Street life in Parma - T-Max 400 Gradual ST 20

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Here's some street life in Parma, snapshots from an ordinary day,
with camera Zeiss Ikon and Voigtländer Snapshot-Skopar lens, I hope you can enjoy.
Film is T-Max 400, developed in Ornano Gradual ST 20:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

rbelyell · Expire: 2014-01-31

beautiful look to these photos orio. you really know how to use this lens. care to give some lessons, cause my skopar shots dont look like this!
tony

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

hi Tony, thanks, I set the lens to 6m focus and f/8 aperture, and this is how it's set most of the time. Occasionally I alter the focusing distance when my subject is at infinity or closer than 6m.
When there is much light, I set aperture to f/11 to gain DOF. Conversely, when light is low, I open up to f/5.6 or even wide open if I can't take the shot otherwise.
That's it, no trick up my sleeve - the only "secret formula" I have is that I always consider the lighting. I always try to put myself in the best position light-wise, whenever there is a time chance to do that.
My mind always works out the light position before any other concern of composition, framing etc.
Photos like #13-14-15-16-17 would have most certainly looked insignificant or ugly with a different lighting angle, while I think that the light is what makes these photos special (well, special for me at least Laughing

)
What happened specifically is that I noticed the flock of students, I decided that I wanted to photograph them and quickly crossed the road to have them set in back light.
Back light is what makes them poetic, they reminded me of my high school days and the walks out of school with my friends, the chats and laughter, happy moments that are now only a distant memory,
lost in time, so that's why I needed a poetic light for this subject. A frontal light (as in #11 and #12, which I kept however because I liked the dynamics)
would have killed the atmosphere completely and made the subject daily and ordinary.
We like to talk about lenses, but it always all boils down to light ultimately, that's why we're photo-graphers Smile

Another example is #8, I noticed that the theater was the only building hit by the sunlight, and it was lit completely, with the rest in the shade, as if there was a giant spotlight on it.
Quite a unique situation, how hard was it to find another perfect moment like this again?
So I placed myself behind the street lamp, as a wanted a near field motif of interest, and took a photo, but it lacked something, so I waited for an interesting person to walk by.
Very soon that beautiful girl came that way, I waited until she was in front of the theater, and voilà, my photo was complete. But at the base of the photo, there is the strong lighting concept.

rbelyell · Expire: 2014-01-31

thank you orio, that is great advice. i am just starting to begin with light angles before anything else. truer words were never spoken.
tony

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

great series, I like the perspective of #3, it should be even greater with a biogon
#9 is great too, those shop are usually dark and b&w catch the place nicely
I stop also on #3 for the contrast and the good job of the t-max
the shadows in the student series is nice, you know the right hours to get nice light
I like #12 for the perspective control of the skopar
I also stop on #7 for the kiosk and the dynamism of the scene

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Glad to be of help, Tony.
THanks poilu for the detailed comments, it helps me understand what reaches viewers and what not.

skida · Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:38 pm Post subject:

Your great street photographs look perfect in B&W, and congratulations on not getting your shadow in any of the shots! Laughing

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Great series. It look like a few were from the hip?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Today with an old world feel. Wonderful

patrickh

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04