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Recently I had the great pleasure of being accepted as a scholarship student (under 30) for the Magnum workshop in Provincetown, Massachusetts with David Alan Harvey. Unfortunately David got stuck in Paris en route, so the first two days I spent with Costa Manos. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad I did, I learned so much from his decades of experience (he has been in Magnum for over 50 years).<\/p>\n
So based on my two days with him, I wanted to distill some wisdom he shared during the workshop. Here I go:<\/p>\n
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One of the things that surprised me the most during the workshop was how he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recommend most students to work on a project during the week. His reasoning was this: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the point of working on a project when you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know how to make a [good] photo?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
So during the first day, he showed us his best images\u00e2\u20ac\u201c analyzed the composition, the form, the backgrounds, and essentially how to make a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photograph. Some tips:<\/p>\n
As street photographers, we tend to just focus on what is in the center of the frame (and disregard the background). Costa suggested us to not fall victim to tunnel vision, and to focus on the background while we were shooting. The background is just as important as the foreground.<\/p>\n
I also see that a lot of beginner street photographers make the mistake of just looking for an interesting subject, putting them smack dab in the middle of the frame, and have a messy background (ugly trees, white cars, poles sticking out of the subjects\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 heads).<\/p>\n
So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fall victim to tunnel vision\u00e2\u20ac\u201c be diligent to have clean backgrounds that add to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sense of place\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of a photograph.<\/p>\n
Similar to the previous point, Costa emphasized that every square inch of the frame was of upmost important. So he stressed to us: fill the frame with information (subject, foreground, background, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, interesting gestures) which make a strong image.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting\u00e2\u20ac\u201c Costa suggested for us to focus on the edges and corners of the frame.<\/p>\n
During his critique session, he would criticize students who had chopped off limbs, fingers, hands, and legs at the edges of the frame. He is a big proponent of not cropping (more on that later)\u00e2\u20ac\u201c so he is very diligent about his edges when shooting.<\/p>\n
Costa told us that he dreams of images. He sees images in his mind when he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lying in bed\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and when he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s out on the streets, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s looking for these situations.<\/p>\n
He wants subjects in the foreground, the mid ground, the background\u00e2\u20ac\u201c interesting interactions, a sense of place, bright colors, lovely light\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and a sense of energy and life.<\/p>\n
Some of Costa\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 best images are the ones where he fills the frame full of information, yet it is simple and doesnt have overlapping figures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n I think this needs its own point. During critique sessions, he stressed to us to not have overlapping figures. To have a little bit of separation (or white space) helped bring out the figures more from the background.<\/p>\n So in practicality, when you are photographing a group of people\u00e2\u20ac\u201c make sure no heads, limbs, or body parts overlap with one another.<\/p>\n Costa Manos (at the time of this writing) is 79 years old, and has been part of Magnum for over 50 years. He is from the Henri Cartier-Bresson school of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153not cropping\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Even when Costa would print his photos, he would put a black border around his image showing that each print was the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153full frame\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n His reasoning for not cropping was this: cropping makes you a lazy photographer, and doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t encourage you to move your feet while shooting.<\/p>\n Personally I can attest to this as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201c I used to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153crop-a-holic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and crop every single photo I took. This made me lazy when I shot in the streets, because I would just tell myself: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, I can just crop that later\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t dropped any of my photos the last 3 years, and I can say it has made me a much better framer when shooting on the streets.<\/p>\n Constantine says a little bit of cropping is okay (around 1\u00e2\u20ac\u201c3% around the edges) as a lot of rangefinders aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t accurate. However he encourages his students to try to keep the full frame whenever possible.<\/p>\n Costa mentions a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153situation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as a scene in which you might possibly get an interesting photo. I have also heard this as called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the pregnant moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by other photographers.<\/p>\n Constantine Manos isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the type of photographer who shoots a photograph of everything. Rather, he just looks for a few \u00e2\u20ac\u0153interesting situations\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and then takes a lot of photos of that. For Costa, he says he might see (and photograph) around 6 situations a day when out on the streets.<\/p>\n I quite liked this philosoohy\u00e2\u20ac\u201c because as you become more experienced in street photography, not that many \u00e2\u20ac\u0153situations\u00e2\u20ac\u009d will interest you. But once you find those interesting situations (that might yield a good photograph)\u00e2\u20ac\u201c work the hell out of them. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just take 1\u00e2\u20ac\u201c2 photos; take 10, 20, 30, 40, or even 50 photos of that scene if possible.<\/p>\n So to sum up: photograph fewer situations, but when you find interesting situations \u00e2\u20ac\u201c shoot the hell out of them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Costa mentioned that each photograph has a life of its own\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and each photograph is like a poem. And a photography book is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153book of poems\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. He told us that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6each poem is a separate thing, but together\u00e2\u20ac\u201c they all hold together.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Furthermore, through his photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201c he is trying to create a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect poem\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. He also thinks that cropping an image (excessively) is like removing a comma from a poem\u00e2\u20ac\u201c which will destroy it.<\/p>\n He also said in a poem, it is the small details that make it beautiful. The same in photos \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he is looking for small details which make a photo beautiful (like even a small foot in a corner of an edge in a photo).<\/p>\n I see there are a lot of photographers who are inspired through literature (and poetry) in their photography. Even David Alan Harvey says that whenever he is about to go photograph a place (let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say Mexico), he reads fiction literature about the place to gain inspiration.<\/p>\n So see your photos as poems. Make them beautiful. And when working on a photo-book, see how you can make a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153book of poems\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n Constantine Manos was quite adamant that people shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put fancy captions in their photos. He recommended to just include the location and date in a photograph. Any more information is superfluous and not necessary. Manos believes that a photo should be able to stand on its own (without a detailed caption).<\/p>\n Furthermore, he feels that he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like captions in a photograph because he likes his photos to ask more questions (rather than providing answers).<\/p>\n For example, there is one photo he took with a boy lying down next to a bunch of crosses. He purposefully doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell the story behind the photo\u00e2\u20ac\u201c because he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to ruin the surprise for the viewer.<\/p>\n So as a takeaway point, keep your photos open-ended<\/strong>. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t spoil the story for your viewer. Add some intrigue and mystery to your photos. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make them too obvious to decode or understand. This will make them much more engaging, interesting and memorable.<\/p>\n Constantine Manos doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like to use the phrase, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c rather he uses the phrase, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153photography in the public domain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n Costa isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t interested in photos that don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have people in them. He doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find landscapes, flowers, or photos of animals interesting. He is looking for human beings, and for life.<\/p>\n One of his biggest lessons was that street photography was hard\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and should be hard. He said the following in class:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Shooting people is more beautiful, because it is more difficult.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This also goes in line with the philosophy that the best street photographs are often the ones that are the most difficult to photograph. The more difficult it is to photograph a scene, the less likely someone can replicate the same photograph.<\/p>\n Photos that are easy to take:<\/p>\n It is not necessarily true that the best street photographs have to be<\/em> difficult to take. However you want your photos to not be easily replicable\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and unique.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, Costa is looking for photos that are complex. He categorizes two types of complexity:<\/p>\n In the frame, physical complexity is a lot of things happening. For example, having a lot of bodies, people, dogs, cats, etc. Physical complexity in a photograph fills the frame, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have overlaps, has an interesting foreground, middle ground, and background.<\/p>\n Psychological complexity in a photograph is having intrigue or a strange thing happening in a frame. Psychologically complex images could have simple compositions as well.<\/p>\n When you have psychologically complex images, you often have people interacting with one another or the environment. You can ask yourself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is happening between the people in the frame? What is the situation? How is the relationship between the people\u00e2\u20ac\u201c what does their facial features and bodily gestures show?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n For psychologically complex images: focus on the eyes and the hands<\/strong> (they show a lot of nonverbal communication).<\/p>\n Costa is a pretty shy guy who likes to stay in the shadows when photographing (similar to Henri Cartier-Bresson). These are some tips he gave when it came to getting close to subjects (without having them notice you):<\/p>\n Furthermore, there are cases when people will catch you taking their photo. In those circumstances, people might ask you, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What are you doing?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d To respond to that, Costa says: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just a photographer having a nice time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n There are other circumstances where Costa will approach a stranger and ask them, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153May I take your picture?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And if people say yes, he says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pretend like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Sometimes when he takes photos of people (or kids)\u00e2\u20ac\u201c he will point at the eye of the kid, and tell them to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n In the workshop, Costa says he prefers to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6the observer, not the observed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n He told us in class, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Never take a picture of anyone looking at the camera, or else the photo is destroyed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n If you look at Costas photos, because nobody is looking into the lens \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you feel like a observer looking into the photo. The photos also feel more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153candid\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n However I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t completely agree with this point by Costa. Some of the best photos in history were taken with the subjects looking straight into the lens. I feel that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153eyes are the windows to the soul\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and eye connection can create a more emotional connection and bond with your subject.<\/p>\n But once again, this is how Costa shoots\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and it works well with him.<\/p>\n Costa believes that, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6a photograph doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exist, until it is printed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n I think in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s digital age, we rarely print photos. I remember as a kid and my family and I would go on holiday\u00e2\u20ac\u201c we would bring along a disposable camera and take a bunch of photos, then get them processed and printed as small 4×6 images. I remember the excitement and joy of holding the physical object, the photograph, and thinking: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is real, this exists.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Nowadays with Facebook, we rarely get the physicality of a photograph. We see them through our blue screens, but never hold photographs anymore. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel the tactility of photographs, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel the texture of the paper, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a personal relationship with a photograph.<\/p>\n Even though Constantine Manos now shoots digital (he shoots with a new Leica M and Sony a7), he still prints his photos. He still believes in the power of the print. This is what he said about the importance of the print (in the Magnum print exhibition show in Provincetown):<\/p>\n The Print<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are still photographers who believe that a photograph does not exist until it is a print. There remains in their memory the experience of working in a darkroom and recalling the magic of seeing an image gradually appear on a piece of paper in a tray of liquid; all this lit by a warm golden light.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If processed and stored properly this print can last for generations. It becomes archival; it becomes vintage. It becomes a treasure to be put in a fine box between soft acid-free tissues. It can be framed and hung in a favorite spot, to become an object of daily pleasure and comfort. It is a real object we can hold in our hands, not a negative or an image floating around in space and stored in cold machines.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Whether captured on film or captured digitally, this print, this object, reflects the craft and skill and pride of its maker. Its quality is a reflection of the skill and art of its making.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let us sign it with our name as an expression of pride and accomplishment– whether we have made it ourselves or have entrusted it’s making to a skilled artisan. Let us be collectors and guardians of these beautiful artifacts. Let us celebrate the print.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Prints don’t need to be fancy or expensive. Personally, I get a lot of my prints done at Costco in the states. It doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg (I think a 12×18 is less than $5) and the prints look pretty good (Fujifilm paper). Sure they aren’t as good as professional lab prints, but I still think that it is better to make a print than not make one at all.<\/p>\n Prints make beautiful presents too. There is nothing more exciting than giving a print to a friend, a fellow photographer, or family– and having them be amazed and grateful. They get excited in thinking where they are going to frame it or put it in their home (or office).<\/p>\n Also I know a lot of photographers who edit and sequence their photography projects and books with small 4×6 prints. You can just put them all down on the ground, and rearrange, edit, and sequence them accordingly. There is something about playing around with physical objects which help you be more creative.<\/p>\n Another option is to put your small 4×6 prints on a metal board (with magnets) or on a corkboard with tape or tacks. And keep them hanging them for a long time. The photos that you begin to hate looking at over and over again, you take them off. Then the photos that you really like tend to grow on you over time. They are like oil rising to the top of water.<\/p>\n Also for great prints over the Internet, I have used mmpix.com with great results.<\/p>\n If possible, I also recommend everyone trying to print in the darkroom once. Take a local community college course on how to make black and white darkroom prints. It is something truly extraordinary and magical.<\/p>\n At the end of the day– you want to photograph what you like. Constantine Manos said this in class:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I like to go to places and situations where there is a lot of people, activity– on their feet and moving around. I like going to faires, the Daytona beach bike festival, Coney Island, and Venice beach.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Costa is also selective when he decides to go out and shoot. He doesn’t shoot all day– he only shoots when the light is good.<\/p>\n For example, from 8-11am there is nothing generally happening. People aren’t generally out and about in the morning.<\/p>\n However he likes to start shooting at around 3-6pm, when there are a lot of people and the light starts to get good. He will shoot for around 2-3 hours, when a lot of people are moving around (and there are other Poole with cameras too).<\/p>\n Costa also likes to go back to places that he likes. For example, if he finds a wall he likes, he will go back to it over and over again. He describes himself like a dog going to the same post and peeing.<\/p>\n Costa will also go back to those places, look for even better situations, and see if he could improve on photos he has already taken.<\/p>\n He shared in class: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Work hard, remember places, and go back until you get a good photo.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Costa is a big fan of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153one lens, one camera\u00e2\u20ac\u009d philosophy. He beliefs that a 35mm lens is the ideal focal length for street photography (as it is close to what our human eye sees) and has shot with a Leica his entire career. He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153One camera, one lens, hung from the wrist.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He thinks that 28mm tends to be too wide, and 50mm to be too zoomed in.<\/p>\n Costa gave some good advice during the workshop: pace yourself. He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153…Don’t drive yourself [too hard]. If you’re tired, sit down. If you’re not enjoying it [photographing], you’re doing something wrong. Photography should always be a pleasurable search for something wonderful.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Often when we are traveling, we get \u00e2\u20ac\u0153suckered by the exotic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. What that means is that the first time we go to India, everything looks so colorful and interesting. We try to replicate photos that look like Steve McCurry and National Geographic.<\/p>\n However in those circumstances, Costa says we are getting suckered by thinking just because things look unique and different– we automatically think they are interesting. For example, I don’t think I have ever seen a photo of a street performer or old Chinese person in Chinatown that made a truly interesting or unique photograph.<\/p>\n Costa explains in detail:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is not enough to just photograph what something looks like. We need to make it into something that is unique, a surprise. Photography has been used forever to show what things look like, like when photographers photographed objects and landscapes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I’m starting to paraphrase now:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But landscapes are boring. People only photograph what landscapes look like, they are generic. I call this the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153big and boring manifesto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d– people are fascinated by detail and sizes of photos. This is a fad. Those photos become big bucks– commodities for galleries. People make editions for $10,000 a piece. They are boring cityscapes– big and sharp. Pictures should be interesting, new, and not the same old boring landscape and flowers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So as a takeaway point– don’t think that just by traveling to India or somewhere exotic, you will make good photos. I think the best photos are the ones in your own backyard– in which you take \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d situations and make them interesting.<\/p>\n Costa shared the importance of ideas in photography (I’m going to paraphrase below):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ideas are very important and underrated in photography. A photograph, like a written text or a short story, is an idea. A photograph is an idea. A visual idea. It doesn’t need any words. But it is an idea– a visual idea. If you see something, a good photograph is the expression of an idea. This doesn’t require captions and explanations. A photo should make a statement.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Costa is also very much against \u00e2\u20ac\u0153conceptual photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d– in which the idea is more important than the photograph. He doesn’t like too much verbiage about visual things. He said something like, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Too much thinking in a photo isn’t good. You want visual thinking in photos, not \u00e2\u20ac\u2122word thinking\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n During a critique session, Costa shares his views on taste and photography (and is very candid about it, pun intended):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is so much bad everything. Bad art, bad photography. I don’t want to sound like a snob, but 95% of the public doesn’t have any taste. That is a reality. Taste is having a discerning appreciation of anything. Food, wine, photography, art. Different people have more discerning taste in food than art. But it is a very small percent. So there is a lot of garbage floating around, people patting each other on the back. A lot of boring stuff.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So how does a photographer build better \u00e2\u20ac\u0153taste\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in their artistic sensibilities? Easy, look at great art (and avoid bad art).<\/p>\n If you want to be a beer connoisseur, you don’t drink bud light and coors light. You drink specialty micro-brews. If you want to be a coffee connoisseur, you don’t drink Starbucks, you have good espressos in hipster cafes. If you want to be a foodie, you don’t eat Mcdonalds and Burger King. You eat at highly-reviewed restaurants (my tip, anything with over 200 reviews on yelp with a 4.5 rating or above is generally good).<\/p>\n So with photography, I say avoid 99% of Flickr, Instagram, Flickr, and Facebook like the plague. 99% of the work on the Internet (probably more like 99.99%) is bad photography. There is a lot of noise out there, and not that much signal.<\/p>\n For me personally, I rarely look at photos on the web anymore. I only trust my photography books, or contemporary photographers who are creating truly exceptional work.<\/p>\n If you look at the work of the masters (and spend a lot of time on the Magnum website)– you will learn what makes a great photograph by osmosis. You will simply absorb great photography. You need to consume great images to aspire to make great photos. And once you build up your taste and palette, you can no longer look at bad photos (kind of like how I can’t drink bad coffee anymore in gas stations).<\/p>\n In street photography, we want to try to put ourselves in good situations– where we have the ability to make a good photograph. But sometimes in the streets, there are situations where no matter what you do– you just can’t make a good photograph. This is what Costa said during a critique of a student photos (when the light was very harsh, and the background was very busy):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You put yourself into a difficult situation. So you already have a few strikes against yourself. Don’t put yourself in a position that will be difficult. Don’t even bother taking photos when Mother Nature isn’t on your side. You can’t fight Mother Nature, so don’t even bother. Don’t start the game with to strikes against you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Costa elaborates:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You don’t want to photograph black and white people in the sun, and people in a white sky. No matter what you do, you can’t fix it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So when it comes to street photography, know that there are some times of the day that you won’t get good light: which is generally mid-day sun. The light tends to be harsh.<\/p>\n Instead if you want good light, put yourself in the right situation. The only time to get really good light is during sunrise and sunset. As a side note, using a flash helps open up opportunities for shooting at different times during the day. And even Costa Manos was a big fan of digital cameras that could shoot late at night (with ISO 3200+, as in the old days, they were only limited to ISO 200 color film).<\/p>\n Costa is a big fan of shooting with a deep-depth-of-field (f8-f16) and with a fast shutter speed (1\/250th of a second or faster). He prefers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153absolutely sharp\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos (and dislikes bokeh).<\/p>\n During a critique with one student, he called the photo as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153damaged information\u00e2\u20ac\u009d– that because she shot wide-open at f2 (into a bright sun), technically the photo was poor. He suggested exposing for the highlights, so you won’t have blown highlights.<\/p>\n In another critique, Costa recommended the student to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153…avoid capturing two photos in one. Just focus on one scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n So if you see two scenes happening in a photo– just focus on one.<\/p>\n One big takeaway I got from Costa was the importance of not spreading yourself too thin in your photography– to stick with one style, and not have too much inspiration from others.<\/p>\n For example, he is a big proponent of one camera and one lens. This helps simplify our equipment, and gives us a consistent style and look. For his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153American color\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series– he only shot on Kodachrome 64 color slide film as well.<\/p>\n He also recommends students to gain a lot of inspiration from other photographers– but mentions how it is a fine balance. If you spend too much time looking at too many other photographers, you spread yourself and your inspiration too thin. It is better to be inspired by a few photographers, know their work really well, and own all their books– rather than trying to get to know every single photographer.<\/p>\n My last takeaway from Costa was to make \u00e2\u20ac\u0153photos with an infinite life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. He told us, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153…the better the photo, the longer it will last. We will see it over and over again, and it will enter our memory bank.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n He also challenged us to ask ourselves, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how rare is the moment? Will the photos exist 50 years from now?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n And ultimately– the process and search of photos is as fun as the final product. So remember, have fun and enjoy the journey.<\/p>\n Here is a list of interesting quotes Costa shared during the workshop:<\/p>\n Constantine Manos has done many books in his lifetime, but the ones I recommend are the following:<\/p>\n The body of work that got him into magnum. Beautiful black and white imagery, classic compositions that are strong, and powerful emotions. A must have.<\/p>\n His first body of color photography. Currently out of print, but definitely get it if you can.<\/p>\n I think this book actually has stronger images than American color, as it is a more mature body of work. This is the book I recommend everyone to get (between the both).<\/p>\n Costa is also teaching a workshop at the upcoming Miami street photography festival 2014<\/a>. I highly recommend it to everybody.<\/p>\n If you want to continue your learning, I recommend reading more of the masters below:<\/p>\n Recently I had the great pleasure of being accepted as a scholarship student (under 30) for the Magnum workshop in Provincetown, Massachusetts with David Alan Harvey. Unfortunately David got stuck in Paris en route, so the first two days I spent with Costa Manos. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad I did, I learned so much from his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1297,17],"tags":[1507,795,1432],"class_list":["post-20619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-masters","category-posts","tag-constantine-manos","tag-magnum","tag-masters-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image5.jpg?fit=1152%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}e) Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t overlap your figures<\/h3>\n
f) Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t crop<\/h3>\n
2. Shoot the hell out of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153interesting situations\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image7-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n3. Photography books are a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153book of poems\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image8-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n4. Ask questions (and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t provide answers) in your photos<\/h3>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image9-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n5. Street photography is (and should) be difficult<\/h3>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image10-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n\n
6. Seek complexity<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image11-800x538.jpg?resize=800%2C538\")
<\/p>\na) Physical complexity<\/h3>\n
b) Psychological complexity<\/h3>\n
7. How to get close to people (and interact with them)<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image12-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n\n
8. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have people looking into the lens<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image13-800x534.jpg?resize=800%2C534\")
<\/p>\n9. Print your photos<\/h2>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/image14-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
10. How and when he shoots on the streets<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.46.31-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n11. Keep it simple with equipment<\/h2>\n
12. On pacing yourself<\/h2>\n
13. Don’t be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153suckered by the exotic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.47.58-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n14. Photos are ideas<\/h2>\n
15. On taste and photography<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.52.38-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n16. Avoid bad situations<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.47.40-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n17. Make your photos sharp<\/h2>\n
18. Be specific<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.50.52-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
<\/p>\n19. Don’t spread yourself too thin<\/h2>\n
20. Make photos that will last<\/h2>\n
![\"2014-09-22](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-22-13.51.28-800x547.jpg?resize=800%2C547\")
<\/p>\nCosta quotes<\/h2>\n
\n
Books by Costa<\/h2>\n
1. A Greek portfolio<\/a><\/h3>\n
2. American Color<\/a><\/h3>\n
3. American Color 2<\/a><\/h3>\n
Learn from more\u00c2\u00a0masters<\/h2>\n
\n