Shooting street I

Over the last 3 weekends I have been out street shooting in Central London. Being at the height of the tourist season, London's West End is a magnet for visitors and is a hive of activity. Hotels are full, Eros, at Piccadilly Circus is covered with foreign language students with their regulatory brightly coloured backpacks and caps. Mainly Italians and American exchange groups on study or cultural visits. The Euro, being so strong has brought many Central Europeans hopping over to Blightly to sample the mediocre and overpriced food offerings that we have. Germans and Czechs, a smattering of French ( they'd prefer the Cote d'Azur), and Spanish. Not many Asians mind you, perhaps only Japanese, who are travel-crazy anyway. Arabs? I hear you ask. Tons of Arabs..around Knightsbridge mainly, and in the vicinity of Harrods.



I love street shooting.. basically, you don't know what you get till you get home. I don't chimp. Well, at least not after every shot. I have my LCD screen turned off, mainly to save battery and make sure I have a large memory card and a spare battery. I also use manual focusing, set at 6 feet and F2.8 on Aperture priorty, as I am currently using a non-AF body. Its a hit and miss affair, mind you, but when I get a decent composition, I am happy! As I am mainly walking, I carry a small shoulder bag, some water, 1 camera and a small notebook.

(Click on the photos to enlarge for better viewing)















I will try to explain what grabs me in street photography and the various juxtapositions, scenarios and how I approach subjects, with stealth..next..