Inspiration #3- Alex Majoli

I have looked at Alex's work before and found that the images produced are composed really well. This image focuses on the line at Fashion Week in Italy. It shows the different types of people within the line and the main focus is the woman in the middle who's outfit compared to the others stands out. The photographer has centered the woman and it guides your eyes to the center and then through the line showing the types of people waiting for the fashion show.
The reason the woman in the center as her outfit is the brightest and most vibrant.Her flower headpiece is compared to the woman hat and the men'd hair. They all are dressed in different styles of clothing which show the dynamic range of fashion in this environment.

STREET 120

I researched street photographers  and found this website it showed me numerous amount of pictures taken from a street photographer. It shows impatient characters and this image particularly shows people waiting at a traffic light in London: This site contains multiple street shots but the shoot STREET 120 stood out to me as it contains a lot of natural imagery.
The following image works really well as the woman in front has no intention of looking at the camera therefore works really well with the people behind her looking towards the camera. I think this image also works really well as the women are arranged in almost a line besides the focus, it gives the impression of impatience because the main focus point is in a rush and therefore doesn't care the camera is facing her. The background behind these women also works really well as the building behind them almost shuts them off from the side road with a pillar. It intrigues the audience as  you only notice the bicycle in the side after looking. The black and white imagery also works well as you cannot decide which time of day it is therefore works well.


  



Another image I found that I took inspiration from would be this:






This image I think was captured at the right moment as the main focus (the woman in the hat) is looking down. This works well as the woman walking towards the camera is holding a DSLR or her own. You can see the photographer has took this shot perfectly as the woman is looking in the window and her reflection is staring back at the camera. It almost looks as if the woman purposely looked into the camera through the reflection as she knew the photographer would like that shot. The woman in the background is also holding her face and they are all spaced apart therefore framing a very nice picture.





This image is one of my favorites and works well as it happens to just be a coincident. They man sat on the steps smoking a cigarette and reading an online book on a device. I like the idea of this image as the imagery of a man sat smoking with a book seems to be an old image that portrays someone who's either worked hard or just cannot be bothered to finish and has taken a break. The fact this older imagery is mixed with the fact he's reading a book on a device contrasts the two idea. The way hiss face isn't seen is an added anonymous identity. Again the rolled up jeans mixed with the Converse trainers seems to work well together and add to the older vibe.





This image is off a man stood in the center of what looks like a fair or sale of some kind on a stall that is selling book. The man has picked up a book and in my mind it creates a story. The man looks like he has started reading the book and has gotten lost in the words. He has completely forgotten about the environment around him and it more interested in the book. It could almost act as a larger representation of the man feeling lost in such a big world and the vast amount of possibilities in his time.

Taking all this into consideration I feel I need to first compose my image and wait. I think if I wait the perfect moment will arise and the image will be complete. Looking through these images has made me more aware of the objects and people behind me and how they can work together to create a fantastic image.

DSLR street shoot #1

DSLR street Photography!


From working with my camera phone I didn't feel the images that were being produced were as high quality as I could produce. I really despised the images I was creating and was being told by numerous people my work could be improved.  After working with my camera phone for two shoots I found more confidence in myself and decided to work with a DSLR. I didn't feel worried about producing images in public as the more I used my camera the more confidence I gained therefore my images improved. I didn't focus on anything specific I just wanted to create as many quality shots as I could.

I didn't focus on keeping a theme throughout my images due to us having limited time. Some of the images I took I feel would work really well in a set/group of similar images. For example, the image below:

I think this image would work well in a collection of images focusing on people smoking cigarettes. It almost represents a person and the way they feel.
I took this photography as not only did I want to focus on the man smoking but I liked the look of the background and how the use of the signs in the windows create quite a dull image. In the background of this image there is also a card section called "Male Relations" This sparked an interest and added to the bland effect of the image.

The image above may or may not work well with the following images as it has the same style and same limited brightness. Also the following images all have a slight turn of the camera which shows the same theme throughout.

I also took a number of photos that looked at colour and vibrant imagery. For example the following images:

I like the way this image is framed  as both people are walking towards the center. The poles outside Subway act as a natural frame for the woman and man with the pram and create an image inside an image. I also took this photo as I like the way colour is introduced without overpowering the people.

I like the image above as I think the focus on queues in England is a common misconception and the belief that we like them. I believe this would be a nice theme to focus on as it can show all different types of people in the same situation maybe reacting differently. It will show when people are aggravated and upset but also will tell smaller stories about each individual in the line.

I researched street photographers who photograph lines/queues and waiting and this website showed me numerous amount of pictures taken from a street photographer that focuses on waiting. It shows impatient characters and this image particularly shows people waiting at a traffic light in London: This site contains multiple street shots but the shoot STREET 120 stood out to me as it contains a lot of natural imagery.





All these images are unedited and focus on colour of the area around them.This image shows the cash machine in a place people are most vulnerable. If I was to continue this collection I would add images with more colour with the intention of contrasting the peoples either actions or emotion. This would be a great collection of images to show opposites.


Here are some more images I took:

The next few images I grouped together as they focus on the people in the street. These people are going about there daily life which sometimes people just pass on. I believe these images enable the audience to create a story of their own and wonder what and why they are doing. 

Kissing in the street

Street Photography


Below I have looked through all my street photography DSLR shots and have chosen a favorite. This image I believe to be my favorite as it shows the confidence in both the photographer and the people in the shot. As the people in the shot are kissing it shows that they are really comfortable with each other and being in public. It also shows the confidence in myself to quickly take the image and try to create a good shot. I also found this shot difficult to take as I had to have a lot of confidence in myself as I felt as if I was getting too personal therefore felt out of my territory. The following image I have imported both prior and post editing to show the different in editing.

Here I have edited the image in black and white and played around with the contrasts. I started with the simple black and white effect and then changed the contrast and brightness to create an image with lots of depth and emotion. It changes the effect of the image and the way people read it. It can completely change your view on the image from the start. 

street shoot #2

Street Photography!

For my second shoot we went back into Hillsborough with our own camera phones and the use of a DSLR. This meant, some of the pictures produced were high quality whilst others captured the emotion and actions of the people. I took a numerous amount of pictures but like all street photography not all images that I took were of my standard. I use a black and white filter on some images to extend the depth of the images and others I kept in colour. The colour in some images is very vibrant and looks striking compared to either the weather or characters seen.

Here I have attached a few:

street shoot #1

Street Photography!

The first street shoot I did was in Hillsborough. I focused my attention on taking as many shots as I could to ensure I had something to show for my first shoot. I used my IPhone to ensure not only did I achieve subtle images but also as I wanted to gain confidence to work my way up to a DSLR. This means even though the images do lack quality they show the true emotions and actions of the people.

 I like the concept of the image above yet really wish I had taken more care when shooting the image. As the results are not what I wanted. I had taken the image with my finger over the lens therefore the blur to the right side has ruined the image. I also liked how close I got to the subject as it shows all the quality and detail of the people in front yet is still far enough to not be too personal.

Inspiration #2- Julien Legrand

Street Photography inspiration

Another photographer I looked at is Legrand who like most street photographers uses irony. Some of his images caught my attention because its such a simple concept and haven't been altered.
The image of a bin with tape around it with the brand Chanel on it. This is ironic because the brand Chanel isn't typically seen in this manner. It contrast against the aim/idea of designer brands and how the fact that its round a bin adds irony.









I liked this image for the following reasons:

Structure that's natural
Realistic
Gives the audience information and lets them build a back story
Use of lines to draw the attention off the other poles
Everyday objects yet placed in different places

I like the work of Legrand and like the way he uses naturalistic elements and irony to create such vibrant images. I want to use inspiration from Legrand and try and spot features that wouldn't be typically seen together.

No viewfinder!

No viewfinder!


We were set a challenge to take a few pictures without looking through the view finder. Although the challenge seemed easy at the start we gradually found out that it was difficult not looking. Here I have attached my images taken on my Iphone to give a sense of compact images and create a more realistic image without people knowing I'm taking them. Although these are not my best photographs it gives me the skills to take photographs in confidence without people reconsigning and noticing. It also gives me a sense of surprise as I don't know what the image will end up like.
Doing this ensure I had skills and confidence taking pictures of strangers whilst walking around. I also found that doing this enabled me to find more specific detail and try and focus on that. It also meant that I had to put in more effort to make sure I had all the image in shot without looking. It proved difficult but I learnt a lot.