I have, of late, been trying my hand at street photography and doing a little more than I used to in my urban and semi urban walks about. In a previous post, I noted my hesitancy to photograph people without their knowledge and consent. http://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2017/02/small-town-street-photography.html Up until now, it has resulted in my attempts at street photography being nothing more than the creation of streetscapes. However my nascent appreciation of the work of Vivian Maier as well as my ongoing appreciation of the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and other master street photographers, has caused me to come up with a workaround for my reticence in photographing people on the street. It's simple. I ask them.
This approach in no way revolutionizes my fledgling attempts at the genre. I doubt my name will ever appear on a list of the masters of the craft. However, at least I'm incorporating the human element in my attempts to make images on the street. You know...Baby steps right?
This approach in no way revolutionizes my fledgling attempts at the genre. I doubt my name will ever appear on a list of the masters of the craft. However, at least I'm incorporating the human element in my attempts to make images on the street. You know...Baby steps right?
The theme for the above photo is "Old and New." I liked how one guy was looking at a laptop while the other one was reading a magazine. I also liked how the old, architecturally ornate bulding had been re-purposed as a trendy little cafe. Before taking the photo, I had approached both gentlemen and explained briefly who I was and what I wanted to do. They were both okay with it. I asked them both to go back to their reading and pretend I wasn't there. Afterwards I showed them the shot and they both liked the image. In retrospect, I wish that I had include a little more of the ornate architecture above them.
In the picture below, I noticed the young lady sitting on the curb and thought, "If I can get low enough, the curb will provide an excellent leading line straight to her. Again, I approached her and explained who I was and what I was attempting to do before making the image. She agreed to let me take the shot. As an attempt at using leading lines, it's not a bad shot. However I hate the fact that she was sitting in shadow and, as a result, to get a decent exposure on her, the background detail is pretty much blown out. I would have liked more detail in the background to provide context.
But hey, it's street photography. You don't get to control everything!
In the picture below, I noticed the young lady sitting on the curb and thought, "If I can get low enough, the curb will provide an excellent leading line straight to her. Again, I approached her and explained who I was and what I was attempting to do before making the image. She agreed to let me take the shot. As an attempt at using leading lines, it's not a bad shot. However I hate the fact that she was sitting in shadow and, as a result, to get a decent exposure on her, the background detail is pretty much blown out. I would have liked more detail in the background to provide context.
For the picture below, I took a page out of the Cartier-Bresson playbook and utilized a staircase and hand rails to provide leading lines. I also like how the trees on the street provide a natural frame for the activity on the sidewalk.
In retrospect, I probably should have stayed in that location longer in an effort to get a more interesting shot of the passersby. But time was fleeting and I had a bus to catch to get back home.
In retrospect, I probably should have stayed in that location longer in an effort to get a more interesting shot of the passersby. But time was fleeting and I had a bus to catch to get back home.
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Speaking of buses. Did you know that the tinted windows of a highway coach can act as a polarizing filter to really make a stormy sky pop as you roll through the countryside? It's kinda cool!
All in all, I had a great day in the city. I'm really enjoying my foray into street photography. It helps me sharpen my skills behind the camera. It also helps pull me out of my shell, both as a photographer and as a human being.
...more later
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