by David Norbut | Sep 21, 2012 | Stories
A Mobile Photography Lecture & Exhibit
Juxt’s very own David Norbut is a great photographer who helps organize arts – specifically for mobile photography – in his community of Wilmington, Deleware. First featured on Juxt for his Hipstamatic Trucker Series, he has proven that he has a great passion not just for the world of mobile photography but for the stories that he tells through his work.
The University of Delaware is well aware of how mobile photography and social media plays into how the world is beginning to communicate. In late August their local paper wrote an article, “Students, Prof share snapshots on Instagram” to discuss their move into this new media. an excerpt from the article reads;
Jonathan Cox, a photography professor, says that Instagram allows photos to be uploaded and instantly viewed by millions of people, a stark contrast to the way traditional photography worked.
But does this pace of photo-taking decrease the value of a photo? Not so, according to Cox. He says he argues this pace of photo-taking and sharing does not decrease the photographic value.
“For me, it’s not the camera,” Cox says. “It’s the person behind the camera. The person is still choosing the angles and the shutter speed. It’s their creative vision and editing that makes the picture.”
David will be lecturing at the University of Delaware – Taylor Hall, on October 3, 2012. He will share with his local community the art, the passion, and the storytelling that he portrays in photography and more specifically his iPhone. Along with his lecture will be an exhibition of his works.
Selected works by David Norbut (@dnorphoto) including Hipstamatic street photography
All proceeds from prints sold from “American Sikh” will be donated to The Sikh Center of Delaware.
October 3, 2012
University of Delaware, Taylor Hall
StuArt Gallery located on the First Floor
Newark, Delaware 19711
Mobile photography lecture by David Norbut at 10 AM
Gallery opening reception 4:30 to 6:30
www.dnorphoto.com
Event Facebook
Please spread the word and BIG UPS to David for this great opportunity!
by David Norbut | Sep 8, 2012 | Stories
Two weeks ago a plan came together. Friends have been asking me for tips and tricks in taking better photos on their mobile devices. So I went on Facebook and created an event, Delaware’s First Mobile Photo Walk and iPhone Tutorial. I got with AMPT, EyeEm and We Are Juxt, thanks to all of you very much for helping get the word out. And here we are, 30 some folks joined me on this day and they were all truly awesome. Below are some words and some photos from the crew! Enjoy!
To see all of the photos, check out the tags EyeEm Wilmington Meetup on EyeEm and #WilmingtonJuxtWalk on Instagram.
Thanks
One Love! -David Norbut
“It was 117 miles, the distance between my home and the Gibraltar Garden in Wilmington, DE. Having had to miss out on the last couple Washington, DC area photo walks, the stars aligned and opportunity presented itself to join the first Delaware outing organized by Dave Norbut. Drove through heavy (HEAVY) rain in Baltimore and figured the day was gonna be a wash, but the skies parted once across the MD/DE border… a pretty good indicator for the rest of the day. Coming up on the meeting spot, a familiar sight unfolded; small clusters of people chatting here and there in the parking lot.
The overwhelming majority branding smartphones more effectively than any flyer or name tag. We knew why we were there even if we’d never met. It is a different (but shared) mindset that scrabbles in, out and over a location recording moments in framed images. We look at the world from every angle possible; not only soaking up the sun, but carefully analyzing its light effecting every surface for the best possible shot. The potential energy that can be tapped just by being around this type of creativity can be – in my experience – really, really good or… well, not. The 30 people that made up this walk positively challenged the way I look at everything and consume surroundings.
The day was brilliant in sunshine, temperature and good company creating greater photography at the garden then further on to the riverwalk and Peterson Wildlife Refuge. Had the amazing chance to make new acquaintances, see some new spots, make some inspired art and tip a glass at the end of the day. Dave put together an great walk and made herding cats seem easy…. good job, man!” – Kevin Moore (@nerdotronic on IG. @kevmoore on EyeEm)
Photo by Kevin Moore, @nerdotronic
“I usually don’t do many things with groups since I am more of a loner until I open up to people, I do alot of things on my own and explore on my own, so this was a challenge for myself to get out and meet new people who probably want to learn and explore like me. The day was a fantastic journey. It was truly a mysterious adventure walking on the grounds of the Gibraltar Mansion. I was so anxious to get to the mansion, I crawled through one of the windows to be the first one inside. The house was so lonely and eerie, many of my photos captured that same feeling. It was a maze and shadows danced all around from floor to floor, I played around with that concept using my own hands and others in my canvas. I felt the house was looking back at me. I wanted to portray that in my photography during the time I was there. I’m really looking forward to future meetups and continuing to meet new people and expand on our knowledge along with viewing each other’s work. I find it fascinating to see how we were all in the same place yet our photography is so different from each other, we see things different through our eyes and that’s what makes the beauty in it all. –Leila Marvel
(@leilaleven on IG. @leila on EyeEm)
Photo by Leila Marvel, @leilaeleven
“It has been my experience that people where not taking mobile device photography seriously. So, to find this group of photographers, working in similar ways, is a breathe of fresh air. We were able to come together and share knowledge on the rapidly changing and evolving technology. In addition, having EyeEm as a platform to continue to share knowledge and as a virtual gallery to share and appreciate the work we all did- that’s a dream. Looking forward to our next meet up.” –Kathleen Magner-Rios (@katmags on IG. @kathleenmagnerrios on EyeEm)
Photo by Kathleen Magner-Rios, @katmags
“Well planned and with luck in the weather department… What should have been a day of grey and thunder turned out to be a sun covered dream. Both locations were full of picture made moments. Gibraltar was covered in green and was amazing as hell! Riverfront, the second stop was just as interesting. A long path of walkers, runners and sightseers alongside a great body of water and a city in the background. I got a good bit of exercise and ended up taking 537 photos in Camera+ , 83 photos in Hipstimatic and met some cool new friends. To top it off we all had some drinks and went over some apps. I look forward to the next adventure and to the uploads and sharing. Peace!” – Mike Edwards aka Hairball (@button_pusher on IG. @hairballmcgee on EyeEm)
Photo by Mike Edwards, @button_pusher
“Having shot with David numerous times before, I already knew the shared enthusiasm we both had for mobile photography. When the organization of the walk came to be, I was excited at the thought of experiencing this developing art with a group. After witnessing one car after another filing into the parking lot next to my house, I knew David was onto something. This wasn’t the start of group tutorial, this was the beginning of a community.” –Brad Wallace (@cinemavericksmedia on IG and EyeEm)
Photo by Brad Wallace, @cinemavericksmedia
Here are some of the top shots from the #WilmingtonJuxtWalk tag on Instagram…
Photo by Leanne Pedante, @freeleep
Photo by Stephanie Records-Cowden, @steviesix
Photo by Christa Blue, @bellerenard
Photo by Shaena Buckley, @sdb2012
Photo by Sara Duncan, @saraliza1
Photo by Bill Lawson, @bi2helly
Photo by Sheila Master, @sheilamaster
Photo by Andrew Howard, @Andyhow
Photo by Eric Anderson, @djeamusic
Photo by Dreme Whitehurst, @daydreme
Photo by Ximena Uribe, @ximoteo
Photo by Valerie Thiel, @dinnerbitch
Photo by Michael Hardwood, @mindvehicle
by David Norbut | Aug 30, 2012 | Featured Articles
JUXT Rewind: Originally published on January 24, 2012
BP’s Introduction
Hey ya’ll. Well, it’s that time again. I got another one for you all. A doozy. This cat has got some amazing stuff and what caught my eye in particular was the beginning of his “Trucker Series.” I’m a part of the Advanced Mobile Photography Team (AMPt) and I help on the Feature 500 Pillar where we choose mobile photographers on IG who are dope but don’t necessarily have the followership that they deserve. So, we try to help in getting exposure for the amazing work they do. Well we were tasked to find a mobile artist who had amazing portraiture. David has amazing portraiture. Although a few of his first shots in this series were DSLR (he explains in this article), his latter and his most work comes from his iPhone. I had the pleasure of speaking to this brother over the phone and we had a grand ole’ time choppin it up. Here’s the slimmed down version but rest assured we had some good discussion. David is a great guy to boot. Check him out on IG under @dnorphoto. Read through this and enjoy this man’s work!!!
B: BP D: David
B: So David why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?
D: I’ve been doing photography since about high school and when I got out I dinked around for a couple of years. In 2001, I got an associate’s degree in photography then went to Philly to finish up my school. I joined a band then came back and that’s when I got a bit more serious about photography.
I’m just a working man slowly working my way into being a full time photographer. I’ve been married for almost 5 years, I got a dog and a cat, no kids yet. We like to travel. We’ve been out to the Caribbean. We also went out to the West, specifically Arizona. We love to travel. The West Series, I posted, I used my DSLR and it’s where I started my portraiture stuff out there, in Arizona. This Series and the Trucker Series I’m working on now is really influenced a lot by Richard Avedon’s “In The American West” Series. The work he did in that series was amazing. I believe it was from the late 70’s or early 80’s, but I first saw it in college. He’s definitely a great influence on me.
B: Well, tell me more about the Trucker Series. That’s definitely what caught my eye on your feed and topic is a dope idea.
D: Now I do weekend gigs like weddings, family stuff, model stuff and during the week I’m a dock worker. This obviously gives me access to all the truckers in the series. It’s the grittier side of life, it’s the life that no one gets to see. The truckers are real supportive and at first they are hesitant and then they get real excited and engaged. I first started with my Nikon d700 with a real big lens. It’s real intimidating walking up to someone with a big ass camera and lens. A lot of times it feels akward from my end, but it’s definitely not something the truckers are easily open to. I’ve found that I can use my iPhone much easier than my DSLR because it’s less evasive and plus I can show them in real time the work that I want to do with this series. I learned about the iPhone’s power through seeing what AMPt and Juxt has been doing with it. You guys are taking it to another level with the iPhones. It’s definitely made it easier for me to get to these truckers and rid of the hesitation. So really, I’ve found that this series has taken it to another level. I’m able to access more truckers and able to share I real time. That’s pretty powerful. Plus I get to show them exactly what “they” look like and they get excited.
B: What kind of story are you trying to tell?
D: Basically I’m just trying to tell everyone about the truckers, their lifestyle, and the stories of the various characters that I see. Really for me, it’s trying to get to their story, it’s a bit selfish in a way. I want the interaction with them as people. I’m not trying to go from truck to truck to truck just so I get a shot. The shots I’ve taken have happened for a reason. I feel that certain situations happen and when I see a face, I see my photo, or I see a reason for why I need to take their portrait. I’m trying to document the lifestyle and the individual again. I want to give them their image and give them respect. I make sure that how I do this is all done respectfully.
B: Can you tell us a couple stories about some of the dude’s and their portraits so far?
D: Actually this one is my favorite. So it was the start of my morning and I see this truck. I knocked on the door, and I see the cab window start to slide open. I think to myself, “OMG” this is going to be a perfect shot. I got my iPhone ready and out comes this head. It’s perfect. I remember thinking, “dude, please don’t move, I need this shot.” So 10-15 minutes roll by and later the guy comes out all dressed normal and he got excited when I was telling him what I was doing ad showed him my shot of him. Afterwards he asks me to take a posed shot of him and his girlfriend. I’m like sure, and I end up taking a family portrait. If you look at the picture or imagine it for a bit, these folks live in their trucks. They’ve lived in this truck probably for a year now. The moral of it is, that they are at first hesitant, and when they find out that I’m doing this to show their lifestyle, they are all gung ho about it.
There was another guy who I photographed awhile back and he had a whole wad of tobacco in his mouth. I didn’t know if there was something wrong with him or if he had tobacco. I didn’t want to ask initially and I was thinking that he wouldn’t want this shot to be seen, then I showed him. So imagine these guys go up and down the coast, they are mainly from the South. Heavy accents, they talk your ear off. Sometimes I just don’t listen but I listen. Like they’ll say things about politics or about our president, and I may not necessarily agree with them, but I’ll listen. Sometimes I’m the only person they get to talk to in how many days or weeks. So I give them the opportunity to release. They get to talk to a person, right!?!? So anyways, I’m thinking he’s not going to like this shot. Turns out, he LOVES the shot. I mean, he’s like, “that’s a great shot man, I mean man, what a great shot.” And there’s the another moral to the story, I want to give them that respect. They get to release whatever they got in them, and sometimes they have some heavy shit, but I give them that time and listen to them.
B: I’m telling you bro, this series is brilliant just because of what you just said. So, when or how did you even start thinking about this series?
D: My final project in college was at a port where I shot in a documentary style of the unloading ships. I owe that to my father, but really this style came back from these ports where I started to see it in a different way. I used to shoot just parties and stuff. I found that at the port and with this trucker series, I get to show the working class, show their life. I mean I’m shooting in Hipstamatic and uploading right away. I’m not doing anything to it as far as edits. It’s all about the characters. The people make the shots. It shows the real life.
B: What apps are you using to shoot and edit with?
D: I usually shoot in Hipstamatic. There are some things where Snapseed has been helping me with some edits. But really, its mostly done with Hipstamatic. Sometimes I use Noir. For example, the sepia tone stuff, I’ll shoot mostly through Hipstamatic, then bring it through Noir, tone it, contrast it a bit, then call it good. Also I like to shoot in black and white and then tone it through an Instagram filter. Then there’s other stuff, where I take a shot and I’m thinking with apps in mind, what kind of shot I’m going to take. For instance, the shot I had the AMPt feature for the community tag, I did that one with it. I knew the shot and used the app I needed to use to edit it. By the way, it means a lot to me to have that shot featured because it did have a story behind it.
B: Oh, how come? What’s the story?
D: Well I lost my grandmother awhile ago from my mothers side which is Jewish. In order to keep with the rituals, she had to buried 24 hours after she passed. So when I found out she passed, I was at work and without too much details I had to either fly out there (with a lot of family) and be down there for her burial or figure out how to get all of this family to the funeral. So, we all drove through the night. That photograph was taken after I got ready at the hotel. Outside of the hotel was this field, I asked my wife to walk into the field naturally because I saw this specific shot in my head. She did and so I got a picture of what I saw in my head. It was a shot that I did no edits. It meant a lot that AMPt chose it. It was the only shot I took that day. It means a lot also because my grandmother was the most artistic one in the family. The last time I saw my grandmother was at my photo exhibition last August (2011). She was so proud of me and was telling everyone how proud she was.
B: So other than Richard Avedon, who else has influenced your work?
D: I don’t have any exclusives. I try to do it real time and its about the interaction for me. My biggest influence is Henri Cartier-Bresson. Everything comes from him. Even though I don’t have similar shots, I’m trying to do exactly what he does, I shoot and try not to worry about edits or crops. I’m trying to go for real time, as real, as raw, as gritty as the characters and subjects in my shots.
B: So you’ve got a gallery coming up with this Trucker Series, what other galleries have you been in or have you been in any?
D: I’ve been in 2-3 galleries. My biggest show was in August, where my grandmother was at. It featured the shots I took while I was in Arizona. The ”West” Series and its images were shot with my Nikon. It was various scenes from travelling through the West, specifically Arizona. In Wilmington, Delaware, the city where I live, there is this First Friday Art Walk. This walk has this loop where it’s so big there are shuttles that help folks get around this loop to the various galleries and exhibits. There’s this “poppycock” tattoo shop, who is a part of the loop and these guys have live music, Pabst beer. It’s not the wine and cheese type event that is like the other shows in the loop. It was a packed house and I had a blast showing my photos there.
The other two galleries I did with a couple of other artists, and a few years ago, I had another show with a few buddies of mine. So this upcoming show, the Trucker Series, the guys who are putting on the show own a print lab that I go to. They also have a gallery out front. I told them about the idea of the series and I’ve been talking to them about my work in mobile photography. It only took an hour of talking about it, where they were like, “Let’s do this.” In an hour they were on board.
B: Word. That’s real nice. So how does this help the photography community and more importantly the mobile photography community since it’s primarily all done on the iPhone?
D: Well, it excites me for my community in my city, I mean, there are a lot of photographers around here. A lot of them may not think that mobile is viable. But I’m getting the respect for the mobile community by showing them that using my iPhone is also an artistic and creative way to produce dope shots. Don’t get me wrong, on the weekends I do my “business”. I shoot weddings and such. But during the week, I get to be more creative and artistic by using my iPhone. I mean with mobile photography, I was like, it’s a raw form of art. It’s very refreshing. The Nikon won’t let me connect like with the iPhone. When I walk through the woods for instance, I’ll bring both my Nikon and my iPhone. The iPhone helps me connect right then and there. It’s in real time. It’s like a renegade style. I used to shoot a lot of music and band shots. At the end of every shoot, I’d do a band shot with my iPhone. I’d then send that image or post it on Facebook. The last band I shot, when I was leaving, the band came up to me and was like, “Hey you forgot to use your iPhone.” It’s an great way to get things done, again, in real time. There’s more interactivity and connection. I like that a lot.
Juxt thanks you for your words and art, David.
Instagram: @dnorphoto
Website: www.dnorphoto.com
Facebook: David Norbut Photography
Also check the #truckerseries on Instagram to see them all.
by David Norbut | Aug 20, 2012 | Featured Articles
Just What I See by David Norbut
David’s Introduction
A true pioneer, Greg Schmigel has blurred the lines between Mobile Photography and the origins of classic street shooting. His photographs are timeless and serene. A true inspiration, Greg shows us that it’s not about the camera you carry, it’s just what you see.
Chinatown #12
Humble beginnings
I often tell people I’ve always been a big fan of photography as an art form, but wasn’t always a creator of the art coming up as a kid. I had the cameras that mom and dad had given me or my grandparents had given me as gifts. It didn’t really fall into place until around 2001, when I decided to buy a DSLR from a co-worker, and even then I was only seeking out urban decay and stuff like that.
Five years later, I have a really good friend, Ricky Carioti, who is a professional photo journalist, and I was living with the guy. He got me turned on to taking pictures, specifically shooting high school sports. Same guy started to do a lot more photo journalistic work, and I was always intrigued by the fact that he was taking pictures of people, not so much on the playing field, but people in public. I talked to him a lot about it, not knowing really anything about street photography as a genre. I didn’t know too much about the people who started the whole thing. I was finally convinced by Ricky to start going out and taking pictures of people and I was terrified to do it; it’s pretty intimidating to go out and shoot street photography if you’ve never really done it before. So I just kept happy with my sports photography, doing it for the schools and making a little bit of money here and there. Later on, I revisited street photography and I got a little more comfortable with it, but I was still the guy, hiding behind the bushes taking pictures of people walking by.
The Bicyclist
2007. The iPhone comes along and I got one. I was loading up my contacts and got everything loaded from my old phone so I started looking at the apps, which were very few at that time. I remember thinking, “Oh cool, check it out, there’s a camera.” I pointed at whatever was on the table and I wish I still had that photograph. It was at that point, I realized, this phone actually has a decent camera on it and I always have it with me.
Faces at Freedom Plaza
One night my same friend Ricky came over with a Cartier-Bresson book called “The Bystander” and I was basically introduced to street photography in that one night. That was it. I knew, though I had never taken a true street photo, that whether it was the next weekend or the following weekend, that’s what I was going to go out and do. In the beginning, I carried a Leica Deluxe 3 and a Canon Rebel. By 2008 those fell by the wayside and I was just using my iPhone… and that’s really how it started.
Bus Boys
On his camera of choice
Chase Jarvis said “The best camera is the one thats with you.” I think that’s a true statement. At this point, I don’t use the phone because it’s always with me, I don’t use the phone because everyone else is doing it or because it’s the hip thing to do these days. I use the phone because it’s the camera that I have become completely comfortable with. Since I’ve gone fully iPhone, I have shot with other cameras, a Ricoh X100, an X10, but all the photographs I was taking were exactly the same as my iPhone. I don’t mean from a data perspective, an M9 would obviously blow away anything on an iPhone from a data perspective. But what I believe is my own style, and my composition, and what I see… it was the same no matter which camera I was using. It was a fulfilling feeling, because I’d reached the point where I felt completely comfortable with what I’m shooting. I find this peace with myself. I’m not out trying to force landscapes on myself, I’m not out there trying to do portrait work. That’s for other people. I go out and I shoot just what I see, with my phone, and it’s like a perfect match. It’s not about the camera, it’s what the artist sees.
On printing
My friend Anton said something recently, and it’s one of those things that instantly stuck with me and I think it’s going to be one of those things I keep written down in my wallet for a long time. He said “I don’t think a photograph is truly a photograph until its printed.”
For me, maybe the reason I didn’t hesitate to print my work is because I feel that is the natural process for photography. Okay! Let’s get these off the screen and onto the walls. I wish more people that I admire would print their stuff, but maybe it’s just personal preference. For printing, I use a company called Mpix; they are one of the only companies that I know of that use an Ilford true black and white paper.
Advice for aspiring street photographers
First thing I would say: whatever I tell you, don’t listen to me. I say this as a joke and with a bit of a serious light.
I think I have a bit of an unorthodox approach to street photography. I’m not a sit and wait for the decisive moment kind of guy, I’d rather move along with the crowd, be part of the crowd. Sometimes, I’m an after the fact kind of shooter, whereas I’m out shooting and I will cross a street and in the crossing of that street I’ll fire off 30 shots. Sometimes I’m not even looking. I’m shooting from the hip, I shoot behind the back, I’ll shoot from wherever I feel there is a shot.
To me a very important part of my photographs is a character; I can walk all day long and not take a single picture. That’s not to say people aren’t interesting everywhere, but I try and find something interesting about a character, whether it’s their face, whether it’s the way they are dressed, their walk, something they are carrying, something that catches my eye, and that’s usually in a street or city setting.
I’d say keep your eye out for characters. Composition is important, although as I mentioned, I don’t sit and wait. I usually don’t go to place and say “Ok, this is a perfect frame here I have created, now wait for characters.” Composition is definitely important, but then again, I’ve got some shots in my collection that, to me personally, are some of my favorite shots that go completely against the grain of general photographic rules. And that’s one of the things I love about photography. Just love what you do. I don’t go out and shoot what I think, I go out and shoot what I see. I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about how it’s supposed to be or what’s going to make people appreciate my photograph. I shoot just what I see.
The Conversation
On missed photographs
I almost didn’t get this photograph, more for an ethical standpoint. But I saw that shot, I think we were crossing First and Second, my wife and I, and I saw her sitting there and it was a cold, cold morning. I try not to shoot the homeless; I think they are easy shots. I do have some shots of them but as I’ve matured with this I try and stay away from that. But this one particular shot, here is this big paste up reading “I can’t afford to love New York” and this women’s huddled over in the cold and is obviously homeless; it just all kind of came together. I almost missed this shot because my inner self was saying “Don’t take this picture.” But something spoke to me.
I Can’t Afford to Love NY
I may not think about the shots I’ve missed, but I do often wonder where some of the people that I’ve taken pictures of are now…
We take all these pictures of people and there is bound to be some of whom have died, ya know? They aren’t here any more. But you have their photograph and it’s kind of a weird connection, you’ve documented them for a minute. There are some people I will never see again. There are some people I have seen again, since I have taken their picture. But I do often wonder, where are these people now?
On Jazz
When shooting in the streets I’ll listen to, by far hands down, Billie Holiday. I don’t know if it’s an homage to Baltimore, my dad’s hometown, but there is just something about her music that really gets me. It’s the city, it’s the grit; she’s one of the true divas. We’ll put Mariah Carey and those gals aside. Billie Holiday, Nina Simone… those are the divas. I like to listen to jazz a lot. I am not a jazz head, I couldn’t tell you all the big names in jazz. I have my core group that I really like to listen to. My grandfather was a big band singer so I was exposed to it when I was a kid, and I guess it really just stuck with me.
Advice to your younger self
I’m 43 now, and I was having a conversation with a good friend. We both kind of realized, from a numbers perspective, within a couple of years, I’m probably on the down slope. I’ve probably hit the halfway mark. It’s funny to think about that. I tell everyone I’m 43 on paper, I think in my heart I’m 22, and my body is probably 68…(laughs).
In all honesty, I would say something that my father would probably say… Life is short, so go out and do things, take photographs, paint pictures or be the best accountant you can be. Do what you really love to do. Travel abroad, go to a foreign country, learn another language, learn to play a musical instrument. Find something you really like to do. Take it from being a hobby to a passion and sometimes, take it fully into your life. As far as enjoying life and smelling the roses, you gotta do that too.
Greg Schmigel
E-mail: [email protected]
Flickr | Twitter | Instagram @publicview
by David Norbut | Jun 13, 2012 | Featured Articles
7
David’s Intro
I thought after I spoke with Sion, that I would learn some secret to how he gets these amazing images.
But there is no secret. It’s a combination of his fluid dance through the streets, his natural connection to the world around him and most importantly going with his gut.
Sion Fullana’s passion to capture New York City in an undying attempt to give back the gift the city has given him. It’s that simple.
With that I’ll say Thank You Sion for sharing the gift with all of us.
D: David S: Sion
D: Let’s start at the beginning. Were you surrounded by the arts during your childhood and upbringing?
S: No, no, no, not much. The only person in my family with an artistic flare was my cousin Eva, my mom’s sister’s daughter. She used to draw and paint with water colors, and I used to think “wow, that is beautiful.” My dad collected paintings, so it was more about seeing paintings and going to galleries. I never took any creative classes or things like that as a kid.
D: So is all of this output recent or what?
S: I always knew that I liked to tell stories, it was all about transmitting things. One of the things I always wanted to study, because I like working with people, was psychology or psychiatry. The crazy part is, I wanted, for a while, to study the science of dreams. But I’m so 100% right brain that in high school I had to repeat one year because I failed the 3 more “science” subjects… having great grades in everything else, I failed math, chemistry and physics. So I thought there was no way I could study medicine, to learn psychiatry, so I thought I’d go for psychology. But then when the time came to go to college, I said you know what, there is math and science and statistics in psychology. I will never finish a degree that has any of that. So my other interest was Journalism. I didn’t know back then, when I was living in Majorca and going to school in Barcelona, that there was a field or a degree in Audio Visual Communications. Had I known, that would have been what I studied, for real, because that had more to do with cinema, TV, radio, a lot more, uh… story telling devices. But I landed in journalism, and it was great; I love it too. But, for example, in the 5 years of college I just got one cinema subject a semester, and one the first year in photography. We learned how to develop film and I didn’t really pay much attention, that was one of my regrets… Anyway, I ended up in Journalism and throughout those years the other thing I loved was film making, I started taking some workshops in screen writing and in the summer of 2000 or 2001 I visited Cuba with my dad, my sister and 2 friends. I had learned there was a very well known international film school there, and during my trip I visited it and fell in love with it. It was in the middle of the countryside, it was an amazing beautiful place, and I thought “when I graduate college I will come and take one of their 3 week or 1 month workshops”. Later I learned that they had a 2 year course and I thought that could be an adventure, so I applied. It was kind of difficult to get into that school, but I was one of 6 directing filmmaking students in my year. I lived there between 2002 and 2004.
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D: So this is were the visual side was born…
S: Yeah yeah yeah, I was coming from telling the story, like a journalist, and then that was more the visual and working with composition.
D: Well it’s almost the same, you are storytelling with words and with photos.
S. Oh! If I start talking about this (the captioning) I will go off on a tangent, so very briefly… this is one of my big, big opinions. Yesterday, I was googling my name, because i wanted to find a blog post, and I found another one that I had never read, it was on a discussion forum about Cartier-Bresson and the “decisive moment.” Someone was talking about captioning, and someone was like “oh, if you had to see a Bresson photo and then read a caption, it wouldn’t be that special” and someone else was saying if Bresson had lived and photographed in the era of Flickr, he would have written great captions too and then they said “oh but Sion Fullana and someone else, I can’t remember their name, do great photos even beyond having the caption. The photo tells a story.” To me, coming from journalism, what I’m saying is… the story is never fully what you may want to tell if you leave it open, so I like to combine both and use all the tools to portray what you want.
D: I’m glad you brought Mr. Cartier-Bresson, because that was my next question. Are you a believer in the “decisive moment?”
S: I think so… Oh my god, now you put me on the spot, because I was thinking of a beautiful Cartier-Bresson quote that I read and that I believe in. He wrote: “I’m not responsible for my photographs. Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience. It’s drowning yourself, dissolving yourself, and then sniff, sniff, sniff – being sensitive to coincidence. You can’t go looking for it; you can’t want it, or you won’t get it. First you must lose your self. Then it happens.”
I always say, when people ask “oh, what’s your process?” …I say it’s something that comes from the gut. When I go around the city and shoot, I go into a trance. Someone said the other day too, that it was like a dance. And I’m like, it is! I dance around the street and sidewalks between characters, trying to connect with whatever is around. When I walk around the city, everything happens so fast… if you stop in New York you will get run over, people don’t pay much attention to the faces or the eyes of people. I like to pay special attention to that.
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D: I will say I saw a TV interview with you, and you do dance! (laughs)
S: One of my favorite things to do when I go out by myself is to put music on… and I start observing. Whatever music I have in my ears, I start pacing the people around me and everything that is happening to that rhythm. So to me I call it the real life video clip, and I try to think how would I film this?
D: Well, what music is in your ears? Give us some of your inspiration.
S: Oh my! Well one of my muses is Marketa Irglova from the Swell Season, I put on her album a lot. It’s so mellow, dreamy and romantic, and sometimes I’ll go totally opposite into electronic, and listen to Air, David Guetta, Daft Punk or anything like that.
D: I see a ton of street photography on the various mobile photography networks. I think most would agree that your street work is different, like there’s something magic happening, almost fantasy like. Is that your intention?
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S: (laughs) I think so, I think I would agree it’s in a very intuitive way more than in a logical way… one of the photos was of this probably homeless man. And I tend not to photograph homeless people much, but it was near Columbus circle in NY, and there’s this metallic wall, and the light at certain times of day hits it miraculously. I was there one day taking shots of people and this man was walking, he had this giant fur, I don’t know if it was a blanket or a cape or whatever, but to me, to see him in this light, he became like those mythical creatures from Lord of the Rings. Sometimes I look around, and I try to see those qualities in everyone around. So I love to capture the reality in the way people dress and whats in today’s urban spaces… on the other hand, the filmmaker in me tries to fantasize about who is this character and I make scenarios and stories up.
D: How long after you take a photograph before you add your titles and words, is it something that comes instinctively or does it take some time? Your titles and stories are often a perfect fit. Can you fill us in a bit?
S: So the captions, my answer has different branches… one of them is if what you post has to be the most artistic image you are producing or if it is an excuse to talk about something you want to talk about or tell a story you want to tell, regardless of if the photo is perfect or not. So I don’t mind posting a photo that isn’t my best if it tells the story. On the other hand, I will have something I wanna talk about in the caption, and it’s in my head, so I will either take a photo that illustrates that or I’ll pull from my archives and see if I can find something. Other times I’ll just open the photos I like and boom, boom, boom start writing on the spot. Here’s a little funny note… Anton always makes fun of me, because when I write for Instagram 95% of the time, I write within instagram, so I type in that fucking tiny box! So anyway, I get inspired on the spot.
Sometimes I find that there are photos that I like a lot, but there’s no caption coming to me, and I end up feeling strangely unable to post them. There is a photo that I’ve been sitting on for 2 weeks now, and I’m like “I don’t know what to call this!” (laughs)
D: Since you started shooting, do you feel any different, see things in a new light? More alive or awakened to the world around you?
S: Oh definitely, like definitely, definitely. If I’m not taking photos I’m seeing them everywhere. And that is good and bad, you know? Good because even when you are not capturing photos, you are working the creative brain… On the other hand it is terrible because it gives you the anxiety that sometimes you are not able to disconnect and enjoy the moment. And I will never say anything because I don’t want to be rude, but I can be sitting with a friend at a cafe and even if I’m paying attention, because I am a good listener, my eyes are seeing people around or walking by the window, and I’m like goddamn that is a great shot! (laughs) So yeah, it has changed a lot, the way I go around through my day,
D: Good, it should, I mean, you are turning life into that frozen moment.
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S: That’s how I see it too in a way. I was saying to someone the other day, we should ask ourselves why do we do what we do. Why do we post everyday? Why do we take the photos? Blah, blah, blah, and some people will say “oh just to get noticed or have more followers” or whatever, it’s bullshit. To me it’s to try to do an x-ray of what’s around us and preserve it, you know? 50 years from now, those shots of today’s streets will have an added historic/documentary value we may not fully see today.
D: How are the reactions and connections in your subjects different in NYC and in Spain? I’m sure you have your reasons for loving both places for different reasons, can you talk about some of those feelings?
S: It’s a funny story you know, sometimes I wonder about this. I was telling Anton the other day how I would love to go to another country, some remote location, like in Asia or something and spend like a year telling stories and all and he was telling me, oh you don’t need a year to do that, and I’m like well, at least a few months, to connect, to learn the pace and the idiosyncrasies of the people and the city. And I guess that’s why when I’ve gone to San Fransisco, it’s similar to New York and I love it. But when I go back to my hometown in Majorca, it’s just not the same.
D: When you say it’s not the same… is it less populated? When you go, are you in the countryside?
S: Well, no. When I go, I stay with my mom in the city… I think it’s hard to describe. Maybe I don’t connect emotionally. I guess there has to be a point of fascination and curiosity and in New York. I still find it. I like to connect with the everyday life, also I am trying to challenge myself now. I’m trying to push forward, to take one shot and be done isn’t that challenging anymore, so I am once again trying to tell stories with a series of shots. When I moved to New York in 2006 I had a lot of time alone, so I would go in the streets to take shots, using them as an excuse to write stories… whether the story was connected to them or not. Then all of a sudden, I don’t know, I guess the city inspired me in a way to keep practicing and strengthen that muscle. I once said, when I was speaking at Apple, “I thought New York gave me so much that I want to keep showing it as a thank you, to capture it and showing it the people that cannot be here. As, look, I’m sharing it with you.”
That doesn’t happen much in Majorca, when I go home. When I’m there I like to be with family, and I will always have a little pride on being from the island. To me Majorca is more about nature, remembering summers by the water more so than about urban beauty.
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D: OK, here’s a guy getting work and gaining popularity over his Mobile Photography. Why do you think there is such an emphasis on keeping iPhoneography or mobile photography separate from traditional photography? Isn’t it all just photography?
S: It should be, right? One of the strengths with mobile and shooting with a smart phone is the immediacy of everything: shooting, processing, sharing from wherever you are. For example, I have something coming up where Anton and I are photographing our friend Gabe’s conference in San Francisco. I use my camera, but he wanted lots of iPhone shots too so he could share them with the community that follows his brand right then and there. If I was to use just the camera I could not do that so easily, because there is no compact card with wifi for DSLR yet.
D: You would think that Nikon or Canon would come out with a camera with an editing program and an internet connection.
S: But is it gonna be the same? You know what I mean? That’s what I keep thinking too, but if I’m thinking of grabbing a camera and working and editing on a screen behind when its so much heavier and clunky, it’s just not the same. Same thing applies to candids and street when you are trying to shoot people, you’re more inconspicuous with an iPhone than with a big lens. It also applies when you are doing casual stuff. If you are going around at an event, and you say “hey I’m shooting for the party and can I take your photo?”… with the iPhone, people just smile and keep having the fun, but you go in with a camera, probably they’ll pose for you too, but seeing a camera they’ll think it’s way more serious, so it conditions their reactions.
D: One of your more recent images caught my eye, please tell me about “Masculina Plural”.
S: Strangers, and on the fly, I mean this is the kind of thing when sometimes I may lose shots because I don’t stop. But if you’re walking and the subject is walking too, especially if they are walking from far away, you can pretend like “oh i just got a text” and wait to get it. But when you are close by you aren’t gonna stop on their face, point the camera and shoot. I mean, aah… sometimes you can do that, but it’s more like they can say what the heck are you doing, you know. So I shoot on the fly, you know, boom. Here, we were walking and I saw the guy, the guy that’s looking at me actually was standing up. Then I saw the other guy, and I said “ooh, that’s a good compo here.” He sat down, and boom, I shot him and just kept walking.
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We Are Juxt thanks you for your art and your words!
1- Masculino Plural, West Village (NYC), 2012
2- Sangre Española, West Village (NYC), 2012
3- Grumpy Day, Subway car (NYC), 2011
4- The Girl at the Bar, West Village (NYC), 2010
5- There Is No Better Fantasy Than Life Itself, Columbus Circle (NYC), 2010
6- Mutual Curiosity, Majorica (Spain) 2011
7- The Dog Whisperer, Gramercy (NYC), 2012. I stumbled upon this woman sitting on a bench with many dogs, and I had a conversation with her and asked to take a few portraits. As soon as I saw this image and I heard she had over 20 years of experience in dog training, caring and walking, I immediately knew the time had come to finally start a documentary series on her and the topic, which had always fascinated me here in New York. The woman’s name is Carol Kissling: https://www.facebook.com/manhattanTLC4pets I’m meeting Carol once a week now, walking around with her, taking photos of her and the dogs, and the interactions that strangers get with them. Plus I have met a few of the owners and even another few walkers, and I hope to eventually tie it all in the same story as well.
Contact Information for Sion
Website: http://about.me/sionfullana
My Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sionfullana/
MPG page: http://mobilephotogroup.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/sionfullana
Instagram: @sionfullana
