London Baby!

THE BIGGER PICTURE

March 11th -London Baby!

Soho Lights

Going Up 

Street

I was in London for a couple of days at the weekend and was         really excited about the photographic opportunities that this would hopefully throw up. As someone who is quite new to street photography I have yet to develop the bold skills some of my photography friends have of stopping subjects on the street to ask for a picture, or getting up really close to an unsuspecting subject. I'm still at the hiding behind/peering round the corner stage when it comes to taking some of my more candid shots! However, being somewhere so busy and so anonymous can have it's advantages. There are a LOT of people out there taking pictures and it felt a lot more comfortable than taking street pics back home. For my trip I took my Fuji XE1 with it's 18-55mm kit lens. It's a fairly small, light DSLR and is easily concealed. Although I had charged my battery I didn't pack my charger or spare.....Rookie mistake! Never underestimate how many photos you are going to take and how quickly that battery can run down.

Primary Colours 

  Black and White v Colour 

When taking street shots I usually use black and white. I feel this is a lot more authentic and lets the image speak for it's self without it being too busy-especially when taking people. However sometimes the colours in the image you see are what makes the                                                        image.

Rooftop

Blocks of primary colours against a brilliant blue sky can be so striking. As can edges of buildings grouped together at odd angles. It's important to look up too - rooftops can show surprising features and letting quite a bit sky into your image can really let it breath too. 

Having only 48 hours in London was a bit of a challenge so we hopped on the tour bus so we could see as much as possible. This proved a challenge in itself as we were constantly moving and had to make the most of traffic light stops. It's not really my style to take traditional 'tourist' shots but the top deck of the bus gave quite a unique angle. It also allowed me to grab a few shots of unsuspecting subjects!

Which Way Now?

                 

Angles 

Although I had taken well over 200 images before the battery packed in, I wasn't overly happy with what I had in the camera. However when it came to editing there was a lot more in the pictures than I first thought. A lot of the time it was just one part of the whole image that really made the picture-nothing that a simple crop can't fix-especially in a street scene where only one or two of the subjects make the image, or like in the picture 'Rooftop' above where focusing on one corner of a whole image and cropping it at an angle can help get across what I was seeing in my head.

Happy Shopper

                                                                   Titles

Suits

Giving your picture a title seems like such an obvious thing to do but I think when it comes to street photography it can help to explain the vision you had for your subject and can also add humour.

The title also gives your work an identity and it is important that you choose wisely-you have put so much effort into your pictures and the title should both relate to your image and give the viewer a greater understanding of it. Sometimes your image can be obvious but at other times a title can reveal a hiding meaning behind the picture. 

At The Bar 

Lunchtime

All in all the London trip taught me that I probably have more guts than I thought when it comes to street photography. The more and more you take your camera out in front of people the more the desire to get that picture takes over the fear of what the subject may say. Obviously there are some ethics involved here and when it comes to taking a full on portrait of someone then it is only manners to ask permission, However, candid street shots that tell a story I think are better left that way and while happily snapping groups of shoppers in Camden Market I found them apologising for getting in the way of my photo when little did they know they were the subject.

Back home I will be trying to put these skills into practice...wish me luck!!

And always remember to pack your charger!