Meet The Photographer :: John P. Fleenor

Self-portrait, Venice, CA, 2018 © John P. Fleenor

JOHN P. FLEENOR INTERVIEW

MF: What sparked your interest in photography?

JPF: First year at Art School, one required class was Intro to Black & White Photography. Now I had a camera in my hand since I was 10 years old, but that “Spark” of photography didn’t erupt until that moment. I began shifting every class possible to photography and overloading on everything Photography related. Every roll of film those days was a brilliant experiment, a creative void filler like none I had experienced with painting and drawing, total confirmation that I was on the right track. Being a “Professional Photographer” seemed like the coolest job one could imagine, and it aligned perfectly with my, “I never want to have a job where I have to tuck- in my shirt” mentality, so I went for it.

MF: How is your personality reflected in your work?

JPF: Every now and then, someone comments/comes up to me and says something like, “I love the humor in your work”. They get it. It’s subtle, and I often juxtapose an unusual title to an image just to throw people off a little bit. Honestly, I’m never taking it all too seriously and that has to be one of the reasons I still get to do this. I mean really, lying in a puddle of “Downtown Juice” to grab a funky angle on an old sandwich wrapper in a gutter... how serious can that be?

MF: Is there any message that you want to convey through your photographs?

JPF: Sure, I’m constantly searching for humor, but I believe there is a unique story in every photograph. The trick is, to find that story in a way that people can experience themselves, even if it’s not tied in with your original vision. That might sound like total BS, but for me it rings true. If I can get you thinking about an image or even better, capture an Image that haunts your thoughts... that’s it.

Got Lost Here, Alice Springs, AU, 2019 © John P. Fleenor

MF: Do you prefer digital or film & why?

JPF: Shooting on Kodak Tri-X or Agfa APX is still my favorite thing to do. When I think back and remember having refrigerators full of it... those were special times. These days, I do try to work in a roll or two here and there just to “stay honest” with my skills, but it’s almost all digital these days and that really all just comes down to the expense of it. Having said that, I do get close to that joy with my digital rangefinders, like very close to that feeling/experience of film, turning EVERY auto function and screen OFF is key. So, I guess we can have it all these days if we want it.

MF: What are you looking for in a great picture?

JPF: Fun question. It simply just has to stop me in my tracks. It’s hard to explain until I’m looking at one, but for me... the really great images I have seen feel like a slap on the face; exciting, questioning, painful, a hint of pleasure and it leaves a mark.

Strange Encounter, Melbourne, AU, 2023 © John P. Fleenor

MF: Name 3 of your favorite books on photography.

JPF: The New Joy of Photography - Editors of Kodak / This was the first book that actually explained all the mechanics of a SLR camera to me in a way that my brain could understand. My early days of manual film photography were painful until this book, better than any class. Brilliant. Robert Mapplethorpe - Early Years / What an incredible mix of Art and Photography and for some reason, this book really started my mind to cook. We must not leave out any and every National Geographic book and magazine / The best of the best. Before the internet, you could travel the world through the eyes of the greatest Photographers to ever hold a camera. They are still going strong.

MF: What gear do you use?

JPF: I always hate this question because I generally don’t care what camera you use and your process, finding the image with whatever you have is the key. However, I do realize the curiosity factor for some so, for my personal work, it’s a mix. I don’t like using my “Pro Cameras” for anything other than work, because I think of them as only work cameras. So for “fun-time”, there’s the iPhone, which is always on me but I HATE the interface and IQ. My trusty and 100% dependable Ricoh GRIII which is a billion times better than a iPhone and I have it set up just right for zone focusing - chefs kiss. And my “go-to-fun-time” cameras are a few Digital Rangefinders, won’t name any brands, but there’s not that many options so you can fill in the blanks. If I had it my way, I would sell everything and just buy one rangefinder, and live life out in a total manual, screen less, zone focusing life.

MF: What draws you specifically to street photography compared to other genres?

JPF: Well, having shot most all other genres, Street Photography has and remains the one constant in my life. It’s just something I have always and continue to do, wherever I am. I see a funky crack in a wall, it calls to me and I go a discover it’s soul. Someone I deem interesting walking towards me, can I capture their moment? Billions of little scenes are everywhere, billions more I never even pressed the button on, a couple of those misses still ache my soul. I guess it all boils down to: it’s just me, a camera and a massive blank and ever changing canvas to discover, how can you NOT be drawn to that?

MF: How would you describe your unique style in street photography?

JPF: For me it’s not all 100% hunting down people and shooting them crossing the street or munching down a taco. I tend to disappear into the world I’m in and literally just follow my camera around, generally gravitating towards the “normal” things we pass by every day and never noticing. If I can discover unusual perspectives visually through composition and/or with light fighting shadows, it’s all fair game in trying to carve out their story. If my style is “unique”, I believe it would be because I consider myself an “Environment Photographer” more than a pure Street Photographer, but what do I know?

Milk Time, Los Angeles, CA, 2018 © John P. Fleenor

MF: Can you explain a time when you captured a particularly powerful moment on the street and what made it special?

JPF: Cliché answer number 1, they’re ALL special powerful moments, haha. One that really sticks out was during my first trip to Paris in 2010. I was down below the Eiffel Tower and I saw this amazingly cute, elderly couple walking towards me. I quickly ran to the other side of the walkway and snapped the shot. When I got back to the hotel room and finally saw the image, it was one of those shots where you’re all like, “Well, I’m done now, time to quit because it’s never going to get any better than this”. It was special for me because that trip is where I first started attempting to shoot “street photography of people” and it was as if the photo gods had officially welcomed me into the club. Really cool moment. No one has ever liked that shot but me, haha, cé la vie.

Quintessential, Paris, FR, 2010 © John P. Fleenor