Art or Intrusion? Photographer Johnny Tergo's 'drive-by' Portraits

Street photography isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and for every Cartier Bresson, watching from a distance, there’s a Weegee, pushing a camera into the faces of their bemused subjects without asking permission. Los Angeles-based photographer Johnny Tergo has taken this approach to a new level, rigging up his truck with a camera and bright studio strobes in order to ‘bring the studio lighting aspect to everyday real life on the streets’.

To take his curb-side portraits, LA-based photographer Johnny Tergo pulls up alongside his subjects and takes their photograph from his truck, using a remote-triggered Canon EOS-1D Mark IV rigged up to two studio lights.

In an interview published by wired.com Tergo explains that as a freelance photographer he spends a lot of time on the road, and wanted to ‘exploit his time behind the wheel’ for a series of candid portraits of people going about their everyday lives.

According to an interview published at wired.com, Tergo ‘leads moving subjects by pulling forward slightly, waiting for them to enter the frame’.

To achieve the studio-like lighting, Tergo has rigged his Chevy Silverado with two high-powered strobes, powered by twin 4000W generators in the truckbed. Inside, a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV is connected to a laptop, and triggered by a Pocket Wizard. Tergo has a dashboard-mounted iPhone for reviewing his shots via onboard Wi-Fi. On a normal day, Tergo claims to take ’40 to 50′ shots.Â

	This is Johnny Tergo’s Chevy Silverado truck, rigged up with two studio strobes and twin 4000W gas-powered generators which are nestled in the truckbed.
	His EOS-1D Mark IV is triggered remotely using a Pocket Wizard, and his subjects are captured from the passenger window on a 16-35mm lens.Â

It’s no surprise that some of his subjects don’t react well to being zapped with high-powered studio lights from the window of a passing truck, and in the interview Tergo claims that ‘aÂ lot of people think Iâ€™m up to something nefarious’. Despite occasional confrontations, Tergo plans to add a second truck, and more lights to his portable setup, claiming ‘I don’t want to stop with good enough, I want it to be awesome’.

Although we’re impressed by some of Tergo’s work, his approach won’t be to everyone’s taste. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Click here to read the full interview with Johnny Tergo at wired.com

Comments

An observation: He’s achieved what many of us will never do. Fame. Or Infamy perhaps. His photos suck. Some would say William Eggleston’s suck. Some would say they are art. Whatever, most of us have heard of WE’s photos and they are a topic of discussion.
Johnny T here has done something nobody else has done – something different, and that has got people talking. People may refer back to this for years to come, who knows.

Somebody paid $.25m for a pic of a child’s bike, didn’t they?

(true though, these pics still suck)

I’m now so sensitive to the concern of others about being photographed (probably to do with social media/YouTube/ease of which UK papers will print anything, no matter the ethical implications) that I’m going to cease street photography and focus on my family and video blogging only – unless I have the courage to ask the subject if I may photograph them. Purely for my Flickr account, not any dubious service that encourages voyeurism, schadenfreude and/or childish comments. There is a lot of suing going on in the UK right now over just about anything, even a police woman suing the victim after she hurt herself doing her job! Oh dear.

It is obviously an unauthorized use of vehicle lights. I am wondering the cops haven’t cited him yet. Some reference here: http://njtrafficfines.com/statute.php?statute_id=19

Overkill, I’d say.
Twin generators ?
Does the trucks engine and electrical system not have enough capacity to power the lighting system ?

The side mirror in the composition really gives these photos that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’…

Every article about some would be street photographer seems to mention Henri Cartier Bresson, but these images are about as far as you can get technically and artistically from Cartier Bresson’s images.

I’ve gotten a few lucky images from my car, but in general, it’s always better to actually get out and take the time to make pleasing compositions rather than simply pointing and shooting in a “drive-by” situation.

I looked at his images on Wired, and very few of them are good or interesting as the lighting is harsh, and the side mirror in the frame is distracting. He left the mirror to show that they were taken from a car. My question is: so what?

I think they are excellent and original!

A gimmick done badly by a loser.

good for Tergo for trying out his idea.
If Tergo or anybody else thinks it is art, then it is. The Wired article does not mentions the word “art”, and Tergo’s website lists these photos under “Projects”. To me there is room for everybody who want to do things, and call it art or what ever. There is no test to certify an artist.

Nobody shot him yet?? Then he is not working in LA!

He does not know what he is doing. He is just terrorizing his subjects.

Talent. He doesn’t have it. Street photography requires nerve and he also lacks that as well. Hiding in a truck?

These photographs are TERRIBLE. I would never want to be photographed this badly and then have them publicly displayed. This clown is just doing it for the publicity he thinks the controversy he is trying the crate will give him because he is to scared to get out of his truck and actually interact with the people he is photographing so he can get decent shots.

” and for every Cartier Bresson, watching from a distance”

have you ever actually seen Bresson’s work? Do you even know who that is? Just how wrong could that statement be. Awesome reporting again DPR.

mary or angelin or strokey whatever your name is , can you go to some porn site with your junk spam adv?.no one here wants to know how much your mom makes a week. dumbbell

as Randall answered I am stunned that some one able to get paid $5763 in 1 month on the internet. have you seen this web link… http://qr.net/khSZ

mary or whatever, can you go to some porn sit with your junk?.no one here wants to know how much your mom makes a week. dumbbell

His photos will not be hot with the foot fetish crowd…

tsk, tsk…

does he also text while driving?

so, when this guy causes someone to have an epileptic seizure from the strobes (or heart attack)…

there is a reason street photographers, for the most part, don’t use flash.

this guy is using it for effect only, and boy, lets just see what the effect results in.

I simply got paid $6784 operating off my laptop computer this month. And if you’re thinking that that is cool, my unmarried friend has twin toddlers and revamped $9k her 1st month. It feels therefore sensible creating abundant|such a lot|most} cash once others have to be compelled to work for thus much less. this is often what I do, www.hdcash1.com

lewis or mary or lillycollins or whatever your name is , can you go to some porn site with your junk?.no one here wants to know how much your mom makes a week or how much you make selling her . dumbbell

Is this a drive by shooting? Try it in East L.A. next time!
There is something seriously wrong with this dude. Obviously suffering from chronic dissatisfaction.

“Although we’re impressed by some of Tergo’s work,…”
In which way? IÂ´m really puzzled. 😀

‘I don’t want to stop with good enough, I want it to be awesome’.
Wonderful – I hope he means to work on his abilities to make better pictures. 😉

But its good sample – every single mediocre photographer has the chance to get his “15 minutes of fame”.

well he uses the words `awsome Â´and `amazing Â´ often , i think he is in love with himself. a bit too much that he dosent know how embarassing it is ;-))

“To achieve the studio-like lighting,”
– what studio like lighting?, this simply looks like on board flash in use.

” Tergo has rigged his Chevy Silverado”
– what about reg num , colour and year of manufacturing too ? 😉

” with two high-powered strobes”
– wow!!!!! thatÂ´s a very valuable info, there .

” powered by twin 4000W generators in the truckbed.”
– i thoiught his car was running on Gas 🙂

” Inside, a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV is connected to a laptop, and triggered by a Pocket Wizard.”

– well, it better be, otherwise he might get his Chevy in trouble.

” Tergo has a dashboard-mounted iPhone for reviewing his shots via onboard Wi-Fi. “
– you fotgot the provider and the iphone version and the wifi bandwidth !! 😉

On a normal day, Tergo claims to take ’40 to 50′ shots.
– i thought he only shoots under the cover of dark, at NIGHT ;-))

pathetic DPR. pathetic !!.

<irony>
You misunderstand Tergo … he is more the “Ethan Hunt” of photography.
</irony>

not enough great results for effort….is he staying in the car for protection ?

I think Ken Johnes is quite correct in his comments.

Not my cup of tea. I’d understand this and found it interesting if done in streets of Baghdad or some other dangerous areas like interesting shots of mexican drug street wars etc…

I also somehow fail to find the “studio lighting” in most of these shots. Looks more like sort of lomo + flash to me.

Well, he made the shots in Los Angeles, right? So … its more dangerous as Baghdad.

@DG90
NO, it’s not. And if you are from America maybe you should visit Baghdad before commenting again. If you aren’t you have no clue what you are talking about.

Sorry to be harsh but comments like this need clarification.

Coward.

posted in wrong section. removed.

Spent some time on his site: http://johnnytergo.com/ I think DPR might have in this article the worst of the lot.

I do wonder, though, if these kinds of “in your face” photogs will lead to legislative action against street shooters.

hey Smarty, try riggin up 2 flash on your bicycle and do it again. and please do let us know how much more fun it was.;-))

You do what you need to do, but I personally find it very intrusive and would beat the living pi** out of you if you did it to me. I am completely unimpressed by the photos by the way.

Oh my, things people do to get their five seconds of fame, even if it gets them prosecuted in the end…

In any case, lighting is awful, flares and flash reflections all over the frame, composition non-existent and expressions startled and unnatural (well, duh).
Sooo, it must be art… Right?

No.
What are these crappy shots doing on dpreview then? Just because they make “a story”?

Hey, I know a story about another guy who used to flash people – in both meanings of the word. Carried a camera with a flashgun (and nothing else) under his trenchcoat and flashed it at unsuspecting passers by (mostly young girls), shooting their shocked expressions.

Perhaps that’s a story dpreview should dig into as well…

Anyway, I don’t see this Tergo character much different from that flasher guy. Perhaps somewhat sneakier, since he hides in his car and probably runs away before the hapless victim reacts.

I don’t get why he thinks he needs the strobes any decent DSLR can take beautiful photographs in low light and the cities existing street lighting is far more interesting than his “studio lighting”. The photographs are interesting but the lighting ultimately lets them down.

I subscribe to Wired, it contains some fascinating stuff and people who have succeeded despite (or by) flouting convention are a favourite topic. But this is just tosh. “Studio lighting”?? Is he kidding?

These are some of the most poorly executed and pointless street photographs I have ever seen.

This gets curiouser and curiouser! Can someoneexplain to me where the art enters the picture (no pun intended) and where the Hollywood Bling leaves? I cannot understand how this gets space at DPR, but, it is true, I find that more and more material totally lacks interest on this site, which is why I watch it less and less. Please get back to what brought you here; good reviews of new material, good comparisons of existing material, material meaning quality photographic equipment like cameras, lenses, accessories, lighting, etc. But not this junk!

communication is part of photography and
being rude is a kind of communication.

You can’t own the light that composes an image of your body, just as you can’t own the sound waves created by your voice. This guy is pure awesome and anyone who whines about him is a hater. I’d love for him to photograph me in a public place and do with the image as he sees fit.

the colors look like 15 year old decaying film, or those “instagram filters” that hipsters use. knowing that these are not 15 year old film photos makes them crappy hipster photos instead.

i think that exposing people to that kind of light without their consent could be considered physical assault. please let us know when he gets sued.

as a side note, i find the “video monitoring in progress, for your safety” sign hilarious. if he would only take these shots near signs like that it would make this whole endeavor a lot more interesting and hilarious.

Perhaps he should do a series featuring Traffic Wardens by way of revenge against speed cameras.

The people all look like startled animals caught in the headlights of a car moments before they are run over.

talibans lighted by muzzle flash
seen through the scope or a thermal camera

no more Call of Duty for you, young man!

monkeybrain, YouÂ´re right … its more a safari as street photography. 😀

1933, South Afrika:
“I made a picture of a dangerous elephant attacking me!” – “Oh my god, Herbert – what you are doing?!” – “IÂ´m a adventurer, my dear!”

2013, Los Angeles:
“I made a picture of a jesus-lookalike!” – “Oh my god, Tergo – what you are doing?!” – “IÂ´m a innovator, sugar babe!”

Shame!

how do this kind of JUNK get to DPR?.

look at all the equipment he uses and look at the photos, they look like it came from someones mobilephone.

” rigged up with two studio strobes and twin 4000W gas-powered generators ” my A*s*s . 2 speedlights on TTL mode might have atleast given him better exposure.and spared us some useless background info .

no wonder he explains that rigging up is the most fun part,with these kind of results that should be true ;-))
whatÂ´s next Smarty? 2x M16s to make those poor subjects look more scared?

DPR is drowning in junk these days which is a shame when so many great things are going on in photography.
These photos are some of the worst I’ve seen on here. The photographer hasn’t even set his equipment up correctly to get his subject’s feet in the frame – amateurish, or is this ‘art’.

Totally agree DPR has been slidding for a while now, this is just reporting as theres nothing else to report. How about some more reviews please DPR ?

There’s not a lot of creative thought here.

oh yes, there is, biut it all went to the `Rigging up his equipment Â´part 😉

I thought this was the article about “Google Street Photo” .

He’s able to take the shot and drive off before anyone hurts him, if he tried something remotely similar handheld/as a portable rig and getting up close and personal…

I like shooting from the hip with a 35mm, walk right up and try to capture an expression, some sort of candid moment or everyday scene rather than “look here BRIGHT LIGHTS ok bye, you look like a dear startled by headlights haha”

Also the car mirror ruins the photos anyways

Nothing new, nothing special, nothing that I can appreciate, shooting in the pile and after see what you have, people are not quails.

so if you take rubbish photos you’ll get space on DPreview so long as you take them in strange way.

I use a helmet with a mirrorless camera & two flash guns attached to it to do my street photography. Can I get a feature on the news section?

Abusing strangers for your own self-centered needs…it’s so L.A.!

Would’ve thrown a rock at his window, then ran after him and thrown another rock at his camera, in hopes of crushing his lens.

You’re a violent idiot.

And so is this guy wossname … Tergo.
What he does is a sort of violence.

And only in America…
If he tried pulling this off in this country (Slo, EU), he’d soon wind up in court. Not in a private lawsuit but being prosecuted by a public prosecutor, for violating a whole bunch of laws about privacy.

Though nice sample shots I see nothing here on display you can’t do with a hand held.
Just my opinion but why not keep the streets real, be part of it in picture and memory of the subjects.

If it were shots of a heroine freight transfer or bribery I would agree you need the wheels to increase survival chances but for what it is worth on the flee market and fruit corner, just leave the intrusive tech loaded spying trucks to GOVoogle.com

I like this because it shows the reality of street life.
What I like less:
1) some subjects are missing their feet due to bad framing
2) the reflection of the flash on walls and glass
I consider these distractors; get rid of those faults and you get studio quality street photography indeed!

any ‘limited darkish background indoor studio lighting look’ for outdoors for our digital era, is as backwards a look as ‘flash photography’ (‘club black’) of the film era (when they couldn’t shoot without flash if too dark)

i’ve never liked that ‘club black’ look, it’s too non-natural.

nowhere nearly as candid, and clearly ‘staged’ for a ‘gotcha’ look. (next closest thing being the look on one’s subject if taken by a paparazzi ‘up close’)

given his use with strobe flash is so overt, it’s worse than the ‘stealth’ of non-strobe/flash of ‘google-earth’ street-view photography

sdyue

All I see here is yet another coward’s approach to street photography.

Totally ugly pictures. Not worth the fine he will get because distracted by his paraphernalia when driving.

Wow, what a load of crappy comments. You naysayers are just jealous and narrow minded photo snobs. Get over yourselves.

That’s it! I’m jealous! I am jealous over lack of genious, talent and a decency. Why did I not see that before. I am so blinded. Maybe I was one of his victims.

[to robogobo] Wow, you’re saying they are not entitled to their opinions?

Yes, “Genious” is ironic spelling.

Everyone is entitled to his opinion, and I’m entitled to say that opinion is tainted by insecurity and lack of imagination. There are so many photographers with some sick attachment to “purity” and can’t see the art in punk, slam, spontaneous execution of an idea. At least this guy has the balls to go out and try something new and controversial. The purists are.just shopping for a sharper lens to photograph flowers or puppies. But their work will never get any press. Anyone who has been around the block knows that.

Um no, that’s not it, and why you get the reactions you do to your comments. Don’t forget about fact checking next time and the bad habit of lumping all into one (called generalizing) is another reason. I don’t think it takes balls to roll up to PEDESTRIANS in a car and photograph them, and speed off.

Quite the contrary- asking someone permission on the street to photograph them takes much more courage and risk on multiple levels. This guy will never be famous because of that simple fact. Also the reactions by “overreactors” might cause legal waves to photographers who don’t do such things- we all suffer from a bad example.

Art or Intrusion? Photographer Johnny Tergo’s ‘drive-by’ Portraits

Comments