gym Loc: Athens, Georgia

I'm working on my techniques for street photos and I'm posting two here. This is a relatively new thing for me, and I look forward to any suggestions that would have made these better.
Thanks

These were done outside with natural light, aperture priority at f/5.6, ISO 400.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Picture 1)

Light in the background was too much. The dark background to camera left would have worked much better.

Eyes were two dark with a distracting reflection in the glasses.
I often shoot reflections in glasses but they are bright reflective sunglasses. You have to go either way not hang out in the middle.
Because of this you really don't know what his expression is.


Picture 2)
White hat was too much and is overpowering. (If you check out my work you will notice I never shoot white anything on a white skinned person. (I just move on)
The area around the eyes under the hat had no light to support the eyes. Way to dark under there.

A couple of tips to improve your shots.

1) Watch your background.
2) Watch the clothing.

If you find a dark clothed person in the shade not wearing white that looks interesting.... The planets have aligned.
Now you need to hold them there while you take 50 shots to try and get and expression!
The key is expression + the right light.

Gym I only gave you the brutal truth because you asked... and I like you.

A few more notes. White anything when shooting the street is a problem. If your subject is wearing dark everything you can get enough light to support the eyes.
With so much white like a white hat you will blow out your whites before you can get enough light in the eyes to get detail there.
Go to my website and look at my shots and you will notice a trend to what I am saying.

Russ

gym Loc: Athens, Georgia

That's EXACTLY the kind of thing I need to hear, Russ. Thank you. I looked at your site and see the examples of the things you've suggested. Thanks again. I'll go hunting again soon and
I'll be back.
:>)

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Oh what tails these guys could tell.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Couple very nice examples of "real" street photos, not ones that looked 'posed' or planned.

Real street photography is getting the best pictures you can of the interesting people, etc, without making them look too 'planned' or 'perfect'.

Photoman74 Loc: Conroe Tx

Rules for portrait apply - street or studio :thumbup: :thumbup:

countryboy

I like these. Yes, the eyes could have used better lighting, but you'd have had to take off the glasses. That would have worked, but the glasses are part of their overall identities. The general lighting is good, the sharpness is good, and though the expressions aren't emotionally grabbing, they're reflections of who these guys are.