The following is a direct copy and has been Pasted in for future reference from the People & Place coursework PDF Doc. (pasted in Maroon)
Switch lenses (or adjust focal length) to the widest angle that you have. A true wide-angle, judged from its visual effect, is around 28mm or less. One of the uses of a wide-angle lens is to be able to cover a large subject area in one shot, but here concentrate instead on using it close to people, and try to achieve a sense of putting the viewer right inside the situation – as you will inevitably be! From the point of view of comfort and confidence, this is quite a challenging way to shoot, but try your best.
As with the previous exercise, note down both the problems and the advantages created by working with a wide-angle of view from very close to the people you are photographing.
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Equipment
Camera – Nikon D4
Lenses – 14/24 – f2.8
Method & Approach
Please see pictures and captions below.
Note – all pictures have been compressed hence there might be a quality reduction when enlarging.
Picture 1 – Close and involved (Passers by)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/180th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 400
White Balance Setting Custom (5500°K)
Lens 14/24mm
Focal Length 14mm
Comments – in this picture I really tried to capture people walking towards me and away from me and almost be in a crowd giving emphasis to putting the viewer inside the situation and as we can see this effect really does emphasise the scale of people.
Picture 2 – Close and involved (Oxford Covered Market)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/90th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 1100
White Balance Setting Custom (3900°K)
Lens 14/24mm
Focal Length 18mm
Comments – In similar context to the above picture using a wide-angle lens really does emphasise the scale of people.
Picture 3 – Close and involved (Window shopping)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/90th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 1100
White Balance Setting Custom (3800°K)
Lens 14/24mm
Focal Length 24mm
Comments – with this picture I try to capture two sizes of people, obviously the two women walking towards us but also the two people sat down to the right at a table.
Picture 4 – Close and involved (Window browsing)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/180th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 3600
White Balance Setting Custom (3950°K)
Lens 14/24mm
Focal Length 24mm
Comments – In a similar way to the picture above, again I have tried to capture two different sizes in height of people and in this picture we can see both adults and children in a manner where the viewer is inside and amongst the situation.
Picture 5 – Close and involved (Fruit & veg)
Camera Details
Camera Nikon D4 (camera handheld)
Speed 1/180th sec
Aperture f2.8
ISO 1600
White Balance Setting Custom (2650°K)
Lens 14/24mm
Focal Length 14mm
Comments – Captured in this picture, all the people are of more or less equal height. Again we can see the effect of using a wide-angle lens up close really does emphasise the scale of people and put the viewer in and amongst the situation.
What have I learnt from this exercise
I have learnt from this exercise that crowds in close proximity have far less tendency to obscure your view of capture, but in order to shoot in such close proximity I had to alter and learn a new technique. My new approach for this kind of photography is to have the camera primed and ready, with it cradled in one hand and up high against my upper chest. In relevance to this my body language is also different in that as the passer-by or crowd come towards me, my gaze is beyond them and looking distantly between or over their heads. In reality my eyes are darting from the immediate person in front of me to the up-and-coming people approaching, with my camera up high and my finger on the shutter button I am quickly able to capture a situation with very little crowd concern. I hasten to add that this technique only works with a super wide-angle lens.
In relevance to the technical side of this exercise the wide-angle lens works well with people up close but due to their movements being so much nearer (legs and arms etc) there is a greater tendency to capture motion blur. To overcome motion blur the cameras shutter speed can be increased but to maintain correct exposure (in most instances) the cameras ISO speed will also need to be increased, and it’s unfortunate that this has a trade-off effect by increasing the camera / picture noise levels.
Thoughts and Reflection
Due to the wealth of electronic devices now available in the Western World our personal space is ever decreasing. Whether in your car, shopping in a supermarket or browsing the high Street, electronic cameras now monitor almost every human activity. We can now purchase a child’s toy, a mobile phone, advanced CCTV system connected to household video sets and a whole range of other image capturing goods and not once have I mentioned the humble camera. With so much visual information now stored on computer hard disks whether monitoring for crime, crowd control or security reasons it’s no wonder that people myself included are very sceptical in the street about having a camera pointed in their direction.
Some activities welcome photography from the humble amateur taking snapshots of his or her family at a local gala or junior football match, to the professional media and broadcasting agencies capturing the bigger events. Both have their place in modern society but with ever increasing scepticism people are more than ever fearful of having their picture taken, as there is no knowing what will happen to this image or where it will be stored or even what it will be used for. Growing up in the 1970s before the introduction of mass electronic media if such people were seen in populated areas a subject or group of people would welcome a picture in the thought of it being broadcast on television or being printed in a local paper or even to the point of being amongst a group of friends in someone’s private family picture collection. My wife is from the Philippines and my personal experience from having visited the country several times is similar to that same growing up feeling I experienced throughout the 1970s. Being a Third World country does not mean to say that such electronic media is not available but due to cost most items are out of financial reach to the everyday person. On the other hand anyone seen with a camera (digital or film) taking pictures of local people, almost creates a mini stampede as people cower to be part of a single or group photo, and in the same way as mentioned above … to somehow get or be recognised amongst the crowds be it for a local paper or whatever collection.
Summary
Throughout this exercise and due to its close proximity I can’t say I enjoyed the experience, I become fearful that something might happen to both me and my camera equipment should the wrong person be captured and take offence to my activity. In relevance of this I choose both carefully of where to take my photography equipment and also whom I choose to capture with such close up street style pictures. It’s almost like parking a Ferrari in the Bronx region of New York City, the two do not mix and are not seen as harmony.
It is also fair to say after having voiced my fears and personal concerns, that there is an ever increasing social acceptance towards the smart phone and its acceptance amongst and within social environments such as clubs, pubs, restaurants and even to the point of taking group shots of friends in the street and amongst activities. Once again I hasten to add that taking electronic goods such as smart phones high crime rate and poverty stricken areas is not advisable.
stingray493 