Imagination out of the ordinary
One of the mains discussions among street photographers is whether what you let other see should be only b/w or sometimes in colour. A discussion I feel is slightly ridiculous. A picture is good if its good, n’est pas?
This one is to mock that a bit. Her lovely all black and white umbrella works best in colour, wouldn’t you say?
At a Photowalk in Gothenburg last Saturday, she dressed up an otherwise grayish spring.
I love the true afterthought in peoples’ faces. As this one from a traditional pub in Amsterdam, three weeks ago.
A hairdo, a certain set of colours or just an interesting face? Don’t hesitate to ask for a street portrait. You don’t get more than a no and most times a friendly yes.
Despite what this looks like, this was a meeting with smiles and laughter. I took a street portrait of a friend of his, that insisted that ‘d also take this guy’s portrait. So I did. Several of them. This pose was his own choice. I didn’t mind.
There are a whole set of unwritten “laws” in street photography. Me and my friend Daniel Eliasson frankly claims that all these rules sometimes must be broken. It’s the image itself that must decide whether you break the rules or not…
Rule 1: You must take pictures close up and with wide angle lenses.
“Through It All” – taken with a zoom 105 mm lens at a distance:
Rule 2: Street photos are best in black and white.
“On The Move” – It’s the colours that makes this kind of pic:
Rule 3: The sharp picture is the only accepted one.
“Scared Dog” – to be in a scary place, feels unsharp, right?
Rule 4. You should always take frontal pictures of people.
“Finding Angles” – Sometimes a butt is more interesting:
“Luncheon Profiles” – profiles are not frontal, are they?
Rule 5. You shouldn’t as a street photographer be seen.
“iPad Break” – to get depth in this “Through window” shot, I let the ghostly image of myself appear:
Rule 6. The composition of the original pic shouldn’t be altered.
“Over Shoulder” – the original shot:
“Over Shoulder” – cropped, to get the effect of “dominating eye”:
These are just a few of the unwritten “rules”, there are some more. They are good to know, but don’t worry to much. Ok?
/GFN
Sunday almost two weeks ago in Amsterdam. Some people just don’t want to stop and chat.
So serene, so calm. This pic is taken at de Dam in central Amsterdam just a few days ago. She was there with here mother, playing with pigeons (see the cracker in front of her?). And posing to those who showed a camera. Cute.
At the “Denkmal für die ertmordeten Juden” in Berlin (the Holocaust monument), you do think a lot. One of the few public places that I’ve been very restricted with my camera. I guess the place got to me too.
Just outside the Banhof at Warschauer Straße in Berlin. He just waited for someone.
GFN Street Photography 