Shoot & Tell

Street photography
Written for Shoot & Tell by Wertti

It is not easy to write an interesting article about photography after Words and Michal Havelka. But when Thomas suggested if I could do something about street photography I finally accepted. I have done photography for many years, a long time before photography turned digital. Also combined photographs with screen-, offset printing and etching.

For a longer time I did very little photographing, but other visual crafts like drawing and screen- printing. I started to do photographing again more when digital cameras appeared, because with digital cameras it is possible to see the results immediately and once the camera being bought the unlimited amount of shots can be taken for the same prize. It is also very easy to combine photography with drawing on the computer. Although, I decided to do ”pure” photography based on basic editing only and very limited use of filters. I am still on that line, but of course it is no absolute rule. Mostly I used to take landscape and family shots.

The big change came when I joined the 365 group in MyOpera, making everyday a picture and was "forced" to make unusual shots . That is how I started to make street shots on my way to my job and back home. I got interested in the moment of taking the picture, like a sort of relaxation. For ecological reasons I travel mostly by public transport, also because I feel that driving every day the same route by car is extremely dull and boring. In the metro, trains and on the street people are all the time around, situations are changing quickly and the hands are free to take pictures.



On street photography it is important to keep the camera in such a place that it is quickly available because interesting situations can happen suddenly. The camera should be tuned for fast shooting. I am using the half automatic controls the most. Try to find a position, composition and light that the idea of the situation is showing the best. With fast shots is good to take enough space around the subject, you can crop it more tight later.

A lot of help is my experience with landscape pictures, the same rules are everywhere.



Personally I am reluctant to post pictures showing people in situations maybe negative for them, especially people in a weak position in society, like beggars or alcoholics. But I make them still, when interesting. More harmless pictures are easier to show.



Streetpictures can also show people as a group, no personalities as a part of the urban landscape. We have got many of us



Mostly I don´t arrange anything, just let things happen, but sometimes I choose a background and let just people pass by.



Fast shots



shadows



light and reflection



or even make art



To make it short: you find it all on the street!