I darkened the background to add a certain mood and contrast between the dark (dungeon-like) and the light (freedom). Must be careful not to lose the texture of his hair in the gloom of the background. I also emphasized the stripes on his shirt.
This is an ongoing project of mine, to display people in their environment.
COMPOSITION:
"For a shot to make it as a street photo it needs to be able to tell a story, it should be able to make an impression, it should be able to transfer an emotion. Street photography is not about making the right composition, following the right rule, or making the best measurement. Street photography is solely about telling a story. Street photography is about speaking to the viewer. Street photography is about having someone wonder, or connect to a person in that split of a second that the shutter goes up and that vision is recorded and saved for good." - Diana Eftaiha
Took my exposure reading from beyond the archway to ensure highlights are not overblown to white nothingness.
COMPOSITION:
Used the archway as a frame and waited for the object of interest, the little people to enter the smaller frame beyond,
before snapping the picture. A frame within a frame.
We are largely social beings and the need to communicate is inherent in us. This image captures a moment of interaction within a specific context,
to put a location(sense of place) to the action of communication.
COMPOSITION:
Subjects placed off centre to highlight the contextual location in the background. The man's body language as he leans forward to ensure he can hear
and be heard at the moment of communication hopefully strengthens the message of the picture.
I saw this lady standing by herself and noted the dynamic background behind her with the traffic whizzing by so i decided to capture this moment of stillness.
COMPOSITION:
I included the arrows at the top left hand corner to signify the possibilities for her, the directions she could have taken and perhaps even pondering at that very moment. I used a form of digital cross processing called "Urban Acid" which seems to work well for this image. Here's a Flickr group for more Urban Acidised pictures:
Generally this photo would have been thrown away for the fact that it's a "backside" shot which makes the picture look like a stalker's. Unless there is something very compelling, it is difficult to justify a backside shot. This time, it is the pattern of the man's shirt reflected on the achitectural design of the building in the background that he is looking at which struck me. Hence, went for a high contrast PP to emphasize the pattern.
Thanks for your support, ahyoo. It's a good feeling to be appreciated and keeps me going. Do take to the streets for some street photography. I'll definitely drop by to take a look too!
As it is, i find the rising temperatures very uncomfortable and my aircon bill is also rising
proportionately. It's no wonder the foreigners on our shores are especially affected.
I used another digital cross processing method - Bleach bypass. Here's a short write-up about it: