photography – Page 3 – Richard Schulz

A round up of the week.

It’s Saturday night, round about eight o’clock.

It’s been a rough week. As most weeks are for me. Long hours at work tend to take their toll on all of us.

Working long hours ~~tends to~~ drains me. I’d like to get down after work and sit down, strap in and start to write at least for an hour but I can’t be bothered. Just too tired. This is why Saturdays & Sundays are my most creative times. No work. I have a rule which I enforce once I get on my bicycle and start my trip home: no shop talk at home. This is a separation for me. My line in the sand.

Perhaps I should stop writing about it as well 0_O.

I have been working on a topic for a future newsletter. A culture of sharing. I remember when the first mobile phones arrived in South Africa back in the 90’s. The size of a brick. With the battery life of a brick. And how amazed we were by sending SMS’s. We don’t do those anymore. We use WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal or whatever your poison is.

We don’t share photos like we used to. It was always in an envelope, sitting around a table or in group, taller people looking over your shoulders as you sorted through the images. Now we just click “share” and it’s away. It feels like the connection is lost.

What I’ve been reading

I’m not a film photographer for a variety of reasons. Prime one being cost. So while film and the development are still out of reach I enjoy reading about the subject as much as I can. If you’re interested have a look at this post plus some great photos by Suzi.

My Journey with 35mm Film by Suzi

A New England Road Trip – NYC

Read on Substack

What I’ve been photographing

As I think more about my project about an apartment complex I take more photos – this one taken today and a lot earlier than the others I previously shared.

I got the idea to try and capture cars driving by with the long exposure and today I captured 3/3. I like the reflections in the windows of the apartments on the left. This block is different, probably because of the angle at which they are built.

Tomorrow I’m planning to get up at 5 and take a few photos in the early morning to see what these buildings look like when most people are still sleeping.

I cleaned my sensor the previous time but I still notice a mark appearing in the upper left corner. Will have to take another look at this today or tomorrow.

A set of apartments in a complex. — The sun sets in the west.

In closing

My next newsletter is going to be out on the 1st of June. In the edition I will be posting an interview with @okayphoto. Dan writes his newsletter on Substack and if you’re looking for interesting reads about film photography have a look at his newsletter. There is box on the right hand side just below the search bar if you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter. Currently every second Sunday but this might change in the future.

If you’re interested in supporting my work please have a look at my Paystack page. Here you can leave a tip, make a donation or consider a subscription based option.

Thanks for reading : )

Barbershop, 18-55mm and auto-focus problems.

The title is perhaps clickbait but it complements my thought process.

I had a haircut this morning and as I sat down one word came to mind: professional. Two young men from I think Algeria running a small barbershop at the local mall.

The barber recognized me from my previous job and we started discussion food, businesses and he told me about his brother who operates the local branch of a franchise selling vetkoek.

The idea of being professional in your job, whether you work for yourself or someone else is an important concept. A lot of people I worked with during the years tended to stop caring about this aspect because they didn’t like the job. My thinking was always you never know who is watching.

When you are professional at work it tends to [hopefully] trickle into other areas of your life. You manage your situation at work and so to your photography business. You manage your website or newsletter professionally and feel inspired to apply this approach to other pursuits.

Being professional has a knock on effect which we don’t always see or understand.

An image of four windows in an apartment complex. Image is taken at night and the light is visible from the outside. — Shapes.

The past few nights I used a 18-55mm lens to capture images for my Apartments project. The focal length here is 55mm, f/6.3 and a shutter speed of 25 seconds. It has been cropped to a 1:1 ratio.

I like this image because of the primary colors and the shapes. The big square formed by the smaller squares draws my eye to these specific windows in the complex. In the top left hand corner is another sliver of light. It’s the bathroom window of the apartment at the very top on the left.

I don’t like this image because of the angle of the roof. Nothing can be done about it but with a tighter crop I could remove it but it adds some type of perspective on the building. Without it I think the windows might just ‘float’ in the darkness. Similarly the window to the left is a bit distracting. A better crop could probably also solve this issue.

Auto-focus problems.

I was out early this morning with my Kodak camera. It struggles with auto-focus when there aren’t enough light. These ‘mistakes’ do however make for some interesting photos.

Blurry image of a few lights. — Specular.

Perhaps these aren’t as much problems as they are me just not waiting for the auto-focus to find its spot. I could play around with it in future, see it as an increase in shutter speed?

This finishes of my post for today. Wishing you a great Sunday and a blessed week ahead. The latest edition of my newsletter is out today and I talk about a fog filled morning in April. If you’re not a subscriber you can find my Substack here.

Thanks for reading : )

Almost weekend.

‘Weekend’ has no meaning for me.

This is probably the only thing I miss from my time at school – having two days in a row off.

Windows from an apartment block. — Photo from my project around apartments.

I’ve spent a few evenings this week taking some photos for my Apartment project. This is one of my favorites. I like the left side of the photo. The open window with a blueish tint and the orange & red windows next to it. Asking questions like what is happening here tonight. Or winding down for the evening.

I was fortunate to capture these images as the government is sponsoring power outages in the form of load shedding. If you aren’t familiar with this and you’d like to see the reaction of South Africans to this check out their X profile.

This is a photo I took back in 2022.

I’ve been spending a lot of time looking through my photos I took a few years ago. Mostly for sentimental reasons but also to see what I did back then when I got started with photography.

I took some photos during the COVID pandemic and I’m busy with something around those images. I’d like to see other photographers work around this – not the popular ‘togs but the snapped-this-on-my-phone type stuff. How the everyday Joe & Jane experienced it. If you’ve got something in this line I’d like to see it, feel free to share a link here or on Substack.

Thanks for reading : )

Slow and steady.

It’s been a while since I went to a gym.

Somewhere in April 2024 I went for the final time [ based on my gym contract ]. A two year path had come to an end. I started lifting weights and training at 16. Nothing too serious but I was in fairly good shape.

Going to the gym was another one of those “out of the comfort zone” things for me. Introverted person going into a space where extroversion is the name of the game. The guy with the biggest muscles standing in his tank flexing. The three guys I see each morning working out together – motivating one another to get that final rep in.

Long story short I started lifting weights again yesterday. Just bicep curls and single arm rows.

But my story isn’t about gym or exercises. Nope. It’s about starting.

Starting [ your thing ] is a difficult thing. Uncertainty. Will I succeed? What will my friends, family think? I will look like a complete beginner. People will laugh at me. All these are thoughts which go through the minds of tons of people starting out. I know because they went [ and still do ] through my mind when I went to the gym three years ago.

They went through my mind on the first morning I went out with my camera to start taking photos of the streets. They taunted me as I started my Substack. And when I bought my domain earlier this year and launched my website.

Birds sitting on a telephone line. — Birds of a feather.

Looking back.

The best thing about starting is the part where you look back.

Hundreds of hours in the gym. Thousands of reps. More than 100 newsletters published. 38 posts. Thousands of photos taken. It is quite possible that you won’t believe how far you have come. We don’t really consider the journey, although we should. We tend to think about goals and achievements as a two part race.

A woman busy on her phone. A man is walking past her and looking into a shop. — Morning traffic.

The beginning and the end.

The part in between is just a important. It is where you reflect and look back. Where you take stock and look forward. These things, exercise, photography, writing they don’t really end. It’s a continuous thing. You summit one mountain and then see another in the distance.

Rinse and repeat.

Take a look at your own journey. No matter what you’re doing be glad you started. Keep putting in the reps. Day by day, line by line.

It will pay off.

Thanks for reading : ) If you felt inspired, motivated or enjoyed what you read consider supporting my work. I have a Paystack payment page in the side bar on the right. Alternatively please share my work or follow me on Substack.

Apartment photo & week ahead.

It is cold outside tonight.

57F according to Accuweather. A low of 39F tomorrow morning. It has been a busy week. Not much time for morning photography or writing. I did however manage to write the next edition for my newsletter which will be out next Sunday.

An apartment block with lights on in the windows. In the front a long exposure light trail. — Lights and trails.

I took a few more photos this evening for my Apartment series. I’m starting to think about this project more often. I ask more questions around the subject. What. Who. Why. I feel this is as important as the images I take.

Tomorrow is Sunday (yay). Another opportunity to unwind from a work week. Another opportunity for writing and photography. My writing has taken a bit of a back seat lately. Mostly due to long hours at work. Getting home I usually find myself drained and I tend to eat, burn an hour on YouTube and then head to bed.

For the coming week I’m going to substitute my YouTube fix with writing. A pen, some paper and just scribble down ideas and thoughts. On the upside this is post no. 38 on my website which I’m impressed with. These small daily (kind-off) posts helps to keep building momentum and often spins into ideas for newsletter and more posts.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a splendid weekend : )

If you enjoy reading my work please consider supporting me via my Paystack page. I also offer some of my photos for sale.

Herbs, houses and photos.

My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.

Another glorious autumn Sunday. May the 4^th – Happy birthday brother : )

I went to town this morning on a few errands. Again reminded by the massive benefits of walking. Stoics often talk about walking and it’s power. I’m not talking about walking away just about taking a walk. Instead of driving or cycling, just go on the shoelace express.

A street lined with trees. On the right side of the image a palisade fence. — Make like a tree.

A 45 minute walk does wonders for the mind and I often miss walking to & from work. It was the time when I ‘solved’ problems in my mind. Time away from people trying to get your attention. Time away from troubles. Where you just walk and focus on the environment around you. Deep breaths. Smell the pine trees. Smell the freshly mowed lawns. Hear leaves crunching under your feet. Feel the cold wind against your face.

Herbs.

Today I picked more herbs from the small garden I keep. I have some flat leave parsley, rosemary and two thyme bushes.

I enjoy the value I get from plants. The peace and (mostly) quiet a garden gives. The same as walking it gives you a bit of time away from things troubling you. And the added benefit of being able to use what you grow. South Africa has a good climate for growing with plenty of sunshine during the summer months.

A building behind a palisade fence. A door is visible behind the fence in the center of the image. — Brickwork.

In the past we’ve grown chili, tomatoes, spinach, potatoes and pumpkins. I tend to focus on the simple stuff. And this season I’m putting more focus on herbs.

The rosemary plant was grown from a cutting. It took about a month of TLC but eventually started sprouting roots and in spring time I’m planning to make a few more cuttings so I can have at least three rosemary bushes. All the herbs in the garden we use in our food. It makes a big difference in whatever we cook plus the idea of “I grew this” is pretty cool.

Houses.

I wanted to study architecture when I was growing up.

A view of a building through a palisade fence. — Fenced in.

The love and interest in buildings never waned and a few years ago I stumbled up a great channel on YouTube. I won’t like to the channel because it’s simple enough to find but I will share the website here were you can find beautiful architecture. The photographs are really good and show you the level of detail in many of these buildings.

https://openspaceseries.com/blog/open-space-the-steve-mcqueen-residence-hugh-m-kaptur-1964

In closing.

For the rest of the Sunday I tend to take it easy. With a new work week ahead I want to go in as focused & relaxed as possible. The public holiday are finished for the time being so long weekends and short work days are something of the past. If you’re interested in purchasing some of my photos you can find my storefront here.

A telephone poles with lines diverging into different directions. A few birds in the background. — Segments.

Thanks for reading : )

Support the small businesses.

It’s Thursday 1 May.

I’m sitting outside a small takeaway business in the town where I live. Because of the public holiday I only worked half-day which meant I had some time to spare.

Earlier in the week we decided to have smash burgers & chips for lunch. Double smash burgers. I have worked in the hospitality industry before and I can tell you stories about what happens in a kitchen.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Delicious burgers and a nice portion of chips (fries).

A sign outside a small restaurant with all the products writing on it. — A local takeaway shop.

I try to support the smaller businesses in the area. The ones which were started years ago and are now being run by sons or daughters. The ones which compete with the big corporation who earn billions a year. Who doesn’t care if they send you a bad product because they can just refund you. Or who doesn’t care if you have a bad experience with their staff because you’re just a number. You won’t be missed if you leave.

The small business tends to have an overload of customer service.

Because the small business doesn’t move the same volume they need to rely on other methods to retain customers. Yeah, good product is definitely a must but good product minus people with manners aren’t going to do you any good.

I’ve always done this when possible. Big business doesn’t need more money. They have enough and they way they treat customers shows it.

End rant.

In part inspired by Mr Werkheiser. And the other part by big business being a bunch of tools.

Thanks for reading : )

Take something from everything

One of the reasons why I enjoy autumn / winter so much are scenes like this.

A beautiful tree covered in a mix of yellow & green leaves. The sky at the bluest blue. Sure, summer skies are blue as well but not like this IMO. And on the ground, dead leaves waiting for be walked through. Crunching underneath your feet as you move over them. Dancing in the wind finding their final resting places.

I had my phone with me so this was the shot I took. Not high on the details but the colors are spot on. Tomorrow when I head into work I’ll take my compact camera with and see if I can get a better photo.

A tree covered in autumn leaves. — Yellow and blue.

I’m currently working on two interviews. This is something I have come to enjoy. I’m also planning to talk to a few more photographers on Google Meet.

Over the past year I’ve done about ten (or nine) interviews.

I thought about it one day and said fuck it. At least I tried. And then I got a yes. Then another. Rinse repeat.

But I also got a few no thanks. And a few people who ghosted me.

It’s cool though. Not everyone has the time. Not everyone is interested in it. Not everybody likes to talk about themselves. I’m not a popular interviewer. I get it.

But I do take something from the yes and the no.

And this transcends my newsletter and interviews. It teaches me to take something from everything. Instead of thinking why everything is against you ask yourself what can you learn from the ‘defeats’. Change things up. Try something new. And it pushes me to do thing. Even if they don’t work out.

JUST DO IT.

Even if it doesn’t work at least you won’t be wondering about the outcome and have any regrets on it.

Thanks for reading : )

Taxis.

When you hear the word “taxi” what do you think about?

Perhaps a yellow New York city Ford Crown Victoria. A black cab in London. Or maybe the Toyota Comforts zipping around in the traffic in Shibuya.When it comes to a South African taxi, the phrase “ride of your life” is something many people will say comes to mind.

The South African taxi, minibus, is a different beast. The drivers aren’t loved by other drivers. For the most part they treat road rules as suggestions. They will stop on the side of busy roads to pick up passengers, often without indicating of any sort.

But I’m not here to bash the taxi.

It’s part of the South African culture. There are jokes about it. There are more serious aspects to taxis and the taxi business. It’s become a part of South Africa like a braai or the Springboks.

A taxi on the side of the road before pulling into traffic. — Taxi.

This is the latest image uploaded to my storefront. The full size image and a full size image with a white border is available for sale online.

If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find my Paystack store front here.

As always, thanks for reading : )

My first photo for sale.

The idea of selling photos didn’t originally fit into my photography ideals.

I used photography to escape. To get outside. To step out of the comfort zone. I can say with a fair degree of certainty I have ticked all those boxes. Starting with photography coincided with a time in my life where I went through a patch of depression. Hence the escapism.

Over the last year or two I got pulled into and ground up by the gears of capitalism. And I realized having options available gives you more freedom. Gives you more options.

Gives you more time.

I’ve tried selling photos before on Etsy but it didn’t go as I hoped it would. Many things weren’t in place. Most importantly my mind and my heart. This isn’t a small endeavor. It takes time. It takes effort. In a way, if you monetize the thing you enjoy doing it becomes a job.

Enough suspense for the moment. Below is the first image I am offering for sale on my Paystack store front. You can find the image for sale h ere.

An image taken through a fence. The scene in the background is a traffic intersection with shopping mall signage to the right of the image. — Through the fence – sometimes we decide what we want to see.

I am hoping this first image gives me the impetus I need to keep moving forward with this project.

I now understand the time, the effort and the sweat which goes into getting something ready to sell. Finding people who are interested in what you sell and the continuous process of marketing yourself. Putting yourself out there and being patient.

As always, thanks for reading : )