Archive for the ‘candid street photography’ Tag
Some experts support the notion that for candid photography to be “authentic” you cannot use postprocessing for enhancement. Some may say that while it’s ok to use mercury during image development and spiral into insanity, the computer is the “poison” for your creativity.
This idea probably stems from the fear that the computer makes things so easy, professionals are going to be overwhelmed by amateurs. It is similar to the perpetual struggle of professional gilds against mass production. Ultimately, progress is inevitable.
Opponents of postprocessing are fundamentally misguided because the more good pictures we have, the better. Even with the edition of postprocessing, nothing can make a dull image interesting. The art of photography will always remain in the skill of the photographer.
I use very simple post processing tasks:
- Cropping and rotating
- Converting from color to B&W
- Enhancing contrast
- Sharpening
Usually this takes no more than 10 minutes. If I feel that my postprocessing is taking me too long, it’s probably a bad image in the first place. It’s better to take the time to find a better shot, than slave away behind a poor composition.
I chose this image as an example because I did nothing with it.
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Rules and myths of candid photography: Black & White or Color
After work one day, I had about 3 hours to myself. I decided to kill the time shooting with a 70 mm f/2.4 using a wide open aperture.
Considering its reach, this is an amazingly small lens. With 70mm I can always use the viewfinder and there is no reason to think about shooting from the hip.
The depth of field (DOF) of f/2.4 is shallow and my only goal is to focus on the object. This is a liberating experience. The challenge is to focus on the moving target, so don’t think about what else you want to be sharp.
For more pictures go to Shooting with Pentax 70 mm 2.4 wide open only
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Rules and Myths of Candid Photography: Wide angle or telephoto lenses
First and foremost, this blog is about candid photography. If you ask the subject for permission, no matter how you do it, the person has time to get ready for the picture. The photographer can get an interesting and excellent artistic result, but this cannot be considered candid.
If you’re worried about privacy invasion, law-breaking, possible confrontation, or other problems, don’t do candid photography. There is no other solution. It is the same as driving a car or traveling. You can get a ticket, be mugged or just get into a bad accident. Photographers have to use common sense and accept the risks.
After you’ve made your shot, please, feel free to talk, ask permission, and give business cards or anything else to resolve a possible conflict.
Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised from your “victim’s” positive reaction.
These pictures illustrate another point. Even a person, obviously seeing a lens directed at him, creates genuine expression of confusion. This interesting case deserves a separate topic.
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Candid Street Photo 