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Location
I took this photo in the Asakusa district in central Tokyo in March 2014. I was walking around the many shops in the market and this woman who was selling pancakes just had something about her. I queud up in line (as is custom in Japan they even que for the underground which is shocking for a Londoner!) andbought a pancake and asked if she would mind me taking her photo. In shock of my request she started this beautiful howl of laughter and couldnt stop, I fired a few shots and ended up with this image. Sometime taking people photos on the street can be an uncomfortable encounter bu this was one of the best!
Time
It was mid evening around 8pm when many Japanese people are going for drinks or dinner. The Asakusa area has big religious connotations and many people come in the evening to pay there respects at the shrine. This creates big business in the area for food and drink as well as souvineirs and the atmosphere is one of the best traditional experiences in the city.
Lighting
All street light for this and I avoided flash because the back of the woman's shop was very well lit. I used and open aperture and low ISO to get the best detail on her face with the light at my disposal.
Equipment
I used a Nikon D7000 and an 18-55mm Nikon lens. No flash or tri-pod were required.
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Inspiration
I find with street photography you are just drawn to people, either their face or their energy you just know thats someone to shoot. I saw the woman ahead of me and the way she was interacting with her customers and other staff just drew me to her. I dont think anyone knows exactly why you shoot a certain person in street photography you just somehow know thats its right. Its not about looks or style its their personality that inspires you.
Editing
I de saturated the image and cropped slightly in photoshop. Then i moved the image into Lightroom and increased the clarity contrast and sharoness slightly to give the image more punch. I then applied a very slight vignette to bring the focus closer to the centre of the image before exporting.
In my camera bag
As I like to be prepared for any eventuality I carry nearly all of my gear with me at all times. The body I currently shoot with is a Nikon D7200 which is always set to shoot raw files. Because of this I carry two 32gb memory cards to make sure I am covered for any eventuality. This is probably a bit excessive for storage but there is nothing worse than running out of space when you are shooting. I have a variety of lenses that I carry, most at all times and some only on specific occasions. My main kit consists of an 18-300mm Nikon lens which is almost always attached to my camera. I really like the versatility in this lens especially when shooting street scenes and people shots. It really allows me to be flexible when on the move and gives youi the option of getting close up or shooting from afar. Secondly I have a 10-24mm Nikon lens that I use almost exclusively for architecture. This is a great lens for interior and exterior shots and rarely leaves me wanting when trying to capture large buildings in small spaces. I also carry a 24mm tilt shift lens for correcting converging verticals architectural shots. I don't not find this lens as flexible as the 10-20mm as you need to be a fair distance from your subject to fit everything in. However when shooting professional architectural images it can be an invaluable asset to have. Also I am admittedly a bit of a fish eye junkie. I currently have 3 fish eye lenses, one circular and 2 diagonal. The circular is set at a 4.5mm focal length and is mainly used for street images and architectural shot using a floor to sky perspective (this just composes of my lying on the ground and shooting straight up much to the confusion of passers by). The diagonal lenses are set at 8mm for the first lens and 6.5mm for the second. The 8mm is the go to lens when I cannot fit a structure within the viewfinder of my 10-20mm lens and the 6.5mm is an extreme back up to the 8mm. These are ideal for any interior based architectural work especially large cathedrals. Finally I have a 150-500mm Sigma lens that I use for wildlife photography. Due to the weight and size of this lens I only ever carry it when on a specific trip to capture animals. The flexibility with the focal length of this lens makes it the perfect partner when shooting wildlife where you have no control of your subject or surroundings.
Feedback
A market is a great place for street photography especially people shots. There are always plenty of characters creating moments around you. Just take your time and watch whats going on and never be afraid to ask someone if you can take their photograph. You will always get people who dont like it or are awkward and dont end up creating a good shot but then you will sometimes get moments like these when somebody is completely themselves and all you have to do is push the shutter. These are the ones you remember and can make a day or trip something you remember every time you look at that photograph. (I hope thats not too cheesy!)
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