=Street Photography 12-2-08=

I think its time again for some more street photography photos. So I'll get it started. Mine were all taken with

the 40mm limited in downtown Los Angeles. Call me lazy, but none were retouched much more than minor level

adjustment and a little sharpening, if that.

 

<center><P><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9440.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9440.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>1</b></br></p>

 

<p><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9455.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9455.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>2</b></br></p>

 

<p><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9461_2.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9461_2.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>3</b></br></p>

 

<p><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9470_2.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9470_2.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>4</b></br></p>

 

<p><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9476.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9476.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>5</b></br></p>

 

<p><a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/?action=view&current=_IGP9485_2.jpg"

target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/blackfist2k2/_IGP9485_2.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photobucket" width="600"></a><br><b>6</b></br></p></center>

OK, lazy. ;~) Which is to say, I think it would be fun to tweak these--especially 4 & 6: nice composition &

color. Unfortunately, "Goddess with a Star Bag" (#2) may be incurably soft.

 

I went out shooting with a friend on Saturday but these probably don't really fall in the "Street" category. Our

assignment was to photograph specific sites so I wasn't in a true street-shoot mind-set. It did give me a

chance to work wider than I usually do, though.<div></div>

I even broke out the Sigma 10-20mm--it really helps when you're dodging telephone poles and traffic signs. You have to think of the distortion as a feature, not a bug.<div></div>

That's tru street photography, Jemal. <br>

I have it on my to do list for ages, but never come around to it. Except for this lucky one, last week. A snapshot really. I was photographingI came across this fella, tailing his parents and feeling cold and somewhat unhappy. I snapped him while I passed him by, and his parents didn't even notice. <br> <br>

<img src="http://album.zoom.nl/user/oshi/small/4467803/full/">

<br>

Feeling small in a big world

Don't know what went wrong. Try again: <br> <br>

<img src="http://static.zoom.nl/3EC6A585545A3B222E6CE7D5815CB5A4.jpg">

I guess what makes these "not-street" in my mind is the absence of people.<div></div>

The 'Severinsbrücke' bridge in Cologne. Taken with K20D at ISO 3200 and DA*16-50.

<p>

<a href="http://www.ipernity.com/doc/eike/3190038"><img

src="http://u1.ipernity.com/9/00/38/3190038.27483971.1024.jpg" width="731" height="1024" alt="Bridge"

border="0"/></a>

I seem to have a different understanding of street photography and prefer to see photos presented "in the best

possible light & post processing". It may sound harsh in this friendly forum but I often wish for a little bit more

constructive and honest and maybe therefore unpopular criticism instead of quick hurrahs to anything made with a

Pentax.<div></div>

Didn't we have a contest about photos of "photographers at work" for the end of November?<div></div>

When there's smoke there's fire, and there's nothing like a good plume of smoke to bring out the worst in a

photographer!

 

I happened to have my MX under the scooter's saddle, with the last pic of an Ilford HP5+ roll.

 

(and by the way: that was just the load of a truck that caught fire, so nothing too serious here...)<div></div>

Marvelous shot O'Shiva. Without doubt my favorite here so far. Composition, subject and background

makes it interesting. It tells a story about a boy. Which story is up to the viewer to determine. I like

those types of pictures.

Awesome thread Jemal...I have not had much time to go street shooting and I miss it. Here is one from about a

month ago I believe. There is something precious about a mom and her child.

<img src="http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Strangers/strangerscaptured17.jpg">

O Shiva - awesome! My favorite so far.

Javier - very tender.

Markus - I agree. I don't mind criticism of my work. My goal is to get better in this hobby. In fact, had I been able to go back and edit my first post I would have deleted several photos. The only ones I actually like are #1 because of the sign of water on a dry street, #4 - which I actually did process the colors to get rid of a horrible yellow cast from the indoor lighting, but I wold have cropped it more to focus just on the dude and female in the wheel chair, and #6. I did also try to post the "I haven't had any sleep and have been up and can barely keep my eyes open" disclaimer, but it failed. lol. I really only wanted to start the thread with the hopes of seeing such great photos as everyone has uploaded.

One from Boston last week..<div></div>

One from Australia.. Not till I looked at the photo at home did I notice the strap on the camera.. Pentax!!

Why is this not uploading?<div></div>

A young lady in Baltimore<div></div>

One more from a beach in Australia<div></div>

Great street shooting Haig, I especially like the pentaxian. I keep wondering when I will see a picture of me is someones street shooting captures. lol

Hehehe.. thx Javier, I am sure you are already on several people's computers.. they just haven't posted them yet :-)

What do you all consider as street photography? I think there is the art of learning how to shoot your camera and frame the shot without being able to look through the view finder so that you can capture the moment without drawing attention to yourself. But more than that I think it involves catching people going about the activities of their dily lives. Optimally, they photo should try to tell a story. What's your position?

''I think it involves catching people going about the activities of their dily lives. Optimally, they photo should try to tell a story. What's your position?''

----------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

This is what I would consider street shooting.

Certainly people won't all agree on the definition of 'street photography'. Within my personal

not-so-well-thought-out definition, many of the pictures posted in this thread wouldn't qualify. A few of these

like the fire & truck accident seem more photo-journalistic to me. O Shiva's little boy is a great picture (love

the mittens) but doesn't really seem all that 'street' to me. Some of these are more like 'cityscape'

shots--landscapes that

happen to be in the city.

 

<P>My working definition of street photography (again, rules not all that clearly defined...)

isn't going to admit too many beach shots, though my way of thinking on that is probably colored by the fact that

for where I live, streets and beaches are more distinct--if one lives in a place where boardwalks are more

central to daily life one might think differently. I think there needs to be a certain amount of candidness to

the shot as well--not that the subject can't be looking at the photographer but it probably shouldn't come across

as overly posed. Shots of your friends or family out on the street will probably fail the test if the

familiarity comes through in the image.

 

<P>I guess the image posted here that seems most 'street' to me is probably

Markus' Zurich shot. Jemal's #4 kind of works for me too in this regard.

 

<P>I looked through my already-posted Flickr pictures and this is probably the closest that I have posted right

now--though I consider it kind of borderline 'street'. In a sense, the attention I gave to the lighting and

reflection tend to distract from its also-present 'slice of life' aspect:

<P align=center><a href=" title="Rafiqi's Delicious

Experience Meatwagon

by Captain Fannypack, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/2181670147_59e9aa2936.jpg"

width="500" height="410" alt="Rafiqi's Delicious Experience Meatwagon" /></a>

<BR><b>Rafiqi's Delicious Experience Meatwagon [Optio A30]</b></P>

<P>So for the moment, one of my street photography characteristics would be <i>'slice of life'</i>--not too different

than what Javier said, I guess.

Did you say street photography?<br><br>

 

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tmaher3/Aruba/pictures/picture-12.jpg"></img>

Andrew, others...These are my opinions and should not be considered Gospel...

 

Now that I have a little more time I will try and lay out ''my definition'' which is very close to Jemal and Andrews.

Using what has been posted in this thread, I would say that Jemals number 4 is an excellent example of street photography. It is not simply a ''snap shot'' but it is photograph..It is well framed, well composed and tells a story. You have what appears to be is a man taking care of his wife in a wheel chair...This is ONE example and type that I like....

 

Another would be ''Eike'' Photograph....That fellow on the bike makes the image...With out that guy, this would be another boring bridge image shot at night...Instead we have a photograph that has intensity to it. A closer look at the image would seem to indicate there is a car right behind him, although it is likely on a different lane. Still, I would not be caught riding my bike on that bridge at night...Atleast not where I live.

 

Another I really like is ''Markus'' first shot. There is nothing about that photograph that i don't like. It shows a well composed and framed shot of everyday life.

 

I love Haigs Pentaxian. Shows a fellow out there having a great time firing away...Again well framed and composed..I also love his beach shot from Australia. It shows a very tender moment with out revealing to much...

 

Andrew's image is also very good. Well composed showing everyday life and as a bonus, we have the symmetrical thing going on. The only thing I would have changed is to crop out the two ladies to the right, or darkened them up a tad to make the image a little less busy and put the emphasis back to the out door eating place...

 

On the other hand, if I may add a little CC, Lets take Daves image of ''The Old Keswick Police Station '' The image in itself is a very well exposed shot...Infact it is very nice. But IMO there are two things going on with this image. With out Dave mentioning that it was a police station, I would not have known that. Hence I would have waited for a police man to come into the picture, hopefully with a prisoner going in handcuffed. If that was not an option, then I would have to wait until those two cars where gone and out of the picture...

 

I have far to many great images of buildings and missions and different things, but are boring because they lack life, they lack substance..Often times, I will have one of kids or wife pose for me, just to add an element to what I am shooting....My wife also loves street shooting, so we often go out together...

 

A good street shot as Andrew noted, should be candid, framed, composition should be thought to some extent and make it a photograph, not a Snap shot...

 

Personally, I do not like to shoot people for the sake of shooting people...Even though I go to the beach allot as I like walking the pier and boardwalks, I don't believe in shooting girls or guys in bikinis, I do not like to shoot homeless folks (if anything, I make it a point to help them as much as I can), I don't like shooting kids I don't know, but when I do, I will show the parents the image and at that point ask them if they would like me to delete it or e mail it to them.. But as a rule, I try not to shoot kids..

 

I think there is a real ''ART'' to street shooting..Capturing strangers is not as easy as it looks. Infact it is very hard and at times, you will be caught and as jeff Crister puts it (who by the way, is an excellent street shooter) you get those I am going to give you a butt kicking look...but those turn out to be some of the best captures....

 

Anyway, I would say, if you have never done it or tried it, then you have no idea what your missing. It really is allot of fun. just be careful and be ready to run... 8~) LOL...