Critique please: latest street photography

cambolt

cambolt

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Not bad from one roll.

Firstly, I won't critique these as such as online critiques rarely work, IMO, as there is little room for dialogue unless all parties have agreed to spend an hour or so discussing things at the same time.

Pictures two and three don't really work for me. Both types of picture (1. Shadows and Feet 2. People walking past a shop or wall etc) really need to be quite exceptional and different as they are the 'stodgy porridge' of this type of photography i.e. seen daily and dull, dull, dull...but still photographed by all of us pretty much all of the time. In neither of these pictures do I see any real form of human connection, humour or ( for want of an even more vague phrase) moment. What is it about these shadows and the four and a half feet that made you release the shutter. Why did you feel compelled to photograph that couple, walking past that window full of shoes whilst including the grafitti?

I ask those questions because in some of the other shots I see immediately why you took the picture. In the first image with the umbrellas the symmetry stands out as does a little humour ( humour being a tough subject for obvious reasons.) I like the fact you've gone for a portrait shot to use the entire doorway to frame them and your timing is pretty much there with the umbrellas positioned very nicely, slight shame about the woman blinking but hey, these things happen and luck plays its part.

The photograph of the two guys in suits is a conundrum to me, as it stands I see very little that makes it stand out as a photograph. Perhaps the similarity in body position but its not similar enough in my opinion. Perhaps a change of position to use the window full of ladies shoes with two suited 'n' booted guys walking past caught in the same posture may have improved it or perhaps I've missed the whole point of the shot.

Then we get on to the wedding couple on the bench which is a far more succesful image to me. You've found something innately human ( people needing to be together ) which, luckily for you was in the hugely visual form of a bride and groom in a moment that has both humour and elements we all understand about ourselves and each other. The need to text others whilst already in the company of friends, family or loved ones, the eternal differences between men and women...any of the emotions, needs, failings etc of being human.

The picture in the push chair works for me as I'm left asking questions, enjoying the slight absurdity of the scene. Things like the bare childs foot walking toward the already discarded childs shoe. Clearly some form of gathering, a funeral perhaps? A Memorial to the man in the photograph? Tragically lost much like the childs shoe? None of this is unequivocal, all of it is conjecture and musings but these are some of the reasons that a photograph works - it provides no answers, only more questions about ourselves...and ourselves as the viewer too.

The final two images both have potential but, like all of the images posted, could do with some improvement compositionally. Composition is, certainly to me, the most important aspect of any picture. It stands and falls on its composition, not simply because it will make an image more attractive to the eye or subconcious mind but because the composition will help to almost "storyboard" an image. Where does your eye go first, then second and on from there. What is the reason for taking the picture and does your compostion ensure that the viewer sees these things too? Sometimes a composition may need more room to allow the context to become clearer whilst other times you may want the image to be taken out of context to provide a surreal or more jarring image.

I'm sure you'll get many opinions on these pictures with every opinion carrying, just like my own, the heavy baggage of its owner. Just bear that in mind when reading through them. From what I've seen you have a good photographers eye for human detail but this would be helped by being able to marry what you see with what you wish to present. I suppose the best way to do this is to look at the work of other photographers who photograph similar things to you; here at RFF you may want to check out Tuna or SimonSawSunlight or go to INPublic and look at the many varying styles of street photography there. However, don't let anyone tell you that 'this' is how it must be done. There's no equation to follow other than the one that will end with you copying someone else's vision, style or interests.

I hope that hasn't been too confused, rambling or condescending as I only offer up that advice which has helped me. Good luck with street pictures and enjoy it🙂
 
This may be a criticism of street photography in general: to me, it's not enough just to find interesting things and make a snapshot of them. One needs also to do something interesting with the composition, framing, choice of where to stand, etc, to go beyond "here is something interesting I saw" to create visual impact on a more visceral level.

Lighting counts, print quality, physical viewpoint (i.e., shot from somewhere other than the camera being 5.6feet above the ground. . .) These pictures, like about 99% of all street photography I see on the web don't go beyond snapshot for me. Spend some time really studying how the real artists like HCB, Robert Frank, even documentary photogs like Danny Lyons, did it, concisely and beautifully. You could even look at someone like Salgado, realizing that what he does is "street photography", but in a specific context.

Finding the subject is just the first step.
 
I think you found very good moments in the picture of the wedding couple, the framed photograph in the push chair, the girl with sheet music, and the older couple with lawn furniture. The framing of the older couple seems awkward to me, the background is not interesting and I think you could have avoided cutting the head off the person in the backround since there is no one else there. The expression of the girl in your picture titled "Marxism" is great, but I think I would have rather stepped sideways and turned a little in order to show the other person, too. Might have missed the expression but given more balance. That's just my preference.

I think the framed photo is my favourite. Like already said, not bad from just one roll.
 
OurManInTangier has given an excellent and thoughtful critique. I couldn't agree more. But there is one aspect of street photography (ugh, that phrase) that he did not mention that to me is crucial: technical chops. The reason this kind of "capture the moment" photography is so hard is that you not only have to find the moment and grab it, you have to do it while achieving a minimum threshold of focus, exposure, composition, and print quality. So while I agree with OurMan that the two best shots are the wedding couple and the frame in the stroller, I direct you to examine the slightly soft focus of the couple (the sharpest spot seems to be on the curb) and the somewhat drab tonality of the framed picture shot, that allows the eye to get lost in what might be the most interesting small details. I, for one, missed the child's foot and the lost shoe at first glance.

But don't despair. This stuff is really hard to do while hitting all the marks.
Good luck!
 
The bride and groom shot is great. I wonder if maybe some shots could do with being a little sharper, maybe you've cropped a bit and lost negative area? Just a little comment, the content of the shots more than make up.
 
Sdotkling brings up some good points that I did not mention in my original post. In my honest opinion all of the pictures you've posted to this thread could do with some post processing work in either the darkroom or Photoshop etc. This process allows you to help guide the viewer through the photograph by using the simple techniques of dodging and burning to bring some elements to the fore and allow others to blend away a little more. Of course you may have posted these 'RAW,' if I can use a digital term, 😉 to ensure the critique you receive is based upon the base level of the original image.

Sharpness appears to be a topic as dividing as the term street photography. Personally I've always felt if the image is strong enough then the sharpness is very much a secondary issue. Sometimes a razor sharp image is impossible, at times an image becomes far more evocative due to the lack of sharpness and at times, possibly, photographers hide behind this anti-sharpness 'thing' to cover a lack of technique....worm can opened....

My background of newspaper photography and before that college has instilled in me a basic desire to get an image as sharp as possible as well as exposed as intended. This is just a personal foible to me and I realise that views differ - no doubt a good thing. The advice to try and ensure you get the image as 'bang on' as you can at the time is very sound IMO. You're then left with the ability to draw out the overall look in your post processing.
 
Without wishing to sound like Columbo, "just one more thing" that should perhaps be acknowledged. Editing.

Here you've asked for a critique of your pictures which requires some courage in the first place and means you may be showing images that would not make the edit. We all take thousands of images that do not cut it for one reason or another be it missed focus, missed moment or you left the lens cap on but a good photographer always looks good because of a stringent edit. It's why you learn more from someones contacts than their folio and it's why I'll admit to a slight panicky knot in my stomach if a client asks for all the images to be sent unedited....I can't make myself look better than I am 😀
 
The wedding couple
The girl holding the score
The couple with sandals in front of display of shoes with graffitti

These I like and "get"
Others, I don't.

As mentioned, something about your post-processing or lens, the pictures look hazy.
 
mdarnton said:
This may be a criticism of street photography in general: to me, it's not enough just to find interesting things and make a snapshot of them. One needs also to do something interesting with the composition, framing, choice of where to stand, etc, to go beyond "here is something interesting I saw" to create visual impact on a more visceral level.

Lighting counts, print quality, physical viewpoint (i.e., shot from somewhere other than the camera being 5.6feet above the ground. . .) These pictures, like about 99% of all street photography I see on the web don't go beyond snapshot for me. Spend some time really studying how the real artists like HCB, Robert Frank, even documentary photogs like Danny Lyons, did it, concisely and beautifully. You could even look at someone like Salgado, realizing that what he does is "street photography", but in a specific context.

Finding the subject is just the first step.
Click to expand...

Well said. Exactly what I think.
The concept and having a theme is the most important thing - than you can concentrate and deliver some good shots. Than again, different taste, different views. Keep shooting and don't forget to have fun!
 
Did you get these all in one roll? Great!

First off, whatever scanner you are using, either check it or change it; as the results are not consistent (if you are not using long expired HP5 or stale D76 though).

From my perspective, "Adolf Staring", "The big day" and "Marksizm" do reflect what you wanted to convey (the latter two however need rescanning with some PP for better visual qualities). What puts them apart from the rest of the frames is they attract the attention and do not "disappoint"; i.e. the onlooker finds some attractive elements -say form, timing, geometry, emotion- to keep on being interested in them. The following site might give you some ideas about what I mean as it belongs to one of the Flickr members I admire:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33398858@N06/tags/m6/show/

(Also check the tonalitiies there as they were shot on the HP5+)

Keep on shooting! You started it from the correct end...

Cheers,

Bob
 
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