Working the scene

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
    -     Elliott Erwitt

The first edition was regarded as groundbreaking

I was captivated with the book, "Magnum Contact Sheets" (Lubben, Kirsten, published 2011 and 2014) although nowadays when most of us start off learning photography,  we are working in digital which means that we can dispense with the practice of using contact sheets.   We can of course easily create and print off a sheet of contacts from our digital images but they are seen as a different entity and Lubben refers to them as "a transaction of what a photographer has seen, rather than its trace".  The aim in publishing the book, therefore, was to acknowledge that this way of working was becoming obsolete but also show how the photographers within the famous Magnum collective agency capture their shots and undergo the editing and selection process for the final image.  The book contains the work of only one photographer who edits digitally but works with colour film.  Michael Subotzky, whose work "Beaufort West" series, Western Cape, South Africa, is included in the publication, stated that "Editing digital work on the computer was like going straight to a work print for each frame".

The book was produced to illustrate the process the photographer worked through when shooting the frames, then using the contacts as a tool for editing and finally having an index to an archive of negatives.  In the book Lubben states that contact sheets were "often compare to an artist's sketchbook" and indeed in the 1960s and 1970s when photography education became prevalent, contact sheets were studied and used as an item of instruction for photography learners.  Photography enthusiasts became interested in the process of taking the photograph rather than just the final perfected image and an example of this was in 2003

Contact sheets for the famous "Boy with the Toy Hand Grenade", taken by Arbus in Central Park, NY.

when the Diane Arbus: Revelations exhibition in San Fransisco's Museum of Modern Art included freestanding displays of her personal memorabilia, including contact sheets. 

Eric Kim, the contemporary street photographer has published an e-book, entitled "Street Photography Contact Sheets" because he felt it was important to share the process of shooting street photography with the reader.  He refers to the Magnum Contact Sheets as the most useful and educational photography book that had ever been printed.  He also cites the reference being made in the book that the illustrious and possibly the most famous photographer of all, Henri Cartier-Bresson destroyed his contact sheets and was not disposed to sharing his "detritus" with others.  

We are directed to examine the idea of Cartier-Bresson's "decisive moment"  and realise that by looking at Breton's contact sheets, that it took more than one frame for him to capture that one single decisive moment image. 

Cartier-Bresson's famous photo symbolising the Spanish Civil War 1936

Cartier-Bresson's contact sheets as they appear in the book

Through looking at the contact sheets we can trace how Cartier-Bresson "worked the scene" as referred to by Eric Kim, and it gives us an insight into the process of his work.

So for learner photographers, like myself I think we have much to learn from these photography masters by gaining access to the contact sheets and getting a "behind the scenes" glimpse into their way of working.

Magnum contact sheets showing how Bruce Gilden "works the scene.

"I love the people I photograph, I mean, they're my friends.  I've never met most of them or I don't know them at all, yet through my images, I live with them" - Bruce Gilden.

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 

Let your light shine!

"In photography there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated"                                         August Sander.

A recent aspect of our course was a practical day workshop focusing on the use of studio lighting for both still life and portraiture.  Although the prospect seemed rather daunting to someone who had never used studios lights before, it was a great opportunity to try out the use of lighting in photography and being very ably supported by our tutor who had provided a plethora of resources, the class enjoyed a fun-filled practical learning day in the various studio workstations which he had set up for the class.



Resources included light stands which position the light sources away from the camera and support the flash heads.  It is usual to work with more than one flash head, with the modelling light connected to the camera by a cable from the hot-shoe which in turn triggers of the 'slave' light.  A brolly is used into which the light is directed from the flash and then reflected on to the subject, with a brolly having a white, gold or silver reflective surface.  A soft-box is a tent-like device and is more advanced than a brolly, giving better illumination and a softer light.


Other tools available were a snoot which narrows the distribution of light and a honeycomb grid which spreads the distribution, both which help in focusing light and isolating part of an image being photographed.  I found it useful to learn the labels for the various studio lighting items by having hands-on experience in using them.

changing a background for a still life 

Backgrounds were also set up using stands and different backdrops provided in the form of specialist material as well as simple materials brought from home (e.g. table linen, shawls, sheets) in addition to card, white paper and perspex.

miniature china teaset on black shawl background

Students were asked to bring along appropriate items artefacts to photograph.

Corgi model truck photographed in light tent on table-top

A small light tent, which is translucent and sits on the table-top, which creates even light for small product photography was also provided.











When using studio flash your camera should be set to manual mode and the shutter speed set to the fastest flash sync speed available own your camera, which for most cameras is 1/200.  A low ISO such as 100 should be used and an aperture middle value such as f/8 chosen, though this is usually adjusted in accordance with the overall exposure.

Blue glass photographed on white background using side lighting from soft-box

Flowers in ice reflected on black perspex using snoot to focus light

Tutor posing for low-key portraiture

Crofting artefacts on black velvet background 

I found this workshop very valuable as it was a great introduction to the use of lighting equipment for studio photography with the interactive experience enhancing the learning process.  I now wish to add a light tent to my photography kit as an inexpensive way to harness even natural light but also to make me consider lighting more in the photographic process.

"Light makes photography.  Embrace light.  Admire it.  Love it.  But above all, know light.  Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."   George Eastman