The first piece of media I ever watched about photography was Bruce Gilden's segment from the inspiring documentary Everybody Street. I was impressed not just with the uncanny results but the bravado it took to get them. When looking for clues in my pursuit of a voice, I find it initially easier to emulate a photographer's behavior rather than to experiment with their ideas. I have to do the thing first and see what meaning I can derive from it. For that reason, I think Gilden's work has a useful instructional quality since it gives a strait-forward prescription if you have the courage: find your character and stick the camera and off-camera flash as close as possible to them.

Just because it's strait-forward does not mean it's easy to do. Gilden's work stems from his energy, being permanently outside. And then there's the confrontation. Many photographers on the street are unwilling to close the distance to their subjects out of fear for that confrontation. But making it an intention to get as close as possible - especially with a flash - and surviving it, makes one appreciate how low stakes those 50mm shots from a cool 10 feet away really are. It will make you more comfortable on the street in general.

While in Chicago, I made a point to get very close and pop the flash. I don't think I truly succeeded. Not just on a technical level - I still am not close enough - but I also don't think I reached anywhere near what makes Gilden's work so elevated: freezing a subject's life and rendering them as a symbol for what you see in the world. So I am just sharing my attempts in hopes what Gilden said about himself is true about me: the older he gets, the closer he gets.