China Town Fish Vendor

[Monday]

Did a little walk around China Town today.

fishMarket by Ryan Monday, on Flickr

 

[IzzieK]

I have only been to San Francisco once and wasn't able to go to one of your very famous China Town. I regretted that. It would have been a very nice photowalk while we were there. The shot above is very fascinating to me...

 

[The_Traveler]

IMO, this is a picture without a center of interest.
I can't tell what you are seeing that is interesting or what you want the viewer to look at.

Sorry

 

[Monday]

Izzie I am hoping to walk there more in the two years I have lived here I have only been twice. Today was not the best choice as being July 4th weekend it was OVERRUN with tourists. Also the 24-70 was not best choice as trying to use it and navigate crowds was near impossible. I can't wait till my sigma 35 mm arrives this week! My 50mm prime would have been difficult on the tight cluttered streets

 

[IzzieK]

What about some versions with colours instead? I am sure those fish guts and all will be more interesting...Here in Missouri I go to our little China Town once every two months to up my pantry supplies. The wet fish markets are always interesting to me...and the wharfs, eating oysters by the beach..I missed all those.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think I might like it better if it were framed vertically so that his entire hand and what he's working with would be completely in the frame and part of the photo (his fingertips are in the frame but just barely). Also if the timing had been a couple of seconds later the back of the guy in the background would have moved on out of your picture. I like to have something either part of my picture or not in the picture at all.


Edit - You can have your colorful fish guts Izzie, I'll take the B&W! lol)

 

[Pejacre]

I think he's the point of interest -the story to me is him looking down at the fish guts and maybe thinking 'what am I doing with my life' - shame you can't see his eyes really. I could imagine this as a square crop to remove the other distracting figures and focus the attention on our main character.

 

[Derrel]

IMO, this is a picture without a center of interest.
I can't tell what you are seeing that is interesting or what you want the viewer to look at.

Sorry

One BIG step over to the right, and spinning the camera to a "tall" orientation could have made a good shot of the worker, his tray, and the other trays behind along the wall, and it would have eliminated the other two people, who are adding nothing to the shot.

 

[Monday]

IMO, this is a picture without a center of interest.
I can't tell what you are seeing that is interesting or what you want the viewer to look at.

Sorry

One BIG step over to the right, and spinning the camera to a "tall" orientation could have made a good shot of the worker, his tray, and the other trays behind along the wall, and it would have eliminated the other two people, who are adding nothing to the shot.

Thanks for the constructive feedback and tips

Sadly I did try that shot next but it was too late and I was caught. I find most vendors like this in China town once they see a camera, drop what they are doing and walk away or turn their back to you. I am sure they get annoyed with the endless people walking by specially tourists with cell phones or P&S shoving cameras in their face. Most of them will do some bad pose if you pay them money which I am normally against unless its a good street musician that I enjoy as trying to grab shots.

I plan on making it back except near dusk on a less touristy weekend. The streets were so crowded with tourists it was hard and frustrating to navigate, and going at dusk I think would lend to better dynamic lighting.

About cropping I agree a square crop may be best however I am pretty anal about keeping the image ratio when cropping incase I ever want to go back and print. I have had nightmares in the past when I would crop purely on any aspect ratio I wanted, then wanted to print/frame later for exhibits.

All part of the challenges and process of learning street photography I guess, still working on my zone focusing and trying to be quick about candid shots.

 

[gsgary]

IMO, this is a picture without a center of interest.
I can't tell what you are seeing that is interesting or what you want the viewer to look at.

Sorry

One BIG step over to the right, and spinning the camera to a "tall" orientation could have made a good shot of the worker, his tray, and the other trays behind along the wall, and it would have eliminated the other two people, who are adding nothing to the shot.

Thanks for the constructive feedback and tips

Sadly I did try that shot next but it was too late and I was caught. I find most vendors like this in China town once they see a camera, drop what they are doing and walk away or turn their back to you. I am sure they get annoyed with the endless people walking by specially tourists with cell phones or P&S shoving cameras in their face. Most of them will do some bad pose if you pay them money which I am normally against unless its a good street musician that I enjoy as trying to grab shots.

I plan on making it back except near dusk on a less touristy weekend. The streets were so crowded with tourists it was hard and frustrating to navigate, and going at dusk I think would lend to better dynamic lighting.

About cropping I agree a square crop may be best however I am pretty anal about keeping the image ratio when cropping incase I ever want to go back and print. I have had nightmares in the past when I would crop purely on any aspect ratio I wanted, then wanted to print/frame later for exhibits.

All part of the challenges and process of learning street photography I guess, still working on my zone focusing and trying to be quick about candid shots.

You will never be quick and unseen with a D800

 

[Theo2]

I think it's a lovely shot.

 

[Monday]

One BIG step over to the right, and spinning the camera to a "tall" orientation could have made a good shot of the worker, his tray, and the other trays behind along the wall, and it would have eliminated the other two people, who are adding nothing to the shot.

Thanks for the constructive feedback and tips

Sadly I did try that shot next but it was too late and I was caught. I find most vendors like this in China town once they see a camera, drop what they are doing and walk away or turn their back to you. I am sure they get annoyed with the endless people walking by specially tourists with cell phones or P&S shoving cameras in their face. Most of them will do some bad pose if you pay them money which I am normally against unless its a good street musician that I enjoy as trying to grab shots.

I plan on making it back except near dusk on a less touristy weekend. The streets were so crowded with tourists it was hard and frustrating to navigate, and going at dusk I think would lend to better dynamic lighting.

About cropping I agree a square crop may be best however I am pretty anal about keeping the image ratio when cropping incase I ever want to go back and print. I have had nightmares in the past when I would crop purely on any aspect ratio I wanted, then wanted to print/frame later for exhibits.

All part of the challenges and process of learning street photography I guess, still working on my zone focusing and trying to be quick about candid shots.

You will never be quick and unseen with a D800

True statement. But luckily I can be relatively stealth since so many tourist carry around cameras I look like just another idiot. That day I decided to bring out he 24-70 2.8.. Last Time I do that it is surprising how much a small prime vs zoom make at grabbing peoples attention.

 

[gsgary]

Thanks for the constructive feedback and tips

Sadly I did try that shot next but it was too late and I was caught. I find most vendors like this in China town once they see a camera, drop what they are doing and walk away or turn their back to you. I am sure they get annoyed with the endless people walking by specially tourists with cell phones or P&S shoving cameras in their face. Most of them will do some bad pose if you pay them money which I am normally against unless its a good street musician that I enjoy as trying to grab shots.

I plan on making it back except near dusk on a less touristy weekend. The streets were so crowded with tourists it was hard and frustrating to navigate, and going at dusk I think would lend to better dynamic lighting.

About cropping I agree a square crop may be best however I am pretty anal about keeping the image ratio when cropping incase I ever want to go back and print. I have had nightmares in the past when I would crop purely on any aspect ratio I wanted, then wanted to print/frame later for exhibits.

All part of the challenges and process of learning street photography I guess, still working on my zone focusing and trying to be quick about candid shots.

You will never be quick and unseen with a D800

True statement. But luckily I can be relatively stealth since so many tourist carry around cameras I look like just another idiot. That day I decided to bring out he 24-70 2.8.. Last Time I do that it is surprising how much a small prime vs zoom make at grabbing peoples attention.

I use a leica M4-p and 28mm hyper focused, usually F8 fucused at 10 feet depending on film speed and light, camera is in my hand by my side and its up to my eye and back before anyone notices although dog did

first shot

2nd shot