Original Post: 23JUL2016
Today I finally show you what I have been working on. Like I have mentioned I am still honing in my skill in the art of Street Photography. I am by no means a “Pro” not at least until I am considered one by some of the best in the scene. I really started shooting again this spring in Japan.
I went to Okinawa for what seemed like the perfect amount of time. Just enough to enjoy the area and get to know the people that live and work in Okinawa, Japan. At the time I was watching a lot of videos on youtube on cameras and such because I was interested in maybe getting a new one. As I watched DigitalRev TV’s YouTube channel I started to notice when they review cameras it was usually outdoors. It was in the city, the streets, deep in lives of the people. The host of the show was usually in peoples faces and for the most part the people didn’t really care that they were being photographed. I found it amazing how easy it was for him to do it. When they showed what the shots looked like, that is when I felt a deep connection with the art.
Anyone who knows me knows, I love people. I like to get to know them all. The who aspect of who they are, what they are doing at that very moment. That is what I like capturing in a photo.
When I look back at my first few photographs I noticed a trend… that I shot the photos from far away.
And that I captured people in unobtrusive angles.
Things that didn’t really take away from the photograph, but it didn’t really make them stand out in the way that I wanted them to stand out.
The previous two were shot using a Nikon D3100 and a 50mm lens. The camera I have had for a really long time. About 5 years actually and I love it. I took it everywhere and it was a trooper through and through. I noticed that the camera was a little underpowered for what I wanted really. Maybe because I was still scared of approaching people and I wanted something that was full frame so that I may crop a photo if I really needed to with out loosing too much detail in the process. The only problem with that is when you crop too much you still notice the detail loss and well, what am I to do?
So I did what I always do and I impulse bought the camera anyways. Now I shoot with a Nikon D810 with the 50mm practically married to the lens. I rarely shoot with any other lens unless I am going for a different style of photo and I will share that later in the future.
I had to change my approach and start shooting like a street photographer and begin to approach people with out any barriers. Language, language was a barrier, but I over came with my broken Japanese.
I rarely take more than one maybe two photographs. Mainly because I really dislike editing. It just takes so much time and can get annoying and frustrating. Maybe I can hire someone in the future, or maybe someone or some company can hire me.
Another reason is that when I had film I was restricted to shooting a limited amount of times. I had to get it right the first time and be happy with what I shot.
I had to get comfortable with people knowing that I am taking a picture of them. Below is the first picture that I took with the person noticing. He really didn’t mind it. After I took the picture he went on with his business.
Then I started to talk to them and photograph them.
They really didn’t mind that I didn’t speak Japanese that well. They must have sensed something about me that looked like I knew what I was doing and I continued to do so through out my stay in Japan.
With out giving too many pictures away in one post I am going to end it here. As you saw I developed something in me that changed how I photograph people. Till this day I am discovering new things about myself and that is all part of the fun.
Stay posted for my next entry.
-Franco Pisano
P.S. Here are some additional photographs.
