Sunday School: Streetwise

A while back, Irene shared an excellent post on street photography, one of my favorite genres.  With the weather warming up, I've been itching to take my camera to the streets more often, and that got me thinking about what I actually do to get my best shots when I'm shooting around town.  I don't consider myself a formulaic or methodical shooter, but I've come up with some tips that may be helpful if you've never tried this type of photography or are looking for suggestions on taking street shots.

1) Go sloooooow. There is a treasure trove of images on just about every street in every town and city, but you may have to go really slow to see them. And sometimes by slow, I mean literally standing still. Occasionally, I just stop in one place and stare and wait for the image to appear before me. You can laugh at me if you like, but I swear that places have stories to tell, and if you stay put in one spot long enough, that location you happen to be standing in may trust you just enough to reveal a few tidbits in the form of images.

2) I personally prefer to shoot on a cloudy day or during the first couple hours of morning or the last couple hours before the sun sets. It really makes a difference to not have to deal with harsh mid-day sun.  In fact, I prefer shooting with ambient street lights to shooting in bright sun.

3) Look at things that aren't at eye level. Look up, look down, squat, get up high, whatever it takes to give you a perspective that you normally wouldn't get.  Merely bringing your camera down to chest or waist level makes a big difference in the view sometimes. I often shoot street scenes from the ground or with the camera held against my tummy.  This type of "shooting from the hip" (shooting without looking through the viewfinder or at the LiveView LCD Screen) takes a bit of practice but is one of the most useful skills to hone.

4) Try to find curious juxtapositions of images.  For example, something really goofy next to something really austere, or something that just looks totally out of place.  You very well may get some interesting photos that way.

5) Peoplewatch. When I see someone or a group of people that I want to photograph, I often keep my eye pressed against my viewfinder with my camera aimed at them.  I like to wait for a bit, make sure I have the image framed the way I want, and when the moment seems right, I click. Either that or I shoot from the hip. You can also ask permission to take a picture first, but then you may have to wait a long time for the subject to forget you're there and start acting more naturally.  I prefer to shoot when people are not camera aware, but that is a personal perference.

6) Peek inside windows of storefronts. I use a lenshood so that I can literally put my lens against the pane of glass and shoot. You can get some interesting shots that include the interior of what's behind the window but also what's reflected from the outside.

7) Search for images that evoke an emotion or memory. I think the one word that describes how I shoot is NOSTALGIC. When I capture an image, it's often because what I see reminds me of a specific memory or stirs something in me. Those are the images I know I'll treasure for years to come.

These are just a few suggestions that may or may not work for you since shooting styles are pretty personal.  Do you have any tips you'd like to share on taking streetwise photos?  Please don't hold back, and show us some of your favorite street shots.  And as always, you can look through our Fllickr pool for plenty of inspiration.

Bittersweet

It's tough to fly under the radar with a huge black camera in your hands. Once your subject feels a lens pointed in their direction they become more aware of themselves and all hopes of being a fly on the wall are shot. So I'm always thrilled when I'm able to capture a truly natural, intimate moment. The above photo was taken at a 50th anniversary party last summer. These two brothers hadn't seen each other in over a year and the man on the left has been dealing with increasing dimentia. I snapped this photo as the groom explained "I'm Bill. I'm your brother". It was a heartbreaking moment to watch the confusion in his eyes followed by a slight glimmer of recognition. When I look at this picture, I remember the scene like it was yesterday.

Have you ever captured a touching moment where the subjects are totally unaware of your presence?

5 ways to bring a little peace and happiness to friday (or any other day)

1. Take yourself to lunch. For once, don't eat at your desk, or worse, skip lunch altogether. Tell your coworkers that you have lunch plans. Then on your lunch break, pick up a healthy lunch (or grab your brown bag), and find somewhere quiet to sit and enjoy the view -- a favourite cafe or a park bench or whatever. Take that novel you're in the middle of (or start a new one). Or grab the latest issue of your favourite guilty-pleasure magazine. Or journal. Use your lunch break to escape.

2. Listen to some great music. Instead of listening to the same-old playlist (or foregoing music altogether), listen to something brand new. A great resource: Pandora, where you can input your favourite song or artist, and Pandora will play those tunes plus songs and other artists of the same genre -- all for free. It's a great way to learn about new music (right now, as I type this, I have bossa nova playing nonstop). Tune in while you're getting ready in the morning, plug in earphones while you work at your desk (no need to disturb your coworkers!), listen this evening as you wind down, or before you go out later. Just give your groove thing a little shake.

3. When you get home this evening (or after the kids go to bed), have a cup of tea and light a candle. While you're drinking your tea, look into the flame, and think of nothing but the flickering of the light and the taste of your tea. When your mind starts to wander, bring it back to the flickering of the candle and the taste of your tea. Just for the time it takes you to finish your cup of tea, think of nothing but that flickering flame and that warm tea taste.

4. Buy yourself some fresh flowers or a small new houseplant. 'Nuff said.

5. Grab your camera or camera phone and take a photograph of something pretty. Just because. For bonus points, print out the image and display it somewhere you'll be able to see it every day. Feel free to swap out images (or add more) as necessary. 

For extra bonus points:  upload your images, and share the link to them below in the comments.  Let's see what's pretty on this lucky Friday the 13th day!

(cross-posted at Chookooloonks)

To Have and To Hold

After all this time, she still did not know exactly what his hands looked like.  She had never studied them or noticed them really, taking for granted they would always be available for further examination, should she ever decide to be curious.

Now that time seemed to be running out, she regretted neglecting the privilege of holding them.  She could see now for the first time how young they seemed and in some strange way how fragile.  She marveled that they had no lines, no resistance, no sign of struggle or defiance.

No one could say really why any of this was so, and if they could, she understood this would mostly be a made up story to make her feel better, to distract her from everything she knew now she would not have, of everything she understood now, she would not hold. 

In lieu of a story she would have this picture.  In lieu of his hands, she would have this memory: how he sat on the bench with a child on each side and without malice or pride, folded his hands together and let her go.

When You Look

When you look through the lens, you may find...

the weariness reserved for little girls up way past their bedtime,

the beauty of innocence,

the sweetness of waiting,

a new Alice in Wonderland ready for a new world, a new Queen, a brave new adventure,

a too long forgotten, tender lost part of you, waiting to be claimed once again.

Oh the things you will find, when you look through the lens.

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What are you finding when you look through your lens today? Tell us all things simple and true in the comments today, and don't forget links to your unique point of view.