Today I begin the next part of my photography course which is street photography. We start first session with an introduction to the subject, discussed artists and photographers who used this, then we saw basic principles of capturing light. The next step it was going through manual camera settings and learn how to control exposure, focus a depth of field. Also we have looked at exposure triangle and understanding Digital Camera Modes.
I would like to start with definition here, street photography it is any type of photography taken in a public location. The main subject of this photography a regular people going about their daily lives. The main element of street photography is that it is never staged; this is a 'non-negotiable' component because the guiding spirit of street photography is that it is authentic. The word 'street' suggests this authenticity: it's' streetwise,' it's got attitude, yet public spaces can also provide a wide spectrum of emotional human experiences. It's possible for street photography to be dark, edgy, and strange, but it can also be light, warm, and joyful. Importantly, street photography does not always require the presence of people; evidence of people is also acceptable. Street photography dates back to the early 1930s and is most closely connected with Paris. People are missing from the early work, which focuses primarily on architecture.
In reference to the street photography today I will look at origins and do the research about Eugene Atget - a photojournalist which began street photography.
Eugene Atget.1927. (Berenice Abbot)
Eugene Atget was a French photographer, born 1857, he was known for his drive to shoot all of Paris architecture and street scapes before they vanished due to modernization. In response to Atget's images, Berenice Abbott once commented: "They had a huge and immediate impact. The shock of realism garnished a rapid flash of recognition." Eugene Atget is a very important figure in the world of street photography. What is interesting to me is fact his images are in sepia.
Eugene Atget, Porte Cluny 1898 (MoMa)
In 1898, he began photographing Paris with a large format view camera to capture the city in all its glory. His images are famous for their diffuse light and expansive perspectives that offer a sense of space and atmosphere, as many of them were taken around dawn. They also serve as a record of Paris' rapid transformation; many of the sites photographed by Atget were about to be demolished as part of large redevelopment initiatives. A range of artists, including Man Ray, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso, admired Atget's photos. Man Ray used one of Atget's pictures for the cover of his surrealist publication la Révolution surréaliste. Berenice Abbott, a photographer, saved Atget's prints and negatives and was the first to show his work outside of France. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Atget family (formerly Atger) relocated from Provence to the Dordogne River region, where they worked as saddlers and carriage makers.
Atget's father died when he was five years old, and his mother died not long after. Atget spent some time at sea in his early years, and by the age of 21, he was living in Paris. He enrolled in the National Conservatory of Music and Drama to study acting in 1879, but was dismissed after only two years. He went on to perform in itinerant battalions that barnstormed the provinces' lower levels of the theatrical public for numerous years.
 |
| Eugene Atget, Cluny 1898 (MoMa) |
When Atget was in his early 30s in the late 1880s, he became interested in photography. He appears to have taken his initial images in the north of France. These paintings represent rural settings, vegetation, and farming technology (e.g., ploughs, horses in harnesses, and windmills), and were most likely created as study pieces for painters and illustrators. By the early 1890s, Atget was living and working in Paris, but it wasn't until the latter half of that decade that he decided to focus his photography on the city of Paris—a topic that piqued his interest and remained to nourish his mind and enrich his work for the next 30 years. Atget listed himself as "Creator and Purveyor of a Collection of Photograph Views of Old Paris" on his business card from this time period, and as "auteur éditeur" on other occasions. He avoided working on commission (as a photographer for hire) as much as possible, and he was even less eager to sell his negatives. Rather, it appears that his objective in the first decade of the twentieth century was to create a large visual library of the fruits of French culture—its buildings, streets, businesses, and architectural details—from which he would sell prints to diverse consumers based on their needs. Architects and artisans seeking specimens of antique architectural models, as well as libraries and archives wishing to preserve a historical record, were his main clientele.
Eugene Atget, Commerce de vin, 1920
It will be useful at this point to examine Atget's equipment and techniques in order to gain a better understanding of his work. Berenice Abbott described Atget's equipment after entering his room: “His equipment consisted of a simple 18 x 24 cm view camera, with almost none of the present-day adjustments… Atget used glass plates. They were ‘plaque au gelatine-bromire d’argent’ made by the Brothers Lumiere… The box was marked ‘extra rapides,’ but actually the emulsion must have been fairly slow… As for accessories, he certainly did not use and exposure meter. At most, he made use of a simple coefficient table with mathematical calculations. But it is more likely that he judged exposure by his vast experience with light conditions, subject matter, and type of plate emulsion. His negatives seem (extremely dense, which suited) the gold (toned) chloride paper of his time. Because the emulsion was non-color sensitive, he never used filters… Atget made practice of closing down (the lens) to a very small aperture, he told me, and giving long exposures. Probably this was to f/64. Only when he photographed people in the series ‘Petits Metiers’ and ‘Scenes de la Rue’ did he open up the diaphragm and focus critically on the center of interest, leaving the background out of focus.”(Berenice Abbott).
Portrait d'Eugène Atget jeune, vers 1890, Auteur anonyme
I can see the background in this picture is blurred and foreground stays in focus. This is very interesting considering the fact the photo were taken in 1898. I can see an animal but there is no human. The photo is in sepia.
What is sepia? As I can read: “Sepia photography is similar to black-and-white photography in that it’s monochromatic, meaning one tone or one color. But it’s more brown or tan,” says photographer Ellen Fisch.
I was curious how to create sepia photos and find a tip for Adobe Photoshop. We click on Image>Adjustments>Photo filter and then select the Sepia option.
In this picture I can see fantastic renaissance architecture - the Hotel des Ligneris, built in mid-16th century for Jacques des Ligneris, president of the Paris Parliament, as one of the oldest buildings in Paris. Atget captured not only the building but also surroundings - in this case - garden. I can see most in the focus is the entrance of the building and the garden. On the left side of the photo there is a little bit blurry.
How can I implement the work of Eugene Atget into my pictures?
When I think about street photography I think about the people living in the city and as I can see on Eugene Atget's images I did not find any, so this proves that I can make a good picture also without people. In my opinion, photography without them can be the same as interesting. Looking around I can find many interesting objects. I can also look for shadows, lights, elements of the city like parks, trees, shop windows, entrances, cars, everything can be interesting. I can see images of Eugene Atget has good composition, so I can think of elements like the rule of thirds, think about the contrast, leading lines, colours, and patterns, then symmetry and balance. Sometimes the minimalism and simplicity can be a good option.
The next one important character is Henri Cartier - Bresson - the father of 'street' photography. He is a French humanist photographer known for his candid photography and for being one of the first to use 35 mm film. He was a pioneer of street photography and saw photography as a means of capturing a critical moment. In 1947, Cartier-Bresson was a founder member of Magnum Photos. He began drawing in the 1970s after studying painting in the 1920s. As he said "To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It's a way of life"- Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Henri Cartier Bresson and his Leica 1957
Henri Cartier-Bresson
I was walking behind this man when all of a sudden he turned around. Marseille, France. 1932.
I can see the picture is black and white, the main characters stays in the center, and I can see some of natural leading lines on the left and right side - in this case - trees. I can see shadows on the street. The black color cerates contrast with white color. The picture is interesting because the character suddenly turned out and Bresson could surprisingly capture man's face.
What I found interesting is the fact that films about him were made and here I share the titles: "Henri Cartier-Bresson, point d'interrogation" by Sarah Moon, screened at Rencontres d'Arles festival in 1994, Henri Cartier-Bresson: L'amour Tout Court (70 mins, 2001. Interviews with Cartier-Bresson.) and Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye (72 mins, 2006. Late interviews with Cartier-Bresson.) Definitely I would like to see them!
In reference to the early street photography I created my own street images. Here I share with you my contact sheets:
Contact sheet I
Contact sheet II
I have chosen the best pictures and added EXIF details.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5, 1/50sec ISO320, focal length 33mm
I love animals, and suddenly in the morning when I was walking to the Campus, appear one and I was lucky enough to capture a cat. I like the fact the cat is the main subject of my photo, I can see some leading lines as well, the main color of the photo is grey as cat itself and then the fence appears green. For me that photo is interesting because even if there is raw building and plot, I can see the life in it. What I could change in this photo is to add more warm colors to it.
Canon EOS 700D f/5.6 1/50sec ISO 200 focal length 35mm
This image for me is mysterious. I like the contrast between the white neon writing 'open' and the black background. Then I can see how other lights playing the game with the neon. I think that image is quite interesting. Looking at this photo, we can imagine the announcement of something mysterious and fascinating. Maybe it will be a wonderful evening time dinner and something unexpected?
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/60sec ISO 500, focal length 33mm
When I first saw those objects when walking through the city at night I can say I was surprised and scared. But then I found it as an interesting subject to the street photography. I could name this image such as 'citizens of the city'. I think the composition on this image is good, I can see the rule of third as the main object is situated on the left side of the image. I can see the strong red color, that informs us we should be aware. Also the foreground plays main role as I wanted and the background is blurred. In my opinion that makes this photo interesting.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6 1/50sec ISO 1600 focal length 35mm
I was walking through the center of the city and I found it interesting to capture the people inside the restaurant. I even managed to photograph a student of DMU on his graduation day. I can see some people wear a mask and this photo documents well the times we live in. I think this image looks a scene from the movie, because of it's cinematic scenography and frame. The main colors and white and red. What I would do differently is to make that image a little bit closer and keep the camera higher.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6 1/40sec. ISO 1250 focal length 28mm
Here is the photo that I fully captured a student of DMU at her graduation day in those beautiful clothes. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and she was happy to pose for me. I can say it was something brave of me. She was a fantastic model. I like the fact she is not on the center of the image. The main objects stays in focus and the background is blurred. I think in this image is a little bit too much light. I could set up the aperture higher - f/6 - f/6.5. and ISO around 300.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/30sec, ISO 6400, focal length 25mm
In Leicester we have lots of different restaurants and this one I found interesting. I like the outdoor décor of this one. I like that a lot is happening in this photo although I'm not very happy of the outcome because the writing 'Vietnamese street food' looks blurred and I wanted to have it in focus and then I should work for its composition. I could make many more images and try different settings to find the best option to capture the beauty of that restaurant.
Canon EOS 700D, f/4.5, 1/50sec ISO320 focal length 33mm
I practice with aperture to make photos in playground and I set it lower. I think this photo is quite good, the foreground is in focus and background stays blurred. The swing is the main object as I wanted.
Canon EOS 700D f/5.6 1/50sec ISO 6400 focal length 33mm
I really like the composition of this image, I can see clearly the 'rule of third' here. What is the most important subject stays in the center. I have three different parts on this image. The brick, flowers and plant. I really like the sign of spring and the contrast between raw brick and living plants. I think that photo is successful.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6 1/50sec ISO320 focal length 35mm
Here again I captured neon lights. Here I like the contrast between neon and the background. I think colors and shapes on this image are beautiful. I can see some shadows in the top of the image and it makes the image interesting.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 5000, focal length 40mm
Here I captured every day's people lives, in some situations like buying fruits on the market. I like the fact this image is colorful. It says that looking from the side even in day by day boring situations like shopping we can find some colors in it.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/30sec ISO 6400, focal length 25mm
I like the pink-grey colors of this restaurant. Also I captured the woman's face which I think it's interesting. For the next time I could use zoom and capture all the name of the restaurant and make this photo much closer.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/100sec ISO 1600 focal length 55mm
I can see good composition of this image - 'the rule of third'. The photo was taken through the window of restaurant. I found interesting the blue shadows on the left side. Here I captured front and back of the restaurant in one image. In the center I can see some dark space and that creates impression of mystery. The background is blurred and it makes me think what I can found inside there. I really like this picture.
Canon EOS 700D f/5.6, 1/30sec, ISO 3200, focal length 25mm
The main street in the city center. Here I was trying to capture strangers faces. I can say I was almost close to that. If I could come closer to the woman, but I think I was too shy to do that as it was my first time. I think she's back from shopping. But overall we can see her face. Again we can see she is wearing a mask in the reference to the previous photo from restaurant.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/125sec ISO 1000, focal length 33mm
Here I have an example that 'cats like to follow their pats'. They are invisible to us on a daily basis, they like to hide, and here I was able to capture the moment. To make this picture it was important to look into the shutter speed settings, the object was moving very fast. So as we can see my shutter speed was fast 1/125sec. I can see leading lines, we have main subject, and the contrast between the warm color brick and grey plot and pavement. What I don't like in this photo is the orange bin on the left side. I could turn camera to the right.
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/100sec ISO 1600, focal length 55mm
For me it's a beautiful picture. Characters and colors are reflected in the glass. There are shadows of lights and shapes. Cool light color play game with warm colors. A lot is happening on this image. What I could do differently is to use zoom and stay further from the window as I can see my character also in the window.
 |
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/80sec ISO 6400
I like what is on the image. Red and orange neon. I can see exotic plants. And interesting role plays the woman in a beret. We can't see anything what is inside, but it certainly works for our imagination. |
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6, 1/80sec ISO 4000 focal length 55mm
Canon EOS 700D f/5.6 1/80sec ISO 4000, focal length 55mm
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6 1/80sec ISO 4000 focal length 55mm
Canon EOS 700D, f/5.6 1/80sec ISO 3200, focal length 55mm
Here I suddenly captured sequential images. I have four images here and when I look at it I can see a sequence and the story. I see the people are moving so I'm happy to catch the movements here. It reminds me about early images of Eadweard Muybridge:
Dancying (fancy), 1885.
From Animal Locomotion. Collotype (1830-1904) Stanford Museum
In my opinion street photography is something interesting. We can always find many subjects of our images. It is not only photography of buildings but also people. Even though the street seems to be 'day by day' subject I think people's faces, silhouettes and movements can be very interesting. We can capture them emotions, their moments, the times and in result their every day's life. It shows us what the world around us looks like and sometimes when taking pictures we see something that at first glance is unnoticeable.
Sources:
http://expositions.bnf.fr/atget/grand/atget.htm
https://www.magnumphotos.com/
https://www.azquotes.com/author/31558-Eugene_Atget
https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/henri-cartier-bresson/
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/sepia-photography.html
https://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/musee-carnavalet#:~:text=Located%20at%2023%20Rue%20de,with%20the%20Louvre's%20Cour%20Carr%C3%A9e.
https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/art-and-antiques/210801-210801
No comments:
Post a Comment