Farmer's Market (Image Heavy)

[ShaneS]

I think this is more what you folks had in mind for a photo essay? These shots were all taken outside my offices with my trusty iPhone because I was so eager to see if I could create a story. So how did I do?


Establishing shot:



Food Truck Window:



Chef at Work:



Fire on the grill:



Plating the Food:



Delivering a tasty plate lunch:



Chef Sang:



Chef Sang was a really accommodating guy and even lit the fire for me and posed at the end when I asked

In fact, he asked if I would share the images with him on social media which I am more than happy to do after I get some feed back from you folks.

[flashback]

Hi Shane, regarding the first series you posted, for some very odd reason I really like all the even numbers (weird but that's how it turns out). They are interesting images to look at, they show people in unguarded moments and are a fractional slice of life captured. Clearly I'm a B&W fan so obviously I'm going to suggest you explore the possibilities of converting some of these images to B&W.

I really can't speak to your attempt at creating a photo essay. I much prefer to view and enjoy an image on a one-off basis, valued for what it is individually rather than a part of the whole. But, if you were to pursue a photo essay I'm not sure that just farmer's market shots will give you the best story, maybe but, maybe more along the lines of farm to market. Or market to restaurant.

[Manfred M]

I think this is more what you folks had in mind for a photo essay? These shots were all taken outside my offices with my trusty iPhone because I was so eager to see if I could create a story.

I think you "got it" and have told the story well. The only thing I might have done differently is to take a much wider establishing shot. Yes, we see the food truck, but where is it? Busy downtown corner, in a park, in the suburbs? I'd use the truck as my second shot as it anchors the scene, but the story needs a better start as to where it occurs.

I assume it is in Hawaii, but other than the name on the truck, it could be anywhere. Give us a few palm trees and something else to establish locale (well thought out, framed and composed, of course).

[ShaneS]

Manfred, I really wanted to include a line of people in the establishing shot but they were hanging back as they had already ordered and were waiting for their food.

Sorry to say that there are no palm trees in the vicinity of this street and it pretty much does look like any old office building anywhere However, had I gone wider you might have seen some men in aloha shirts that would give you a hint as to location and I certainly could have provided some of the street traffic.

Thank you again, for taking the time to share you experience and wisdom. It really does mean a lot!

[ShaneS]

Jack, thank you for you suggestions. Black and white is tempting but I'm trying to work on my color imagery right now so that will have to wait for a later time.

You comments about the individual image vs. an essay are very valid. An essay intrigues me though and I think that work in that area could also improve my ability to tell a story with a single image as well but I might be wrong.

It's all an exploration for me right now and I'm just soaking it all in very gratefully

[Donald]

So how did I do?

Superbly well, in that you have demonstrably thought seriously about the discussion that went ahead of it, thought through what you now wanted to do .... and done it. That's learning and that's learning being put into practice. And that's brilliant.

For me the quality of the images doesn't matter one bit (though they are good and Manfred again gives a very sound, constructive critique). For me what is really important is that you have shown that you can achieve absolutely anything you want in photography. Why? Because you're prepared to listen and learn, you have a thirst for learning and you want to improve.

But doesn't everyone? No. Everyone says they want to, but an awful lot of people would take the comments above, say, 'Thank you. That's really helpful' ... and then carry on doing just what they previously did. You haven't. You've assessed the information and changed your thinking and practice accordingly. I love that and it's why you will be able to do anything in photography that you set your mind to.

[ShaneS]

Thank you Donald! I think that this is a continuation of the iPhone epiphany that I spoke of a while back and I am really excited about some of the changes that are taking place in my photography as a result.

I am thirsty for knowledge and finally 'get' some of the advice that has been given to me over time. It has taken a while to sink in but I feel like a sponge right now just soaking it all up.

Some of my imagery of late is quite surprising to me in the sense that I finally feel as if I am letting down the walls between me and my subject. I am getting brave enough to show folks the way I see the world and it is a bit scary but also very empowering.

Many people here have supported this journey and I am ever so grateful for that!

[FootLoose]

Hi Shane,
what I see in the first set is that you have a good eye for street photography. Whether or not these work collectively as a photo essay is a different matter. It's good to have an idea of the kind of shots you want to get, but, as John points out, that doesn't mean that the subjects will oblige. When you see a shot, take it. What strikes me in that set, is that so many people are smiling. Hawaii must be a great place to live.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Shane,

I admire what you are doing and I'm following your progress with interest. The first set somehow did not grab me but I like what you have done with the food van, many good and different shots from the one subject.

Keep them coming it may even persuade me to have a go at our large vegetable market here, which would be something well out of my comfort zone.

Grahame

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Mike Buckley]

lets say she plans to photograph brass plates and vases and she wants sunlight sparkling on the shiny objects, however the sky is overcast or even rainy that day. What steps will she need to take to capture the scene she wants and I hope Shane provides examples as well?

If that's an exact description of the scene she wants and if she is unwilling to settle for any compromises, there is only one thing she can do: depart and return on a different day that provides the sunlight she wants. As a compromise, she could be fully prepared by taking lighting equipment with her to create a similar mood.

[Mike Buckley]

I think you "got it" and have told the story well.

Completely agreed!

[Mike Buckley]

I really wanted to include a line of people in the establishing shot but they were hanging back as they had already ordered and were waiting for their food.

I was at a tourist site at the marked top of a famous mountain. People were lined up to have their photo taken at the sign marking the top. However, they weren't close enough to the sign to tell the story I wanted to tell. So, I asked all of them to move the line close to the sign. They were happy to accommodate me. (One advantage of carrying a lot of gear is that it gives the false impression that I know what I'm doing, which helps people feel at ease about responding to my requests.) The photo turned out to be bad and became the object of the Delete key, but you get my point.

[Manfred M]

Manfred, I really wanted to include a line of people in the establishing shot but they were hanging back as they had already ordered and were waiting for their food.

Sorry to say that there are no palm trees in the vicinity of this street and it pretty much does look like any old office building anywhere However, had I gone wider you might have seen some men in aloha shirts that would give you a hint as to location and I certainly could have provided some of the street traffic.

Thank you again, for taking the time to share you experience and wisdom. It really does mean a lot!

Again, I'm just trying to stretch your approach a bit, and get back to the market shots that started the whole discussion and to give you a way of integrating, say a market stall and people having lunch, using your latest effort as a basis.

When you watch a feature film, the first scene is often a wide overview, showing you the location; it could be a shot of a city that shows the Eiffel Tower, so immediately the viewer (or most viewers) will recognize it as being Paris, the Pyramids = Egypt, the Great Wall = China, etc. Landmarks work, so that's why film makers use them, if location is important to the story they are trying to tell. These shots are often taken from high up, so while renting a helicopter is likely not in your budget, shooting from the top of a hill or a parking garage are often something you might consider for that first overall establishing shot.

Sticking with that idea, and with the Paris example. If the second scene is a shot of a street that looks European, the viewer will infer that the we are now somewhere in Paris, even if the people in the scene don't look to be native French. It could be a Banlieu, one of the suburbs with a high immigrant population, but we are still willing to believe we are in Paris, based on the first establishing shot. If from there we enter one of the houses on the street and start watching the interaction of two people in the kitchen who are speaking Arabic, the viewer can follow (and believe) that we are still in Paris (even though the kitchen is really in a sound studio in Hollywood).

I see a similar approach to your market conundrum. Do an establishing shot that shows the market, the market stalls, food stalls and the eating areas (or at least hints at the reasonableness of them being there), your story with more than one subject will work. Your second set of shots could be of activity going on at a market stall; again do another establishing shot showing the vendor's booth, and then get in to tell your story. Then transition to the food stall with a third establishing shot that leads to the food vendors and again, do a series of images to tell the story there.

Finally, do another establishing shot of the place where people take their food to eat and work that scene.

Now you have a nice story that ties together; the overall market; the market stalls, the stalls where food is prepared for market goers and finally a place where the food is consumed. Three distinct sub-plots that all look plausible because you established the "reality" in the person looking at your series of pictures and have let their mind wander along, with your images guiding them.

[Mike Buckley]

I just now got an idea about Manfred's concept. Imagine watching a film with the sound turned off and without the benefit of the opening title and credits. Would we be able to know the details of a farmer's market such as this one in that film without the aid of language? Similarly, when we tell our stories using photography, would the story be effective using a nondescript title to the thread and no narrative? Ideally, yes, that would happen.

[ShaneS]

I love that this thread is generating a great conversation!

Greg - Thank you! I am trying to get less intimidated by taking shots of people and am kind of forcing myself to give it a go so your comments mean a lot As far as all the people being happy...most of them are tourists The good and bad of that is that the market is very crowded with a lot of pre-made food stalls that almost outnumber the produce stands which is a bad thing for me but the tourists help keep the market afloat and that is a very good thing!

Grahame - give it a whirl! I would love to see some images and your take on a farmer's market. The more the merrier and if this thread has inspired you and help to flail lees about (as my first set in the thread did) all the better.

John - Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment!

Mike - Good golly...I just got over my fear of shooting people and now you want me to figure out artificial lighting...not that is funny! As far as Manfred's advice to use television and movie editing as a guideline for an essay you have confirmed what I was thinking about watching without sound to see how the story is developed visually - great minds think alike

Manfred - Thanks again for elaborating on story development. I only hope that others are able to appreciate this as much as I do. Putting this type of thing together will definitely take some trial and error as I learn how to do it effectively but you certainly have provided some great guidance and I can't thank you enough! The impromptu photo visit to the market and resulting thread has really given me some great information that I will be able to put to use in the essay that I am working on about a local neighborhood here in Honolulu.

Again, thanks to everyone for their comments and input

[klpurkett]

Wow! This had been such an inspiring thread! Thanks to everyone who's been participating! I've been toying with the idea of attempting a photo essay of my grandparents and their farm, and this discussion had helped me so much in thinking about how to even approach such an undertaking. Looking forward to getting started... Thanks!

[Mike Buckley]

a photo essay of my grandparents and their farm

Terrific idea! Get crackin'!

[Manfred M]

Shane - it's nice to see you on this journey.

Story telling with still images is an underappreciated type of photography, and frankly also a difficult one.

Not only do the images have to have a flow and hang together, they must also be able to stand on their own as individual works. I suspect that this is why there are so few people doing this type of work. I find that to get a 10-image story, I need to shoot between 100 and 200 shots to get enough material that is good enough. Just as an aside I find I need at least 8 images to make this work and more than about 20 is too many. You want people to enjoy the story, but not get bored of it.

The all need to be processed in a similar way to get a similar, coherent look to the series. Frankly, going B&W is often an easier route.

Regardless; I look forward to seeing your work!

[ShaneS]

Kristy...I'm so glad that I am not the only one who found this thread extremely helpful and inspiring. Your essay sounds fabulous and I do hope that you start a thread of your own to share your progress with is

Manfred, my interest in this has been long simmering from my days as an aspiring blogger when we lived in Japan and probably farther back to when I got my first camera as a kid and failed miserably at capturing our family vacations on a little instant camera. I love a good magazine spread that is essentially a photo essay and have always aspired to do this kind of work.

This thread in general and your advice specifically has really inspired me and is one of the many things that I have come across lately that has made me look at my imagery differently and also made me think about why I am so drawn to photography and what I want to 'do' with it.

This has also given me a bit of focus for my neighborhood essay. I had been reading a lot about the development of the area and before I head out again I'm going to try and make some notes about why I find it fascinating and how I can portray that in images. Not quite a story board but a bit of a framework that will hopefully help to keep the project focused and give some structure to my outings.

Thanks again!