Planning
Task – Take 100-250 photos in an urbanised environment with people as the main focus.
Models/Props – Friends and strangers
Camera Settings – I will use a quick shutter speed of about 1/100-1/500 depending on how fast the subjects are moving as I plan on photographing them whilst they naturally move around. I will use a low ISO as the area I will take photos in will be well lit with street lighting.
Lighting – Natural lighting will mostly be used however may be necessary to use a flash to highlight key aspects in my models face
Location – In town as this is an urbanised area
Context – Photographing strangers and friends without them aware of the photo being taken in order to capture a realistic view of how they would be behaving.
Concept – To capture street photographs in the style of Vivian Maier and Robert Frank.
Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier (1926-2009) was an American street photographer born in New York City. Her work was unknown and unpublished during her lifetime. In 2007, collectors found some of her prints and negatives in boxes. Her images were first published on the internet in 2008. Her work has now been exhibited in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. A lot of details about Maier’s life remains unknown.
Robert Frank
Robert Frank (born November 9, 1924) is a Swiss-American photographer and documentary film maker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled The Americans. His style of work is classed as photo journalism and documentary/street photography.
Photo Analysis
The first thing which caught my eye when observing this picture was the clear use of the rule of thirds. The bus itself create natural lines almost along the horizontal lines when following the rule of thirds. I believe this helps the viewer the see how the picture is made up of several portrait pictures. There is a large tonal range within this picture, with lighter tones towards the top and darker tones towards the bottom. The tonal range can also be seen within the skin tone of the people on the bus, from the left hand side a white man is presented and on the right hand side we are presented with a black person. We can clearly identify that Robert Frank would have used a fast shutter speed in order to take this photograph. This is because the picture is of a moving subject and would require a fast shutter speed to prevent a blur in the image. With a fast shutter speed he was able to capture a sharp photo.There is also multiple textures inside of this image, for example there is the texture of the trolley at the bottom of the image. The blots on the trolley also add another texture to the image. Moreover, there is the texture of the windows at the top of the image, these look smooth.
This image is split into 3 main sections, the top middle and bottom. The middle part is the main focus which contains the main subjects of the people. Where as the top and bottom contain some interesting textures and reflections but this is not what stands out and catches the viewers eye immediately. There is a definite contrast within this image, with the black and whites exaggerated. There is a clear contrast between the white poles/bars separating the people and the rest of the bus, perhaps influencing us that they are a main factor of the image. This photo has been captured in natural light which is expressed in the reflections at the top of the image. I think that the use of the picture being in black and white emphasizes the different races.
This image taken by Robert Franks was captured in the 1950’s. This image was also taken in America, New Orleans. At this time period, America experienced marked economic growth – with an increase in manufacturing and home construction among a post–World War II economic expansion. At this time period it was uncommon for photographers to tackle the issue of racism which is a key theme portrayed within this photo. The time period when this photo was taken was a time of racism and prejudice. Although the photo may have been an ‘accident’ as Robert Frank himself said, it may have been a powerful and strongly influential picture to help the problem with racism.
It looks as if the different races are separated from each other. The white man is at the front of the trolley while the rest are sat behind him. This can connote the fact that at this time people like that where protected by society and had more ‘privilege’. The different facial expressions of the different people can say quite a lot about the image. They all have the same serious look about them. This can represent the lives of these people. The layout of the characters in the image also represents the different classes, for example the man at the front could be a higher class than the one at the back however we do not know this it is just interpretation. The white bars can again also show the separation between the different classes.
My Photoshoot
Edited Images
This allowed me to focus on certain aspects of the shoot easier, as I now had a rough idea what I needed to capture. These were the results from my shoot:
From the shoot I went on to highlight and crop the images I thought were the best out of all the photographs. This allowed me to limit the shoot down to just ten pictures so that I could choose my final image to display. These were my choices:
I chose this image because I loved the contrast between the darkness of the wall, and the subject. This is due to the rule of thirds which line up with the character inside, which instantly draws your eye to the face. I found that the pure blackness of the wall covering the picture added for a dramatic effect overall, making it almost seem hidden.
I chose this image once again because of the contrast between the subject and the surrounding area. I found that the silhouette created by the lamp really made the image pop, whilst at the same time balanced it so that the darkness itself was not too overpowering in the picture.
What I liked about this image was how the subjects face lit up against the darkness of the rest of the picture against the white strip of wall. I found that capturing someone off guard in their comfort zone allowed for a greater insight to the subjects life, and really captured them as an individual.
I found that this picture captured a clear contrast between the darkness of the three old figures and the white pub behind. I found that this silhouette that is almost created, makes the overall piece more dramatic than it is, with the blurred black building behind allowing for the whole picture to work.
Finally I chose this image because it captured the nightlife of a man drunk stumbling home. What I liked about this was how the picture was blurred itself as well, allowing greater emphasis on the man in the jacket being drunk, and the perspective that he may be seeing.
FINAL IMAGE
From this selection of a few of his images, I found that my eye was drawn to the picture of the wall crumbled in.
The contrast between the subjects within and the white crumbling wall, which in a way frames the image, allows the photograph to really define the faces of the individual children. From this it allows us to see the different expressions of each child, some seem to be captivated by this photographer taking the picture, whilst others are completely oblivious to it. Allowing the photographer to capture the playfulness but also the curiosity that is seen within each child. The fact that some of the children are playing on rubble, shows how that even in the worst scenarios, kids always make the best out of what they have, showing that innocence within.
I selected the images from my photo shoot that I thought have a clear subject and a good angle at which the photo was taken and displayed them below. I have highlighted the photos I definitely want to use in red and highlighted them in yellow if they need editing.
Once I had completed the shoot, I decided to try to limit the images down into my top ten photographs, from there it would allow me to decide which picture I found the most effective from the overall shoot. I chose the image that I thought had the biggest impact of all, so took into account the rule of thirds, symmetry and lighting. These were my results:
I chose this picture because I liked the expressionless face of the subject against a white plain backdrop. This to me created effect within, as the backdrop broke up to a messy brick wall on the right hand side, allows for more focus on the subject rather than what is around them, due to how the contrast on their face stands out from the exposed wall.
The reason I chose this image was because I loved the contrast between the overly exposed background and the darkness of the subjects clothes. This creates a dramatic effect, whilst highlighting the points I wished for the viewer to look upon, like the head up. I found that the character being centered slightly to the middle of the picture made it an overall aesthetically pleasing piece.
Finally I chose this image because I found that it captured the calmness and thoughtfulness, of the subjects face at a significant time in their life. This makes the image aesthetically pleasing because of how there is symmetry between the subjects face, and that of the birthday balloon, which cancel each other out making the picture very balanced.
The reason I chose this image was because I really liked the contrast between the darkness of the backdrop of a bush, and the brightly colored outfit of the subject. This instantly draws the viewer's eye to the subject due to the clear definition between her clothes and the bush, whilst making it visually pleasing to the eye as the pattern of the bush behind is broken up.
FINAL IMAGE
