Street Photography Composition

I reviewed a portfolio for a photographer and it got me thinking about how people approach searching for images for street photography. There are as many different approaches to photography as there are photographers. I always stress that if you call it art, it is art. Whatever it is about an image that speaks to you that is what is important. But unless you live in a bubble you most likely will put your work out there and you will eventually get feedback. The more positive the response the more likely you are to do more work like that next time. It takes a strong will to keep doing work that no one seems to appreciate.

I’ve spoken before on composition. I hate calling them rules, but there are guidelines that can make an image more aesthetically pleasing. It has also been shown that you can break these guidelines and create good images as well. But images that are successful do seem to have features in common. A pretty subject is usually liked more than one that is plain. No matter how advanced your skills are, a picture of a pretty girl seems to always garner more praise than an image of a plain looking girl. That is just the way that the world works.

In street photography there are a great many images that I can’t determine the photographers intent. Often beginners focus to much on one aspect of the image. They think that a color alone is a sufficient reason to take an image. I see this frequently because minimalism is the most popular genre of street photography these days. Some shooters are of the less is more mindset. I’m not much of a fan of this type of image making because I’m more interested in having my images tell a story.

The images at the top of the story is an example of what I am talking about. I saw this scene an snapped an image to illustrate this article. We see this kind of image often. The photographer sees the hair matching the shoes and shoots the image. When asked to explain the image the image maker proudly proclaims “Look at the matching colors, they pop out”. Yes the colors match, but that is it. There is nothing interesting going on, no interesting lighting. Sometimes a rock is just a rock.

This image also has another weakness that I often see. Too many street photographers shoot the backs of people. Most often this is because he/she is to shy or is afraid that the subject will see them taking the photo. Yes great images have been taken of the backs of people. But most images are much stronger when we see the subjects face. Instagram is littered with street photos that are of mostly the backs of people. Look at the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson the master of street photography and count how many images he took of the backs of people. Not many. We want to see what people look like. Expressions tell part of the story.

Successful street photography has an element of chance to make great images. But much of the success in the image can be controlled by the photographer. Put together a scene in your mind that has some of the makings of a good image. Then wait for the right cast to appear. I’ve talked before about having a shooting list of ideas that you can be on the lookout for so that your prepared for that just right image. You have to have an open mind that is fully engaged with the situation.

Most of all you have to put in the time and be prepared to cover a lot of ground. Street photography is not easy but it can be very rewarding. It trains your minds eye to quickly recognize a good image from a bad one. It can be a great training for whatever type of photography that you aspire to create.

Leica Fotografie International 6/2019

LFI 6/2019 is on the newsstand and it covers work done in the studio to work in water to fashion to an iconic Leica photographer. There is also coverage of the new cameras from Leica. The “Lightbox” section of submissions by Leica users is also quite good this month.

The lead story is “Creatures of the Seven Seas” by Jan C. Schlegel. One of the images graces this months cover. The images are of fish and creatures found in the worlds oceans. They are black and white images on white backgrounds with controlled studio lighting.

The second story is “Down by the Hudson” by Caleb Stein. Mostly close up portraits in the river.

Next is “Yemen Contraflow” by Alixandra Fazzina. These are images of East African refugees. Images of the style that we have seen a thousand times before. I care about the subjects, less so about the photography.

Piles Bing is an early 20th century photographer who was an early Leica user. Excellent work. Her most famous image is a selfie in the mirror. Everything goes in a circle I guess.

100 digital features is mostly a collection of fashion photos taken with the S and SL.

The F/STOP introduces the latest cameras. They are the V-LUX 5 and the Q2. I have a Q2 that I have reviewed and I really like it. It’s more versatile than I thought it would be. I especially like the macro feature.

As always the Photo section has a roundup of news from books, exhibitions, festivals, and awards.

Lastly there are reviews from members of theleica10 collective. Being a member of a collective is the in thing. Anything to set yourself apart in this impossible business environment.

Another good issue of one of the few magazines left that covers serious photography.

Pentti Sammallahti - Des oiseaux

“Studying the work of the Masters will raise the quality of you own work”

Jeff Mellody

Becoming a photographer is a journey that starts with the purchase of a camera and lens. But this is only the beginning. Digital cameras are so good that little interaction with the owner is needed to get a properly focused and exposed image. But this is where most people end their quest for photography knowledge and pronounce that they are a Photographer. And here is usually the end of the story.

But there can be so much more. There is so much to be learned to become an artist but little of the important stuff is written down or can be viewed in a YouTube video. What are you trying to say with your work. So little of it has feeling. An Instagram feed is the perfect summation of photography today. Three hours of scrolling but no depth. Everything looks the same. The images are only square and are low resolution and small on a smartphone.

Des oiseaux by Pentti Sammallahti is the antidote for a yearning to experience photography at its best. For those who don’t know who he is this is a brief biography. He was born in Finland in 1950. His father was a photographer. He takes photographs all over the world. He was a teacher but that ended when he was awarded a grant by the Finnish government that allowed him to pursue his work for 20 years. In 2012 he published the book “Far and Away” that was a huge success around the world and was published in multiple languages. His current book was published in late 2018 and I purchased my copy from Peter Fetterman.

It is not a large book, it’s only 120 pages, but the work is beautiful. The layout is what I wish all photography books would adopt. There is only one image on each page that is centered with plenty of space around the image so that it can be studied with no distractions. Many different formats are represented, including square, rectangular, and panoramic images. Most of the work is of nature with most views of buildings and streets limited to mostly the background. The work of two of my favorite black and white photographers comes to mind, Michael Kenna and Masahisa Fukase. Sammallahti’s work feels warmer and more in touch with the environment. Some of the images even come across as having a sense of humor. The animals in his images are like co-producers of his pictures.

The first image from below is one of his more well known images. Being a panorama it is a bit small in the book but the image has a great deal of power. I have seen a print of this images at the Fetterman gallery and it is one of the finest images that I have ever seen. Weather in his images is often used to increase the minimalism in the image. Snow and fog are used to bring attention to the subject and to minimize what would be distracting backgrounds.

The lack of composition in today’s images is one of my pet peeves. Sites that aggregate photography articles are always pushing articles about breaking compositional rules. Strong composition makes for strong photographs. Is say if your Picasso break the rules, otherwise heed their advice. Sammallahti’s images are elegant because it is clear what his intentions are for each image. He also follows the advice to have layers in an image. This makes the image more 3 dimensional so that your eye searches for connections to the subjects.

This is truly the work of a master black and white photographer. These are not just color images converted to monotones. They are monochromatic works of art that will stand the test of time. Most of us would be happy to have created just one of these images.

Photography at the Getty Museum - Summer 2019

My favorite museum has opened a slew of photography related exhibitions. The are “The Camera”, Gordon Parks “The Flavio Story”, and “Once Again“. The Getty Museum has consistently put on some the best photography released shows over the years. Their dedication to the history of photography has been outstanding and I go to all of their shows without even thinking. Besides it one of the top 5 places that one should visit on a trip to Los Angeles.

There are only about 10 cameras in the exhibit on the history of the camera. I was a bit surprised at the small number and the cameras that they chose to display. Mostly box cameras, 2 35mm cameras, and one digital. The digital was an Apple QuickTake that seemed like an odd choice.

I was really expecting to be wowed but left disappointed. I really did expect more cameras.

The photos by Gordon Parks were nice but not what I would call iconic. Even after just writing that statement I regret it because I have never had a photo story in a major publication. The work is good and a great deal of support material is shown such as proof sheets and outtakes that show how the photographer was thinking while working on a project. It is a good example on how just a few pictures can move people to do something about a terrible situation.

The “Once Again” is about photos in a series with a common theme. So of the images I had seen before but about half of them were new to me. This show reminded me that I could never be a museum curator. Sometime I don’t see the connections and I have always said just because it is big doesn’t mean it is good.

I fell that you have to be positive when looking at art because each image has the potential to teach me about something that I have not considered before. I wasn’t moved buy many of the images in these shows but I’m not the arbitrator of all that is good. Take a look and see what you think for yourself. The worst that can happen is that you will see one of the most beautiful museums in the world.

Leica 35mm Summicron Version 1

Well here is something that you don’t see everyday. This is the Leica 35mm Summicron that was designed for the legendary Leica M3. Its original code name was SAWOO-MW and it was introduced at Photokina in 1958. It was available with and without the auxiliary windows for the M3 and also in screwmount for the older cameras. There were 11,355 standard Summicrons made and 9,557 more with the attachment for the M3.

When the M3 was designed they gave the viewfinder a magnification of 92% which was great for 50mm lenses but with wide-angle lenses you had no frame lines so this lens had these extra windows to correct for the field of view and so the rangefinder would focus properly. The lens is extremely compact and has focusing scales in both feet and meters. The lens focuses down to 28 inches and stops down to f16. It has a focus tab which I like on all Leica lenses and the tab also has an infinity lock that is pushed in at the bottom of the focus tab. Some of the lenses have a small screw that when taken out allows the bayonet mount to be removed revealing the Leica screw thread mount. This version costs quite a bit more. This version has 8 elements that were reduced to 6 when the lens was redesigned in 1969. A smaller revision was the removal of the infinity lock in 1973. A totally new version of the lens was released in 1980.

Comparing this lens to my favorite 35mm Summicron version 4 you would notice a lot of difference between the lenses. The newer version has more contrast and the images have more saturation. The center is noticeably sharper and this comparison extends to the edges as well. Both lenses reach peak sharpness at f5.6. The older lens is more susceptible to off axis flare. Yes lens coatings have improved over the years. Because of its uniqueness I have kept this lens even though I no longer have a M3. It is such a cool looking lens. It really has a retro look to it.

Leica Fotografie International 5/2019

The latest issue of the LFI magazine is out and the leading story is a tie-in to the opening of the new Leica Museum in Wetzlar.

The featured photographers are Dr. Paul Wolff and Alfred Tritschler. They were pioneering German photographers that were early adopters of the Leica camera. I love photography from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Photography was starting to reach its golden era. Large format cameras were still king in many areas but 35mm was growing faster and was gaining a foothold in the amateur market. A great deal can be looking at the images of Dr. Wolff and Tritscler. They were commercial photographers and were required to shoot images of everything. If you ignore the clothing styles a lot can be learned about composition by studying their photographs.

This issue has a nice blend of documentary and art photography. I found great interest in the coverage of lithium mining in Bolivia by Cédric Gerbehaye. Nice to combine interesting photography with some relevant information on the worlds environment.

The news from Leica section covers the new Leica M-E based on the M240 model and the special edition CL “Urban Jungle” in honor of Jean Pigozzi.

Ernst Leitz Museum is Open

The Ernst Leitz Museum located at Leica Park I’m Wetzlar, Germany is now open. It opened to the public on June 27. It has high hopes to become not only a destination for Leica users but also for anyone interested in Photography as a fine art.

This is a good move by Leica but is also a benefit for the entire photography community. Leica’s glory days ended in the 1960’s and has declined and become less relevant in the camera market. With the amazing turnaround that Mr. Kaufmann and Leica have engineered it is a good sign that they are taking their place as a supporter to the industry.

Most of the Leica boutiques have an area to display the work of Leica photographers. They understand that promoting Images taken with a Leica is as important as selling the camera to the customer. Leica has a long tradition and to remain successful in the future they need to connect the link to the past to show that Leica has always been in photographers hands and will continue to be there in the future.

Daido Moriyama - How I Take Photographs

There is a new book that will be of interest to Street Photographers that is short and to the point but is really quite educational. It is How I Photograph by the legendary street photographer Daido Moriyama. It is only 208 pages and includes only 36 pages of text but if you listen closely to what he has to say and study the included images you will understand how he works.

I’m a little unorthodox in my views. I’ve always said that photographers should put aside “concepts” or “themes” when they go out to shoot. Of course, I understand young people want to have a conceptual basis for their work I was the same way, starting out. But even in my earliest photographs, the collection titled “Yokosuka” for example, I knew I wanted to take pictures of Yokosuka”, but I had no agenda- I never thought to myself, Right, I’m going to explore the political tensions of Yokosuka”, or anything like that.

Daido Moriyama

Moriyama talks about his transition from film to digital and makes it clear that it really makes little difference to him how his images are captured. His images show that he shoots with the same style with film and digital and proves that it is the photographers vision not equipment that is paramount to making great images.

Photographs taken near water always come with an element of risk, Moriyama tells me. They can often feel quite dreamy and poetic, but this can be both good and bad.

Daido Moriyama

Daido Moriyama has 2 distinctive elements to his shooting style. First he like to shoot with wide-angle lenses but he doesn’t like to take scenics. He likes to get in close and fill the frame and he also will compose to get as much as he can into the frame. He doesn’t like dead space in his images. Next he believes in shooting into the sun not having it to the back like most photographers prefer. This is what gives his images the high contrast look with deep dark shadows. It is an effective style that gives his images their signature look.

When you’re taking shots in neutral, in different places like this, you should match the mood, and take equally neutral and indifferent pictures.

Daido Moriyama

I’m a big fan of books when the artist explains why they make the art that they create. In How I Take Photographs we get glimpses of how Daido Moriyama uses his unique vision to create his work. My only complaint is that the book is so short. I wish this book was twice as long, 36 pages of text is too short and it is a crime that it is not longer. I’m sure that I will read this book multiple times and will use some of the things that I have learned in my own photography. Studying the images after reading his thoughts has given me a deeper understanding of his work. I highly recommend this book.

Ona - The Oslo Strap

Since I have been a fan of Ona Bags it seemed natural to give their strap a try. The Ona Oslo Strap is a premium quality leather strap. It attaches to the camera with standard “O” rings and has leather tabs to protect the body from scratches. The tabs are nice but I wish makers would finish the back sides of the protection tabs. I have a Vi-Vante strap that finishes the front and back of the tabs and this gives a more finished look to the strap. After an extended period the unfinished tabs wear to the point that they give the strap an tattered look even though the strap can be relatively new. The strap is adjustable to from 40 - 46 inches so it is comfortable if you like to wear it crossbody like I wear them. It seems more secure that way.

I really like the retro vibe that the strap exudes. The Oslo is 2 layers of leather so it has a padded feel that is very nice. The leather strips that connect the attachment pieces to the main strap are secured with rivets and thread which adds to the stability of the strap. Some lesser quality straps use one or the other method and rarely both.

It seems like no matter the maker camera straps these days are of high quality. So it comes down to the attention to the details. The Oslo strap pays attention to the little things which makes it easier to justify the premium price. Ona frequently runs sales so you want to be patient and when the opportunity arises I would say treat yourself to a really nice strap.

Mixing Console Portrait

When taking environmental portraits on location you have to be prepared for any situation that may arise. It can be even be more difficult with time and equipment restraints. Above is one of the first assignments that I was tasked with on my first year on the job.  

The objective was to take a location portrait of a sound engineer at work for a large playhouse. Since the photo had to be taken during a dress rehearsal I was banned from bringing strobes and lighting the way that I wanted too. So this is lit with the natural room light. Also the client insisted that I shoot large format film. This image was taken with a 4x5 view camera and color negative film. This was not my first choice on how to do this but the editorial director insisted on the highest quality negative so that it would look “great” in the magazine. His words not mine.  

The sound booth was accessed by climbing a ladder. That was no fun with the view camera and a large Bogen (Manfrotto) tripod. This took quite a few trips. After setting up tripod, camera, and taking meter readings with my Seconic meter I took four shots and was on my way. Three days later I delivered 8x10 and 16x20 prints and one negative. The negative was sent to the publisher of the catalog and type about the employee was added to the left side of the frame.  

The image that is shown her is basically the same image that I would have made no matter what camera I was using. Some people say they shoot differently with digital as opposed to film. Or manual focus versus autofocus. You hear this all of the time when people shoot with Leica’s. When you develop a style the image might look a little different from camera to camera but it still should look like your work. That’s why people say they have favorite lenses. The lens compliments their vision. It is not you only use wide-angle lenses for groups or only 85mm for portraits. The best images say something to the viewer, they are not just snapshots.