DSC08231-3
May, 2016Views
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darcithompson
June 30, 2016
I think this is a fabulous shot. Love the centre composition, the use of colour and the posing of the subject looking off. Great work
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Around February, I decided to leave behind my Thai massage business in the United States to rekindle an old passion of mine--photography. I did a little work for an Aerial Yoga retreat in Costa Rica and headed to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. After meeting a girl from Mexico City there, I decided that I wanted to visit her for a week in April. That week turned into 5 months and I'm still here--in love with the girl, Adriana, and exploring Ciudad de Mexico. A native of Mexico City, Adriana is constantly introducing me to new areas of the city and holding my hand through the chaos of public transportation in this urban jungle. The photo was shot inside a trolley bus in the Coyoacan district. It's very unusual that the buses are empty, but as soon as it was, Adriana ordered without hesitation, "Toma una foto!" (Take a picture!) Here's what he got from the impromptu shot.Time
In all honesty, I don't remember the time of day. Adriana does a spectacular job of making me forget about all the rules of photography and requesting photos in the moment... even if I do it begrudgingly. She has taught me how to embrace the moment and throw out all the things I've been taught about great light and just take the frikkin' picture. If I had to make an educated guess, I'd say it was around 3pm or so.Lighting
As photographers, we're almost always thinking about the light and how it informs our shot. I still consider the lighting when I can take my time, but when I'm with Adriana, time is sort of a loose concept. These days, I shoot candidly and from the hip more than formal photoshoots so light is much less important than capturing the moment. With this photo, Adriana and I literally had only a few minutes before the trolley bus was full of people. Also, shooting inside a moving vehicle obviously has its challenges. One of those hurdles is that the light coming in through the windows is always changing and bouncing off the metal inside the bus in different ways. Buddhism, another important factor in my life, teaches this, too. Everything is temporary and ever-changing. The only thing that IS constant is that everything changes. This concept has taught me to wait patiently through uncomfortable circumstances for soon enough there will be another moment that is unforgettable. All of that is a long-winded way of saying that I think this shot was more luck than skill, but I'm more than happy with the result.Equipment
I used my Sony A6000 with my not-so-special but not-so-bad 16-50mm kit lens. I don't have a lot of money and, in turn, don't have a lot of expensive equipment. I work with what I have and sometimes that's more than enough.Inspiration
In most of my photography, it's apparent that I love contrast--the rich and the poor, the pristine and the dirty, the colorful and the drab. Obviously, my partner is my source of inspiration in this photo since she requested out of nowhere that I take the shot on this empty trolley bus, but she understands me and my photography well enough to know what I like.Editing
Of course, I post-process. It's how we, as artists, make the image our own. Besides, I'm not skilled enough to take an award-winning photo in-camera. I'll leave that up to the pros. In truth, I don't remember what I did with this image or any other image, really. I just play around with it until I like it. So far, that method seems to work out for me just fine.In my camera bag
Nothing special. If you wanna buy me some expensive gear, feel free. Money has always been my hurdle and still kind of is. I carry my Sony A6000, Sekonic light meter, a reflector, and sometimes but rarely an external flash. But really, I just try to get the best shot I can with what I have on me at the time.Feedback
Similar to this? I guess dress your girl up in some colors and take her on the bus. Also, TRAVEL! Get out of the places that are most familiar. I'm not saying you can't find something interesting in your daily surroundings, but it's certainly a lot easier in places that are MUCH different than what you know.
