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On a Hungarian train near the Serbian border two women seated behind me were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice me taking their picture over t...
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On a Hungarian train near the Serbian border two women seated behind me were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice me taking their picture over the back of the seat.
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Jul, 2014Views
1006
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Awards
Featured
People's Choice in Creative Ideas On Communication Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Creative Ideas On Communication Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Exceptional Contrast
Virtuoso
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Top 30 rank week 1
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dorothypierini-rodgers
August 28, 2014
What a great story they can tell - We can learn so much from them.
AlanJakarta
January 27, 2015
Great candid shot. Congratulations on being the People's Choice Winner.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was made on a Hungarian train near the Serbian border. The two women seated behind me were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice me taking their picture over the back of the seat.Time
It was an early overcast morning in June and we had been traveling south along the Danube River.Lighting
Athough there was no artificial lighting in the train car, the window provided a soft and hazy natural light from the side and back. I pre-focused and pre-metered for the skin tones using my traveling companion before turning around to quickly capture the moment before they broke their concentration.Equipment
This was shot on some of the last Ektachrome 200 film I could find, handheld with an Olympus OM-1 slr and a Zuiko 50mm 1.4 lens at f/2.8 and 1/40 sec. The resulting transparency was converted to digital by photographing the slide with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and a Zuiko 12-60mm at 24mm, f/4.0 and ISO 200, with a 1/40 sec. exposure.Inspiration
I saw this same scene when I first entered the nearly empty train car. We chose to sit in the seat ahead of the ladies, knowing that the light would get stronger as the sun rose higher, and the right moment would present itself. I had confidence that the film I was using and the fast lens was adequate for the situation. When I turned around some twenty minutes later the scene had not changed and they were still in earnest conversation. It was an intimate moment that I was privileged to capture.Editing
Shadow and highlight detail were recaptured in Lightroom 5. A small amount of sharpening and noise reduction was applied. Color balance and saturation were left unchanged to match the Ektachrome transparency.In my camera bag
I actually have two bags that I regularly use - one stricly for digital and another filled with fast Olympus OM mount legacy prime lenses. In my digital bag I carry Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus E-3 and E-420 bodies, with Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60 and 50-200 SWD zooms, Zuiko 25mm 2.8 pancake lens, Zuiko 35mm 3.5 macro, FL-36 flash and EC-20 2X teleconverter. I also use the outstanding Samyang 24mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4 primes. Those Zuiko SWD zooms are the sharpest, fastest-focusing zooms I have ever used. When I made the switch from Four-Thirds to Micro Four-Thirds I continued to use these lenses. In my legacy lens bag I carry an Olympus OM-D E-M5 body, Metabones Speedbooster, Olympus Zuiko 28mm 2.0, 35mm 2.0, 50mm f1.4, 135mm 2.8, 200mm 4.0 primes, Nikkor 35mm 2.8 shift lens (for panoramas) and a Vivitar Series 1 Komine made 75-210mm zoom. I love using these old lenses with the Olympus in-body image stabilization and the Speedbooster in extreme low-light situations. Plus the Micro-Four Thirds sensor can adapt to almost any legacy lens ever made.Feedback
The window of opportunity to capture authenticity closes fast when a camera is noticed. The less obtrusive you are the more effective you will be. If you can, shoot unnoticed from waist level with an articulated viewfinder, or with your camera at waist level pointed to the side. If you must present yourself head on, prefocus and premeter to take the photo quickly before your subject registers. And remember, there is a difference between intimacy and privacy. Always respect privacy when seeking the truth of the moment.
