The arctic cold mass remains centered over New England, resulting in morning temperatures in Providence of 4 degrees F (-15 C) and a wind-chill of -4 F (-20 C). That didn't stop this RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) student from commuting to school by bike. I was able to photograph him locking his bike to this parking meter along South Main Street, just off the RISD campus. I'm amazed by his lack of cold-weather gear. His jacket looks remarkably light for the temperature, and jeans don't do much for blocking wind-chill! They're making hearty art-students these days, it seems!
Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted the color sensitivity sliders followed by adaptive exposure, contrast, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. A levels adjustment and a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.
Stark picture. The mood is right in keeping with the story. I would feel too embarrassed to photograph strangers like that. We have lots of lovely characters in the small town I live in, and I'm on nodding terms with lots of them. But my fear stops me. Do you want to 'push' me Ron?
@tskipper Tami, He didn't look cold when I was talking to him after the shot, either! I, on the other hand, was freezing. lol
@sjwyatt30 Thanks, Sandra. I was amazed to find someone with a bike in this weather.
@medusa Thanks, Diana! Taking the first steps into street photography is very challenging. It does get easier the more you do it, and it can be quite addicting. Before "pushing" you, though, I'll start with a suggestion. Find a local event - preferably outdoors - like a faire, an outdoor market, or some other public event. Take the opportunity to photograph the people at the event. It's a much easier start since people attending outdoor events are more relaxed and have a greater expectation of encountering photographers. Let's start with that and then look for a "push" as the weather improves and there's more outdoor activity that would make an easy transition.
@kannafoot Simple but effective. Thanks Ron. Perhaps I'll take my Nex5 as it has the tilting screen. Then I could shoot from the hip, as it were. But a compact camera looks more amateur and is not such a threat...we'll see.
@medusa My experience has, oddly enough, been the exact opposite. When I use my 70-200 lens, people trip over themselves to be photographed. They automatically assume I must be with a newspaper or something. LOL If I use a small camera, though, that's when they appear stiffer and more suspicious of the motive.
@kannafoot Here's what I've found works very well. First, don't hide what your doing. Instead, be rather obvious that you're a photographer and that you're planning to take a shot. Second, judge their reaction. Most people will ignore you completely, like the guy with the bike here. I was less than 5 feet away from him, so he was well aware of my presence. Third, if they do look at me, I simply smile, tell them "I'm doing a photo a day challenge, and I'm hoping to take a candid photo of < insert whatever they were doing here >. I have NEVER had someone refuse! In fact, almost everyone gets chatty after that and has a lot of interest in the concept. I had cards printed that will take them to this site so they can see what was done. The only exception I make in any of this is that, under no circumstances, will I take a street photo that has a kid in it unless the parent is there and has consented to it ahead of time. Beyond that, though, anything else is fair game.
@shelldunn I've wondered about that. Almost everyone I encounter think I'm with "The Paper" (i.e. the Providence Journal.) I go out of my way to tell them I'm not, but it often takes some convincing. The size of the camera and lens must imply "photo journalist." Their enthusiasm for being photographed doesn't fade when I explain what I'm doing, but I often wonder if the camera is what's opening the door in the first place.
February 5th, 2013
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@sjwyatt30 Thanks, Sandra. I was amazed to find someone with a bike in this weather.
@medusa Thanks, Diana! Taking the first steps into street photography is very challenging. It does get easier the more you do it, and it can be quite addicting. Before "pushing" you, though, I'll start with a suggestion. Find a local event - preferably outdoors - like a faire, an outdoor market, or some other public event. Take the opportunity to photograph the people at the event. It's a much easier start since people attending outdoor events are more relaxed and have a greater expectation of encountering photographers. Let's start with that and then look for a "push" as the weather improves and there's more outdoor activity that would make an easy transition.