R0000036
36th image since I started photography
I envy a five year old’s imagination. They are masters of imperfections we adults can only dream of.
Imperfections often are indications of you being behind the camera, your unbridled worldview. Street photographers Bruce Gilden and Joel Meyerowitz maintain that haphazard frame, their trademark of dynamism and movement, a more reactive photography, a feeling, like a balet dancer says Meyerowitz.
This is the 36th picture I took with my Ricoh GR II in 4 May 2016. 36th picture exactly since I started photography at a very late age.
It was a lunch break. This place was close to where I worked. I followed the sound of music and found them. The guy with the gigantic brass, picked his victim and covered her head with it, playing tiny notes directly in her ears while the rest of the troupe was playing sort of like folkloric/gypsy European troupe band tunes. Before I knew it, I was dancing and shooting pictures, I forgot I had a camera.
So many imperfections. Skew of Hungry Jacks sign. The solist on the right is cut half.
But then again, this is such a perfect shot, exactly how I want to remember it, exactly who I was. Chaotic, fast moving, lively. Full of life.
What happened to the guy who took this picture wonder.
He is dead.
In 10 years I grew to be somebody who does not have even a fraction of the courage I once had. I wish I can change that. I wish I can go back and reset my photography, unlearn it, and remain naive at the same time. I wish I can unlearn rule of thirds, unity, balance, perspective, editing, all that stuff that were supposed to make me a better photographer.
Better, according to whom?
© 2026 Ergun Çoruh
My partner has always been involved in some way with the care and education of very young children: and I agree that their capacity for play, their imagination, seems infinite.
There is no reason you can’t go back to being playful in your photography. Set your camera to automatic, or stay with a wide-angle lens set to a fixed focus (say two to three metres, or wherever it/you focuses best), and just have fun! Press no other buttons than the shutter!
I am at a stage (coming back to photography after a long break) where I need to slow down: so revisiting technical stuff has been helpful, letting me achieve what I want to achieve. But I photograph landscapes, primarily: so taking my time often improves the outcome.
It’s a tough tightrope to walk…
Great photo!!! Yes, working with what's in front of you is always the important thing. I try not to throw away images that don't meet my "straight lines" detector! This is wonderful. It reminds me that sometimes you just have to embrace it and be happy. And dance !