Street Photography

This afternoon on the Mrt, from Marsiling to Toa Payoh.

Apart from the product/still life photography we are doing in the studio at NAFA, in the next 2 months, I would like to explore street photography.

What is street photography? A reflection of every day life – real, unaltered impressions ofpublic places, places that everybody visits every day, the street where you live, the parking lot of your favorite grocery store, the subway. Street photographers document the truth – Often likened to a mirror held up to society, street photography reflects reality. There is no set-up involved, no manipulation of the scene and little or no post-processing of the image.

This realism has provided an accurate and insightful record of street culture throughout the world. With images portraying everything from the ugly, gritty side of life to more humorous situations, they are moments that unless captured would otherwise go unnoticed.

At the heart of street photography is the 'decisive moment'. This is the split second when an image becomes complete in its composition - when each element of the image is in balance, in context and essential to the scene. This is when the shutter is released and the moment is captured forever.

If you, like me are interested in Street Photography too, here are some tips, from Canon's website,

10 QUICK STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

1. BE INVISIBLE. Dress and behave discretely. Don't affect what lies before you. Some of the best street photography are captured when the photographer and camera are unobserved by the scene and its subjects. 3. PRE-FRAME. PRE-FOCUS. Frame the scene, preset your focus and wait patiently for the right elements to fall into place, before you click. You’ll be surprised at the results of this simple technique. 5. SHOOT FROM THE HIP. Learn to frame your images without looking through the viewfinder or at the LCD. Shoot with the camera away from your face - from the hip or low at your chest work well. Low angle shooting also gives an interesting perspective. 7. BE PATIENT. Street photography is a test of patience. Either waiting for the scene to evolve or just capturing the right shot, a great photograph takes time to realize. Don't rush that special moment before clicking. 9. SHOOT. SHOOT. SHOOT. Practice makes perfect. The more you shoot, the better the photographer you'll become, and ultimately the better your photographs. There's much to get used to with your camera, so get out there and use it.

2. USE A COMPACT CAMERA. Compact cameras like the PowerShot S90 are small, quiet and appear less threatening to subjects. They also offer deeper depths of field allowing more spontaneous captures with sharp detail across the image. 4. SHOOT WITH A WIDE ANGLE. A wide angle lens allows you to get up close to your subjects. A preferred focal length for street photography is 28mm. A wide angle also allows you to capture more of the environment to add to composition and context. 6. OBSERVE. OBSERVE. OBSERVE. Keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Observe everyone and everything around you. You’ll be surprised at how much is going on in front of you, and how much you can anticipate - ready for that next perfect shot. 8. ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CAMERA. Great moments in photography can happen at any time. In fact it's often the ones that occur when you least expect them that make the best images. With this in mind make sure your camera's always close to hand ready to shoot at a moment's notice. 10. BE SELECTIVE. The more you shoot the more pictures you'll take but they won't all be worth keeping. Be selective and only keep those that make the grade. In this way you'll develop a sharper editorial eye, and your standards will rise in the process.