Statement of Intent - Theme 2: Street Photography

I have decided to concentrate on black and white street photography for my second theme.

Southport Pier, August 2011

F18, 1/125, ISO200, 18mm

Professional application of the photography to be undertaken

As mentioned before I am really interested in black and white photography, so would like to use this style for my second theme, which I think works well with street photography.  I will be hoping to capture photographs of everyday scenes and making them into great images.  I can't see myself being very intrusive with my camera as that's not really me and don't think I'm brave enough to just walk up to people and take their photograph.

I'm not sure where I will be capturing these images.  I would love to visit a city and capture the essence of city life but I'm not sure yet whether that will be an option.  In the meantime, I will try to visit towns local to me to get some practice and see where I go from there - you never know I may get some great images.  I guess it would be easier for me to visit a place where people would expect to see someone taking photographs as I wouldn't stand out as much.  I am going to look into what's happening around my local area and hopefully I will find an event that I could easily photograph without being noticed. 

 

Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others)

I have recently taken some images that I am pleased with and would like to continue photographing in  this style.  After a chat with Steve we decided that this was street photography and so I will looking to research this area and hopefully develop further.

I will be looking at the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, which I have touched on previously, and also Alfred Eisenstaedt.  I have also come across the work of Eric Kim and will be looking into his work more. 

The photo imaging equipment and medium that will be used and why

I will be using my Canon EOS 1000 DSLR to capture these images.  I have two lenses: an 18-55mm and a 50mm.  For this theme I will be using my 18-55mm lens and may also take advantage of the lenses available at college for me to loan. 

I think initially I would like to use the college's 75-300mm lens to enable me to capture my images from a comfortable distance.  Although, when using this lens I will obviously become more visible as I am less likely to blend into the surroundings!  

I may also use my tripod if needed, depending on the light levels and the shot that I am after. 

Techniques that will be used and how they will help convey the visual message

I think there is a lot to learn about this style of photography and I am looking forward to carrying out my research and using Steve's knowledge to learn about the techniques that I will require to achieve this.  I have heard alot about 'shooting from the hip', I guess this technique will help me capture my images without being obvious, so will certainly be giving it a go, although I can imagine this will take a lot of mastering to ensure that I actually get something worth looking at and not an out of focus snap of the floor!!

How light quality can be used to help convey the visual message

With any photography the light is obviously vital, and that's no different with black and white.  The amount of light can make a huge difference to the feel of an image, creating either a dark image or a soft happy feel.   

I plan to use any available natural light with my images and hope to steer clear of the flash.

Safety considerations

There are many things to consider when it comes to safety and this style of photography.  The main thing to consider is that I will obviously be out on the streets and so must ensure that myself and my equipment will be safe.  I will not be putting myself in any vulnerable positions and will ensure that wherever I am shooting I am surrounded by people - I certainly won't be choosing to shoot in any dark, secluded allyways just to get a great shot of the strange looking guy at the end! 

I will also be aware of what I am photographing and will be looking into the relevant laws that cover this type of photography.  As it stands, my understanding is that if I am in a public place I can pretty much photography what I like - I'm pretty sure it's not quite that simple so will be sure to check before I get out there. 

Now I need to get stuck into my research to get some inspiration and hopefully lots of tips...