Street Shots Photography Podcast

In this episode, Antonio introduces the work of Latvian photographer Inta Ruka, whose quiet, direct portraits have completely pulled him in. Her photographs may appear simple at first, but the longer Antonio and Ward sit with them, the more stories and visual relationships begin to emerge. What matters most is the connection behind the pictures: Ruka uses the camera as a passport into people’s lives, spending time with them and allowing each photograph to grow out of trust. Her Rolleiflex stays out of the way, leaving her free to maintain eye contact and treat the person as more important than the equipment.

Ward then reviews The Art of Street Photography by Sean Tucker and Joshua K. Jackson, a book concerned less with camera settings than with learning how to think and see as a photographer. Tucker explores creative dry spells, fear, ethics, motivation, and the experience of being fully present with a camera, while Jackson’s rich, layered photographs demonstrate just how open street photography can be. Together, the words and pictures offer something Antonio and Ward keep returning to: permission. Permission to stop being rigid, photograph whatever genuinely catches the eye, and recognize that becoming tired of old habits may simply mean it is time to grow.

 

The Art of Street Photography by Sean Tucker & Joshua K. Jackson

 

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Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

 

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"I take photographs in my neighborhood. I think that mysterious things happen in familiar places. We don’t always need to run to the other end of the world."
-- Saul Leiter

"There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment."
-- Robert Frank

 

In this midsummer episode, Antonio talks about returning to Seward, Nebraska, for the Fourth of July and giving himself one simple assignment: photograph people wearing the stars and stripes. By narrowing his attention, he actually becomes more present and comes home with a stronger, more connected group of pictures—a good reminder that creative limits can open things up instead of closing them down. As he prepares to teach his first six-week photography class, he also wrestles with how to give beginners enough technical knowledge without losing the bigger picture.

Ward has just finished nine evenings at the Calgary Stampede, an event he has attended for more than forty years and photographed seriously for the last decade. This time, he finds himself looking beyond the strong, formal compositions he knows how to make and toward quieter pictures that say something about who people are. That shift brings more color, more interaction, and a little more humanity into the work. It also raises questions about responsibility: having the right to take and share a photograph does not always mean keeping it online is the most decent choice. Together, Ward and Antonio come around to the value of returning to the same places year after year. Familiar events can become long-term projects, giving photographers a chance to notice what interests them now, see how they are changing, and gradually find something deeper than the pictures they made the year before.

 

Antonio's Seward July 4th Pix: https://adobe.ly/4hdxxVA

 

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Show Links:

 

Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

 

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"Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual."
-- Edward Weston

"I see no reason for recording the obvious."
-- Edward Weston

 

In this episode, Antonio and Ward talk about Fujifilm cameras, autofocus, and film simulations. Antonio shares his frustration after missing bird photographs because the autofocus refused to lock onto obvious subjects, while Ward compares his own experiences photographing action with Fujifilm gear. They discuss firmware updates, the expectations photographers have for modern autofocus systems, and how working with film simulations can encourage a slower, more intentional approach to photography.

Antonio and Ward spend the second half of the episode talking about Edward Weston’s Daybooks and the ideas that shaped his photography. They discuss Weston’s famous pepper photographs, his search for what he called “the thing itself,” and his belief that photography should reveal the true character of a subject rather than imitate painting. They talk about the relentless self-criticism found throughout his journals, the years he spent refining both his craft and his artistic philosophy, and the challenge photographers faced in convincing the art world that photography belonged alongside painting and sculpture. Along the way, they reflect on how Weston’s writing still offers practical lessons for photographers today and why his way of seeing continues to inspire nearly a century later.  

 

Links:

Edward Weston – The Flame of Recognition

Edward Weston’s Daybooks

Pepper No. 30

Fujifilm film recipe iPhone app

X Sim Lab - Fujifilm RAW processing iPad app

 

Watch the YouTube video of this podcast here.

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Show Links:

 

Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

 

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"Sometimes the simplest pictures are the hardest to get."

– Neil Leifer

“I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse.”

– Diane Arbus

In this episode, Antonio talks about getting ready for his upcoming six-week class, The Narrative Lens, at Southeast Community College. That leads to a discussion about teaching photography, helping new photographers build confidence, and why so many photographers feel pressure to chase “hero photographs” instead of paying attention to the ordinary subjects that are already around them. Antonio and Ward also discuss the value of constraints, personal projects, and finding meaningful photographs close to home.

The conversation moves to gear, including some new USB-C rechargeable batteries Antonio has been using with his Fujifilm cameras. They also talk about collecting photographic prints after Antonio finally opens a signed Gregory Crewdson print that had been sitting unopened in its box for far too long. That leads to a discussion about living with photographs, hanging prints on the wall, and the different ways photographers connect with the work of artists they admire.

The second half of the show focuses on Ward’s recent trip to the Hand Hills Lake Stampede rodeo. Returning to an event he photographed ten years ago, Ward set out to make something different from the traditional rodeo photographs he had made in the past. Instead of concentrating on the obvious action, he focused on color, movement, gesture, and smaller details within the scene. The result was a series of photographs that received a strong reaction from other photographers and online audiences. Antonio and Ward spend some time discussing one particular image and why it works. The conversation looks at shape, color, rhythm, timing, and composition, along with some of the practical challenges of photographing fast-moving events. Ward shares his approach to photographing the rodeo, while Antonio breaks down some of the visual elements that make the photograph successful.

 

The Narrative Lens — Antonio’s six-week photography course at Southeast Community College

Ward’s Rodeo Print — Featured image from this episode (link when available)

Big Boy Locomotive Photograph — Antonio’s train image discussed during the show

Edward Weston (60th Anniversary Edition) — The book Antonio has been reading and plans to discuss in a future episode

SMALLRIG Fujifilm NP-W126S USB-C Battery

SMALLRIG Fujifilm NP-W235 USB-C Battery 

 

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Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints

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Show Links:

 

Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

 

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"Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more."
-- Walker Evans
 
"I am at war with the obvious."
-- William Eggleston
 
In this episode, Antonio and Ward talk about how photography often grows out of ordinary days, familiar routines, and the small things that catch our attention when we are willing to stay open to them. The conversation moves through weather, travel, flea markets, rodeos, old cameras, and personal projects, but the larger theme is about remaining photographically awake even when there is no grand subject in front of you. Whether it is storm clouds over Nebraska, a county fair, a vintage Kodak Brownie, or a quiet experiment with color, the episode is about trusting the small sparks that keep a photographer engaged.

The discussion also turns toward presence and patience, especially through the Japanese idea of Zanshin, or “remaining mind.” Antonio and Ward connect that idea to photography as a kind of follow-through: staying with the moment after pressing the shutter, rather than rushing away from it or judging the image too quickly. Alongside references to William Eggleston, simple cameras, and ongoing personal projects, the episode becomes a reflection on attention itself: how photographers keep seeing, how they work through quiet periods, and how the ordinary can become meaningful when we give it enough time.

 

William Eggleston Fixed Digital Photography’s Biggest Flaw - The Photographic Eye

Alfie [BOXX] Camera on Kickstarter

 

Watch this podcast on YouTube.

Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter

Help out the show by buying us a coffee!

Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print.

Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints

Send us a voice message, comment or question.

 

Show Links:

 

Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

 

Subscribe to us on:

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Deezer

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