After feeling a bit “out of the zone” yesterday, juxtapositional compositions came to the rescue. Just find a great sign and wait for the right subject to come into frame. They are a staple for a lot of street photographers – although it takes a fair bit to add enough to the composition to […]
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Tag Archives: street photography lesson
Urbanity Image Review #10
January 2, 2015 
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Sometimes, ya gotta get back to basics… one of the first things any composition book will teach is to look for natural frames for your subjects. Frames are not something I think consciously about often enough. This shot features a frame within the frame, which helps take the composition heightens the interest. The two subjects are […]
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December 14, 2014 0 Comments
Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. There are weddings happening all over Hong Kong during the week. They appear quite random. Just the bride, groom, maybe one or two others and photographers with magnificent kits of gear. Probably not much different to Melbourne, it is just unusual to see them all week on the streets […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #8
December 7, 2014 0 Comments
Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. Temple Street Night Market. Well, there is a theme here – a few shots from the Temple Street Night Market made the cut, and there were a few more that got very close to be included in the Urbanity Exhibition. The more you practice a skill, the more you […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #7
December 5, 2014 2 Comments
Taken in Hong Kong March 2014. Another ripper from the International Finance Centre. Make sure you give it a good look if you are in town. The simplicity of this image is what I love. Simple tones and colours, clearly framed in three key blocks, let the composition elements stand out. Things in threes continue […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #6
November 29, 2014 3 Comments
Another image taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. Taken at night in the bright lights that don’t seem to have an off switch. The complete cool indifference of the girl to her surroundings is a universal truth for all “door bitches” around the world. She is some kind of gatekeeper for the “VIP Bar” up […]
Continue reading Creating Impact – Free Ebook Online – Review
November 28, 2014 0 Comments
Photographers who take the time to think about their technique, dissect it, and share it are my favourites! After doing some more web research recently, I came across Marie Laigneau’s wonderful little ebook called “Creating Impact”. You can tell how much I liked it by my copious notes captured in the image above… Laigneau is […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #5
November 14, 2014 2 Comments
Beware, I get a bit more technical liney on this one… Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. I am pretty sure this was at the International Finance Center. A perfect set of circumstances for black and white film… The IFC is surrounded by some awesome overhead covered walkways and connects through to the Hong Kong […]
Continue reading Book Review – “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon
November 12, 2014 4 Comments
I was in need of a quick self directed creative workshop, so I downloaded a copy of “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon for my Kindle App. I missed the tactile nature of a book and kinda missed out on the groovy pics and graphics that seem to always work better in the print […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #4
November 8, 2014 1 Comment
Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. For the record, I shot a total of 32 rolls of Ilford HP5 and AGFA APX 400 on this trip – approximately 1000 shots for a total of 13 final images for the exhibition. A hit rate of 1.3% if my math is correct? Hmmm, if you are going […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #2
November 5, 2014 1 Comment
Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. Some careful preparation rewarded with an opportunity. The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is regarded by many as one of the worst eyesores in the city. It looks just like a massive block of concrete, without windows, without hope, like a jail. The concrete provides some great texture and […]
Continue reading Urbanity Image Review #1
November 3, 2014 6 Comments
Taken in Hong Kong, March 2014. A somewhat “lucky” shot. There are three distinct planes in the image defined by the location of each of the subjects. I am starting to love finding different, clearly defined planes in images. The suggested lines of diminishing perspective (the long arrows!) are accentuated by the lateral lines of the […]
Continue reading Urbanity Photographic Exhibition – The Story
November 3, 2014 5 Comments
Below is an updated article (original here) featured in the Image Catalogue for the Urbanity Exhibition. Over the next weeks, I will be presenting a review of each image and some thoughts around why it appealed to me. Ever found that you have started taking the same image over and over? A particular type of […]
Continue reading AAMI Park Stadium
October 18, 2014 1 Comment
Melbourne is sports crazy. AFL, Rugby League & Union, Soccer, Cricket, and the list goes on. The stadiums for these sports all offer fantastic urban landscape opportunities, and an opportunity to shoot the fans. AAMI Park Stadium has a unique triangle filled roof. There is also plenty of concrete to inspire your photography. The Holga image above […]
Continue reading Book Review – The Street Photographer’s Manual
October 10, 2014 0 Comments
A great little book to drive inspiration on those days where you are a bit ho-hum about it all. The author, David Gibson has written a whole book full of tasty little bits and pieces to get any street photographer fiesty and firing the shutter! The book focuses on short profiles of street photography masters, […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Six – Summary
October 8, 2014 4 Comments
1. Contrast between experiences – a bored subject contrasting with an excited subject. Accentuate the contrast by placing the two subjects on different planes. 2. Look for hopeful “Hail Mary” passes! Subjects that are overly hopeful or optimistic. 3. Spot reflections, frames & windows to include in compositions. 4. You won’t […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Five
October 5, 2014 1 Comment
Maier’s Typical Street Portrait. Maier has a signature crop to her street portraits. In the image above, you can see the rough size relationship of the subject to the 6×6 frame of her Rolleiflex marked out. Below, you can see the rough dimensions / proportional relationship running consistently throughout the compositions. Even her self-portrait almost conforms […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Four
October 4, 2014 1 Comment
Find an interesting perspective to shoot from. Maier consistently captured her images from unusual perspectives. From above, below, or even breaking the fourth wall and getting behind the subject. The single easiest thing you can do immediately to improve your street photography is to change your perspective. You can read more on this specifically here. […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Three
September 27, 2014 0 Comments
Wow, so much from one single image! It is not in Maier’s typical grittier style. The image gains a dreamy quality from the lack of importance placed on image sharpness. Focus is not always necessary to create an aesthetically pleasing image. Think Robert Capa on D-day… Find Portals to Another Time Whilst it was probably […]
Continue reading Vivian Maier – Composition Tips Part Two
September 26, 2014 0 Comments
I have spent some more time now with Vivian Maier through the book “Street Photography”. As you tell by all the tabs, I love a lot of her photos! Maier is a fascinating person in her own right, but I am sure you can googlify her to read more. There are plenty of things you can […]
Continue reading Exploring New Places
August 31, 2014 2 Comments
Take the path less travelled. Some of your best images are waiting to be found in places you wouldn’t expect. A fundamental purpose of photography is to show people something they might not ordinarily get to see. An experience, a moment in time, a place… Sometimes the most ordinary of places can be hoarding something […]
Continue reading Stop Taking the Same Images Over and Over
August 30, 2014 5 Comments
Ever found that you have started taking the same image over and over? A particular type of composition that you find particularly pleasing – so you start to see it everywhere. And photograph it over and over. I found late in 2013 that I was losing my photography spirit. I had reduced the number of […]
Continue reading Value of a Notebook
August 2, 2014 5 Comments
Ever felt a bit flat about your photography? Like you are taking the same groundhog day shots every time you go out? Last November, I made a commitment to take another step forward with my pursuit of creative growth. I had slipped into a groove which had rapidly developed into a rut. As photography is […]
Continue reading Changing Perspective
August 1, 2014 7 Comments
One of the hardest things to avoid in street photography is “same same” perspective. The nature of the activity – walking around and instant opportunities – results in the photographer mostly bringing the camera up to to the eye at head height. We see the world around us, every day, at head height. We are used […]
Continue reading Life Magazine Photographers – Lesson 2
July 27, 2014 2 Comments
Lane’s image of a plain office style building encouraged me to reassess my view on urban landscapes. I avoided scenes without clear human subjects for a long time. The image offers a view into the world of others. Each window gives a small part of a wider story. Cropping the image removes the visual references […]
Continue reading Life Magazine Photographers – Lessons 1
July 26, 2014 3 Comments
Looking at other photographers’ work is a great way to find your own style. Whilst I am in the midst of reading quite a few specialised street photography books, they can be fairly demanding of my attention. I have to make some “quiet time” to really get into them. I recently managed to watch […]
Continue reading The Art of Bar Photography – Part Two
July 25, 2014 1 Comment
In the last article, I outlined some basic guidelines to getting subjects to pose in bars. This time, I am going to share the story behind some of my personal favourites to help illustrate the lessons. The Punk Kid Taken at The Corner Hotel in Richmond. Delta 3200 film – hence the extreme grain I […]
Continue reading The Art of Bar Photography – Part One
July 20, 2014 2 Comments
I was hanging out with a few photography buddies at a pub called the “Marquis of Lorne”. What a pub named after Lorne was doing in Fitzroy confused me somewhat, but we had a great day over a few pints and cameras. One of my esteemed colleagues commented on the preponderance of portraits of younger […]
Continue reading Trent Parke – 3 Lessons from “Summer Rain”
July 19, 2014 1 Comment
A copy of “Magnum Contact Sheets” was in my Santa Sack last Christmas. Who would have thought Santa was that clued up on photography? The book presents some of the most famous Magnum images and pairs them with the contact sheet it was selected from. The photographer also gives some commentary around the photo and selection rationale. […]
Continue reading Don’t Just Make a Carbon Copy
June 1, 2014 2 Comments
Architectural Photography is a passion for some. Taking a shot of a building’s interior or exterior, with the perfect lens, on a perfectly still tripod, with the perfect light, and at the perfect angle is challenging pursuit that requires patience. The same applies to Landscape photography. The result can often transcend the technique. But mostly […]
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