As part of my work to further my photography skills, take great and interesting images, and get out and meet new photographers, I participate regularly in "Meetups" from Meetups.com. It's free to join, and you can connect with all sorts of different types of groups, in a variety of topics - everything from cooking to photography to Scrabble groups. You name it, someone out there is probably running a group for it. Once you connect with groups in your interests, you can participate in lively discussions, and attend meetups. Some are free, some are a nominal charge, and some a little more for more structured type learning experiences. I have met so many interesting photographers, from all walks of life. Some less experienced than me, and some that I literally could worship for their knowledge and expertise.
These meetups aren't easy for me - my anxiety level is high at the start of every one. What if they are all professionals, talking over my head? What if they are all "weird?" I'm happy to say, every experience I've had thus far has been extremely positive. I LOVE the fact that attending these meetups forces me out of the box, both in meeting new people, and in photography location and composition. For instance, a little while ago, I went on a meetup where the photographers (there were 7-8 of us) met at the Rosemont "L" station, and rode the blue line downtown, getting off at various stations to take pictures before hopping back on the train. The day finished with a crossover to the red line, lunch in Chinatown, and then back to the blue line and home. Despite being the only woman at the meetup, I felt quite safe & secure with the "guys" and had a great time learning from all. It's really something to watch other photographers working at their craft - sometimes, I would watch someone kneeling, bending over, twisting sideways to get that perfect shot, and it forces me to "see" what they are seeing from a compositional standpoint, and really step back and pay attention.
Okay, enough of my blabbing - on to the images!
During the day, we crossed paths with a couple of "performers" at some of the underground stations. I had the most fun photographing them. I am thinking I may start hunting the subway regularly for others and start creating a personal collection, maybe call it "Subway Singers" or something like that.
As always, you can see more of my photography work on my website: www.mtsphotography.zenfolio.com
Hey Mandy! Glad to see that you're approaching different environments and subjects with your photography. It's a great way to challenge and define yourself as a photographer. And what better way to do so then by capturing what you see on the L train. I've take some photos of certain subway stops and I enjoy the geometry, the grittiness and the simple signs that create that environment. Perhaps it can be a future meetup! Keep up the good work!
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