People Make Glasgow

"The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street."   Robert Doisneau 

PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW -  visual sociology

Arriving in Glasgow on a sunny afternoon in February, I felt I was truly in the role of a street photographer.  Unlike my previous photoshoot, this time I had researched and prepared for the outing.  Having read that when photographers take to the streets prime lenses are out in full force, I decided to trade in my DX lenses beforehand and invest in the second-hand purchase of both an 85mm and a 35mm lenses for my FX camera.  This meant that using a prime lens would encourage behaviour which in turn should lead to an improvement in photography skills, for example, your feet become the zooming action.  Thomas Leuthard, a contemporary international street photographer from Switzerland, travels all over the world and offers online courses as well as street photography e-books available on the internet has been an inspiration to many starting out taking photographs on the street.  
http://thomas.leuthard.photography/    

Leuthard  writes that "a prime lens is best because it is sharp, fast, small and affordable" and that it is also important to know the exact distance from where you should stand.  He advocated the 85mm for a full-frame camera so starting with the 85mm to allow me a longer focal length and therefore more reach, I had a wander round the city. Capturing candid shots was quite exhilarating and I felt very animated as I focused on studying human behaviour on the streets.

 Ladies waiting for the bus in West Nile Street 

Girl waiting to cross the road

Chatting in Buchanan Street

Taken through the glass canopy of Buchanan Street Underground

Couple absorbed with mobile phone 

This made me recognise the relationship between sociology and street photography and how they are inter-linked.  It was good not to have any preconceived ideas of what I would capture but to have an open mind and be prepared to adapt, rather than photograph evidence to support a pre-chosen theme.   All the above shots were candid and I especially liked capturing the girl waiting to cross the road, as I followed Leuthard's  e-book advice and stood across the road from her at the traffic lights on the other side of the street.

An original candid but after interaction I got in close and took some  portrait shots

While some street photographers believe purely in candid photographs, street photography can also happen when you engage with the person being photographed such as I did in the following images.  

Chips and Irn Bru

On duty at the Argyll Arcade in Buchanan Street

Eric Kim, a young South Korean street photographer, based in California, has had his work exhibited and published.  He has been interviewed many times for photographic articles, stating that he sincerely believes in the ethos of Open Source learning, as he shares videos, interviews and e-articles along with regular blog posts.   He has a huge following on the internet, especially his blog which is considered the defacto Street Photography blog:- http://erickimphotography.com/blog/start-here/

Busking in Argyle Street

Kim states that street photography does not necessarily have to be candid.  "To me plainly put, a "street portrait" is simply a photograph of a stranger in which you ask for permission".  He thinks there isn't really a difference between street portraits and street photography but considers street portraits a sub-genre of street photography.  He puts emphasis on the sociology of street photography and what we can learn from studying humanity and engaging with people from all walks of life whom we meet on the streets.  Certainly, I found that once you overcome your fear of approaching strangers, interacting with people on the streets of Glasgow was a very enriching experience.  

Indeed, People Make Glasgow!

"For me, a great street portrait is an image where I can look into the soul of the subject, and relate or empathise with them on a human level."  Eric Kim 

"The most important thing for a photographer to learn.."

"If you are not your own severest critic, you are your own worst enemy".

The above quote is from my recently purchased book on Light, Gesture and Colour and author Jay Maisel is not only known as a gifted photographer but also a mentor, teacher and trailblazer to many photographers.  So based on this statement from him, I now think that perhaps being overly critical of my own photography may lead to improvement (hopefully!).

Certainly the outcomes from the experience outlined in my last post made me rethink the homework task and restart it using the genre of Advertising.

My neighbour Alex is a car enthusiast and
I enjoy the fact that he is wearing deep pearl
blue which matches the car!

panning shot

what's in the boot

fast shutter speed

wheel section dressed up

F4 with shallow dof

f22 with greater dof

under the bonnet with the R32"s designer brolly!

So these are some of my photographs of the VWR35, a type of photography previously alien to me (having spent the last couple of years taking "nice landscapes")



I managed to captured two pics on aperture settings of F4 and F22 and then two motion pictures, using a fast shutter speed and also with a slow shutter speed and panning.


Great to have a young neighbour who was willing to share his hobby with me so thank you Alex and hopefully I have fulfilled the task requirements. Not sure whether I should consider a career in advertising or indeed find out whether I could get my course fees refunded!  The task required evaluation and I identify the need to get some tuition re focus systems and the D600 (and use of filters and layers in Photoshop).   I feel that I am the only person in the class who does not understand hyperfocal distance but my desire to learn overrides my embarrassment and I seek help. Actually, I worry too much and I now realise that:-

• hyperfocal distance is simply focusing 1/3 into picture, hold the focus by pressing shutter halfway down and then taking the shot at f22 - simple when you learn how!
• ISO - do not be afraid to INCREASE ISO indoors even to 3400 if needed on FF camera
• using flash is not BAD (i always try to avoid flash as think pictures are harsh (but now considering Martin Parr - hey, he's another photographer with which I am familiar) - last weeks' Powerpoint lecture of 139 slides is a powerful resource which has been shared digitally with us
• DUH - I have found out how to sort camera when I inadvertently set it to DX mode (cropped sensor (this will show as 16 x 24) when I press and hold front right button and move the dial which I regard as aperture wheel)

My next challenge is the Assignment entitled 'Ruraltopia' - (should be easily accomplished by a crofter's daughter who lived through the experience so why do I use the word challenge?).  I'm  still anxious about technical skills but I am enjoying the journey.   I am now hoping to feel that I am in control of the camera but I must learn to look and see and then capture the magic.  It's not all about nice views in my 'Ruraltopia'.

“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” – Alfred Stieglitz