Glow

Untitled, originally uploaded by take 1 for all.

One great thing about flickr is its great diversity of style. Browsing around flickr, I often come across photographers who employ styles completely different from my own. And when I see photos like the one above, by take 1 for all, I'm first moved and second inspired. The warm glow of sunshine from the window above, and the expression of peace on the woman's face set me at ease. I wonder what the story is behind the woman and the photographer, what she's thinking, and also think about all the times I've sat around with my girlfriend, soaking in the warmth under a square of sunshine.

At the same time, I'm inspired because my photos rarely look like this. The cool color temp, purposeful overexposure, haziness, and off-balance composition are all things that I've tried to keep out of my photos, either through my in-camera settings or post-processing on the computer. I have some habits to unlearn. Specifically, what I've learned from this photo, and others, is that I one great way to bring attention to natural light is to shoot into a light source, with your subject backlit, exposing for your subject. Also, I have to let go of the orangy-yellow kodak-style image in my head. Again and again, cooler, bluer photos are the ones catching my attention.

I'm still chasing after a feeling. take 1 for all has captured a bit of it and I feel that he's one of many on flickr that are helping me along my way.

Excuses

MTR Station- Central, HK, originally uploaded by Paul Swee.

Paul Swee is a Flickr user based in Hong Kong, and his photos capture bits and pieces of the surrounding metropolis. I enjoy browsing through his photostream to soak up the atmosphere of his city. Many of the shots are of everyday scenes, slices of life. In his profile, Paul states simply that "I shoot what I see."

He's being modest, of course. Here's a shot taken in Hong Kong's subway system. Looks like a young couple are having a falling out. The body language speaks volumes. The girl's toes pointed in, face turned down and away, limp arm, palm open, feeling hurt or dejected . The guy leaning in, trying to look the girl in the eye, holding tightly to the girl's hand, desperately perhaps. One hand motioning to his chest, maybe explaining his feelings or defending his actions. Paul offers a possibly overheard: "trust me, I didn't mess with your best friend."

I admire photographers that have captured intimate moments happening out in the open. It's mainly because it takes nerve to walk up to a person, frame your shot, and snap away. I suspect it might be a tad easier to get away with it if your subjects are too distracted by their own swirling emotions to notice the soft swish of a Leica shutter. Nonetheless, it takes a great deal of practice to obtain just a tiny bit of confidence. I better get out there.

Getting By

活著‧To Live, originally uploaded by Tiac.

Tiac is a really great photographer on Flickr and I always look forward to seeing updates on his page. The coolest thing about his work is that it's all done on a Sony compact digital camera. He has mentioned setting white balance to cloudy to get more warmth and upping saturation and contrast levels to the max. The results are really astounding. He captures ultra colorful images of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system and vicinity.

Here, Tiac has titled this photo "To Live", drawing our attention to the rubbish collector, picking up discarded cardboard on his tricycle just to get by and make a living. The crop is perfectly suited for the subject, straight and narrow. The arrows on that wall then further emphasize the straight grind that must be this man's life. There's nothing to do but keep going forward, on and on. I really like the angle and proportions of wall to street. That foreground line is a nice reinforcement of how confined that man is to his path.

I wonder if the decision was his own to make his living this way. What were the circumstances that led to this? There are quite alot of people in the city of Taipei who are in this line of work, so maybe it's as good a life as the next alternative, opening a soup stall or cleaning the escalators in the subway stations. It does seem like strenuous work, though. Hauling flattened cardboard boxes around day in and day out, rain or shine must be draining on the soul. Or maybe it's just what life is. It's work and he gets by. I bet there are people in fancy shoes and fancy suits that are mentally in the exact same place as this guy is.

Lineup

Untitled, originally uploaded by Jersey Yen.

I loved this shot when I first saw it because of how nearly perfectly everyone is lined up against the wall there. You've got this one horizontal strip of light, nicely highlighting these commuters waiting for the train. It boggles my mind how each one of these people can simultaneously be so emotive. The body language and relationships of their individual silhouettes with each other and the tile background speaks volumes: lethargy, exhaustion, impatience, resignedness, intimacy, friendship, detachedness.

The blur and the skew are both elements that might be considered flaws, but are actually adding to the photograph. I like how the fuzzy forms are kind of mirroring the fuzzy quality of the lighting. That undulating bank of fluorescent lamps above reinforce this off kilter feel of the slanted platform and tired commuters. The thing here to ground us is the station placard, proclaiming the location to be Taipei, the two Chinese characters close to being swallowed by the shadows.

This photograph isn't a favorite just because it captured a feeling, though. It's a favorite because it evokes a feeling. When I looked at this for the first time, there was an immediate recognition. I've stood on that platform before. I've felt like that before underneath those nasty fluorescent lights, sandwiched by darkness. I feel like each one of those people on that platform represent a place I've been at one point. The photo reminds me of all the times I've taken the train to the east coast of Taiwan, in a sour mood about being away from my girlfriend in Taipei. In a way, I feel like this photograph is a memory of mine.

Lastly, I should mention the camera used to take this shot. It's the (in)famous Lomo LC-A. The lomo costs $200 and reigns supreme as king of the "toy camera/lo-fi" hill. Down the line, I'll have an example of color night photography done with a Lomo because the images that come out of this camera can also be shockingly saturated.