Edinburgh Street photography_03

There is a question when it comes to taking pictures of what to shoot. Especially when we are in the street. Often it is pure luck that we may come across something that draws the eye. But what might catch one persons attention could be lost on another. This is an interesting question. It makes me think that photography is a personal practice and that it can, as I hinted at before, reveal things about the person with the camera as well as the subject found in the image. It seems obvious that we are all drawn to different things, to people, to places, to incidents. The pictures show us what the photographer chooses to look at. Surely this gives us insight into who they are.

The next question that comes to mind is when we see something that interests us is how do we choose to capture it? I will try to explain by giving an example of a recent shot I took while rambling about. I spotted two elderly gents walking together. They both seemed very similar. They moved slowly and in close proximity to each other. I imagined they were two old friends or perhaps partners. They wore black suits and their hair was white. One of them, however, carried a walking stick. Instead of shooting them head to toe, with the street in view I chose a more minimal approach. I focussed on their legs and the walking stick. It's not a great photo and its not all that original but it was one of the first that gave me the idea of how we can control what information we choose to present and how this can affect how a person might read the picture. Although the mens torsos are cut in half there is enough visual data provided that someone can use their own imaginations to fill in what might lie outside the frame.

Edinburgh. 2020

It could also raise a question as to where these men might be going and indeed where they are. I suppose the small circles of chewing gum tell us that they are walking in a public street. And of course the walking stick suggests at least one of the subjects age. But this is all the information we have. This was quite a revelation to me at this early stage. It was a method I would take note of. By using this technique we could involve the viewer in the completion of a picture.

It is an abstraction of sorts but a playful one and there was some kind of symmetry to how the legs and the walking stick form a diagonal across the picture that was pleasing to me. Without studying composition or rules I believe most of us have been somewhat ingrained with visual templates of what works due to our consumption of various art and media throughout our lives. But now I was starting to think about these aspects. They are important and should be observed. However, sometimes when out in public we can find ourselves in a situation when we don't have much time to think about composition. This is a given I think when it comes to this form of photography.

This leads to another technique that I picked up somewhere. I can't remember where. I believe people call it 'fishing'. Basically if you see an interesting location or spot or even a shaft of light somewhere you wait there and see what happens. So in a way you have time to frame your shot and imagine what you might want to occur; who might step into your frame and what this might signify. Below is another example. I don't think this needs much explanation. I liked the angle and the stark lighting. These are all just learning shots for me and I am not presenting them as pictures with any artistic merit. They are just documents of progression or personal discovery.

Edinburgh. 2020

So I realised, that if I could try and spend some time actually going out and taking shots, not thinking too much about them but rather leaning towards intuition, the results, flaws and all, would start to teach me about creating pictures. I could sit at home later and look at what each frame contained and slowly start to see strengths and weaknesses. The craft was starting to gradually reveal itself to me. I would read about tricks and technical things but the best way to develop would be just to get out there onto the street, tune into my awareness and make the shutter open and close.....

While finishing this post, a new camera arrived to replace my loan of the canon 7D. The lovely Fuji film x100. A second hand bargain of a camera. I brought it out for a first test and was pretty pleased. it may take awhile to get faster at using it but I prefer its rendering to the Canon for sure. Here are a few samples.

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

Edinburgh.2020

We are in some strange disconcerting times at the moment. The streets feel somewhat desolate. I could feel a change in the atmosphere. People are keeping their distance. There is a certain subdued cloud over us. Some are terrified. Some careful. Some just going along as if things were normal. Wandering around today, alone, keeping to myself and not going into any close proximity with crowds or even groups of people felt quite surreal. It's necessary I know and we need to be responsible. The world is slowing down for once. A kind of invisible veil of silence is descending on the city of Edinburgh. We are looking into uncertainty, all of us. We are passing through something that is beginning to feel quite momentous. But who knows. It could just be a bump in the road. But should we learn from this? Will we learn form this? It seems nature had spoken and we must listen and wait.