NZPhotographer Issue 53, March 2022

Intent On The Street
by Alan Blundell
After my last article, I received a comment on one
of my photos saying “technically this is great, but
how much do you know about this person and their
circumstances?” This comment segues nicely into
this months’ topic; interacting with your subject in
a ‘Street’ environment, and the legalities of taking
photos of people and situations in a public place.
The photos featured here are a selection I’ve taken
recently at the parliament occupation which, as I write
this, enters its 13th day, with no obvious resolution in sight.
INTENT
In my previous article, we talked about gear – a key
consideration before you head out. Of course, if
you’re only just getting into street shooting, you’ll be
largely experimenting with your camera body and
probably a zoom lens of some sort – taking photos
of whatever catches your eye. Over time though,
you might begin to notice that the shots you are
happiest with are taken from a certain perspective
or focal length. This will also evolve over time as your
confidence grows, or you are inspired by other work
you see.
At a certain point, you will start shooting more
deliberately – familiar with your gear and settling on
one or two focal lengths, intentionally putting yourself
in a position to capture more deliberate images -
relying less on lucky snaps. As you walk around, you’ll
start to “see” in your mind, based on the knowledge
you’ve built up over time and the hours of practice
you’ve accrued, the image you want to take.
Managing to successfully assemble critical elements
The protesters started to erect what looked like miniature versions of the beehive in and around the grounds of Parliament.
Leica Q2, Summilux 1:1.7/28 ASPH lens @ F1.7, 1/320s, ISO100, 28mm