Nice collection of Robert Doisneau pics
Richard
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If you aren't familiar with French photographer Robert Doisneau, here's a five minute video slideshow that will give you a great introduction. The resolution could be better and the continual zooming is annoying (to me), but the images are simply wonderful. Check it out. WARNING: accordion music. :wink
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Don
'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
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Molsondog, there's an old thread that talks about strategies to get good street shots. There was a very good photographer that posted occasionally when I joined that would pick a spot where he knew the light and then waited for the "actors" to enter. He also did some wonderful lake shots and he worked in colour. I think his user name was seastack. As for me, not that I have any compositional skills, a trick I use is to stay in single autofocus point and keep that point somewhere left or right of centre. I could have it in the centre, focus and recompose, and I can still do that. But having it off centre to begin with starts me out with a more dynamic composition.
I often see a good background, or combination of light and shadow or possibility for a reflection shot then stand around waiting for the right people to come into the frame. In these cases, I generally use the technique Jenn mentioned of selecting an off-center focus point. It's also a good idea to take some test shots to get the exposure nailed, then leave the camera in manual mode. I try to spot a likely subject as they are approaching the scene so that I have my camera aimed and eye to the viewfinder before the subject is in place. This is generally less noticeable than raising your camera at the last moment, though occasionally your subject will "considerately" wait for you to take your pic before crossing in front of you. I hate those people
Purely spontaneous shots in which things or people are in motion are tougher to compose well. It can be helpful to shoot a little wider than you expect the final pic to be, then fine tune the composition by cropping. Most difficult for me is when several people are moving in different directions and at different speeds. But with a little practice, you can learn to anticipate where it will all come together. Sometimes, anyway. You need to have a good idea of what the final image is to be so that you can be in the right place at the right time. Or, just be lucky.
I just tell them to go ahead. I'll work around them.
I was shooting the cow and the street sweeper was trying her best to keep out of my way. I told her not to worry about it. Of course, what I wanted was for her to be in the frame with the cow, and eventually I got what I was after.
It was a drab and dreary rainy day. I didn't expect to get any human subjects in this Chinese garden. All of a sudden, there were these two lovers, oblivious to the rain and intent on each other.