<<< o >>>venezia #5 23 comments + add yours
chromasia.com

As those of you who have been visiting chromasia for some time will know it's rare that I post any street photography (other than individual portraits). There are two reasons for this. First: I can’t 'see' street shots in the same way that I see other subjects. For example, I can evaluate a landscape, or a washed up bit of rubbish on the beach, or a portrait, and have a good idea as to whether the shot will work. With street photography though, it all feels much more random, probably because there's often a lot more going on. As such I often find myself taking this type of shot, but rarely end up liking the results.

The second, related reason, is that once I've taken this type of shot I find it very hard to judge which ones work, and which ones don't. For example, there are aspects of this one that I like - particularly the interaction between the parents and the child - but I don't have any real sense of the merit of the image as a whole (or its lack of merit).

Anyway, given that my reaction to this one was reasonably favourable I thought I'd post it and see what you think.

captured
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
10.09am on 3/10/09
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
140mm
f/4.0
1/250
aperture priority
+1/3
evaluative
200
no
RAW
ACR
no
 
travel [Venice, Italy] + no print + people
comment by Eugene at 07:48 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

David, you bring up some interesting reasons on why you don't post too many street photographs. The number one determinant for me is if I ask the question: "Is the scene here interesting?" and the answer is yes, I will post the image on my photoblog. An alternative question that one may ask: "Is there a story here?" and I think that for this image, it's a definite yes. For example: the interaction that you mentioned between the parents and child. But to me, it's also the little things. The mother whose jeans go all the way to the ground and obscure her shoes. The man standing in the background with his arms crossed over. And the two ladies who have noticed you with the camera and are giving you the interesting (peculiar) looks. Perhaps I am left with more questions than answers after looking at this photo (What is that leaf logo in the store? What are they selling? At what is the child looking?), but I consider the questions raised to be a component of what makes an image interesting!

All that said, I want to see more of your street photography. This one is a winner to me.

comment by Samar at 07:58 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

I like the photo but I love the thoughts behind it more!

comment by Craig at 08:28 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

It works for me, the couple trying to figure out where to go, the child who is eager to go there. Most of all it's the glances from the two women that I love. I would have posted this too!

comment by Garry at 09:02 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

Likewise, I can't usually tell whether it 'works' or not, but technically it's in focus and pleasantly lit... although the flourescent green label in the background is a little distracting and keeps catching my eye... the expressions of all the women in the shot are priceless :)
If I'm going to do street shots at all then I need to do it surreptitiously, not quite hiding, but making sure that people don't see what I'm doing - it's the sort of situatiuon that I feel most self conscious with my camera.

comment by Mirko Herzner at 10:05 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

I can clearly relate to your story because I feel very similar. Often I am also a little 'shy' to go for this kind of shots.
In your shot I actually like the tension. The shot works for me not so much for its main scene but more for the two ladies casting you a (disturbed?/angry?/surprised?) look.

comment by Jason at 10:39 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

This is absolutely fantastic. The family alone would have been very nice shot but the ladies in the background make it a great shot and your processing makes it a fantastic shot. I hope you receive enough positive feedback to convince you to post more like this on your blog. I would love to be able to capture these moments, however I am a bit too slow to react to scenes I find interesting and also like Mirko, I am a but too shy to take shots of people in the street. Also living in Dubai, I think it is actually illegal here without their permission... :-(

comment by Nicki at 10:41 AM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

Of course this is a good outtake - because I like the views of the "actors" here. This is life, this is movement, a day inside a society. Fine!
It's interesting for me to see whats happen now with chromasia, you've no beach in bulgaria and the direction of perspectives now change. I wish I would have some awesome beaches and skys here. Captures from any photoblogger tells the story from his homeland - thats why I liked particulary your beachcombining shots. Now something new starts here, right?

Another question: I had a long view to the most of your captures taken with the 70-200. And I discovered that a lot are taken with aperture F/4 . They all are sharp and have a good dof. Yesterday I checked out this lens for a while, heavy, really heavy. The lighter model (F/4 IS) works better for traveling - would you miss the the aperture down to 2.8?

comment by Jeffrey at 12:17 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

I think that this is a good photo. It almost seems to be a landscape or nature photographer's take on street photography. I would encourage you to look at the Sartorialist by Scott Schuman or Garance Dore for some inspiration on street photography because you definitely have a talent for it. My only issue with the photo is the two women standing behind the family. Had they not been looking at the camera it would have been a great photo instead of just a good one. However, that is actually a very small nit pick and I really like this photo a lot.

comment by Barbro at 12:49 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

This scene is so Italian; you captured the atmosphere just right. For me an interesting street photo involves a story that leads up to and continuous outside of the actual photo shown, just like this one.
Taking street shoots is just going by the gut feeling, wouldn’t you say.

comment by Dan at 02:48 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

I really like this shot, and would have to disagree with Jeffrey that the two women in the background are what really make the shot for me. Their look is that cross of surprise and annoyance that I often get when I pull my camera out in public. I also find street photography to be a little uncomfortable, I almost feel voyeuristic taking shots of people unawares. The look those two ladies are giving underlines that feeling that I'm doing something a little bit wrong and I like it! Good work Dave!

comment by Carlos Bohorquez Nassar at 02:55 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

David, I find your comments very familiar. Street photography is one of my favorite subjects, but again, I find myself in the same position when evaluating results. My way of approaching this dilemma is way simpler. I'm quite obsessive with things, that in many cases, it's complicated for me to decide; so now what I try to do is, open the picture and in 10 secs, decide if it works or not, if I like it or not just by feeling, and not evaluating all the variables that you bring to discussion. Too simple, I know, but that's how I do it. I think the image work, but more importantly, if it works for you, that should always be enough.

Cheers.

C

comment by Dan Kaufman at 03:58 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

Interestingly I find the comment by (the other) Dan mirror my own thoughts about street photography: that slightly uncomfortable voyeuristic feeling, like you're doing something "that other people don't approve of"---ala the look of the two women. There's this titillation of "getting caught." But when all is said and done: it's about the story. and this image has three stories (at least) running. Good shot.

comment by Tayab at 04:27 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

Nice shot.

For me, street photography can be difficult in that you might take 100 odd shots, but find that only a few are worth processing, and a couple posting. This is because you have no control over the subject, they could move at any moment - or worse, they could catch you taking the photo and start losing the plot.

But that in itself gives you a greater buzz knowing that you managed to get the shot.

comment by Tom Li at 05:50 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

I usually get pretty excited when I go out for a photowalk on the streets but I getting surprised at how difficult it is to extract compelling moments that I have no control over. I like the photo and unlike other commenters, I kind of feel the two ladies looking in the direction of the camera a bit distracting -- I would rather that the main focus be on the interaction between the woman and man and the expression on the child.

comment by Steve at 07:24 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

Looks like there are two sides drawing up here :-) I'm on the 'without the two women' side of the fence. The three main characters have their own story going on and their diagonal composition is lovely. It could be a scene from a film ("Breakfast at Goldenpoint" maybe) except that the two women are looking at the camera and detracting from this nice little scene.

In fact it wouldn't surprise me if, there being a little girl in shot, one of these women was to point at you and scream "Paedophile!" in completely over-the-top politically correct fashion.

Strangely enough I don't think the composition of the three main people would have been as good if the man hadn't had his hair tied back.

comment by CJaM at 10:03 PM (GMT) on 16 October, 2009

It is simply an interesting street shot. Many actions / stories going but not too cluttered.

comment by micha at 12:53 AM (GMT) on 17 October, 2009

Hi Dave I am glad you posted this pic. There are so many ways to read it but what i like the most is the 'dance' I can take from those bodies. For example, the little girl and the ladies behind her are making a kind of 'moving triangle' going to the same direction and her parents and the guy behind the scene are making a 'still triangle' and so on...like the colours & light too. More street pics please :)

comment by rhys at 06:44 AM (GMT) on 18 October, 2009

Dave, you have just perfectly explained my own predicaments and problems with street photography - I too struggle with this style to the point were I think I'm pretty rubbish at it! I admire many others who work in this style, some people seem to have a knack for it. Personally, I think this image of your DOES work, but I'd like to see it in mono- I get the feeling it may have more impact

comment by djn1 at 09:45 AM (GMT) on 18 October, 2009

Thanks everyone.

Eugene: I agree, it's all about telling a story, or a range of stories, and I do think that this image achieves that.

Garry: oddly, I didn't notice the green label. If I had done I would probably have toned it down a bit.

Jason: yes, I think that the feedback is sufficiently good for me to try this sort of shot more often :)

Nicki: for street shots the f/4 IS would be a much better option as it is much lighter and you probably don't need the extra stop.

Jeffrey: thanks, I'll take a look.

Barbro: yes, I think that this sort of photography has much more to do with gut feeling than calculation.

rhys: I did try a black and white version, but no matter how I processed it it ended up looking rather flat.

comment by laanba at 11:33 AM (GMT) on 19 October, 2009

You put exactly into words why I don't do street photography. I just can't see it yet when I look at other people's photos I know that I have passed similar scenes. I also feel like it will look like a random grouping of people. I imagine if I did it more I would be better at seeing it, but I just haven't got there yet.

comment by minimodi at 03:22 PM (GMT) on 22 October, 2009

well i think its a teriffic streetshot, it tells a story and its an interesting picture. looks like you've never done anything else ;)

comment by Mark Dodge Medlin at 05:15 AM (GMT) on 26 October, 2009

I like this a lot. The interaction between the parents is nice, but what makes this work for me is the expressions on the two women in the background. There's a lot of depth to this composition, and it works really nicely.

Also, that little girl is wearing one killer pair of shoes.

comment by Nick Lewis at 10:47 PM (GMT) on 4 November, 2009

I quite agree on what you say about street photography. It is a very hard genre to master, as more often than not the elements either comer together or they don't. I have been frustrated over some of the shots I took in Sorrento recently that at the time seemed great on the back of the camera but rubbish later once back home. I think wanderlust can often blind your vision.