I tried to street photograph...

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

This is my ill attempt at walking around my town with a camera, trying to capture life and the moments, I had more but missed focus and flare took care of those. Feel free to edit and critique to your own self desires... I'm trying out B&W, I'm not sure why but I have just been drawn to it lately.
I was going to bin this album but I felt the need to post.
This is Kirkland, Washington. Its a pretty rad place to live, but way.. way.. too expensive.
Shot with 85mm 1.8G and 50mm 1.4Ai

I know my comp and expo is a little whack.

1. I shot this beautiful pup right after she came out of Lake Washington, a really nice younger lady owned her and was flattered that I wanted to photograph her furry wet baby. We spoke dogs for awhile, made a connection... I then moved on.

Streetseries001 by A A Jones, on Flickr
2.This was a busy day on the lake, the argosy liner (big ship photo left) just docked and let out about 12 passengers to grab food, drinks, play on the beach etc. There was loud music from multiple personal boats, smell of BBQ, a warm sun. I was sweating my arse off. My photo turned out with a heavy shadow, I kept it that way, feel free to edit to your liking! I'm still pretty new at this stuff.

Streetseries002 by A A Jones, on Flickr
3. This interesting fella with the long hair had an assortment of books to read on this well placed bench. Yes there was a woman in his lap, I wouldn't dare to go any closer, So I sniped them from a nearby field, crouch position.

Streetseries003 by A A Jones, on Flickr
4. This is my car...

Streetseries004-2068 by A A Jones, on Flickr

Not my car, just a Lotus parked on the side of the road, thought I would snap a pic

5. This is lamp

Streetseries005-2 by A A Jones, on Flickr

ronlane · Aug 25, 2013

I like #3 best of this set. I feel that the b&w conversion helped the rest because of the bright daylight, except the car, which is too dark in my opinion.

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

ronlane said:
I like #3 best of this set. I feel that the b&w conversion helped the rest because of the bright daylight, except the car, which is too dark in my opinion.

I think I dislike them all equally.
Its good to see that someone likes one, the sun was pretty hard that day. I suppose I was thinking the same thing when I converted them all.
I'll work on the car, its so shiny. Its hard (for me) to find a happy place.

weepete · Aug 25, 2013

I like 2, it's got a hot summers day feel to it, and 3 looks like a movie set for some reason and I would have liked to be able to see the girl in it too. The others are a bit meh for me I'm afraid

Dagwood56 · Aug 25, 2013

I'll start by saying that for me, the only two that are truly street photography are 2&3 because they show people and therefore depict lifestyles. Anyway, all the images for me are a bit dark except #5 which is the one I like most because it has a very geometric feel to it. Its composed very well with the exception of the very top. I think I'd crop it off right at the top edge of the circle. Just my opinions.

amolitor · Aug 25, 2013

If you want to do street you need to get over being shy, and you've got to learn to see very very fast, in fact, you see into the future a bit. Street is all about nailing those instants, those visually AND narratively strong instants.

If you just want to take pictures of found stuff, of scenes from the world, that's quite different, and not nearly as difficult. Most of what I see above is this, and they're not bad initial efforts there.

Either way, look at a lot of other people's pictures (good pictures, not just stuff you found out there on flickr or whatever) and compare them with yours. What's different, what's the same? Don't just look at the things in the frame, examine how you react to the pictures. What goes through your mind when you look at such and such a "good" picture from so and so "a 'great' photographer"? Why? How would you re-create it yourself?

There's a lot of specific technical technique that can be used to create certain effects, most of which you will, sadly, not find on the internet easily.

vintagesnaps · Aug 25, 2013

I don't think they're necessarily what's considered to be street photography - but does it matter? Call it what you want - some of these are the type thing I photograph and I don't classify it as anything particular. Shoot what you like, it could be street photography or scenery or architecture or happenings around you, any of that can be possible subject matter.

With the first one it might have been interesting to try to get the dog at a different angle, or even maybe have tried a shot vertically, to make use of the pattern of the wet paw prints and the shadow (with less space around the subject). I tend to move around quite a bit, if there's something in my viewfinder that I don't want there I move til I get it out of my picture or get it where I want it.

I kind of like the second one, it's almost a silhouette and there's a bit of a pattern with the street lights, but I'd try a different time of day (although I like the sort of hazy gray buildings in the distance). I think you seem to have an eye for this, or are developing that, but it looks like you need to work on getting better exposures. The last one is good but you were shooting a dark interior with bright windows which I think can be tricky - I too like the geometric aspect of this, looks like this area would be great for subject matter.

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

weepete said:
I like 2, it's got a hot summers day feel to it, and 3 looks like a movie set for some reason and I would have liked to be able to see the girl in it too. The others are a bit meh for me I'm afraid

Thanks weepete, I agree with you that most of the images do not possess much strength of any kind. Thanks for the reply!

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

Dagwood56 said:
I'll start by saying that for me, the only two that are truly street photography are 2&3 because they show people and therefore depict lifestyles. Anyway, all the images for me are a bit dark except #5 which is the one I like most because it has a very geometric feel to it. Its composed very well with the exception of the very top. I think I'd crop it off right at the top edge of the circle. Just my opinions.

I do agree with you, I'll play around more with the lighting. As for 5, I found it hard to balance due to it not being 100% symmetrical... But thats just me, I'm still studying comp. I'll give it another shot and post my edits tonight! Thanks for the replies Dagwood

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

amolitor said:
If you want to do street you need to get over being shy, and you've got to learn to see very very fast, in fact, you see into the future a bit. Street is all about nailing those instants, those visually AND narratively strong instants.

If you just want to take pictures of found stuff, of scenes from the world, that's quite different, and not nearly as difficult. Most of what I see above is this, and they're not bad initial efforts there.

Either way, look at a lot of other people's pictures (good pictures, not just stuff you found out there on flickr or whatever) and compare them with yours. What's different, what's the same? Don't just look at the things in the frame, examine how you react to the pictures. What goes through your mind when you look at such and such a "good" picture from so and so "a 'great' photographer"? Why? How would you re-create it yourself?

There's a lot of specific technical technique that can be used to create certain effects, most of which you will, sadly, not find on the internet easily.

I suppose I should have named this thread "pictures I took outside" lol
So far, that little taste of the hunt has been pretty enjoyable. I think I may pursue this niche further, but my next trip will be to a more urban setting.
Once I posted this thread and went and googled street photography and took a look at some simply breathtaking captures... Its incredible what some people can find.
Who are your favorite street photographers?
Thanks for the reply amolitor!

Dinardy · Aug 25, 2013

vintagesnaps said:
I don't think they're necessarily what's considered to be street photography - but does it matter? Call it what you want - some of these are the type thing I photograph and I don't classify it as anything particular. Shoot what you like, it could be street photography or scenery or architecture or happenings around you, any of that can be possible subject matter.

With the first one it might have been interesting to try to get the dog at a different angle, or even maybe have tried a shot vertically, to make use of the pattern of the wet paw prints and the shadow (with less space around the subject). I tend to move around quite a bit, if there's something in my viewfinder that I don't want there I move til I get it out of my picture or get it where I want it.

I kind of like the second one, it's almost a silhouette and there's a bit of a pattern with the street lights, but I'd try a different time of day (although I like the sort of hazy gray buildings in the distance). I think you seem to have an eye for this, or are developing that, but it looks like you need to work on getting better exposures. The last one is good but you were shooting a dark interior with bright windows which I think can be tricky - I too like the geometric aspect of this, looks like this area would be great for subject matter.

Thanks for the reply vintage, I wish I could have gotten a different angle on the pup. But after she showered me, she went and laid down. I did take a few verticals, I'll have to go through them again.
Yes out of the set, I enjoyed looking at the dock the most. Seeing the things I didn't when I first snapped the picture. That sun was a tough one to battle.
I'm still getting through my second book on exposure, I hope when I complete it I will really start nailing it down.
Thanks for the kind insight!

amolitor · Aug 25, 2013

Cartier-Bresson really defined the genre, and to my eye he's still the best that ever was.

He pulled paintings straight off the street. The level of sheer design present in his pictures is astounding, and I am drawn to design more than other aspects of photography. There are lots of other things that can be done, it's a pretty wide genre. Winogrand was really in to lines of gaze, but his design was pretty sloppy. Lots of other people have done a nice job with capturing the "moment", Vivian Maier is the current darling there.

gsgary · Aug 25, 2013

HCB is one of my favourite photographers but i would not class him as a street photographer in the same way i would class Winogrand another of my favourites, as for your shots you need to get closer, Capa said about photograhs "if they are not good enough you are not close enough"