Streets Street edits - please critique

Halide · 06-21-2016, 09:43 AM

Here are a couple of shots that I cropped and pp'd to B&W...
I would value any input.
Thanks,
Halide

EDIT: I just noticed that my before and after for the first image are 2 different shots,
I kinda think the first has a better sense of movement.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

View Picture EXIF

Last edited by Halide; 06-21-2016 at 10:10 AM.

alamo5000 · 06-21-2016, 10:40 AM - **1 Like**

Here are a couple of things that come to mind.

First 'street' shooting doesn't always mean completely spontaneous. Go scout out locations that look interesting. Choose your lines of composition and basically compose a shot and take it home and examine it. Do you need to be higher or lower or at a different angle? Note the light and when and where it falls. This can help you decide if you need to be there at 7am or 7pm. After that you can easily go and wait for people to come through. Scout out scenes first if at all possible.

The very first black and white shot is the best to illustrate some points. It has both some measure of depth perception to it AND it also has 'tension'. Just small things like the position of the lady's feet tells the viewer she is moving and creates 'tension'. The problem with it though is that the tension is leading out the right side of the frame but the depth leads your eye towards the left side of the frame.

All these elements of composition need to be brought together to focus the viewer's attention onto something even if it's just the scene itself. In that shot I picked out you have two different effects going and individually both are good but put together in that specific image they almost detract from one another because one distracts and moves the eye from the other....

You will also find that subtle things make a huge difference. The angle you are shooting at. Are you tall or short? Did you stoop down? Did you stand on a fire hydrant to get a shot? Is the slight angle of the camera in your hand tilted up or down? Is it twisted left and right?

Those lines on your view finder are there for a reason. Use them and line up the shots and get your horizons level or whatever else.

The good thing about digital is you can take 50 shots of the same scene all from slightly different angles and see which one is the most appealing.

**yucatanPentax** · 06-21-2016, 10:55 AM

I like the sense of motion in the first over the second also. I would crop that top one down to eliminate the yellow traffic signals, as those tend to draw the eye. To me, without the signals, the motion is even stronger.
On the 3rd, it's too bad he's in so much shadow, but the B&W conversion seems much better. It's also cropped to eliminate the traffic signals, which enlarges the one way sign. I think that's an interesting feature.

Halide · 06-21-2016, 11:52 AM

Thank you both for your input. To Alamo5000, the tip about scouting locations and revisiting is great advice. I find that I am still a bit anxious about photographing people, and that I am sometimes discouraged by my low number of "keepers". Focusing on setting up the shots beforehand, I think will help a lot.

To yucatanPentax, yah I also think that the B&W conversion of the Man in the shadow is better. It was a very hot and bright afternoon, and he positioned himself in the shade of a telephone pole for some respite from the sun. I think if I showed that pole in the frame, that it would have worked better.
But due to him being in shadow, I had to spent a bit more time playing with the settings in Camera Raw when bringing the file into photoshop. Do you have any rules of thumb for B&W conversion?

alamo5000 · 06-21-2016, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by Halide

Thank you both for your input. To Alamo5000, the tip about scouting locations and revisiting is great advice. I find that I am still a bit anxious about photographing people, and that I am sometimes discouraged by my low number of "keepers". Focusing on setting up the shots beforehand, I think will help a lot.

Once you get a shot set up you are taking a picture of a scene. If people walk through your scene that's their problem

Again too it all depends on where you are from and how you interact with people. In the US and many Western places it becomes much harder in my opinion depending on the environment.

Look through some of my threads and you can see some of my 'street' or 'candid' shots. A lot of the time it's not about sneaking up on people. If you want people shots you are gonna have to talk to people.

There is a whole big giant thing out there about that though. It all depends on what you are after.

osv · 06-21-2016, 02:25 PM - **1 Like**

it's really good to work through the technical aspects of getting the capture and processing correct, but ultimately you have to be thinking about what makes a shot compelling.

it's an element in the photo that creates tension, raises questions, tells a story, etc... you want to see that before you put the camera to your eye to take the shot.

alamo5000 · 06-21-2016, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by osv

it's really good to work through the technical aspects of getting the capture and processing correct, but ultimately you have to be thinking about what makes a shot compelling.

it's an element in the photo that creates tension, raises questions, tells a story, etc... you want to see that before you put the camera to your eye to take the shot.

A perfectly exposed picture of a brick wall... is still... a brick wall. LOL

Content matters. I agree 100% that 'what makes a shot compelling' is probably the biggest element.

osv · 06-21-2016, 03:00 PM

from what i've read, fan ho used to set the scene up like you said, waiting for the light to be perfect, and then either shoot whoever happened to walk through the scene, or deliberately pose someone interesting in the shot, in just the right place.

he didn't have money for film and developing, so he had to get it right before he took the shot... for me, his use of light and shadow is pretty much unmatched in street photography, i don't think that anyone has ever done it any better, but other shooters were perhaps stronger in different ways.
1950s Hong Kong Street Life Captured By Fan Ho

alamo5000 · 06-21-2016, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by osv

from what i've read, fan ho used to set the scene up like you said, waiting for the light to be perfect, and then either shoot whoever happened to walk through the scene, or deliberately pose someone interesting in the shot, in just the right place.

he didn't have money for film and developing, so he had to get it right before he took the shot... for me, his use of light and shadow is pretty much unmatched in street photography, i don't think that anyone has ever done it any better, but other shooters were perhaps stronger in different ways.
1950s Hong Kong Street Life Captured By Fan Ho

I've never heard of that guy but I really like his work!

The other main thing is to be observant. Observation is the key to good photography. It could be something curious, it could be something funny, it could be something interesting, but it just needs to be visually appealing as well.

Part of the problem with digital is that people get too snap happy and never think about what they are trying to do. In a lot of ways it's about self discipline. Personally half the time I pretend I have a film camera and only so many exposures. It makes me slow down, think about it, and try to capture something interesting.

But for sure especially in streets or whatever people and shadows are big elements. There are a million ways to approach it but all I know is that good light is good light and it will either make a good photo better or a bad photo suck more.

Observation of light and observation of people... then place that in context.

06-21-2016, 10:40 AM - 1 Like	#2
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Here are a couple of things that come to mind. First 'street' shooting doesn't always mean completely spontaneous. Go scout out locations that look interesting. Choose your lines of composition and basically compose a shot and take it home and examine it. Do you need to be higher or lower or at a different angle? Note the light and when and where it falls. This can help you decide if you need to be there at 7am or 7pm. After that you can easily go and wait for people to come through. Scout out scenes first if at all possible. The very first black and white shot is the best to illustrate some points. It has both some measure of depth perception to it AND it also has 'tension'. Just small things like the position of the lady's feet tells the viewer she is moving and creates 'tension'. The problem with it though is that the tension is leading out the right side of the frame but the depth leads your eye towards the left side of the frame. All these elements of composition need to be brought together to focus the viewer's attention onto something even if it's just the scene itself. In that shot I picked out you have two different effects going and individually both are good but put together in that specific image they almost detract from one another because one distracts and moves the eye from the other.... You will also find that subtle things make a huge difference. The angle you are shooting at. Are you tall or short? Did you stoop down? Did you stand on a fire hydrant to get a shot? Is the slight angle of the camera in your hand tilted up or down? Is it twisted left and right? Those lines on your view finder are there for a reason. Use them and line up the shots and get your horizons level or whatever else. The good thing about digital is you can take 50 shots of the same scene all from slightly different angles and see which one is the most appealing. Last edited by alamo5000; 06-21-2016 at 10:48 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Macro Please critique	juacali	Photo Critique	6	11-25-2019 12:53 PM
Nature Please critique	Carol8345	Photo Critique	7	05-30-2016 12:15 PM
Macro Please Critique	Geodude	Photo Critique	14	05-21-2016 10:47 AM
PP edits, please compare to originals	cb750r	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	6	02-01-2010 09:09 AM
Lightroom 1.1 Edits - Feedback Please?	deludel	Photo Critique	3	07-10-2009 09:07 AM

06-21-2016, 10:55 AM	#3
yucatanPentax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dallas / Yucatan Posts: 1,841	I like the sense of motion in the first over the second also. I would crop that top one down to eliminate the yellow traffic signals, as those tend to draw the eye. To me, without the signals, the motion is even stronger. On the 3rd, it's too bad he's in so much shadow, but the B&W conversion seems much better. It's also cropped to eliminate the traffic signals, which enlarges the one way sign. I think that's an interesting feature.

06-21-2016, 11:52 AM	#4
Halide Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 26 Original Poster	Thank you both for your input. To Alamo5000, the tip about scouting locations and revisiting is great advice. I find that I am still a bit anxious about photographing people, and that I am sometimes discouraged by my low number of "keepers". Focusing on setting up the shots beforehand, I think will help a lot. To yucatanPentax, yah I also think that the B&W conversion of the Man in the shadow is better. It was a very hot and bright afternoon, and he positioned himself in the shade of a telephone pole for some respite from the sun. I think if I showed that pole in the frame, that it would have worked better. But due to him being in shadow, I had to spent a bit more time playing with the settings in Camera Raw when bringing the file into photoshop. Do you have any rules of thumb for B&W conversion?

06-21-2016, 12:24 PM	#5
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Originally posted by Halide Thank you both for your input. To Alamo5000, the tip about scouting locations and revisiting is great advice. I find that I am still a bit anxious about photographing people, and that I am sometimes discouraged by my low number of "keepers". Focusing on setting up the shots beforehand, I think will help a lot. Once you get a shot set up you are taking a picture of a scene. If people walk through your scene that's their problem Again too it all depends on where you are from and how you interact with people. In the US and many Western places it becomes much harder in my opinion depending on the environment. Look through some of my threads and you can see some of my 'street' or 'candid' shots. A lot of the time it's not about sneaking up on people. If you want people shots you are gonna have to talk to people. There is a whole big giant thing out there about that though. It all depends on what you are after.

06-21-2016, 02:25 PM - 1 Like	#6
osv Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: So Cal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,080	it's really good to work through the technical aspects of getting the capture and processing correct, but ultimately you have to be thinking about what makes a shot compelling. it's an element in the photo that creates tension, raises questions, tells a story, etc... you want to see that before you put the camera to your eye to take the shot.

06-21-2016, 02:39 PM	#7
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Originally posted by osv it's really good to work through the technical aspects of getting the capture and processing correct, but ultimately you have to be thinking about what makes a shot compelling. it's an element in the photo that creates tension, raises questions, tells a story, etc... you want to see that before you put the camera to your eye to take the shot. A perfectly exposed picture of a brick wall... is still... a brick wall. LOL Content matters. I agree 100% that 'what makes a shot compelling' is probably the biggest element.

06-21-2016, 03:00 PM	#8
osv Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: So Cal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,080	from what i've read, fan ho used to set the scene up like you said, waiting for the light to be perfect, and then either shoot whoever happened to walk through the scene, or deliberately pose someone interesting in the shot, in just the right place. he didn't have money for film and developing, so he had to get it right before he took the shot... for me, his use of light and shadow is pretty much unmatched in street photography, i don't think that anyone has ever done it any better, but other shooters were perhaps stronger in different ways. 1950s Hong Kong Street Life Captured By Fan Ho

06-21-2016, 06:04 PM	#9
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Originally posted by osv from what i've read, fan ho used to set the scene up like you said, waiting for the light to be perfect, and then either shoot whoever happened to walk through the scene, or deliberately pose someone interesting in the shot, in just the right place. he didn't have money for film and developing, so he had to get it right before he took the shot... for me, his use of light and shadow is pretty much unmatched in street photography, i don't think that anyone has ever done it any better, but other shooters were perhaps stronger in different ways. 1950s Hong Kong Street Life Captured By Fan Ho I've never heard of that guy but I really like his work! The other main thing is to be observant. Observation is the key to good photography. It could be something curious, it could be something funny, it could be something interesting, but it just needs to be visually appealing as well. Part of the problem with digital is that people get too snap happy and never think about what they are trying to do. In a lot of ways it's about self discipline. Personally half the time I pretend I have a film camera and only so many exposures. It makes me slow down, think about it, and try to capture something interesting. But for sure especially in streets or whatever people and shadows are big elements. There are a million ways to approach it but all I know is that good light is good light and it will either make a good photo better or a bad photo suck more. Observation of light and observation of people... then place that in context.