Jorge Quinteros

Jorge Quinteros     © 2010 – Today     Proud member of the Read & Trust network.     Top

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I've Moved to SquareSpace

I case you were wondering why the site may seem dormant, it's because about a 2 weeks ago, I made the decision to part ways from utilizing Tumblr as the platform in which I shared my work and writing. Tumblr was enjoyable to use the first 2 years that I would say I began taking photography seriously but ultimately it came to a point where the service was beginning to get too unstable for me, specifically with the random and lengthy outages.

I looked at a couple options as to why I can move on to and it took having the pleasure to meet a couple of the guys behind SquareSpace at the Photo Plus Expo I attended in New York City to convince me that this was exactly what I was looking for all along in a service.

I understand that Tumblr is free which is why it may seem appealing to most users but I would much rather pay for a service knowing that I'm getting my moneys worth and that there's at least the presence of an amazing customer service team that I can reach out to 24/7 if I ever need assistance. That's something that no one can say about Tumblr. Good luck trying to get any response from any of their support team for any questions you may have.

If you've subscribed to my site via RSS in the past, hopefully you haven't missed anything I've been publishing because I managed to transition the feed seamlessly onto SquareSpace. As for the Tumblr Dashboard, I definitely won't be cross-posting any of my entries to Tumblr. I don't plan on deleting my Tumblr account because there's still wonderful photographers and other content that I keep up with via the service.

I may or may not write about transition to SquareSpace. It all depends on whether it's of any interest to anyone who's possibly considering a similar move but for now.

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I have learned that it is not the people in the same industry as you are that are the most interesting, but others from outside that you can gain the most valuable insight and richness in collaboration. If anything, I wished I fostered better contacts from the outside world, to help me push and develop what I need to say without being stuck in the "photographic world." We can only see so far, we need help to go further.

Donald Weber on Practical Advice for Young Photographers. I absolutely double agree on this statement. I apply the same principle with photography books. I own a handful but a lot of what inspires me to continue to pursue photography has come from literature which has nothing to do with the craft. Case and point with What I Learned About Being a Photographer by Reading Quitter by Jon Acuff

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Brandon Staton, Union Square

I became familiar with Brandon through a Youtube video entitled Humans of New York: Behind the Portraits where he's essentially accompanied by a camera to document how he goes about capturing portraits on the streets around the city. On his website, he says how after losing his trade job in Chicago, his mom wasn’t too happy about that decision he had made to move to New York and begin taking portraits of strangers on the street. Since then he's taken nearly 5,000 portraits and written 50 stories and he's gain a lot of popularity for his work.

By struck of luck, I came across him while photographing around in Union Square. Walking in front of me was a tall guy strapped with Canon camera across his chest along with a pricey L glass which was what initially attracted my attention. From most of the videos I've seen of him, he has a penchant for wearing a cap turned backwards which mad me suspect it might be him. Brandon was gracious enough to offer me a little bit of his time for a portrait.

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Prettiness at 5Pointz

If you've never had the chance to read Danny Santos' article on How To Shoot Street Portraits, I highly recommend you do, particularly if it's the type of work you have ambitions to improve on. Keep in mind that it's a style that you can read endlessly about on how to execute it properly but that very knowledge can easily become pointless if you fail to put into practice.

I have nothing against walking around neighborhoods searching for a reason to press the shutter but there comes a point where the hunt for a good photo becomes tiresome because sometimes you don't really know what it is that you're looking for until you come across it. This could lead to long days where you may or may not return home with nothing to download and feel proud of. The remedy to this uncertainly would probably be to have something specific in mind that you're hoping to photograph.

The chances of me visiting a place where I'm unlikely to come across people is somewhat slim and this is how I essentially choose what neighborhood I have an interest to visit around New York. I've been to 5Pointz in Long Island City numerous times and immediately I had no interest to photograph the stunning graffiti artwork that coats the entire building. I did that already. I had more interest in walking away with at least one portrait of a person who like me, took the journey to admire this out outdoor exhibition.

She spoke very little English so her friend did most of the translating. I loved her punk-rock outfit, the setting complimented the color of it and the fact that she was beautiful convinced me that I couldn't walk away without a portrait.

Moral of the story is to know what it is that you're looking for when doing street work so that narrow your options to capturing subject matter that you instantly like and not that you hope will like once your back home editing trying to convince yourself that it was a worthwhile day.

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There's nothing sweet-sounding about feeling uncomfortable but I find myself agreeing with Nicole Wolf's advice on how maybe this is exactly the type of situation one must undergo so as to reinvigorate yourself as a photographer. Your work should say something about you and if doesn't, then maybe it's time it should -

If you feel stuck or unfulfilled—if you fear that your work declares nothing about the person you are—seek an opportunity to do something beyond yourself. Immerse yourself in vulnerability and you will discover a deeper understanding of who you are in the broad scope of humanity, who you are as an artist, and how we as photographers carry a huge responsibility when we step behind the lens.

The amount of rejections I received while doing the "Something About Me" Series was discouraging but I continued it for 3 reasons. I wanted to place myself in an uncomfortable situation as a photographer, I wanted to reach a level of comfort for approaching people and most importantly it involved a photojournalistic/documentarian mentality which is what's appealed to me lately.

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Eliot Rausch was asked on the latest installment of The Great Discontent on whether he felt he was creatively satisfied with what he's produced as a filmmaker up until now and his response is one that I would absolutely borrow if I were ever asked the same question:

Hell no! No way. I hate my work and I’m totally bummed all the time. I’m chasing something that is never going to exist—I want that feeling where I can look at my work and say, “Finally!” With every project I do, I feel like I’m getting close to that—I can taste it on my lips and then it’s gone. I don’t think I’ll ever be completely stoked, but that’s okay because I also think that’s the death of an artist.

I feel the exact same way at this moment.

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I was unware of who Diane Arbus was until having recently read Eric Kim's article on 11 lessons he learned about street photography from her work. There's a segment where he talks about the act of photographing strangers and how our camera is essentially a permit for us to do this and his perspective on it is one I've never really considered. He says:

In street photography, we are often timid to approach random strangers and ask to take photographs of them. After all, it may seem weird for us to simply approach someone we don’t know.

However consider how much weirder it would be to approach a stranger without having a camera and having a reason to talk to them. Having the camera is a license to enter the lives of others.

This mentality totally grabs everything I generally like to do on the streets and makes it seem normal. Nice!

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Delivering the Goods

There might have been a cultural and lifestyle difference between them and I but certainly no language difficulties that hampered me from interacting with these group of guys who's critical job over the weekend was to keep up with the rate at which pumpkins were being picked and purchased.

Perhaps not always but the reality of the matter is that wherever there tends to be difficult labor involved, you're likely to see at least a few Hispanics carrying out the job which I'm aware may come across as a stereotype but this statement has the advantage of being true.

A lot times these people are not even at all seeking attention. They often blend in with their environment so it's always interesting to catch their reaction when I seemed to have overlooked the attractive scenery around me and focus more the least expected individuals to be asked for a portrait. I couldn't interrupt their line of work so in between the high breeze and the panting as a result of the tossing of a pumpkin from one person to the other I spoke with them in Spanish about where they were from, if they lived around the area and how long they had been in the United States.

Two of them were from Nicaragua, one from Guatemala and the other from my parent's homeland El Salvador. I truly believe there's no such thing as strangers just people who you haven't had the opportunity to meet yet.

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Rural in New York

When you think of New York, a rural setting is not an image that instantly comes to mind but a drive out east to Long Island around North Fork or Mattituck brings about the type of eye-opener that's equivalent to realizing that not all areas of Brooklyn are unfriendly as most people make it out to me.

As reluctant as I may have been to experience anything other than the bustling crowd I've been accustom to in the city, I have to admit that the rural life and the outskirts of New York is a beautiful thing. Where we headed this weekend, there happen to be a warm sun basking on the number of wineries as well as on the local food stand offering seasonal produce near the road and the cool breeze rustling through the trees was a reminder that it was fresh air striking our face and not any type of pollution that we could potentially complain about.

I'm no stranger to rural life. Along with my brother, we lived in El Salvador for 5 years when we were younger and what was anticipated to be a culture shock at first eventually ended up being conventional to the point where this day I am personally grateful to my parents for allowing us to experience what their very own childhood was like and to appreciate it.

Cornfields are not necessarily a routine sight in Brooklyn but when I encounter them, so many wonderful memories about having assisted my grandfather harvest them in El Salvador surges that I feel the experience has made me extremely compassionate person towards people who perform jobs that we're not use to seeing on a daily basis such as farming. It's hard work.

These cornfields were a beautiful backdrop to a maze and to the large pumpkin patch field where the entire family took part on an adventure which we hope to continue every year especially for my son as he grows older.

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Photo apps won't magically give Jane the smartphone photographer a better sense of composition, or lighting, or framing. The apps and filters only change a photo's look and aesthetic feel. That doesn't make it a better photo. If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.

Richard Koci Hernandez on a very illuminating piece on the currently scope of photography, the tools we use and the very significant impact Instagram is having. I first came across Richard through a Blurb series where he was featured and he spoke about his approach to mobile photography.

If you happen to continue to think less of the photographs you take with your mobile phone, that's likely to show in your work and no amount of post can make up for the lack of respect that need to be there in the first place for your subject.

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The idea or physical act of standing in a place where very few are willing to visit now but was once inhabitable by people is beyond appealing to me. I'm aware of the existence of a couple abandoned places around New York but I've never necessarily ventured out on my own to explore them. Because of this and for as long as I've known this site, one can say that I've lived vicariously through Abandoned NYC.

While viewing a few photo essays composed by Will Ellis, one is immediately prompted with the question on how he's managed to gain access to all of them. For this he's written a disclaimer where in order "to protect his liability, he's unable to give out information about how he entered, so he ask for the public to please refrain from contacting him with these questions."

Either way, I'm fascinated by all of the work and I wouldn't mind driving by a few of them to see if there happens to be a broken down fence to jump over. If you're up for visiting at least one of these places and you live somewhere in Brooklyn or Queens, feel free to shoot me an email.

Among the places that have intrigued me the most are: Red Hook Warehouse, Gowanus Batcave and Yonkers Powerstation.

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Emily with Style

One of the most intoxicating reasons behind my likeness for the glorious warm months of Summer we get in New York is the ability to stroll the streets for as long as your feet and schedule allows you to without placing much worry on anything else. I don't utilized a pedometer to track my steps nor do I keep a log of the amount of hours I spend exploring locations but this Summer the total of both without question outshines any season.

We've sauntered into Fall already and who knows what Winter is going to be like but one thing I assume is that people on the streets might be less likely to be as patient towards a stranger requesting for a portrait. On top of that, who knows how long I could possibly walk under frigid temperatures with a camera in hand seeking for the photographic opportunity. I can't say I'll shift from the typical content I shoot in view of outside conditions because that's like asking smokers to quit since it's too cold to be standing outside to enjoy something that offers temporary relief. I'll stick to what I enjoy even if it means exploring it elsewhere.

Different seasons offer different opportunities and so I'm curious as well as enthusiastic about how I can continue challenging myself to explore people and places in the coming months. This is a portrait of Emily; a Bushwick resident who I had no pre-planned pitch for stopping her other than to be candid and acknowledge that I admired her style. The rest is history.

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Troy Bradford, Brooklyn Navy Yard

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a historical gem known for its shipbuilding and this weekend a dozen of artist opened their studios with the intent for the public to catch a rare glimpse of their work setting as well as their artistic creation. First off, I was completely unaware that this 250-acre industrial park housed over 240 tenants who are either artist, manufactures or even movie producers.

It absolutely looks like an amazing place to work especially if you esteem for having a completely isolated working environment one day among dilapidated buildings with incredible rooftop access to some amazing views of Manhattan while enjoying the industrial wonderland that drapes the area itself.

I walked away having met some very talented artist with Pamela Talese being among one of them but I also came across fellow photographers who were as spellbound for the opportunity to tour freely in a place that was described by tenants to be extremely close guarded as far as anyone being allowed to enter unless they have a place of business at the Navy Yard or are visiting to perform business. With that in mind, I took my time to take in as much as I could with the setting as well as a few people.

I noticed a group of photographers all shooting with distinct Polaroid cameras which I later found out they were part of a photo walk being led by 2 members of the Impossible Project. Troy was among one of the photographers and after a brief chat about his gear and his work, he was kind enough to oblige when I asked him for a portrait.

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Among one of the handful of shortcomings that Tumblr has always had is that the Archives have never been quite attractive to dig through. With the exception of photo post, text post can sometimes very easily get lost.

I was digging through mine the other day and I realized that in addition to sharing photographs, I've equally dedicated a good portion of my time to publishing entries related to photography and with the intent to resurface some of my favorite ones, I've gone ahead and created a section on the site entitled Notables where you could peruse the titles of the aforementioned articles.

Some stuff I had honestly forgotten that it was published.

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Oblivious to Presence

I'm mindful that the word gets tossed around a lot but I too like to think I'm somewhat of minimalist by nature. The less I have of anything, the less it becomes a distraction or a worry that I need to care for. Take my hair for example. I believe I shaved it off almost 4 years ago and not having to worry about its disheveled appearance when I wake up or when it's dried up after having frolicked in pool is amazing. The same applies to photography gear.

Since upgrading to the 5DMII, 95% of my photographs have been taken with the 50mm 1.4. The focal range has offered many compositional possibilities, it has high optical qualities and quite honestly, it's the only lens I could invest on at the time after having splurged on an already high-ticketed price camera which I don't regret buying because it's constant use makes up for everything.

I'll refrain from going on a rant about how coming across people on the streets draws me, primarily if the setting or an action underlines a little about them in some way. With a lens like the nifty-fifty, you almost have no choice but to get in close and it's become a take-it-or-leave-it-deal that I've learned to cope with willingly.

I use to be extremely comfortable about taking photographs of people without them knowing and by having switched to the process of asking, it's lowered my confidence on the former. It almost feels like stealing to me. I'm sure I'm simply over thinking the process but every now and then the opportunity arises where you really don't think about whether seizing it is right or wrong but more on how you can't walk away not having taken it. Case it point with this gentleman enjoying a cigarette on a boisterous evening near a bus stop in Jackson Heights.

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Instagram Favorites for September 2012

Selecting and assembling a compendium of my favorite Instagram photographs at the end of every month is by far the most unchallenged part of the process. The difficulty is having to come up with something fresh to write being as how it seems that every week a new article is published about how terrible the service is for the field of photography. I pay attention to those people as much as I do to what Kim Kardashian is up to on Twitter and hopefully you caught the sarcasm.

Yes I do think Instagram is a photography platform and not necessarily limited to just hobbyist or professionals similar to the way blogging is not just for people who aspire to become published authors. Envision your photographs or your writing as raw ingredients for prepping a warm meal. How you cook them will highlight your composition and communication skills. Some may have more than others but I think that’s simply attributed to the seriousness some people may have towards wanting to get better.

I’ve gotten into silly discussions with 1 or 2 people online about what photos are socially “acceptable” to share on Instagram which in hindsight, it was pretty foolish on my part. What you share and what you shoot is 100% up to you but my stance on the matter which I think I’ve talked about before is that I only upload photos which where taken exclusively with the iPhone and nothing else.

On a brighter note, I’m never against meeting new people and my curiosity to continue to explore new places around New York will not dwindle regardless of the change of seasons so if you have a place in mind that you would like to go Instagram with fellow photographer, please feel free to shoot me an email and we’ll set something up. This is pretty much how I met Joel Zimmer.

You can find me on Instagram with my usual handle of jorgeq.

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On The Verge

I'm well aware this may come across a borderline pathetic but I'll confess to frequently visiting other photographer's website with the purpose to convince myself that it's ok to share photographs that don't necessarily portray the stuff you've either become known for or that you typically don't shoot. If a large number of your work consist of portraits or delicious food, does that inherently imply that you have no business sharing a beautiful photo of a sunset over the caldera that you took while vacationing in Santorini? Of course not but this is how I feel sometimes.

Photographs that seem utterly different to what I'm use to sharing generally end up being uploaded to Facebook because I assume that's the type of content most friends and family want to see as oppose to a portrait of a complete stranger who they could care less about. At times it feels as if I'm shooting for two different audiences and I'm confused as to whether this is a good or a bad thing.

While I'm photographing, I'm not necessarily thinking about any of these things. I shoot what draws my attention irrespective of whether it'll ever be uploaded anywhere or not. I still don't think I've taken enough portraits to considered myself as being known for this particular genre but I do spend a significant amount of time seeking people and moments rather than landscape and architecture.

Regardless of the amount of street portraits I may take and the stories I may write to accompany them, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm giving myself permission to not feel limited to just people. In its most natural state, are portraits what I love taking the most? Absolutely but then again any well-known photographer has sneaked in a shot of a flower or sunset here and there without the guilt of feeling as if they've lost a little of themselves simply because they've expressed interest on another subject matter.

I obviously have no control over what you choose to shoot or share but surprise yourself and your audience with a photograph which they wouldn't necessarily expect you have taken and see how that goes. On that note, I leave you with yet another photograph taken during our long weekend in Charlestown, Rhode Island. As you would expect, it was early, it was cold but it was worth it.