Simple things.
Smoke and a Paper - Simple Things
Smoke and a Paper - Simple Things
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Jan, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, Australia. The mall is a busy pedestrian area full of buskers, life and everyday people.Time
It was one of those days that I was feeling a bit flat, so I forced myself to go out to the city cbd and get amongst the energy of the pre Christmas shopping rush. It was Midday when I first went into the city and I knew there would be a lot of people around – perfect for street photography. The image was taken on the 22/12/2013 at around 1.30pmLighting
It was an overcast, but humid day, and the light was even and flat. So it was nice to take advantage of that light so I could portray the weathered character before me, and show the detail in his skin, tattoos and hair.Equipment
This was shot on my very first DSLR – my trusty old Canon 50D, which now has a new home in someone else’s kit. I used a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 telephoto lens to isolate my subject.Inspiration
I’ve always been inspired by everyday people on the streets, and just went into the city to get amongst the Christmas vibe. I was just using my powers of observation, and this guy, doing his thing amongst the throng of shoppers really caught my eye. As I had such a unique subject before me, I actually took photos all around him in a complete 360, with different moods, backgrounds and even a shot of him drinking some rum! Also, I wanted capture him present, without any interruption from myself, so I was covert in my approach in capturing him.Editing
Even before I took the shot, I was thinking in black and white, so naturally went with B&W for my post processing. Firstly, however, I took the photo into camera raw for some adjustments to the lights and blacks, and some clarity for detail. I did the B&W conversion in Photoshop CS6, with subsequent layers of levels adjustments for contrast.In my camera bag
It really depends on how I feel. Back when I took this shot, I always seemed to carry the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 with me, so as to isolate my subjects, and also to be a more covert street photographer. However, I do like to challenge myself and now I often walk around with a Tamron 24-70 f2.8 or Canon 17-40 f4, which means I have to get closer with regards to portraits. As a street photographer, everything is based around feeling, and I use this with my lens choices as well.Feedback
Malls and central city areas are like highways of life. So before going anywhere with all guns blazing, take some time and observe, observe, observe your environment! Look at the people around you, feel the vibe, observe the light. Once you have found your subject, try taking a whole series of photos to capture a story. And, if you want to stay covert take a zoom lens, which will afford some breathing space between yourself and the subject.
