Borough Market spotlight...
Borough Market, London...
Borough Market, London...
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Jun, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken just inside Borough Market in London. Bourough Market is near to London Bridge tube station and therefore not far from the river Thames.Time
It was taken between 5pm and 6pm GMT. I was meeting a friend out of work as I was only staying over in London that night before continuing my journey to the Leicestershire in the Midlands, Central EnglandLighting
It was a cloudy day and Borough Market is a market with quite a substantial roof with not much natural light penetrating into the market. Some entrances to the market are quite dimly lit with a few overhead lights and this shot is taken in one of those walkways.Equipment
The shot was taken with my trusty Canon 450D with a 50mm lens - taken freehand with no tripod, no flash and no reflector.Inspiration
For many years now I have been taking part in the 100 Strangers Project on Flickr and whenever I get the chance to travel to a new city (or return) I try and take a few portraits to include in the project. I had arrived early at Borough Market and my friend wouldn't finish work for half an hour so I quickly scouted out a few locations but nothing was presented as a 'good' location. I then spotted the alleyway and noticed how the light fell on a passerby. I have always wanted to take a portrait like this with overhead light and today was my lucky day. Before I could even take a test shot or set my camera up properly, I spotted Carolina walking towards me with her cool headphones and just had to ask her for a portrait...Editing
I lighten the shadows a little bit and altered the contrast and straightened the shot up but that was it...In my camera bag
I tend to travel light when scouting for strangers so the only things I have in my bag are my camera, my 50mm portrait lens, the standard 18 - 55mm lens as a backup and a small reflector for close up portraits. I also carry a card with my details on so the strangers I meet can contact me or know where to look to see their portraits. And if I have run out of cards (as in this case!) I carry a pad os PostIt notes with my contact details scribbled on them...Feedback
Smiles, patience and politeness are all you need for asking strangers for their portraits. Being rejected is taken as given. You will be rejected now and again but if you remain positive, smile, be understanding if you are rejected and keep trying, you will be surprised by how many people will stop and make time to have their photo taken. If they are in a hurry, work quickly and try not to hold them up. Be happy but keep striving for the 'perfect' shot. After a time, you will spot in an instance a good location with a decent background. Light is key, preferably not direct sunlight and take a look at how the light shines (or not) off the walls around your location. A white wall can work like a softbox and a dark wall can add atmosphere to a portrait if there is enough ambient light around. Experience and perseverance will prevail...!
