The following is a direct copy and has been Pasted in for future reference from the People & Place coursework PDF Doc. (pasted in Maroon)
Choose an outdoor situation where there will be lots of people and activity, and in which you will feel confident using a camera.
Take as many photographs as you comfortably can in one session. When you review the photographs afterwards, recall the comfort level you felt at the time, and consider to what extent this helped you in capturing expression and gesture.
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Equipment
Camera – Nikon D4
Lenses – 24/70_f2.8 – 70/200_f2.8 – 80/400_f4.5-5.6
Method & Approach
Please see pictures and captions below.
Note – all pictures have been compressed hence there might be a quality reduction when enlarging.
My comfort level
For this Exercise I chose Oxford city centre as it’s the closest city to me with populated streets, a covered market and also an open-air market (on Wednesdays). Having packed my camera bag the night before and not being sure what the day was going to bring, I decided to pack a selection of three lenses, this way I would be certain to capture something from either close or distant. Upon arrival and taking my camera out of the bag I suddenly felt a feeling of fear, I didn’t know if this type of photography was for me or not! I had chosen a spot inside the Oxford Covered Market which is often photographed to allow me to blend in more as a tourist rather than a photographer but still I felt out of my comfort zone. I had an overwhelming feeling of invading people’s privacy, I felt I was paparazzi invading people’s private spaces by taking advantage of them with my camera whilst they were out enjoying themselves in local cafes, outside bars and generally browsing whilst out shopping. I had to overcome this and decided to shoot my first few pictures from an area to the side of the main walkway inside the covered market. Even though I was capturing various people going about their day-to-day business while shopping I was still not comfortable and the type of pictures I was capturing were not really of any interest, I had to find an area more suited for the type of pictures I wanted to capture showing people’s faces, expressions and body language. At this point I put a longer lens on the camera and found another position where I was able to capture people in conversation whilst dining and eating outside of various cafes and restaurants. A few of these pictures turned out well but most of them were showing the backs of people’s heads with crowds of people blocking the view of opportunity. From here I moved to the pedestrianised centre offering more people and opportunity, still with the longer lens attached I started to shoot various people in the street, some were in conversation whilst others were going about their weekend shopping with friends and family in a leisurely fashion. My confidence with a longer lens whilst capturing people from distance in public places was easier to overcome but my feelings and comfort with a shorter lens amidst people in more confined shopping environments was not, I was almost at the point of giving up I just wanted to get on the next bus and go home. It’s at times like this where you begin to admire the street photographer having to do this type of work on a daily basis.
Eventually I found a system where I would look over the camera and beyond the crowd as if studying the architecture or other street and city details. I was starting to relax a little using this new approach, adopting a system where my camera was positioned up high next to my upper chest, primed with finger ready but with my head direction and eyes focused not on the immediate people in front of me but beyond looking at distant crowds. I tried to adjust my body language to that of waiting to meet somebody by looking over the people’s heads and at any time expecting to see a familiar face. People were certainly looking at me but seemed to overcome their concern as I was not looking directly at them.
Having completed this exercise, this type of photography is initially a matter of overcoming personal fear and that of feeling out of place with a camera in your hand, potentially pointing at people you don’t know and even more so … who don’t know you. I am probably never destined to become the next Henri Cartier–Bresson or Diane Arbus but I will continue street photography to the best of my ability and each time with a little more added enthusiasm.
Picture 1 – Developing your confidence (Tea for two)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/180th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 10,000
White Balance Setting Custom (5500°K)
Lens 70/200mm
Focal Length 140mm
Comments – This picture was taken inside Oxford’s Covered Market of a couple enjoying a cup of coffee. I particularly like the way I have captured the man’s single eye looking at his partner, tension is increased in this image as the we cannot see the man’s mouth. We are left guessing whether his mouth is smiling, in mid conversation or perhaps the female is talking to him and he is listening.
Picture 2 – Developing your confidence (Oxford tourists)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/500th sec
Aperture f4.8
ISO 400
White Balance Setting Custom (5500°K)
Lens 70/200mm
Focal Length 195mm
Comments – In this image we see two people looking at something beyond the frame of the picture, this introduces a certain amount of mystery to the picture as both girls are looking towards something of shared interest.
Picture 3 – Developing your confidence (Coffee outside)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/250th sec
Aperture f5.6
ISO 6400
White Balance Setting Custom (5500°K)
Lens 80/400mm
Focal Length 400mm
Comments – This image shows a couple enjoying a cup of coffee outside a coffee shop, again their combined gaze is outside of the picture frame … possibly looking at the same thing, introducing a question “what are they looking at.”
Picture 4 – Developing your confidence (Meeting after work)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/90th sec
Aperture f3.3
ISO 3200
White Balance Setting Custom (5500°K)
Lens 24/70mm
Focal Length 70mm
Comments – here we can see a group of workers who have just finished a shift and are deciding what to do from here on or with the evening. Looking at the picture in more detail would suggest that there are two conversations taking place at once, the distant man looking towards positioned between the two people wearing a white coats seems to be in conversation (or listening) to the person with a carrying a rucksack, whilst the lady with the red hair would seem to be in conversation with the man to the right of the person wearing a cap. I like this picture due to the direction of the People’s eyes, this time the body language and gaze of each person is within the frame.
Picture 5 – Developing your confidence (Oxford busker)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/250th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 400
White Balance Setting Custom (4750°K)
Lens 70/200mm
Focal Length 135mm
Comments – This is more an image offering a cultural reference where we can see a man on the street with his dog to his side busking amidst the hustle and bustle typical to that of a Saturday out shopping.
What have I learnt from this exercise
With regards to this exercise, it has probably been the most difficult of my photography studies to date. I have had to teach myself a skill that I have read about but never practised, eventually it was a matter of overcoming fear more than technique although technique does play a major part on blending in with the crowd. I am more comfortable taking pictures amongst pedestrianised and busy crowded areas than prior to this exercise but I have a long way to go.
Thoughts and Reflection
To become a really good street photographer takes years of practice, this is a skill that does not come from just reading books, you have to apply yourself and continue with ambition in quest to capture that moment. I will continue with this challenge of overcoming my personal fear and in doing so look towards creating better street photos of people and place.
Summary
I can’t say that I really enjoyed this exercise as I am still trying to master this technique but without the challenge of this exercise I would have never of attempted to go onto the streets armed with camera and leisurely take pictures of people that don’t know me or me them.
On a technical matter and in order to keep images sharp, street photography demands high shutter speeds, in recognition of this the camera therefore needs higher ISO settings. With acknowledgement of this and more so than normal the pictures I have shown contain higher noise levels than what I normally accept with my photography, I guess this is something I will have to get used to.
stingray493 