TheoShilton
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Contest Finalist in Walking Down The Street Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 3
Contest Finalist in Downtown in Black and White Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Depth In Black And White Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Black and White City Life Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 8 Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Tokyo's Asakusa District in Japan. The neon streets come to life at night and in the rain create beautiful reflections.Time
It was around 10pm in the evening. Me and my partner were heading back from a bar in the rain and we stopped to have a cigarette in a sheltered area. I noticed the street lights reflecting off the wet street surface and the people scurrying through the rain. I got my camera out ( A Nikon D7000) and attached my 18-300mm lens. This allowed me some flexibility in the area I was shooting as the road was quite long I needed to get up close to my subject.Lighting
I used the street lights for my lighting. Tokyo is awash with neon and almost anywhere is a great spot for street photography. Just use a reasonably large aperture and a good ISO to compliment the faster shutter speed! An open aperture is perfect for gathering up all the light and colour in the scene.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7000 and an 18-300mm lens. I shot at 1/125 and I think the aperture was quite open at around f3.5 or f5. The street was well lit so there wasn't much need for an increase in exposure or shutter speed. I didn't use a flash or a tripod the shot was handheld.Inspiration
My surroundings inspired me to take the shot. Its hard not to fall in love with tokyo at night time. The busy illuminated streets capture your imagination and present literally hundreds of shooting opportunities during a short walk. The umbrella was they key for me in the end. I like how the umbrella's added to peoples silhouettes and created a bit of mystery to their character.Editing
I just de saturated the image in photoshop. I then moved into Lightroom and increased the highlights, clarity, sharpness and whites. I try to keep processing to minimum in my non HDR work. I like a viewer to see what was there not a fictional reality. Your goal as a photographer is to capture the moment you witness and take the person to that exact moment and time. I really feel that this image does just that!In my camera bag
I carry a Nikon D7000, an 18-300mm lens for street and people photography. I have a 10-20mm lens for architecture, both interior and exterior as well as an 8mm and a 6.5mm fish eye when 10mm leaves me wanting. I also have a 4.5mm circular fish eye for surreal shots although it doesn't get as much use as the other lenses. If i'm away I also carry a sigma 150-500mm lens for wildlife photography. Theres nothing worse than not having the lens for the job!! I have recently invested in a 35mm lens for portrait and street photography. With an aperture of f.14 it really allows me to get bright night shots with the huge amount of light the lens lets in.Feedback
Make sure you are in a busy city district on a busy night. Either a weekend or holiday or late night shopping nights. Make sure you know its set for rain and also have a rough idea of where you might shoot so that you can shoot somewhere thats undercover so you don't ruin your gear!! Don't run around frantically find your spot and wait for people to pass by. Your surroundings are just as important as the character in your shot and its harder to find the landscape when on the move.