Who are the #InterestingStrangers?

("I think she's talking about us."

"Shhh...don't make eye contact.")

I'm constantly fascinated by interesting people I see on the street. If I have a camera in hand, I'll have this urge to stop and photograph them just for the sake of capturing the moment if nothing else. Things that I look for are the unexpected whimsy, the unguarded emotion, or a play on pairs.

I also like to photograph things "as is." What I mean by that is I don't want to disturb the scene that caught my eye. I want to quietly capture moment so that authenticity is not lost. It should feel like the moment is fleeting and that the scene before my eyes can leave just as quickly as it appeared.

I find myself needing to practice street photography or else I get "shy." In these shy moments, I have this internal struggle between capturing the moment and being very aware that others notice I'm taking their picture. It takes a few shots for me to get over this hurdle, but once I do, that's when the "magic" happens. My mind becomes clear and my eyes flick around, framing up shots and thinking critically about composition before lifting up my camera. When a certain scene piques my interest and invites a lingering glance...that is undeniably the trigger for me to capture the moment. I'm always discreet and curious, but never intrusive.

Here are stories behind some of my favorite street photography moments.

Unexpected Whimsy

Would you believe me if I told you that this was at the Golden Gate Bridge? Separated from the camera wielding tourists, this dapper man sat quietly with his notebook. I felt that he was dressed for a different occasion and era altogether. I snapped this photo of him after taking my own touristy photos of the Golden Gate Bridge (heh heh...).

My favorite way to take street photos has to be sitting in the back of a car with the windows rolled down while driving through a metropolitan area. It makes the experience more exciting as the different scenes change and flash by with each intersection. We were at a red light there when a woman suddenly crossed the adjacent intersection with a fresh bouquet of flowers. I quickly framed the shot and clicked the shutter button before we zoomed away into the busy streets of San Francisco. I didn't notice the woman in the black trench coat until I was reviewing the images later on. I ended up really liking this shot for the juxtaposition between the two women.

Unguarded emotion

This was a perfectly nice day at Castle Island Park. I saw him sitting alone, looking into the water. What drew me to photograph him was his expression and his crossed arms. The cherry on top was his green hat matching the benches.

Sometimes being discreet doesn't always work. In this case, he caught me taking the photo. Despite this, I still like the raw emotion in that initial glance and how his hat and the other two hats complemented the bass drum's colors. This picture also makes me want a cannoli because it was taken in the North End.

Play on Pairs

I rarely met a pair that I didn't like. It can be in the form of shadows or people. In the photo above, I was sitting in Logan Airport when I noticed that the sunset was casting a harsh shadow on the rocking chairs in the hallway of Terminal B. I sat in one of the chairs waiting until the right individual walked by. What I enjoy the most is that the window pane frames the shadows casted on the wall as if the shadows could be their own independent photo.

I spotted these two in the Boston Commons and was inspired by Instagram's hashtag project that weekend (#whpBookWorm). Talk about couple goals. (I resisted putting a hashtag before goals, guys.)

I'd like to end this post with a book recommendation for those who are also into street photography. The book is called It's Not About the F-Stop by Jay Maisel. Unlike other photography books that speak to the technical side of photography, Jay highlights the emotional component. He succinctly describes the process and feelings that goes into producing a shot. It has a 4.5 out of 5 on Goodreads, so I highly recommend picking up a copy and kicking back with your favorite hot beverage.

Until next time, happy snapping photos!

Cheers,

Icy

#Perspective