April 2023
From the Desk of SHINER:
From the Desk of SHINER:
Yo!!! I guess first things, first, soooo...... WELCOME!!!
The 918 Photo Collective is an idea that I've kicked around for quite awhile, now. Oh, and who am I? Well, my name is Shiner and I'm a photographer (and videographer) based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Along the way, I've realized that Tulsa has a pretty amazing arts community, and it's (to an extent) kind of a secret. I mean even people who live here, and have for some time, and even some who were born a raised here, have no clue as to what exactly our art scene has to offer or how deep it goes. With that in mind, I hope that this monthly online publication will be something that can serve as a tool to help others find out what's happening in and around Tulsa, in particular within the photography community. And yeah, while I'm totally open to covering all niches of photography, I'm not gonna lie. I plan on really focusing on street photography.
I make a lot of photos in a pretty varied list of photography niches. Food photography, landscapes, lifestyle, product photography. All areas I find myself working in on a pretty routine basis. The entire reason I picked up a camera (it was initially my phone) was because I was fascinated with street photography. But like I said, I'm open to delving into all styles and niches. A good photo is a good photo, no matter the "style." Ya feel me?
Gear and book reviews, interviews with local photographers, location reports, and just about anything else I can think of to include in each edition of something that I hope becomes somewhat of a fixture in the local arts community. Hell, I'll probably even include some vlog episodes that have some significance here on the blog.
Oh yeah!!! And along the way, if y'all have any questions, feedback, or just wanna say "what's up," hit me up on my email at: My Email!!! WAIT! Submissions. If you've got a photo and you'd like us to feature it, then be sure to email me and let's make that happen.
Get out there. Kick the day in the ass and leave your mark on the world!!!
Shiner OUT!!!
@918_photo_collective
CARNIVAL STRIPPERS
SUSAN MEISELAS
by: Shiner McShine
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Carnival Strippers: Revisited |
Photography books. I'm sure we all know that there's an infinite amount them released every year. Countless niches are represented, and while there's an insane amount of books available at any given time, the ones that REALLY hit, are pretty few and far between. And, the ones that achieve an iconic status are so rare.
Photography books. I'm sure we all know that there's an infinite amount them released every year. Countless niches are represented, and while there's an insane amount of books available at any given time, the ones that REALLY hit, are pretty few and far between. And, the ones that achieve an iconic status are even more rare.
Susan Meiselas is the photographer behind just such a book and one of my all-time favorite photographers. An icon. And, one of her most popular and influential photo books has recently been rereleased, or as they term it, "Revisited."
Susan is a graduate of Harvard. I mean we’re talking a Master of Arts in visual communication from Harvard. That’s pretty dope, for sure. I’m not sure if that gives her a leg up when it comes to making photographs, but it sure seems like it should. Susan is also well known for her photos that document war and rebellion in Nicaragua during the late 1970’s. Her images from that time are nothing short of gripping and leave you speechless for a time. She has a talent for capturing the defining moment in situations around her. If you talk about OGs in the game of documentary photography, you have to bring up the name of Susan Meiselas, or you just ain't playin' this game right. If you haven't ever picked up a book of Susan's work, or hell... you got the Googles to Search her images, your life will be better for it. She offers perspective that, honestly, passes the majority of people by, on a daily basis and (for the most part) none of us are the wiser.
Susan spent her summers in 1972 - 75 in New England. During that time, traveling carnivals were present and not so uncommon in the country. A frequent part of the traveling carnival scene were sideshows that featured dancing' girls. Yep, you got it... STRIPPERS!!! Susan spent those summers traveling around to different carnivals and making photos of the story surrounding these shows. She captured dancers as they performed and also backstage. She got moments of members of the audience that had paid hard earned money to take in the sights. She was able to document some the monetary transactions between dancer and customer.
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📷: Susan Meiselas |
Susan spent her summers in 1972 - 75 in New England. During that time, traveling carnivals were present and not so uncommon in the country. A frequent part of the traveling carnival scene were sideshows that featured dancing' girls. Yep, you got it... STRIPPERS!!! Susan spent those summers traveling around to different carnivals and making photos of the story surrounding these shows. She captured dancers as they performed and also backstage. She got moments of members of the audience that had paid hard earned money to take in the sights. She was able to document some the monetary transactions between dancer and customer.
Susan spent her summers in 1972 - 75 in New England. During that time, traveling carnivals were present and not so uncommon in the country. A frequent part of the traveling carnival scene were sideshows that featured dancing' girls. Yep, you got it... STRIPPERS!!! Susan spent those summers traveling around to different carnivals and making photos of the story surrounding these shows. She captured dancers as they performed and also backstage. She got moments of members of the audience that had paid hard earned money to take in the sights. She was able to document some the monetary transactions between dancer and customer.
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📷: Susan Meiselas |
Bruce Gilden once said (yeah, that Bruce Gilden):
"If you can smell the street by looking at the photo, it's a street photograph"
These photographs embody that quote. Let yourself, and you can feel the hot, humid time of the year. You can hear the hustle and bustle of the crowd. You can smell the carnival food, sweat, cigarettes, and a touch of whiskey in the air. These photographs, and this book as a whole, deserved to be revisited. If this ain't Americana, then I don't know what tf is.
Susan also captured audio interviews with the dancers, their boyfriends, audience members, and even show managers and the inclusion of these interviews only adds to the nostalgia of the time. To be able to put an authentic voice to some the faces Susan captured in her photos is a priceless addition to the experience this book offers. Actually it's an idea that could maybe play out well in the right scenario in current times.
There ya have it! There's a brief description of a book that you should add to your collection. I'd easily give this book a solid 4.5 / 5 stars, and I'd sleep comfortable at night after I did so. If you happen to own a copy of this, or the original, or now are looking into grabbing yourself one, please leave a comment and let us know what you think. Go on... DO IT!!!!!
- S.
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This is trash photo. Doesn't matter if it's on film or digital, either way. |
Flash forward to February 2023:
So yeah, I'm not gonna lie. I was the "yeah, I've got no interest in shooting film. I just don't see the purpose," photographer. Mmhmm. I was "THAT" guy. Honestly, I can't even tell you why I had that stance or why I was so hardcore about it. On top of that nonsense, I've been gifted two different SLRs over the past few years. Actually, each of them was a pretty nice piece of gear in it's day. What I'm getting at is I had a total of zero valid reasons that I shouldn't be shooting film.
I've got so much respect for street photographers, especially the OGs. I mean documentarian photographers in general fascinate me. Street photography is what kinda kicked me into gear to start taking things serious with a camera. Sure, I've been pulled into other areas of the craft, but I'll tell anyone who'll listen that my favorite niche of photography is street photos. Take that into consideration and then I stumbled onto a YouTube channel that REALLY changed my stance on film. This cat named Jason (Insta: @50_shades_of_jason) runs a channel, @grainydaysss. I became an instant subscriber to his channel and kinda binged his videos for the better part of a day. I totally realized that there's definitely a vibe you capture on film that documentarian photography deserves. I mean in my opinion and all, for whatever that's worth. Instead of filters, the film stock you choose to load into your camera is what dictates the tones and looks that your photos will have after being developed. That, for some reason, really intrigues me.
And BOOM! There it is! It's that excitement that I haven't felt in so long. It's a drive to teach myself an aspect of this craft that's all but forgotten, and to get GOOD at it. And finally, when I walk around and get every day things taken care of, I'm back to seeing moments that could, and should be captured. There. There's that inspiration.
I feel like there's definitely a level of skill and knowledge that you have to acquire to be proficient at film, and especially to be really good at it. In researching film photography, it made me realize how lazy technology has allowed me, as an artist, to become. I'm speaking for myself, personally. I'm in no way making a judgment on you and your love affair with digital media. There's something inside me that's dictating I start teaching myself film and I start making photos old-school style. I feel like, to a certain degree, documentarian photography, a certain aspect of it, is slowly being forgotten. I really want to gt good at making photos on film, and then use that skill to combat that slow progression into oblivion that a portion of documentarian photography seems to be headed. Just my simple-minded observation. Take it with a grain of salt.
Looking at where I sit on this debate right now, I cannot say that I'm not gonna shoot digital. I mean honestly, the instant gratification of immediately seeing the image and then having options in post that are pretty much endless, will always be a drug that I'm comfortable being addicted to. But I do know that a significant portion of my time is going to be focused on film photography.
So where do you sit on this subject? It's even heavily debated in some circles, so how do you feel about it? It film something you feel is a thing of the past and digital is where all your focus is, or do you dabble in film at times? OR.... are you one of the hardcore purists, and still shoot exclusivley on film? Let me hear from you about what you prefer to shoot... Film or digital???????
SHOOTER SPOTLIGHT:
DYLAN CARTNER
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| Dylan Cartner |
Each month we’ll be featuring a photographer, giving you a chance to get to now some of the people behind the images that we feature. I've noticed that it seems people are more apt to recall a photograph that made an impression on them, but rarely know anything about the artist that shot the photo. I thought that a good way to start things off would be to feature the members of The 918 Photo Collective, and give y'all a chance to get to know the people making these amazing photographs.
The initial piece in this series features an up and coming photographer who specializes in a variety of different photography styles Dylan Cartner is a photographer and creator who has a mission in the work that he does.
In addition to making photographs, Dylan also specializes in graphic design, typography, and can be found on TikTok posting vids to promote his personal brand - SGH (or Stop Getting High).
Dylan spemds a lot of time outdoors with his trusty German Shepard sidekick, Zeus. Hiking, fetch, and just hanging out together is usually how you find the two of them spending any free time that Dylan gets.
A schedule that is totally packed from one end to the other with commitments that keep Dylan extremely busy, he still manages to get out with his camera and shoot as often as possible. School and work demands have minimized his opportunities to get out and shoot, but when he is able to, the results are straight legit.
I spent an afternoon in downtown Tulsa shooting with Dylan recently and took the chance to ask him a handful of questions to get a better insight of the guy behind the photos.
- S.
Q: Let’s go ahead and introduce yourself! How about who you are and where you’re from?
A: Dylan Cartner, grew up in Houston, TX, lived in a lot of different places but Tulsa has been home base for about 10 years now.
Q: How long have you been shooting?
A: I started my journey with photography actually while I was in school for Graphic Design, I started to gain interest after I took an elective photography course in around 2015 or 16.
Q: What got you into photography?
A: I would say what got me into photography was really just a continuation of my love for art in general, but what I love about photography and what I try to capture in my own photos is the ability to capture a moment just as it is.
Q: What camera are you shooting currently?
A: Canon rebel t6
Q: Favorite lens?
A: Canon ef 70-200mm f/2.8
Q: Do you have a niche in photography that you would say you lean towards or specialize in?
A: I do a lot of structural and urban photography and I try to get out and do some sort of adventure / wildlife photography every chance I get.
Q: Favorite place to shoot and why?
A: I think my favorite place to shoot right now is the Healing Stone at Skiatook Lake
Q: Bucket list - top 3 - places you want to shoot?
A: Bucket list - 1. K2 ; 2. Yosemite ; 3. Glacier NP
Q: Digital vs. Film…. Thoughts?
A: I think that film is cool and awesome to do but just in todays day and age digital mediums are just more practical for any sort of scaled business youre trying to do.
Q: Do you have a fav photog or photo?
A:
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📷: Jimmy Chin |
Q: Where can others fond you online???? FB? IG? YouTube? Website?
A: I do have Facebook but im usually in Facebook jail so instagram is best @dielawn_cartner
Niches. Genres. Areas. Specialties. Whatever you wanna call it, we've all got that area of photography that we prefer, even if it's just a little bit, over the other areas of the craft. It seems when people want to discuss with me photography, and in particular MY photography, they seem to be caught off-guard when they ask me what my favorite type of photography is. Landcape? NOPE. Product photography? Nuh-uh. Food photography, boudoir shoots? Sorry, no cigar and negative, ghost rider.
Documentary photography, and in particular - street photography, are my absolute favorite forms of photography. I'm especially drawn to the street images that were shot without the knowledge of the subject. there's something about people caught in a candid moment that you just can't beat. A fleeting moment, caught in a photograph that tells an entire story if you listen to it. They're the types of photographs that I love to consume and make. To me, there's just something about capturing what a lot of others call, "the defining moment" (points if you know who made that saying famous).
I look back at some of the greats in street photography and the photos they made. Robert Frank. Bruce Gilden. Susan Meiselas. Joel Meyerowitz. They captured a vibe that was a time. In most cases, these photographers did just that during vastly different times in our society, so their images from different periods have different vibes and different stories to tell. They successfully documented our nation and our society as it has grown and changed
I figured a good way to kick off the blog was to give y'all a report of a couple of my faortite spots to shoot street photos around Tulsa, On top of that, I wanna hear from y'all!!! Yeah, that's right... tell me where y'all like to pack your gear and head out to if you're wanting to shoot a set of bangers. C'mon, do it! Get involved. I dare ya.
My son, Dylan and I were texting each other on a quiet, lazy Sunday morning. I can't tell you exactly when the photography gods blessed us with a challenge, but it obviously happened at some point. A Sunday in quiet, low-key Downton Tulsa and we're shooting street photography???? OK, sure. Mama didn't raise no punk and I'm up for a challenge.
Yeah, as we climbed out of the car and stepped into Empire Slice House to grab some grub and fuel up for the afternoon, the city had a feel to it. A definitive feel. DEAD. OK, what exactly have I got myself into? Personally, I dig this sort of thing. I think shooting in an area that is ultimately "boring" causes your skills to improve, and I'm all about anything to improve my skills. DUH!!! I've done this with videography, also. I choose a spot that is particularly unremarkable, and then set out to create a 30 second B-Roll sequence. And while it's definitely not the most fun scenario I like to find myself in for photography, it's for sure something that helps tune my skills.
So yeah, there we were. With no real plan in mind, we just started walking. We shot the abandoned building that's on the block to the west of Empire. You know, the one with the mural on the west side of the building. From there it was just basically us rambling around down. Tulsa has such a "ghost townie" vibe on most weekends. At least during the day. Random people out grabbing lunch, maybe a group checking out The Center of the Universe. It's slim pickins if you are out to shoot street, on a Sunday afternoon. Like I said though, this is a good way to get better at your craft.
We hit The Blue Dome, The Arts District, The Arena district, The Cathedral district, etc. You know? All the places. We made sure to head down a handful of alleys also, and they didn't disappoint. Here is where you can really see what you're made of. Mundane surrounds you, but can you find the photo to make?
Sporadically we saw some people walking around downtown, providing the opportunity for some legit street photos. Random stranger passing by on the sidewalk - BAM! Dude walking his dog, but the dog needed to take a dump - BAM! A bank of gas meters.... yeah gas meters - BAM! I mean I ain't gonna lie, it can be super difficult to find a shot, and a fine balance in not shooting just to shoot. I'm working on being selective in what I shoot.
I'm about to start shooting on film, and one of the biggest things I've noticed is how spoiled we've become - as photographers - when it comes to shooting. At least I, myself, have. Can anyone disagree with the fact that shooting on film, with a prime lens is inherently more difficult than shooting digital with a zoom. A prime lens forces you to get proficient in composing/framing your shots. Shooting on film means you don't have the luxury of immediate gratification in the form of reviewing the photo you just shot and either deciding you can crop in to create that "just right" composition, or even just deleting the image all together if you aren't stoked on it. Y'all know what I'm talking about. We've all done it. I mean, right? Haven't we all done it??? Maybe not. Maybe that's just a really lazy habit that I alone developed.
I think the best thing to take aways from this little trip report is that Downtown Tulsa, on a Sunday afternoon is a tough place to shoot street photography, BUT it's a damn good place to hone your skills and work on improving what you love to do. Street photos are (most times) kinda a challenge anyways, but purposely hitting a location or area that you know beforehand is gonna be slim pickings is a great way to show yourself what you're made of. Trust me on this. You're welcome.
How about y'all? Where do you like to shoot? Y'all can hit me up at me email, so give me the 4-1-1 on your spot, and even better... send me a photo or two and we'll try to feature some of the photos sent in. Deal?
Whatever you do, keep making photos and keep documenting life around you. Keep doing your thing!!!!!
- Shiner OUT!
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