Featured Street Photographer – Andrew G Thomas

Next up from the SITHOM Exhibitors for 2017 is Andrew Thomas!

Shot In The Heart of Melbourne is an annual street photography exhibition featuring local artists. It is an absolute must see if you love candid street images.

SITHOM Exhibition details

Where:  Victorian Artists Society
430 Albert Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002When: Thursday, 11th – Monday, 22nd May, 2017
Weekdays:  10am – 4pm   Weekends:  1pm – 4pm

MSP is going to feature a few of the photographers to get you interested in getting along!

Why Street Photography?

Firstly – I love walking the pavements of Melbourne (or any place I find myself in) and breathing in the life of the city. To me street photography – my need to capture honest images of the street, its people, icons and culture is a natural extension of this.

I like to get up, walk and observe unobtrusively – particularly in the morning when things are coming to life. I also think you need time for street photography – I find its hard to go out and do within a limited time frame. its all about walking around, getting a feel for the site and what you will hopefully capture. With street photography you never know what moment is about to be realised.

What Got You “Into” Street Photography?

I have always enjoyed taking note of the street, its people, intricacies and detail. I particularly love some of the very Melbourne or Australian things that are unique to our streets as well as the characters young and old that you may happen upon.

Even from when I was a kid I have always relished flicking through photographic books displaying the works of Dupain, Cartier-Bresson, Bill Brandt (in particular) and others. Their images of people and everyday objects have inspired me to get out on the streets and shoot.

Your Best Tip?

Be yourself, create your own personal look to the images you take. Don’t take the easy or obvious shot – that to me is not street photography.
Think about the shot and how you would want it to be seen. If required accentuate the look you are after via post production. Be ruthless with what images you keep and present to the world.

Your Favourite “Go To” Spot?

I think street photographers have to naturally find their own favourite “go to spots”. In general I like the bustle of the city and the inner suburbs particularly where there is some urban grime and age to the street – where true lives are lived.

What Gear Do You Like and Why?

I have the unobtrusive Olympus OMD micro 4 thirds kit comprising:
2 x OMD EM5 bodies – the original EM5 which is more compact than the larger more SLR like bodies on recent OMD updates.
1 x 12-40mm f2.8 Pro lens
1 x 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens
I carry my kit in a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover bag – so easy to access gear and it doesnt look like a typical camera bag.
Also – no velcro enclosures to create that velcro rip noise when getting the camera out of the bag!

 

Let’s check out some of Andrew’s images…

1. Ibis

This image confirms that less can be more! Reducing clutter in an image can lead to powerful, compelling images. There is a nice balance to the image with the chimneys reaching up to the birds flying past. The motion of the birds delivers some tension to the stoic nature of the chimneys. The simple tones also deliver a pleasing result.

2. Caryard

Again, less is more. This image is of a deserted car yard in Echuca. Andrew’s ability to spot simple compositions that are free from clutter is quite advanced. I like the muted variations in colour and tone on the brick wall which contrasts with the life of the tree.

3. Escalator Down

Focus is overated! Well, in this case, it is more about capturing motion through blur. The stainless steel lines of the escalator at Parliament Station run on an aesthetically pleasing angle, highlighted by the blue lines in the background of the shot which run parallel. The simple silhouetted image ensures there is little visual distraction – focusing in idea of the person moving down…

4. The Rowers

Looks like an early morning start for Andrew to get this image. Particularly important to this composition is the figure to ground ratio – the subjects are clearly outlined against the background. The four boats form a pleasing curve starting in the bottom left corner and leads the eye around to the rower in the far background.

Showing the viewer something new is a key to developing interest in your images. Andrew has achieved this by showing what happens on the banks of the Yarra River whilst most of us are still in bed…

You can see more of Andrew’s work here.

Any Other Links / Things / Thoughts You Would Like to Share?: I love the work of Javier Gredline a wonderful street photographer in LA. Check out his photos of that unique LA spirit on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgredline
or on his blog: http://jgredline.blogspot.com.au/