Urban Portraits: Capturing Life Through John Enman’s Lens

As I delved deeper into photography during the early 1970s, I became acquainted with photographers who described their photography approach as part of a movement known as “street photography.” Those who engaged in this art spent their days scouting for subjects in and around urban centers; structures, individuals, flora, shadows, and so forth, anything that manifested in any manner on a public thoroughfare.

There were guidelines (or sort of guidelines) which they aimed to adhere to. Their subjects were expected to be distinctive and captivating without cropping the original, and the images were consistently monochrome. The photography magazines of that era featured numerous examples from across the globe, and one could anticipate witnessing individual exhibitions displayed in various venues at the time. It was not uncommon to enter a small café, order a meal, and subsequently spend the next fifteen or twenty minutes admiring the photographs taken on local streets.

Dedicated practitioners of this particular style of photography detested cropping, and most preferred to utilize 50mm lenses – asserting that this focal length was nearest to the human eye’s perception. I recall a friend criticizing me, claiming I was “cheating” by employing one of the new zoom lenses that allowed me to change the focal length at my discretion. He had a distaste for them and believed they couldn’t be very sharp and likely would never gain much popularity among earnest photographers anyway.

He was referring to my recent Vivitar 70-210mm zoom lens. Zoom lenses were just gaining traction in early 1997, and the Vivitar was regarded as one of the sharpest available. I lost contact with that fellow, and I ponder what he is currently using. Hmm, probably an autofocus zoom lens like the rest of us.

The previous thoughts were part of an article I penned back in September 2008. I began reflecting on all this while viewing a YouTube video titled, “A day with New York Photographer Jas Leon.” Leon is a youthful 20-something street photographer who carries an old 35mm Leica and a Rollei medium format twin lens reflex camera and had just started experimenting with black and white film.

The program captured her quickly snapping pictures of people as she strolled along a bustling NY city street. While navigating through the city, she would elaborate on her craft and respond to questions posed by the individual filming the video. I found it enjoyable to watch Leon navigate the city capturing images while on the move, and what piqued my interest was that as she discussed her photography, she resembled the 1970 “street” photographers with whom I began this article. Even though that was over 50 years ago, Jas Leon (with her cameras and inclination for black and white film) could seamlessly blend into that era.

I should mention that I stumbled upon Leon’s YouTube video while searching for anything related to contemporary photographers using Rolliflex or Mamiya TTL (Twin Lens Reflex) medium format cameras. I possess both and have been contemplating Jo and I wandering around the city with these cameras to explore how that influences our photography. This thrilling medium is progressing rapidly, yet there are always elements that remind me of how it can remain unchanged throughout the years.

Stay safe and embrace creativity. These are my reflections for this week. Reach out to me at www.enmanscamera.com or [email protected].