I don't do street--C & C requested

[Urbanflyer]

But this seemed to good to pass up.

Early Morning Cocoon by urbanflyer, on Flickr

Would love critique

[george013]

But this seemed to good to pass up.

Early Morning Cocoon by urbanflyer, on Flickr

Would love critique

I don know how the environment looked like. Many time these photo's are to much focused on the person. In street photography you keep that person in his environment, well mostly.
Otherwise a good shoot, though a step backwards would include the person and that left chair completely.

George

[Shadowman]

Nice one, agree about the crop but this composition is mostly about shape, texture, and patterns.

[William W]

I concur with George’s summary. In fact it was the first element that I noticed – too tight for the best impact.

I don’t do this very often, because I am never keen to publish a new image in an existing comment critique thread, but, take the time just to compare the initial impact of your image when compared to this one below.

Mine is only a little bit wider in view, but it does include more elements of “the street” and I think that those elements provide a fuller and more interesting story, to the viewer.


“Stage Door” Sydney, AUS. circa. 1976
Kodachrome 25, Minolta SLR, 135mm Lens, Digital Scan from Positive

WW

Image © AJ Group Pty Ltd Aust 1996~2017 WMW 1965~1996

[Manfred M]

Judith - I would go along with George and Bill's assessment here.

The environment the shot is taken in is a very important element of street photography; it places the subject for the viewers.

In this image, where the subject is all covered up and the face is hidden, it is all the more important. Had the person's face been uncovered and especially if eye contact had been made with the camera, this could have supported a closer crop, like the one you are using here.

[Urbanflyer]

Thank you Manfred, Bill, John and George. I can see I have treated this one as a portrait and clearly not understood the genre of street photography. This site always helps me grow.
Could I impose on you to comment on these two versions. The first is the most context I have for the shot and the second is a black and white conversion. Thank you.

DSC_4245context by urbanflyer, on Flickr

DSC_4245contextb&w by urbanflyer, on Flickr

[William W]

. . . Could I impose on you to comment on these two versions. The first is the most context I have for the shot and the second is a black and white conversion. . .

Certainly -

Thanks for the copy of the full frame crop. Both images seem to have their EXIF deleted and Flickr access is blocked.
Can you please supply technical details: Camera; Lens; Focal Length used; Shutter Speed; Aperture and ISO will be sufficient.

Thanks

WW

[Shadowman]

Thank you Manfred, Bill, John and George. I can see I have treated this one as a portrait and clearly not understood the genre of street photography. This site always helps me grow.
Could I impose on you to comment on these two versions. The first is the most context I have for the shot and the second is a black and white conversion. Thank you.

DSC_4245context by urbanflyer, on Flickr

DSC_4245contextb&w by urbanflyer, on Flickr

Judith,

The full comp didn't add anymore information that the original presented, yes the crop could be adjusted and I would only incorporate more of the chairs not necessarily more of the courtyard. To me the courtyard could be anywhere and I could recognize the environment from what was shown in the original composition. In this version I don't really like the inclusion of the casual stroller as it really doesn't add anything to the composition and the clarity of the coffee shop sign doesn't really do much as a storytelling device either. Again nice eye and timing of the shot.

[Urbanflyer]

Certainly -

Thanks for the copy of the full frame crop. Both images seem to have their EXIF deleted and Flickr access is blocked.
Can you please supply technical details: Camera; Lens; Focal Length used; Shutter Speed; Aperture and ISO will be sufficient.

Thanks

WW

Nikon D40X. 55-200 zoom shot at 66, shutter speed 1/80th, Aperture 4.2, ISO 400.

When I am sharing photos which are not, in my opinion, yet finished quality, I keep them private on Flickr. It was a cloudy, rainy morning.

[Urbanflyer]

Judith,

The full comp didn't add anymore information that the original presented, yes the crop could be adjusted and I would only incorporate more of the chairs not necessarily more of the courtyard. To me the courtyard could be anywhere and I could recognize the environment from what was shown in the original composition. In this version I don't really like the inclusion of the casual stroller as it really doesn't add anything to the composition and the clarity of the coffee shop sign doesn't really do much as a storytelling device either. Again nice eye and timing of the shot.

Thanks--I am beginning to get a feel for how much atmosphere may be needed. Thanks for your time.

DSC_4244a by urbanflyer, on Flickr

[Manfred M]

General impression is that the scene is just a bit too busy. Just look at Bill's shot and notice how much "less busy" the shot is. The "secret" to an effective street image is managing the foreground, the subject and the background so that they all work together, without distracting from the subject.

I do most of my street photography while I am traveling, so my subject matter tends to be a bit different here, but to show an example of what I mean:



The subject is the vendor, the foreground is the his "goods" and the background is quite simple; really the rear wall of the stand where he is set up.

[Urbanflyer]

General impression is that the scene is just a bit too busy. Just look at Bill's shot and notice how much "less busy" the shot is. The "secret" to an effective street image is managing the foreground, the subject and the background so that they all work together, without distracting from the subject.

I do most of my street photography while I am traveling, so my subject matter tends to be a bit different here, but to show an example of what I mean:



The subject is the vendor, the foreground is the his "good" and the background is quite simple; really the rear wall of the stand where he is set up.

Thanks for adding to my learning!

[William W]

Thanks for the technical details. BTW, the reason(s) why the EXIF data was removed/Flickr was unavailable are irrelevant to me; but it was nice for you to explain, anyway.

. . . this seemed to good to pass up. "Early Morning Cocoon" . . . Would love critique . . . comment on these two versions. The first is the most context I have for the shot and the second is a black and white conversion. . . . Nikon D40X. 55-200 zoom shot at 66, shutter speed 1/80th, Aperture 4.2, ISO 400.

Firstly to address your direct question, I think that the Black and White version is better for the following main reasons:

> Less distraction for main subject, although the big black pot and the person in the background are distracting but both are in the background and both are less distracting than seeing a yellow chair which is in the foreground

> Similarly the yellow signage in the background has less impact in the Black and White version

***

Addressing the broader questions implied by “I don't do street--C & C requested”

Black and White or not?

Considering what you have in the file of your sample image, I think that converting to B&W was the better option rather than pursuing a Colour version of this particular image: that does not imply that B&W should be the default for all Street Portraiture – (though this is often a cultivated thought).

For example colour might be integral to the Vision of the Final Image – here for example:


τρίπτυχον Southern Highlands, NSW, AUS, 2012

*

Or, Colour might be the better choice because of a more subtle association – for example here by association to the Title, the Title can often be a primary stimulant for the Viewers' initial interpretation of the Image:



*

It is important to assess each image and the purpose of each image individually; like with any creative art, formulae are useful to know and understand the meaning of, but rote application should be always avoided.

***

Preparing The Shot

Oxymoron? No, not really.

With Street Portraiture we usually have more time to prepare than what we think we do.

Obviously I was not there on the scene with you, but let me guess a few things that might have happened – and even if I am completely wrong on every point, then this portion of commentary not a critique of the Photographer, but merely an illustration of preparedness and the useful use of time.

ISO // Camera Mode // Metering Mode

Firstly (and I forgot to ask what Camera Mode) a good discipline to have is, when walking around with a camera have the ISO and the CAMERA MODE set so both are suitable for the local environment: the ISO is the most important.

Arguably with “Auto ISO” available on many cameras then “Auto ISO” is very much worthy of consideration.

I don’t use Auto ISO very much, that’s mainly habit; but because I set my ISO manually as I travel through various lighting scenarios, the little man in my head says ‘Bill, this is a change in light, you have to re-set the ISO’.

This habit (discipline) does make me aware of my surroundings apropos the LIGHT and arguably for me, this prescriptive action is more useful than me using Auto ISO, all the time.

Concerning the case at hand – “It was a cloudy, rainy morning” – then probably better when you were setting out on your walk to have ISO at 800 or even 1600. Sure the D40X is a relatively old model DSLR, but it is a good camera: we have an EOS 400D, which is comparable, and it performs fine at ISO 1600 and anyway a bit of grain often adds an earthy feel to Street Portraiture.

The point is: one or two more stops of ISO on an overcast and rainy morning gives you one or two stops more wiggle-room, especially for Shutter Speed, which might be necessary to keep the Subject Crisp.

Note that the above is NOT an argument implying the choice of ISO400 was incorrect for that shot – but it is advice on better preparedness – for example should there have been an opportunity for another shot, if (for example) the Subject woke up and stretched their arms and ruffled their hair, 1/80s might have been too slow to make that shot.

As a general note when I am walking down a street during day time, I like to have an ISO that allows me a Shutter Speed of around 1/250s at a range of Apertures about two stops closed for the lens’s Maximum Aperture; (now I often use a Prime Lens) so with a Zoom Lens, such as you have, I would want an ISO to get about 1/250s at the lens’s Maximum Aperture. Relating this theory to practice, if I were walking with you that morning, with identical gear, I would have set ISO 1600, maybe ISO3200.

The Camera Mode (Shutter Priority Aperture Priority Manual etc) and the Metering Mode (Matrix etc) are open to individual biases and comfort: whatever works for you is the best option for you, but what I do advise is be able to explain your choice, having understood how each mode works and then thinking through all the options.

Personally I like to use Manual Camera Mode and Evaluative Metering, most of the time. (“Evaluative” is similar to “Matrix” in Nikon): but it is important to be aware of any change in lighting and to react to it: for example walking done the street and we turn the corner to find that there is a lot of interesting activity ahead of us, all of which is backlit, because we are walking into the sun – in this case I would change my Metering Mode to Spot Metering to allow me to make a very tight meter reading on the shadow side (the bit facing me), of any of the Subjects. You might not have Spot Metering on your camera, I don’t know – that is just an example of how we might choose to change the camera’s set-up as we move from one LIGHTING SCENARIO to another.

***

“Oh dear I can’t miss this opportunity” . . . Rushing

No idea if you rushed or not: but I bet a Mars Bar that you were excited to see the opportunity of that Shot –therefore it is likely that you rushed a little: such is rarely required – we are not War Correspondents and if we were, the best never rushed, anyway.

It is a discipline to take a few seconds to think through, firstly the MAJOR CIRCUMSTANCES and then secondly the MAJOR elements of THE SHOT.

Let’s look at your shot –

> MAJOR CIRCUMSTANCES. The person is asleep or resting (stationary) and the person in the background is walking (mobile).

> MAJOR elements of THE SHOT - the main subject is the stationary person, the person in the background is distracting.

Result of this thinking – a safe bet is to pull one shot quickly in case the main Subject moves and there is no further opportunity – then:

> attain the BEST camera viewpoint for the Main Subject - arguably move to camera left to get better view of head whilst still keeping a body from wrapped in the blanket? maybe looking between green and yellow chairs? maybe move to render to big black pot in a better place less distracting?

> wait for background pedestrian traffic to be gone

Then pull more shot(s).

***

Shoot Wide - Crop in Post

Probably the most repeated phrase I use to any class for any Event Work – and Event Photography is similar to LEARNING Street Portraiture.

Whilst you are learning how to make the BEST FRAMING for Street Portraiture, don’t be afraid to hedge your options and get a bit more in the frame so that you have OPTIONS later, when you get home. This will relieve a lot of pressure when you are making the shot.

Again, returning to your image as the example, arguably if you pulled that shot at 45mm or 50mm, you would have a larger area in the frame at Camera Left.

The idea that you had to CROP the image to Square Format was a good idea, it brought the Main Subject into a better BALANCE with the environment – BUT if you had another metre or two in shot at Camera Left, you could crop the Right Hand Side near the edge of the Black Pot and still have a Rectangular Image with more on the Left Hand Side.

Notably the Left Hand Side if the image is where the Subject is facing and typically, for best effect and impact we would COMPOSE the image such that the NEGATIVE SPACE is where the Subject is looking, moving or facing.

On the other hand, Square Format can be very effective and also powerful for Street Portraiture, for one example, when there is direct contact and or tension between the Main Subject and the Camera, Square Format can have an Isolation, Concentration and Confrontation effect, for example here:



WW

All Images © AJ Group Pty Ltd Aust 1996~2017 WMW 1965~1996

[Urbanflyer]

Thanks for the technical details. BTW, the reason(s) why the EXIF data was removed/Flickr was unavailable are irrelevant to me; but it was nice for you to explain, anyway.



Firstly to address your direct question, I think that the Black and White version is better for the following main reasons:

> Less distraction for main subject, although the big black pot and the person in the background are distracting but both are in the background and both are less distracting than seeing a yellow chair which is in the foreground

> Similarly the yellow signage in the background has less impact in the Black and White version

***

Addressing the broader questions implied by “I don't do street--C & C requested”

Black and White or not?

Considering what you have in the file of your sample image, I think that converting to B&W was the better option rather than pursuing a Colour version of this particular image: that does not imply that B&W should be the default for all Street Portraiture – (though this is often a cultivated thought).

For example colour might be integral to the Vision of the Final Image – here for example:


τρίπτυχον Southern Highlands, NSW, AUS, 2012

*

Or, Colour might be the better choice because of a more subtle association – for example here by association to the Title, the Title can often be a primary stimulant for the Viewers' initial interpretation of the Image:



*

It is important to assess each image and the purpose of each image individually; like with any creative art, formulae are useful to know and understand the meaning of, but rote application should be always avoided.

***

Preparing The Shot

Oxymoron? No, not really.

With Street Portraiture we usually have more time to prepare than what we think we do.

Obviously I was not there on the scene with you, but let me guess a few things that might have happened – and even if I am completely wrong on every point, then this portion of commentary not a critique of the Photographer, but merely an illustration of preparedness and the useful use of time.

ISO // Camera Mode // Metering Mode

Firstly (and I forgot to ask what Camera Mode) a good discipline to have is, when walking around with a camera have the ISO and the CAMERA MODE set so both are suitable for the local environment: the ISO is the most important.

Arguably with “Auto ISO” available on many cameras then “Auto ISO” is very much worthy of consideration.

I don’t use Auto ISO very much, that’s mainly habit; but because I set my ISO manually as I travel through various lighting scenarios, the little man in my head says ‘Bill, this is a change in light, you have to re-set the ISO’.

This habit (discipline) does make me aware of my surroundings apropos the LIGHT and arguably for me, this prescriptive action is more useful than me using Auto ISO, all the time.

Concerning the case at hand – “It was a cloudy, rainy morning” – then probably better when you were setting out on your walk to have ISO at 800 or even 1600. Sure the D40X is a relatively old model DSLR, but it is a good camera: we have an EOS 400D, which is comparable, and it performs fine at ISO 1600 and anyway a bit of grain often adds an earthy feel to Street Portraiture.

The point is: one or two more stops of ISO on an overcast and rainy morning gives you one or two stops more wiggle-room, especially for Shutter Speed, which might be necessary to keep the Subject Crisp.

Note that the above is NOT an argument implying the choice of ISO400 was incorrect for that shot – but it is advice on better preparedness – for example should there have been an opportunity for another shot, if (for example) the Subject woke up and stretched their arms and ruffled their hair, 1/80s might have been too slow to make that shot.

As a general note when I am walking down a street during day time, I like to have an ISO that allows me a Shutter Speed of around 1/250s at a range of Apertures about two stops closed for the lens’s Maximum Aperture; (now I often use a Prime Lens) so with a Zoom Lens, such as you have, I would want an ISO to get about 1/250s at the lens’s Maximum Aperture. Relating this theory to practice, if I were walking with you that morning, with identical gear, I would have set ISO 1600, maybe ISO3200.

The Camera Mode (Shutter Priority Aperture Priority Manual etc) and the Metering Mode (Matrix etc) are open to individual biases and comfort: whatever works for you is the best option for you, but what I do advise is be able to explain your choice, having understood how each mode works and then thinking through all the options.

Personally I like to use Manual Camera Mode and Evaluative Metering, most of the time. (“Evaluative” is similar to “Matrix” in Nikon): but it is important to be aware of any change in lighting and to react to it: for example walking done the street and we turn the corner to find that there is a lot of interesting activity ahead of us, all of which is backlit, because we are walking into the sun – in this case I would change my Metering Mode to Spot Metering to allow me to make a very tight meter reading on the shadow side (the bit facing me), of any of the Subjects. You might not have Spot Metering on your camera, I don’t know – that is just an example of how we might choose to change the camera’s set-up as we move from one LIGHTING SCENARIO to another.

***

“Oh dear I can’t miss this opportunity” . . . Rushing

No idea if you rushed or not: but I bet a Mars Bar that you were excited to see the opportunity of that Shot –therefore it is likely that you rushed a little: such is rarely required – we are not War Correspondents and if we were, the best never rushed, anyway.

It is a discipline to take a few seconds to think through, firstly the MAJOR CIRCUMSTANCES and then secondly the MAJOR elements of THE SHOT.

Let’s look at your shot –

> MAJOR CIRCUMSTANCES. The person is asleep or resting (stationary) and the person in the background is walking (mobile).

> MAJOR elements of THE SHOT - the main subject is the stationary person, the person in the background is distracting.

Result of this thinking – a safe bet is to pull one shot quickly in case the main Subject moves and there is no further opportunity – then:

> attain the BEST camera viewpoint for the Main Subject - arguably move to camera left to get better view of head whilst still keeping a body from wrapped in the blanket? maybe looking between green and yellow chairs? maybe move to render to big black pot in a better place less distracting?

> wait for background pedestrian traffic to be gone

Then pull more shot(s).

***

Shoot Wide - Crop in Post

Probably the most repeated phrase I use to any class for any Event Work – and Event Photography is similar to LEARNING Street Portraiture.

Whilst you are learning how to make the BEST FRAMING for Street Portraiture, don’t be afraid to hedge your options and get a bit more in the frame so that you have OPTIONS later, when you get home. This will relieve a lot of pressure when you are making the shot.

Again, returning to your image as the example, arguably if you pulled that shot at 45mm or 50mm, you would have a larger area in the frame at Camera Left.

The idea that you had to CROP the image to Square Format was a good idea, it brought the Main Subject into a better BALANCE with the environment – BUT if you had another metre or two in shot at Camera Left, you could crop the Right Hand Side near the edge of the Black Pot and still have a Rectangular Image with more on the Left Hand Side.

Notably the Left Hand Side if the image is where the Subject is facing and typically, for best effect and impact we would COMPOSE the image such that the NEGATIVE SPACE is where the Subject is looking, moving or facing.

On the other hand, Square Format can be very effective and also powerful for Street Portraiture, for one example, when there is direct contact and or tension between the Main Subject and the Camera, Square Format can have an Isolation, Concentration and Confrontation effect, for example here:



WW

All Images © AJ Group Pty Ltd Aust 1996~2017 WMW 1965~1996

Thanks for the mini seminar! I am really open to learning and you have given me much to ponder.