Street Photo - Red Dot on Top

Red Dot on Top

This street photo was taken in early March this year. I was walking around Anderson Bridge that links Fullerton Hotel and Asian Civilization Museum across the Singapore River. As I crossed the bridge towards ACM, I noticed this man was standing with his hands on his hips, reading the signboard. As I approached the subject closer to get a better composition, I saw two cyclists riding from my left on the background and right across behind my subject. I anticipated and took that precise moment where I wanted the two bikers to be positioned.

All elements in this photo came together perfectly at the right place and at the right time. Elements of different shapes and sizes consist of the red circular board on top, white rectangular white board, four triangular shapes formed by the subject's arms and the two biker's right legs (both in same pedaling position, forming a symmetrical pattern) and lastly the four circular wheels of the two bicycles. In fact, there are additional shapes formed by the tiles on the ground.

This photo is certainly one of my favorite street photos in color though I did a black and white conversion which looks good. But I believe the color version looks better.. Moreover what I also like about this photo is the red circular board that is in a slight off position, perhaps due to soldering error during construction time. Such minor detail that breaks away from the overall symmetrical patterns in this street photo, certainly works great for me.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. Minor Levels adjustment in post without cropping. Make the jump if you want to view the black and white version.

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Street Photo - Bloated

Bloated

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Ilford Pan 100 and developed in 1+1 Kodak D76 for 540 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with cropping and tonal adjustment in post.

Trade-in for 2 New Books

Well, this week we're going to take a little break from posting my 35mm film street photos which I have been doing so since February. More to come. But today I want to share with you readers on 2 new books which I traded with my old photography books at a local photography bookstore. The book authors and publishers are different but the main focus or subject is of the same person. That person was none other than Vivian Maier. I've followed Vivian's work since I got to know in 2009. Here are the 2 book covers.

I really love Vivian's work that's truly inspiring. A documentary film was made in memoirs of her, titled Finding Vivian Maier. Here's a trailer. I do hope this film will be showing here in Singapore during some film or photography festival.

Street Photo - Habitual Pattern

Habitual Pattern

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Ilford Pan 100 and developed in 1+1 Kodak D76 for 540 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with cropping and tonal adjustment in post.

Street Photo - Scalp Protection

Scalp Protection

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed 1+1 in Kodak D76 for 500 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700 and cropping in post.

Street Photo - Okinawan Ryuso

Okinawan Ryuso

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed in Kodak D76 1+1 for 500 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with minor crop and burn in post.

Street Photo - Indian Ladies

Indian Ladies

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed 1+1 in Kodak D76 for 500 secs. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with minor crop and burn in post.

Street Photo - Indian Boy and Four Chariot Horses

Indian Boy and Four Chariot Horses

Made with Seagull 205 RF on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed 1+1 in Kodak D76 for 500 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with cropping, burning and contrast adjustments in post.

Street Photo - Shadow Mapping 3

Shadow Mapping 3

Made with Vivitar PN2011 on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed 1+1 on Kodak D76 for 585 secs. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with minor crop and contrast adjustment in post.

Street Photo - Shadow Mapping 2

Shadow Mapping 2

Made with Vivitar PN2011 on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed 1+1 in Kodak D76 for 585 secs. Negative scanned on Epson V700 with minor contrast adjustment in post.

Street Photo - Sense of Scale

Sense of Scale

Made with Vivitar PN2011 point-n-shoot plastic camera on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed in 1+1 Kodak D76 for 585 secs. Negative is scanned on Epson V700 with minor crop.

Street Photo - Happy Little Girl

Happy Little Girl

A sweet little girl happily chasing after a pigeon along the sidewalk outside Ngee Ann City as she indulged herself in her happy carefree world with her arms wide open, as if to say "I believe I can fly." Such innocence moment which I was able to capture at the right place at the right time, certainly made my day.

What I like about this shot is the captured momentum of the happy girl in running motion along with the pigeon's strolling motion. The girl seems to be standing on one leg as she changed her running direction towards the little bird and simultaneously the pigeon's left leg stretched out to move forward. Does this shot considered to be a "decisive moment"? It's opened for interpretation. Personally I consider this to be my best shot by far.

Made with Seagull 205 rangefinder camera on Kodak Tri-X 400 and developed in Kodak D76 for 500 seconds. Negative scanned on Epson V700. Dodge and burn and cropped in post.

NEW UPDATE!

As I posted this blog on my Facebook page, I noticed the square thumbnail preview image and it occurs to me that a square crop format is more defined and focused. So I cropped it and here it is.

Frankly speaking, I wouldn't be able to make this shot with a TLR camera unless I anticipated and set myself in a vantage spot, ready to press the shutter when the girl runs into the frame. Well, you see, street photography is a difficult genre as things change and unfold unpredictably before you in a blink of an eye. That's the challenging and fun part and it's a skill to be learnt and practiced.

I'm still keen in TLR street photography as well as panorama format. I will keep shooting and practicing and learning.