[Ghaz1] Street Series

[Ghaz1]

Hello man, I see all your photos coz I'm starting to try taking some street candid. One thing I notice is you seem to capture different expressions and emotions. Something I don't come across that often when i take it to the streets.

Just curious, I was a little concerned if I shoot the person, the person might be annoyed. Not everyone likes to be shot, especially if you are concerned whether u may appear unglam. Any incidence of people being annoyed with you?

HI nitewalk, thanks for checking out my thread regularly. Firstly, there are many different ways and styles to street photography. My personal preference is to be as unintrusive to the scene as possible because i want to capture an "authentic" experience/moment in time. Hence my style is to capture the subject in his/her/their natural environment. It's the social interaction between people and their surroundings that i'm interested in. Hence, they cannot know that i am there or that i'm taking their picture because being self-conscious human beings, they will change their demeanor and stop behaving naturally. Expressions change and i get forced smiles or unhappy frowns instead. It's not impossible to achieve provided you use the proper equipment and shoot in a certain way. Hence i don't use a DSLR because i tend to get close to my subject with a wide angle lens and i don't want them to hear the clicking of my shutter. DSLR mirror slaps can be pretty loud. (This really spoils the Sony NEX3/5 from being the best digital street photography camera, but that's another story.) The P&S cameras are perfect for the job as they are virtually silent and i can frame the shot using the LCD screen, hence i am not looking through the viewfinder. People's reactions change the minute you point a camera at them and look through the viewfinder. Dead giveaway that you are taking their pics. Soon, you will learn to shoot with your hands, in other words, you don't even look at the LCD screen. Hence the wideangle ensures you capture your subject. Stop down your aperture to increase dof. My pics are mostly sharp from front to back (mostly). So you see, street photography is one of the cheapest forms of photograpy, no need filters and such to enhance the image. Sometimes, the grittier the image, the better. Hence i'm not frustrated by noise, in fact, some film-grain like noise enhances the pic IMO. Anyway in bright sunlight, at low ISO, the P&S can produce pic almost as good as a DSLR for small size prints.

Hmmm... annoyed. So far no because 80% of the time they do not know that i'm taking their picture, 10% of the time they know and are happy that i'm taking their picture and the remaining 10% are not sure if i'm taking their picture or not. :bsmilie:

It's natural to feel a little apprehensive when starting out. It helps to be prepared though. If confronted, say sorry and my ready-made excuse is i'm doing some testshots for my new camera and proceed to delete the offending picture in front of them then smile and walk away. Never had to use it though. Hopefully never will. Just be aware of your own surroundings and where you are. Certain places like Sungai Road and some lanes in the Geylang area are very sensitive to the presence of cameras so be extra cautious. Preferably shoot elsewhere when in doubt. Stay safe at all times. The best places to start taking streets are at tourist hotspots and act like one. :thumbsup:

Sorry for the long reply. As you can see, i like talking about street photography.

 

[Ghaz1]

HERO

 

[nitewalk]

HI nitewalk, thanks for checking out my thread regularly. Firstly, there are many different ways and styles to street photography. My personal preference is to be as unintrusive to the scene as possible because i want to capture an "authentic" experience/moment in time. Hence my style is to capture the subject in his/her/their natural environment. It's the social interaction between people and their surroundings that i'm interested in. Hence, they cannot know that i am there or that i'm taking their picture because being self-conscious human beings, they will change their demeanor and stop behaving naturally. Expressions change and i get forced smiles or unhappy frowns instead. It's not impossible to achieve provided you use the proper equipment and shoot in a certain way. Hence i don't use a DSLR because i tend to get close to my subject with a wide angle lens and i don't want them to hear the clicking of my shutter. DSLR mirror slaps can be pretty loud. (This really spoils the Sony NEX3/5 from being the best digital street photography camera, but that's another story.) The P&S cameras are perfect for the job as they are virtually silent and i can frame the shot using the LCD screen, hence i am not looking through the viewfinder. People's reactions change the minute you point a camera at them and look through the viewfinder. Dead giveaway that you are taking their pics. Soon, you will learn to shoot with your hands, in other words, you don't even look at the LCD screen. Hence the wideangle ensures you capture your subject. Stop down your aperture to increase dof. My pics are mostly sharp from front to back (mostly). So you see, street photography is one of the cheapest forms of photograpy, no need filters and such to enhance the image. Sometimes, the grittier the image, the better. Hence i'm not frustrated by noise, in fact, some film-grain like noise enhances the pic IMO. Anyway in bright sunlight, at low ISO, the P&S can produce pic almost as good as a DSLR for small size prints.

Hmmm... annoyed. So far no because 80% of the time they do not know that i'm taking their picture, 10% of the time they know and are happy that i'm taking their picture and the remaining 10% are not sure if i'm taking their picture or not. :bsmilie:

It's natural to feel a little apprehensive when starting out. It helps to be prepared though. If confronted, say sorry and my ready-made excuse is i'm doing some testshots for my new camera and proceed to delete the offending picture in front of them then smile and walk away. Never had to use it though. Hopefully never will. Just be aware of your own surroundings and where you are. Certain places like Sungai Road and some lanes in the Geylang area are very sensitive to the presence of cameras so be extra cautious. Preferably shoot elsewhere when in doubt. Stay safe at all times. The best places to start taking streets are at tourist hotspots and act like one. :thumbsup:

Sorry for the long reply. As you can see, i like talking about street photography.

I see. I feel safer taking from behind them. So normally I will take them looking at the sky or try to capture a moment which feels like they are lonesome. I've not gotten much good frontal shots as normally they will pose and it loses the natural feel.

Recently I tried taking some shots at the skating place in front of singtel building at somerset. Capturing people skating (concentrating on an activity) allowed me to take frontal shots where they are not posing. I also manage to capture some fluke and accidents, which i felt was what i want in street candid/photo. I do also take shots of people who pose, but in that context it gives the shot a different feel and story.

I can see why u like it so much. For me, we normally go out, walkabout and not notice things that go on around us, which tells a subtle little story. It puts some things in a different perspective and with a camera we can capture it.

Will try your PnS suggestion, after I take back my PnS as I lent it to someone. Maybe if I have a couple of good shots I like, i will share in this section also. Haven't done post-processing on my street shots.

 

[Ghaz1]

I see. I feel safer taking from behind them. So normally I will take them looking at the sky or try to capture a moment which feels like they are lonesome. I've not gotten much good frontal shots as normally they will pose and it loses the natural feel.

It's natural to start off with what you are most comfortable. Shooting streets is a progression. Generally though, serious street shooters do not take backside shots (unless something compelling lends itself to such a vantage point) nor "snipe" their subjects from far using a telephoto. Part of the excitement of street photography is the challenge of getting as close to your subject as possible and capturing them in the context of their surroundings. You can't do that well with a telephoto. Here are two series from my own "mentors", people who have inspired me and helped me to evolve as a street photographer:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joewig/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruipalha/

Here's a very good example of how to take street photos by Joe Wigfall, one of my role models:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-IOEAlBpSo

So, as you can see, street photography is all about being at the right place at the right time. Find a nice crowded place and get into the action. Be part of the scene and take people doing their own thing. Many of them are so self-absorbed that they don't even notice you.

That said, sometimes street shooting can be a lonely pursuit. Too big a group and you get noticed by your subjects and/or people shy away from you. Two or three photographers spread out is about as big a group that can do street photography effectively in a small area, i'd say.

So, keep shooting. Try out that P&S of yours. Set it to the widest focal length and stop down a little for dof. Use an appropriate ISO to allow you to hand-hold your shots effectively. And then SHOOT! Shoot lots of pics! BUT with composition in mind and looking for interesting people and places. Then be discerning about your selections during the PP process. I throw away 75-90% of what i shoot. Each session i get home with about 300-400 pictures in my memory card.

Oh... also, join in the photography outings to learn from the seniors/guides, especially those that are walking/roaming photoshoots. Cleonbus and Dingaroo organise these frequently, look out for them. I help out whenever i can so we can meet and talk some more about street photography as well. It'll be fun. If you have a group of friends interested in street photography as well, let me know. Maybe i can also organise something. Cheers!

 

[Ghaz1]

Rush Rush

 

[Ghaz1]

Look left and right before crossing

 

[Ghaz1]

Canoe in Context

 

[AnsQ]

Look left and right before crossing

Nice caption

 

[Ghaz1]

Thanks AnsQ.

I just wish the ice-cream man wasn't in the background, but that's the way it goes. You take what the streets give you.

Indoor Stadium

 

[Ghaz1]

Flying Swan

Flying Swan 2

Parkview

NOTE:

Extreme processing applied focussing on a gothic feel. Handle with care! :bsmilie:

 

[Ghaz1]

Wheels vs Hooves

 

[Ghaz1]

Sight

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

nice series of shots man...! :thumbsup:
Sorry I haven't dropped in sooner.

At the moment still not comfortable taking streets/candids, so I've tended to shy away from it.
I like your style, and the fact that you write a short something about the photograph helps me understand your context better.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

your 'wheels vs hooves' was captured in Malacca? The streets and trishaw look familiar.

 

[Ghaz1]

your 'wheels vs hooves' was captured in Malacca? The streets and trishaw look familiar.

Yeah, it's from my Malaccan Street series that i merged here instead. Thanks for dropping by. I was meaning to ask you if it'd be a good idea to plan a short trip up to Malacca at the end of the year for the Sunchasers group to shoot streets and landscape. A two day, one night trip perhaps. Could carpool since a few of us drive. :think:

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

I really don't mind going to malacca, even though I've been there thrice this year. It's quite near, the food is good, and it's a nice break from Singapore.

 

[Ghaz1]

I really don't mind going to malacca, even though I've been there thrice this year. It's quite near, the food is good, and it's a nice break from Singapore.

Yes, best nonya food around! Missing it already... Must plan a trip soon.

 

[Ghaz1]

The Gardener

 

[Ghaz1]

Bamboo Hut

 

[Ghaz1]

Where to next?