Inside Street Photography
The official newsletter of Street Photography Magazine
Night School
Larry Racioppo
In 1971 I had a part-time job teaching Basic Photography at a small community center in Brooklyn. I had so much to learn myself as I went over film exposure – f/stop vs. shutter speed combinations – with my students.
Class ended at 8 PM and sometimes I would take a walk in Sunset Park with my cousin Joe afterwards. One night, slightly stoned, I started fooling around with my camera. I pointed it toward the distant Manhattan skyline, and set the shutter speed at B (bulb) so the shutter would stay open as long as I pressed B down. As I swung the camera around and around, I varied how long I kept the shutter open. I was tired of taking photography so seriously. I just wanted to see what kind of light patterns I would get. When I processed my film a few days later, I enjoyed seeing the differences in the exposures – from a blurry street to purely abstract light patterns.
About the Columnist
When I returned to South Brooklyn in 1970 after two years in California as a VISTA Volunteer, I was 22 years old with no plans and a $30 camera I barely knew how to use. I took a course at the School of Visual Arts, a job with the telephone company and began to photograph my family and friends. Things worked out better than I could have expected. I’ve been making photographs for over 50 years, and have some things I’d like to share.
Check out my book, Here Down on Dark Earth, here.
Readers can respond directly to me – larryracioppo@gmail.com.
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