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Dreaming About a New Camera

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I’m not a photographer who collects gear. Years ago, I sold all of my 2 cameras - a Fuji X-T100, and a Canon 6D. I also managed to accumulate several L series lenses for my Canon. The Canon sat in a closet along with the accessories, and only the Fuji saw the light of day.

After a workshop in New York City, the Leica Q popped on my radar. I spent a considerable amount of time researching this camera, but despite all the specs, something was missing. I needed to hold it, and I needed to shoot with it. That emotion eventually paved the way for a rental period that spanned a long holiday weekend.

To this day, I remember the separation anxiety I was feeling as I boxed the camera to overnighted it back to the camera dealer. I didn’t want to give it up, and what gave me solace was the premonition I would someday own this camera, but only when I sold all my other camera gear. I priced all my equipment to sell because I didn’t want to prolong the sell-off period. I can honestly say if felt great to unload it all. When the proceeds of my equipment sales were within $500 of the price of a new Q, I pulled the trigger.

Many years later, I find myself in a similar boat. This time the culprit is the Leica Q2 Monochrom, yet there are plenty of differences between then and now. First and foremost, I already have a Leica Q, and secondly I have no place to go while Covid-19 cases surge in the United States and Europe. Until I’m vaccinated, I’ll be lying low. I don’t expect to be out in public shooting close-up images of humanity until next summer or next fall. It also means I won’t be rushing into this next purchase for many months which is good for my head, but even better for my pocket.

Once I’m vaccinated, I plan to make up for lost time whether that includes the Leica Q2 Monochrom or not, but like before, I now have a premonition.

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At a Standstill

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I’ve been in self quarantine since March 14th. In this era of Covid-19, I have no new work to share, and blogs that slip into states of inaction begin to decay with stale content. It’s been several months since my last post, and I’m feeling the need to publish something that acknowledges my absence, but at the same time says I haven’t abandoned this blogging effort.

So here’s the catch-22. Until there’s a vaccine to protect us from a lethal virus that’s so easily transmitted, how do I safely get in range of my subjects with a fixed 28mm lens and still capture details that make for an interesting image? Yes, it's a first world problem that takes a back seat to the current global crisis, and a lot will have to change before I need to act on my dilemma.

Meanwhile, my travel plans are on hold for the short term, and probably the long term as well. I was supposed to go to Montreal this month, but that has been canceled, and I still have a few rays of hope for a trip I booked to France this fall.

I’m thinking about some ideas for future posts. Stay tuned, and stay safe.

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Nicollet Mall

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When there’s nothing happening on the streets of Minneapolis, I often resort to Nicollet Mall. I can usually find an interesting subject or some interesting light. Today, I pushed my shutter just ten times because the activity level was so low, and I was under-dressed for the weather. I think I spent more time sipping a Guinness inside a local Irish pub than I did walking on the streets.

I like the image above only for the pop of color that punches through the drab scene. The gloves, the scarf and the hat confirm that winter has arrived.

The image above misses the mark, but perhaps you can make sense of what I was thinking about when I took the shot. As I saw these women heading towards me, I was hopeful they would synchronize their stride to mirror the metal bars off to the left - maybe next time.

This guy is ready for winter, and there’s something Viking-esque about his build, his plaid shirt, the hat, and all of that hair.

And finally, I like how the elements of this image started to fall into place as an authority figure shouted to this group of students who were almost a city block in front of their party. There is a clearly defined foreground, middle ground and background of students positioned about the sidewalk. My only regret is that they they weren’t all in focus.

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Cold Snap

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What a difference a week makes. All I could think about today was staying warm when I met up with a friend to shoot some pictures in downtown Minneapolis. No wonder no one was out and about. It’s too cold for this time of year as the images below suggest.

As the city bus rolled to a stop in the image below, a woman, who looked like she was competing in a track and field long jump event, exited the bus. I actually got a shot, but I was too far away, and a street lamp pole was also blocking the subject. I was within range when the last passenger exited the bus. If it wasn't for the guy who is looking back at the woman, I would have deleted this shot.

It’s time to toughen up to the cold because another long winter has already begun. May it pass quickly.

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Une Journée à Paris

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After I finished the Portuguese Camino, I flew to Paris for an afternoon of shooting, and a chance to be in my favorite city in the world.  And while I was alone this time, and free to set my own agenda, the only things that got in my way were the raindrops.  I was able to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, but I was also forced to step out of the rain a few times. Darkness set-in early with the overcast skies, and I pushed into the early evening hours before I put my camera away for the night.  Here’s a sample of what I saw.

When I’m in Paris, I like to capture various expressions of love and affection. Often, my favorite shots exclude faces because there’s already enough detail in the frame for the viewer to process the image.

And here are a few other images to share.

I got up early the next morning with the intention of skipping breakfast, and making enough time to grab a coffee at the nearby café before hitting the streets. Unfortunately, the final hours were counting down before my 9-hour flight back to Minneapolis. I only had a few hours to shoot, but the pouring rain instantly changed my plans, and there would be no photos.

I still ran to the nearby café, but without my camera and without the need to rush that cup of coffee.  I was the only customer, so I stood at the counter and spoke to the barista in French, while he answered in English. Eventually my cup was dry, and before I knew it, I was on my way home, contemplating my next visit. 

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Camino Portugués

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I’ve heard a lot about Porto including the Porto Photo Fest which I missed by just a few weeks when I was here this month. I was in town for something completely different, but I still brought my camera to capture a few street images before the start of my hike on the Portuguese Camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  Porto has plenty of old buildings, beautiful alleyways, cobblestone streets, and a commanding bridge that draws attention no matter what side of the river Douro you happen to be standing.

The next sequence of images was made from on top of the Ponte de Dom Luis I pictured in the photo above. Looking at the image below, could that be a fellow street photographer with a Fuji?

My camera has been idle for too many months due to other life distractions, and while it felt good to start shooting again, I could tell I had fallen out of practice.  I did manage to catch a few shots, and while there were many areas where I wanted to park in good light, and wait for the right subject to walk in front of an inspiring background, the circumstances didn’t allow for that since my wife was walking in step with me.  I was shooting on the fly and covering as much ground as possible while working through the remnants of jet lag.  

Here are a few more images captured during my 9-mile stroll that included lots of hills on this day.

I hope to return here some day to attend the Porto Photo Fest, and also have enough time to at least fill an SD card.

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Three Days in Copenhagen

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The Danes are supposed to be some of the happiest people in the world, and since I’m sort of the curious type, I thought it would be fun to see what makes them so happy. I must confess this all started when my wife gave me The Little Book of Lykke, by Meik Wiking. This book has lots of take-aways that can enrich your life. So with some new ideas to live by, off we went to Copenhagen for a taste of the Danish good-life. Of course I had my camera with me, and the book turned into a convenient excuse to practice my hobby in a new location.

Bicycles rule in this city, and probably the rest of the country. It’s also part of the secret sauce that makes the Dane’s so happy. They also like to walk when they’re not riding mass transit. Sometimes they even run as we see in the image below.

I was surprised at the fashion statements we regularly saw as we walked around Copenhagen. It ranged from haute couture to a French fry motif sweat suit.

And on the subject of fashion, this mime captured the attention of pedestrians as they passed by. It just so happens I saw the same guy kicking-off happy hour after he stepped outside of his cubicle later that day.

At times, the fashion and the public displays of affection in Copenhagen reminded me of Paris.

Sometime you stumble upon a setting where the lighting is great, and the leading lines are compelling, but you need the right human element to make the picture. Such was the case as I waited in this famous round tower in Copenhagen, but that subject never showed up for the party.

The next best opportunity was this kid who was making lots of noise from above as he descended the spiral ramp. All of a sudden he spotted me and stopped in his tracks while trying to make sense of the photographer who was blocking his path. He paused for a second, and then unleashed another burst of energy, and made more noise as he continued his spiral descent. I took two steps away from the wall so he could pass by and pivoted to take a second shot. If only I had slowed my shutter speed to blur his movement! In any event, this ended up being my favorite shot inside the tower.

We had just entered the train station for a short ride back to our apartment when we stumbled upon this woman posing on the floor. It must be a cultural thing I don’t understand, but I often see these types of shameless poses among a certain group of tourists traveling the world. Maybe they feel the same way about the kind of pictures I like to take?

If so…touché.

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Kind of a Yawner

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It actually felt like Spring today in Minnesota. Even though its well into the month, a freak snow storm is never out of the question at this latitude. It was a day of blue skies and bright sunshine as this guy’s expression summed up my photo walk. Nevertheless, it felt good to be out, and practicing.

I closed in on this group of guys whose opinions and points of view were as different as their age and race. The older gent had sharp words for the message these youngsters were trying to articulate.

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Don’t Hold Back

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It’s always interesting to notice how some people respond to the first warm days of spring as temperatures begin to climb in Minnesota. Today it reached 50 degrees, and I met up with a friend for a photo walk in Minneapolis to capture the sites and sounds of this seasonal transition. The guy below was dressed for the weather like most of the people we saw except he was also enjoying a smoke on his afternoon stroll.

And unlike the guy pictured above, the woman below was feeling the heat, and decided to peel off a layer as we see the sun highlighting her shoulder and her hair.

We heard our fair share of music blasting from cars with the windows down. While the guy below didn’t have music blaring from his minibike, the engine sounded like a runaway chain saw on Nicollet Mall. In the name of speed, the rider appears to have found the optimal posture to aerodynamically cut through the wind as the dog looks on.

These guys in the image below had some energy to burn as they put up their dooks, and turned the sidewalk into a boxing ring while pedestrians on both sides of the street took notice.

And on a lighter note, I couldn’t resist this scene of the dog resting his head on the table as his owner waited for her lunch to arrive.

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A New Perspective

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It was a January dream come true. Sunny skies gave way to 40 degree temperatures, and the only snow on the ground was the stuff pushed into piles in parking lots. For those of us already wishing winter goodbye, it doesn’t get much better than this in Minnesota. I knew I’d see people out running and walking with their dogs like we see in the image below.

I got off to a slow start today as I experienced the usual episodes of clumsiness symptomatic of a student who doesn’t practice regularly. The best way to sum up my shoot is to say I had a nice walk. I never noticed anything worth chasing, no special places where the light was exceptional, and no compelling moments where I felt like I was in the right place at the right time.

After I got home, I deleted all but four photographs, and I could have easily done away with them all. I resisted that impulse because each of the four images in this post had elements of perspective that held my attention just a few extra seconds.

Railings, roof lines and shadows flirt with the subjects in all of these images, and suddenly I realized the images were more appealing to me. I wish I could say I deliberately took these photographs with perspective in mind, but this is just a small collection of accidents. Going forward, my goal is to actively work perspective into images to raise compositional interest.

The image below reveals three layers of activity. Three adult males dominate the composition, but I find the child’s expression most interesting. Finally, there is a woman on the left who is focused on the first of four steps before she is ready to look up. The overhang of the building and the railing produce elements of perspective that draw the eye through the image. I also like the detail of the lamps underneath the overhang that provides a steady rhythm in this setting.

I was more interested in this guy’s backpack than anything else. The leather pack looks fresh out of the box, in fact it appears the photographer forgot to remove the dangling tag. In any event, the fence adds another linear perspective to this image, and the other couple offers balance to a shot that is otherwise plain.

I left this last photograph in color to highlight the backlight that makes this guy’s ears look orange. There’s no post production hanky-panky here. His skewed hat against a lighter background is icing on the cake. Once again, I only noticed later how shafts of light separated shadows on the sidewalk. I also find it curious how everyone seems to be walking in each other’s shadow which enhances the element of perspective.

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Encouraging Words

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The weather was just about perfect for a marathon - mostly overcast skies, calm winds and temperatures in the upper forties. Something else about this day seemed nearly perfect.

There was a flood of emotional support directed towards family, friends, and total strangers running the Twin Cities marathon. It was refreshing to see this genuine compassion directed at all the runners on the course, particularly when compassion seems notably absent in this era of Trump.

In the photo above, I watched the woman in the grey jacket step into the street and shower this runner with praise and support. She was so emphatic, and I thought for sure it was her friend or some acquaintance, but the runner only acknowledged the support and passed by without saying a word.

Minutes later, I heard a big commotion down the street and witnessed another genuine expression of support. These two guys in the photos below knew each other, and while I didn’t have any details, it seemed like an unplanned reunion

The finger wag below appears to be a coaching moment and whatever the coach was saying, it seemed to propel the runner as she approached the 22-mile mark.

I positioned myself at a point on the course where the runners had to make a sharp turn to their left. I stood a few steps behind someone standing on the corner who acted as a human shield so I could get candid shots of faces rounding the corner. Here’s a sequence that conveys the true grit needed to run a marathon.

All age groups were well represented by the field of runners, and I was particularly interested in the older guy’s footwear in the photo below.

And finally, a panning shot using a slow shutter speed.

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Moments à Paris

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I knew I’d be coming back to Paris, but I never expected to return so soon. It was a spur of the moment idea that gained traction when I found an airfare too cheap to ignore.

The picture above is one of my favorites from this trip. As I noticed the elements of this image coming together, I made every effort to get as close as I could in the spare seconds I had before I took this shot. I actually have a sequence of three shots. The first two images I have show her puckering up before she notices me. As I got a few feet closer, she rolled her eyes and that’s the shot I wanted. While the background is busy, I think the subject is strong enough to overcome the distraction.

The moped windshield and the retracting shield on both of their helmets seem to be bouncing the sunlight in a favorable direction since much of her face and her front neckline are illuminated. One of the mirrors on the moped might also be reflecting some light. I like everything about her posture including her symmetrically positioned hands resting on the seat of the moped.

Paris is such an easy place to capture moments of affection, and like fashion, it isn’t limited to certain age groups. I’m always looking to capture these public displays of affection because unlike anywhere else, it just seems to belong here. In the picture above, I love the dappled light on the subjects and how the folds in their shirts are so well defined by light and shadow.

This time I started noticing hair color. Normally when I see bold hair colors, the clothing seems to reinforce the hair color statement, but not this time. Actually, the last picture is the exception to what I saw.

I got an early start on a sunny morning to capture long shadows, silhouettes and soft light. I made my way over to the Canal Saint-Martin and noticed this woman who just lit her cigarette. It was the sunlight bouncing off the sidewalk and her shirt, and lighting the underside of her chin that caught my attention. Part of her face is also rim lit by the sun.

As I started my morning walk, I noticed several interesting subjects pass by me. In a way I was sleep walking since I failed to capture them in the moment. I stopped in my tracks, surveyed the scene below and waited until an interesting subject passed through my frame. The woman in the hat below showed up first and waited to catch a bus. Then the guy on the bike made his way down the hill. I like the long shadow projected on the cobblestone street, and the white gloves he happens to be wearing.

A minute later, the Vespa came around the corner. In addition to the long shadow, I like how the man’s attention has been re-directed from the cobblestone road.

It’s always interesting to notice the non-verbal communication among adults when things aren’t going well. I see this all the time and I decided to start capturing it. The first image below was actually taken in Palavas-les-Flots on the Mediterranean coast when we were visiting Montpellier. I saw this couple talking to each other when I was further away, and as I got closer, they seemed to reach an impasse, and the body language says it all. Since there were two French flags flying, in front of a clear sky, I had to leave this in color.

Here’s another out of sync moment, and the guy clearly doesn’t like what he’s hearing.

Picnics don’t always take place in the park. I stumbled upon this scene in the Latin Quarter. Who needs a patch of grass to sit on when you can stand on a cobblestone street and have a stare down contest with the family dog.

In the pictures below, a woman makes it a picnic to-go. Then, a park bench gets turned into a picnic table. And the last image reminded me of a scene we’ve seen painted before by Seurat and Renoir that takes place on the bank of a lake or river, except here the subjects are more casually dressed and there’s a high-tech stroller in the frame..

The parks are also a fabulous location to capture all kinds of behaviors and expressions.

Here are a few more shots from an afternoon stroll through Luxembourg Gardens.

They call it Pétanque, and the next trip to Paris will include a picnic on a bench at courtside to take in the atmosphere of this game. In the shot below, I like the lighting, the shadows and symmetry of the two men as it relates to their hands, the position of their feet and how each of them have their weight on their right foot. It looks like the woman is setting things straight as she points to the position of the steel boules and the small hardwood ball called a bouchan (cork), or a cochonnet (piglet) or simply le petit.

Here’s another shot taken from the gallery.

Finally, an assortment of other shots captured on the streets of Paris.

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The Great Get Together

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I forgot how target-rich the Minnesota State Fair is for capturing candid shots.  In a way it reminds me of the steady stream of photographic opportunities I experience when I'm in New York City.  There's no time for your camera to slip into pause mode, and you have to keep your finger on the trigger at all times or you'll miss your next shot.  And with the endless stimulation surrounding you, it's easy to slide into that zone or meditative state where your focus is perched squarely on the next opportunity, just steps away, and headed straight at you.  

It was mid-afternoon when I met up with a friend for what would be a 9-mile photo walk that snaked through the crowded streets and criss-crossed the fair grounds.  It was my third year shooting at the fair, and this time I noticed several themes worthy of capture.   

There's something about the food at this fair that gets everyone excited.  Apparently, I'm one of the few who doesn't appreciate this seasonal cuisine.  Nevertheless, fair food makes for great subject matter, and I spent some time capturing the corn-on-the-cob crowd as well as other fair-foodie delights.  With the help of backlighting, the first picture captures a fine mist of butter and corn kernel juice bursting from all that nibbling.   

This is the first year I spent some time in the barns with the animals and their caretakers.  I was surprised to see the close connection between the caretakers and their animals. We saw older kids sitting in the hay with their cows, and then there was this woman seeking contact comfort with her cow in a way that doubled as a footstool..

Since I shoot with a 28mm lens, it's challenging to find amusement park rides where the subjects aren't raised high overhead and out of range for my lens. I did find two rides that worked at ground level. The first two pictures below are of the same couple in different stages of excitement.  The first image was taken as the ride started to speed up.  The second picture shows the effect of spinning and whipping around in circles several times.  Notice how the guy's cool demeanor has given way to unbridled joy. 

My last post included a shot of a woman yawning, and I'm now collecting this expression of  fatigue or restlessness whenever I'm out and about with my camera. Here are a few yawns from  last night.

It's interesting to notice the body language of people as they look to the sky.

And finally, a sample of other moments captured throughout the day.

Uptown Art Fair

I've had an unusual stretch of time where I haven't been able to shoot because I've either been out of town or the weather has not cooperated.  This weekend I finally got out and it felt good to have my camera back in hand. Whenever a gap of time passes, I'm keenly aware how my skills seem to eroded, and it often takes time to get back in the groove.

Here are a few images to share with you from the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis.  I saw the yawn starting to form on this woman's face as I approached her.  I waited until the last possible moment to take the picture so I could capture the maximum stretch of her mouth.  Each time I look at this image, it makes me yawn.

I like the posture of the woman in the image below.  Her palm appears parallel to the ground, her shoulders are slightly hunched, and her head tilts forward and down while her eyes are turned up. Are you following me?

In the next picture, it looks like the woman is doing a major adjustment to her eyeball.  If you wear contact lenses, you probably make that face in the mirror twice a day.

Finally, I like the angle at which this picture was taken and the fact that despite their proximity to each other, and the man's attempt to point in one direction, neither one is lookin at the same thing.

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Lesson in Rome

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Learning new concepts and immediately applying them to the real world is my favorite way to learn.  Each iteration of trial and error builds learning momentum that involves achievement and an abundance of failure, yet even the smallest measure of success is exhilarating and encourages further discovery.  That's how I spent my time on a brief, but spectacular side trip to Rome while vacationing in France this month. 

Eolo Perfido was my teacher.  I discovered his work a little over a year ago and his photographic style is very distinct in that he controls the frame by consciously eliminating the chaos.  Conceptually, that sounds easy to accomplish, but when you can't control the subjects or the lighting in your environment, and you're trying to create a compelling photograph, chaos is often just one click away.  

Our day started off with coffee and a conversation that included topics ranging from camera settings to optimizing success rate, to a discussion that included some of Eolo's work with concrete examples of his techniques and how they lead to interesting photographs. 

This was one of those conversations where I was striving to capture and remember every one of his spoken words.  My notes were cryptic and my sloppy penmanship made it all the more challenging to read at the end of our day.  I would end up re-writing my notes on the flight back to Paris that evening while everything was still fresh in mind.  

After an amazing conversation, we moved to the street.  I walked these same streets 16-years ago and forgot how beautiful Rome is. I was vaguely aware of the different neighborhoods we walked through, and the tourist sites that popped up along the way since most of my attention was centered on the concepts we discussed, and how to implement them into my workflow. 

Today, all of my shots would involve zone focusing.  I don't usually shoot this way and it's probably the equivalent of asking a golfer to change his grip, or a novice cook to leave the measuring spoons in the drawer and measure only with the eye. It's an adjustment that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Simply put, zone focusing allows you to take pictures in focus with the correct exposure and shutter speed when all of your settings are optimized.  This allows you to fully concentrate on composing and waiting for the right moment to take the shot. You still need to pay attention to the light as you move from shade to full sun and back into shade, and you also have to pay attention to the distance between your camera and the subject.

I can still hear Eolo's voice as he would gently remind me, "one meter" which meant I was too close to my subject, and any picture taken would be out of focus.  Then another reminder to "change ISO" as our lighting conditions changed, or "eleven meters" which meant the subject across the street was too far away and would not be in focus. 

At first I was constantly failing, but I was also aware of why I was failing, and that gave me hope that improvement was still within reach.  I was also missing fabulous subject matter that I would have captured using my normal settings, and that made it all the more challenging to stick with this new way of shooting.  

I had my first taste of success in the photo below, and I knew it before I showed Eolo my creation.  It includes separation and symmetry which creates order in the scene.  It's far from perfect, but several incremental steps in the right direction.

After more trial and error, I had another success in the picture below.  We worked this scene for several minutes while trying to stay anonymous.  The guy leaning up against the wall of this building with the bag between his legs anchored the shot.  It was a matter of waiting for the right people to enter and leave the scene to capture an interesting image.

Italy is without a doubt the best place to capture gesture.  In the picture below, the harsh midday sun created deep shadows, but the dark background was exactly what I needed to establish a strong figure to ground relationship.

I like the symmetry in the picture below and the simple pattern of foot traffic.

Camera angle makes a big difference when framing a shot.  I held my camera over my head to get this next image.  That's why the guy on the right is looking at my camera with skeptical eyes while the woman facing us is expressing some form of "excuse me" as she cuts it close to the couple whose back is to the camera.  If I had shot this at eye level, I would have had a washed out sky and the picture would have looked very different.

I like to capture shots of people eating.  It's one of those rare moments in public when people let down their guard.  

I should have raised my camera over my head to capture this next image and eliminate the sky. It could have also elicited an interesting response from the subject, although I do like his sense of determination with the cigarette carefully placed between his fingers and the newspaper tucked securely under his other arm.

This woman walked out of a store and tried to engage the guy in front of me.  When I saw her move her left hand into a non-threatening position, I took the shot.  She also happened to be in mid-step.

I like the symmetry, the hand gestures and the facial expressions in the photo below.  I also like the texture of the cobblestone street.  

Anytime someone stands in a pose like the one below, I will take the picture.  In addition to the pose, I love all the noise in the background.  

I wish I could re-take the picture below.  There were few options for a less distracting background.  That's Eolo looking at the picture I wish I had.  

She was deep in thought and I took but one silent shot.

I really like the light in the photo below.  Notice the folds in the sleeves of his jacket, and the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead.  I also like the expression of wonder captured by his open mouth and crossed arms.

The fashion was incredible in Rome.  

If you've read previous posts of mine, you know I'm collecting images of hair going in all directions from the wind.  I'm thrilled the bird showed up at the last second to show off his feathers.

Like interesting poses, I will always shoot pictures of people on the run.  If only someone was chasing him.

A symmetrical sun salute below.

The shot below is is one of my favorite images of the day.  

In the next photo, I like the hat, the gesture and her expression which suggests there is something far more interesting up above than the babble rolling off his tongue.

I like the contrast of awe and sheer boredom and the artwork that seems to be balancing on the second woman's head.  

It was early afternoon when we started to head back to our original meeting point.  We were within two blocks of our final destination when my camera said, Memory Card Full. We walked eight miles though the streets of Rome, and this day will go down as one of my all-time favorite cultural and educational experiences.  

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Bonjour Paris

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I have no problem admitting I'm a Francophile.  It started after my first visit to Paris almost a decade ago, and ever since, France is like an open page that runs in the background of my life. It's been more than a year since the last time I was there - that is until this month. 

I spent the first two weeks of May in France.  My wife and I hiked from Dijon to Meursault, and of course we sampled many of the fabulous wines produced in this region known as Burgundy. After a week of hiking through vineyards and patches of forest, I was ready for the sites and sounds of my favorite city in the world, Paris.

This trip turned into a photographic lesson, and I'll address that in greater detail in another post.  In short, I made two technical changes to the way I normally shoot pictures.  I forced myself to zone focus the entire time which created new limits and new opportunities. I also set my aperture to F/11, and increased the ISO on my camera to boost my shutter speed that was set on automatic.  You will see some grain in the images below, and that's ok since this blog is about street photography, and not fine art.

Each time I return to Paris, I'm captivated by certain themes that translate into interesting images. Let's start with the cafe society.  I'm always looking at posture, and facial expressions for clues about the environmental vibe at each table.  If invited, which table would I want to join?

Love is another theme that's always in the air in Paris, and the challenge is being in the right place at the right time to capture it with a 28mm lens.  Here are a few shots taken from near and far.

Fashion is a highlight for photographers who shoot on the street.  An otherwise uninspiring setting suddenly becomes interesting when fashion enters the frame. Of course the ubiquitous scarfs are wrapped, tied and worn in so many creative ways.  On this trip, I also noticed how the older generation is just as eager to embrace the fashion world.  Not only do I like the colors and matching glasses the woman is wearing below, but she's also looking over the bridge of her glasses which is icing on the cake.

Here are a few more images to drive home the point that fashion is for everyone who wants to be a part of it.

My wife had a shopping list and one afternoon we headed to the Galeries Lafayette.  While she shopped, I walked the streets with my camera.  I noticed this sales clerk walking outside with a customer into the good light I had already discovered.  He brought a mirror and some cosmetics that he applied to the customer's face.  The following sequence picks up the story.

The Chinese tourists love this shopping center and they are both stylish and high powered shoppers.  It's more interesting to observe them outside the store where they seem to be more animated and boisterous.  They sure like to do a lot of pointing.

I took the next three pictures in Dijon.  In the first picture, I noticed some workers hauling bags of debris from a demolition project they were working on.  As the workers exited the building and approached the back of the vehicle, they would twist and turn 180 degrees, setting their load on the edge of the truck.  Someone inside the vehicle would re-postion the bags to optimize the payload.

I like the care-free look of this dog trotting down the pedestrian mall.  His owner is to the left with leash in hand.  

Finally, I like the variety of activity, modes of transportation, and the people who appear in the image below.  There's even the guy with long blonde hair positioning his body into a human comma to avoid the bicyclist on the right side of the photo.  I also like the leading lines and perspective created by the buildings.  The guy on the mono-wheel to the left of the frame entered the picture just as I released the shutter.  

These remaining images are a mash-up of random images from Paris that I find interesting.

Something to Smile About

Last weekend we had a blizzard and 16 inches of snow.  The airport closed and those who knew better stayed home.  A week later, it's now sunny and sixty degrees - it actually feels like the first day of spring.  I saw lots of smiling faces on the street today which partly reflects the optimism some people have as winter begins to fade.

For the first time in almost a year, our trio of street photographers met up to capture the day. I met Matt and Bill in Minneapolis for Record Store Day, an event to promote independent record stores.  One of the venues had live music which attracted a crowd to a side street cordoned off from traffic.  Here are some of the happy faces I saw at this event.

While I was positioning for a better photo opportunity, I couldn't pass up this scene.  I noticed three conversations in this layered view, so I took the picture.  

I like to capture pointing gestures, and it looks like everyone here is on the same page.

There was limited shelter from the sun and the shadows were dramatic at times.  Check out the shadow cast upon the woman's face from her glasses in the photo below.  I also like her quizzical expression amplified by the tilt of her head, and her slightly open mouth. 

Not everyone was smiling as you can see in the image above and the next series of shots below.  Either the hair, the hat or the facial expression caught my attention. 

The guy in the last shot was entertaining to watch.  Of course I liked his hat.  At one point I noticed him turning to check-in with his friend.  Their eye's met and neither one said anything for a few seconds.  Then he grabbed her ankle.  He seemed to have no idea what he was trying to accomplish, and she was just as befuddled.  It dissolved into nothing.

hand-on-ankle.jpg

Bad Hair Day

When I got up this morning and looked out the window to an overcast sky, it was difficult to muster any excitement about making photographs . The trees were shaking in the wind and a thin coating of snow had fallen overnight turning patches of brown grass white again. It would be easy to stay home on a day like this, but I needed the practice, and I forced myself out the door and into the wind and snow. I also felt a kick as I thought about how many times photography had invaded my thoughts while at work this week, and now I had a chance to feed this creative fire despite the less than ideal conditions.

As I headed towards downtown Minneapolis, the sun popped out, and I decided to embrace the overnight gifts from Mother Nature. Today would be a chance to capture hairdos re-imagined by the wind, and so the search was on.

As I arrived, It appeared everyone had the same idea to stay indoors since the streets were nearly deserted.  I did manage to capture one image in line with today's theme, and since it's often windy in this part of the country, I decided this subject would make a great side project with plenty of opportunities to practice in this wind tunnel we call Minneapolis. 

March for Our Lives

I thought I would find some great photo opportunities at the March for Our Lives rally at the state Capitol this morning. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to capture the students as they marched through downtown St. Paul where the tall buildings would hide the gray skies, and make for more interesting backgrounds.

Once I realized I was late to the party, I made my way to the Capitol grounds where I found myself getting drawn into the event and listening to speeches, and even forgetting at times I was there to take photographs.

Throughout the morning, I was intrigued by the messages as well as the creativity that went into producing some of the signs. I was also surprised by my reaction to the messaging on each sign based upon who was carrying it. Signs in the hands of kids and grandparents seemed to deliver more of a jolt.

Here are some other crowd shots that have more of a street photography expression to them. I like to capture moments when people are pointing in a direction other than where they are looking.  For the couple in the next photo, it feels like a personal moment.  Then, I like the balance conveyed by the coffee cups, and the expression of each open mouth in the following picture. Moving to the next two shots, they're all about the cold.  The color of the baby's cheeks was lost in black and white, so I left this photo in color. Finally, I can't resist taking pictures of people wearing hats.

iPhone Stand-In

I spent a weekend in Los Angeles for a mini-family reunion, and I left my camera at home knowing there would be no opportunity to shoot on the street.  Other than a few vacation snap shots with my phone, there were no street worthy opportunities until we pulled into Santa Monica on Saturday.  The late afternoon sun was low in the sky, the temperatures were hovering in the upper 40s, and the gusts of wind blowing on-shore from the Pacific Ocean were too much to ignore.  The wind chill actually made us feel right at home.

After a brief walk in the sand and among beach athletes flexing their muscles and proving their agility, it was time to take refuge from the gusty winds.  We made our way to the Santa Monica pier, but quickly decided to follow the wind and settle for a place inland to warm up.

As we made our way on-shore, we passed an endless stream of people walking to the pier, and the lighting was too good to pass up.  Hair was flying everywhere and I pulled out my phone for the first time to shoot the street.  Yes, it was awkward trying to master this new form factor while operating in stealth mode, but it was also a fun challenge, and I already look forward to my next opportunity.  Meanwhile, here are a few images from that 5-minute walk.

Unfortunately, some of the images start to look a little ratty when they're enlarged, and it's for this reason that I disabled the Lightbox function that allows you to click or tap on these photos to make them bigger.