It can be interesting what you can capture, just holding your camera at the hip and clicking the shutter. With the Leica M9 you can set your lens focus (using zone focus) distance and can easily capture sharp pictures (this can be done with any camera with manual focus). It’s also a great way to capture people unexpectedly.
As I was walking in Chicago, I saw these 2 people sitting and smoking cigarettes. By shooting at the hip, I was able to capture them at their level, which allowed for a better composition.
I always like finding interesting people. As I was walking around Chicago, I came across a guy at the cross walk wearing neon yellow headphones. I politely asked if I could take his picture and he obliged. Later, when I was processing the picture I noticed the red buses in the background. I think the red adds a lot to the picture.
When you’re walking around big cities you will often come across some unusual and sometimes strange people. When we started our photo walk with Steve Huff we were walking in the rain and the temperature was in the mid 50’s. As we came around a corner there was a man walking in the street in only tennis shoes, shorts, and tight t-shirt. I quickly took a picture which was obviously underexposed. Personally, I think the shot worked well, it gave the subject an interesting and somewhat scary look.
I like seeing interesting people. As I was walking around Chicago, I came across this gentlemen with an interesting hat. Mostly, I liked the contrast between his hair and the hat. The umbrella and his companion added a little extra to the shot.
I was amazed a few weeks ago when I was in Chicago of how many weddings were going on on Michigan Avenue. I suppose it would be a great place to tie the knot. We came across this bride and groom who were getting their picture taken. I had my Leica 28mm summicron and snapped this picture. I really like the wide angle here. It gives you a sense of how large the occasion was.
I always find it funny when you see photographers trying to position themselves for the best shot. You will often find us laying on the ground, bent over, turned side ways, etc… This person was trying to take a picture of what appeared to be his girlfriend. I love the way he squats to try to get the camera right at eye level.
As I was walking with my friend Elijah in San Diego, I decided to stop in the middle of the street and take a picture of the on coming traffic. At night, the car lights can add an additional dimension to the scene and in this shot it gives you a sense that they are coming at you (technically they were) but in reality I was safe because of the light.
As my skills as a photographer have improved, I find my self looking at the world around me differently. For example, this weekend I was in Chicago for a street photography workshop given by Steve Huff. We were all standing at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park taking pictures and this couple were having their pictures taken by a professional photographer. As I stood and watched, I looked down and liked the reflection of the couple, photographer and background. Therefore, instead of taking a picture the couple I decided to focus on the reflection.
Often, photographers are attempting to find symmetry or patterns within their environment that would be eye catching. This picture is a great example.
I was standing in the airport waiting to get on one of the trains and noticed the adjacent train sitting there. I noticed the ceiling tiles, train doors, windows, floor tiles, and even the trash can all had a similar linear pattern. I felt this would be a great place to focus on the train and hope that a subject would walk through. Fortunately, I got lucky. This man carrying a piece of paper walked right where I wanted him. I love that I caught him in mid stride because his front leg, back foot, upper torso, and paper all became symmetric with the environment. By focusing on the train, I was able to blur the subject so the viewer could get a sense of motion.
This past week I’ve been in San Diego teaching. It’s always enjoying going to this meeting because I get the opportunity to assist in teaching future surgical podiatrists. Unlike some conferences I go to, where many of the participants are there to get their CME’s (continuing medical education), these participants (residents) are eager to learn and try to grasp as much information we can give to them. I also enjoy seeing colleagues of mine who are some of the best foot and ankle surgeons in the country.
Unfortunately, even though I get to travel for these meetings I typically don’t get much time to explore, thus there are not many picture opportunities. Fortunately, last year when flying to San Diego I happen to sit next to an airline pilot, Elijah Nicolas. He and I have very similar interests and I think we spent the entire 3 hours trying to one up each other in our knowledge of technology related stuff. Since then, we have kept in contact and I had the opportunity to meet up with him for dinner last night and a quick tour of some of the popular places in downtown San Diego. Elijah has a blog,elijahnicolas.com, if you have time please visit it. Thanks Elijah for a great time and good luck in your triathlon today.
Elijah drove me to Balboa Park to see if I could find any interesting picture opportunities. The area is very cultural and has many beautiful buildings and museums, hopefully I can return some day. As we were walking towards a large fountain in the park, a couple just happened to be standing there and both decided to show their affection for one another. It immediately made me think of my wife and daughter who I haven’t seen for 4 days. I can’t wait to get home and show both of them affection. Here is a picture of that “moment” I was speaking of.
