The Great Street Photographer: John Free

John Free is one of the great street photographers of our generation, and this summer I had the opportunity to reach out to him and request a lesson on my show. I asked if he would be willing to share his expertise with others, and he agreed. So, I packed my camera and headed out to California to further my own education and learn from a great living master.

What Can You Get Photography Today?

When it comes to photography today, there's so much to think about. What can you get photography today? What can you give to yourself today? Going through that Golden Door is a powerful concept that Morrison emphasized. Standing on the threshold, waiting by the door, you're on a tremendous high level because you've got it in your heart. Now, what are you trying to do? No one knows what the product is – it's not just an 8x10 print, nor is it just something in a gallery or a book. The product is a photograph that's powerful enough to emotionally affect or move the viewer in some way.

Let's Go for a Walk

To understand this concept better, let's go for a walk and look at all the things around us. Look at every single person within range – it only takes a couple of seconds to scan the scene. Take notice of the people walking down the street, the children playing in the park, or the elderly couple strolling hand-in-hand. Each person has a story to tell, and each moment is a photograph waiting to be captured.

The Brain Doesn't Want You to Be a Photographer

But, as John Free emphasized, our brains don't want us to be photographers. The brain wants us to be a schmuck walking down the street, unaware of the world around us. It doesn't know anything about photography and doesn't want us to get close to people or take pictures. We've been saturated with false beliefs throughout our lives – "don't point," "don't touch," "don't steal those photographs." But, as photographers, we need to break free from these limitations and connect with the world around us.

Be a Detective

Robert Frank once said, "Be a detective." This phrase is so powerful because it reminds us that our job as photographers is not just to point the camera at something but to understand the story behind it. We need to be detectives, searching for the truth and capturing the essence of what we see. When I met Robert Frank in person, he was an old man who had been misunderstood by many. But, when he looked into my eyes, he said, "Thank you for being there." That moment was a reminder that our photography is not just about taking pictures but about connecting with others.

Teaching Photography at UCLA

I teach photography at UCLA, and one of the most rewarding experiences I've had is seeing students connect with their cameras. I bring them books, go to Kinko's, and get blank books for them to fill up with their own stories. I ask them to do a day in their life – what they eat for breakfast, how they spend their afternoon, or who they spend time with at night. As they shoot these moments, they begin to see the world in a different light. They realize that photography is not just about pointing the camera but about capturing the essence of human connection.

The Best Area of Photography

John Free emphasized that the best area of photography is not about the style or technique but about the intention behind it. He wants his photographs to present the subject, not himself. When I asked him what the best area of photography was, he said, "It's all about the subject." He believes that the photographer should be invisible, allowing the viewer to connect with the subject without distraction.

Conclusion

John Free's philosophy on photography is a powerful reminder that our craft is not just about taking pictures but about capturing the essence of human connection. By being detectives, searching for the truth and understanding the story behind each moment, we can create photographs that move people emotionally. As I continue to learn from John Free and explore the world of street photography, I'm reminded that the best area of photography is indeed the subject – the person, place, or thing that inspires us to capture its essence.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enJohn Free is one of the greatstreet photographers of our generationthis summer I decided to reach out to Johnand request a lesson I asked if hewould be willing to share this lessonon my show to which he agreedso I packed my camera andheaded out to Californiato further my own education and learnsomething from a great living masterthis is my lesson with John FreeWhat can you get photography today Ted?What can you give to yourself today?go through that Golden DoorMorrison standing on the thresholdwaiting by the dooryou go through that door andyou're on a tremendous high level because you got itin your heart now what you're trying to dono one knows what the product isoh it's an 8x10 print no it's notoh it's in a gallery noit's in a book no no nothe product is a photograph powerful enoughto emotionally affect or move the viewer insome way for having seenall day long you're sweatingworking for that purposethat's what it is let's go for a walklook at all the thingslook at all the things you've gotpeople come from way over therethe tracks people going that wayWhat's coming? Look at every single personthat you see within rangeit only takes a couple of seconds to scanthis guy's going to be coming up the stairs andyou could run over hereand shoot this wayyou can shoot down this wayand what makes it real realistic maybe is toshoot right through this railingbecause no one in their right mind would do thatso if you do it it adds authenticityhe's got the thing on his shoulder of coursethere's people in the way nowbut if I could just get himoh now we've got two of a kindI think I'll go up to a verticalno I'll try it horizontalI got two of a kindI get the horizontal and I'm ready tosay something if they get mad at meand now I'm out of filmbut you got to keep him aloneI wasted about two shotsI got all sand and just then boomall sandnow I'm gonna get all sandthere I did it again and I waitedfor the girl's arms to go outthat's how quick it iswhat's the storywhy would you want a kid with the drinkall alone on a beachwould be better if it was taken from up therebut what does it say what does it meanit'll confuse everybodythey'll look at it and its a mysterywell why what am I supposed to thinkthe kid with the drink and the big expanse ofsand what is that I'm confusedyou don't want to do thatI mean I don't want to do thatI don't want to be misunderstoodso you try hardto imagine what the viewers gonna seewhen they look at this particular shotand that guides mebut are they thinking of that when they take the pictureI think it's important andwhat are you doing the picture foroh yeah you got a good point therewe're going to do it in conjunctionwith the article I'm writingokay well now it that you thought about thatthat might change the next picture you takeand I'm not saying what to do butat least think about what your intent isand what the purpose of the photograph iswhat do you want to do with itand that might help you narrow downto where you want to go with thatI took my first outdoor picture onChristmas Day 19691969 my wife and Iare backpacking through Europecolder than hellwalking down thishitchhiking and no one's coming aroundand the snow is coming down so beautiful inthis forest the tallest mountainsit was gorgeous you could hear each of thesehuge flakes hit leavesthere was nothing aroundI look up on the hill and there'sa Walt Disney looking ruins of a castleI say hey maybe we better get a bettercamera than this Instamaticwe went into Frankfort that night and bought aused Topcon 100 35mm53mm lensand it changed my lifeI stayed in Ireland for three months andmade some of the greatest photographs of my lifeI don't know where the hell it came fromwhat is the idea behind itwhat are you doing with the picturewhat are you doing it forare you taking simple stupid shotsthat any child would makedon't you realize the powerthat you've got in your handmake it difficulteasy ain't worth nothingin my game that's what I'mgoing to explain to youis based on the work ofBresson, Frank and Smithmy big threethey blew me out of the waterI agree with just about everything they saidI try to combine all those thingsthat I want that they gaveand that they wrote about andthey showed us I put that in the computerthen I have totrain my brainthe brain doesn't want you to be a photographerthe brain wants you to bea schmuck walking down the streetit doesn't know anything about photographyhe doesn't want to get close to peoplehe's been saturated with falsebeliefs his whole lifedon't point don't touchdon't get close don't steal thosephotographs you fool he's got no rightyou got all this sufferingbe a detectiveRobert Frank said be a detectiveit's the greatest thing in the worldsince he hugged meI saw him in a galleryI went to look at his work to see how good hisprints were and there he wasno one knew him he was an old manI ran out and hid in thebushes felt like a foolhe comes out with his wife and I go upsorry RobertI got to take your picture bamI said Robert thank you for being thereI said thank you for being thereI teach photography at UCLAand you're in my pocket in every classhe came over and gave me a hugnever said a wordyeah 1996 right here in LAhe's the manforget about the styleBresson's style was excellenceexcellence in craftexcellence in executionexcellence in showing the shotexcellence in thinking about the shotthat he wanted to give it to youthat's a style I wantbut I don't want anybody tolook at my photographs and sayoh that's a John Free because I can tellhow he tilted itno no no I don't want thatthe photographer is not supposed tobe visible look at Robert Frank the Americanshe's talking to the woman in the carhe's about that far away from herbut it doesn't look like there was aphotographer present the womandoesn't even seem to notice him that's what itis to me the subject is importantnot me I want to present it to youthat's all that's all it isyou start at five years oldI've taught 5 year olds photographycompletely changed everythingI brought them books I went to Kinko's and gotblank books and brought them I sayokay here's what you're going to dohere's these disposable camerasdo a day in your lifeI want to see every aspect of your lifeand they'd go home and they'd shoot motherwashing dishes and now mother isnot a stick figure anymorethat they drew on a piece of paperand with the curly hairmother is a wonderful photographsmiling down at her sonand I got pictures of me and my sonteaching this 18 years agoand the kids pasted them in the bookand that's when they paste the pictures in the bookthey have to write about the picturenow that causes two thingswonderful educational possibilities herenot only do theyapproach the program visuallybut they approach it writing about it describingtheir day they have tobut they have the picturemom was washing dishesand she looked down at meand it was fun boomnow you've done two wonderful things for that childyou've connected writing to taking picturesand loving his mother andputting it together and presenting it tosomeone else in a bookall at the age of five years olda magical life and this camera strap pulls meto wonderful places and it will pull youif you have the gladness in your heartand that smileand do it with that rightintent sit on that rockso what did John say andwhat's the best area of photographyI can go intake it from there\n"