Cyclavia
Eldon Shea
Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
Hello Community. I'm new here after lurking and observing for a long time. I've been shooting for a couple of years while reading and observing in an effort to get closer to the quality of what I've seen here. I'm certainly not there yet, but I'm hoping that your (gentle) critiques of will be helpful.
In LA we have a quarterly event called Cyclavia. They shut down miles of streets in some part of the city and thousands and thousands of people show up to enjoy. Until the Clippers make the playoffs its about the only time that you get to see 50,000 people in LA all with a huge grin on their face. I made these pictures to force myself to get better at shooting people instead of just things. I would love to hear what I can do to be better next time. Cheers! Bryan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
In LA we have a quarterly event called Cyclavia. They shut down miles of streets in some part of the city and thousands and thousands of people show up to enjoy. Until the Clippers make the playoffs its about the only time that you get to see 50,000 people in LA all with a huge grin on their face. I made these pictures to force myself to get better at shooting people instead of just things. I would love to hear what I can do to be better next time. Cheers! Bryan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
0
Comments
Nice series, I especially like 6 & 8 plus the timing on 9
Nice work
Bryan
Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
Photos: jowest.smugmug.com
Book1: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LUBMI1C
Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079V3RX6K
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jo.west.16
Shooting people in this type of setting is some of the most enjoyable time you might spend with a camera. There is always a shot and always a surprise (like a pigeon).
The shots you take and post, though, should have some sort of story. If you look through your photos, narrate (to yourself please, not in text accompanying the photo) what you believe the photo conveys. Does it really convey it or is it wishful thinking because that is what you were trying to capture? Critically look at your shots afterwards. Was it the best shooting angle? Were you close enough or would closer have been better (often that is the biggest bugaboo for new street photographers -- that is where hip shooting becomes a useful skill).
Your set is very enjoyable to get an idea of the event. Some are better than others. #2 would have been much better from a different angle and with her face. How do you isolate her better from the background? ... #6 also caught my eye the most on my first viewing (and often that is all you get - a first viewing). Why does this stand out for veterans of this forum?
Anyway, hope being wordy and pedantic is what you were seeking. Post often here to get feedback and enjoy taking more of these type of photos.
Jo, it is a pretty cool event. They move it around the city, so if you plan to attend you should make sure it will be held in a visually interesting area. You can't go wrong if it is in Downtown LA. The cool thing for me, on my first outing shooting "street" was that everyone expected to have their picture taken, so it was totally comfortable. I only rarely got attitude or disapproval.
Bryan
Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
But looking at #8, two things stand out. One is that I believe a square crop, eliminating the right brick wall and sign will bring the group more attention, especially the lead lady. Secondly, the photos are shot from a distance that appears to be across the street. This gives much less connection to the people than if you shot up close with a wide angle. I suggest you find a venue and shoot it both ways and compare the results.
Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk