This series is the result of an an assignment for our photography course: shooting interesting street scenes, without looking through the viewfinder. Your comments are appreciated!
Hugo, thanks for your extensive comment, and also good to see that you are back again.
To answer your question: I found this assignment very instructive. Especially because I sometimes tend to put too much thought in my compositions, which can make the images kind of 'sterile'. (This certainly has to do with my background in landscape photography, where you usually have plenty of time to think about the composition). With this assignment I discovered that you do not always need to think thinks over perfectly before pressing the shutter button. In other words, this assignment helps me to shoot more intuitively and open minded, which results in more playful and spontanaeuous images. In a way this is also purifying ('louterend'), yes it can almost be embarrassing... In last year's course we made a similar assignment. (I shot 5 rolls of film in 90 minutes that day, which was quite an experience in itself). My best photo from this assigment that was selected for the students exhibition was one that I took by holding my camera over a wall of 2 metres height. So I could not even see _what_ I was photographing in this case! You can understand that this made me wonder for some time - what is the sense of having three years of photographic education :)
Karina, bedankt voor je commentaar. Ik moet zeggen dat ik zelf ook wel wat moeite had met dit 'stiekeme' fotograferen. Aan de andere kant, het levert soms ook heel verrassende en spontane foto's op. De derde foto in deze serie (die later nog volgt) bijvoorbeeld, die zou ik op de 'normale' wijze niet gemaakt kunnen hebben.
Hi Hermen, it sure has been a long time since my last comment. How have you been? Thanks for your recent feedback, as always much appreciated.
I like this assignment, it's something I occasionally try myself as well. It can produce very free and unforced images. I do believe this one turned out well. Eventhough the horse is IMO the primary subject, the man leaning in the doorway adds the finishing touch. Also, this method creates an unconventional point of view, only adding to the unforced feel of the photo. Did you tilt the camera on purpose? Cool stuff! I wonder how you feel such an assignment helps you improve your photographic skill.
Helemaal mijn 'ding'. Straatfotografie en dan ook nog es in Antwerpen. Ik vind hem niet slecht. Zelf fotografeer ik nooit vanaf de buik. Vind het te stiekem en bovendien vond ik vroegere pogingen niet echt een succes. Maar hier, met het mannetje scherp en het paard onscherp heeft hij zeker iets, al is het paard wel heel dominant aanwezig. Ik ben benieuwd naar wat volgt!
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