Street Photography

After watching the BBC programme 'What do artists do all day' on Dougie Wallace who's a street photographer/document-er from Glasgow. Dougie got into photography after leaving the army, which mixed with being Glaswegian might be why he's got quite an abrupt and confident approach to his photography. I found it interesting how he takes photos of the same subject over and over again, like his piece called well heeled which was photographs of well groomed dogs and their owners caught off guard. 

From looking at street photographers and their photos I tried to understand more about street photography. Photography as a whole is a way of documenting moments in time which I think street photography is more about, unlike commercial photography.  Street photography is a way of documenting time but also different generations, class, politics and showing the every day and mundane. 

I didn't really have a game plan as such when I went to take my photos, it was more just try and get a feel for it and see what would catch my eye. I went to Edinburgh to take my photos has there's more interesting and diverse people in the city then there are in the borders. Also because there's something about being somewhere where you're completely unknown that gives you more confidence to do things that you wouldn't usually do, as well as being able to walk up to someone and take a picture of their face knowing that you're not going to bump into them in your local co-op. 

As I was there to take pictures of people I felt like I was more aware of my surroundings than I usually am, I was looking at everyone as if they were a possible photo victim it also made me aware of how strange we are as a human race.  

I had a few problems figuring out how to change the settings on my camera, I didn't want to have it on auto as it was quite a muggy day so it kept putting the flash on which instantly made people aware that I was taking a picture, which I didn't necessarily want. A lot of my pictures were taken as I was walking and as the person I was trying to photograph was moving too, meaning I only had one chance to take the picture. 

People didn't really react to having a photograph taken as much as I thought they would. In the programme we watched on Dougie Wallace people were getting quite offended and jumping back from his camera but I think that might have something to do with him having two giant flashes on his camera as well as being quite an abrupt person, where a five foot five redhead in the pink skirt didn't seem to have a threatening affect on anyone... 

This is the first pictures I took that day which I  ended up cropping as I felt the people were a bit too small in the frame. I took this photo because I like how the daughter wasn't paying any attention to her mums frustration.

I felt like this girl was in her own world, with her style of dress and headphones in with a confident pose, giving her phone a small smile, all just work together for me. 

I don't feel like there's much to say about this picture as it was one I just quickly took as I'm drawn to people on their phones. Looking at it now I like that it's got the word Edinburgh in the picture and the reflections of the traffic lights as well as just the mundane woman sat in the bus stop. 

I like this man's unlikely interest in Street art, I was drawn to his body language and facial expression as as they suggested that he'd stopped to watch in amazement and wonder. I also like how I could get reflections of everyone else just walking past obviously not as interested as this man is.

Reflections of herself on FaceTime 

Firstly I like the colours of this photo the vibrant greens and the flower baskets behind him, but also the man's facial expression as it seemed a bit angry with me taking his photo so close up especially as Yarrow had already gone past and taken a picture of him and his wife already. It's a shame that I didn't get him in focus but I think it's because I didn't have the right setting or shutter speed for what I was trying to do

Again another person that was a bit wary and annoyed of me taking their photo. I photographed this guy as he had a greasy and sinister look to him, which I thought could be an interesting photo and it just happens to be a creepy church in the background. I think the photo would be better if he was perhaps closer up and in focus but again that was down to me being on the wrong shutter speed

I tried to think about things I've seen in photography and been told which is to make a triangle which I think I've sort of got from the two dogs and the man,  I also like how everyone in the picture was looking at the dog sniffing the pillar

I took this pictures after figuring out how to change my camera settings so it would take more then one photo at a time, I kept the photos as a group before I liked how it captured his gradual change of position and emotion. The photos were taken from inside the cafe looking out, that's why you get the reflections on the window.  The composition of the photos worked well as he's looking out of the frame. Also I think the colours are quite nice as there mainly complimentary greens and reds. 

Although there is not really anything really to interesting going on in this picture I remember I took it because I like the colours of his hat but looking at it now I quite like how determined he looks. I still think that the colours of his hat still stand out from the rest of the crowd it's just a shame it came out blurry. 

This is one of my favourite pictures because I think it shows better than all the others that I took that day. This is the least posed , also because it's the only Picture I took that changes the way I feel. I like how the dog is staring up at his owner hoping that he gets a bit of the frozen goods as his owner obliviously consumes the ice cream. 

This photo was taken as a complete fluke I didn't think I would capture anything interesting but I think I have. I took the photo as me and Yarrow crossed the road from the gardens onto Princes Street. In the photo you get the reflections of the gardens behind us bouncing off the moving tram as well as me and Yarrow about to cross the road, also Princes Street and the shops that were about to go into. What impressed me was the fact that the shops and our reflections were in focus but the logo of the tram was blurred. 

Scotland. (Indi Ref Two In The Bin) 

I actually asked this girl if I could take a picture as she looked about 13 and was sat by herself and I thought she might be a bit scared or intimidated by a stranger coming up and taking her photograph. What works in this photo is the colour difference between her in the background and that she is the only thing in the frame, her bright pink trousers stand out against the dark grey blue of the pavement and I also like that she's reading a book which covers her face adding a bit of mystery to the composition.