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04/19/2017 08:08:46 AM · #1
Okay, this is another one of my maudlin ramblings about how much I love DPC, how grateful I am for it, and some thoughts on perspective.

So if that whole idea makes you roll your eyes and groan, move along, nothing to see here...

One of the things we used to do here at DP Challenge was put together gatherings to shoot. They happened all over the world, and groups of DPCers would spend the day, or so, wandering around annoying the general public with their happiness, enthusiasm, and the excuse to shoot for the pure joy of photography with good friends that in some cases, you'd never even met in person. I went on quite a few of these GTGs, and enjoyed immensely the opportunity to meet people in person whom I'd shot with and exchanged views with online.

One of the GTGs that is arguably my favorite was one we had in New York City. Steve Hill, [user]pawdrix[/user], is/was a photog from NYC who had a real flair for street photography. His work, his POV, and his appreciation for his town will always remain fabulous to me. A few of his images from my Favorites port....

             


He put together an NYC GTG that as well as being an excuse for an onslaught of happy DPCers taking over the town was offered up as a street photography seminar of sorts. Steve set it up to meet us, show us around, offer tips & techniques, and hopefully, impart some of his experience and magic onto us.

For me, and I think a few others, the event was a HUGE success, and I will remain grateful for this chapter of DPC experience forever.

This image is one that I shot whilst "On tour" with Steve, and it even garnered an "Attaboy" from the master himself.



This GTG inspired me, and made me realize that the way the DPC community reaches out to people out of the sheer goodness of it, is an awesome thing. I will be forever fascinated and delighted by my attempts at street photography. I think I do okay some days...it's made travel much more exciting for me having the confidence to know that I'll always get something that I'll savor for a long time and a permanent remembrance of the trip.

            


So....you're thinking, "Well Jeb, this is all very well and good, but what happened that set you off?".

Glad you asked......8~)

The Monte's Trattoria shot that I got under Steve's tutelage is one of my favorite images, ever, and I even have it enlarged and printed on canvas. It hangs in our gallery, and theoretically, it's for sale, yet I've not stuck a price on it and I rather hope it stays there. I did sell a copy of the image file to someone who found it online and he had it printed for his wife as Monte's Trattoria is her favorite restaurant in NYC.

So last weekend Vivi LoVi and I went to NYC to go to the Met and see Aida. I'd not ever been to an opera, and Vivi, with her classical background wanted me to experience it. We came in a day early, wandered up and down Broadway check out the shops and restaurants, and went to the opera tha next day. It was fabulous, and the weekend was proving itself to be a total winner the whole way 'round. The next day we had 'til 3:00 to mosey about before our train home, and we weren't sure what to do.... Museum? Galleries? More shops? We wandered over to Central Park, and I said I was kind of looking for street performers or the like, and Vivi suggested Washington Square. So we hopped the subway, and found ourselves right there in Greenwich Village. So we wandered down the street.... Lo and behold, there's Monte's Trattoria!!! Viv asked me if I'd ever eaten there, and I told her that as a matter of fact, I hadn't. My sole experience was through my lens from across the street.

So we stopped....

They actually have one small table outside, about halfway dowmn the steps just outside the window from the bar. I asked if we could sit there....

This was our table:

And the view *in* through the window:

That's Angelo, our waiter, coming out of the kitchen. When we got situated, I pulled up my image from Steve's GTG up and asked Angelo if he knew tha man in the shot. It had been seven years, so who knew if he was still there. Angelo said, "Hey, that shot's famous!". Turns out that someone a couple years back had seen the image online, and called Monte's to see if they were still open. From Texas..... Someone from Monte's, or a friend, had the image enlarged and printed. It is now displayed on their upstairs dining room wall. It's the one in the middle.



Now.... One thing that has always been an issue here is image theft. I have always had a somewhat pragmatic, and lackadaisical attitude about that. I know absolutely that if you do *NOT* want an image ripped off, don't post it on the 'Net. It's that simple. Personally, I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who puit something up, especially if it's a very good image, and then get pissed off when they find someone took it and printed it, used it, or whatever. You put it out there, you have to understand that could happen. I've had a couple of mione ripped off, but honestly, I was kind of flattered at the company some of the images were on other sites where mine ended up. I've got other things to worry about in life.

So, back to Monte's......there's my image, prominently displayed, the people there delighted to have the photog there for lunch, and it is a beautiful day. They prepared us a fabulous meal, we talked of life and love and fine food. We met Pietro, owner & chef extraordinaire, and he agreed to pose for us for a "New" shot.



I'm going to see how he likes it, and make sure he gets a copy.

I'd like to end my story with one thought on "image theft". Someone on the other side of the country saw my image and called a restaurant in New York to see if they were still open. The restaurant liked the image enough to print it and display it right in the middle of the wall in their dining room.

I'm okay with my image being "stolen" and hanging on the wall in a 100 year old Greenwich Village institution....one heck of a lot more people will see it there than in my gallery.

I like being famous! LOL!!!

Just my $0.02 US......YMMV

04/19/2017 09:04:27 AM · #2
What a fabulous story! Congrats on it all... hope you enjoyed Aida.
04/19/2017 11:40:04 AM · #3
Hi Jeb, I enjoyed the story & thoughts. Thanks for posting. I am in sympathy with your reaction to finding your image on the wall at Monte's Trattoria. After all, I thought, Monte's has been there since 1918, all this time getting ready for you to come & 'take' the shot. In a way, you spent your life, travelled many miles, made sacrifices, to be ready to take that shot. Now, that shot is off on a journey of its own. I like it.

I've had some of my art (not photography) stolen & it's a strange experience. I created it & it left me almost immediately. Kind of like loosing an earring, looking mightily for it, & suspecting it was snatched by a being in a parallel universe.

Keep on clickin' Jeb. Shine on.
04/19/2017 11:55:28 AM · #4
One terrific story and images Jeb. Glad you got the right feel for NYC. And DPC for that matter.
04/19/2017 01:25:38 PM · #5
wonderful story. miss pawdrix. keep on keeping the faith.
04/19/2017 01:52:31 PM · #6
Great story with wonderful photos! Thanks for sharing. GTG are great indeed!
04/19/2017 02:57:41 PM · #7
Whatta narrative! Sometimes (even most of the time) life is wonderful :-)
04/19/2017 03:18:22 PM · #8
Awesome story and amazing image, Jeb. I also appreciate that you shared this. I've been to eight GTGs here in Seattle since 2006 and I also remember the threads leading up to, during and after many of the east coast and midwest GTGs. Activities seem to have died down over the past few years, sadly.
04/19/2017 04:07:29 PM · #9
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Awesome story and amazing image, Jeb. I also appreciate that you shared this. I've been to eight GTGs here in Seattle since 2006 and I also remember the threads leading up to, during and after many of the east coast and midwest GTGs. Activities seem to have died down over the past few years, sadly.


Well, how about proposing a Seattle gtg.....??
04/19/2017 04:18:19 PM · #10
Jeb! Great images (but no surprise, since it's you, after all) and fantastic story.

Amazing. I haven't entered anything in two years here, but Melethia challenged us through a FB post to think about entering something (and Bear_Music did the same when I met him last year), so I popped over and wandered into this thread.

Two years away, and yet I recognize every person in the thread so far. :)

That right there is DPC magic.

Message edited by author 2017-04-19 16:20:27.
04/19/2017 10:02:16 PM · #11
Originally posted by tanguera:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Awesome story and amazing image, Jeb. I also appreciate that you shared this. I've been to eight GTGs here in Seattle since 2006 and I also remember the threads leading up to, during and after many of the east coast and midwest GTGs. Activities seem to have died down over the past few years, sadly.


Well, how about proposing a Seattle gtg.....??

I was mainly referring to activity on the website, which I'm sure is the major contributor to the lack of "real-life" activity. Then again, I was gone for two years as well, so whaddoiknow.
04/19/2017 10:03:12 PM · #12
...Welcome back, Jeffrey. :)
04/19/2017 10:46:16 PM · #13
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

...Welcome back, Jeffrey. :)

Yeah, 'bout TIME he showed up, sheesh....
04/19/2017 11:10:48 PM · #14
Welcome back Jeffery. Glad your back with a great crowd.
04/20/2017 06:45:58 AM · #15
I really enjoyed reading your personal essay. It reiterates the reason why so many of us on DPC love photography and the opportunity that DPC gives us to expand our horizons. I have a slide show of my images running in each operatory in my office. My patients have told me that they love seeing them and actually look forward to their visits to see what new I have put up. It leads to many fascinating conversations, creates a personal connection with my patients, and reduces their apprehension about their visit. Putting pictures on the internet is an extension of this. Others seeing the images and enjoying them is one of the pleasures of the hobby. DPC gives us that opportunity.
04/20/2017 07:32:34 AM · #16
Thanks for sharing this Jeb! Made me smile from ear to ear. I too fondly remember the GTGs; we had several right here in my home town. I most fondly remember the LA GTGs, of which I think I attended 3 or 4, and likewise the (much smaller) Phoenix GTGs. The LA organizer, mirdonamy, was one of the pioneers in really organizing DPC GTGs. The group started meeting in 2004, perhaps earlier.
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