candid 4x5 shots

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From: Gordon J. Holtslander (holtsg@duke.usask.ca)
Date: 08/29/02-10:31:51 PM Z


I live a couple of blocks away from the street used to "cruise" in our
city. Earlier this summer I ended up taking some twilight urban
landscape shots on a corner of this street with my 4x5.

I took a few shots - each shot needed a few minutes exposure. While I was
taking these pictures cars were stopping at the corner. When the people
"cruising" stopped at the corner they would look at me and the camera and
smile - almost like they were asking to have their pictures taken.

If I had a flash with me I would have taken a bunch of pictures of the
"cruisers at the stop light" I think they would have been intersting
shots.

I still do a lot of "urban landscapes" in the downtown area, but I'll
often set something up and come to the conclusion that it would be a much
better shot if I waited until somebody walked through the scene.

I took a moutain/urban landscape in Canmore AB this summer with a pinhole
camera - I was making a 5 minute exposure when someone decided to walk
into the middle of the picture and stand in the perfect spot for a few
minutes and then walked away. It turned an OK shot into a wonderful shot.

A lot of the pictures I take involve peoples' response to having their
picture taken.

Gord

On Thu, 29 Aug 2002, Carl Weese wrote:

> Judy,
>
> There is no such thing as a candid camera, and never was. The photographer
> is always present, people always know. The worst cliche in the world is the
> fly on the wall that ain't. There are no invisible photographers, thank
> goodness.

<snip>
>
> In 1990 I was a couple hundred rolls into a 35mm project photographing in
> Kingston, NY, and a group of four girls, aged about 11 or 12, said "hey
> Mister, take our picture". I shot several frames, one of which is among the
> best pictures I've ever made.

---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
---------------------------------------------------------


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