I discussed wanting but failing to start a project lately. My conclusion was that if you can’t find an obvious project, one way of starting could be to choose a technology, a constraint, or a theme, then go out and take photos to see where it goes.
I was in Oslo lately (for work). So I decided to put that conclusion into practice. I decided:
- Not to shoot monochrome because it’s currently my comfort zone.
- Shoot only streets, because landscapes are a safe zone for me and I want to learn street (human activity) photography.
- Use only one camera and travel light.
Finally, I decided to experiment with a few techniques:
- Camera movements.
- Shadows.
- Patterns.
Some techniques were more successful than others. In particular, camera movements didn’t work for me. I was inspired by Olga Karlovac’s photos and I experimented with various directions of camera movements on rainy days (I didn’t have an ND filter and the 5D mk II doesn’t have an electronic ND, so couldn’t try that on bright days), but didn’t get anything I really liked. I need to experiment more to see what works.
I think part of the problem is that the movements weren’t ample enough and it looks more like it’s out of focus than on purpose, and the movements need to align with the major lines in the image (therefore vertical in a city).
While I was taking random photos of the Norwegian streets, trying to apply these various techniques, I realised that I was attracted to two things:
- People on pedestrian crossings.
- People in sunlit areas when the rest of the street is in the shadow.
I was most surprised by how I liked taking photos of people either crossing the road or going down the road on pedestrian crossings. I think it’s in part because of the pattern that the crossings make. The lines not only act as a box that frame or partially frame the subject, but they also lead the eye in a near hypnotic way.
Also, believe it or not, living in the middle of nowhere, we don’t have pedestrian crossings here, and they feel exotic!
Above all, I liked taking photos of people in the street, in movement, over a pedestrian crossing. Most of my photos show blurry people in some kind of activity.
the other thing was light and shadows. As I was going to work before 9am, the sun was already high, but not above the buildings. So long shadows crossed the streets. Sometimes creating interesting and elaborate shapes.
A lot of the people I photographed were cyclists and people on those electric scooters because, well, they were everywhere. And I liked the fact that with a slow enough exposure, they appeared blurry with movement and dynamic.
As a result of that week, I created two photo books (remember to print, people): Oslo Light and Shadow, and Oslo Street Corners. I’m not used to make those, so the page setup is really boring, and I’m still learning street photography. Be indulgent.
Oslo Light and Shadow specifically concentrates on the light and she long shadows in the streets.
Oslo Street Corners is more a travel log of a week in Oslo.
I still have a lot to learn and I need more practice, but I’m fairly happy with this start.
#Photography #Opinion #IMayBeWrong #Theory