Came late Monday afternoon, my hand was itching so badly for shutter therapy session I decided to grab the camera bag and attack the streets just before sunset. Made it home from work rather early, I sped off to Petaling Street in the city, just in time to catch the dying lights. Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily when I arrived, but that did not stop my determination to come home with enough pictures to make myself smile. I just need to be on the streets, and shoot purely for myself. Oh no, is this what we call, an obsession? Or an addiction? say Robin Wong.
Oh my goodness ..this guy really motivated me to do street photography but of course I can't be like him,this guy simply the best.Read what he say (Above statement).Want to know him and visit his blog kindly go to his site and I'm sure those who is crazy about street attack will not regret .His name is Robin Wong so click http://robinwong.blogspot.com
Yesterday (Sunday) late afternoon I grab my entry level E-620 and go to the street.My shooting target is the old parts of Kuching City.Like Robin say "shot purely for myself "...yeah,that what I'm trying to do but to be honest I'm just an old guy who shot just like the tourist or carry DSLR but more on P & S style.Haha,,that my style .Again Robin say "to come home with enough picture to make myself smile" .Well , I liked it.
My version of street attack with my Olympus E-620 and Lens Zuiko 14-54mm f2.8-3.5.
This is my target India,court house and carpenter Street.
I did not photograph much on Carpenter Street, just this lonely red postal box .
I have a chance to speak with this gentleman,he is a hired van operator .I ask him,are you reading about our petrol & sugar new price in Malaysia ?
Wow !!!! this guy really count every single cents he spend.
"My car tank is 52 litter.Previously when petrol price was RM1.85 x 52 litter = RM96.20, now after increasing I can get only RM1.90 x 52 litters = RM98.8. It only different by RM2.60". What do you think about the differences of RM2.60? Does sugar price affects you too? ..........
Most shoppers who do shopping around the Indian Street Mall are from middle to low income group .I meet Bujang he work as street cleaner around this area.He remark"I’m one of the small salaries workers in Malaysia. For the past 4 years our monthly expenses just for food raise 3 times. That means 300%.What kind of government that raised our expenses but failed to offer a rewards for the small salaries group?
And so are most people around me, so it doesn't really matter what I do.I smile to strangers and say hello.Every one seem happy to-day including the 'Tukang Gigi' or shall I call it 'False teeth maker' not Dentist....he smile 24 hours .
Do you know how much money this street medicine-man collect from the public to-day? I saw they give him Rm10.00 for every small packed of medicine he sold.I saw him doing few trick by drinking so call poison water being prepared by himself .Actually I wanted to photograph him while he perform the trick or magic but I have to be caution other wise instead of I attack the street for picture he attack me.I advise the people after enjoying watching his trick 'Don't do this at home".
To-day is a beautiful day but I cannot see it....being thoroughly entertained by blind musician this little boy put some token in a cash box.
Playing with billboards......
Another great classic of street photography is to compose with the giant billboards used for advertising to create unique pictures, micro comedies or dramas. Very often, the desired effect is obtained when a billboard either presents a feature that supports a character action, or, on the contrary, presents an element totally opposing it. In some cases, a scale effect between a character and the picture displayed in a background creates a fantastic impact on the viewer.
The easiest approach is to find a great poster having a high photogenic potential (pictorial, funny, or dramatic), and to wait before it. Then to patiently watch the moment when an a typical person comes and pass-by or make an action before the billboard. It requires a lot of luck but also a lot of time and patience, and the result is not guaranteed. Also you can lose precious time waiting that could be dedicated to other better catches.
So the most rewarding experience remains the typical street photographer approach : capturing this very fortuitous moment resulting from a combination of three major elements: 1) A billboard with a high potential, 2) a subject in complete match (or mismatch) with this billboard, and 3) the presence of a street photographer at this precise moment to observe the scene and freeze this moment, that will never happen a again.
I wanted to try playing with billboard but no many billboard here in old part of Kuching City . And again I need more practice ,practice and practice in street photography.
Cheers......
