Early November last year,
Eric was in India to conduct Street Photography Workshops in Mumbai. All in all, 3 batches and I managed to get into the last one on a weekend. But this post is not about a review of the workshop. I do not think its fair to do a review, since each of the participants must have come looking for something and its hard to say what worked for them and what not. I was there to network and I was quiet happy to connect with fellow photographers who were as passionate about street photography as me. This was also my first formal training on photography. I am a self taught photographer, learning by observing, talking and doing. And for those who love reading there is enough on the web and elsewhere in form of books. There is no alternative to picking up your camera and learning by shooting.
Allow me to ramble on.... 2011 was the year, I finally found my calling in street photography. I had struggled earlier and often rationalized by saying that its too early for me to narrow down my genre - let me shoot what I feel like. But Street Photography always felt more honest and sensitive. It went well with my sensibilities. So coming back to the workshop, it was a good idea to attempt understand what made a street photograph work and what not. Did I get the answer, probably not. There are some rules, but as is always said, rules are meant for broken. Street Photography is very personal, you have
Bruce Gilden in your face street portraiture, or the witty juxtapositions of
David Gibson or for those of who prefer
HCB a strong focus on compositions - geometry and forms as the father of street photography himself put it.
Over the 2 day workshop, I must have spent 2-3 hours shooting on the street. And as expected my outings with the larger groups were a disaster. I somehow never get into the zone when shooting with large groups, the whole idea of everyone honing onto same subject just takes the zest out of shooting. So most of my shots that worked, I have 4-5 of them, are shot during hours I was alone. We were asked for select the 2 of the best shots. It would be great to know which ones do you like most. At the risk of biasing your opinion, I have added my views on why the shot worked for me. Critique of a photograph - of why it works, just manages to work or does not work is an important skill set for any aspiring photographer. While there is fair bit of objectivity, there isnt enough of it always. For me photographs work at two levels much like music. There are some which immediately catch attentions, the instant wow factor which often becomes the reason to spend more time looking at a shot. And there are times usually with more complex layered shots, where the story untangles after a few looks.
