Hello , 

The title of this email is the title of a book of photographs by Helen Levitt. Look her up online if you're interested.

It's one of the books on my bookshelf by photographers who've inspired me to do the work I do.  Some other photographers who've inspired me are André Kertész, Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Friedlander, Robert Frank, and Stephen Shore.

There's more, but too many to mention. The ones I've mentioned are well-known in photography. 

However, many photographers who've inspired me are not so well known. 

These are teachers who've taught me, friends who've shared their work with me, and students who demonstrate an appreciation for photography and want to learn how to do it better. We can all improve our skills no matter where we are skillfully. 

What all these people have in common beyond their appreciation of photography is that they've all inspired me to be a better photographer and photography teacher. 

Inspiration is essential, but where we draw our inspiration is just as important as the inspiration. 

For example, all the photographers I named above have what I would call a photojournalistic approach to their work.  And even though they do a similar "type" of work, each has a unique visual expression. 

But I think it goes beyond seeing because their photographs show us their unique way of thinking about what they're seeing. 

One of my teachers always reminded me that it's one thing to make a picture of what we see; anyone can do that. However, it's another thing to make a photograph of how we think or feel about what we see. 

It's our unique minds that create amazing photographs. 

And while we need to understand how to work the camera we're using to make a picture to create a unique image, we need to rely on our mind more than the machine (camera) we use to create the picture. 

Because when we're inspired to make pictures, we need to know what we're doing with our camera and what we what to communicate visually through our unique minds.  

 An Introduction To Photography course starts on Thursday, May 25, and another on Sunday, June 4. And there are more ways to learn photography with me below. 

These emails come with the intent of helping you be a better photographer. Here's an archive of them at the "Newsletter Hub." 

Ways To Learn Photography With Sam