INS(oev)IDE #7 - The East Van Mad Max
A look inside a recent photo and an exploration into shooting, not shooting, and the inspiration behind deciding to write this post.
Winter has historically been the toughest season for me to shoot. Working outside of the city had me leaving for the commute before sunrise and returning home after sunset, making shooting during the week next to impossible. Weekends are possible when the sun appears on the occasional afternoon. It always seems to be sunny on Wednesdays in the winter… On top of that, I find it difficult to ask people to stop in the rain, fumbling with our umbrellas getting in the way of other people who are just trying to stay dry.
This year has felt even tougher to get photos as I have moved further away from the neighborhood, traveled to Ontario during my winter holidays, and have a two year old to take care of. All that being said, I’ve still managed to take around 60 photos thus far, which compared to previous years around this time, is roughly on par.
When I am cruising the neighborhood these days, I usually get a 2-3 hour window to just focus on shooting, which has been markedly different. It has its benefits and it’s drawbacks. Being able to focus on just taking photos for a block of time without having the pressure to get somewhere or finish errands is nice and makes it feel more like an intentional practice. On the flip-side, I am losing a bit of the “spontaneity” I used to feel when I’d skip out for 15-20mins to just grab something from the store and would luckily snap four or five shots fumbling around with a loaf of bread and carton of eggs on my way home.
This all happened in a recent, luckily, sunny session on Commercial.
Intro
This past weekend I was able to get a block of time to do a few laps of Commercial Drive. My most recent post was a mix of those portraits and some I had been sitting on from a month or so prior.
The photo featured today was not included.
I usually write these posts with a short story and a quick analysis of how astonished I am at the luck in composition some of my photos sometimes achieve. However, this entry is a bit more of a reflection on how sometimes, the shot just doesn’t work unfortunately.
But first, the spark: Paulie B’s Walkie Talkies
If you’d like to skip the background and see the photo in question, click here.
I’ve been watching a lot of Paulie B’s “Walkie Talkie” series on YouTube lately. He walks around with local street photographers during their “sessions” and talks about their background, technique and philosophies; all based in New York City.
All of the photographers he covers are “real” street photographers. Taking the more traditional/pure style of street photo (not asking people permission, on film, some b&w, etc.).
Film photography unfortunately brings a lot of variables with it. I had originally started SoEV using an old 35mm Olympus OM-10. After 3 or 4 rolls of only having one or two photos I’d be able to use, I decided my money would be better spent on a digital camera while I was learning this new craft.
A few of the photographers talk about missed shots and mistakes during these walks.
One of the latest ones I watched was Joe Greer, (IG here). (Side Note 1: I recently started following Joe and absolutely love the palate and style he uses in his images.) In his interview, he talks about being away in Mexico and shooting one morning, when he really messed up. Long story short, for some reason he didn’t reload his film the night before and shot an entire “ghost roll”; missing what he believed would have been 32 gorgeous shots, as the city seemed to be blooming with life and opportunity that morning. He said he hasn’t made that mistake since.
Even though I shoot digital now, these types of “never again” camera moments do occasionally happy to me…
Showing up to a shoot with no batteries?…check.
Shooting an entire street session thinking your memory card was in but it was really at home?…check.
Being 3km away from home with 10% battery and no spare?…check.
Those things are bound to happen for multiple reasons and you learn to not make those mistakes again quickly. Authentic learning experience.
Sometimes though, it’s as simple as missing the framing of a shot because you:
(a) can’t get the right angle given the location,
(b) something (or someone) is in your way, or
(c) you lose your focus and the shot is just, meh…
I tend not to look at my shots directly after I take them, maybe it’s a part of me holding onto the film practice of not knowing what you shot until you get home, so often, I miss or don’t get the best possible photo, even though it’s digital and can be tightened or helped in editing.
I will say this, if it all was easy, there wouldn’t be any need/drive to continue to get out there and practice to refine the skills. Before leaving to shoot, during the shoot, and after the shoot, there is always something to refine and learn.
The analysis after a long session continues to drive me forward, wanting to get better, and refocusing my mind for the next time I am in the neighborhood.
And finally, here is the story of one of those missed shots, sparked by learning about others missed shots.
EVMM
It was a beautiful, warm (which I am not super stoked about, but that’s a whole ‘nother story), Sunday and I was able to get a bunch of great photos as everyone seemed to come out to get some sun that afternoon.
The end of the “good light pockets” was nearing so I made a quick run over to Caffe La Tana to re-up on coffee beans before heading back to suburbia.
I was heading north when this fellow pulled up beside me at a red light.
He was ripping down Commercial when I spotted his steam-punk-esque bike. I was expecting it to be making some janky, DIY sounding, lawn-mower grumbling and as I took my headphones off, and it was silent...
Initially, he wasn’t looking overly friendly as he caught me staring at his bike trying to figure out how this thing was cruising so fast.
“Nice bike”. I said plainly, to see if I could get a reaction.
He nodded.
“Do you mind if I take a photo of you on your bike?”.
“Of course!” He replied, kind of surprisingly.
I started by taking photos on the South East corner of the drive, but the sun was so low at this point that I was getting some disruptive shadows on his face and across the details of the bike.
“Are you crossing the street by any chance? Do you think I could take a couple over there?”
He shrugged his shoulders in agreement.
As we were walking, I asked him how long he’s had it…and more importantly what “it” even is.
“It’s a 1952 electric bike” he chuckled.
As I examined the chopped and screwed mobile art piece, I could see all of the classic markings and signs of a DIY maker. The frame was definitely old, with the faux gas-tank top tube and the curvey down tube giving a very vintage look. But, as you worked your gaze away from the frame, everything was modified with not-so-vintage pieces. Protective slats of wood held on by zip-ties, fenders cut and shaped from plastic and wood scraps. String, tape, and glue fastening different parts in different places. At the heart of the bike, the battery and speed controller. Covered partially in a wood slat housing, powering the rear hub motor, of course slowed down by some big disc brakes.
I kept analyzing the outfit and bike as we were crossing the street, preparing my mind for what the shot would look like.
The combination of the cream coloured leather jacket, playing cards in the rims and garden gloves as his biking gloves, this was going to be a beautiful capture.
We got set again… and I couldn’t quite get comfortable.
A group of people were passing by and I felt like I was taking up too much space. The traffic was a bit heavy, distracting me as I stood just off the curb, and the position of the bike was not allowing me to get the best framing. I snapped away and could feel the opportunity slip away. I shut my camera off and let him be on his way.
I hate making people wait too long.
The photo:
I thanked him for his time, handed him a sticker and explained the project.
“This is my East Van Mad Max bike”, he explained as he grinned at me. He straightened his jacket, pulled on the throttle, and whizzed off.
(Side note: isn’t it amazing how close the original Star Wars and other Sci-Fi sound effects got to what some e-bikes and e-vehicles sound like today as they accelerate...?)
Analysis
When I got around to finally editing the photos, I was definitely not stoked on the composition.
I cut a part of his wheel off, the big green bush takes up way too much space, and I’d prefer if there were less cars in the back.
I fortunately nailed the focus as I was manually focusing on this day and the lighting on him is fantastic, but the overall composition, to me, is kind of meh.
If I were a bit more patient, or a bit more bold, I could have asked him to back up another foot or so and shot more down the line of Venables, it probably would have been a way better background, and way less bush.
The nice thing is, he is definitely a local, and I will hopefully get another shot at this, eventually.
Conclusions
This post ended up being way longer than I was expecting.
So if you got this far, as usual, thank you.
I have a few GENEs interviews lined up over the next few weeks so stay tuned for those. And with basketball season wrapping up, and the days getting longer, I am hoping to be in the neighborhood on a more frequent basis.
Thanks for sharing some of the challenges; it makes me appreciate the paradox of how much work goes into making a shot look so effortless.
yeah the pic is kinda unsatisfying but i still get the vibe of the guy and the bike - hope to see it myself soon!