A beginner at "Street"

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I have always found Street photography to be extremely difficult. Most of my own work is abstract or landscape, but I do admire well-done Street images, such as the ones posted on LuLa by Russ, Stamper, Seamus, and Petermfiore. I don't expect to come up with any gems like the ones they show regularly. But, since I visit New York City from time to time, opportunities abound, and I'm beginning to try to take advantage of some of them, with a pocket camera (Canon S110) that I generally carry with me.

In this thread I intend to post some of my attempts from time to time, starting with some from my visit to NYC last week. Comments encouraged.

For my first attempt, I have two photos taken a few minutes apart of the same subjects. In the first, I was delighted to see three New Yorkers all reading actual books! In the second, two of the three...

[RSL]

It's a great start, Eric. Simply growing the cojones to make a shot like this is a big step in the right direction.

[francois]

What a start!

[seamus finn]

Welcome to the Street, Eric. The fact that you even noticed the scene - not to mention having a second bite - tells me a lot. Good luck with your project - looking forward to seeing your work here.

[stamper]

I hope you have good shoes and a lot of patience. When you capture a keeper then I think you will find it a bigger thrill than other types of images. You have done well so far.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Here is my next submission, which I call "At home on the N train."

I was sitting across from this guy, who seemed to be sleeping, for several stops. When he finally shifted enough so that the vodka bottle became visible, I had to get the camera out and shoot.

And while I'm at it, another one: "Bulldog."

[Rob C]

Like the second one, Eric; shame it wasn't a cat!

;-)

Rob

[RSL]

Pretty advanced stuff, Eric. Very good. One suggestion though: Hoboes tend to be easy to shoot but boring. I must have at least a hundred hobo shots. I quit shooting them long ago. The saving grace for this guy is the vodka bottle. The woman with the dog is priceless. Bravo! One thing you might want to try when you do street is convert to B&W and just check the result. The graphics often improve the effect, and color sometimes is a distraction rather than a contribution.

[seamus finn]

What a start! You're well and truly in business, Eric. I agree with Russ about the b/w - give it a try and see how sometimes it can transform an image and it concentrates the mind wonderfully for street - unless there's a compelling reason to use colour, of course.


A personal rule:  avoid anything that ridicules or humiliates.  This isn't the case with the vodka guy - the bottle explains everything, and you come to it late. I love the bulldog shot - priceless.

[petermfiore]

Like the second one, Eric; shame it wasn't a cat!

;-)

Rob

Careful!!!

Peter

[Rob C]

Careful!!!

Peter

;-)

Rob

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

OK, folks, here are two more, converted to B&W as recommended by the Jury.

The first I call "Chess."

The second I call "On the High Line."

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

And here are the previous four, converted to B&W.

[BobDavid]

The three people on a bench photos are interesting in a quiet way. The young lady reading a book while those flanking her are into their phones.

I think the photo of the pooch between the young woman's legs is hilarious.

I prefer the color versions.

[seamus finn]

The three people on a bench photos are interesting in a quiet way. The young lady reading a book while those flanking her are into their phones.

I think the photo of the pooch between the young woman's legs is hilarious.

I prefer the color versions.

So do I.

[Rajan Parrikar]

Outstanding work, Eric!

[stamper]

You have done very well but there will be a few days when nothing appears to work, however the exercise will be beneficial.

[RSL]

Hi Eric, It's shocking, shocking, but I don't agree with Seamus about the color. I think the hobo is better in color, but the other three come across better in B&W. Of course it's a personal thing, so it's not something you can argue about.

The second batch is good too. I suspect the chess game might be better in color, but only because the black player's face tends to get lost in the background. As far as the other one is concerned I think the graphics of the action might be lost in the irrelevancies of color. Don't know. I always like to look at my stuff in color and B&W and then make the decision. I shot B&W film for decades, so B&W always beckons me.

After looking at this stuff I'm beginning to think you're a natural. Keep banging away and remember stamper's advice. There are far more disappointments in street than appointments.

[muntanela]

The three people on a bench photos are interesting in a quiet way. The young lady reading a book while those flanking her are into their phones.

I think the photo of the pooch between the young woman's legs is hilarious.

I think all the photos are hilarious, very hilarious,  the first two as a sequence.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Thanks for all the useful comments, guys.

One thing I've confirmed with this experiment: Doing Street is hard work, requiring both infinite patience and super-fast reflexes in order to get the "appointments."

You regular "Streeters" make it look much easier than it is. But it sure is satisfying to get one or two.

-Eric