People unaware: Developing your confidence

I am starting working on the exercises for the OCA assignment two, People and Place module. 

The title of this assignment is 'People unaware' and the focus is on reportage and street photography. This is quite different from the Assignment One where the main body of work was based around a more or less formal studio set up. So with this assignment we are moving away from a highly controlled environment where the photographer envisage the shot, sets the rules, instructs the model and then makes the visualised image a reality. We are moving away from studio lights and cameras on tripods. 

We are moving to being on the go, on foot, with the bare minimum of equipment, capturing some fluid life moments. This brief seems very different from the assignment one and I think that in many ways it is different but there are also certain similarities. Whether we are on foot and with a small shoulder bag or in a big studio with three point lighting set up, we are still there to capture the perfect moment. We are there to observe the fluid and constantly changing world in front of us and spot that perfect moment to press the shutter. 

Project A of the assignment two is called ' A comfortable situation' and it is about starting to getting used to photographing people whom you have not asked in advance. The brief suggests to identify and use an easier public setting where people might expect others to take photos or might not pay too much attention to a photo camera. 

A perfect opportunity to fit with the brief of this exercise presented itself on my recent trip to Copenhagen.  

I came across a fenced up building site right in the city centre. The fence was coloured bright green and some angel wings were painted on it. There was a little note on the fence inviting passer-bys to take photos and share them on a website. 

The first thing I noticed was that people were rushing about without even noticing the angel wings on the fence but as soon as one person stops and takes their camera out, other people would also stop and join in taking photos of their 'winged' friends against the colourful fence. This spontaneous photo shoot would not last long - only a few moments - only to return to the usual busy pace of city life. 

Most of those people who stopped were so absorbed by posing or taking pictures that they did not pay any attention to me taking photos of them. It was a perfect moment to enjoy the street photography without the associated hard looks that some people sometimes give you.  

I took a number of photographs using my Canon Mark II. I had two zoom lenses with me giving me the combined focal range of 16 to 105 mm. The day was cloudy so there were no direct harsh sunlight to compensate on. I used the custom camera white balance facility to establish the correct exposure. I tried to walk about and change the position and angle as much as possible. I also switched between the lenses a couple of times varying the focal length. I set my camera to f 6.7 as I did not want the background to be consistently sharp (I wanted to make my main subject stand out a bit more). 

Post-production: I used Adobe Lightroom to review the images and make a selection for this exercise. 

The initial review highlighted that some photos were not pin-sharp. This is a common issue in street photography which can in some instances be helpful, for example to create a sense of motion and action. 

There were no major issues with the exposure as the highlights and shadows were recorded sufficiently well. 

My usual ISO setting is 100 but examining the images I would consider increasing it slightly in the future. I do need to remember changing it as my working preference is to keep it as close as possible to 50. With street photography it 's worth putting it up to improve the available control over the lighting conditions/ movements etc. 

I decided to give my three selected images slightly different treatments in Lightroom to see how this might affect the way each image 'tells the story.'

Image 1

This image was taken with a 24 mm lens (ISO set to 100, f 6.7). 

I liked the naturals lines in this image and this is one of the things that I tried to capture: the two lines of people facing each other and the 'angels' being separated from the image takers by the line on the pavement. I desaturated the image slightly and adjusted the appearance of shadows/ highlights to give the image a slightly eerie or unreal feel which I thought just might make the angels more real. 

I cropped the image to strengthen the appearance of the leading lines and get closer to the girl on the right.  

Image 2

This is a closer look at some of the posers. This image was taken with a 75 mm lens. Again I wanted to use the line within the image to 'lead the eye.' I decided to keep this image in colour as I think the various shades in this picture work well together especially as they so well set out and defined by the deep green fence. Amazing to observe how differently each individual 'angel' approaches the same setting - what a variety of postures and looks could be used with the same idea/ background!

Image 3

I chose to switch to a black and white image here to minimize any distractions. The viewer will hopefully enjoy more the clear lines leading from the image takes to the 'angels.' It also helps to see more of the postures (as they are especially interesting here) as well as makes the angels' wings stand out more. I adjusted the tonal range in Lightroom and darkened the edges of the frame to draw the viewer's attention to the centre of the image.  

Lessons learnt: 

The technical side:

- Don't forget to increase the ISO setting to have more control of the movement and light

- Use light fast lenses and vary the focal length to get closer and pull away

- To capture the right moment auto focus can be vital - have it ready

- Open the aperture to blur the background

- Set the exposure if you have time or use auto option if needed

Practical issues:

- Move fast and try not to be in a spot light

- Consent issues: children and vulnerable adults - to be considered. Shots from the back are the safest.

- Change the angles, walk around if you have time

- If you spot the right place and the action can be repeated (like in this example), wait around and be ready for action

- Move away if people are clearly uncomfortable

Other considerations and thoughts:

I found street photography liberating and easy going. It's a very natural process - we all take notice, take notes (even if only mental) of things and activities around us - the people with cameras take photo notes of life as they go about it. 

You need to know your equipment really well to be able to react in time. Knowledge saves time!

It's a very nice and nourishing feeling to be in this state of constant awareness of your surroundings, being alert and ready to invite and respond to the new opportunities that emerge in front of your eyes. 

Post-production:

- Consider black and white where the lines or patterns need to be emphasised

- Post-production adjustments need not be overwhelming (need to be used sparingly) but can help to 'tell the story.'