Men's Beverage Room, York Hotel

Another great shot. Just great social documentary/street photography I've seen in a while. It seems that people don't even know you're there. Looks like you like to use a 50 mm a lot, yes?

Thank you for the comment Barry.

 

This was a 35mm/f1.8 lens on a Nikon SP rangefinder, and possibly the sweetest lens I've ever owned.

I see you have some very tasty equipment. Do you use a Summicron 50 or 35 on your Leicas? Those are very sweet lenses.

Both, but the SP is long gone.

I agree. This is some of the best street shots I have seen in a while.

 

STeve

What a light !

Perfect exposure, great DOF and sharp focus, and wonderful composition.

...like to discuss how you go about getting your shots. I'm having a problem lifting the camera around strangers, mostly using 50 Summicron, as I have to get my 35 repaired. But in school the first year we've been using 50 pretty much, and I'm use to it, but finding you have put the camera to your eye and focus it in pretty fast and in any lower light there's not much DOF so there you are with the camera pointed at someone. Anyways, I would love to discuss the attitude and conciousnes and maybe technique with you some how. Also would appreciate it if you had any time to look at some of my shots here.

 

Cheers

Barry Fisher

I have the same problem as you, I don't have the nerve to use my camera when around strangers. Alot of shots or moments I would have loved to keep disapear forever 'cause of this ...

 

And btw Ian, beautiful shots all of them, I've been looking at your stuff for a few weeks now, but I hadn't yet commented ... Keep up the good work!

 

 

Ha, I would be interested to hear what Ian says as well.

Myself, I tried to put some of the techniques down in writing once - how not to disturb life when you are photographing it:

Click here to read

Nice light coming through the window...Good timing, you "froze" the actions of many folks

at a good point...Good tonality. I think this photo can be a classic...Thanks.

As for being afraid of using your camera around strangers, it's just one of those things you condition yourself to do. What are you afraid of? You have every right to be there, don't you? You'd be surprised how most people like the fact that you're photographing them rather than the other way around. A smile is usually all you need to set everything right. Your demeanor is the biggest determining factor in how people will react to your photographing them. Here's a good article on the subject, along with some helpful hints and excersizes:

PinkHeadedBug.com

Grant H.:

The author you referred to is a bad photographer - ne did not produce any striking images. Therefore his opinion on how to create is largely irrelevant.

 

Ian McEachern, on the other hand, is very, very good. His running children on a crossroads does achieve the level of a classical photo. He does producestrong images consistently.

 

Unfortunately the photo from a pub fails, in my view:

 

(a) compositionally not good, the geometry does not strike one as "regular", perfect, complete.

 

(b) 2 front groups of customers are not interesting in themselves - the photographer chose a moment when 2 people leaned forward to listen, but people in the groups are badly positioned, with people pasted upon each other.

 

© blacks are too black, pitch black - and their contrast with rays from the window visible in the smoky air of the room is not correct to convey any atmosphere or give a good mood to the place.

Tones on a b/w photo must be used to create mood. This one unfortunately fails

 

The only element of interest that remains is the oldness of the photo - something from the time passed. Barth called it the major "punctum" of photography as a genre in his Camera Lucida.

 

So, regretfully, for me this particular photo fails. The author's portfolio offers much, much better works to appreciate.

This shot is so great to me. Everyone is doing something different and the light is just so amazing. You have captured so much atmosphere in this photograph. I can't offer anything but sevens. Amazing Work throughout your Porfolios.

Looks good to me as well, and I'm not sure what print Michael is looking at.

 

Sometimes a lot of seemingly random chaos in an image works to help tie things together. This is one the rare examples. The atmosphere carries the scene while the people are just elements in the composition.

 

Not a nit here but merely a concept idea. I'm looking at the guy in background by the window and seeing the empty row that leads to him. Maybe flip vertical next time and get just a bit closer.....hmmm. I'm sure Ian sees what I'm talking about.

 

I have no shyness in regards to street photography, but my RB with 180 scares the hell out of people. They think they're getting a free Xray.

Great as usual. Regards.

... and there was light. Beautiful!