color photos for a span of years; I did not regard myself as 'prolific' but in retrospect, I truly was, and now I once again am, even though I don't shoot much -- I just press the shutter release a lot, and though I can't get around too well, when I do, I go a long distance, as what's the difference -- 200 or 2000 miles or 8,000 miles? It's all a shock to travel. And if one has to spend time in bed with injuries, one might as well go out for one's daily constitutional in a foreign city with interesting people and things to view, even if the walk is for a short time, or only every other day.

One might assume I 'get out a lot' from my photos from the size and extent of my portfolio, but in actuality, I get a LOT OUT OF BEING OUT A VERY LITTLE.

With digital, I can shoot 300 to 1,000 photos a day, in just an hour or so, (or nothing at all, if my eye is not sharp or I'm not keen on 'seeing' that day).

And, if you don't understand from my postings, almost all my 'Early B&W Folder' postings recently have been from photos shot 'this year' or a few from the '90s from a time when I picked up my cameras as I would do from time to time.

I have been a camera collector over the years and have had the use of a large variety of precious cameras: Leicas, Nikons, Canons, large format cameras, and lenses of all varieties, but they largely went unused at all, and all were and are in mint condition -- kept in trust for the future, as I only mainly use a few lenses for my own personal shooting (as checking 'details' will show).

But when I go to Africa or the Galapagos next (if I do) then the full panoply of large lenses will show, and you'll see my self-portrait in a lion's eye, (as he eats me probably -- I'm pretty quick . . . and dedicated . . . probably right to some lioness's last bite . . . ).

So, I write this to clarify . . . (despite my meanderings) . . . my 'Early B&W' style was there at the start, and it still is here. It co-existed with the same style that produced and still produces the 'color' photos (originally transparencies) that show up in my Single Photo Folder and other folders, and for the most part the styles are quite different, with completely different cropping, for instance.

The Early B&W photos were intended to be 'street photography', although I didn't at first know it even had such a name. I just wanted to document my place and my times. For color photography, I just wanted to take pretty photographs that zeroed in on the subject. Hence the two major styles.

I've always had a keen eye for photography, collecting cameras and lenses all these years, but seldom taking them and never taking a snapshot if I could avoid it and then only for someone else with their camera. (they often were surprised when they developed the film at how good a photographer they had become for one or two frames on their roll of film, they often told me later, forgetting I took the frames.)

I think the concensus is that Early B&W style is the 'classic' style, and I am probably going to produce more of it; I'm zooming out more and leaving more 'extraneous' subjects in my shots on the secondary or primary shot, and converting more color into black and white (as I did even 35 years ago -- look at many of my Early B&W photos and they started out as transparencies).

Finally, T.P.

Thanks for the fine compliment.

I treasure such validation . . . I went many years keeping my photography to myself, never showing it to anyone . . . a sort of secret . . . from a past that I never revealed to anyone.

John

It has been a very pleasant experience looking at your portfolio, John. I admire the consistency of your work. It is good to see so much monochrome among your images. I commiserate with your unhappiness at losing so many of your photographs - you must feel very bitter about it. One can always re-write a lost manuscript but photos are lost forever. I have experienced a similar situation, a lot of my work got lost in a house move (when I couldn't be present) but I was never as prolific so my losses weren't as great as yours. If it is any consolation, what has survived is a lasting testimony to your reputation as a fine photographer.

I just glanced at your portfolio, came across a photo of three tourists in London and discovered that sometime it had been Photo of the Week and had nearly a million views. Wow, that's validation. And I look for the credentials sometimes of those who critique and/or praise me, and I find your fine words high praise indeed, especially considering the source. I've only been at this craft lately just over a year (after an absence of almost 35 years), and have much to get into and 'catch up' to during my very prolonged absence. I have learned that H. Cartier-Bresson, whose works being displayed caused me primarily to put down my cameras, actually had given up photography at that time and was displaying and selling his works to finance his retirement; had I known I might have continued with photography. Who knew? I am always the last to know, as I insist on discovering or re-inventing everything myself. One thing is that it encourages originality -- something I see you have in abundance, and so I hope you understand that I value it highly. (Also I admire the high quality of the images from your Mamiya C3). Thanks so much for the encouragement; it means a lot.

John

addendum: It appears 'Pete' has removed his comment or the Administration has removed all his comments, but the response remains,nevertheless. ********* Thanks for the kind compliment about my portfolio, especially the black and white photos.

However what you suppose are 'old shots' actually began with postings of 'old shots' and presently is primarily being posted with 'up to date' shots which are desaturations of color photos taken as late as a few weeks ago.

So, although my folder 'Early B&W' began as an exposition of what I presumed was an older style of work from years ago, I analyzed what it was that comprised that older style and simply re-established it and added it to my expanding repertoire of abilities.

So, the photo of the Mexican man with the cowboy hat and the liquor sign, the Thailand guy beneath the billboard, the jackhammer man bending over with a similar worker bending over in complementary style in the background or even the tattoo customer in Thailand, all are taken this year -- all within the last few months, and all feel true to my 'Early B&W' style, which ranged all over the place.

Watch this portfolio -- tons more to upload, and much more to shoot.

Thanks for the kind words.

John

I dont know exactly how I arribed to your page , but I have found an excellent work here, I like specially the B&W images you have. Regards

Nice comments always are appreciated, but critical ones are welcome too, if well thought out. I'll be looking for the photos of Lartique.

Strange, before this year, and for the previous 35 years, I didn't look at photo books of any other photographers after my 'photography period' in which I looked at every conceivable book of images I could, and settled on 'The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson' sitting bedside here, as my photographic Bible, like some people have their Ansel Adams text series on photography. (If I had known of other Cartier-Bresson works, I would have purchased those, besides 'Man and Machine' commissioned by IBM, which I also have had for about as long).

Bit by bit, I'm exposing myself to other photographers -- perhaps you'll see the influence of Elliott Erwitt in the B&W photo of a man and a statue in Ukraine with the statue pointing and a man standing under the statue 'This is MY man'. (But my use of hands predates my known exposure to Erwitt -- see the woman at the train station in 'Travelogue' folder, 'Time on Her Hands' or some such, which I later dedicated to Erwitt -- some themes are just universal.

Oh, and thanks for the ratings/comments. Always appreciated.

John

Thanks for the nice comment, however you arrived here.

I see you like shooting murals/graffiti. You'll find plenty of that in my folder(s), as well as the repeating patterns you like to shoot -- I'm always on the lookout for patterns that repeat (and the break in those patterns -- the accent).

John

John, You have quite the street collection here. Many are fabulous and deserve much praise. A keen eye and good hearted focus comes through. My biggest hope is that you begin to sort and arrange the images to reflect a more coherent visual appeal. There are so many great images but they are sometimes surrounded by - and therefor diminished by- lessor impacting shots. Anyway, You are very talented and truly a great street artist.

Thanks for such high praise. Coming from such a talented artist, as your portfolio shows, I'm very flattered. And I know you have so much more work you have yet to upload.

I have no designs on Top Rated Photo -- life's too short.

I look on Photo.net as a sort of proving ground and a great big 'Show and Tell' sort of place.

One of the great things is that it allows me to 'take chances' and to share my discoveries.

One of the rewarding things is that I can do so without retribution or feeling bad, since I have little invested -- members' views already have shown that my photography has some worth.

And when I upload an image -- say 'GRAVITRON' that people seem to think is a 'stinker' -- well I happen to like it very much. And it will stay in my single photo folder, at least for now.

At some time, maybe I'll tear apart my folders and re-arrange them, but for now, I like that I can just keep posting and people never know what to expect, so they keep coming back, and sometimes I surprise them -- often with a new genre or a new style.

For instance, after posting a street photo you just rated 6/6, I just posted a landscape, taken the next day, and then there will be an abstract of a handrail and steps with a 'ghost figure' -- a blur, descending the steps.

I very much like being labeled a great street artist and it's the highest praise, but Photo.net is a proving ground for me.

I think it's not wrong to have more than one style or strength in more than one area.

And if Brian Mottershead ever reads this, I'm stymied in creating the 10 or so presentations I have in the works that DO ARRANGE MY PHOTOGRAPHS COHERENTLY and with narration, on account of lack of appropriate software including navigation software for moving images and thumbnails of the images so I can 'see' what I'm doing as I create the presentations.

Thank you for the very high praise -- coming from you, it's exceptionally high. (And for the suggestion, I acknowledge that not all images are of the same quality but I have been surprised to find that what I felt were 'less than ordinary' images that I hesitated to post turned out to be some of my highest-rated images -- Live and Learn!)

John

John, well I figured I'd spend some time here to see what I could find. There are many wonderful images here so let me just say you capture life beautifully.

I am curious, you have so many street shots with a person or people as the main subject. Do you always ask before you take an individual's picture? I think you must because there is a definate ease with the presence of a camera that comes through in your subjects' faces. Regards.

Thanks for the nice comment. I found out, as I was in Viet-Nam during the war, that it is foolhardy to ask for permission to take a person's photo before taking it. As I noted above, had I been doing that then, I would long ago have been knocking at St. Peter's gate.

Part of the answer to this question is answered above, but I'll recap about the natural expressions.

I sometimes do and sometimes don't ask for permission.

Sometimes I'll hide a camera and only bring it out for the photo (Henri Cartier-Bresson used to hide his camera however, sometimes under a handkerchief, etc.), in such places as behind a closed car door, bringing it up only to take the picture and lowering it after each frame.

Use of a telephoto helps.

If a person is concerned and I'm using a digital camera, I may say (truthfully) that I'm using 'no film' or slough off an objection by saying truthfully that 'I'm practicing my focusing and framing, it's no big deal . . . just go about your business. . .' not lying ever.

Sometimes with small cameras people don't object because they think such cameras are just for snapshots, and for large cameras, they just assume you're from a newspaper or a large magazine, such as Time, or a travel magazine, etc. Sometimes if there are objections, I may say to a person included in a frame 'What makes you feel that you're so important that I would want to take a photo of you', or are you breaking parole or probation -- if you are just tell me and I'll go away . . . ' which usually shuts them up (or brings interesting revelations or provokes great anger and then I do move away for certain).

Sometimes, it pays to engage the subject in conversation, ask to take a frame, and when allowed to take one, take that frame and then just keep on taking those frames until they really object vehemently (or I have that frame).

I just got my hair cut and brought out my camera and took photos and since I always have my camera with me, the barber 'expected' me to bring it out and take photos -- it was just 'assumed' that was 'what I do'.

It's always different and the photographer has to be flexible about asking permission.

If the subject is suspicious or objects, to get their photo you must either be surreptitious or gregarious and engage them and approach them until their suspicions are allayed, even sharing the product of your digital shots with them to gain their trust in your abilities to portray them well. (This works especially well with a Nikon with people of very dark complexion, I have found, as a Nikon D70, etc., portrays black complexion extremely well, and the Nikon metering system does the same nearly as well on film. The results are amazing for me when dealing with persons of a color different than mine when I'm showing them my work as a 'get acquainted device', and I truly do like to share if the results are 'not critical' of their lifestyle and aesthetically pleasing.)

Sometimes, if shared, pleasing results will result in people voluntaring for additional photos.

I just tell people to 'go about your business and ignore me' unless I'm looking for a certain or particular placement, and then I want them to ignore me in general.

And of course, never have them say 'cheese'. Of if you have them say 'cheese' have them say 'cheese' but take their photo either before or after they say 'cheese' when they don't expect it.

One thing for posed photos is sometimes to spend and labor a lot of time and effort over a subject and if the subject is awkward, snap a few photos to tire them out so they revert to their natural selves. People have a hard time not being themselves, and sooner or later their real selves come out; maybe when they become irritated or distracted by others -- possibly friends eager to move them on, etc. That's the moment you want

Hope this is responsive to your remark/question. Thanks again Jamie. Peace.

John (Crosley)

Thank you so much fort he helpful comments on my work. I really appreciate it when some one gives honest critique and not just "nice photo".

It's a pleasure to help someone who asks for it and appreciates it.

Any time.

John

Another device for capturing 'naturalness' with a digital camera.

The D70 and other Nikon (as well as most Digital SLRs) don't have a way to view the subject any way other than through the viewfinder, which means you must either shoot blind from the waist or otherwise or frame using the camera up to your eye. This can prove a disadvantage if in a place like a bar or some place where photographing is particularly discouraged.

Worse, on almost all cameras, the digital image preview screen lights up for a minimum usually of eight seconds with significant brightness revealing that you are photographing -- and it lights up whether or not you are photographing through the eyepiece or whether the camera's at waist level or on a counter.

One way to avoid problems -- a problem rangefinder and film camera owners don't have -- is to go into the shooting menus, and 'turn off' the 'image (pre)view' so the rear screen does not light up after any frame.

If circumstances call for you to make a posed photo in any circumstance where further shooting is greatly discouraged or forbidden but you want to continue, you probably should consider turning the image preview 'ON' for the few framed photos you take and visibly demonstrating to people how it automatically comes 'ON' when a photo is taken.

Then quietly go into the menus and turn the feature 'off'.

You then are free to go about pressing the shutter release as you wish, and few will be clever enough to know that you are photographing.

It is interesting (for those who think this is far too clever) that places that allow their patrons to take hundreds of photos with little digicams -- flash and all -- will see a nice digital SLR or other professional looking camera and say 'no photos' or otherwise intimate that photography is either discouraged or forbidden.

It's pretty hypocritical.

Part of that hypocrisy, I know from experience, having photographed the inside of stores nationwide intermittently as a job duty for an editorial job I once had is that retailers and others in business jealously guard their business secrets for several reasons.

They assume that if you have professional equipment or fancy equipment and look like a professional, you're from the competition or, worse, you're either an insurance adjuster, or (gasp), you're a detective hired by a a plaintiff's attorney (or even a plaintiff's attorney) documenting how those green grapes that fell onto that mottled green linoleum tile just couldn't be seen and thus the now-crippled client who fell should be paid a very large sum in damages, all backed up by photographic documentation. That's why retailers/shopowners/bartenders, etc., are so hung up on against professional level photography, as well as issues in bars, etc., of customer privacy.

In one interesting circumstance, I was barred taking a camera into a local rock palace -- physically accosted and told to stow my camera in my trunk -- because it turned out there was going to be a wet t-shirt contest.

I stood on the outskirts of the young, hormonally-driven, intoxicated male crowd and watched as the white t-shirt wearing bosomy females in the audience were easily drawn to the stage and dowsed with water revealing almost everything 'up top'.

While they did that, almost every arm in the place was upraised and every bosomy babe instantly was recorded and her image sent around the world by

Camera phones.

John

i must say i am quite impressed with all your photos. i have had a good laugh on some on them. and all of them you have shown so much in the photos. well done and i hope to see more of your work.i enjoy reading about each photo and its history. you have seen many things and went to many places and propbley have learned more about all the people you have met so far:) . you are well talented and i would be honored to meet you if we should ever pass. my compliements to you and your work!. have a good day..tonya

Thank you for the wonderful accolade. Perhaps more than the wonderful compliments is the fact that some of my photographs made you laugh -- humour is in far too short supply on Photo.net and I am part of a one-man campaign to alter that somewhat. I would love to meet you sometime. Your compliments made my day!

John

your black and white folder is splendid -
especially the humor in some of them...

Thanks for the kind comment. You have been hiding your light under a bushel/I looked at your nw4 folder and it was just wonderful -- highest quality work and I recommend browsers to click through to it.

John

To all the members and subscribers, I have just reviewed the number of critiques, and a rough count suggests there are more than 1900 individual comments on my photos. Even if half of those are mine in reply, it still makes a more than generous amount of comments, most all of which have 'help(ed) me to improve my photography' as I have requested.

It never occurred to me before to count the individual critique comments, and I am astounded by their number.

Perhaps this is a result of posting a large number of mostly very different photos, and at the same time using a very large number of photographic/compositional devices, as suggested in my first presentation (in progress) 'Photographers, Be Aware of Your Background'.

It was in preparing the comments on those photos, now about 240, that I was able to synethesize my analyses from the astounding number of comments, and my thoughts after reviewing those comments.

Members and subscribers complain about not getting any or enough comments to help them, yet I seem to have a surfeit of those.

I think in part, it stems from having a dialog with the commentators, as opposed just to receiving them and letting them stay posted without the photographer's comment in return.

For whatever reason thank you again, all those of you who have contributed comments and critiques.

John (Crosley)

John

Your style and eye gives fresh air to the production of natural images, images that we take for granted and tend to miss the oppoutunity to capture> Keep including us on your travels and I wll keep visiting.

Regards from Ireland

Sometimes I'm envious (even jealous) of the wonderful images seen by other photographers on this site that I never would see and tend to forget that they probably never can see the things I see and may feel the same about my images as I do about theirs.

One thing about the 'naturalness' of my captures is that it requires some considerable consciousness and hyperawareness of one's surroundings and considerable anticipation as well as incredible ability to process it all and press that shutter button, all in proper time.

And, of course, there are lots and lots of spoils -- images that will never be shown because they're just rotten, and one would wonder why I ever pushed that shutter release at all. Sometimes I'm just warming up for the ultimate capture, and sometimes I'm just 'trying something out' and failing.

I'm not afraid of failing, I guess, because in photography of this sort, it's not like live television where everything is seen by the viewer -- one gets to edit the results and only show the best and/or most interesting, which is what saves me.

And, contrary to what it may seem, I'm not really such a traveler. I actually spend a lot of time in my bedroom as I'm not very ambulatory; I just get out a little bit, but I believe I can get out in a foreign country just as well as in my home area -- if one can't get around very well, why not get around just a little bit somewhere else (or go crazy)?

Maybe it's just an 'attitude' on my part -- one you'll see in my photographs.

In some weeks I can go out for only one-half an hour or an hour to photograph, and come back with five or six good captures, or I take a camera every where I go, and just don't miss the good stuff because of it. You never know when you'll find something interesting, and I recommend it.

Thanks for the comment.

Today is the day my 'Early B&W' Folder went past a million views. I was overjoyed when it went past 100,000 views, and to have it go past 1,000,000 views is a joy beyond expression. And, as noted, it's not related to 'old' photos, despite the title, as I add to it from time to time -- the latest photo having been taken on July 4, and added recently with a good reception.

Thanks to all my viewers and the many, many exceptional and often extraordinary photo, folder and portfolio commentators.

John

I slipped over here at long last to discover what an amazing body of work you have here. I am most impressed. I was stunned by the impact of your candid street photos. Your keen sense of timing and lyrical compositions are captivating. I sense a kind heart and clever imagination at work. I was taken with your sweet comments on my work, but, after seeing your splendid collection...well, I am blown away and humbled. You deserve a million more views. Congrats!! I will be coming back here often to better appreciate the depth of many of these shots. Don't want to rush. I tip my lens to a master. Cheers, Lee

Not only by the high praise, above, but also by your wonderful work.

Ninety per cent of these photos have been created since Feb. 2004, and others were created mostly a very long time ago, with minor periods of photography (one or two photos) here and there in the intervening years.

When I joined Photo.net, then I started photographing with a vengeance, as you can see.

But you've spent most of your life behind a camera, and I not only tip my hat to you, but also suggest anyone wanting to see a 'true street artist's' work click on your name and view your portfolio.

John (feeling a little undeserving of such nice praise)

John, You have a wonderful collection of images here in your portfolio. You have a great talent to take street photos and they look so natural and moving to me. These images depict what life actually is, without restrictions like posing in a studio.

I always had a passion for photography, however I recently started actively getting involved in it and I love it very much. I always wanted to take street photos however I was not sure if I may be offending some one without their consent. John, if you have any suggestions please share with us.

Thank you for the images in your portfolio, they are an inspiration to me. I'll be checking regularly here.

Regards, Bala

If you want to shoot 'street' photos, I recommend you take personal inventory first to see if you're the sort of person who actually can do that. Some personality types simply are not 'cut out' for making street photographs. The grandfather of all 'street photographers', Henri Cartier-Bresson who died last year at 94, started out in Africa as a big game hunter. Formally trained in art, he always considered his photography a sort of equivalent of 'drawing of moving subjects' -- or 'plastic art' as he termed it. He relentlessly pursued photography around the globe from just after 1930 thru the start of the '70s, then turned to drawing/painting after retirement.

I started out taking photographs because I wanted to take photos of nude women (good excuse to get them to take off their clothes), but I was so enamored of the 'test shots' with my new camera that I understood that my job was to try to make art from ordinary circumstances/situations.

If you have that desire, and want to get into 'street photography' -- most 'street' photographers equip themselves with a 'normal' or 'wide angle' lens, and just find interesting subjects and try to frame them interestingly.

You may notice, in my 'Early B & W' folder, many of my successful early shots were taken standing somewhat distant from the subject, but also incorporating good design/composition elements.

That is a major task, and if you can master that out on the street, you'll have a good start.

Then, a true task is to get in close. One way to do that not so intrusively, is to use a telphoto lens, a zoom preferably. You can sit across a restaurant and take a head and shoulders portrait of a cutomer and they might have an idea you're photographing, but not that you're able to pick the whiskers out on their chin, or see her individual eyebrows. Telephotos are one way to 'get in close' if desired. When I can't walk, I can still take 'street' photos using a car and a telephoto, or even take photos from a car with a zoom lens.

Another way to get 'in close' is to just take out your camera when you see something interesting that's very public and where photography is invited, like a parade, or something similar.

Veteran photojournalists will get in front of subjects and walk backward if photographing a parade, to frame a subject, and everybody accepts that as part of the spectacle. Same with political events, etc. So, photojournalists often take 'street' photographs, and if the public confuses you for a photojournalist, you'll probably be less self-conscious.

If you use a very wide angle lens, you can get very close and still get the entire scene in your frame -- see the portfolio/folders of, say, Balaji, or Fredric Pascual, both prominent members and able street photographers, or Edmo, who is quite talented. For good 'street' photography, especially color, with wonderful design elements, see member Skip Hunt, who is an extraordinary photographer.

View as many of the photos as you can, then go out and don't imitate; develop your own style.

Look at the photos of others, to see about how far they were away, how they composed, and look at their subjects' expressions.

Then look through your viewfinder at everything until you get a sense of having the camera be part of your being, taking objects, people and scenes from a reasonable distance -- not so obtrusively -- especially places where people congregate. Cameras are part of many people's lives, and one more camera often doesn't upset people at sporting events, conventions, busy places in major metropolitan areas.

When you're used to taking such photos, try to go where people are, because you can't take 'street photographs' in an Iowa corn or bean field.

Learn to anticipate the movements and emotions of people, then train your mind and body to be where the good photo subjects and events are going to be, train your camera on them, then press the shutter release -- you'll be surprised how good you can get, especially if you use a digital Single Lens Reflex camera that allows for instant feedback. But don't use a point and shoot, they don't take a scene quickly enough -- shutter lag will cause you to miss the important moment. Practice with a lens or two until it becomes part of you and you know exactly what it and your camera can do -- and photographing will become instinctive. That's the place you want to be -- a guy who can anticipate circumstances and photographs, then be there with a camera pointed at the event.

Then, don't be shy about pressing the shutter -- frame and take each photo, and try to include all the elements you think are important in each frame without leaving excess in. Pretty soon, after thousands of photographs, you may get one good one per roll, or maybe just one per 500. That's pretty good, actually. Some of the best 'street photographers' took hundreds of thousands of photographs, just to have a few good ones to exhibit. But if they're good, they'll be displayable for a lifetime, and it'll be part of your body of work, something that only you saw and preserved -- a real piece of life forever enshrined.

Finally, if you make peace with a camera, sometimes ask permission to 'get in close' and take photographs, sometimes of strangers, and some will turn you away and others will be flattered and cooperative. And if people pose for you, take the 'posed' photograph, then maybe make flatulence and while they're laughing, take a series of photos of them being natural, or just take so many photographs they're a little antsy and reverting to their natural selves. That's when the 'naturalness' will come out.

You might look above, in numerous comments I've made about 'naturalness' in photographs for other hints -- just read these portfolio comments, and there are many 'tricks' noted -- written down so someone like you could get a 'head start'.

I hope that is a good set of starting hints.

The rest you'll invent as you go along, and it'll be your style -- everybody has to have their own style and not to copy anybody else -- assimilate the work of others, but don't copy -- who wants to be known as an 'imitator of 'xxx' photographer.

Just be yourself, and remember just one of 100 or 500 is good enough, if it's good.

With best wishes,

John

A wonderful portfolio, a real inspiration for a newcommer to photography.I especially like your early black and white shots.

Thank you!

If you are as passionate about photography as your biography says you are about the environment, et al., you will be a big success, and don't sweat any low ratings you might get -- I get them all the time -- even post photos intentionally I know will get low rated just because I like them, but it does help to know the difference between what is a good photo in your mind and what is a good photo in the PN audience's mind (and what is an excellent photo overall in the non PN critics' minds.)

For all those things can be and often are different.

;-)

John

John,

nice advice at the bottom there.

Great shots, you have a large number of very interesting photo's.....fun to look at.

Wow!!!!! I am happy that I stumbled on your work... lots to go through... I love your street photos!!! King regards....Rosie

Muy buen trabajo, me encanta, tienes muchisimas fotografias muy buenas en BW. saludos y gracias por compartir tu trabajo! gs

John, you are so talented as a street hunter. I am truly impressed and inspired by your quality and body of work. Not one or two great images but many, many! I still would love to roam the streets with you some time. I now live primarily in Ferndale - a little cow town up north, but get to the SF area many time a year. I want to publish some of my images- but seeing yours makes me think a collaberation would be amazing... Maybe I should stop smoking this stuff, but it is a sweet dream. Thanks for your sweet comments on my work by the way. I remain your humble fan. Cheers, Lee

Yes Amazing situations and captures and I don't look at too much street but these are fantastic images. Makes me want to walk about lol Great stuff John! Regards Randall

I'm humbled; you're a far better shooter, street or otherwise, than I, and except for 2/3 of my Early B&W folder, everything posted was taken in the last 18 months or so.

And I've discovered the secret of my technique: Just look in the viewfinder, adjust the focus, depth of field and framing, then time the shot to make the view through the viewfinder as interesting as possible.

There are many compositional and photographic 'device' I've discovered that I use to make things 'interesting', and I've written about it in a 'presentation' about subjects and backgrounds (open to all), but the main thing is to make interesting photos.

It doesn't hurt, I think, as you well know, to make a photo that requires a little thought to understand it, and throw such photos into the mix of landscapes and portraits and other 'usual' shots.

For that's it in the end: I just try to cram all the interesting stuff in a viewfinder and press the shutter release at the right time. All the rest is just self-aggrandizement.

I will take you up on your offer, at least to go out street shooting (I've e-mailed you). I'm always available to collaborate on photos, ideas, techniques, editing, etc.

No need for you to be humble; your skills have earned a place of respect from me.

John

The great 'fun' of 'street shooting' and the way I shoot is you never know what you'll shoot next or whether you'll have to stake out a likely shot for an hour or two, or just have a half second to frame, compose and press that shutter button.

It's the liveliest part of photography, I think. (Though if I had the models I'd probably be following Miles Morgan and shooting beautiful nudes . . . ;-)

John

John,

Your photos are so natural and unpretentious. You seem to have a very consistent style (IMHO). I'd appreciate a visit and your insights when you have the time.

I've been wondering what and why I've been fairly successful on this site, though my talent definitely is limited compared to its top photographers.

I've decided it's mostly because I'm tremendously 'interested' in things and I'm willing not only to take chances in shooting, but also in posting.

And my large variety of 'aspects' (viewpoints) is a result of my inveterate curiosity -- I'm not willing to pigeon-hole myself or my shooting.

I think Renaissance values have some importance -- it may be a reflection of my multi-disciplinary schooling (which began at Columbia College, Columbia University, then went through law school).

Whatever the reason, my photographs reflect my huge curiosity about what and why, and those things also are reflected in my dealings with 'commentators'.

It's interesting that some time ago, member Matt Vardy, presented with trying to say something nice about my photography, had difficulty pinpointing why it was 'appealing' and found it almost 'strange', to use a word of his I have taken out of context.

Ultimately 'design' and 'composition' elements are usually what holds my photography together, and my devotion to keep my photography 'interesting'. Who wants to be boring?

And I'll be glad to take a look at your work.

(And I'd be glad to have what a German friend taught me in dialect was 'schlipshlopshooglegegorn' -- Diemelstadt/Rhoden German dialect. It translates to having your nose in the air. But that presupposes I would have to have more talent to pull that off without looking extremely foolish.)

Best wishes,

John (Crosley)

John - I've been perusing your folders and find I must add to the accolades on your ability to catch the moment. Your street photos are among some of the best I've seen, and while I've never had the itch to try it, I can certainly appreciate the skill needed to get folks to feel comfortable in front of the lens. I also like your Seasons: One Day Each folder, which is an idea I've toyed with for quite some time but never acted upon. Very nice stuff... --Rich

You never know who's browing these many photos until a comment suddenly appears. Thanks for the accolade.

And I'm interested in your response to my 'seasons -- one day each' folder (Spring's being posted now and has a ways to go, before it's added to the rest of the seasons. It'll first be a separate folder, then merge with Summer, Fall and Winter.

But those primarily are people shots, and a 'nature' or 'landscape' photographer might as easily do the same idea within their own genre. It might be the sort of exercise a whole class could develop -- semester or quarter by quarter as the year progressed, with individual portfolios or just one big one representing the best shots of a photo class.

I shoot what interests me and what I'm best at, but there are many wonderful nature and landcape photographers who might do the same idea some justice.

Maybe you're the one. If so, have at it, with my blessings.

Regards,

John

If you're upset by ratings or want another view of photography outside the Photo.net fishbowl, one place to look might be to look at 'My Best Shot' -- Travel photos posted in the Los Angeles Times, generally by amateurs from the Los Angeles region. Some are simply stunning and almost all have considerable photographic merit. Many would achieve mediocre ratings on Photo.net but they are quite well edited and for the purposes of both art and interest in travel, they are outstanding as a collection. (You have to register your e-mail address and provide some basic identification to register for the L.A. Times internet edition to gain access, but it's worth it just for the travel section). There's a story with each photo, and generally some notes about the equipment and circumstances of each shot; and while some wonderful photos were taken with pretty basic equipment -- digicams and equivalent, there's nothing cut rate about the photographs.

Anyone who gets hung up on this site is well advised to cast their net a little farther -- try reading B&W Magazine to see what their editors think is true 'art' . . . guaranteed it'll be different than what you see on this site. Try other photographic magazines . . . books . . . and any other source of good photography . . . including just 'trade' publications (books for general consumer consumption) and 'trade' periodicals available at any major bookseller -- photos are the mainstay of modern magazine journalism and most rely on good photographs for newsstand sales appeal. There's much to be learned at a good bookstore, like a Borders, Barnes & Noble, or whatever's convenient and fully-stocked (don't overlook old bookstores, too, for photo books that are out of print but worth cherishing. Old book stores generally only buy the best quality (or if not, the most salable and thus quality rare books) for resale and can be a source of out-of-print book such as works of Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Douglas Duncan, and others who were popularly published in the 60s and 70s, but who are not published so much today.

(and if anyone wants to buy any of the books of Cartier-Bresson, the Magnum web site still has them for sale -- and you can preview them page by page on their site. You must register for the site and get a password, but it's no cost, and you can save your 'choices', even though the photographs so 'saved' are ultimately for purchase by clients.

For those who think I don't care so much about ratings (or ensure the lousy ratings of so many ;-), it's because I know my work is far from the best, but some number of my lowest-rated photos would score highly in the publishing world. Go figure.

There is life beyond Photo.net, but it's a pretty wonderful site, gives great exposure, and rating give good insight into popular photographic taste.

For what it's worth.

John (Crosley)

John,

Thanks for responding to one of my forum posts concerning anonymous low raters. It has given me a chance to view your work. What a timeless portfolio you have. One thing that struck me about all of your photos, is that it seems as though each and every one of them has a story to tell. They are so candid. I love it. Great work.

Will

In so many cases, the photos are entirely candid; in fact few are not. And almost in every case there is a story to tell; it seems for me that is the point of taking an 'interesting' photo, as opposed to a sterile or heartless photo.

Thanks for the understanding. I keep working at it.

Best wishes

;~))

John

I think you are one of the 2 or 3 best street photographers on photo.net and thus a great source of inspiration for me, not only through your photos, but also with the very insightful discussions you promote along with them. Your enthusiasm for photography is contagious and your photos convey so well your rich life experiences. To look through your portfolio is such a great thrill of emotions. Thanks a lot for enriching our lives through your vision! Best regards, Alex

For a very long time I was afraid each time I picked up a camera for fear I could not equal what I had done before, and therefore intimidated by it. So, when I was 21 and bought my first camera, I was intimidated by the photographers of Time, Life, Look and National Geographic as well as the countless wonderful newspaper photographers. Then, circumstances caused my photographs to be bought by Time, Life, New York Times, and New York Daily News all within a few months of buying my first camera, and I (naiively) asked Associated Press for a job covering the war in Viet Nam (not knowing exactly where Viet Nam really was, and I was recovering from a terrible gunshot wound to my leg).

I did work my way to Viet Nam and separated from my ship in Viet Nam, all with a camera, and took photos freelance there, and came back to take photos freelance of campus riots in the States, and AP and UPI both offered me a job as a photographer, but I was still intimidated that I could not meet the high photographic standard having no real training at all other than reading several years of photo magazines, so on my first day on the job as a 'photographer' when AP said 'just for now' 'we'd like to make you a writer', I jumped at the chance, though still taking an occasional photo (violating Wire Service Guild rules, American Newspaper Guild).

And when they later transferred me to NYC as a photo editor after over a year as writer/editor, I worked with Pulitzer greats sometimes, as well as other staff photos -- including Pulitzer winners Edie Adams, Horst Faas (and in S.F. had briefly been a friend of Sal Vader -- later a Pulitzer winner) and knew Joe Rosenthal, also briefly--raising of flag at Iwo Jima), and even my NYC photo editor's desk had been abandoned by an editor who went to upstate New York as a staff photographer and got a Pulitzer his first year (Black -- (student?)--at Cornell with bandolier).

No wonder I was still intimidated.

And I was still intimidated when I joined Photo.net Feb., 04, not knowing how I'd be received among so many wonderful photographers, and so I just kept a low profile. (unaided by lack of helpful site guides).

It's been a wonder to me now to have so many millions of viewers and quite a few who follow mt work.

Last night I had dinner with a Ukrainian photographer whom I've known for a little bit but who didn't know my name, all in his native country -- a true professional to the core -- a photographer's photographer.

I turned on my laptop to show him my work (he was to show me his) and it turned out he knew my work from Photo.net.

Who knew?

He liked my work and knew it in Ukraine from Photo.net, not having connected it with me (whom he had a passing acquaintance with from time to time).

It's a small world.

Thank you for the wonderful accolade.

Like other 'street' photographers, I'm still a little in wonder and awe when I go out, interested and a little intimidated by what it is I'll see next and how I'll capture it, but I'm better prepared, and since I have no 'set style', I figure I can 'take' anything.

I'm grateful for your kind words of encouragement, and very thankful that my work has a place in your life; and hope it has a place in others' lives, just as others' shooting has a profound place in mine.

Best wishes,

John (Crosley)

hi john if you remember me my name is amir from israel and we met in kiev airport thanks for the explanations about the cameras

i decided to buy a nikon d200 and a Nikon Zoom Super Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR II Autofocus Lens. is it a good choise ?

i realy like your pictures

cheers amir

I enjoyed talking with you about the possibilities, and recall saying Nikons OR Canons were the choice of most dedicated photographers because of lens choices, but that I chose Nikon because of familiarity AND durability as well as ease of use (for me).

Your choice couldn't be better thought out for a one-lens outfit for a dedicated photographer, and the camera is the one I recommended; it should serve you well, and the lens, a Vibration Reduction lens with E.D. glass (extra low dispersion glass) may have some distortion inevitable in a zoom lens of such a vast range, but it will be capable of taking fantastic photos, provided your skills become up to it (and you'll be surprised how with a good digital single lens reflex camera your skills will improve, as you learn from the 'instant review' available to you.)

Sooner or later, you'll want to shoot in low-light with your subjects moving and not being blurred from movement, and then you'll want to move to 'faster lenses' with higher apertures such as fixed focal length (prime) lenses of f 1.4 or f 1.8 and zoom lenses of 2.8, and any Nikon zoom with superfast focusing will be especially helpful, and with the V.R. feature you'll be as advanced as any pro (with your equipment at least) and I especially recommend the 70~200 V.R. E.D. lens, and if that's too expensive, a used 80~200 E.D., just for sharpness as that line of lenses is one of Nikon's absolute sharpest -- the line is legendary and went through about five iterations, with focusing speed finally becoming superfast, so choose a used lens based on how fast you want to focus, do your research well, don't overlook the auction sites, and don't forget to carefully examine 'feedback' (I've never been stung).

My best wishes to you (I got your e-mail and replied very extensively).

Thanks for the fine compliment on my photography.

John (Crosley)

Thanks for sharing your work and your insights into photography. I especially enjoyed your presentation on background composition. I am inspired by your eclectic compilation of subjects and especially am moved by your street photography and photos of people in various states of mind. I think your work is an incredible accomplishment. I have learned a lot from your photos and I plan to continue learning thanks to your wonderful contribution to photo.net.

Thanks again.

I am very moved by your praise -- and also more moved that you have discovered and learned from from the photos I have shown and the presentation I put together on 'Photographers, Watch Your Background' -- which is huge (and possibly tiresome for some), and probably will be longer if I continue to add to it.

Photo.net is about sharing, and I have learned much from other contributors and their photos, and through my photos and the commentary, I hope to be both instructive and sharing . . . and in that way pay back this wonderful forum and all the wonderful contributions it has made to my life.

'Street photography' is my first love, since I started with it, and proved somewhat adept. Today I took a photo of a beggar woman's hands, cup and feet, obscured by a building feature -- showing her very small and that seemed OK.

Then with my telephoto (a vibration reduction model) on low evening light at 1/5th second at f 2.8) a man walked by and he became a blurry shadow and that seemed pretty darned good -- worthy of exhibiting I think (desaturated into black and white since color was not really wonderful or helpful), and finally, in front of her a man with one leg, his other trouser leg pinned up to his belt went by on crutches, so I could frame both her cup, hands and the guy on crutches.

Sometimes the unexpected happens -- ya gotta be quick, of mind and with the shutter.

But landscapes are nice too, and I wish I were so skillful at studio work, which I am hoping to learn more of.

Thanks Daniel.

John (Crosley)

Wonderful photos! Each photo does really tell its little or large story! It's Natasha and July from McDonalds (16.01.06)

Hi Natasha and July (Julie),

What a nice comment. Sometimes comments come from the least expected places. I do remember you, both of you, and hardly expected that you really would look up my photos and thought that your taking my name and 'Googling it' was merely a polite Ukrainian 'formality', so what a pleasant surprise!

As you saw, and now have seen in great variety, I enjoy this craft immensely, far greater than suing people for their insurance money as I did when I was a practicing 'jurist' (attorney).

Pakka, pakka, until our paths cross again.

And spacibo bolshoi.

John (Ivan)

Great work. I could spend several days looking through your photos. Thanks!

Thanks. I hope you enjoy your journey through my photos. Thanks for the ultimate compliment.

John

I just happened to stop by.What an amazing portfolio you have,I have never gotten out there in the street(not much of a people fan)But I think after looking at your shots I will have a go.You have captured some great moments here.

If someone watched me deal with some customer service agent in Bangalore reading from a customer (no)service script, asking senseless questions about whether or not I had (1) turned on the computer before I tried to install the software, (2) inserted the disk, (3) turned the disk with the label side upward, etc., etc., etc., they might well conclude that I didn't like people very much either.

But regardless of country of origin or where located, if I get a good, helpful person, I'm the first one to write a praising letter or e-mail or even wait while the boss is called to the phone to praise the helpful employee to the boss over the phone to make sure it gets in the employee's 'jacket' (To preserve my right to gripe, if nothing else, when I get bad service.)

But overall, I do like people, and especially as photographic subjects -- there is almost no limit to the sheer variety of people. It is said that beginning as babies, we have the ability to discern faces, but only when presented vertically and in the proper orientation -- so vital is our power of facial recognition to our survival and our development as a society and culture. (verifiable scientifically, and reported reliably in scientific journal -- not just a speculation of some nonreliablesource like say, the 'National Enquirer' but a prestigious medical journal.)

Maybe my abilities in this regard, with regard to faces and even the human attitude are particularly well developed, having spent some time as a reporter, and later as an attorney, watching many people under great stress, and having developed a feeling for nuances and even being able easily to anticipate and detect oncoming expressions and nuances.

So, 'street' photography, seems my natural lair, though I can and do sometimes take 'landscapes' and other types of photographs. But I am intrigued by the infinite variability and changeability of the human attitude and range of expressions and the need of the 'street' photographer to anticipate and capture those expressions and relationships.

I am capable of amazing complexity and recognizing its unfolding in my subjects, often at amazing speed, and to capture it becomes (sometimes) a contest of skill and speed. (It's better than any 'game' devised for any computer made now, and I don't shoot electronic bullets at anybody -- although sometimes I just capture embarrassing situations ;~)) (see for example, Prospective Ukrainian Brides Meet Potential American Grooms in my Early Black and White folder ("It's not what you think . . . ')

I love to photograph . . . . , and people I photograph often seem to feel that it's catching and often they willingly participate, critique my captures on the spot (digital captures) and engage their friends, spouses, families, and otherwise reluctant friends into the photographic process . . . oftentimes making my 'work' ever so much easier . . . and transforming it into something ever so much more social (thanks to Google, Photo.net and digital cameras).

There are a few narcissistic spoilsports out there, most often very young women who think they can 'control' their image even when they are mostly naked on a beach, and fading former beauties who are narcissitic and also are offended if a photograph is taken that does not meet the ever-harder demands of rendering them as 'beautiful'. Reasonable 'beautiful' women know that they're beautiful no matter what their age, but some insist on pretending they're teens well into their '40s and '50s, and cringe if a photo depicts them truthfully and express their ire at the photographer who tells the truth about them. (Tant pis -- so much the worse in French) And worse, such narcissism isn't always expressed as 'I don't like the photo or that he took my photo, but in other, more egregious and aggressive conduct by the narcissistic subject.

That's one of the difficulties of carrying a large camera or two, but the rewards are the millions of you who have viewed these photos and the thousands of comments and rates they have generated (and the virtual friends I have made in the process), as well as the many smiles and handshakes from the non-narcissitic subjects I meet on the street who are delighted to have their photos taken.

God made all kinds; some will make up stories about what I do just to 'get attention'. In one recent example, while shopping for meat, a butcher walked past me, and later he and the store manager flagged me down in the big supermarket, and the butcher told the supermarket manager in front of me (he had brought her to me) I was 'taking photos' and 'looking suspicious'.

I told him rightly that he was either crazy or he was intoxicated (or on drugs) and told him to go away (since I was just shopping for meat,and my cameras were hanging around my neck as they always do).

I knew the store manager from prior discussion, and (when the jerk had gone) showed her my flash card to demonstrate that no photos were taken -- but only voluntarily as she knew I would never involuntariy reveal my captures.

(She likes me very much.) Moral: The man, in order to get attention, had made up a story of my taking photographs, perhaps just to get attention, perhaps because he was a frustrated 'policeman' or because he was indeed 'crazy'. In any case, he apologized when I confronted him with his fiction, and the store manager apologized profusely (which I accepted with equanimity, since she and I had discussed my captures before, and I think I recall she had browsed my photos on Photo.net before).

There are other situations in which people will 'invent' things or purposely transform truth into fiction for reasons that are well known to the former attorney in me; attention-seeking, narcissism, self-importance, craziness, etc.

One has to live with the freaks if one photographs 'ordinary people' because sometimes there are 'freaks' among the ordinary people.

And sometimes it's the ordinary people who are the most dangerous, as one instinctively knows to protect one's self against the obviously crazy, whereas the disguised crazy present a much greater threat as they are almost impossible to defend against until it's too late and they've surprised you.

(and anybody who photographs celebrities knows well how many 'freaks' there are among the various narcissistic celebrities, but their photographers just never write about such things, leaving that to the 'National Enquirer', 'US Magazine', et al. to reveal (or perhaps having their staff members phone their those publications as 'sources' to tell them revealing stories about particularly bad or obnoxious behavior by celebrities. John (Crosley)

John, your porfolio is both astonishingly beautiful and powerfully instructive. It is an important addition, a true and rare asset to this wonderful Photo.net

The poignancy and spontaneity of your art (that's how I see it) is not only a joy but a privilege to see. It will take me an appreciable amount of time to look through your entire body of work, but I am looking forward to doing so. Thank you for sharing and inspiring...

Best regards from Kenya,

Mark Anthony Kathurima

John, I wander back in here every once in a while. You are obviously a person who appreciates the world just as God made it and its people, just as He made them! That makes your portfolio a great place to visit...especially when I am tempted to take myself too seriously!

Incredible portfolio. What a wide range of subject matter, all done with equal craftsmanship.

Mark Anthony Kathurima

Imagine having an accolade from what must be the largest metropolis in sub-Saharan Africa) if I read your separate post correctly.

I lately have begun longing to visit your continent, and still worry about the need for security.

[Brazil is one according to my travel doctor who is married to a Brazilian and who is married to one and travels there frequently, I will be quickly killed there for the value of just one of my less than fancy cameras, let alone a Nikon D200 or D2X -- which he has not seen. And he did NOT reference the movie 'City of God' about the children of Rio de Janeiro who ran drugs, robbed and killed at will. I ran down one such child who robbed me a decade ago, and police beat the caught child to my horror and probably killed him -- I have no way of knowing and feel very badly about it -- the Rio police and those of Sao Paulo had long had a reputation for killing young hoodlums, almost always poor, shoeless, often shirtless young black youths, maybe 13 to 15 years old who stole for a living -- the Russians would have called them hooligans (and such youth can be extremely dangerous].

And the words you have used to describe my work 'astonishly beautiful and powerfully instructive' and a 'true and rare asset' to Photo.net, seen extremely generous to me; I feel somewhat unworthy. Maybe Ansel Adams, David Douglas Duncan, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Steiglitz or luminaries of photography, but not me, though I would love to achieve that level, and regrettably I am nowhere near close, no matter how much I try and how diverse my interests and talents (which may in fact detract from the impact of my photography, as who knows how to pigeon-hole me and my work).

I'd probably have been your way long ago, but fear of rare, tropical diseases, and the reputation of Nairobi (as Nai-robbery, even among locals there) are a little off-putting, since I like to wander with enormous cameras around my neck and huge lenses in my pockets and don't want 'minders' (security people), and who can trust 'security people' anyway, and don't they put off the subjects of 'street' photos in any case.

I've never used them and can't imagine using them, unless on the job for a major photo shoot in which case I'd insist on them just to protect the equipment (as well as my life).

So, if my life is forfeit in Rio, which is somewhat affluent these days, how would it fare in Nairobi (or Lagos)? Or out in the field where lions roam, although I hear traffic jam tales of tens of safari vehicles with photographers descending on any lion that snares a kill, with the spectre of a lion gnawing a zebra's neck surrounded by pop-top vehicles laden with camera-wielding tourists all crowding in.

But you, Mark Anthony, I would love to meet and visit -- and learn about the real Africa from an African in Africa (about your part only of course as surely you only know about what you are familiar with, just as I cannot speak for New Englanders, Mexicans or Costa Ricans, obviously.

And I'd love to learn what it is like to photograph as a local in Kenya -- how to be 'streetwise' in such a populous country -- is it universal, and how would a white man fare in a country and continent so predominantly black when that white man is laden with cameras and related paraphenalia, trying to document the locals without just taking photos of people staring at my cameras and me (smiling happily at me or conversely glaring, I know not).

There's a whole new world out there, and soon I'll have to go there and find out.

There are no do-overs in life and no extensions if you don't 'get it all done' before your expiration.

Thanks for the very kind words. One of these days, I may ring you up. Feel free to contact me at any time for any assistance you may desire.

(Please take no offense at my worrying.)

John (Crosley)

You are welcome to wander through my portfolio whenever you want and need a recharge of your batteries.

In fact, I am more charged by viewing my photographs for the reminder of the diversity of the actions and emotions of people than by viewing any 'holy book' or seeking out any guru or savior.

I'm a little less sure than you about the role of a 'Creator', but quite sure about the universality of human emotions and actions from culture to culture/with possible exceptions of various cultures dominated by religious zealots -- e.g. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of the Southern United States.

I take people very seriously; but I have learned that their behavior is somewhat predictable.

Much of what many people believe is my 'celebration of humanity' may in fact be that celebration, but it is laden with skepticism also, for I also am aware of mankind's dark side. As a long-ago reporter, everyone from politicians, lawyers, corporate chieftains, government honchos and Holy Men lied to me, and my job was to smell out their lies and seek out the truth. My 'celebration of humanity' is borne of years of being a skeptic and coming to terms with mankind's essential one-ness -- his joys and his essential willingness to compromise his values for his self-interest when personal costs come too high (except in a very few cases).

I'm glad you enjoy my snapshots.

Please come back again and again. I'll take some new ones with you in mind. (Honest! No Foolin! I do such things!)

John

(Please don't take this too seriously, either)

Andrija,

Hello to Montenegro, a country about which Hemingway referred to in one of his famous novels, but never actually referred to by name, just referring to it as the 'Eastern Front'.

Addendum: 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'

I've been through parts of the northern Slav territories (Russia and Ukrainians know me on sight in many cities), but I've never ventured farther West across the Adriatic from Italy, which is a place soon to have a visit from me when I can figure out exactly where I want to go -- the tourist agencies from your various neighboring Republics are advertising themselves as 'the way the Mediterranean **used to be**, from which I infer that it's especially good for a 'street photographer' such as me.

You are always welcome here. Please come back again and again.

I promise you that after posting about 600 photos so far and wondering when I'd start repeating myself, I am in little danger of doing that, so look for new and different material each time you come back. (I've got gobs of new stuff to upload, but just not all at once, and I think I'm getting better, day to day.)

John

Andre,

Such a nice comment. To find my name and the words 'incredible portfolio', all in one comment.

Thanks also for acknowledging my 'wide range of subject matter'. I try very hard to keep things diverse. Some photographers just repeat themselves time after time, no problem when the subject is beautiful women nude for a male audience, since males have infinite capacity to see the most minute difference in attractive young females, even if presented with studio lights, in a studio, possibly even high key (white on white) or somesuch.

Since I post few nudes, I feel a need to be diverse to keep up interest, but if any beautiful models want to approach me and find PN's star photographer of beautiful women, John Peri, busy (or even Misha H.) or far too distant, being in Paris and all, I'm more than happy to consider cooperating ; -))

However, Andre, I'm still working on the craftsmanship, which is one of my least strong points, though it improves from week to week and over time it gets better as I get more familiar with my trade tools, including the software available to me.

Best wishes.

John (Crosley)

John,we can speak a lot about your photos taking a coffe, but the simple things maybe to be the best beautifuls,in your portfolio it breathe the autentical Photo reporter essence.You are beetwen the best... My impresion about nudes aren't your specialty. My sincerely congratulation!

I am unsure about the 'coffee' reference, but I became a 'reporter' because of my ability with photography and because as a Columbia Univ., assistant to two of its vice presidents, I helped do nationwide alumni presentations and traveled as a student with very famous people including literary/cultural luminaries such as Lionel Trilling and Jacques Barzun; former ambassadors; a past and future Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisors (Arthur Burns); and numerous others, all as a lowly student.

I also read five to seven newspapers a day, worked as a researcher on the President's Commmission on Racial Disorder, and worked as an assistant to a Peabody Award winning cultural radio broadcaster (equivalent to an Academy Award in broadcasting -- or a Pulitzer in press work).

And then I turned 22.

I took up photography before I graduated, or when I was 21, and only took photos for about 2 or 3 years.

And before 3 months passed after beginning photography was published in two national/world magazines and several world famous newspapers even before the students took over my university and before the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, both of which I turned into subjects for 'reaction' photos that were published.

Then I worked my way to Viet Nam, and left my ship there with a camera, free lance, in the middle of the war, without a gun, living on my wits exposing film.

I came back to the US to more campus riots -- including Berkeley.

Later I was asked by AP AND UPI to become a staff photographer and AP turned me into a reporter as well.

Thus, my curiosity and my photography preceded and drove my becoming a reporter/photographer/editor/world service photo editor.

As to nudes, of course they are not my specialty, as I have no specialty -- I am a generalist and a photographer who is 'trying everything' and who hopes to improve in all categories (didn't you notice that I've only been a member for two years and only have been photographing for two years since I was a youth?)

So, as for nudes, I have taken only a few, so look for much improvement. Part of it is finding the proper models; young men get help from their girlfriends; working photographers use their paid models 'on the side' and me, I go to Ukraine when I can and only recently have found how to find the 'nude' models there (there are only a few model agencies, and they charge outrageous fees for 'nude' models, and 'name' agencies won't allow 'nude' modeling for their beautiful young women.

So, keep an eye out as I 'flesh out' my portfolio.

John (Crosley)

oh, my dear John, today I am in a special sad mood and I had to go to your portofolio again to admire all this LIFE in your photographs, to admire other Humans!

I think that the whole Earth is in your portofolio and that you have all the various life diversity of People!

Incredible Men and Women and Children are displayed in your portofolio, so full of Truth and real Life, for some hard, for some not ....

Thank you for all these Human smiles and tears!

Now, I know! Life is full of surprise and it is hard to live!

Thank you, Biliana

You are one of the outstanding artists on Photo.net. Sadness comes from time to time and no one is immune, and the key is to outwait it or to seek intervention if it interferes with life.

Yes, indeed there is life in my photography; one friend says I take photographs of 'ugly people' and he is a photographer whom I admire, but I think he just used the term loosely, as a friend would.

I think instead that I find 'interesting' and 'unusual' people and catch them in interesting times and poses, often surreptitiously, and I especially seek people whose faces represent their lives, be they beautiful or not, expressive, happy, sad, full of themselves, or having had a hard life, etc.

I'm an empathetic individual, but it takes a bit of 'crust' to invade their lives with my lens to 'borrow' their look for a microsecond to share with the world, for I believe the sharing for what now has totaled millions of 'views' by others has a great good, and your post above is illustrative of that value.

You are always welcome to share my view of humanity; I'm in love with what it is I am doing, however it is that I happened on doing it. Somehow I got good at doing it, God only knows how. Maybe a life spent observing interesting things and having no one or few to point those things/people out to, and suddenly finding that with a camera I could do just that.

Be well.

John (Crosley)

I was just about to give up on this site after opening another page of perfect nude females and over-photoshopped sunsets, when I came across your photos. Man, I definitely am impressed!!! It really makes me want to go out and photograph (and that is what I am going to do right now, after taking a shower). I'll be back for a closer look and with more comments. Bye for now.

Every moment of every day can be a photo opportunity. I just came across the Sierra, blocked by an incredible amount of snow and took 150 photos in the processs, plows, jacknifed vehicles, chain monkeys (they put chains on and off vehicles), police officers, etc., all on an Easter Sunday. You just have to have a camera at the ready, preferably two so you don't have to change lenses, and zoom lenses at that, then anticipate your shots, and the more you shoot, the more you'll be able to anticipate those shots.

Happy shooting.

That's what it's all about, you know.

The exhibition is another reward, all in itself.

John (Crosley)

Thanks for sharing your wonderful portfolio! I love all about it. I'm glad having found you because your aren't trendy, you show neither a perfect world nor photoshop miracles - you're just you and what you show is life. I've just started with photography and I have everything to learn. Looking at your photos didn't disharten me, but encourages me to go on working and trying to find out "my way" to see the world. Cheers, Monika

What a wonderful and heartening comment.

Thanks! You made my day.

(In your portfolio, I can feel you searching for your own sense of 'style' -- you have an artist's sensibilities -- just go with it, and keep shooting, and remember that photography is 'art' and composition is part of that art -- you show a fine sense of composition in your better works, and what you need to do is be aware of that and refine it rather than shoot a 'particular subject' as your sense of style I feel may be overweaning and portable across many subjects -- also, I like being a 'generalist' myself.)

John

thanks a lot for your encouragement and your time looking at my portfolio and commenting it! This means very much to me. Indeed I'm still searching - not only my style but also 'my subject'- that's why I still try a bit of all.

I feel very attracted to people but I'm searching my way to approach them, also in terms of coming physically relatively close to them. As I don't like very much being photographed its still a challenge for me. Not talking about FOCUS ;-) Thanks again and take care, Monika

About approaching people -- or just taking 'candid' photos -- there is very much solid advice buried in my long responses to comments, above, and also in my various responses to comments in my many photographs scattered throughout my portfolio.

Happy reading.

The answers you are looking for I am sure are contained in those comments.

;-)

John

First of all, let me thank you for your greatly appreciated comment on my photo. it has been exactly shot from where I live, my balcony. It is slightly lower than the "tower" itself, and there are other architectonical structures around it. You have to shoot the Cupola with a wide angle, so something will surely be distorted. You can't imagine how difficult is to keep the "tower" straight (!). I have posted another picture of it, if you have a couple of minutes, have a look at it (it is been shot from a higher point in the building where I live). Anyway, you are perfectly right, what a precise photographic eye (!). I will come back soon to enjoy your portfolio, thanks again

I commented on a photo in the 'critique forum' of yours that featured a cupola that was leaning, ever so slightly, but so were the other structures -- just ever so slightly, and suggested a slight 'rotation' in Photoshop would cure the problem. It denigrated from a fine presentation otherwise. I believe that your best friend tells you if your breath smells, (or your cupola is not truly vertical) -- it's a matter of respect.

I am equally harsh on my own images -- others were quick to point out problems early on with my own images, and I took their well-made criticism with equanimtiy, as you have here, because it only served the purpose of making me look like a better photographer. I learned as a writer early on that editing is designed to make the writer look better -- same for photo critiques.

That's the purpose of this site -- to make us all look like better photographers -- in fact, in my view it actually does make us all better photographers. And it's a simple thing (especially with the new critique format) to lend a helping hand. I have an uncanny ability usually (not always - where there are mountains or a confusing cityscape for instance -- to ferret out a horizon and determine what is 'out of vertical' or the same for the horizontal. Of course there are artistic reasons for presenting photos with structures not at right angles to the earth.

I feel left out when I commit an error and someone doesn't bring it to my attention and equally left out when someone makes a beautiful image but won't share how it was created.

Thanks for the kind note. You are welcome here anytime.

John (Crosley)

You have a great portfolio. Thanks for the extended commentary. I've learned a lot from reading about your experiences.

I'm very grateful for a site like Photo.net as a place to display my work and get feedback with a huge, worldwide audience -- and now about 10 million views for my photos after just over 2 years.

Who would've thunk when I uploaded my first photo (my best ever) Feb.,2004, and began after an extremely long hiatus to pick up my cameras and 'rediscover' photography.

I was quite nervous as a youth when I took photos for lack of a forum like Photo.net, though I had the wire services and huge newspapers for some of my work, but it was journalism and they were carried by 'stories' and some of my 'early B&W' photos you see, I didn't know if they had any worth, but I always liked them very much, but went to ONE photo club meeting and it was a bunch of old guys making 'sandwiches' from their slides -- putting one slide over another to make 'effects' just like the Photoshoppers make 'effects' today. They couldn't do it in the viewfinder. They hated or disregarded my photos so I never went back. (Their slides weren't all that bad either.)

But I've had a world of experience since then, and I've been a professional writer, but never written about my life, and look on this as a proving ground.

One reason I think my portfolio is interesting is half the photography and half the commentary; my writing has anecdotes from a highly unusual and improbable life, but I don't think there are any real untruths or exaggerations in the comments here. (well, maybe a few, but very few).

The intent is to pass on some entertainment, and get some practice telling the stories -- something I've never done about my life. Some people have stories they tell everybody, and I never did that. Some times I meet the most unusual people -- older people -- who've led fascinating lives and they never write about them, and their fascinating lives are lost when they pass on if they don't write about them.

Although a little older, this process makes me feel very young and vital and powerful in a way (ask any woman or Henry Kissinger about that word -- Kissinger famously wrote that 'Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac').

I always wondered why people found my father fascinating, but they did just for his enthusiasm for life and ideas, and now I find that he gave that to me, or so I'm told. I wish I could thank him for that gift.

John (Crosley)

Many thanks for your explanations. So I had a look to your portofolio and for the first moment I just rushed through and was really impressed. It is the kind of photography I like, because you try to tell a story and the photos are real and not constructed. I think, that is it, as photography should be. I will come back to your portofolio with more time. Heinz

Come and linger . . . and take some time to read the many, many, many comments. Some people get lost in them . . . . there are many serious contributors to them on myriad subjects inspired by the photographs . . . this is a serious stopping place for some of the more articulate Photo.net members, and one more is always welcome.

John (Crosley)

I'm essentially a 'street' photographer.

However, if you view my portfolio and folders, and you come to the conclusion that I photograph in a variety of styles or you saw a folder that suggested to you I do portraits or nudes or some quite different style or genre and thought of me that way, I'm glad for that.

I try to do whatever I do in a workmanlike way, and I continue to try to expand my repertoire of abilities with a camera and my captures.

I would love to be thought of as a 'compleat photographer' who can be put in a large variety of categories -- an ever-expanding number of them -- and be thought of as a guy who produces workmanlike captures across genres -- in short, what I call myself on my bio page, 'the Chameleon of Photo.net', or better, a Renaissance photographer.

John (Crosley)

So many great street shots here. I could spend hours looking at them.

Amazing portfolio, I love how you capture street faces so very very well. Keep shooting, will have to get some free time to go over more of your images.

Alex

Excellent street photos, something to learn here for me Regards.

Thanks for the compliment. I wish you many happy hours of browsing. Enjoy the many comments, too. Some of Photo.net's many prominent members say they enjoy the comments just as much as the photos, and turn to them when they're bored and need some stimulation.

John (Crosley)

It seems a bit 'strange' to see the words 'amazing' and 'portfolio' in the same accolade, but I am honored.

As to the expressions and their naturalness, if you look in comments I've made above, and throughout, you may find some hints as to how to capture them. In some cases, it can come to making somewhat of a 'nuisance' of yourself, and in other cases, your subjects are so busy, distracted, or you're so inconspicuous that they don't even notice your presence.

I'm in Buenos Aires, Argentina (pronounced locally, Ar Hentina) and a couple below a street map prominently labeled 'Buenos Airees' was engaged in osculating (kissing) -- a very pretty woman and handsome man, and she was really working him over, so much so that they didn't notice me leaning against a nearby kiosk, firing 38 frames, over a fairly long period, always keeping the words 'Buenos Aires in the frame, of course (See my Presentation on 'Photographers, Watch Your Background),

Thanks.

John

I hope that if you want you can learn from these photos -- I am more than willing to share what little I have; in terms of photography, the old Mexican phrase applies 'Mi Casa es Su Casa'.

I always appreciate compliments such as yours.

John (Crosley)

Wonderful stuff, John. I'm blown away with your passion.

I think you are the most diverse and talented photographer around; your portfolio has many different flavours, as to depict what all the differences have in common. I will come back here regularly, and spend some time to discover your work in detail.

Mr. Crosley, you are a master of composition and storyline. So effortless.

The comparisons, however humble, to Cartier-Bresson are well deserved. Since I am one of the many who consider Cartier-Bresson in a class of his own, unrivaled in art, let alone photography. I cannot think of a higher compliment of your work. (if you are a young photographer, reading this; and are unfamiliar with Henri Cartier-Bresson, find a book of his, look through it. Consider the equiptment he used, then factor in ... degree of difficulty). Then return here to Mr. Crosley's work, which is truely unique unto itself, and stands alone. As simple as the prints look, they are incrediably difficult to achieve. Over and over again. Well .... for us mortals.

Everyone of your color shots appear to be conceived in b+w composition. They would all translate. But that is just the way you see .... what a tremendous gift. Thank you, Mr. Crosley, for the inspirations, of sharing your gift. You are no longer a just a student of light, you are a teacher.

I'm 'blown away' by your comment. You correctly, however, have felt my 'passion' -- I have a surfeit of that, however dispassionate I may seem to those who view me photographing -- that's just 'concentration'.

John

You write in my work of superlatives; I am humbled by them. I try to be diverse because that is in my (somewhat complex) nature, and because to take photos of only one subject necessarily limits when and of what subjects one can take photos, and I like to take photos all the time -- hence I take a mutiplicity of them and of virtually everything. The challenge is to take photos (good, worthy photos) as a daily, nay hourly, process (on those days I feel like shooting). And I have learned a 'little secret' by looking at your portfolio -- one I hadn't anticipated -- how to make a shape by the space between shadows, as you have done in a few of your photos -- I'd overlooked that. It's a rare technique, but I'll be trying that one when the appropriate moment comes.

My best to you and to your wonderful country, a la Lorraine et a la Savoie where you like to photograph.

John (Crosley)

I have admired your perceptive, helpful (and literate!) written contributions to this site, but have just now gotten around to looking at your portfolio. My reaction: This guy's money is where his mouth is. Much to learn from here. Bravo.

There was a long time in my life when, because I really was untrained for anything (except law), and even then went into private practice directly from law school, although with great success, that I was afraid I was going to be 'found out'. This applied to my photography when I was hired by AP to be a photographer for them, as well as my writing for them although I had millions of words in print, but never had written a story before they hired me (no journalism school, nothing) as I had no training formally at all, and only had bought a camera and had some use of it taking photos, though I had photo publication credits in MAJOR publications right from the start (Time, Life, New York Times, New York Daily News, almost from the moment I bought my first camera.)

In other words, I was afraid that if anybody were going to 'look under the surface' they'd just find out that I was a big fraud.

Well, I may be, but I put my camera and my images where my mouth is, and there can be little cheating with images (outside of Photoshopping them), and I stand by them.

I am glad for your endorsement; photography is something in my blood these days and likely to stay there. It's one area in which you can't 'game the system' and still have 'artistic integrity' in the field(s) I have chosen.

I do put my 'money where my mouth is' and I appreciate very much the accolade.

With great thanks.

John (Crosley)

Neil,

I waited a while to reply to your comment, as it involved a comparison to the master (Maitre) Henri Cartier-Bresson.

It's a comparison I first made in 1969 when his traveling museum exhibition came to San Francisco, and I had just been hired as a photographer by Associated Press.

I toured the exhibition and said 'Wow!' 'This guy's done everything better than I ever could dream of doing, and he's an old guy with hundreds of prints on museum walls' and there I was a kid of 22-23, with about 15-20 really good ones, but which had no known market, no place for exhibition (there was no Internet and thus no Photo.net), and the only place for my 'talent' was a place like my job as an 'AP' news agency photographer.

So when they said 'kid, why not be a writer, we're overstocked with photographers, and you're a hell of a talented writer (I never had written a story, but it was true), they made me into a writer with stories that went around the world within TWO (yes, two) days, and that was the end of that. I took a few photos after that, intermittently and did end up in AP photos World Service in New York world headquarters working under Hal Buell, who is now a legend in photography, sometimes editing work of Pulitzer greats such as Eddie Adams, Horst Faas, and many other notable photographers, then a stint as a securities analyst, law school, law, and eventually (two years+ ago) picked up my cameras again.

I didn't know that in 1969 Henri Cartier-Bresson was an 'old man' putting down his cameras (and before his museum exhibition, I didn't even know who he was -- my 'style' seemed to coincide somewhat with his by happenstance' only) and he was retiring with the money raised from that museum tour, or had I known I might have stuck it out as a photographer (and I didn't know that the magazines that paid him so much had turned off the money spigot because they no longer could compete with television, and he did want to paint/draw with his nude models -- which he did until age 94 last year I understand, when he finally expired, like milk that finally has reached its 'use by date by more than a dozen or two dozen years. He just ran out of steam, I bet or cussedness (and his cussedness was legendary).

I have plenty of cussedness and a lot of understanding of humanity mixed together, which may account for my ability to walk the streets somewhat safely while at the same time showing some 'compassion' and not getting into too much trouble.

But I don't have his 'art' training which compelled him; he believed in 'plastic art'. Forms and people mutate as the viewer (and the persons viewed) change their places -- aspects over time -- sometimes very short times. Scenes construct and deconstruct before the artist with the camera, and it is the job of an artist with a camera (street photographer) to capture those scenes as they are constructed, before they again deconstruct, which can be all in a moment ('the decisive moment').

So he captured children playing on a shadow of a building wall (which few understood) and another child (in Valencia) mysteriously looking upward (for his bounced ball, it was revealed).

He believed in the school of the 'surreal' and so do I, but I believe that the real and the surreal merge for the world because the world is both surreal and real at once, and attempts to explain and merge everything in one unified view sometimes 'work' and at the same time 'don't work' for everything is at the same time 'knowable' and 'mysterious' because the human mind (and human actions -- however predictable on the whole -- are minutely unpredictable) and therein lies the joy and predicament of the photographer who walks the ulitsas (streets, in Russian).

It's keeping one's eyes and wits about one as scenes construct and deconstruct around oneself, knowing that each photographer has different sensitivities, but some themes are more universal than others, and some scenes will attract a greater consensus of photographers' views than others. In the whole, give 100 photographers 100 cameras and send them to the same city and/or event and few of their 'captures' will look the same if the event or city is large and long enough.

Photography is very personal, at least 'street photography'.

Cartier-Bresson never really wrote about his photography, which fed the 'surreal' nature of his captures. He preferred it that way.

I am a communicator with words, and I have no philosophical bone to pick, unlike him, so I write reams about my captures, in the hopes it will help other erstwhile photographers along the path I have taken (or avoid my pitfalls at least).

Yes, my captures are often 'stories' conceived in 'forms and shapes' and therefore often will do well in black and white, though some only will do well in color (though not all are exhibited).

And I do much more than Cartier-Bresson ever could with his Leicas and his surreptitious nature/my equipment (when I'm not using my Leicas), is often large and obtrusive, though even though I am somewhat large, my photographing often is NOT obtrusive, especially when it's not summer and I can hide my sometimes huge equipment under garments, and I often use a telephoto or a variety of special personal behavioral 'devices' to obscure my photographing from others that are my subjects (as bystanders snicker -- even to the point often of calling out to my subjects that they're being photographed 'Svieta' (I'll hear) 'Photographier!' to which I put my finger to my lips and say 'Teha, Pazhalsta,' (quiet, please) which sometimes works, and there are a a whole host of other devices.

I would love to see a film of Cartier-Bresson at work, as his grab bag of devices to avoid being detected must have been huge, and I am sure he and I would have at least 'recognized' each other (though he often hated fellow photographers and disrespected them, often making slashing comments about others' portfolios sent to him for critique without regard for their feelings - an intensely honest man without regard for etiquette at times.

And, as a friend and colleague who worked with him in China told me once early on in my AP career, Cartier-Bresson was a 'most unobtrusive man' who could walk into and out of a room, and you might not even notice. (Jimmy White, AP).

I am not Cartier-Bresson or a Cartier-Bresson imitator, but a huge fan.

He did his thing and there is some cross-over between 'his thing' and part of what I do.

I do not seek to imitate him, but if I could do what he did, I would devote my life to it; he had a gift of magic and one that was incapable of being replicated, in my opinion.

But that famous cowboy-trial lawyer who won huge cases from his Wyoming lair in Jackson Hole once said about those who would imitate his folksy manner in the courtroom in an attempt to imitate his winning ways against him in the courtroom. 'If you try to imitate Jerry Spence, you're always going to be an imitator, and being an imitator, you'll lose'.

'But if you're a genuine you, and you're good about being you, and you do the very best you can with all the skills you have at your disposal in the way you do it best, you may outmaneuver the best that Jerry Spence has to offer and beat Jerry Spence (the lawyer) in the courtroom -- that's your chance of success -- be yourself,' Spence lectured trial lawyers once (paraphrased).

Well, in photography, I have remembered the words of Jerry Spence, the lawyer, and tried to adapt them to my (amateur) career (as it is) behind a lens.

I just try to be whatever I am and do it well and without peer, imitating no one.

With luck, somebody will like what it is I do.

In any case, I'm true to myself.

(I've got nearly 15 million views served now, so somebody must be looking, and even excluding my own comments in reply, my comments are now well above a thousand -- and on the way to double that.)

I hope I'm doing something right.

I'm also having a hell of a time.

Which is something I didn't have when I was younger.

Taking photos is one hell of a lot of fun.

I enjoy it and often see that people enjoy me doing it.

Thanks for your insightful (if overly flattering) comment. (I'll send you the check by mail ;-)) )

John (Crosley)

Greetings John ~ Wow...Your street photography truely shows the diverse (and sometimes untamed!!) world we live in. With ease (or it seems like it!) you capture raw emotions in the people you photograph and even manage to capture it through symbolism in your pieces. Quite a talent! It has been a pleasure to browse through your images....I look forward to stopping in again soon. I'm surprised that your background isn't pyschology.....

It's been an interesting ride to learn (relearn) how to take photos as I have. Interested perhaps in publishing or turning pro, I went to a nearby, famous camera store which rents to local (San Francisco Bay Area) pros all the time, and had their owner and rental guy view my work. They were admiring and said they weren't sure there was anybody local (Bay Area) who produced work of such a nature (called by them Photojournalism) and they named one or two prominent photojournalists, one now retired from Black Star Agency (quite famous) and another from Magnum Agency (founded by Henri Cartier-Bresson) which is pretty heady company -- and these guys know virtually everybody's work.

But I have come to the conclusion that my work is sui generis -- one of a kind -- and that I'll have to work to find my niche, and Photo.net plays a central part in this. It has been allowing me to learn my strengths and weaknesses, and to post what I will, when I will, without fear or favor, and to take low scores whenever without problem, all in search of 'my vision' which you may see, is really 'multiple visions' all of which are developing rapidly and very coherently. I am now a very coherent and comfortable shooter,. who knows he can go anywhere for anything and get good, interesting captures. (which helps me with my fears of inadequacy with a camera).

And, yes, I am part psychologist -- with rapid-fire reflexes. It's amazing how fast my reflexes have become; it amazes even me. And if I miss one, there are five to take its place. Life behind the lens has transformed itself; it's simply amazing what I see . . . . and how I have developed an ability to capture it; something I had not counted on when I started out just two years ago.

(I practiced law, and successfully at one time; every good attorney must rely on psychology for almost everything, plus the ability to calculate everything, instantaneously and then rely on those calculations, and I have transformed those abilities, I think to the use of the visual medium -- the camera and lens, for a much more comfortable existence.

Oh, and I looked above in comments, and noted that in April I had a total of an estimated 10 million served 'views'. Now it's probably more than 15 million and climbing. It's extremely gratifying and I'm tremendously thankful to everyone who takes the time to view a photo of mine, and to the wonderful critiquers and commentators -- I think I get the most wonderful and intelligent commentators on the entire Photo.net network, and that's more than heartening. Maybe you'll be one of them when I post my future photos.

; - ))

Such a nice comment.

Thank you.

John (Crosley)

I am speechless, I am spellbound, my friend, Mr. John Crosley!!

I am given a choice after each comment and for the whole set of comments to 'disapprove' -- and I am sort of wondering what it does. Does it make the comment go away? I think so. I saw one photographer who had exercised that option, and it said there had been an exercise of the 'disapproval' option, but that caused me to wonder what horrible thing had been said.

But with comments such as ALL the above by so many, and of your enthusiastic comment, I never have had to contend with that option (introduced not too long ago); It's nice to receive such accolades; but it makes me think I may be 'pandering' too much to popular tastes; shouldn't I be offending somebody like many serious artists?

I have devoted much of my life to the search for 'truth', as a student, as an attorney, and now as a photographer, and literally there's no 'faking it' with my captures. They ring of 'truth' don't they?

Thanks ever so.

John (Crosley)

My goodness..... You have some amazing shots in your portfolio (and an amazing quantity hahaha). In pictures and in comments... I have not read them all, expect that they all say lovely things... ;-).... Thank you so very very much for your nice comment. I was a bit moved! I really appreciate it, especially from someone with so much experience... Thanks John, I'll be back again!

You are one of the most naturally talented photographers I ever have come across, and deserving of high accolades for your work. I think if you pursue your 'art' (and it is indeed 'art' in a 'fine art' sense) you will be among photography's luminaries.

Your work is stunning, and anyone who sees this comment should click on your name to view your work.

Thanks for the kind comment about my work. I can't produce work like yours; and perhaps you can't produce work like mine; I get an increasing feedback that my work is something others cannot reproduce at all and that somehow, despite my various 'styles' I have a 'look' to my photography after all (see Matt Vardy's comment, way up above for the best explanation of how to describe my photography).

But yours, Bianca, has a look to it that is highly personal and very well-defined and mature. Work that belongs in a gallery.

(Save this comment, look back in a year or so, and let me know if I'm right.)

John (Crosley)

Excellent work, areal slice of life portfolio.

It didn't start out as a 'slice of life' but it seems to have reached that end. I would have said 'ended that way' but it's far from ended.

Part of what you see as 'slice of life' is the inclusion of my lesser folders, which I am trying to find a way to exclude from the top rated engine, as they're taking up too much space and misrepresenting my abilities -- yes, they represent 'slice of life' but there's far too little good photography in them -- they were posted to be interesting and to be a place 'temporarily' to place my very much lesser work. (since I had not so much 'good work' and loads of lesser -- slice of life work.)

But the viewship of those folders has grown 'like topsy' and I'm a little embarrassed, since they do not represent what I regard as good photography at all -- for that look in my 'Faces' 'Color Folder', 'Early B&W', 'Afternoon and Evening in San Francisco' (make allowance for single and 'slow' lens at night, no flash), 'Five Hours In Nevada', 'Yevgenia', disregarding my 'Seasons' and 'Traveling Man' as well as 'Just For Fun' Folders which have HUGE number of views and are high on the yearly TRP engine.

I can and regularly do much better than those 'fun folders', but then Photo.net is 'just for fun' in my estimation -- and why not? I didn't mean to dominate the 'yearly folder views', and if I had my druthers would take down about three of the TRP folders, from the yearly display, but don't want to remove them from my portfolio to do that.

So, look for my better stuff, and make allowance that some posting is 'just for fun', but has garnered an enormous number of views and some folders are without significant merit but have snuck onto the top-rated photos (for views) for the yearly views category in the TRP sort engine. (and two of them, very high).

Thanks for the kind remark.

John (Crosley)

John. It was by pure luck that I stumbled onto your portfolio. And I have been spending too much time here already (I'll come back when work is done and the kids asleep). There is so much to take in. When I recently started out on photo.net I felt lost - have no photoshop. My preference is the "honest image", although not always perfect in the technical sense.

Since reading your comments and posts and viewing your truly magnificant images, I feel "vindicated" that I hung in there. I have no problem with manipulated images or PS - the people who can really use it are quite amazing. But it's a bit like ballet, although I can appreciate the difficulty in dancing on your toes, I have no desire to do it myself (I'm more of a pick up the ball and run - rugby - type of guy).

You have opened my eyes to what I need to look out for. My only regret is that time is not always on my side - but I am intent on making the time available for shooting images count. Sites like this one, and especially portfolios and feedback like yours will make it possible - of that I am convinced.

Thank you once again. Warmest regards. JH de Beer

your portfolio is legendry for many reason one of them is that it reflects every aspect of life the diversity is untrue another one is that your portfolio has you as a backup your talent in describing your work is unbelievable I take my hat off for you thanks for sharing and inspiring.

WOW, your portfolio is just amazing and you are quite helpful to PN new users like myself. Really like the atmosphere.

John , from a quick view I noticed some exceptional fotos in ur portfolio...I glanced some really inspiring compositions & captures...don't have much time right now , but I ll be back for sure in the coming days...

chrs!

Randomly clicking on thumbnails (some I find immediately captivating, some I find less interesting - and of course, I want to know why -, some I don't understand in a first look, etc.), discovering part after part your (rich) way, reading more or less large pieces of your impressive literature, stunned by what you're able to share and by what you can learn to others, your portfolio is one of the few I visit at least twice a week.
I don't know if one day I'll take "street photos" - streets with people are needed for that in the close to me surroundings : )) - but what I'm sure about is that you've participated actively to open more my eyes towards richnesses of photography and human behaviour.
Thank you John.

You have an extraordinary portfolio! I really like your B&W and street images! Most of them are marvellous and I definitely have to return to look them more thoroughly. "The young East European nude ladies"-part distracts to me a little. You obviously have a great talent on how to co-operate and communicate with people, and the ladies photos are also showing that. But some of them look quite young and knowing this world, this bothers me. Well, this is of course only my 0,02 cents... Enjoy communicating and enjoy capturing images, you have so much to give to the Photo.net-community.

Your pictures a form of beautiful art. Pleasure to watch them. I do hope you will comment/rate on some of mine

Hi John (Crosley) I find your photos wonderfully refreshing and original. I love the personality of each photo and through them I can see what you find interesting and worth showing, hence showing us a bit of yourself. I applaud you. Ester Bevers

John, this is the most vast and difficult portfolio i have ever picked, and i did it to put myself on the test.. did i was able to define years of working experience by picking up just 3 pics?

synthesis, capability to tell the story, use of colours and background to help reporting an event. These are 3 distinctive traits of a professional. I have much to learn from your images if i want to put some dynamism in my work too. But it has been nice to spend some time with your work, i guess i have learned something.

hi! your pictures are so nice and inspiring!

well, quite depressing too, gosh, why am i wasting mine & anybody's time taking pictures...

Thanks for your suggestions on my work...I will try your suggestions in future. They are very useful for a beginner like me. Your portfolio is great..

Somehow, my various folders have begun to skyrocket in the number of 'views' and having begun the year at maybe somewhat over 5 million 'views' now have increased to something like 20 million views or more (I've actually given up trying to count them -- satisfied with guesstimating by looking and rounding up from looking at the totals on the highest-viewed folders).

What an amazement for me!

When I first posted about 2-1/2 years ago, I thought the first photos from long-ago, which were among the best I've ever produced, might have taken off right away, but they didn't in part because I didn't know how to request a critique, and in part because, I think, that they were 'out of the mainstream' for the Photo.net audience, and if anything, one sometimes has to 'create' a taste for one's work with the audience, and once created, that audience becomes receptive to more work.

Everything's been a learning process for me, and I'm only just beginning, though I try to share what I've learned almost every step of the way, in part because, being from Oregon originally, that's what Oregonians do -- they share naturally (just get a flat tire in Oregon or run out of gas on a rural road and see how long you wait until somebody offers you help). That kind of help often 'pays off' as a lifestyle, as it shows in a kind of genuineness that can't be faked and is the opposite of corporate caring programs whereby you give something to get something, and people remember that you gave and instinctively (generally) give back and remember the small things.

When I practiced law, I instinctively gave away about 1/3 of my work, pro bono, and was surprised often when people would say, 'thank you for helping me with my dispute with my neighbor over that tree, I'm not so happy with the solution, but by the way, my brother lost his leg in a car accident, does he need a lawyer? (of course the brother did, and often to boot the brother often had a claim not only against the party driving the car who hit him but also against his employer -- he would have been on the job carrying parts, mail, etc., -- his disability carrier who denied him coverage telling him he could do something while his doctors disagreed, -- often making up something they claimed the guy could do -- just out of whole cloth -- and even the dismemberment insurance would try to stiff the guy, also inventing reasons for not paying.

I recall the case of the new standout just-turned-pro basketball player who collapsed on the floor of a big pro basketball game soon after he turned pro.

As part of his pro signing package he bought lifetime disability package at a million dollar premium but it paid millions of dollars in lost salary if he could not work for a lifetime.

He collapsed and hours later died.

The insurance firm head offered his mother the policy premium 'back' and inferred he was being 'generous' since 'nothing was owed' since the player died.

Mom went to an attorney, and the attorney argued the man lived for hours after the collapse and during that time (for the rest of his life) he was disabled and was thus eligible for the multi-millions of lump sum benefits under the policy -- the insurance had tried to cheat the player's mom. That is the way often of corporate kindness. (The company had to pay!!! -- they had tried to 'pull a fast one')

Oregon kindness, on the other hand entails no such quid pro quo, let alone cheating behavior.

You need help, so I offer it.

So, if I give you a critique, it is meant to be helpful, and not from any bad place in my heart even if it is critical; it is meant to better your skill as a photographer, even though it may rankle for a few minutes (often I will pick some of the worst photos to critique because those photographers need the most help, but try to do so in a kind manner.

I haven't 'cleaned out' any 'bad comments' as I am allowed to do under the software here, and it would show if I had. All the comments above are exactly as written by the commentators.

When I get time, I'll try to reply to those commentators who've posted I haven't acknowledged yet.

Special thanks to each and every one of you who've clicked on a photo, even just viewed a thumbnail of mine, and extra special thanks for those who've made an attempt to critique or comment on a photo of mine -- some of the dearest things that have happened in my life have come through those comments and critiques (and they are not all 'attaboys' -- some are not so complimentary, but I try to take all with pretty good humor and equanimity when they seem to come from a good-spirited place.

Thank you viewers!

I expect to keep posting unexpected and different photos for the unknown future, and hope you'll keep guiding my art/craft and hope it keeps growing with your inestimable help.

(Even sometimes a small idea contained in a larger critique can help me see something that I missed that was vitally important.)

John (Crosley)

The Best John.... a lot to see .... but it has passion, and that's what photography (for me) is all about... and you have a lot of words, but you don't need them........... thanks for sharing this beautifull portfolio

Els

You have a wonderful way of seeing the world. Each image seems to reveal more of its beauty the longer I look at it. What a great talent. Thank you for sharing it.

Hi john, Speak David, remember me, me and flor, balet, the tango shoes.

hi im impress of your pictures.

if you are still heare, this sunday we go to the colon (theatre). if you want to come with us, send me an e-mail. to d_sasd@hotmail.com.

nice to meet you

David.

Hi John. Very impressive portfolio indeed. I love your "from then to now" folder.

Excellent portfolio! You have the perfect position for each photo. Interesting also.. most of them have a story behind it.

john,

on hugh hill's recommendation, i took a peek at your work. i must remember to listen to anything else hugh tells me.

as an amateur photographer discovering a latent talent and passion for shooting, your views/visions/images have instilled in me an incremental penchant for capturing those moments of life that appeal to each one of us - individually.

keep up the great work - i look forward to enjoying and learning a lot from your work.

best regards - vikram.

John, I enjoy reading your comments on others portfolios, as I learn from them greatly. You have a way of critiquing honestly and in a way that one can learn from. I also admire your street photography. I would love to take some street photos, but am timid in that respect. I would greatly appreciate you stopping by my portfolio. I am a student and am hungry for constructive critiques. Thank you for all your contributions and sharing.

John I was in Paris for photo2006 also. If you're interested I have a selection of images posted in a Paris folder. I see you have started posting some of your own. I look forward to seeing more. Regards Louis

congrats for your excellent portfolio!!! regards Alfredo

You got yourself a new fan today, keep up with the excellent work.

p.s.: I haven't had the opportunity yet to check out all of your works, but the moment I'm time-lighter, I'm going to look at every single one of them. I just have to. Happy two o o seven, by the way;)

I enjoy your portfolio. A bit of a keen eye & very diverse. I like, particularly, the human side & portraits which many times you've captured in unusual poses or settings. These are shots many would not think of or pass up

... the quality and breadth of your work, the industry you show in reviewing and responding to the work of others, and your clarity of expression (that ties directly into how you shoot). Boy howdy do I like your work.

Hi John, this is a fantastic portfolio! Very creative shots out of real life, very expressive, interesting to look at, often with a hidden surprise. I will study it in more detail and hopefully learn from it! Very motivating and encouraging for me, congratulations! Yours Frank

street tutorial reference for sure, John! Inspirational.

one of the most varied and colorful portfolios i've seen...in particular, you capture faces and expressions so well!...and your photographer's eye, to see common scenes in a completely different perspective, shines through as well. great work...congrats!

You depict life so beautifully through the eyes of your camera. It warms my heart to see your work and gives me hope to do it all one day. If you do have the time I would love a critique of my fledgling portfolio... it would mean so much to me.Tell me what you like and more importantly, what you don't. Thank you for inspiring

Very high quality stuff! One of the better porfolios that I've come across yet!

John you dont need to publish a book, you already have. To read all the comments and look at all the photos here will take months. I feel I'm at the start of a long road that I know I will enjoy and look forward to. I cannot wait to read all your 'monologs' or as they are known now as 'blogs'. I'v have started to dip into a few of your images and two things jump out to me: close croping and the use of back ground posters. Thank you for sharing, explaining, outlining and providing information to those who come to photo.net for inspiration. Marko

This is THE most impressiv portfolio I have ever seen.... Thanks for sharing! I really look forward to see more of your photographs! :-)

After 3 hours of looking at the beginning of your portfolio, I am speechless. There is nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. This is the most amazing collection of photographs I have ever viewed, and it gives me motivation to get out there and shoot even more. Thanks, Jason

Waaaaaaw......

What a work!! What a vision!!! You're the king!

Tim Holte is or maybe Skip Hunt, when he's not destroying his folders periodically.

John (Crosley)

Superbly widely varied and eclectic portfolio; revealing long experience. It's been a pleasure perusing (tho' I'll have to come back, it's so vast!) Thanks.

Amazing photos(especially in your street folders)! I will definitely be back to see more :) Keep up the good work ...

Regards,

Lars

Been a while since I stopped to looked at the complete 'folio.... My thoughts are still the same as the first time I saw it.... Good photographers have the Knack - - Eye, skill, imagination and luck (luck = right place right time).... Dude...ya got the Knack...

Hello John, I always return to places i find to be constant sources of artistic inspiration. Your portfolio is one of them! Every image is bursting with life, emotion and individuality. You are an artist with a beautiful skill and a guiding light for the rest of us learning the trade to follow!

What a Portfolio....... Great work. Your B&W's are outstanding.

thanks for sharing

bryan

Great body of work you have here, impressive, and very inspiring! and thanks again for the friendly tips you left on one of my critique requests.

Beautiful portfolio. Will study time and time again.

John Crosely

Hello John .. first of all, I would like you know how honored i am to get the attention from a person of high stature like you. I had read your bio and was so impressed and at the same time so belittled by your paramount accomplishment. It was perhaps that peculiar photo that i had submitted for critique that trigered your patriotism, it could have been any other flag with a supposedly a theme in mind that "the lack of education is still a majority on this planet". Specially in my country Philippines.. wherein patriotism is an endangered traits. As a beginner, with barely 2 weeks of photo capturing exercise, and of no knowledge with regards to journalistic responsibility could easily commit such mistake or blunder.. if it is either .

Now ,.. I wonder if I should imposed restriction to myself ,..but what i did was a mere honesty and a personal interest on subject relating deviation .. burning flags is so sensationalized by many photo journalist and what is worst than that? .. not to mentioned, other debated kind of photos shown in public. Again, I begin to wonder ..if restricting goes with creating.

In any case , I am rethinking and pondering your wisdom .. I only hope I am worthy to become one of your learner.

I did not regret submitting that photo" bandera" , otherwise you would not have noticed me for critique. If there's a way of having your autograph by cyber way i would persistently ask for it.. Can you do it please ! Por Pabor !

..I had viewed your portfolio of photos and I was filled with so much emotional impacts , so impressed, amazed , surprised, horrified and saw the magnitude of your personality and accomplishment .. or maybe to best described it .. I got lost on a mine-field and step on one. Now , teach me how to difuse it.

Thank you very much for making this interaction constructive and my sincerest gratitude and respect to you, To a man with wide knowledge , skills and experience .. I salute !

Best regards

Cedrico

I commented (rather extensively) on a flag photograph you posted in which the flag was 'upside down' which is an international distress signal.

There are some in the United States who suggest the US flag right now should be 'upside down' because of the dramatic change in basic US policies, such as pre-emptive strike in Iraq for no real (only imagined) threat to the US and at enormous cost to the US treasure.

My comment was NOT posted out of patriotism or loyalty to the flag of the United States. I have no loyalty to that flag per se (it's just a piece of cloth or a symbol to me). I do have enormous patriotism for the United States, and don't need a flag to make me a patriotic citizen.

So, seeing an upside down flag or someone disrespecting it, hardly bothers me at all -- flag burning is seen as protected 'free speech' by the US Supreme Court, and the ability to speak and write freely and without adverse consequences is one of the reasons I'm so patriotic.

So much as I disagree with the flagburners, I avidly advocate their right to do so, for it is the freedom to engage in such acts that is the quintessence of what it is to be an American -- to protect especially those with unpopular viewpoints (the ones with popular viewpoints need little protection).

The framers of the US Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, were among the most thoughtful humans who ever assembled to put together a document, and (except for its failure to include blacks as citizens and treating them as chattel), the US Constitution is perhaps the greatest document ever written (I won't quarrel with the bible thumpers or those who advocate their particular religious tract).

It is the process of the US Constitution to have 'checks and balances' so that if one faction or another seeks to gain too much control and 'gets out of control' as occasionally happens, say under Joseph McCarthy's scare tactics (and some say presently under the current Administration), the Constitution gives power to an independent judiciary, appointed for life to protect the federal judges and justices from political consequences, and enormous 'check' power to the Congress, (which until recently has abrogated in a cowardly way some of that 'check' power, but has a new-found vigor.)

I am a registered Republican, but I believe in the freedom of all men to do whatever they are best at, and not the supremacy of corporations over all, or the Constitution might have better said 'Corporations Uber Alles'. It didn't.

Surely corporations can be great, but they are hardly good citizens; in fact most are leaving the US precisely because they have NO loyalty except to the bottom line (profits), and anything that gets in the way of profits can be seen as 'negative' by their chiefs.

A democratic state, as opposed to a 'fascist' state, does not glorify the corporation, but allows it to thrive as it can, while protecting its citizens -- a protection that lately has been a little lax in coming forth, and the citizenry has been a little lax in complaining -- perhaps out of a feeling of 'having given up' a little too much.

The Right and ultra-right usurped the US flag as a symbol of their cause in the United States, and so disrespect for the flag was characterized by them as equivalent to being 'antidemocratic' and 'anti-American' which it is demonstrably not.

In fact, the first Americans were peace protesters who simply disrespected King George's tyranny.

We have had an administration that has 'sold us' a war we could have avoided, and we probably should have avoided that war, because it was sold with 'spurious (and sometimes 'invented') 'facts', - which surely is unpatriotic to the extreme, if not worse (worse is probably a crime in the US). (See for instance, Yellowcake in Nigeria, or Bush's feigned lack of interest in invading Iraq (though he expressed interest, even lust, at invading Iraq at his first cabinet meeting) until just before the invasion when in fact he had directed his whole Administration's efforts to just that end from the very first.

It doesn't bother me if you burn the US flag as a form of protest; I will pay attention to your protest and respect or disrespect it on its merits, but the US is so strong and mighty in its freedoms (and economy) that burning a mere piece of cloth (or depicting it upside down) will do it no harm -- the US and all it stands for is far mightier than any piece of cloth, painting or depiction, however smarmy that depiction might be, or derogatory or derogating.

The US is so mighty it can stand any sort of ridicule and still come out on top, and should have no fear of ridicule by its citizens, even its disaffected ones.

But it also should seek to be a good world citizen -- also a role is has marginally abrogated recently.

The head of Lawrence Livermore Laboratories (at least I think he was the head), returned from briefing Washington leaders a year ago, and he and I spoke after those briefings, about the danger of a nuclear Iran.

My conclusion to him was that the 'red herring' of a war in Iraq (which supposedly was 'won' in six weeks), was draining the US military so much, that we were weak and helpless in placing any sort of real military threat before Iran to help prevent its designs to build a nuclear weapon (or several) and misuse them, first probably on Tel Aviv or other parts of Israel.

That man, a world leader and nuclear weapons expert, just nodded in agreement at my analysis and looked at me wanly as to say 'what can you do.'

Because I was not then a reporter, I did not question him -- I could read his expressions and reaction to my assertions and his complete agreement.

I'm into substance in such things as US power and prestige, not into decoration or symbolism.

If I were a practicing Christian it would not mean much whether I wore or did not wear a cross, but whether I believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and whether he died to save 'me' as a 'sinner'.

That is the way I think.

Form over symbolism.

Action over words.

I commented (extensively) on your photo, from a good place in my heart, to help you as a photographer to understand the fundamentals of what is and what is not a good photo -- in other words to help you learn about photography -- my patriotism, or lack of it, had nothing to do with my criticism.

If you study my comment, you'll realize that if you take my comment to heart, you'll have learned a great deal about photography. You must have a subject or at least something of interest and/or beauty and it must not be puzzling, unless your puzzling photos are 'subjects' in themselves for their puzzling nature.

It's a broad field - photography - and I have just one small niche (though I attempt nearly everything, from Nudes to News).

I live by the fundamental rule that one 'keeps all the good stuff within the lines of the photo's frame and keeps all the bad and distracting stuff out'

If in a photo there is extraneous stuff that detracts from a photo, it is best cropped out (first in the camera if you are skillful) and otherwise in the darkroom (digital or not).

Every photo needs a 'subject' even if the subject is merely to show an interesting pattern, series of colors or something that is 'artistic'.

But to break something beautiful (or truly ugly or disgusting) with something that falls outside that genre, derogates from the photo and had better have a reason for being included or it should be left out.

I cannot TELL you how to take good photographs; that is something that is personal and attacked millions of different ways, and I certainly am far from the best at taking beautiful photos as many landscapers are, (although I try with some success, most not posted).

I simply get bored and like the action of people photos.

But you'll notice that all my photos have pretty tight cropping and usually have a defined subject (which yours did not, although it did have one subject which was derogated by all sorts of extraneous material AND a few questionable objects which confused me, hence my post).

There are literally as many ways to become a good photographer as there are photographers who have such aspirations, and keep at it with a modicum of talent. Almost anyone can take a skillful photograph, and a great many people can become skillful photographers.

My post was solely to help give you a boost to becoming a more skillful photographer, and I often direct my comments at those who need them the most - those who obviously are beginners, as the experienced sorts can often figure things out for themselves or already know their photo's particular weaknesses and how to avoid them 'next time'.

I think that post (and this) will help you (and other photographers who read this) become more skillful, which is why I take the time to comment (when I have the time) rather extensively and in detail, rather than just post generalities or briefly critical thoughts.

My goal is to help you become just as good or better than I; which might very well be possible and in possibly a short time if you take lots of photographs and pay close attention to the posts here and the critiques.

Also, thank you for the kind words; but I put my pants on one leg at a time.

With respect,

John (Crosley)

Thank you for your encouraging comments on my shot "Window" posted for critique today. This was taken a few hours ago, as the final glares of the setting sun shone through the window. I get limited time to practice photography, and have been advised by some respected members of photo.net to shoot whatever I can in and around where I stay; that it does not have to be anything "special". At my stage where I am trying to develop this into a serious hobby (having purchased my camera just about a year ago), I think that was a good suggestion. This was the result of one such effort (the others being "Dry Tap", "Harnessed" and some similar shots). I am also trying to read more on the different aspects of photography and am still getting into grips with software (I only use PS elements). I must say that despite my limited exposure (no pun intended), I thought I do a decent job at times, and so was somewhat upset with the 3/3 rating I recieved. But then I went through the wonderful comments you left and that lifted my spirit. You expressed your views but also respected mine and that, to me, was quite overwhelming. Thank you so much. After all the praises lavished on your portfolio, there remains very little to add. All that I can say is that your portfolio is a learning experience for me, something I would like to visit from time to time.

Sincerely, Samrat.

http://www.elliotterwitt.com

If you like my photographs, you'll realize I'm just a beginner.

This guy was tops from the start and he's still going strong after 50 years.

John (Crosley)

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment on my 'canoe' shot -it was a minor 'decisive moment' whith few options. The bonus is introducing me to your wonderful site.

PF

is about the only word that comes to mind. I have spent a good deal of time perusing your portfolio. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best collections of images I have seen on the PN or elsewhere. While I am not a fan of b&w I must admit, you almost converted me. I want to specifically comment only on one issue: Some of the critiques were clearly written by "photographers" who could not divorce themselves from any of the photographic "taboos", such as: "don't cut off an extension, such as a bird's wing." or "you should have composed this shot in this way or in that way, because this way or that way are the "photographic norm"...and we do not want to step out of this Norm. There were, most likely, some painters who told L.d.V. that the background of Mona Lisa is a bit blurred, and "I don't like her smile". I am not fundamentally against "critique" but there comes a moment when we no longer critique a "with-a-camera-picture-taker" (such as I am) but look at the work of an artist....Bert

The kiss ~

http://www.robertdoisneau.com/largehotelkiss.htm

doisneau ~ wow

Surprised to just now find your Portfolio. Amazing and beautiful collection. Thank you for sharing. Tim

EXCELLENT.....PURE GENIUS.......... ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PORTFOLIOS.... AND MY FAVOURITE PHOTO IS My lens is bigger than yours..... This is common among sports photographers here in Egypt.... Made me laugh..... GREAT work from a MASTER photographer.....

Hamada

What a portfolio! It's gonna take me a year or two to look at this work properly ... what a trip! Rock on!

John, You are a true inspiration to a novice such as myself although I am sure yours is a natural gift and not one to be learned.for one, I find myself to timmid to take photos in public for fear of someone getting angry but also your natural eye for things unusal i think sets you apart from most. Wonderful work. Dana

YOU HAVE SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESFUL STREET+BACKGROUND COMMERCIALS PHOTO I HAVE EVER SEEN.

Dam Sam your portraits rule. I didn't get a chance to look at them all closely, but the overview shows how in touch you are with the human element. Very inspirational. Thanx for the kind words one one of my images. See ya round campus, Ron.

I hope one day i'll have a small part of photographic experience and photos you 've taken!

One of the strongest galleries on Photo.net. The "Black and White, Then to Now" folder contains some especially amazing photos.

I am very impressed with your black and whites. Your considerable time spent with Photography has not been wasted. If you would be so kind, please visit my portfolio. I would be greatly interested in your thoughts on how you think I could improve.

Best Regards from Pennsylvania

Kellen

John, I just spent one hour looking at your work ( I need 100 more to do justice to it)and it totally overwhelmed me. Your street photography is amazing! It shows your depth and your heart with your "subjects". I found your folio because I left you a comment on your " have and have not " photo taken in my city of Las Vegas. What really got me was the time that you took to answer all of the comments on your folio. I loved your detailed responses to a variety of subject and commentaries. I would have loved to have seen your Viet Nam shots being from that "generation ". We shoot differently. My idol is Ansel Adams and I think my folio refects that. Please feel free to visit and would really like any input you would care to give. I'm never going to be a street photographer but I certainly respect those who have the talent to portray the every day lives of people all over the world. One last thing before I leave. Your comments to Z and your defense of him. Classy and right on the money..Keep shooting because I will keep looking...RAY

Hope u can add more Rita photos to your portfolio.I saw 5 photos. She must be a famous photomodel in her country ? From the portfolios i have seen so far i think her photos are the best. I think she will be a star in the future.

On of the best street photo collections I've seen!

compliments

Niesamowity, fascynujacy dorobek. Brawo!!!

John,

My Sincere Compliments on your excellent work, it is as great to view as to learn from. Kind Regards, Pete

Hallo John, I am really impressed with your B/W images. Somehow you manage to get the proper exposure and contrast, and a very nice tonality too (not to mention interesting subjects). Will be back to see more of it. Cheers.

As a humble amateur I can sure learn a lot from your amazing portfolio. I am in disbelief that your overall rating is not in the 6 or 7 range. This just illustrates the absurdity of the rating system in my opinion. Your work is visual poetry. It captivates, engages and touches the viewer through your gifted eye.

Hi John,In my opinion you have an excellent portfolio with great documentary images... I hope you continue showing us your talent.

best regards

nice work.

Hello John! Amazingly enough, I was randomly browsing through your huge portfolio, I saw the ICE train photo and wanted to post a link towards mine [to know what you think of it] and I just noticed you already commented on it!!! How strange of a coincidence is that??

Anyways, you have an amazing collection of people shots, I really like how 'real' they feel and the messages they convey [like there is a story for each of them].

Congrats!!

Sacha

Hi, I just wanted to thank you for this photographic work. I've been touched by your vision maybe because just like you, I love the streets and more than that, people which are walking through. The world needs people like you. Best.

Pierre (sorry for my bad english)

You are very much in love with photography.

Thank you, Cristiann.

A truly amazing portofolio!!!!

I love the way you capture life in your pictures! You have a strong documentary sense. I also like the "frame in frame" photos, with posters in the backgrounds. Interesting stories behing each shot. You're a great artist of image!

My hat off to your ART. Congratulations!

I consider yours is one of the best and most coherent collections on the p.net. I appreciate the election some weeks ago of one of your shots for the PoW, you really deserve the exposition you had.

It has been a while since I visited. It was with great anticipation that I saw you photograph that was chosen for POW during October. Congratulations, you deserve it and much more.

I cruised through your portfolio, and relished old favourites - and absolutely loved the new ones. You take me to the places I wish I could visit but can't.

Thank you.

Best wishes JH

Hi John, I found your work through a comment by Tom Keys. he left on comment on one of my photos that was rather cryptic and left me puzzled. He's left PN so I can't ask him. I like all your work, especially your street shots. They're so direct and in the moment. I haven't found the courage to aim my camera at strangers. if you've found any good advice re: marketing your work I'd be interested to know. I'm very much an amateur- got my first camera a few years ago. Cheers. Denise

Hello Friend!

Well here it is another year is passing away and we are coming into the holidays. I think time starts to go faster as we get older, it was just yesterday I wished my friends Happy Holidays and here it is again the end of a year. The holiday lights are starting to be put on some of the trees here in Dallas, we were out last night and some were lighting the trees. I wish for you all a holiday season with family and friends, after all is said and done all we have is each other.

I want all of you to know just what your comments and ratings on my work means to me, your words are my motivation, my drive to discover, to learn this art that we all love, thank you for taking time and thank you for caring about my works. At the same time thank you for letting us see your world, our lives are so much the same, we all care about our families and friends and we all share the same things, maybe someday our photos will help make for a lasting world peace. May you and your family be blessed this season.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shooting

Ken

Thank you for your personal comment next above.

John (Crosley)

John, your images are very good. I have enjoyed viewing them, and now will have to come back to "study" them! Thank you for sharing them on Photo.net.

Pismo Beach, California

amazing portfolio! you are an inspiration for me!regards.gabriela

John, I hope that this will be a healthy, prosperous and prolific year for you. Wishing you the best for 2008.

Hi John. I just want to say that I someday hope to be better than you, and if I succeed, I will be the best. Outstanding work. Just my style and direction I hope to pursue. Best of Luck, Pete.

Hey there Just wanted to go on record as a fan of yours! You are so good at this street shooting thing. Always inspirational. Thanks for the sweet comments and stopping by my image gallery. Cheers Lee

Increible portafolio!!...Saludos!

Working on a saturday, but lucky to have the computer doing all the work, I took a long time going through your work : You don't have one single photo we can see : We just "have" to look at each of them. And for a long time...

Every one of them is a lesson of photography, and I would like to thank you very much for sharing your work, and to thank you also for all the details you are always giving with each photo eventhough they all speak by themselves. But this adds another dimension in the lesson.

kind regards

laurent

Just now discovering your very detailed answers, which you were writing while I was admiring your work. Thank you very much for that. (And me beeing swiss, I'll need a little time to read them now :-))

wow! you are ver good! what a wonderful portfolio you have... i am greatly impressed... and honored that you took the time to give me such great advice on my "abandoned" photo.. I have place another photo in my portfolio, perhaps if you have time you can view it.. i would be so grateful... any thoughts are apprecited.. i am here to learn... thank you again.. blessings, Ms judi..

PS: has any one ever told you that you look the actor Anthony Perkins??? a very fine actor.... and quite handsome.. blessings, Ms Judi

colorful portfolio

Hi John, that's a lot of praise indeed and it leaves one wondering if anything original can be added. I've waited a long time before posting my photo's on the internet because I couldn't see what it would add for me. About a month ago I took the plunge and haven't looked back since. Meeting a lot of very good photographers here has been great fun and worthwhile. One of them directed me to your site and well, here I find myself wandering trough your extensive portfolio. I'm not going to compare you to any other photographer because, what's the point? I like to see originals and not copies of renowned photographers.What strikes me in a lot of your photo's is the (often little and sometimes hidden) story's they tell almost by accident it seems but in reality carefully worked out. There's no doubt that you're a keen observer with a good eye for detail. Regards, Ton

Siento no hablar bien tu idioma. Es una gran pena que las fotos sociales, y concretamente en blanco y negro, no tengan en PH la aceptacion ni la puntuacion que merecen. Un caso singular me parece el tuyo. En ese sentido la calidad de un portfolio como es tu "Black and White, Then to Now" me parece increible, asi como me parece increible que en pocas ocasiones una de esas fotos no haya estado en los primeros lugares del "top photographies" . Y lo mismo podria decir de "Fun Foolin' Around" y de "Some Recent Work" , llenos de grandes fotografias. Mi estilo no esta cerca del tuyo, pero mi admiracion si. Enhorabuena por seguir haciendo una fotografia directa, de sentimientos, de personas. Un fuerte saludo

...............................................

ok, Lo intento en ingles:

I'm sorry but i'm not speak well your language. It is a great pain that the social photos, and concretely the images in black and white, they do not have in PH the acceptance and rating that deserve. A singular case seems to me yours images. In that sense the quality of your portfolio "Black, Then to Now" seems incredible to me, as it seems incredible to me that in few occasions one of those photos it does not have been in the first places of "top photographies". And the same I think of "Fun Foolin' Around" and "Some Recent Work", great plenty of images. My style is not near of yours, but my admiracion yes. Thank you for continue making the images directs, full of feelings, full of authentic people. Greetings.

Hi John Thanks for your advise I was not aware of that. I have deleted the photo. I took advange of your message to check your work which is very interesting. I liked very much the few ones (portraits) made at the studio, on same you could see your profesional hand. Thanks again and regards.

Beyond perfect portofolio. I admire your works John. My best regards.

Your work is a delight and I think you're amazing.

- Carina.

Superb!

Hi John,

I thoroughly enjoyed your photographs. I admire your dedication to truth in your photography. I find that truth is getting harder and harder to find in the world of photography. Keep it up.

the warmth of humanity shines in this thankyou

I like your style, I would like to spend a month shadowing you. The things you see and capture, "real life" even for a new comer like me, how can you change Real life????

hi Wowe nice portfolio .i really like your portrait photographs their filled with emotions and life and really like your composition on the photographes .If you have some time to spare can You please come and visit my portfolio and give some expert advice.i have no proper photography education back ground.(learned every thing i know by reading photography related articles)So i would be very grateful if you could spare some time on my photographs.

I am in awe of your PF! You have an amazing collection of images and you are what a true and brilliant street photographer is all about. Black and white or color, amazing truley. I cant wait for more :)P

Photos from the heart.

Exceptional...and inspirational to a novice street photographer. I have been shooting a few months....but have fallen in love, specifically with street...and I am so glad to have come across your work. Reading your fabulous posts here have also given me great strength.

Thanks John...and best of wishes.

very nice portfolio i like it very much.

all very fantastic!!!

I joined photo.net in June. I just discovered your images and I am hooked. They are awesome..Marjorie

John, I really enjoyed checking out some of your photos. Your street photography is awesome. You have captured some wonderful expressions and motion. I'll definitely be dropping by to see if I can learn from your masterful techniques. A great collection!

Very nice portfolio. I love your bw work especially. regards -koushik

Very good collection, thank you

A very good portfolio. Il tuo sguardo in B&W è eccellente. Ciao

Hi, John

Thanks for your kindly suggestion on my photo "action". I look through your bio and portfolio. Your street shots are great. They are interesting and creative. it's a huge collection. I'll come back later. Best regards!

Exceptional! I really love your BW "street" shot! Mattia.

Very nice portfolio, great colors, congratulations !

Hey John,

Very fascinating. Huge collection of street photography that is a threat for the eye. Fun to look at, amusing to browse through.

You have a great sense for the small detail. In the ordinary life of just ordinary people. And making it memorable, unique, beautiful. Your extensive comments adds much to the images.

These images touch my heart perhaps they are close to my kind of preferred motives.

Very enjoyable, lots of beauty and full of life.

My compliments and admiration.

All the best

Peter

Great great work full of humanity

poet you are

just assume it my dear

regards

balthazar maisch

ps: I'llbeback

Hey, John Your portfolio is amazing and i am sure this is not first or last time you will hear that. but really you have inspired me! I am a aspiring street photographer, the quality of your photos, and the pure emotions that they seem to capture are moving. I think the thing that i enjoy is the raw pureness to your work, now when most people are creating photos using photoshop, its nice to see photography not graphic art presented as photography.

For the interesting conversation... You port is tremendous... I could only hope to achieve what you've done.... I would like to clarify the 20 year thing...Some of that has been off and on. I've been pretty private about my work until the last 2 years or so and I've been really on fire and have some great support to really take it to the next level. So getting invited to do a show this November has got me pretty nervous....I will be back often to study your work. Thanks again for your time... Ken

Greetings, John! We had a meeting. In Kiev. On the Maidan. You have named me on a grivna denomination. I have typed in rambler and have seen many interesting works. It is very pleasant to get acquainted with you.

I am sorry for my English translator)))

Yours faithfully to you, Rulon

You have very intersting and original portofolio.Congrats

Wonderful captures John. I enjoyed viewing your work very much. Thank you.

I could say so many things about your work but for now will just tell you I´m honored to be in the deep pool of your admiers.

John you really have an impressive collection of photos, your street photography is an art in its self. I have enjoyed looking at your photography for the last two years and hope you carry on publishing for many to come. Thanks for showing all the pictures. Regards Carl

I think I have never paid the courtesy to comment on your full folio. I do have my "bonafides" as you state I do not. Your best/aesthtic photos are the few semi nudes. Your signature by now is "street" and I recognize many without looking at who did. However, You diluted out your best into the pot and potpourri of all of the others. Dugmah: You posted "The Mask" and claimed it to be your very best and recogized as such by Giuseppe Pasquali and then a few days later you buried it somewhere that no one will find it.

John...I greatly admire your street photography and always look foward to a new image...I wish you a happy, healthy and productive new year...Marjorie

But he never knew it.

This well known UPI photographer from the Portland, Oregon UPI office, was sent to Portland from San Francisco in the fall of 1969. I happened to bump into him at a restaurant and talk with him.

He had been offered a job in Portland, UPI (United Press International) office and turned it into a lifelong career, or so I understand from my conversation with him. (At least until UPI went bankrupt.)

I had been offered that Portland UPI job the previous summer if I would join UPI in San Francisco and transfer to Portland, and at the same time been offered a job in San Francisco (in the same building even) by Associated Press, to start as a photographer (but they made me into a writer, correspondent and editor/photo editor, world service editor).

If I had taken the Portland UPI posting, this man never would have been offered the Portland photographer slot with UPI, a job he described as 'not really working at all.' He won the National Press Photographer's Ass'n President's Award in 1976, if my research is correct. Good for him!

For him it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he is well known in Portland, Oregon.

For me, it was not nearly so desirable -- AP hired me in San Francisco, seasoned me in Nevada after work in San Francisco, then sent me to New York World Headquarters. One of my many job duties was to sit in on the daily executive council with the department heads to determine AP's world news commitment (budget) for the following day - starting at age 23, the youngest ever by far to do that.

I quit when the cheap General Manager, Wesley Gallagher, took me to lunch and told me that I could be AP General Manager some day with his help and blessing.

Then he handed me my luncheon check, which I had to pay for myself.

We had 'lunched' at a luncheon counter in Rockefeller Center -- not at the storied 'Rainbow Room' high atop Rockefeller Center, or any storied lunch spot or watering hole.

I left within two months and quadrupled my salary at a new journalism job as an editor/writer/sometimes photographer for a business magazine, where I spoke frequently with people like Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart. Frankly, I didn't think so highly of Walton, whose chain became America's largest. Little did I know. He was so scared of being eaten alive by giant K-Mart, so he concentrated on little towns in Arkansas, Texas, etc. where behemoth K-Mart wouldn't go.

Cheap bastards - AP. No pay, great work experience. The only handle there was the chance at a Pulitzer, but only if you took the photos or wrote, not if you edited. There was no Pulitzer for editing.

Great training and work experience, but still cheap bastards.

I think I failed the General Manger's ultimate test to see if I could be cheap enough to stay and be like their management - cheaper than cheap.

Imagine a worldwide boss taking you to lunch, telling you that you could run the whole kit and kaboodle some day with mentoring, good hard work, and his sponsorship, then being handed your own luncheon check to pay out of a paltry salary.

I got out of there fast.

That was the news/photo business.

John (Crosley)

For sure you have a fun portfolo with lots of fun capture of life and sometime craziness of it. I like the variation of subjects in your portfolio.
Good luck with your future observations and your recording of 'LIFE' in your sorroundings.

kombizz

You have truly and fully understood exactly what I have set out to do. Your comment suggests I am accomplishing my goal.

Thank you.

John (Crosley)

Your work is technically excellent and fun to look at! Thank you.

I take my photos for my audience, which is composed of people just like you; not some hoity toity photo editor in some far off ivory tower, although some photos are far more rarefied than others.

I never forgot that when I was a writer I was taught to communicate 'with the Kansas City Milkman';if he couldn't understand what I was writing, I was too caught up in my own ideas instead of having them broken down into pieces small enough to digest or perhaps I didn't understand myself what I was trying to write.

There is nothing anti-intellectual about this either. As a lawyer, I found a fourth-grade educated agricultural worker through his child as an interpreter could often understand much of what comprised first year torts in negligence, nuisance, battery, etc., and ask intelligent, on-point questions better than most fledgling law students.

I believe in the common man (if I am able to have a one-on-one encounter, such as through my photos).

Collectively, I'm not too sure of 'public taste' and eschew television - I don't own a TV set and seldom if ever watch television).

I don't believe in catering to the 'lowest common denominator' or to the 'I've had enough and I'm not gonna take it anymore crowd' which I often encounter, but often which seem to love my photos anyway.

Almost everybody from all walks of life and worldwide seems to like my photos -- such validation. Oy Vey!!!

Whether you're an intellectual giant, Dan, or less well educated, I take my photographs for you and your entertainment . . . and to share my individual 'takes' on the human condition with others, such as you.

I'm glad you enjoy them.

John (Crosley)

P.S.

It brings me great joy to bring my viewers such as you similar joy with my photos.

How's that for symbiosis?

John (Crosley)

An excellent portfolio with nice models, congratulations ! Roxana.

Spacibo Bolshoi.

Especially to receive an accolade from a member of the Gruzhia Bar.

One must be extra specially carefully what photos to exhibit if one is taking and exhibiting photos while occupying twin positions -- one a citizen of Gruzhia (Georgia -- if I am right, am I?) and also a member of that country's 'bar association'. A certain degree of 'political correctness is called for, and I note lack of very many politically sensitive subjects in your portfolio (e.g., clouds, flowers, etc., compared to mine with many shots from the established democracy of neighboring Ukraine (as well as many other countries around the world.)

And, I agree, Slavic women are among the world's most beautiful. Many models depicted are or have been personal friends or became personal friends because they modeled for me . . . yes some of my best friends started out as models for me, including my closest friend in the whole world (female at least).

And you, at 24, look like you would also fit the bill as a model too, if you didn't have all that seasonal garb on in your portfolio photo. If I'm wrong about your country of origin (it's spelled differently here in the US as Georgia and in Ukraine it's pronounced as Gruzhia, then let me know, and I'll alter my comment accordingly.)

Best to you, and thanks for noticing my work (and my models -- almost all of whom deserve special mention and almost all of whom would work with me again and again -- I treat models well, unlike many photographers.)

John (Crosley)

Beautifull, original and full of humanity work.

with my best best regards

balthazar maisch

I accept, except for the beautiful part. I am not so sure many of my photos are so beautiful, judged by standards of postcard or calendar beauty or even by many normal aesthetics, but if 'punch', 'power' and/or 'impact' has a place, then for sure, then I'd accept that too, (in some cases). This is raw work placed here for enjoyment, not a pro portfolio which I must consider soon, as I'm serious about furthering my work for exhibition and further dissemination.

Enjoy it while you can; I can make no long-term promises, though I love posting here.

And, Balthazar, thank you so very much.

Without viewers, the question is there any true reason to take a photograph, no matter how good?

I do this for my viewers, especially the appreciative ones, like you.

John (Crosley)

Wonderful portfolio, your street photos are very well done. your B&W are very well mastered. Very well done. Regards.

Thank you for the compliments.

I do all this for viewers; without them -- my audience, it would be like making a sound in a forest. The sound would be there but it would be of no importance.

Long ago, I took a few and some think wonderful photos, but I had no place to show them. Even classic magazine photographers were giving up the trade.

Aperture magazine was about the only outlet for serious work -- and my only hope of recognition for my thin work was an 'Aperture Monograph' since I never hoped to have enough for a book -- though I have enough for several now.

So, given circumstances, and having seen Cartier-Bresson's works in person at a museum exhibition, I gave up hopes of being 'great' at photography and pursued another life entirely, only taking a photo from time to time -- even decade to decade until I posted those old photos on Photo.net to a wonderful reception and began then taking and posting new stuff as well -- all with millions and then tens of millions of 'views'.

It's grown 'like topsy' since then.

Without 'you' and others in my 'audience' it would all be for naught.

Literally I gave up photography before because of two things; 1. I compared my work to Cartier-Bresson's and decided he had 'occupied the field of what I hoped to do' and so far better than I that I reasoned I had best acknowledge his greatness and move on; 2. I lacked any organized audience or way to display my work -- something that the Internet and clubs and organizations like Photo.net have filled, bringing with them literally international recognition of my work.

Imagine sitting in a restaurant in Odessa,Ukraine and a photographer looked at my laptop after we ate dinner, and saw my portfolio from the Internet and said 'I know your work already' -- three or four years ago!

Times have changed, and who knows what I might have done if I had had an 'audience' when I was in my '20s, other than for newsphotos - the classical news magazines were dying out as were the pictorial magazines, such as Life, Look, etc.

Photographers of repute were going hungry or retiring (Cartier-Bresson retired).

Now, thanks to the miracle of the Internet I have a mostly appreciate audience, you are a representative member, and for that I am very, very thankful.

I express my thanks to you Hayder, but in doing so, acknowledge each of the 50 million to 70 million who have viewed or clicked on photos of mine through the various Internet services including this one.

Thanks!!!

John (Crosley)

Powerful portfolio with lots of wonderful pictures. I'm truly amazed by some of them, especially the portraits.... Thank you for sharing! Regards, Przemek

Pardon my delay in replying.

I am known more for my 'street' photography than anything else, and at one time put a conscious effort into regaining the 'style' at that I had developed or came by naturally in my '20s.

Now, however, I have a new found ability to connect with people on a one-to-one level, and in a way peer in certain cases 'into their souls'. In certain cases, I am able to take a photograph - a portrait - however unusual, that even my subject and his companions or family agrees 'reaches into their souls', and whether or not it is flattering by showing them with traditional beauty, I get praise for revealing their inner self in a way they thought was impossible.

I now get remarks such as 'I never like photos taken of me, but I like what you did' and without any regard to taking a flattering photo, which always is the farthest thing from my mind.

'Street' is my first love, but Cartier-Bresson, who shot the best 'street' in the world, also reveled in shooting 'portraits' (albeit of a different kind than mine, for certain). It seems the two may go together, for reasons I cannot quite put my finger on.

Your choices of photos to comment on was wonderful -- some of my best and not always my most popular, but certainly ones I hold in highest regard, and you are to be congratulated just for that.

You are welcome here any time; thanks for the accolade.

John (Crosley)

wonderfull page. nice landscapes beautiful birds very interesting idea with fun pictures the Eiffel Tower is nice captured please visit my page I need an opinion from an expert like you best regards from Romania

Thanks for the kind compliments. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos here; it's interesting to me that you mention the more inanimate of them; the ones without 'people' while I'm more known for my 'people' photos.

I try to do all with skill, however, and I hope that shows I've accomplished my goal of being some sort of Renaissance photographer - able to tackle any sort of subject and come out with a decent or better result.

Calling me an 'expert' is good for 'flattery', but I never took a photography class -- but still a photo from my first roll of film after I bought my very first camera (that day) is posted in my very best folder -- three men on ferry boat.)

But 'expert' -- I wish.

I'm in a mecca now for experts in the photographic arts -- one of the world's great metropolises, and I find I hardly know many of the most famous names, let alone the people attached to them -- I've lead an insular existence within the world of photography.

I've even met world famous people, but had to be told what they did and why they were famous -- a sort of gentle prodding from a helpful mentor was needed, or I would have been stuck there looking even more stupid than I already feel.

But my feeling is that if I can take one photo that communicates with anyone - and there are several - maybe more - that have communicated with a huge number of people, then I have done a good job.

No expert, I, but I am happy to have taken the photos I have taken; they represent my own view of life -- something unique to me.

A friend, a fellow photographer (a master), called me today to wish me luck, and he started to wonder why we had become such good friends, and he clearly supposed it was 'photography' which bound us together (we're both photographers).

But when I said 'no' it's our interest in people' he suddenly recognized that I had found the secret.

A 'people person' himself who is a master of dealing with people and who also is a master professional photographer of decades, he realized that the core value that made us friends was our complete interest in the ways and manners of people -- our great absorption in the way people behave - even if we are not always thrilled with what people do we love to watch them do what they do.

In my case, I often can watch people a short time, then often predict with some precision what they will do in the near future.

That, Roxana, is not something that is easily learned, though I really do think that in certain circumstances for the right pupil it is an art that can be taught.

The key to being a photographer is not to copy experts, or necessarily to even listen to them but to do what makes your heart sing when you press that shutter, watch the print emerge from the developer, or the printer, or even just appear on the screen.)

If your heart sings, when that happens, then you don't need anyone's help.

My heart frequently sings . . . . . and it sings a siren song when I take a great photograph.

John (Crosley)

John...Your street photography grabs me at the guts...More than impressive...Marjorie

I couldn't hope for a more flattering comment from an accomplished and respected photographer.

I am glad my photography has had such an impact on you.

I just take what I 'see', but then I 'see' a lot of things that most people 'tune out', maybe 'walk by' without noticing, or maybe just are not 'open to'', and I always did -- even from my very first roll of film, exposed the day I bought my first camera long ago, as I've discovered.

(That photo's posted with my 'best', in the work you refer to.)

My photography's success always has surprised (and delighted) me. But long ago, it also frightened me -- what if I couldn't repeat the wonder of prior great successes? - a worry I long ago discarded.

Now I know with the proper equipment, and aided just by my Forrest Gump style I suppose, that I can almost always eventually get wonderful captures -- it's usually a matter of dedication, having decent equipment, and 'being there' It's little known I'm disabled totally and have long been so - so my time for photography is extremely limited, and days can go by when I can't take a photo or go out even -- I just 'fake' being well and sometimes fool a lot of people. It's known as 'malingering well' -- the opposite of malingering. [but don't tell]

I was just looking through some exposures from a few months ago, before I became deathly ill for several months, and while waiting my giant insurance company's promised 'prompt' (my word, not theirs) replacement of stolen cameras/lenses, I found one very recent absolute stunner of a photo -- one that is a 'lifetime best' it's so good.

But I have no immediate posting plans for that photo; Life must have some mystery.

With the proper equipment, as better health creeps in, and and energy begins to return, I feel there's little in this genre I cannot do -- as well as the ability to perform a workmanlike job in many other genres as well.

My 'eye' is at its peak, I feel, and so are my reflexes.

It's a great feeling, especially considering just a very little while ago and for more than than two months I was practically forcefed up to five kinds of the highest level painkilllers and opiates just to be able to live with the worst pain imaginable.

They're all now flushed from my system completely. (no addict I.)

Thank you so very much for your very kind compliments.

john

John (Crosley)

John,

I am as always impressed with your portfolio. What you do--and what all good photographers of people do--is tell a good yarn with your pictures. I need not go into details here as the pictures speak for themselves.

I believe there were earlier historically interesting photographs that you deleted from your current portfolio.

Your commentary of your own works and street photography is also interesting, insightful and, indeed, very useful.

Looking back (or up) at your early commentary, I was impressed with your open letter to .[.Z, easily the least loved member of photo.net when he was here. What impressed me was your humanity, your amazing kindness to that person. Perhaps you made a better person of him. Your open letter could only have been written by a really good guy.

Forgive me for not rating your photos. These days I prefer to give verbal commentaries only. I also now only write about the works I like and prefer not to rip into stuff I don't like. There is no point. A photo, unlike a story or essay, cannot be revised. If the person is good he or she will produce good work, and if not--well--so be it.

You've led an interesting life. Have you ever thought of writing a book about it?

Hi Alex, and thank you so much.

If you look carefully now among the nearly 1,300 photos posted, you'll find it's a rare event when I 'unpost' any photo, and only for the most urgent cause, and not not because of any lack of aesthetics because I don't always post the prettiest photos.

I post just those I think are 'interesting to me', for whatever reason, though that has changed somewhat, and rarely take anything down.

If you remember a particular phoyo, look around -- it's almost certainly still there.

That may change if I get gallery representation, especially if I find that my Photo.net portfolio is a hindrance in obtaining such representation, or it competes.

I hope not, as I like it here.

I tend to post a lot; even work that decidedly is 'not my best'' in order partly to keep myself from getting a swelled head.

I have taken some iconic photos of world historical events and people, as well as some other work I'm extremely proud of.

A portion of my portfolio contains photos I judge should outlast my generation, and am working to ensure they are preserved and exhibited long after I am gone.

So, I keep almost every photo ever posted still posted, a reminder to new members that almost anyone, no matter how pedestrian some of their initial work might be, can have aspirations, as I have.

I started from nowhere, and have done very well here, and didn't have to curry favor from anyone, while my main genre (street) very much has been in disfavor most of my time on this site and still is not wildly popular.

I may or may not be in the process of being 'discovered' -- between 50 million and 80 million 'views' of my photos have been 'served' on the Internet from this site and others according to my best legitimate estimate, and that's some substantial recognition and encouragement.

I don't give out business cards; I don't have any. I'm not in business, at least at present, and if I enter photography professionally (or as a semi-pro), it will be at highest gallery exhibition level and museum exhibition level or not at all, as there's no other place for me such as chasing assignments, and I work best on my own, pursuing my own vision.

Everybody else is firing photographer such as magazines and newspapers, and those fired are competing desparately for the remaining work.

If someone wants to find my photos (or my e-mail), I just say, put my name in Google.com and click 'enter 'then follow the links on the first return' (Photo.net), and you'll find everything you want in far less than a minute - no business card or writing required.

I have significant trouble handwriting anyway as my right arm is partly paralyzed -- paresthesias is what it's called from a rebuilt neck and damaged nerves through the neck serving that arm and hand (and severe pain, but with very strong medications, I get by.)

It took a famous photo and art luminary (the late Helmut Newton's personal friend and private printer -- a Lucie Award winner -- and also printer to numerous other famous photo luminaries) to say what to him was obvious: 'John, Your Photos are FABULOUS (he spoke in capital letters)'. 'Each photo tells its own story'.

He summed up in six words,what I was only subliminally aware of. Frankly I hardly knew I was that 'storyteller' you describe. I guess it was just so 'natural' even going back to my first roll of film ever (with a photo from that roll still posted above with my best b&w work).

Those 'historical' photos and photos of 'world historical' figures and events you refer to were part of my life, and the photos remain in my portfolio - no deletions on those, though some have been 'moved'.

I am glad you endorse my running written commentary - it's wide ranging, not confined to photography, and touches on almost any subject.

Some say I should stop, but the detractors are outnumbered about 20 to 1 by supporters, and the detractors just needn't read.

Thank you for the kudo for my long-ago comment addressed to .].Z (Bailey Seals) who had many enemies here. I found his ratings harsh, but sincere, and told him so, publicly. I didn't like his low ratings, but they were consistent in an otherwise inconsistent ratings world, and that deserved 'thanks' so I said so, knowing he was disliked by many. I just didn't care -- right is right.

His rating were fair, if low, and that was good enough for me; I had no sights set on being top rated photographer, only in becoming a better photographer, and his consistent, well-thought-out ratings were valuable to me.

About my quite varied life:

I learned at a very early age, I had some intelligence, and looked in elementary school into joining MENSA, only to find out that there was a large number of members who were employed by the U.S. Post Office (now the Postal Service), and that at membership meetings then members wore name tags which bore their IQ number. That attention to a 'number' seemed foolish to me, and I passed, for all my life.

I figured it was a worthless organization and resolved instead to live (as the Chinese exort) 'an interesting life'.

Even though I did not always learn quickly, I often learned profoundly, and often on my own, and I learned how to learn and often learned how to teach myself, which is precisely what I have done with my photography, both in my 20s when I bought my first camera, and after nearly 40 years largely absent from the craft, once again, five years ago.

And I attended an Ivy League college (university) which encouraged and emphasized 'how to learn' over the subject being learned -- a profound advantage that has been a lifelong advantage. It also helped me keep my already innate and insatiable curiosity, which may show in my photos and commentary.

In a way, those things have helped keep me from getting bored -- and this site has provided me with a sense of community.

I have been long-term married with a suburban existence, and also a long-term bachelor, with experiences that span the globe. And thousands and thousands of experiences -- as I'm a person people often find easy to talk to - perhaps a leftover from my days as an attorney interviewing thousands of potential clients, or perhaps that is why as an attorney I had some success -- people (clients and others) could relate to me.

My mind is not something I can 'turn off' and I do not take mind-altering substances or those that dull experiences - I wish to 'feel' them, and I do have strong personal feelings and emotions, but practicality wins out over all, when I'm photographing, as it does little good to take a prize-winning photograph if I lose my life taking it.

I wrote about that the other day, having learned that my life had very possibly been in great jeopardy two years ago, unknown to me, while in Ukraine, by a pair of mass murderers who now have been caught. They probably had me in their sights as a target -- IF I had shown weakness or less diligence ionstead of appearance of strength on the streeet.

They murdered 21 people in two months in a city I was photographing in, and no one said anything, and they targeted their murder victims for robbery. I was well known to almost all there as the guy with the big, expensive cameras.

By the time I was 22 and exiting Columbia College, I already had a resume that would put most executives to shame -- really. I won't put it here, but my student jobs possibly can be matched by few students ever aside from the few who have founded high-tech companies,and it was highly varied and at the highest level.

The rest of my resume can be found in my comments, but it is indeed varied and interesting - what lawyers call suis generis (one of a kind).

I've been more places than most and done more than most.

I've indeed had an 'interesting life' and hopefully have a lot more to live.

Cartier-Bresson gave up photography at my age; I hope I'm just starting.

He had 'done it all', and he was selling prints of his work to finance his retirement.

I've sold nothing, and not only want to keep taking photos until I can't anymore, but to establish myself as well as I can.

I have privately printed one book, but only for galleries to view my work, but it's never been distributed, as I have not made that final decision to send it to them - copies are expensive and there's only one in existence at $139.00 apiece, and I'm deciding whether to go through with buying enough to try to create a gallery career, or just remain an amateur.

Thanks Alex, so much for your kind comment. It has warmed my heart.

John (Crosley)

John,

Yes, there are all there--just had to look more closely. I found the photograph that moved me back in 2005. It was one right after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. There is a sign with RFK's portrait and a heart with the words "El corazon Barrio." That is an image that really stuck.

That particular photo is my first published photo.

I walked into a 'street memorial' in Spanish Harlem for Robert Kennedy, with my new Nikon, just as it was turning very dark, very quickly and shot that photo in the shadow of brownstone buildings, after sunset with my 50 mm lens wide open.

It marked my first 'success' in photojournalism.

I was somewhat 'bold' and frightened by very little, so I took the subway to the New York Times, asked where the photo department was, and took my rolls of film to them. 'What the hell did you use for film, kid?' the darkroom techs cursed at me when my 44 frame and 48 frame rolls of film, self-rolled onto roll-your own canisters using a Watson loader/winder from 'bulk Tri-x film' wouldn't fit onto their darkroom spindles.

They asked for, and got, permission to cut my film, and who knows if they cut in two an even better shot and it was discarded.

That photo pushed aside an earlier edition photo taken from Washington D.C. of the Washington Mall reflecting pool on page 3 or 5, of the Times front section and was published as part of the next day's very highly sold edition which announced RFK's death.

In a sense, I started at the top, and just continued that way, with my 'little' forays into photojournalism. I only worked with the top publications - Times, NY Daily News, Time-Life Publications, etc., mainly by just walking in their door and saying 'I have film, do you want to look at it? and it always was timely'.

I also had a penchant for 'finding interesting things to shoot' -- a penchant that has been there my lifetime.

Even as a writer, during the Apollo moonshots, and even though I was not in Houston or Miami, during the first moonshot I wrote a story from far off San Francisco bureau that was published prominently (bouncing radar off a reflector on the moon) and from Reno, where I was located for a while (lightening strikes the tip of the Apollo rocket during takeoff, as shown by just-developed film as captured by a scientist at the University of Nevada, Reno).

I just couldn't escape getting good stories and/or photos -- it seemed the instinct just followed me around.

I'm saddened by the state of journalism today, as well as by what television has done to its integrity. I always saw the news business as a poor career choice, and time has proved me right. Now Craig's List and the Internet are gutting the dailies which sometimes have provided high quality journalism, and soon, where are we to turn for news that isn't slanted as the dailies die out?

I once was told I could contend for job of Associated Press General Manger (by the then General Manger himself, Wesley Gallagher) if only I would stay he would back me for the job, but I bet then it was a losing proposition, and I was right, so I went down different paths.

Even Cartier-Bresson and the greats of street photography largely were giving it up for lack of assignments as the photo magazines and pictorials were dying, which I also had seen. The future of making a living at photography as I liked it seemed bleak,so I took a hint and went on another way.

Except for Aperture Magazine, there was literally no place to exhibit work like I did then and once again produce. I wish then there had been forums, such as Photo.net, etc., and then I might have stuck with photography instead of largely abandoning it, save for rare times in the interim.

I'm glad my photos are memorable to you, Alex. I hope to preserve some of the better ones for history.

John (Crosley)

Hi John. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment on my photo and your compliment was very reassuring and kind. I've always tended to shy away from 'getting in peoples faces' on the street and know I should be more bold and just get those moments. I will try just that. Your work is amazing and inspiring. I love it. Thanks again. All the best.

You had produced some beautiful work, but I came upon a photo that was entirely and completely first class - a photo of a boy, somewhat enigmatic with a posture and facial expression that were 'world class' and remarked that if you had a portfolio of such shots, you would be known as one of the best photographers on this site.

And it is just true -- I seldom even comment or critique photos, or even rate them anymore, and generally a rating from me is an endorsement of high caliber and only in a certain genre or so in which I rate - so it will show in a class I view as the 'best of the best' for 'street' or similar work.

Thank you for the endorsement of my work.

There's no reason, given your talent, you can't be one of the best shooters for such work, if it appeals to you.

You have other work that shows proficiency, though not in the 'street' and 'people shooting' category, and people shooting on the street is something you may have to work yourself into, to overcome shyness or personal fears, which can be hindering.

But if you steadily get into 'street' situations where photography is expected, and still take such wonderful shots, review the outcome and are impressed (as I was) by the results, then you will see yourself as being 'on a mission' and excuse your inner feelings of regret for disturbing the perceived 'privacy' of others, for which on the street they have no real expectation, at least in the USA, where everyone is constantly being videoed, surveilled, radared, Vascared, fingerprinted et cetera, all to death.

If you make great 'art' from those photos, then gradually you may come to understand that creating that 'art' is an acceptable 'mission' that excuses such natural inner shyness, and that the shyness if born from inner feelings of lack of knowledge of the worth of what it is you are doing. When you realize the 'worth of your product, your viewpoint hopefully will change substantially.

You might look at the life and work of Bruce Gilden, for whom such regrets never seem to have occurred, or the lifetime work (absolutely enormous) of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who was quite more surreptitious, and sometimes photographed openly and sometimes hid his Leica under a napkin (serviette) in a restaurant and never wished to be identified publicly, fearing that if he became a 'recognized' face for his celebrity, then he might not be able to go on the street and take his photographs unhindered, or in foreign assignments in dangerous places, himself be in danger.

The ability to produce special 'street' work is very important. I invite you to read as much as you can of the comments above, and under all my photos - as there's a book's worth of material in this portfolio on just how to cope with such feelings.

John (Crosley)

Hi again John. Again, thank you for your comments and advice. I have loved photography for as long as I can remember and when I think back and look back over my work I see an obvious pattern, to me, that I very rarely pose shots, ie move things just so and set up lighting to achieve a specific result. I prefer to simply capture what I see and move on. This obviously suits street photography very well. However, I tend to avoid people (If there is a chance they will see me!) and focus more on the inanimate. It is kind of like still life but without the set-up. I believe that has been my general pattern. I enjoy that and will always be looking for the beauty in all things beautiful and 'ugly'. I do tend to be drawn to the works of talents such as yourself. The beauty and the strange, the intensity and passion that is around us constantly on our streets. People in their environments captured without pose, without pretense. I will simply try to adopt a new shooting habit and disregard my inhibitions and see where it takes me...Perhaps you will check in from time to time as a guide? Many thanks. All the very best.

Mark.

I would be happy to.

Sometimes when people ask me to review their portfolios or give advice I just don't have the time, as I am often way too busy shooting.

I'm also even reviewing and re-reviewing in view of my new Photoshop techniques and my review of the Photo Greats many of my earlier captures and even reviewing many of the downloads I rushed a review of over the past few years, sometimes spotting 'gems' that were simply then unrecognized for my own inability to 'see' past the more obvious shots that were 'sure fire' ones to post, to the more 'esoteric or less 'obvious' and perhaps more 'artistic' or otherwise 'strong' but less sure fire winners.

Some have turned out to be very strong in posting.

The lesson: never delete, organize all your captures systematically, back them all up in multiples, so you never lose them, and separate the backups so a natural or other disaster will not destroy a life's work as I have heard so often. It even happened to me with 'nature photos when hard drives were stolen - photos that were personal and never to be posted, and not downloaded with other work, taken with telephotos generally and super telephotos, often of birds, wildlife and nature.

Sometimes others' requests for 'review' are found 'word for word' in the comments section of others' portfolios, and I realize those request are almost like 'spam', and that does not excite or motivate me.

Without your obvious talent shown in your other, non-street work, I would probably politely pass on your request.

Be sure to mark me as 'interesting' if you have not, and from time to time pay my new postings a visit, so I can just click on your name and take a look at your new postings.

I am also reachable by e-mail though not always instantly, and only to a select few.

I often will say or write nothing, but that doesn't mean I won't be looking, if you make yourself continually known to me. (and I don't mean every day or constantly, but intermittently or occasionally -- meaning from time to time, just by appearing under my photos with a comment or so -- even a word or so from time to time).

I do NOT solicit comments this way as a rule or even an exception to the rule and am doing it only in your case because your exhibited talent is so strong, and the dialog which might be carried out by e-mail benefits no one else if it is private, but if public, then others will be able to read it who otherwise may be shy or lack formal English skills and thus any dialog we develop may get passed on to others, in keeping with the community spirit of this site.

Best advice for anybody starting out is shoot where you're comfortable, and people (subjects) are comfortable that you're shooting them, such as at parades, concerts, fairs, exhibitions, political rallies,sports events, etc., and gradually 'take command', going right out sometimes and literally stepping or wading into the crowds, as though you are from the local newspaper and take those photos just as though you are the invited chief photographer (as soon as your nerve permits it).

After all, you are NOT a casual snap shooter as your talent shows, and if challenged just say you are a photo artist who concentrates on informal and 'street' captures that are spontaneous and found in such milieu, and say it convincingly as though you truly believe it (for I already believe it of you.)

Sometimes you may be rejected or others may question you, but you'll soon enough develop quick answers to their questions.

I have provided many of those answers already, so as you browse the thousands of comments under my photos, and above, there's a hidden tutorial styled just as though you had just asked the question of me of how to deal with shooting strangers, and the answers were written just for you, as the answers herein underlie the nature of almost every street photographer who must nervously at first confronts strangers.

But of course, many of your subjects may not be strangers, and instead be neighbors, or friends and cohorts, depending on where you live and shoot, or some combination depending on what you're shooting or even the time of day and geography.

I take photos when my hair is cut, when I buy a tire, when I get my car worked on, when I shop, and constantly and visibly carry my camera (or two or three) around my neck, persistently readjusting settings for correct exposures and focal lengths to achieve 'instantaneous' captures on sight with spontaneous shutter release -- no fiddling with controls while the photo 'disappears' because I'm unprepared or a control needs adjusting, and I'm too slow to capture the magic instant.

I often get that instant, because I am well-prepared.

If your equipment looks good and professional, people will give you more leeway than you'd expect, except parents when you take a photo of their child, even if you rush right to the parent to show it to them.

We live in a time with a very few but extraordinarily twisted people out there who would abuse young children, so one can forgive anxious parents, and the result is the awfulness perpetrated by some of those horrible, twisted people makes it very difficult for well-meaning and harmless street photographers to capture the wonderfulness of youth, as Helen Levitt did, with her Leica on the streets of New York City, from the '30s onward.

Use care in taking such shots as you have, as you can be easily misunderstood in your naivete.

The well of 'innocent' street photography of the younger society members now has become very poisoned by the horrors of a very few horrendous people, now massively publicized, all to every legitimate 'street' photographer's detriment.

Reference the newspaper stories of just the past week for the latest horror discovered, to see the point well made with the most sickening results.

You might try looking at Helen Levitt's work to see what I mean about her wonderful shooting of play -- it's standout work - sui generis (one of a kind), and her work has been recognized as 'genius' level, though it was not all she did professionally - she was in cinema, too, for a long time.

Ukraine, for instance, where I often shoot is Europe's second largest country, where parents are generally extremely proud if you make their child a photo subject, and usually positively glow if you single out their child for a telling photo (but still never approach children, just on general principles without the parent being around, or unless accompanied by a woman who knows the local mores and customs, speaks the language well, and is able to speak for you.)

Even then, generally use a telephoto unless in sudden, close quarters say, in a crowd where the young subject readily will be seen to have safety in numbers.

It's hardly a major part of my portfolio or interest, but I do shoot LIFE in its variety on the street, and more and more that shooting is being forestalled by the awfulness perpetrated by strange, twisted people that somehow God should have rejected and thrown away but instead let walk among us causing havoc for families and casting suspicion on any male with a camera taking 'street' photos.

Tant pis (so much the worse, in French).

The shooting of Helen Levitt now may have seen its last days in this country as a result.

For other situations, you may want to choose between very wide to telephoto (I prefer zooms of varying lengths), depending on the situation, the density of subjects or people, as well as the layout and other factors.

My very best wishes -- if you pursue this avenue with as great success as the photo I critiqued, you may well have a bright future ahead of you in the 'street' realm, and otherwise your photos are quite good anyway.

The chief things you need are an excellent brain, a good sense of what is 'interesting' a, wonderful sense of timing which I saw in the critiqued photo, which impressed me greatly, plus a great sense of curiosity.

You seem to me to have all of those, as well as a good sense of composition - all great aids in achieving proficiency, even eventual mastery, in the 'street shooting' realm.

(I seldom write such words for anybody, and am seldom impressed, especially by a single shot, but your other work suggests that you can replicate your success, but please do not repeat the same photo over and over - be entirely original, as I think you are wont.

The last time I wrote so extensively about anyone's talent was about the work of Giuseppe Pasquali before he was exhibited, and it was born out by his subsequent, stunning work.

Best of luck.

I'll restate that: In this field, you'll almost certainly make your own good luck.

Start shooting, display your very best, and if it's good, people will notice.

Sooner or later, as they have now with veteran Giuseppe Pasquali, who is most unassuming, very technically competent and lately more and more inventive on the street as he gets more 'familiar' with people shooting after entering his sixth or seventh year on Photo.net, you'll also become more comfortable shooting people, especially as you see yourself as an 'artist' which will justify getting closer to strangers, and it will help overcome natural shyness.

[Last I heard, Pasquali's work is being exhibited in a gallery in Bruges, Belgium, with plans for more, so there may indeed be an unexpected pot of gold at the end of the PN rainbow, and some recognition outside of Photo.net.]

So make outside recognition your goal, and use the Photo.net audience, as I do, for a measure of popularity through ratings and 'number of ratings' as well as to search for good critiques, but cast your line far afield -- this is just a fishbowl -- the realm of quality photography is an ocean, in which many 'stars' here on PN would be outcasts or simply founder there.

Your work could become special, if you work at it, and it has taken me several hours just to choose these words - just to 'put you on the spot' and to encourage you.

You probably will avoid the fate of foundering in the bigger sea if you are aware it exists, so you don't fall prey to Photo.net cliches.

You might take a special look at the portfolio of artist and member, from Canada, Ian MacEachern, a long-established professional whose life's work is represented by a gallery in Toronto, I believe. His Leica-style clarity is similar in some way to the quality of your shots, and he is a most accomplished and admired street/documentary shooter of long standing with technically proficient, highly admired work of great skill.

Me. I'm all over the place in my shooting, and refuse to be bound by one genre or the next, though 'street' is my first love and always will be, I suppose. I try to be proficient in more than one genre, though emphasizing 'street'.

There must be some reason that in one site and another, my photos seem to have gained more than 50 million views, and 3 million just in the first year five years ago.

Now the view counting system has changed, but the views still keep mounting though more viewer effort is required to count as a 'view', and still, just one out-of-focus photo I almost never posted has now achieved 173,000 mostly clicked views, even though I almost never posted it because of glaring technical deficiencies.

Managed well, with interesting photos, PN posting can be a good impetus behind the start of a career, and for getting some good recognition for one's work, but only if one becomes a standout here.

For a view of some really good work (and some cliches), go to the 'most interesting list and look at the work of the top 200 or 300 'most interesting photographers', a list I thought I'd never be on, but now have been in the top 100 for some time.

If I can make it with my more slapdash work, you surely can with your more skilled approach, if you keep at it over a long period, and keep posting and posting (and reply skillfully and politely to those who comment).

Good shooting to you.

John (Crosley)

I like diversity too, John. Sometimes I can admire those who stick to one specialty and twist it every which way. Macros of praying mantises can probably be a life's venture (perhaps.) Me, I am looking at a buffet of stuff called LIFE. (corny analogy I know)And I think you have sampled a lot of it and are good enough to share the sweets and sours in the banquet. A fascinating body of work. Best to you for illuminating your views too...when do you write and then self- publish your memoir? ...really... I want to pre-order:-).. gs

Thanks from my innermost being for your kind comment.

My memoirs are spread throughout this site and elsewhere.

If there are more interested in 'memoirs', or if I have the guts to learn how to market a manuscript (and the time to edit my stories into such a manuscript), then publishing would be welcome.

Self-publishing may be the 'new way', as old publishing yields new authors almost nothing - guaranteed sales are what earn money, and I am not vain enough just to write just to 'get published' without more.

I'm been published -- milllions and millions of words - all pure news, captions and business reportage -- pretty mundane stuff, but read by countless people, often worldwide in the distant past, so being 'read' has little thrill for me, just for the sake of being 'published'.

The photography comes first anyway, I think.

I think I can write long after I cannot photograph, so that's my order of prioties now, when I try to analyze it, though one can do both at once . . . . it's hard to take good photos at 11:00 p.m. in one's room.

Unpaid photography however is backbreakingly expensive.

But it keeps me and my photography pure and untouched by commercialism or conventionalism, I think.

But if I could take a decent photograph of a praying mantis, I might try. I'd try to take the best one, in a different manner than anyone else -- take just one good one - then move on.

That's my way.

I value the eclectic, if it's well done.

John (Crosley)

John, Talk about prolific. Looking at your images, I feel I've been on the street for a month. Very much enjoy your work. Dave Becker

Yes, Prolific.

I was out shooting recently for an hour and a half (with special equipment made available to me) for the first time in a very long while in an area of many, many photographers, some very accomplished.

I shared my captures with them, and they couldn't believe how many good captures I got in such a short time, all quite different. One or two were exhibiton class, I feel.

I see.

I raise camera.

I wait briefly for the moment to 'ripen' then shoot.

Sometimes I'l do all that in just one second.

Then . . .

I move on.

Generally.

But I have the patience for that special situation to sit and wait even hours, if the situation has great promise for a possible world class and career best photo.

It just depends.

And Dave, sometimes even I'm astonished when I look at my captures at what I've got. It happend in that last shooting session -- I showed another photographer some captures to illustrate a point, and WOA, in the midst of some good ones was what I considered a 'great' one, all because I had caught 'the moment' perfectly, and had not quite yet realized it.

Ya just gotta keep shooting, know what is interesting, and be bold enough to press the release. You never know what interesting and/or great things may end up as captures.

Thank you so much for the flattering comment.

John (Crosley)

I read this in the NY Times Health Section about cancer and 'loss of 'innocence'.

Most people lose their innocence in little doses as they go through life. You lost yours all at once.” (from cancer, by a health care professional to a cancer patient)

[Now I am not aware of any personal cancer problems or other life-threatening health problems] [I am physically disabled but I live with it and it has no affect on 'life expectancy' and just limits my activities].

It has occurred to me that the statement above is a truism that seldom is discussed, but maybe should be, particularly within the context of photography and the creation (or discovery of) images with a serious look to the longevity of those who have attained prominence in the photographic world.

A similar look has been taken of musical conductors, including the most famous. as well as acclaimed musical artists, and it seems to have concluded that there is something about the profession of 'conductor' that is associated with 'long life' -- greatly increased longevity.

Is it cause and effect, or do vigorous people expected to live long lives anyway, get drawn into conducting by their energy and good health, as it is a physically (and mentally) challenging job?

I'll leave that for gerontologists and other scientists.

I believe probably there is some connection between the process of CREATING great orchestral music and long life.

What about photography, especially professionals who have gained prominence in creation of photographic works (art)?

Consider this list of names of prominent photographers from this decade, most now dead, but at pretty 'ripe' old ages, and of those most productive until the last in one way or the other:

Henri Cartier--Bresson, Helen Levitt, Elliott Erwitt (still alive when last I looked and still producing and having to remind followers of his work he was 'still alive' as he produced a HUGE retrospective from Magnum Archives two or so years ago, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton (killed at a pretty old age in a car accident while still working), Willy Ronis, Robert Doisneau, and so on.

It's an amazing list of long-lived people who have achieved prominence and lived long lives. People have noted their long lives but the questions still are unanswerd 'Why"?

You can look up their biographies if you're interested in age at death (not in the case of Erwitt).

I have a theory that producing great ART of any sort seems to add to longevity, provided one's basics are provided, and the more successful artists' work has taken care of that for them.

| exclude a great number of 'jazz musicians' who for reasons of culture, drug usage, effects of discrimination (and thus mental health) and so forth, have not had such longevity and rock stars (who for different but well known reasons relating to effects of fame so far have not joined the list -- too much 'high living' with dangerous drugs is one issue)

Now, consider again the statement:

'Most people lose their innocence in little doses as they go through life.'

Having taken up photogrraphy again near an age where many are considering retiring and just having returned from a day with my youthful companion who undertands my work and witnesses my seemingly endless joy, energy and enthusiasm because of what I had today seen and created, I posit the following:

The photographic process, for me at least, contains with it 'the spirit of perpetual rebirth of innocence and thus 'rebirth of spirit' l (within bounds of the human life span of course.)

I have been a college student with many serious and important jobs, attended a war with a camera (as a civilian), helped steer 16,000 tons of bombs to that war before I left ship, been a gunshot victim, practiced law as a litigator for nearly 20 years, enduring all sorts of ethical challenges and occasional compromises (practice of law most often is built on compromise, and in civil law it is often lauded by judges),and been in two marriages with fabulous women, but now ended.

I am the perfect person to ask about the 'loss of innocence'.

Yet somehow, I feel reborn, and no Evangelist played any part.

I didn't have to swallow any wild theories or dogma.

One day, literally one day, after months of consideration, I picked up old and almost never used cameras and started using them, with the object to be if in one hour in my yard I could create pleasing photographic art, i would keep the cameras and lenses, and if not, I would forego all memory of aspiring to greatnes lost when at 22 I saw Cartier-Bresson's work and gave up all hope of a career in photography.

That day was successful.

Since then, in addition to all else, with increasing success here and elsewhere (as an amateur at all times) but photographing around the world as if 'on a mission' I have experienced what can best be called for me a 'rebirth of innocence'.

At age of mid 30s, working 80+ hours a week, my life was consumed with my love of law but carrying my clients' worries and futures around with me, also as if 'on a mission' I did not quite believe with the stress I would live to 40, let alone half again as long with plans to live twice so or even more.

Photography has given me the ability to 'see' what others often do not, because their vision is filtered or myopic.

I have a vast background and some natural talent as well as a serious interest in creating beautiful and/or interesting photographs.

If ten years ago, someone had told me at this age I would seriously be considering muyself an 'artist' with an international following (including some respected profesional and well-known critics), I would have told them straight out they were smoking too much herb or worse, cocaine or meth.

I said today to my young companion today who was amazed at my energy (though I am physically disabled) that photography for me is like having a special kind of vision - sort of like walking around with Roentgen eyes (in English, like a sort of vision akin to X-ray vision,but shown as proportion, sense of man's movements, contrasts, parallelism (and breach) and full of the appreciation of the beauty of life, and moreover with the ability to capture that and more in prolific ways.

What a gift!!!

| had many loves in my long life and not until late in life did I meet a true spiritual soul mate.

I tried (and succeded for the most part) at more professions by the age of 30, than most experience in a lifetime. My resume at 25 read like a man of 45 to 50, with many life achievements, but I was too callow to recognize them and how they resulted in part because of a certain wilingness to 'follow my nose;' and some of that callowness and a spirit free to follow my nose whereer it led me.

On reflection, I have regained much of that lost innocence' since re-taking up photography.

With no one to please to earn my sustenance and only myself to please with my work, I am drawn more and more to it, and to work harder and harder and as I do so the audience gets bigger, my work gets better, amazingly more prolific and I am increasingly thankful five years or so ago, I decided to see if I could still take a good or great photo after 30-35 years of languishing.

For me the process of photographing, especially with a companion who is conversant about my work and helpful, is a joy beyond comprehension.

It fills my heart to bursting and challenges my mind and my creative juices in ways that I feel akin to people I never felt I previously had kinship with before.

As a man who once wore a suit, tie, business shirt and serious business shoes (power clothes) and could talk with anyone about anything, now I am reduced to being judged mainly by the images I produce.

I judge myself first and most seriously before anyon else is allowed a peek, for it is my approval of what I do that is most important to me.

I once told a former French professor I met about my life activiities since leaving Columbia College, and how varied they had been.

I was 25.

He said 'someday you're going to have to get serious about one thing and cease being a dilettante.'

I loved his put-down.

He, outstanding French professor and cynic, Nathan Hale, was entirely wrong. I did that serious thing as a journlist/editor etc., then as an attorney.

I devoted my life to success in those fields.

Eventually I turned away. When 'practicing law' became more 'mastery' then it became a chore.

I attempted to take on entirely dfferemt legal work for the challenge, and to become an 'expert; in more than one field and also devoted a large portio of pratice to 'pro bono publico' which came back to reward me even more.

But the joy of discovery in law diminshed, and long hours were brutal, but losing a case was more brutal, so I persisted.

I practiced alone because my way of life was somewhat unorthodox and my way of practicing law also not cookie-cutter but inventive (but not always apparent to on-lookers though pretty darn successful).

As a photographer I am allowed to follow my destiny.

In my one-time professor's words I have once again become that 'dilettante' only I call it following 'Renaissance ideals' which is far less pejorative.

I get each day I do this thing called photography (as an amateur) -- a chance to follow my creative juices in photography wherever they lead me, and often from morning to night till the next morning and sometimes or often without sleep or much rest.

I get chance to create great art from the world around me in a unique way.

It's not manic depressive or even manic behavior.

It's simply devotion to the process of producing 'art', and the sheer joy of making so many acquaintances on the 'street' and elsewhere that few in life ever get the joy of of experiencing.

I can some days walk one mile (total over time) and meet one or several dozen friends or friendly people I never could speak or interact with before, and almost always it's a welcome interchange, even if the person starts out skeptically.

How many ever get that chance in life?

Especially at an older age?

Is there any wonder why I take photos and devote my life to it?

For me, photography -- specifically street photography - has allowed me to recapture the joy of that 'innocence' I thought I had lost forever.

John (Crosley)

Copyright 2009, John Crosley,all rights reserved.