# I tried "some street"...  it didn't go well!



## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

This is a scene I pass frequently; these folks are set up on a street corner diagonally across from a "woman's health clinic".  No prizes for guessing what the nature of most of the treatments are...  anyway, I've driven past it so many times and thought that there were some great street images...  unfortunately, it would appear that this is _*NOT*_ my forte...  HOWEVER, I would appreciate any input on what (if anything) might make them better.  

For:






Against:





The whole scene:


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## RichieT (Oct 28, 2014)

They all look really bored which doesn't help. Sometimes honking your horn as you go by fires them up and adds a little life (no pun intended) to the scene.


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## Gary A. (Oct 28, 2014)

Robert Capa stated that If the picture isn't good enough then you're not close enough.


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## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

Gary A. said:


> Robert Capa stated that If the picture isn't good enough then you're not close enough.


If Robert wants to stand in the middle of a very busy street to get the shot, he's welcome to do so!  I waited probably five minutes to get these care-free shots.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 28, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Gary A. said:
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> 
> > Robert Capa stated that If the picture isn't good enough then you're not close enough.
> ...


Welcome to street shooting where the keeper rate is <5%.

No emotion, no mystery, no mood
No photo


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## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> ...No emotion, no mystery, no mood.  No photo


Pretty much, yeah...  it's one of those cases where I know there are some good images to be had, but I can't seem to get them.


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## Gary A. (Oct 28, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Gary A. said:
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> > Robert Capa stated that If the picture isn't good enough then you're not close enough.
> ...


Robert would have crossed the street.


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## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

Gary A. said:


> tirediron said:
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Then I would have been _*too*_ close...


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## TheStunch (Oct 28, 2014)

need long glass and a good vantage point lol  also bored is ok, if you play up that angle


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## JoeW (Oct 28, 2014)

I have to agree (generally) here with Gary A.  Here's my take:

People often think that street photography is about going out with a camera and taking pictures of people.  I don't think that's it.  I think it's primarily one of two things. Either (a) you're waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for the sudden moments of emotion or events to synchronize and hopefully you're lucky enough to capture them.  The waiter at the outdoor cafe who slips with a tray full of food and the patrons who look up in horror as they see the food descending on them and you capture just that moment.  The couple re-uniting after 6 months apart and the obvious joy in both of their faces.  The two people debating some issue and one rolls her eyes with such disdain.  The point is, events happen and you're prepared and observant so you capture it.  

Or the second approach is that you create a shot.  You look at the situation and you choose a vantage point or perspective to make a statement with the photo.   You edit reality by selecting your story and the elements.   Maybe instead of being across the street you're on the same side so we see a line of signs and people.  Maybe you shoot them from the back so we see signs (can't tell what they say) but get the reaction (or non reaction) of passer-bus.  Maybe you focus solely on the expressions (which appear mostly bored) and you show just enough of the signs so we get the juxtaposition of a passionate position and a bored position-holder.   Maybe you have a very narrow DoF so we see just one face in-focus and everything else is a blur of signs and people (implying that it's all a mess of positions and counter positions). Think of this second approach to street photography as trying to tell a story.  So think ahead...what's the story here?  What's the statement you want to make with your picture?  Then go create that message.

I don't think Capa (and Gary A) were saying you were too far away in terms of a focal point and you needed to zoom in...you can use a zoom lens for that.  Rather, Capa is saying "if your picture is 'blah' than it's b/c you aren't taking enough risks (and no, that doesn't necessarily mean standing in front of cars) and aren't close enough to the story to be able to say 'here's the picture!'"  

So in this instance, how Capa is relevant is....besides asking yourself what the story is that you could tell (or want to tell) with this setting, ask yourself what you could have done to have gotten more knowledgable or closer to the possible picture.  Do something to draw their attention (and move them from boredom)?  Accompany a visitor to the clinic (so you're photographing the signs and protesters from the POV of the visitor/patient?  This is about privacy and limits.  Capa is saying that if the picture isn't good enough, then you need to know more about the situation, take more risks, get more involved.  And to be honest, there are lots of times where I personally am not willing to get "closer."  Let me give you an example...I was in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 60 (where the Afghan and Iraq war dead are buried). I saw two women on the ground in from of a headstone.  It was an okay shot but nothing notable about it.  If I'd intruded on their pain and found out more about who they were and the headstone they were in front of, or if I'd made it obvious I was photographing them, all things that would have gotten me "closer" I'd have gotten a better photo.  I'd also have felt like an a-hole in that situation.  I chose to respect their privacy and dignity.  So getting "closer" gets you a better photo but some times we all may decide a better photo isn't worth getting closer.


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## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

Fair comment...  I realize that these images didn't work, and I'll have to think some more about how to approach it.  I don't want to change the mood, since in my mind, that would make it something other than what the scene actually was.


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## Derrel (Oct 28, 2014)

People who are passively sitting, holding polite signs signs don't generally make for good photos. Signs propped up by stone walls with backpacks to hold the sign up do not make good street fodder. Until there are protestors yelling, gesticulating, shouting, and or carrying provocative signs, there just isn't much to see. One woman, sitting, with a sign held by a backpack, and two signs propped up against a stone wall...there's not much to _get closer to_. This isn't like the protests Lew has shown here, with a cross-drerssing man in hot pink mesh and signs decrying ,"_Jesus hates fags!_" and other distasteful, inciteful, unsettling crap like that...this is a quiet, respectful example of less than a handful of people holding polite, informative signs advocating one point of view, and a single female, and a backpack too! holding polite signs representing the opposing view.

These show what was happening...very calm, peaceful, static, roadside expression of political views. Not a demonstration, not a march, not a riot, not a confrontation, not a protest...just some calm sign-showing. If it "didn't go well," it's because this has about the same amount of drama as me making a ham sandwich...it's not even as spirited as a high school football game with two different crowds, one cheering for the home team, the other cheering for the visitors. It's accurate and honest, but it's not the cliche "protest or demonstration street photo" you'll see where big crowds gather, and the protestors are amped up on adrenaline and coffee and political hatred.

The seated, static, passive body posture is a clue that this is very peaceful, non-active expression. The fact that one sign is being held up by...a backpack is a good gauge for how "active" this activity actually was. I doubt much could have been done with this scene, really. Those who disagree are free to come by this weekend to make some exciting pictures while I make _multiple ham sandwiches_ for the Stanford/Oregon football game.

What would have made this better would be some people around the sign-holders, a crowd, some real emotion, some people who were angry, excited, active, standing up and moving around. It's not your fault that these are boring: this is a VERY quiet, reserved, polite, respectful, non-confrontational sidewalk display. It's calmer than a school football game. It lacks hatred, disrespect,loathing, and all the other stuff that is the cliche of the protest photo.


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## tirediron (Oct 28, 2014)

Agreed; the idea that I want to get across is the "pros" on one side and the "cons" on the other, but at the same time, they don't really seem to care about it.  IF that makes sense to anyone but me...


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## Derrel (Oct 28, 2014)

tirediron said:
			
		

> Agreed; the idea that I want to get across is the "pros" on one side and the "cons" on the other, but at the same time, they don't really seem to care about it.  IF that makes sense to anyone but me...



It TOTALLY makes sense...their body language is apathetic...totally passive. The woman with the sign, and then the backpack holding up a handled sign, and then two signs propped up against a stone wall? OMG...four signs and only the ONE, individual woman, representing a whole political point of view? That is apathy of the highest order! Can't even get another person? This isn't your fault John--this is simply a bad situation. I've seen more emotion around the uncorking of a wine bottle. I disagree with your idea that there are "good images to be had." I disagree with that, totally.

You up for a photo shoot of me makin' a plate of ham sammiches???


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## tirediron (Oct 29, 2014)

Derrel said:


> ...You up for a photo shoot of me makin' a plate of ham sammiches???


On white or whole-wheat?


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## photoguy99 (Oct 29, 2014)

I don't do critique so this ain't that. I don't have any answers either, this is your photo to make, not mine. I can tell you how I'd approach it.

First, you're lucky. Those is static, it's not a dynamic environment where you can't think, you only have time to shoot. You can think for months of need be.

Second, what's going on here? We have two sides, deadlocked. Deadlocked so long they're bored to death. And yet there must be an undercurrent of passion to keep them out there, plugging away through the boredom.

Or something like that.

How would you paint that? Big questions: is it a dark and gloomy painting? A bright one? Is it colorful or monochrome?

Now, what's the view? Is it the whole scene? Is it a single face with a fragment of a sign? What captures the feeling you want to get at? Will a claustrophobic or an open feeling support your idea?

More detail. Are the shadows deep or shallow? Is the color, if any, rich or muted? What does snow do?

When you have a painting visualized in rough strokes, at least in terms of what elements should go into it, go out at the right time of day when the weather is right, and shoot for a while.

Look that stuff you shot. Anything you like? Probably not. But maybe, just maybe, you've got the germ of an idea. Maybe you scrub all the ideas you've had and run with the new one. Maybe you see how to refine your first idea.

It's not just about putting the actual detail of the actual scene down. That's journalism. It's about making a beautiful composition that also records the essence, or an essence, of the scene. That's street.


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Derrel said:
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> > ...You up for a photo shoot of me makin' a plate of ham sammiches???
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Eight-grain, dude, eight grain!!!


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## DanOstergren (Oct 29, 2014)

Regardless of whether the shots work or not, I still love the first one. I would love to talk with her and take an epic portrait of her holding that "I SUPPORT A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE" sign.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

Gary A. said:


> tirediron said:
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So would I with a 28mm on my Leica and they probably wouldn't know I took there picture they probably spotted you with your big dslr and 70-200 ?


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## Vince.1551 (Oct 29, 2014)

The first pic holds a lot of meaningful content. Personally I'll crop the top a tad to keep a clean horizontal top and brighten the girl so as to make her stand out from the dark background. A little more space on the left will be great as well. Oh and I'll crop away the distraction on bottom right and clone away some effects on the right to enhance focus on subject matter   


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## astroNikon (Oct 29, 2014)

My first street photography consisted of a street drain cover; a fire hydrant and a lamppost.  So you're doing better than me.


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## Forkie (Oct 29, 2014)

Yeah, that's not the most animated rally I've ever seen...  Was it lunchtime or something?!


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## Didereaux (Oct 29, 2014)

To the contrary I believe that your 'whole scene' shot is good.  It just needs a title...maybe 'Has the passion gone?'   As noted there are few people involved, and they all seem bored.  So for an issue that used to bring out death threats this is a big change, and you have the story in one shot.  Presentation is a big thing in street shooting...starting with the title.


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## Overread (Oct 29, 2014)

I've read a few of the comments talking about how apathetic the people are and how that makes for a bad shot and that you need to find/wait for some action to happen. However that is just really asking to make thing easier. 

It's easy to make action or extreme behaviour into a cool shot because the behaviour itself draws easy interest and focus. You can hunt for action or curiosities and that works- but I think if you want to really master this area you've got to learn to find the shot in anything. Even something so calm and peaceful as this. To work so that you can show the apathy through your lens and into the final shot. Life has given you lemons so you gotta learn to take photos of lemons not necessarily go hunting for pineapples. 



Also as I recently started shooting a new subject area I can sympathise with the blindness a photographer can have. Learning to shoot a new event or type of scene requires learning how to see that event with new eyes. You've got a whole wealth of little things to pick up on - and big things too. You have to learn what you need to look for so that you know to look for it in the first place. You can learn part of that from others; but the rest is getting out there and spotting it yourself - and taking LOADS of dud shots. Loads of them - because each shot is an experiment and by doing it yourself you get to see the results first hand and have the experience of shooting them. Eventually you'll start to find your voice - you'll find the shots that work for you (or shots that work for others and help guide what you look for -- since for most of us what we come to shoot is a combination of personal and 3rd party input).


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## Overread (Oct 29, 2014)

As a thought - for the first shot I feel its shot too wide. You've brought too many signs into things in my view and that has diluted the shot (at least in so far as emotion is concerned - its a good documentary of the event). I'd have considered portrait aspect and cropping closer - making the bag and woman into the two primary subjects of the shot (small association as she's looking toward the bag and the sign). Almost then making the shot emptier as she's looking toward someone who isn't there perhaps.


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## sashbar (Oct 29, 2014)

Yeah, welcome to the club tirediron! You have great potential 

No, seriously, once you "get" it , with your skills and technical prowess you will be shooting great street pictures in not time.

Oh, wait a minute, it takes A LOT of time, whatever the skill. 

Street shooting is infectious and exiting, but be prepared for that:  if you walk around for 5 hours, take 200 shots and come up with a single decent image, you are in the business (figuratively speaking). If you come home with nothing, you are still in the business as long as you are still hooked. 

As one great, I mean GREAT, master of street photography once said, "99,9% of my shots are total failure" .


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

Next time you go, go with a 28mm or 35mm and get in their faces within 12 feet


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## JoeW (Oct 29, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Agreed; the idea that I want to get across is the "pros" on one side and the "cons" on the other, but at the same time, they don't really seem to care about it.  IF that makes sense to anyone but me...



It makes complete sense to me.  So your challenge then would be:  how to I compose a shot that focuses on the juxtaposition of passionate positions with bored stiff representatives?  Not sure what the answer to that is.  Maybe intrude in the situation and ask the two groups to stand/sit together with their respective signs.  Or ask the people to leave so we see only signs.  Maybe a tighter crop.  Maybe that's not composeable (if that's a word) with the elements you've got there without intruding.

And I forgot to say in my initial post...thanks for sharing.  We often learn more from the good ideas (and this is a good one) that don't quite manage to work out then we do from the shots we conceptualize that work like magic.  Appreciate you taking the time to share this and your thinking about why you took it.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

It isn't clear from the pictures what you are trying to show.
Sometimes the picture presents itself and sometimes you have to work at it.


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## sashbar (Oct 29, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Gary A. said:
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You are never too close in street photography


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

just my opinion. But shooting protesters is closer to snap shots or "duck shots". way overdone, protesters are common, and when they walk around with signs they aren't really hard targets. i prefer (just my opinion of course) the more creative forms of street shooting that aren't just snapping someone holding another sign..

what might be good about the original photos posted is they aren't all worked up and seem really bored as it makes a additional statement (while weak).


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

bribrius said:


> just my opinion. But shooting protesters is closer to snap shots or "duck shots". way overdone, protesters are common, and when they walk around with signs they aren't really hard targets. i prefer (just my opinion of course) the more creative forms of street shooting that aren't just snapping someone holding another sign..
> 
> what might be good about the original photos posted is they aren't all worked up and seem really bored as it makes a additional statement (while weak).



People waiting for portraits just sit there.
Mountains and trees just sit there.
Flowers just sit there.

If you think it is easy to get a shot of protesters that actual says something beyond just reproducing the content, then I suggest you actually try it.
My impression is that you think 'it' is easy is probably because you don't understand what 'it' is.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> bribrius said:
> 
> 
> > just my opinion. But shooting protesters is closer to snap shots or "duck shots". way overdone, protesters are common, and when they walk around with signs they aren't really hard targets. i prefer (just my opinion of course) the more creative forms of street shooting that aren't just snapping someone holding another sign..
> ...


i drive by them. why would i want a photo of another person complaining?


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## tirediron (Oct 29, 2014)

Thanks for all of the points folks!  FWIW, I am firmly convinced that there's at least one good image in the scene, and to me the apathy's important, likewise why I don't want to walk right up to them and shoot.  The reason they look like that [I assume] is that they're there all day, every day and have been, as far as I'm aware, for the better part of a year, and it's more like a soldier on boring sentry duty than anything else.

I don't think one genre of photography is any more difficult than another, but it does take skill and practice to develop the eye for what makes a good image in that particular genre.  I'll have another bash one of these days and see how it goes.


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## Designer (Oct 29, 2014)

I clicked "funny" because the lone activist had apparently brought many signs and propped them up as if being held by fellow activists.  And the fact that the two "sides" were only steps apart on the same piece of sidewalk.  

IOW: Success!


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## Designer (Oct 29, 2014)

Now, if you had incited them to violence against each other, well then you would have something.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

This is where the actual thinking comes in.
If you want to emphasize the one person/many signs vs the many people, many signs, that's where the effort by the photographer comes in.
Their natural clustering doesn't make for much of a shot from a distance.  Perhaps more of a closeup on the one person that shows her signs with the other people visible in the background.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> This is where the actual thinking comes in.
> If you want to emphasize the one person/many signs vs the many people, many signs, that's where the effort by the photographer comes in.
> Their natural clustering doesn't make for much of a shot from a distance.  Perhaps more of a closeup on the one person that shows her signs with the other people visible in the background.


maybe.
i would look for other things too if i was inclined. The different shoes on the pavement and pavement textures. Maybe a sign held backwards so you couldn't read it . The cars driving by or people walking by ignoring the protesters, or maybe a news crew guy sitting on the back of a van eating a sandwich with the protest in the background. Anything that says another statement than what the actual protest is about. just my take on it.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

We have lots of people here who talk about what they would do.
In the discussions, everyone is a star.

This is photography.
Show pictures.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> We have lots of people here who talk about what they would do.
> In the discussions, everyone is a star.
> 
> This is photography.
> Show pictures.


don't do protests. i posted a photo on here a while ago called "stroller" and that is about the closest i get to street photography unless it is abstract. if i can put it in a context i can move it toward fine art ( something i am working on). People don't interest me generally speaking i try to get them out of my shots not in them. well except this guy, once in a while i meet a interesting character.  He has fifty hats and wears a different one every day and was waiting for meds at a pharmacy. He seemed worth the snapshot.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

well i guess i posted a parrot guy here a few weeks back too. was driving by and saw him and pulled over.  A guy who rides around with a parrot on the handle bars of his bike. But these are people i see and make me curious enough to stop and talk with them for ten minutes so they know i am going to take their photo. just various people i meet that peak my curiosity i put in my little collection to remember. .


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

There was a guy wearing a chicken suit walking down the street last week, but upon review he worked doing that getting people into a business establishment and was on his way to work so wasn't worth the photo. Now if come to find out he wore that every day because he was kind of fruity i would have taken a photo because that would have been a "different character".

off subject though sorry...


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## photoguy99 (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> We have lots of people here who talk about what they would do.
> In the discussions, everyone is a star.
> 
> This is photography.
> Show pictures.



No. This is John's picture to make.


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2014)

silk purse photo - Google Search

sow's ear + photo of - Google Search

My idea: ham sandwiches + photos of - Google Search

Gary's idea:  D3S_5258-m7-front.jpg


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> We have lots of people here who talk about what they would do.
> In the discussions, everyone is a star.
> 
> This is photography.
> Show pictures.


All shot on film






not close enough











Nearly a Hatrick






Look at him clocking her butt






Happily married


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

photoguy99 said:


> The_Traveler said:
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I wasn't suggesting that people post here, I was stating that too many people talk a good game but can't shoot for chit.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

I am pleased to see a post from gsgary where he doesn't use the word Leica; that is a rarity indeed. 

Altho he does emphasize that it was done with film.
IMO, the difficulty or the medium doesn't make pictures better.
If that were true, many people would shoot wet plate while standing on one leg and they'd be geniuses of the art.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> I am pleased to see a post from gsgary where he doesn't use the word Leica; that is a rarity indeed.
> 
> Altho he does emphasize that it was done with film.
> IMO, the difficulty or the medium doesn't make pictures better.
> If that were true, many people would shoot wet plate while standing on one leg and they'd be geniuses of the art.



I use the LEICA and FILM because it is very quiet and small and fast


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

_*"In many cases, incompetence does not leave people disoriented, perplexed, or cautious. 
Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge."*_​
We Are All Confident Idiots - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society

an article by David Dunning, co-author of the Dunning-Kruger Effect


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## The_Traveler (Oct 29, 2014)

gsgary said:


> The_Traveler said:
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yes, and you remind us of that routinely - and close to constantly.


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2014)

I gotta say, that BACKPACK holding up a sign is pretty exciting stuff. Realllly got my blood pumping!!!

A sign reading, "Your Body Your Life Your Choice"..being propped up against a stone wall by a backpack. Meanwhile to the left, a bored-looking woman in a heavy coat sits, forlorn and slumped. Meanwhile, we're told that a Leica and 28mm lens, shot from close range, will turn this into "street".

That line of thinking is little more than equipment fetishism, which has for decades been one of the biggest jokes against Leica shooters that Leica users don't seem to comprehend.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> gsgary said:
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following his photos in the leaderboard thread lew, i personally love input from Gary. Guy seems to have been doing this for quite a few years and looking through is thousands of photos he posted over there (the good, bad, and ugly) i don't even doubt his experience and he lays them on the table with no reservations or apologies just does. No concerns or struggles just "it is what it is". i wish i had that level of experience and mass collection of him or some others on this board  i am no where near it.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

bribrius said:


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I don't want to be on the leader board I want taking down


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

gsgary said:


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too late. you are there. lol!!!!!!!!
it is actually good, people post their BEST stuff usually and it is a good place for a throw all to see how well people really shoot it cuts the b.s. to a extent.
when i see someone post a good photo on here i normally assume they have fifty thousand crap ones they are hiding and it has been processed over three dozen times. The fact you shoot film adds something because i know it isn't cheap so you aren't deleting the crap ones..
oh the days of digital ...


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

bribrius said:


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I don't get crap ones I post them and keep the best for me [emoji3]


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2014)

bribrius said:
			
		

> following his photos in the leaderboard thread lew, i personally love input from Gary. Guy seems to have been doing this for quite a few years and looking through is thousands of photos he posted over there (the good, bad, and ugly) i don't even doubt his experience and he lays them on the table with no reservations or apologies just does. No concerns or struggles just "it is what it is". i wish i had that level of experience and mass collection of him or some others on this board  i am no where near it.



Ummm...Lew was referring to gsgary, from the UK...the Leaderboard thread poster is Gary A...two different guys, about 6,000 some-odd miles apart...

Anywayyy, as for Tirediron's post about having tried some street and how it didn't go too well, to use his title...I don't think the fault lies with his camera (Leica or not) or lens (tele or wide-angle), but really is just a matter of subject matter that's simply quiet and reserved and not...all that interesting. There's not much going on there. Not enough to make a compelling photo. That's not John's fault.


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## bribrius (Oct 29, 2014)

gsgary said:


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Derrel said:


> bribrius said:
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shows how much i pay attention....lol


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## rexbobcat (Oct 29, 2014)

I feel like the triangle of good street photography goes:

Composition - Subject - Light

If you have one of the three, the photo is probably "meh."

If you have two of the three, the photo is probably "good" or maybe even "great."

And the best photos have all three working simultaneously to draw the viewer in. 

But I'm not a regular shooter of street, so maybe there's something else that makes the best street photos the best.


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## sashbar (Oct 29, 2014)

tirediron said:


> I'll have another bash one of these days and see how it goes.



Before you have another bash, browse through some specialised street photography site, you will pick a lot of ideas - like this one. Street Photography - UPSP Street Photographer Community  ...And I just realised my photo is featured on a front page there .. Ha!
(But you have seen this image first  )


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## Ron Evers (Oct 29, 2014)

Passive demonstration - well captured.  Hard to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.


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## sashbar (Oct 29, 2014)

JoeW said:


> I don't think Capa (and Gary A) were saying you were too far away in terms of a focal point and you needed to zoom in...you can use a zoom lens for that.  Rather, Capa is saying "if your picture is 'blah' than it's b/c you aren't taking enough risks (and no, that doesn't necessarily mean standing in front of cars) and aren't close enough to the story to be able to say 'here's the picture!'"
> 
> So in this instance, how Capa is relevant is....besides asking yourself what the story is that you could tell (or want to tell) with this setting, ask yourself what you could have done to have gotten more knowledgable or closer to the possible picture.  Do something to draw their attention (and move them from boredom)?  Accompany a visitor to the clinic (so you're photographing the signs and protesters from the POV of the visitor/patient?  This is about privacy and limits.  Capa is saying that if the picture isn't good enough, then you need to know more about the situation, take more risks, get more involved.



I guess Capa meant just that - not close enough.  Literally.  Because zoom does not help here. You can not fool people by using a tele. I mean people who will look at the photo.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 30, 2014)

22 Ways to Make a Boring Scene Interesting - Tuesday Photo Tips - Assignment Chicago


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## gsgary (Oct 30, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> 22 Ways to Make a Boring Scene Interesting - Tuesday Photo Tips - Assignment Chicago


The best way is to get Martin Parr to take the shot


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## Overread (Oct 30, 2014)

gsgary said:


> The_Traveler said:
> 
> 
> > 22 Ways to Make a Boring Scene Interesting - Tuesday Photo Tips - Assignment Chicago
> ...



I contacted Martin before and asked about him shooting my street photography for me. He said that it wouldn't make my shots any better since learning doesn't happen by osmosis. 

So I'm afraid we are back to the good old studying, practising and experimenting level of improvement.


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## gsgary (Oct 30, 2014)

I met one of my favourite street photographer at the Format Festival 3 years ago (Bruce Gilden) and he was a really nice chap


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## Overread (Oct 30, 2014)

He has a lot to answer for though - I'm betting this Leica and film problem you've been having is caught from him!


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## bigtwinky (Oct 30, 2014)

tirediron said:


> This is a scene I pass frequently; these folks are set up on a street corner diagonally across from a "woman's health clinic".  No prizes for guessing what the nature of most of the treatments are...  anyway, I've driven past it so many times and thought that there were some great street images...  unfortunately, it would appear that this is _*NOT*_ my forte...  HOWEVER, I would appreciate any input on what (if anything) might make them better.
> 
> For:



I actually kind of like the first image.

The composition is nice, and it tells a very interesting story of a boring as hell protest.  Shows that they may have a lack of support.  Signs without supporters, a backpack on the ground where the person "went on break" and all tied nicely in with the girl's face.

The other ones are a bit too far / wide for any real interest.

Street photos are sometimes about telling a story, usually of every day life, and capturing an emotion or an event that happens and is gone.  While the second part doesnt really apply, the first does.

I'll do street photos for hours on end and only have a small handful of images after many hours of walking the streets.  I'll often shoot under 20 shots as the moments can be hard to capture.

I'm a fan of 35mm and getting close...whether it be a sign, a person or whatever.  Long lenses remove the feeling.  I want to give the viewer a sense that they are there, so 200mm shots remove that.  I've done some shots at 16mm and that is a good place to start as you can stand there, not point the camera at someone, and still get them easily in the frame.

Like anything else, practice makes perfect.  Head out again, maybe on a busier pedestrian street and capture more images. Keep it at


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## tirediron (Oct 30, 2014)

Thanks Pierre - I will try again, but there's something compelling for me about this particular scene that I want to get right.


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## gsgary (Oct 30, 2014)

Overread said:


> He has a lot to answer for though - I'm betting this Leica and film problem you've been having is caught from him!


He had his Leica with him and he noticed mine I wish I had asked to take his portrait


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## bribrius (Oct 31, 2014)

group hug time!


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## photoguy99 (Oct 31, 2014)

Awwwwwwww!


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## pixmedic (Oct 31, 2014)

Seriously people...
Next person to derail this thread with personal attacks or other such nonsense gets a week off the forum. Offhand insults through a "joke" gets 3 days off.
What's the difference? 
Post something and find out.

Carry on.


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