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Feb, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was captured within an alleyway in Historic Downtown Annapolis. Generally I choose locations/subjects that catch my eye but are less well-known and/or people walk by them without second thoughts. Most of the time this means I photograph objects that are typically spur of the moment discoveries that hopefully show people things that they look at all the time but never see. For me this shot was somewhat more challenging because I decided to also be the human subject of the photo.Time
It was taken roughly between nine and eleven at night. I did not pick this time specifically but it certainly added to the final product. The mood, the large shadow and the bright lighting in the background all would be different or absent altogether. Night and darkness in general add a sort of melancholy, mysterious, even menacing tone to many photos and I happen to like that.Lighting
The lighting in this photograph was very important in a number of ways. Without the street lights in the background the photo may have been too dark, I do not use flash very often, the shadows would've been less pronounced and the lightening itself adds a great deal of character and symbolism. It makes you wonder what is this person walking toward, what is he walking away from, and creates a major focal point near the center of the photo.Equipment
The camera I used, if my memory serves me correctly, was the 8 megapixel iPhone 5 rear camera. If that makes you raise an eyebrow or scuff I don't blame you as an iPhone grade camera is hardly professional. However this was before I could justify investing in a more sophisticated and more expensive DSLR camera. But the versatility and simplicity of an iPhone was really more efficient regarding my needs at any rate.Inspiration
In short I don't really know what inspired me to capture this. Or at least I can't give any concrete reason(s). Usually I will snap anything that piques my curiosity in the moment though I think it goes beyond that simplistic answer. Perhaps I'm going after subjects that grab me in some subconscious or psychological way. But what I really love about this photo was the juxtaposition of lightness and darkness, the edginess of the setting, the depiction of a man crossing between the two toward the light, the way he's sort of hesitantly looking back and the way his shadow changes the closer he gets to the light.Editing
Most of post-editing I did was to enchance the brightness of the lights and the darkness of the shadows to give a more obvious contrast. Honestly I feel like it's over-saturated overall but I'm very satisfied with the established mood of the photo.In my camera bag
I'm sure most photographers carry much more extensive variety in equipment than me. But I suppose that reflects my style, which is very laid back, off the cuff and extremely limited by budget. Typically I'll use my iPhone 6 camera for quick snaps or anything that doesn't necessitate something better. For everything else I use my Nikon D3300 DSLR. Nothing super fancy yet but it gets the job done.Feedback
Street photography or one involving urban architecture has particular challenges. Dealing with excessive distractions, most commonly people walking all over your shots, can be frustrating. Patience will key here. Scouting out towns and cities is important too so that you get the best and most unique location that suits your vision. For this shot ample lighting was very important as it is for all night photos especially if you aren't using flash. Getting a good angle was tricky too since the alley and everything in it wasn't symmetrical or very straight. Try to choose a setting that has a lot of elements to play with, experiment with a large number of shots, take a talented assistant with you and use your eyes as well as your imagination and you can't go wrong.
