A small street set for opinions

[urahara]

I always love your feedback in my photos. It helps me see what I can not on my own. Below are some today's shots from streets of Athens


1.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


2.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


3.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


4.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


5.

Metro Athens by jckars, on Flickr


6.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


7.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


8.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr


I also like to know if you find some weakest from the rest and should be removed from the set and whether my post processing removes from the photo than adds.

 

[joshhuntnm]

1. a little boring to me. sorry.
2. I like this one
3. the boy is a little dark. also, I'd open up the lens and get some separation. a good prime will really help with this
4. again, a prime wide open would draw your attention to the main subject
5, 6, 7. cool cool
8. a little dark.

 

[urahara]

Thank you Josh for your feedback. I'm thinking on removing #1 from the set. I didn't manage to capture what I saw at that time.
I will also try to reprocess #8 and check what I can do for 3&4..maybe dodging some areas, but the separation unfortunately I can't
now..the moment is gone..

 

[urahara]

I updated 3,4 and 8 to make the exposure on the subject better and make the difference with the backround a bit greater (use of contrast/clarity here).
From what I see the links of the first post are now broken after the update in Flickr...
I am re-uploading them (the changed version)

3.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr

4.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr

8.

Untitled by jckars, on Flickr

 

[sashbar]

No 8 is a crazy shot. What are they smoking in this town? I like it.

No 1 - You will ruin a lot of good shots of sitting people if you do not get down to their eye level or even lower. If you see a great character sitting on the steps or on the ground, sit down as well and then shoot.

 

[pixmedic]

im surprised the_traveler hasn't weighed in on these yet. he does some amazing street photography, and is a great source of "street shooting" tips and techniques.

 

[urahara]

I hope I'll hear his opinion and guidance then

 

[The_Traveler]

This puts me under pressure to say something intelligent and I'm not always capable of that.
Aside from the harshness of the light, the overall impression I get from this set is that you aren't quite certain what is interesting or what you want to show us or how you want to present it. Thus the images may not be from a good angle or the subject may be misplaced in the frame or there is so much background stuff that is distracting.

Out of these I think that #8 had the most potential in the shot - a little girl walking down the street watching her fingering on an accordion.
The first three things I would have thought upon seeing her coming would have been:

• get in front of her and down so I could get something of her face.
• move over so I can get her against people walking normally (for the contrast)
• move over so the distracting bright patch isn't behind her.

(it is not unusual for me when I see a shot approaching, to retrace my steps quickly so I can get in front of the shot again in a place where I need to be to get the shot I want.)

IMO, the key to successful street shots is to manage the shot so the viewer is really, clear clear what you are showing and that the rest of the image does not distract.
Framing and position of the centers of interest is crucial so that the viewer is led to what you want him to see and gets some idea of what the photographer thinks is interesting enough to capture.

If something is bright or in focus or somewhere prominent, the viewer who is trying to decipher the image will try to fit that in the puzzle.If the center of interest is placed oddly, this will draw attention, even subconsciously, and viewers will wonder why. For example, in #4 & #7 the people are to one side, there's lots of space at their respective backs, why is that? Viewers have an unvoiced assumption that if its in the picture, it's because you meant it to be.

Go out earlier or later so that the sun isn't so harsh.
Try shooting at different levels rather than always at your eye level.
Just as target shooters do dry-firing (without ammunition) to practice a smooth trigger pull, even when you aren't shooting pictures, frame situations in your mind's eye for shots.
Get used to seeing things as compositions rather than a single object.
The more practice you get, the better and faster you will be.

Amazingly on topic, in the July 29th issue of Sports Illustrated there is an article about this very thing titled 'Talent, Practice and the Science of Performance' by David Epstein
Although that article doesn't seem to be online, a search of that title brings up several related articles that all say the same thing; in everything from hitting baseballs to playing chess, practice in a concerted way makes you better able to see and anticipate situations quickly.

After several years of practice and looking at tens of thousands of shots, I can get decent quality shots (exposure, focus, composition) much of the time; really good shots that have some impact, that transcend the moment are always, if not a rarity, then not common at all.

Lew

 

[pixmedic]

This puts me under pressure to say something intelligent and I'm not always capable of that.
Aside from the harshness of the light, the overall impression I get from this set is that you aren't quite certain what is interesting or what you want to show us or how you want to present it. Thus the images may not be from a good angle or the subject may be misplaced in the frame or there is so much background stuff that is distracting.

Out of these I think that #8 had the most potential in the shot - a little girl walking down the street watching her fingering on an accordion.
The first three things I would have thought upon seeing her coming would have been:

• get in front of her and down so I could get something of her face.
• move over so I can get her against people walking normally (for the contrast)
• move over so the distracting bright patch isn't behind her.

(it is not unusual for me when I see a shot approaching, to retrace my steps quickly so I can get in front of the shot again in a place where I need to be to get the shot I want.)

IMO, the key to successful street shots is to manage the shot so the viewer is really, clear clear what you are showing and that the rest of the image does not distract.
Framing and position of the centers of interest is crucial so that the viewer is led to what you want him to see and gets some idea of what the photographer thinks is interesting enough to capture.

If something is bright or in focus or somewhere prominent, the viewer who is trying to decipher the image will try to fit that in the puzzle.If the center of interest is placed oddly, this will draw attention, even subconsciously, and viewers will wonder why. For example, in #4 & #7 the people are to one side, there's lots of space at their respective backs, why is that? Viewers have an unvoiced assumption that if its in the picture, it's because you meant it to be.

Go out earlier or later so that the sun isn't so harsh.
Try shooting at different levels rather than always at your eye level.
Just as target shooters do dry-firing (without ammunition) to practice a smooth trigger pull, even when you aren't shooting pictures, frame situations in your mind's eye for shots.
Get used to seeing things as compositions rather than a single object.
The more practice you get, the better and faster you will be.

Amazingly on topic, in the July 29th issue of Sports Illustrated there is an article about this very thing titled 'Talent, Practice and the Science of Performance' by David Epstein
Although that article doesn't seem to be online, a search of that title brings up several related articles that all say the same thing; in everything from hitting baseballs to playing chess, practice in a concerted way makes you better able to see and anticipate situations quickly.

After several years of practice and looking at tens of thousands of shots, I can get decent quality shots (exposure, focus, composition) much of the time; really good shots that have some impact, that transcend the moment are always, if not a rarity, then not common at all.

Lew

sorry Lew, didn't mean to name drop and put you on the spot there.
your the person I think of when someone asks about street photography.

 

[The_Traveler]

No, it's a compliment, I think.

But since taste in art, and especially in street photography, is incredibly different and subjective, I am very careful not to think that I hold the secrets to anything.
I like the way I shoot and I pretty much detest lots of others.
How much of that is hubris and how much is real, it's hard to tell.

If I were that good, perhaps I'd be famous.
Now, I'm looking forward to be being famous posthumously.
I know two really excellent - and I mean terrific - street photographers that shoot essentially unrecognized - Rick Waldroup (who posts here sometimes) and Tuna Andor. Rick shoots a micro 4.3 and Tuna shoots film, I think.
Their work is incredibly different and really good - always enjoyable.

 

[amolitor]

I dig #1, actually. I would probably crop the right edge to eliminate as much of that partial person as possible. Reduce it to nothing, or to the merest hint of a person or object, there. Then you have the three figures, most fortuitously arranged in a nice pyramid, all with wonderfully ambiguous expressions. Geometry and ambiguity, that's what street is to me.

 

[pixmedic]

No, it's a compliment, I think.

But since taste in art, and especially in street photography, is incredibly different and subjective, I am very careful not to think that I hold the secrets to anything.
I like the way I shoot and I pretty much detest lots of others.
How much of that is hubris and how much is real, it's hard to tell.

If I were that good, perhaps I'd be famous.
Now, I'm looking forward to be being famous posthumously.
I know two really excellent - and I mean terrific - street photographers that shoot essentially unrecognized - Rick Waldroup (who posts here sometimes) and Tuna Andor. Rick shoots a micro 4.3 and Tuna shoots film, I think.
Their work is incredibly different and really good - always enjoyable.

i will have to keep an eye out then.
I totally understand the subjectivity of art, and as you know, I am not the biggest fan of street photography. or B&W.
that being said, of the street photography I see here periodically, i generally find yours most to my liking.