Project Brief

"Street photography is all about capturing a unique moment."

 --- Simon Cross, street photographer

After a weekend break from Edinburgh, I took a photo which I really like and was inspired from this.

actually i was about to take a photo of them while they were waiting to pass the road,

but when i took out my camera they were already passing.

Then i captured the moment when they passed it.
And the interaction between them made a unique photo here.

I was then inspired from it and figured i might do a series of Street Candid Photography

about something similar: about the city and the people in it.

I want to show the intimacy or solitude between the city and people, to capture and reveal the moments about relationship between the environment and the everyday life of people.

This is the major purpose of this project.

Other initial photos:

Researches and Inspirations:

I have done a bit researches about the topic of London Street Photography,
to see how the other photographers captured the special moments in city.

1. Danny's "Good Moments in Bad Weather"

www.dannyst.com/good-moments-in-bad-weather/

Here are some photos which taken by Danny, a blogger and also a Street Photographer,
about shooting people's reaction in raining.

He said  "There is interesting human drama in bad weather."

Like the reflection from the wet floor and 
the interesting reactions of different people to the environment.

2. Book "London Street Photography"

"Oxford Street", 1998, Richard Bram

This is the photo which is more similar to what i am planning to shoot:

The wet floor, city and the people reaction with the environment.

"Lolesworth Street,E1", 1978, Paul Trevor

I find this photo is also interesting 

because the proportion of the surrounding is much heavier than the object

but the object in central position is the major focus point.

The photographer might try to play the contrast of both color and size

And i may try to shoot some of this similar style as well.

3. Book "Some Cities" by Victor Burgin

 Grenoble, 1981

I found couple/family is an interesting object to shoot too.

I think it is because they have more emotions revealed than ordinary people,

which it is easier to capture their unique moment

Malmo, 1981

Besides, I think about the continuous shots and put them together in grids as a whole,

It is kinda fascinating too because it seems tell more story than a single shot.

3. Other similar style on web

"Rainy Night in London"

Photo from http://ronyagalka.wordpress.com/  

Photo from The Contemporary London Street Photography exhibition 2012

http://article.wn.com/view/2012/05/27/Sight_seeing_London_street_photography_in_pictures/

A young Jewish girl stands in a rainy street in Whitechapel in April 1954.

Photo from lomography.com

http://www.lomography.com/magazine/news/2012/02/22/post-war-east-end-london-photos-of-the-1950s

Development Notes:

I initially designed the direction and basic components of my project:

1. Black and White– it helps to highlight the people rather than environment, gives a solid effect;;

2. Reflection of shadows from wet floor (during or after raining);

3. Low depth of field --- to highlight the object more and blur the background;

4. Proportion of (more) setting of city and (lesser) the object;

5. Object: city people, especially couple, family, child --- emotions reveal more and easier to capture;

6. Form: single shot/ 4 photos in grids

7. Higher level of color contrast (editing) --- to enhance the feeling of moody or the dramatic effect.