Poison

[davidc]

Another recent attempt, the locale for this one might look familiar

iso400
f2 - if memory serves
1/125th sec
50mm


Poison by cedarsphoto, on Flickr

[Rose]

Very nicely seen David ! Composition wise I might have liked a bit more of the lady on the right hand side... but you can't always achieve perfect compositions with street shots. You may have been constrained by the lens length and of course you had to get in the word "poison" on the left to have the impact you were looking for. I'd like to see what it would look like in B&W too...

[davidc]

Yeah I see what you mean, panning slightly to the right and I'd have been able to get her in and still keep poison. This was a snapshot from the hip practicing zone focusing - I turned away from him, focused on something about the same distance away, checked it looked good then lined it up on him. He didn't seem happy that I was taking his photo so I retreated pretty quickly. He didn't seem happy full stop, come to think of it!

Tried converting it using the limited tool I have at work, could probably improve it with more time I think?

poison2.jpg

(1.96 MiB) Not downloaded yet

[Mike Farley]

..... panning slightly to the right and I'd have been able to get her in and still keep poison.

It might also have had the benefit of moving the main subject off centre, although you might then have been forced to include more of the person on the left. It's difficult to win, sometimes!

I know that you were focussing manually, but as with your "Dan" image, the main subject is not quite sharp.

[Nina]

Yep, certainly looks familiar David! Mike has covered some points I may have made, but I like it anyway. You were brave to aim your camera on that guy. What camera did you use?

[davidc]

Canon AE-1 with the "standard" FD 1.8 50mm lens. I quite like how it renders OOF areas, particularly compared to my EF mount 1.8.

Been reading a lot of books and guides to street photography and how to capture candid scenes without the action of taking the shot interfere and zone focusing is one way of doing that. The side effect is that it can mean the main subject isn't pin sharp.

[Rose]

I like the B&W version better, it gives a documentary feel.

I love taking street candids but just wish I were invisible ! I don't like poking my lens too obviously at people and have often gone through all sorts of pantomime pretending I'm not taking a photo of someone !

[Mike Farley]

I like the B&W version better, it gives a documentary feel.

+1

I love taking street candids but just wish I were invisible ! I don't like poking my lens too obviously at people and have often gone through all sorts of pantomime pretending I'm not taking a photo of someone !

There are different schools of thought about this, with one being that an honest approach is best and letting people see the camera so that they know what you are doing. Obviously, that makes candids harder and it's a judgement call about the sort of person that you point the camera at and their likely reaction. Being aware of all possible escape routes if all else fails is not a bad idea either. If you are spotted being furtive, that alone could raise unmerited suspicions about your motives, especially if there are children around or you are in an area where the "authorities" deem that there might be a potential security risk.

[Rose]

I'm all too familiar with the last one you mention Mike, after years of taking street shots in and around Westminster !
Railway stations are the worst though.

[davidc]

You can often get permits but even then it still doesn't stop the fun police shooing you around!

Agree about the mono conversion too.