Everyone can own a camera but not everyone can take that PERFECT street shot. The burning question..."What makes a great street photo?" Expensive camera gears? Luck? or just Candid Snaps?
Here's what I think – A great street photograph must elicit more than a quick glance and moment of recognition from the viewer. A sense of mystery and intrigue should remain. Give me a REASON to remember your photograph. As the great French street photographer Robert Doisneau (April 14, 1912 – April 1, 1994) commented: ‘If I knew how to take a good photograph, I’d do it every time.’
Nowadays, there are many street photogs out there. I have seen several thousands street shots, but for me, only one photographer stands out above the crowd. Meet Bruce Gilden, a noted street photographer, known for his uncompromising, in-your-face approach to street photography. A member of Magnum Photos since 1998, he shot images of Japan's Yakuza mobsters, the homeless, prostitutes, and members of bike gangs.
Bruce is an exceptionally talented photographer with an eye for fascinating moments and idiosyncratic details. And, I can tell you that he certainly is an inspiration! In a short documentary titled "Bruce Gilden - WNYC Street Photography Project.", he shares his successes, trials and tribulations in the photography industry. A highly recommended docu-film! Scroll down to watch.
Resources:
1. Click here to view images by Bruce Gilden, Magnum: SEE PHOTOS
2. Bruce Gilden in an exclusive interview with The British Journal of Photography: READ
It's time to announce The Weekly Photo Assignment, Theme 5 winners. The response has been encouraging and the overall quality of submissions had improved. Thank you to all of you for making it happen! A new theme will be announced soon.
Note:
The photos are now available for public view on A Malaysian Photo and Travel Blog Facebook iFrame tab. Look for ✓ Weekly Theme.
Bonus Download:
There's more! I would like to share with you not one but TWO illustrative e-books on Street Photography, written by renowned photog, Mr. Thomas Leuthard. These two E-BOOKS are A MUST for street photogs wannabe:
>> Going Candid (PDF, 96 pages, 10.9MB)
>> Collecting Souls (PDF, 99 pages, 8.15MB)
Title: The Street Preacher
Photographer: Nadly Aizat
What Alex Loke says - This section is no longer available. I encourage fans to visit the entries and make some comments. Click "View HI-RES" to read my critiques and comments. Thanks, peeps.
Title: Responsibilities
Photographer: Farhah Abdullah-Simard
What Farhah said "The photo, those memories is one of the happy time I had with my in law, before we're always going out 4 of us, everywhere except when we travelled overseas..... now, my mother in law just passed away due to cancer and my father in law too sick to going out..."
My reply "I'm sorry to hear of the passing of your mother-in-law, it's always a hard thing to go through. I wish you strength in dealing with this.
I know it is hard, but believe me, there is always hope. As much as possible, look into the bright side of everything. Send him my very best regards and wishing him a speedy recovery".
Note: Thanks for sharing, Farhah :)
Title: City streets at night.....
Title: Old Bike
Title: "济公" Iconic person of Kulim
Title: Kids Dance
Title: Untitled Photo
Title: Lord of The Rings
Title: Vegetable Heaven
Title: Wall of padlocks
Title: Untitled Photo
Photographer: Awang Kassim
What AK said "I always take notice on bad things first, and Kuala Lumpur has always aggravated me with her worst first. To my conservative thought; this is a sex city, also a city of churlish dwellers, a city full of irascible drivers, a city polluted with artificial sorrowful looking street beggars".
My reply "Unfortunately, the bad will often stick with us longer than the good. Kuala Lumpur? She's a city filled with inconsiderate drivers, constant traffic jams, materialistic peeps and boorish city slickers. The mounting pressure of modern living has taken its toll on many people's lives.
On the bright side, Kuala Lumpur is a city that never sleeps, so full of life every minute of the day. Thanks for sharing, AK. You picture depicts the her true character - busy, busy, busy".
Note: All copyrights belong to respective photographers.
WNYC Street Shots: Bruce Gilden
Last updated on October 21st, 2011 (5:41 p.m.)
Hot News! The Weekly Photo Assignment is back! Every week I'll announce a new theme, then photographers interpret this theme and upload their own photos in response. The BEST 10 Photos of the week will be featured on MPTB’s special iFrame tab aka ✓ The Weekly Theme, plus an exclusive spread in A Malaysian Photo and Travel Blog.
So how does it work? Easy peasy butter cookies :)
1) Head over to MPTB Facebook page
2) Pick a photo that best represents our Weekly Theme
3) Minimum width or height = 720px
4) Write an attractive title and a short description of your photograph
5) Upload to MPTB’s Facebook wall
Please remember to visit other entries and make some comments. Comments and constructive criticism are encouraged!
Photo Assignment: Week 5
Theme: "Street Photography"
Submission Date: October 1st - 15th, 2011 [last submission 23:00 (MYT) - Time in Malaysia]
Reward:
The BEST 10 photographers will have their shots featured on ✓ The Weekly Theme tab plus a spread in MPTB's photo blog. Your name, Facebook, Flickr and webpage URL will be published together with your photo.
My photo blog has consistently rank number #1 on first page of Google for “Malaysia Photo Blog” and rank #Top 20 for “Malaysia Travel Blog”.
Results:
All winners will be announced on Oct 16th, 2011. Winning entries will be published on my blog and MPTB's ✓ Weekly Theme iFrame tab.
Last updated Sept 10th, 2011 (7:23 p.m.)
I was fortunate to have grown up surrounded by a variety of animals - dogs, birds, reptiles, and creepy crawlies. I used to have several pet dogs, my dad owned some award-winning singing birds and my siblings had a trove of reptiles. It seems that everybody loves animals, ...well almost. My mom despised them to the core! The debate about keeping animals, "hygiene" issues and blah, blah, blah...it was a constant arguments . I would rather not to bore you with the details.
Recently I've stumbled upon Dr Rayya, a self-confessed animal lover and a dedicated vet based in Australia. I must say that I have become fascinated and in awe, not only by her charm and lovely nature, but also her passion for showering love and affection on the animals under her care. Here are some snippets from Dr Rayya's Facebook page. You can also follow her work at rayyathevet.com
Note: This is not an advertisement :)
Time flies fast, indeed. We are now approaching Weekly Photo Assignment: Theme 5. So without further adieu, I'd like to announce the TOP 9 WINNERS for Theme 4: "Animal Planet". Some of the photos I have already received are just so damned CUTE and AMAZING! Komodo lizard from Indonesia, a curious squirrel, chubby puppy in Vietnam, pollen filled bee and many more. Congrats peeps!
Note: The photos are now available for public view on A Malaysian Photo and Travel Blog Facebook page. Look for ✓ Weekly Theme tab.
Title: Constant Vigilance
Photographer: Koid Xian Zheng
What Alex Loke says "This is a GORGEOUS shot! What makes it so special? Here's my analysis. 1st - A well-executed B&W photograph is a creation of timeless grace and beauty. I love how your black and white fit this perfectly! 2nd - One specific thing that caught my attention: interesting bird pose (especially the curve-like head part) 3rd - The black feathery stripe and the cautionary eye is definitely an attention grabber. SUPERB shot, Koid!"
Title: Bee or Fly?
Photographer: Nadly Aizat
What Alex Loke says "I don't care whether it's a bee, fly or wasp, this picture speaks VOLUME! The five things that caught my attention:
1) Gigantic compound eyes
2) Speckles of yellow pollen grain
3) Yellowish petals
4) The contrast (darker background) +
5) A well-cropped photo
Well done, Nadly!"
Title: Untitled Photo
Photographer: Cajetan Clement
What Alex Loke says "The fearsome look caught my attention. Punk hairstyle, stylish goatee, staring eyes and that smirk on his face. Trust me, you don't want to mess with Mayas The Orangutan".
Title: Arrogant
Photographer: Irsam Soetarto
What Alex Loke says "While a good photographer should always keep the basics in mind, a great shot mostly consists of being at the right place at the right time. Irsam has captured this moment perfectly. In this picture you can clearly see the fork-like tongue of the dragon, the arrogant and sturdy look, the armored parts, sharp claws and the predator eyes.
Having said that, I'd love to see the the remaining body parts - hind legs and tail, all in one picture".
Note: Irsam's work is currently featured on A Malaysian Photo and Travel Blog Facebook page. Click HERE to view a collection of his BEST PHOTOS in HI-RES.
Title: Cat and Butterfly
Photographer: Chang Ching
Flickr | Blog | Facebook | View HI-RES
What Alex Loke says "A beautiful candid shot! The cat eyes speak a thousand words. I'm still trying to figure out what was going through the cat's mind...hungry? stunned? annoyed? angry? or perhaps scared of the winged creature?
What makes a good photo? Simple. When a picture makes you think! I bet everyone of us wants to know what happened next" ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡
Title: Untitled Photo
Photographer: Farhah Abdullah-Simard
What Alex Loke says "A daydreaming monkey against the beautiful backdrop of Jaipur. Love the composition! The sleeping position is kinda COOL. I LIKE it a lot! So I did a bit of research online and found out...Old World monkeys sleep in a sitting position, while New World monkeys tend to sleep lying down. So I guess we could call it The Sleeping New World Ape of Jaipur." (*^.^*)
Title: I See You!
Photographer: Loh Mei Hwa
Flickr | Blog | Facebook | View HI-RES
What Alex Loke says "This is a SUPERB shot! A cute chubby looking squirrel eyeing up the surrounding for potential danger. I can see big wide opened eyes, pointy ears and highly alert whiskers. A photo worthy of National Geographic status. Great job, Loh!"
Title: Falcon Eye
Photographer: Cheng Steve
Flickr | Blog | Facebook | View HI-RES
What Alex Loke says "An excellent close-up! The falcon turned its head facing your lens with that intrigued look. That stunning and elegant pose...PRECIOUS!"
Title: Puppy, Sleep Tight
Photographer: Peck Hong
Flickr | Blog | Facebook | View HI-RES
What Alex Loke says "There's something about these puppies that makes my heart melt. Droopy ears, hidden tail and those lovely sleeping pose. There are SO CUTE! It makes me wanna cuddle them like babies and sing lullabies ^.^
On a serious note, stop the cruelty in puppy mills. Adopt. Don't buy". <(^_^<)
Note: All copyrights belong to respective photographers.
What can you do with a Phantom HD $11, 800 camera? MIRACLES!
Professional pet photographer Teresa Berg save Homeless Dogs through Better Photography. Read more on PopPhoto.
Last updated on September 30th, 2011 (8:02 p.m.)
