_DSC0077
Oct, 2014Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Capture Leading Lines Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Behind You Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Take A Stroll Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Right Down The Middle Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Architecture And People Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Into The Tunnel Photo Contest
Runner Up in Walk Away Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Walk Away Photo Contest
People's Choice in Tunnels, Portals and Doorways Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Concrete Jungle Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Hallways Photo Contest
Thefolioapp Professional Plan
Contest Finalist in Keep Walking Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Exceptional Contrast
Virtuoso
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TheoShilton
January 14, 2015
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TheoShilton
February 18, 2015
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken in the Greenwich Foot Tunnel in south east London. The tunnel itself is an underwater connection for foot passengers and cyclists that runs under the river thames. It connects the south bank of the river at Greenwich with the North Bank of the river at Island Gardens and Mudchute Park.Time
This image was taken in the early afternoon and I had to be patient as there was quite a large footfall in the tunnel due to it being a weekend. The most important thing for me in this shot was to just have the architectural structure and a sole person in my shot to create a strong sense of symmetry and focus with an easy to follow leading line. In relation to light levels however it would not have made any difference whether it was light or dark outside as the tunnel itself is a 2 minute lift down from the surface that runs underwater and is devoid of natural light.Lighting
The lighting I used was what was presented to me in the tunnel. There are fairly bright lights lining the tunnel and this allowed me to avoid using any flash when shooting. This was key to creating the silhouette effect as any flash in such a small area would have completely changed the image when bouncing off the walls and sole person in the shot.Equipment
I used a Nikon D3000 and an 18-55mm kit lens. This was one of my earlier images and I was working with my first camera and single lens combination. This is a great example of not needing a huge kit or expensive camera to be a competent photographer. Although my current kit is much more versatile and my body is now an upgrade in the form of a D7000 you certainly don't need the most expensive camera to take a good picture!Inspiration
This is one of my better images and a bit of a lightbulb moment! I had previously visited the tunnel many times and my portfolio has a lot of content of images shot in tunnels. This is probably a by product of living in london and commuting through the tube network which has a huge amount of structures similar to this one. I like an image that leads somewhere and that guides the viewer through it. It is easier on the eye of the viewer and the less distractions you have in an image the more you can draw your audience into your main focal area. Leading up to taking this shot my partner had been waiting patiently for me to take images of the tunnel in an empty state and then decided to meet me at the other end. As she walked down the tunnel I could see her shape and silhouette was creating the perfect composition as it unfolded in front of me. I began to shoot at different focal lengths trying to balance her figure with the architectural structure around her. After getting her to walk the tunnel a further 3 or four times I was rewarded with this final shot. Thank you Cassie for your Patience!Editing
I firstly cropped the image in Photoshop and then transferred the image into Lightroom for slight re-touches. I try not to do too much post processing (apart from in my HDR work) and I only really tweaked the contrast clarity and sharpness of the image before settling on this final edit!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. Secondly I have a 10-20mm sigma 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 enthusiast. 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. 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
It may sound obvious but always be aware of your surroundings. Street photography to me is all about seeing a moment and being ready to capture it there and then. You are capturing a moment of real life not composing a more artistic image. A second too soon or too late and the moment is gone. I was lucky in this instance to know my subject personally but if your subject is a stranger, as is the case with most street photography, you cannot really go up to them and ask them to re pace an area for your shot! Try to have a flexible lens for the job, I always carry my 18-300mm lens with me wherever I go and its nearly always attached to my camera. I can shoot to a low wide angle of 18mm or instantly switch to a medium zoom length up to 300mm. With the unpredictability of this style of shot having some flexibility is the key to capturing the perfect image!
