Inner City

grinch8 · Inner City

Is there anything i should know about or any tips i should know before shooting in a inner city place... as in around streets ect ect?????
thanks
Grinch

JAW

Hmm try shoot around places with decent architecture (you'd be surprised how much the surroundings change the pic on street shots). Bring a nice wide angle lens to get them buildings in. Oh and probably a decent flash gun wouldn't go amiss.

Sorry if this doesn't help much but it's just what came to my head when i read the q.

grinch8

Thats all very helpfull but... I have no money and so no decent camera... I have no flash gun although i would like one and i have no choice of lenses although i can change them so i am kinda stuck.. thanks anyway! soon when i get some money i will do all that!

JAW

yeah, don't worry; i'm in a similar position. I think the best peice of advice for anyone is when you're out there think creatively and don't be afraid to try something new even if there's a large chance that it won't work.

RedThunder

Handcuff your camera to yourself Smile

JAW

mikedeere

I've got a few tips that you may find useful Smile

- Firstly, don't set out anything in your mind about what you would like to achieve.

- Streets are interesting places that are ever changing, not just the architecture but the people and the effect the people have on their surroundings. Keep an eye out for people or one-off scenes and events, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Remember it's these little things in life that no-one picks up on, and they're often the most interesting.

- Composition is key. If you spot something that you want to shoot, remember that your viewing audience can't always appreciate the surroundings/circumstances in which the photo was made like you can (as you were there.) Remember to include elements to the composition that give little hints or clues as to the nature of the area, stuff that gives away details to the viewer.

- The technical side to photography can be thrown out of the window for street photography.

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And in true fashion, I'll use an example to illustrate these tips:

This photo was taken on a 1979 Olympus OM10, in July 2007. You don't need flashy kit! Whilst my initial reaction was to get a close-up of the homeless guy with lots of detail, I thought "wait, this guy could be anywhere then."

Firstly I wanted to show some more about where he was. It's a busy street, if I didn't use a wider shot then once again he could have been anywhere. But secondly and equally as important, this isn't just any street. To give a few tell-tale clues I used the extra width of the shot to include a few signs in the background, you'll notice there's a sign in Hebrew, giving a big clue as to where this is. The coach also gives it away.

Next up is the inclusion of people. The guy closest to him has his back to him, no-one wants to associate with this homeless man. Also given a clue to this fact by the lack of people nearby in the foreground, whereas in the background you can see this is a far from quiet street. People are leading their normal lives, buying papers from news stands etc.

There's a lot to it once you get past the surface, and that's a lot of what street photography is about. Stories.

JAW

Phwoar! That's quite an analysis there! Good to have you back online BTW. (where have you been recently?! Evil or Very Mad

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