Let's share candids!

[SolaresLarrave]

An unexpected candid... at the Grand Lux Café in Chicago, IL, on Scala (pushed 1 stop). Leica M6TTL, 30-year old Summicron.

(I realize that uploading images is only possible in the first post, but we can place live links and click on them like Bill does.)

 

[bmattock]

That's something I really have to work on...

That's something I really have to work on...

I'm terrible at candids. I'm trying to get better, but I really have to force myself...

Here's a recent attempt, at the Phoenix aiport:

http://www.growlery.com/Phoenix-Airport-Candid.jpg

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[rover]

I really like Tri-X, but need to work on my fill flash skills.

http://www.phototalk.net/photos/showphoto.php?photo=16274&password=&sort=2&thecat=500

 

[lars]

Three candids:

Bessa R and 35/2.5C
http://bb.bc4x4.com/lars/paw/album.php?currDir=./2003&pageType=image&image=week25.jpg
http://bb.bc4x4.com/lars/paw/album.php?currDir=./2003&pageType=image&image=week41.jpg

Minolta Maxxum 7
http://bb.bc4x4.com/lars/paw/album.php?currDir=./2003&pageType=image&image=week43.jpg

...lars

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Rover... that kid's face... like the credit card ad: priceless.

Those are great shots, lars!

I like the one in the airport, Bill, that's the kind I've missed a lot.

Mine was a bit posed: my wife didn't think I was taking her photo... so, it kinda works as a candid portrait.

Keep them coming!

 

[Doug]

This truck driver is waiting for the tire repair guy to fix the tire before he can get back to hauling fresh corn in for processing.
Shot July 31 with Voigtlander Bessa-T and 1967 version 35mm Summicron, Ilford XP1 400 bulk-loaded in October 1983 and commercially machine processed with "one-stop push" development to bump the contrast/density back up to normal (as this film was intended for processing in the now-discontinued Ilford XP1 chemistry kit).

 

[Rich Silfver]

Candids

Candids

Some older candids of mine:

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/9607/people.html

 

[back alley]

3 large gents

3 large gents

 

[SolaresLarrave]

My best model again, severely cropped. My street candids ain't that good, but I'll scan the recent attempts for critique here. Meanwhile, a friend of ours says this is the "French intellectual" look.

 

[rover]

I'll get this right yet!

 

[taffer]

Ok, it was really a portrait and not a candid but I like this picture anyway 😛

http://www.upcnet.es/~org/imgs/galleries/srt303b/303b_002b.jpg

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Rover, did you use flash on that shot? A slight shadow shows it...

Taffer: that's a neat portrait shot!

 

[Doug]

Another

Another

I just noticed the similarity of the figure in this shot to the anxious truck driver in the previous one (and abt 5 blocks away). Here the equipment is being offloaded to remove the foundation and level the lot, from which a house was moved that morning.

Again the old bulk-loaded Ilford XP1, but shot with Kiev 4a RF camera with Jupiter-12 35mm f/2.8 and Voigtlander 35mm finder. Russian 35mm finder arrived today!

 

[rover]

I think I did pop a flash Francisco. That is my son, I think I shot a fill flash, it was in the spring and he wasn't sitting still that well. I believe we raced to the dam right after I fired the shutter.

 

[taffer]

Francisco, it was a "getcha" shot from a friend of mine I took late at night while walking through a public park here. It was taken with a 24 mm and a Minolta SRT loaded with TMZ 3200 (impressive film).

I like to take portraits with such a wide angle lens (they aren't really candids as the lens is just in front of the subject's face). With some care and luck there's not too much distortion and you can get a lot of enviroment around the subject. Bad thing is that working at these distances from the subject the parallax error from an RF would be a serious problem...

BTW, I personally like a lot your second shot. The pose, the framing, even the grain coming from the I suppose severe cropping add character to the picture, so don't hesitate and print a big copy of it ! 🙂

I still find a bit difficult to take candids of unknown people, is there any trick to lose some shame ? 😛

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Taffer, it's still a pretty dramatic "gotcha". You should hone your portrait skills. If I had more friends, I'd be probably shooting more. Since I don't, my poor wife bears the brunt of being a reluctant model all the time.

In your shot, I like the balance you managed to get between his face and background. Can I safely assume you did a bit of burning/dodging on his face?

Maybe this one makes a better example of a street candid. Nope, it wasn't a rangefinder, but my Mamiya C220 and Scala: a glorious combination...

 

[lars]

Francisco, it was a "getcha" shot from a friend of mine I took late at night while walking through a public park here. It was taken with a 24 mm and a Minolta SRT loaded with TMZ 3200 (impressive film).

You used NO FLASH for that shot? Amazing. I thought you used an off-camera flash with some kind of bounce or diffuser.

...lars

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Taffer... where did you meter when you took that photo of your friend? Just wondering... Did you meter at the dark areas, like a good kid who follows the famous dictum about metering with slide, color and B&W film (highlights, midtones and darks, respectively)?

 

[taffer]

ok ok ! I'll tell you but I bet you'll be a bit disappointed when you read it... 🙂

Yep Lars, I used no flash at all. The picture was taken under a common streetlamp like the one you see on the left edge of the photo. It was around 22 PM so it was the only available light I had 😛 I never use a flash 'cos in fact I don't even own one ! (and personally don't like use them very much [taking a non-burned picture with them is still a mistery to me]).

Franciso, as the anarchic kid that I am :angel: and seeing that the meter needle on my SRT was only a bit more than totally useless under that streetlamp (with the ISO set at at 1600 and even under that light the needle was completely down) I crossed my fingers and guessed at 1/30 and f2.8 I think. 1/30 to follow the focal length vs. speed rule, and f2.8 because the lens was a Sigma 24 mm f2.8 and as my friend said "hey buddy it's really dark here!" 🙂

So in fact this is more or less a point and shoot picture with a lot of good luck, hehe. It was the first time I used TMZ so I didn't have the faintest idea of how the pictures were going to be, but it seems the damned thing has an impressive lattitude range...

About TMZ, If you haven't tried it I highly recommend you to do it, as taking handheld pictures at night is a very fun practice !

http://www.upcnet.es/~org/imgs/galleries/srt303b/303b_007b.jpg
http://www.upcnet.es/~org/imgs/galleries/srt303b/303b_010b.jpg
http://www.upcnet.es/~org/imgs/galleries/srt303b/303b_001b.jpg

Go for a night walk ! 😉

Oscar

 

[taffer]

If I had more friends, I'd be probably shooting more. Since I don't, my poor wife bears the brunt of being a reluctant model all the time.

I can't really see the problem here, your "intellectual pose" shot is lovely!

Also, if you pay a visit to my website you'll see how many friends I have... I have more than only two friends, of course, but I mail with these two almost on a daily basis, and we usually meet 2 or 3 times a week, so no matter what they do, they always end being in front of the camera 🙂

If I had a girlfriend I'd be shooting more too 😉

Your street candid IS in fact a candid, but like to be close to the subject, hence I almost always use my friends and family, as they can have a 24 or a 50 mm just in front their nose and still keep that "natural" pose, but I'm taking note of other kind of shots I've seen on this thread for future exercises. Street musicians have always attracted my attention...