Gerard Exupery is a New York street photographer that has been shooting since the mid 1970’s. In that time Gerard has captured a number of compelling and dynamic images of life in New York. After publishing his first book '“Subway”, Gerard is back again with his new book “Women Hold Up Half The Sky”. In this interview we talk about the process of finding a story, selecting images, imposter syndrome, and of course the power of print. Gerard recounts how his mother reacted to him wallpapering his room with photography magazines and how physical prints offers something that digital photos can't. He sees creating a book as a way to preserve his work for future generations.
The Big Ideas:
Preserve your work with a book
Photography is personal exploration
Life experience shapes creativity
Document life through photography
Grow through past relationships
Follow your creative passion
Organize photos efficiently
Shoot now, improve later
Time Stamps
00:06:08 Preserve your work in a book.
00:06:37 Photography is a personal journey.
00:13:09 Life experience shapes art.
00:19:37 Document life through photography.
00:27:01 Grow through self-reflection.
00:37:54 Organize for success.
00:38:17 Organize, catalogue, and share.
00:46:37 Shoot more, get better.
Resources:
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Preserve your work with a book.
Preserving your work is an important part of any artist’s journey. Whether it be a painting, a photograph, or a song, the idea of having something to look back on and remember your creative process is something that should be treasured. One way to do this is to make a photo book. Photo books are a great way to document your work and share it with the world.
Gerard Exupery is a street photographer who has released two books- Subway Photos and Women Hold Up Half the Sky. In a recent podcast, he discussed the process of creating a photo book. He explained that he was inspired to make a book because he wanted to preserve his work and ensure that it would still be around after he was gone. He also mentioned that he spent a lot of time reading photo books and magazines when he was starting out, and that this had a huge influence on his work.
Creating a photo book is a process. It starts with coming up with a topic and then selecting the images. This is where the creative process comes in. You have to be able to tell a story with your images and make sure that they fit together. After that, you have to decide on the layout, design, and format of the book. This is where you really get to show your personality. Finally, you have to make sure that the book is printed correctly and that it looks exactly how you envisioned it.
Making a photo book can be a daunting task, but it is worth it in the end. Not only does it preserve your work, but it also gives you a chance to express yourself and share your work with the world. So, if you are looking for a way to document your work, consider making a photo book.
Photography is personal exploration.
Photography is a personal exploration. It is an opportunity to express yourself and to create something meaningful. It is a way to capture moments in time and to share them with others. Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, the camera is not the most important part of the process. Instead, it is the curiosity and fascination that drives you to take pictures.
When you look at a photo book, you can appreciate it for exactly what it is. You don't have to worry about the pixels of the computer monitor or the grain. Instead, you can take it in and appreciate the art that was put into it.
Dan Milner has an interesting approach to photography. He will watch people scrolling through their Instagram feeds and then ask them to describe one photo that stands out to them. He has found that most people cannot do this, as they are so used to scrolling past photos without really looking at them. This is a reminder to take the time to really appreciate the photos we take.
Making a photo book is a great way to document your journey as a photographer. It is a way to preserve your work and to share it with others. It is also a way to express yourself and to explore your creativity. So, if you are looking for a way to document your work, consider making a photo book.
Life experience shapes creativity.
When it comes to creativity, life experience is an important factor. We all have different life experiences, and these experiences shape our creative processes. For example, if you had a difficult childhood, you may have a different approach to photography than someone who had a more supportive upbringing. You may be more inclined to explore dark themes and to create images that reflect your own struggles. On the other hand, someone who had a more supportive upbringing may be more inclined to create images that reflect joy and optimism.
Life experience can also shape our creativity in other ways. If you had a supportive family, you may have been encouraged to explore your creative interests from a young age. This can give you the confidence to pursue your creative endeavors and to take risks. On the other hand, if you had a difficult childhood, you may have had to discover your creative interests on your own. This can lead to a more independent approach to creativity and to a greater sense of accomplishment when you do create something.
No matter what your life experience has been, it is important to remember that it shapes your creativity. Whether you had a difficult or a supportive upbringing, you can use your life experience to inform your creative work. It is also important to remember that creativity can come from any life experience, not just painful ones. You can use your life experience to create something interesting and artistic, no matter what it has been.
In conclusion, life experience is an important factor when it comes to creativity. We all have different life experiences, and these experiences shape our creative processes. Whether you had a difficult or a supportive upbringing, you can use your life experience to inform your creative work. No matter what your life experience has been, it is important to remember that it shapes your creativity.
Document life through photography.
Photography is a great way to document life and capture moments that would otherwise be forgotten. By taking photographs, you can preserve moments in time and document the experiences of your life. Photography is also a great way to capture the beauty of the world around you. It can be used to capture the beauty of nature, the hustle and bustle of city life, or the unique culture of a particular place. Photography can also be used to capture the emotions of a moment, such as joy or sadness.
Scott Strazzante is a great example of how to document life through photography. He has been a photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle for many years and has created several photo projects. One of his projects, Common Ground, was a collection of photographs that documented the lives of people living in San Francisco. His work captures the unique culture of the city and the emotions of the people living there.
Photographer, Joe Carini, has also documented his life through photography. He has used his photography to capture the people and places he has encountered in his life. He has taken photographs of people in tattoo parlors, abandoned homes, and even his own friends. By taking these photographs, Joe Carini has documented his life experiences in a creative and meaningful way.
Finally, photographer, David Goldsmith, has used his photography to document the lives of women around the world. His project, Women Hold Up Half the Sky, is a collection of photographs from different countries and different time periods. Through his work, David Goldsmith has documented the struggles and achievements of women throughout history.
Photography is a powerful tool for documenting life. It can be used to capture the beauty of the world around us, the emotions of a moment, and the struggles and achievements of people throughout history. Through photography, we can document our life experiences and capture moments that would otherwise be forgotten.
Grow through past relationships.
For photographer and author, David Niles, photography has become a way to look back on his life and reflect on the relationships he has had with those around him. In his book, “Holding Half the Sky,” Niles uses photography to explore his past relationships and the lessons he has learned from them.
Niles found inspiration for the book by looking through old photographs. As he looked through the photos, he was reminded of the relationships he had with the people in them. He also noticed that the photos of women were more powerful than those of men. This observation led him to explore the idea of women holding “half the sky”, a phrase from a speech given by Mao Tse-tung in the late 1950s about the importance of equality between men and women.
Niles turned to his friend and former sister-in-law for help in creating the book. She pushed him to keep working and provided creative feedback on his ideas. Without her support, Niles says he would not have been able to finish the project.
The process of creating the book helped Niles to reflect on his past relationships and to come to terms with them. He was able to see how his relationships had shaped him and to forgive himself and others for the mistakes they had made. He also learned the importance of wisdom and the power of forgiveness.
Through his book, Niles encourages readers to look back on their own relationships and to grow from them. He reminds us that our past relationships are an important part of who we are and that, with time and reflection, we can learn and grow from them.
Follow your creative passion.
Niles is a passionate artist who has dedicated his life to creating meaningful work. He has had to overcome many obstacles in order to stay true to his creative vision. He has had to deal with depression, anxiety, and difficult relationships. He has also had to face the embarrassment of bankruptcy and jail time. Despite all of these challenges, Niles has remained true to his passion and has used it to create something beautiful.
Niles reminds us that we can use our creativity to transform our lives. He encourages us to look back on our past experiences, to learn from them, and to use them as fuel for our creative fire. He reminds us that even when we feel vulnerable and exposed, we can still use our creative passion to create something meaningful.
Niles also emphasizes the importance of staying organized and focused when creating a project. He has to go through hundreds of photos in order to create a book, and he has to be organized in order to make sure that the project is successful. He reminds us that we must stay organized and focused if we want to achieve our creative goals.
Niles encourages us to follow our creative passion and to use our creativity to make something meaningful. He reminds us that our relationships, our experiences, and our creativity can all be used to create something beautiful. He also reminds us that we must stay organized and focused if we want to achieve our creative goals. By following Niles' advice, we can use our creative passion to make something that we can be proud of.
Organize photos efficiently.
Organizing photos efficiently is a great way to make something meaningful and beautiful. It is also a great way to make sure that your creative goals are achieved. By organizing your photos, you can easily access and share them with others. It also helps to keep your photos organized and organized in a way that makes them easy to find.
Organizing photos efficiently can be done in a few different ways. One way is to use a digital photo editing software such as Lightroom. This software allows you to easily organize and catalog your photos. You can also edit and enhance your photos to make them look even better. You can also use Lightroom to share your photos with others.
Another way to organize photos efficiently is to use a photo storage system. This system allows you to store your photos in an organized way. You can also store your photos in a cloud-based system so that you can access them from any device. This allows you to easily share your photos with others.
Organizing photos efficiently also involves taking the time to review your photos. This can help you to make sure that your photos are of the highest quality. You can also make sure that your photos are properly labeled and categorized so that you can easily find them when you need them.
Organizing photos efficiently also involves creating a book of your photos. This can be done through companies such as Blurb or Kickstarter. This allows you to create a book that you can be proud of. You can also use the book to share your photos with others.
Organizing photos efficiently is a great way to make something meaningful and beautiful. It is also a great way to make sure that your creative goals are achieved. By taking the time to organize your photos, you can easily access and share them with others. You can also make sure that your photos are of the highest quality and properly labeled and categorized. Finally, you can create a book of your photos that you can be proud of and share with others.
Shoot now, improve later.
However, it is also important to remember that the best way to improve your photography skills is to actually shoot photos. As the saying goes, “Shoot now, improve later.” It is important to remember that you can’t get better at something unless you actually do it. You can’t get better at photography unless you take the time to actually take photos. It is also important to remember that you don’t need to wait until you have the perfect photo before you share it. It is ok to share photos that are not perfect. The more you shoot, the more you will learn and the better your photos will become.
This is something that photographer Gerard Exupere knows all too well. In a recent podcast, he discussed how his cat, Max, has been a great example of how to take the plunge and just do it. Just like the ants, who don’t stop to wallow in their self-pity when their colony gets knocked over, Exupere believes that we should get back to work and start taking photos. We should not make excuses for why we can’t get out and shoot. We should just do it and find our momentum.
Taking photos is a great way to express yourself and capture memories. It is important to remember that the best way to improve your photography skills is to actually take photos. You don’t need to wait until you have the perfect photo before you share it. The more you shoot, the better you will become. So, shoot now and improve later.