Couple of Street Shots - C&C

[Bo4key]

Everytime I travel to an urban area I like to attempt a few street shots. I'm really intrigue by this form of photography and find that it is really hard to get a decent shot with context.

I was in Vancouver briefly on the weekend and liked the way these two turned out. They were both shot from a moving vehicle with a longer lens so I suppose you could say I cheated a little bit. I only had time for so much.

Thanks for looking.


City Stop by FourB Photography, on Flickr


Early Morning Steam by FourB Photography, on Flickr

 

[Bo4key]

Tough crowd.....

 

[sashbar]

Probably the crowd also had only time for so much
I will be honest - I do not find the first shot interesting at all.
The second one would be interesting if there were some people in it.
I agree - it is not easy to get a decent shot in these circumstances.
I like the conversion to B&W though

 

[The_Traveler]

What is it that you are showing us?
I can't tell what you think is interesting about the first shot, it's just a guy walking by a store.
The second had no real center of interest, nothing to capture my eye.

The issue of conversion is really secondary to having a shot that carries something, meaning, emotion, design, something.

 

[Bo4key]

I agree the first is pretty bland. I thought it told a bit of a story about this person's day but I see that it is missing context.

In the second shot, I really liked the way the sunlight was coming from behind the steam and isolating it. I believe the steam itself is the subject of the frame and like the emptiness it creates. I also like the way it is framed by the pole left and the wall of the building right.

 

[limr]

I like the second shot, but I like it more once I stop thinking of it as 'street photography.' When I think 'street,' I think 'story.' The second shot is a nice study in textures and light and patterns, but it doesn't say 'story' to me. I might have cropped a sliver from the left side so you can't see on the other side of the pole.

But yeah, the first one is kinda just a dude walking down the street. Maybe if there were something ironic about the scene - for example, if the can he is holding was more clearly some sugary drink and he was passing a gym or a health food store instead of a dry cleaners. Or if he were wearing something obviously dirty and passing the dry cleaners.

 

[Bo4key]

Thanks for the input limr.

I especially appreciate the feed back on the first shot, those are some great ideas. The drink he was holding is an AMP energy drink and he looks like he's going to the gym but the label isn't clear enough in the frame for that.

I agree that cropping the steam shot would enhance the framing as well.