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.

Street Photo - Restless People

A group of people gathering outside an Indian restaurant to watch pilgrims and devouts walking along Serangoon Road on Thaipusam Day.. They all look restless with one man covering his mouth as he yawned. The older woman on the foreground left hand side, looked dazed with her eyes looking blankly in the air. The younger woman on the right side with her arms crossed, perhaps implying that she was bored.

It's always interesting to capture the every day life moments of people with different expressions while interacting. This is perhaps one of those mundane moments which may or may not happen again.

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

Street Photo - Haircare Salesman

I don't know how to put it for this street photo. A middle-aged salesman found sleeping on his own bike along a busy street outside Mustafa shopping center. As seen here, a banner was put up on a fence on which promoting his hair care products. Quirky and weird. Even two Caucasian tourists found it strange.

Seagull 205 rangefinder camera on Kodak Tri-X 400. Developed in Kodak D76 for 500 seconds and scanned on Epson V700. Minor contrast adjustments and cropping in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Threes of 2 Kinds

Threes of 2 Kinds

I was walking on this pedestrian pavement along Serangoon Road when I saw ahead of me these three Indian fellows walking past a road sign. I ran up quickly to make this shot. There's this pattern and similarity between the three human subjects and the road sign that really caught my attention.

Made with Vivitar PN2011 on Ilford XP2 Super. Developed and scanned from a photo lab with post-processing in Photoshop for brightness and contrast.

Street Photo - Burger King GB

Burger King GB

Two Filipino ladies, wearing the same Great Britain flag T-shirts, are giggling and laughing outside a Burger King restaurant in Bugis Village. The colors of their tops in comparison with BK logo just spoke out loud to me and hence I walked up closer to make this photo.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. Cropped with minor Levels adjustments in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Little Girl and Minnie

Little Girl and Minnie

Saw this little girl with a Minnie haversack, pulling a small trolley luggage as if she's on her way to Disneyland. Image made with Samsung S3 LTE phone camera. Post-processed in Snapseed mobile app.

Street Photo - Lovers in Red

Lovers in Red

An Indian couple dressed in same red color tone, got intimated outside McDonald's restaurant at Shaw Plaza. Color image made with Samsung S3 LTE phone camera. Post-processed in Snapseed mobile app.

Street Photo - You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

Well this photo speaks loud and clear for itself. There are many more fast food restaurants now than three decades ago. In which case either directly or indirectly, causing more obesity amongst younger children. Adults are affected too. They are addicted to fast food due to fast paced high pressurized and stressful working environment People do not have time for an hour lunch break and resort to fast food. Somehow food affects one's health, life style and state of mind.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. No cropping. Black and white conversion with adjustments on brightness and contrast in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Multimedia Platforms

Multimedia Platforms

Two men are reading newspapers and two men are chimping on their mobile phones. The double (two-for-two) patterns formed in this image i.e. their sitting positions and directions with alternate activities, that really caught my attention.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. Cropping and black and white conversion in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Interracial Street Talk

Interracial Street Talk

The folks are engrossed in their conversation along the busy street corridor in Little India. Color image made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens without crop. Black and white conversion in Photoshop

Street Photo - Walking On By

 Walking On By

I was walking in Chinatown one morning on Lunar Moon Festival 2012 and I took a break sitting on a small stairway and noticed this strip of light on a signboard. I begun to shoot by-passers and this is one of the best candid shots.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. No cropping. Black and white conversion with minor adjustments on brightness and contrast in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Under the Violet Shade

Under the Violet Shade

I really love the simplicity of this photo. Upon alighting from a bus, I spotted this subject who walked past me The violet colored umbrella stands out prominently and nicely against the black and white hoarding board with casted shadows of trees branches and leaves. Moreover, her black top and white tote bag, all fit so perfectly. Intuitively I lifted my camera and made the shot.

Made with Nikon D70s on 50mm prime lens. No cropping. Just minor adjustments on shadows and highlights in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Sound Asleep

A young girl was sleeping soundly on a park bench right outside Singapore Management University (SMU). A couple nearby was laughing while I made this photo. They must have had noticed the girl too. What caught my attention was the girl's sleeping posture which reminds me of a sleeping bird.

Made with Nikon D70s on 50mm prime lens. Cropped and post-processed in Photoshop.

Street Photo - Cookie Monsters Inc.

Cookie Monsters Inc.

Spotted this family of four walking towards the crowded flea market in Bencoolen Street. Somehow it's scarce to see whole family wearing the same T-shirts, especially during the Lunar festive season in this popular street. Well it certainly caught my attention.

Made with Nikon D70s on Tamron wide angle lens. No cropping. Just minor adjustments on shadows and highlights in Photoshop.