Shootin from the Hip...

athos

and other spontaneous portraits.

i enjoy this type of photography, and have to explore it in nearby NYC soon again. these shots are all from a school trip to china.

First shot was actually shot from the hip, taken in shanghai china. I was walking around a marketplace, and went down a quieter street where there was virtually no tourists, and I spotted this fellow just up ahead that had a lot of character in his face. Since I was the only one walking around there, if i put the camera to my face, he would have not acted naturally - no hiding in crowds and distractions - and as it turns out, he had a suprise in store for me. I had my 17-85 on at 17mm, so as I passed him i just pressed the shutter once. I was in Av mode i think, partial metering. Right before I walked by he raised his arms up and started shouting at me in chinese.

Thus the capture as he is, hands up and yelling, shot from the hip and my side. I should probably PP it a bit more to get rid of some of the harsh contrast, but it was the about 2:30pm with harsh light.

The Curse?



These two shots were shot in the Forbidden City, Beijing. Both were quick to the draw shots with a 50mm f1.8. again in av mode and partial metering. which is how i usually walk around configured for street shooting.

An Innocent Stare



First Bow



these two boys were on the outskirts of beijing. i saw them riding their bike from the tour bus as we pulled up. had my zoomer on, so figured id take a look and see what they were up to the second i hopped out. dunno what they were laughing at, but at 240mm range away, got one shot that i liked. early afternoon light.



these two girls were also at that same spot.

i call this one fondly "A small caring glance" . the sun was bright early afternoon, and the white things are some pollen that was flying around in large quantites.




this was a little less spontaneous than the rest. saw these people from up above in the forbidden city. i just had to wait until i had a brief moment with nobody walking inthe frame i wanted.

Waiting for a Ride

gluwater

I like the contrast in your first shot, I don't think you need to photoshop it. I also really like the "first bow" shot. Great colors in the second and third shot.

Ted Szukalski

excellent set of photographs. I like both the variety of subjects, the way you composed each picture and your choice of post-processing for the most emphasised result.

DavidS

Absolutely wonderful series. I really enjoyed looking at them.

athos

thanks for the kind words.

snatching life and trapping it with mirror and glass is something i hope to always enjoy and improve upon.