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. […]
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Cropping an Image to Explore New Formats
Getting composition right when under pressure to “take the shot” can be challenging for a lot of photographers, both experienced and not so experienced. Making sure the focus point is where it needs to be, for example, can lead to a bit of “centre” heavy composing – where the subject is smack, bang in the […]
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Don’t Just Make a Carbon Copy
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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Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Four.
8. Light Funnels Urban landscapes create many Light Funnels that Fan Ho took advantage of to either add drama to an image, or backlight a subject to some degree. The narrow confines of Hong Kong’s streets offer many opportunities to narrow the flow of natural light into a funnel. In all of the images, […]
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Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Three.
5. Look for Angles that are Not Ninety Degrees. The Beauty of 120 Degrees. Ninety degree angles naturally appear everywhere. Fan Ho often created images using angles other than ninety degrees, often approximating 120 degrees. Angles other than ninety are unexpected and more interesting. The angles of the shadows in this image are much wider than […]
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Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part Two.
2. Light Edges Light Edges are very clear, defined strips of light contrasting with a shadow. These feature regularly in Ho’s images to highlight what is usually a small human subject. The size of the subject removes the “human” face and enables the viewer to project themselves into being the subject (IMHO). These Light Edges […]
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Fan Ho – 9 Composition Techniques. Part One.
Fan Ho has captured Hong Kong over the years using a Rolleiflex. Born in 1937, Ho has an important body of work that borrows from his experience as a Hong Kong based film director. You can find out more about him at his website here, and an interview with him here. I have one of his […]
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Busy Places – Buildling Your Skills
Busy Places Busy places are full of busy people all moving in different directions with different purposes. Their minds are wholly engaged with their own affairs and missions. Whether in a group or by themselves, their main priority is whatever it is that they are doing. Their default is to not even notice you, unless […]
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Getting Used to Photographing People – Ruckenfigur
The next theme to explore is Ruckenfigur, a German word which translates to “back figure”. The “back figure” is a recurring theme in romantic landscape paintings, typified by Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th century German Romantic landscape painter. Ruckenfigur style compositions are generally seen from behind the main subject, who guides the viewer with their own […]
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First Steps – Landmarks
One of the first subjects with minimum stress levels are landmarks. Landmarks I am using this as a generic term for any interesting inanimate subject. It could be a sculpture, a sign on the road, a factory door, public artwork, graffiti – if it ain’t breathing (and is not just dead!) then it is a […]
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Some Fundamentals
Philosophy Street Photography is about urban exploring, wandering with a purpose. Lots of walking. Capturing people and places in a city, going about their business. Doing it on a regular basis is a must. Getting out the front door, onto a train every weekend. Going to the same places and seeing something differently, and sometimes finding […]
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Starting Out – Street Photography 101
Preparing to give it a try… Why give it a try? What camera do you need? What I am assuming you know. Where you can find out more. 1. Why Give it a Try? What’s your motivation? Street Photography is a worth challenge for those who are already familiar with their camera, and others looking […]
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July 19, 2014 