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Table of Contents

Interview with Hal Padgett

What’s in a Project?

Andrea Giandomenico’s Le Marche

The Sound of Dreams

Street Shooters of November 2017

Interview with Hal Padgett

Hal Padgett was a professional photographer for decades, but as life took its turns as it often does, he ended up putting his camera away for several years. But Hal made a “comeback” a few years ago by taking up street photography. And we’re glad he did. Hal shoots the streets of Jacksonville, Florida and explores small towns a little farther out – capturing street images wherever he goes. In fact, he is one of the few street photographers we’ve met who has successfully captured small town life in true street photography style.

When Bob and I asked Hal why he takes street photos, he summed up his motive like this: “[I take street photos] to explore something that is different from me.” Hal explained he’s out to explore and make a good photo and street photography is where those two things meet up. So he hits the streets with a good eye for interesting places and characters and he captures his images. How does he get such interesting and personal images? He says he just takes in the scene, sees his shot, and snaps – “Vini, Vidi, Snappy.”

To listen in to our full conversation, which takes us from taxidermy to the harsh Florida sun and everything in between, click on the audio player below:

https://spm-media.s3.amazonaws.com/hal-padgett-interview-final.mp3

A Selection of Hal’s Photos

Hal’s Gear

  • Old cameras: Nikon FM2 SLR and Mamiya RB67
  • New camera: Nikon D5200 DSLR, with Sigma 17–50mm zoom lens. My camera is not “full-frame,” so (using the 1.5x factor) the focal lengths are actually 25.5–75mm. (95% of my photos are at 25.5, the rest at 75.)

Hal’s Books

  • Jacksonville Beach: Low Tide
  • Daytona Beach: Wide Open

Hal Padgett

For reasons I’ve yet to fathom, it wasn’t until my 33rd birthday that I had the slightest desire, or inkling of how, to load 35mm film into the back of an SLR. (And I’d been enamored of photography my entire life up to that point.) I took that loaded camera out on the town (Tallahassee), produced photos that were dull by all measure, yet well-composed, and voila!—a maniac was born. But things happen: for reasons best left unexamined, my interest waned over the years. Then it died. I went eight or so years without snapping a single photo. In the spring of 2014, I began to immerse myself into the world again. One day it hit me (the former Mr. All-manual) that I really, really needed to buy a digital SLR. Today, at the ripe young age of 66, I am but three and a half years into my “comeback,” with no intention of stopping, ever again, for as long as I breathe. I’ve drawn inspiration from too many photographers to list, but at the top of that would-be list are Garry Winogrand, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, and the early-career street photography of Joel Meyerowitz. And somewhere in the back of my mind I’m always thinking about Flannery O’Connor.

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Articles
November 2017

Interview with Hal Padgett

How does Hal get such interesting and personal images? He says it's as simple as "Vini, Vidi, Snappy." Get to know this stand-out photographer.

What’s in a Project?

Find out what goes into a top-notch street photography project by exploring one Sergio Raffaele has been working on for more than three years.

Andrea Giandomenico’s Le Marche

The Sound of Dreams

Enjoy a collection of photographs that were born of a photographer's dreams and see how dreams can be interpreted in street photography.

Street Shooters of November 2017

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