A Walk through Times Square

I

Iron Flatline

Guest
I had a little time yesterday, and being in New York I decided to go on a Jostle Walk. It's a terrible phrase, I know, but I've come to call it that in my mind. I walk through a crowd, with my camera to my face, and experience it all through my Viewfinder. I usually look at that thousand faces when I move through a place like Times Square, but this gives me the chance to capture as much of that as possible.

All of these were taken with my Leica dRF, not sure this could be done with a dSLR. I used the 35mm f/1.4, and shot close to wide open (most at f/2) - subsequently I didn't nail the focus every time. I basically just pulled the trigger when my rangefinder aligned, but the crowd moves so fast there's blur and range issues, even at 1/125th.

A young couple, one leading the other

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Looking at the big bright Billboards

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Schools's Out (and not everyone's happy about that)

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One Family on Holiday

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Another Family on Holiday:

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On the way home:

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Where did the Crowd go?

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A Sea of Faces

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Selling home-made hip-hop, one fan at a time

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The Photographer

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I really like this series. The fact that you feel uneasy for not "nailing the focus eveytime" is inconsequential IMO. It gives the impression of chaotic movement in NYC during the holidays. I also like the color conversion you used. Interlaces quite well with the images.

Well done. Thanks for sharing.
 
That third shot is killer, my friend.

Interesting conversion techniques, too.

This is really a nice series that catches the hustle and bustle of New York City.
 
Thanks everyone.

The processing is not perfect, I will need to redo it when I get home to my primary photo computer - I'm on a laptop right now.

I use Photoshop Adobe Raw Converter and work up my files in terms of exposure correction and curves. Then I use two Fred Miranda applications: B+W Workflow, which is a series of filters that I can apply to get a good conversion, and then I create another layer for dodging and burning. Then I resize using SI Pro, a Stair Interpolation tool. Finally I sharpen using Nik Sharpener Pro.

I want to rework the images. A lot are too contrasty.

...but I'm quite pleased with the outcome, I like the images. I have about 200 more, of course. That's the power of digital - you can keep on shooting.
 
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT... My favorit is on the way home...

Really good idea just holding the camera to your face.
 
Wonderful series Iron. Nice that you are enjoying yourself.

For me the 4th one is my fav. The expression and people around the guy in the center reminds me of NYC "feel". My second favorite would be with the street vendor.

Some are a bit more contrasty...

Why not process in Capture one LE and then put through the B*W filters from MIranda?

Oh how I miss NYC.. I've really got to make that train trip again soon. (I need a baby sitter!)
 
Great series, really get the "jostle walk" feel.

#3 - love the expressions you caught.

Makes me want to go to NY and get a Leica.
 
Oh how I miss NYC.. I've really got to make that train trip again soon. (I need a baby sitter!)
I forgot you live across the river. Next time we consolidate kids, and we can go shooting together. I'll be back in late February or early March.

Makes me want to go to NY and get a Leica.
Mmm... yes. Expensive habit, but all are welcome to the club.
 
Really great shots, !!

I think I like 1,2,3,4, and on the way home the best.

half the trouble is holding the camera out there and having the guts to walk around and shoot like this. Good stuff.

Gotta love the L Cameras !!!!
 
Really nice series, looks like you got sort of busted in number 5, was there any confrontation?

I want to try street photography, but always shy away from it in fear of confrontations. Some people just aren't comfortable with the idea that strangers are taking their photos.
 
Really nice series, looks like you got sort of busted in number 5, was there any confrontation?

I want to try street photography, but always shy away from it in fear of confrontations. Some people just aren't comfortable with the idea that strangers are taking their photos.
No, I was not busted at all. There's several factors at work here:

A: the look on his face probably has more to do with being on a family holiday than my photography. Understand, everyone here is walking, and relatively briskly at that. And almost EVERYONE has a camera in their hand. It is FULL! By the time he could even said anything, might he seriously been inclined to do so, I would have been twenty feet further on, and another hundred people between us.

B: I am always smiling in a friendly way. After all, I'm having fun and being creative.

C: Don't be afraid, most people don't really mind having their picture taken. Just don't ask them. If someone ACTUALLY says something, then just talk your way out of it. This will happen very rarely, and is worth getting good pictures. No one is actually going to get physical with you, unless you lack all charm and sense for whom and what to shoot when. And don't spend too much time taking the picture, which you do by...

D: Learning to use your gear, learn to shoot. Turn off auto-focus, and all the auto-settings. Get an acceptably high ISO, set it 1/125th, and your f/stop as high as possible. Heck, on a walk like this you can even pre-focus, and the smaller your f/stop, the bigger your DOF, so higher a margin of error. Then just shoot and score. If you're going to be carefully composing, adjusting your camera, and then checking the image, you deserve to have your camera rectally inserted. AND DON'T CHIMP - don't look at the images on the back of your camera - turn that OFF. You're not going to get to re-do the shoot anyway, so you can wait till you're home to see what you got. All it does is eat up batteries. And leave those st#p!d zoom lenses at home, they're too big. Get a medium-wide prime. Best would be a 35mm or a 50mm lens.
 
Very interesting series! I really like the next to last one, it's my favorite (hip-hop CD sale). Great work.
Thank you for the compliment. Yeah, that is one of my favorites, but it REALLY needs to be reprocessed. I've completely lost the guy on the right, and I love his hair and mouth. It's too high contrast, too much grain, and I want to dial all that back in. I also love the texture of the jacket. Thank Goodness for RAW...
 
Thank you for the compliment. Yeah, that is one of my favorites, but it REALLY needs to be reprocessed. I've completely lost the guy on the right, and I love his hair and mouth. It's too high contrast, too much grain, and I want to dial all that back in. I also love the texture of the jacket. Thank Goodness for RAW...

But at the same time, this makes the child more the subject because he's the better exposed one in the picture. Know what I mean? I know what you're saying though too. Regardless, I still think it's an awesome picture. It's just so interesting to look at. I gotta try some street photography next time I get into Boston, although people there are assholes (no offense Bostonians), so I might get hit or something.
 
No, I was not busted at all. There's several factors at work here:

A: the look on his face probably has more to do with being on a family holiday than my photography. Understand, everyone here is walking, and relatively briskly at that. And almost EVERYONE has a camera in their hand. It is FULL! By the time he could even said anything, might he seriously been inclined to do so, I would have been twenty feet further on, and another hundred people between us.

B: I am always smiling in a friendly way. After all, I'm having fun and being creative.

C: Don't be afraid, most people don't really mind having their picture taken. Just don't ask them. If someone ACTUALLY says something, then just talk your way out of it. This will happen very rarely, and is worth getting good pictures. No one is actually going to get physical with you, unless you lack all charm and sense for whom and what to shoot when. And don't spend too much time taking the picture, which you do by...

D: Learning to use your gear, learn to shoot. Turn off auto-focus, and all the auto-settings. Get an acceptably high ISO, set it 1/125th, and your f/stop as high as possible. Heck, on a walk like this you can even pre-focus, and the smaller your f/stop, the bigger your DOF, so higher a margin of error. Then just shoot and score. If you're going to be carefully composing, adjusting your camera, and then checking the image, you deserve to have your camera rectally inserted. AND DON'T CHIMP - don't look at the images on the back of your camera - turn that OFF. You're not going to get to re-do the shoot anyway, so you can wait till you're home to see what you got. All it does is eat up batteries. And leave those st#p!d zoom lenses at home, they're too big. Get a medium-wide prime. Best would be a 35mm or a 50mm lens.
Wow thanks for the mini-guide I'll put it to use as soon the as there's a sunny day.
 

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