But is street photography really as ‘random’ as it might at first appear? In this guest blog travel photographer Harry Fisch reveals his secret to capturing perfectly composed street photographs.

La Habana by Harry Fisch

A good travel photographer is, above all, an observer. In my experience, the ability to pre-visualise an image is the key to taking good photographs.

Capturing a great shot is not just a question of looking, but also of paying attention to all the details that might somehow influence the end result: light, shape, colours and hues of the objects and the people in front of the lens.

In my street photography, I take a brief moment to take in peoples’ body language and the dynamics of their every day life in the street. Interpreting and anticipating the scene in front of me helps me to find an appropriate focus to my images.

This is the most creative part of the photographic process: we have to use our imagination, our awareness, and even a little sense of drama. It is important to anticipate the image you want to take in order to get into the appropriate position to be alert and ready to capture the exact picture we want.

I achieve this by looking at the objects in front of me and deciding on the best composition, the story they tell and how they relate to each other, their environment and especially light. I consider different compositions and scenarios, using my mind to place people in the scene in different attitudes and postures. I also imagine how light will interact with the scene: if it illuminates part of it, it could help a certain area to stand out.

At other times I reverse this process and think about how the image would turn out if some of its items, objects or persons weren’t within the frame.

In the picture at the top of this page (taken in Havana, Cuba) I visualised the scene before taking the shot. I imagined the image of a single person walking along and being highlighted against a wall. In order to make this a strong image, I needed more intense lighting. I was sure that I could make this image that I had visualised a reality.

I returned to the same place the next morning, seeking the light that would illuminate the background and more specifically a passer-by.

The different lighting interacted with the environment to achieve the image that I had in my mind. In this way, I was able to create an image to tell a story, enabling me to achieve the impact I wished to create by placing emphasis on different areas of the image.

It is also essential to know exactly where to stand: I needed to position the camera at the proper angle as well as choose the right moment to take the shot. To do this, I usually place myself in different positions in front of the scene before even thinking about the final picture in order to test alternative angles and heights.

If I hadn’t pre-visualised the image, this picture would never have come to be. With a little luck, I might have taken a similar one, but always with a poorer, less effective outcome.

Simply having a great view or scene to photography will never be enough, as without the ability to pre-visualise an image, the photograph as an artistic act will not exist. What remains will only be an image of random moment.

Visit Harry’s website.

READ MORE:

10 common camera mistakes every photographer makes
79 travel photography tips you shouldn’t leave home without
How to see photos like famous photographers every time you shoot
Famous Photographers: 225 tips to inspire you

Next time you take a photograph remember to free yourself from inhibitions; get on the floor, climb up a wall, dive straight in and take inspiration from the bold photographers below…

Attaching an umbrella to your tripod in an attempt to stay dry? It wasn’t everyone’s favourite idea…

We admit that the previous umbrella might have been a little big. This umbrella is sure not to blow your tripod over.

Via Very Amateurish on Flickr

We suspect that these people had never seen flowers before.

Via Sam Lair on Flickr

Batty for photography? Don’t forget your hard hat.

This solution will keep your child under control, and you can get some great shots in the process.

Educated at the Jackie Chan school of photography.

When it comes to photography, sometimes it’s best to just dive straight in.

He’s behind you.

It’s always best to be flexible with your photography.

The flash was clearly heavier than he anticipated.

The results of his photography were always a bit wooden.

A dedicated photographer until the very end.

The scale of this shot wasn’t lost on this young photographer.

A good photographer leaves no stone unturned.

He stopped smiling about 2 seconds later.

A display of the latest image stabilisation technology.

It’s yoga and photography combined; yogography. You heard it here first.

This photographer hasn’t quite understood the meaning of ‘zooming in’.

Via TheChive.com

What they lack in fashion sense they gain in camera kit.

Via Jan Jasinski via Flickr

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 lens.

Copyright Serge Kozintsev

The trick here is to get the shot and get away quickly before your camera melts.

Who wouldn’t want to grab a shot of the world’s first hover-car?

We only hope that the shot he took will sell for enough to cover the cost of the antique vase that he smashed to take it.

Crikey!

He risked his life for his shot and he’s forgotten to remove his lens cap.

Now is not a good time to realise you’ve forgotten to bring another film.

First rule of landscape photography; always check your surroundings for potential hazards first.

The bull from the previous photo would’ve loved this opportunity.

It’s a toss up about who is more patient here; the kingfisher, or the photographer.

Getting the right shot can be a leap of faith.

Image credits: Via Curiousphotos & AcidCow unless otherwise stated

READ MORE:

WHY is an official video from Nikon was shot to demonstrate what the Nikon D4 is capable of. Turns out it’s capable of very beautiful things indeed! You can watch the making of WHY here.

Title: WHY
Camera: D4
By: Corey Rich

Joy Ride is the official Nikon D800 video. You can watch the making of here.

Title: Joy Ride
Camera: Nikon D800
By: Sandro

Antarctica: Tales of Ice, is a compilation of scenes from Antarctica, featuring a rather bizarre soundtrack! The film was shot on a D3100, and although it is no where near as high spec as the D4 or the D800, the beautiful imagery here clearly demonstrates that its full HD video capture is certainly nothing to be scoffed at.

Title: Antarctica: Tales of Ice
Camera: Nikon D3100
By: Kadavre Exquis

IGLU Bauanleitung records a group of backpackers building an igloo. Shot on a Nikon D300s and Canon EOS 550D, the film demonstrates the very high standard of the cameras’ video capture ability. Also one to watch if you want to know how to build an igloo!

Title: IGLU Bauanleitung
Camera: Nikon D300s and Canon EOS 550D
By: Sooli Film

D800 Lungshan Temple features a selection of scenes from Lungshan Temple in Taiwan.

Title: Nikon D800 Lungshan Temple
Camera: Nikon D800
By: Taiwan Johnson

You might also like:

Nikon at the movies: The top 10 appearances
Nikon Metering Modes: what you’ve got and when to use them
Adapt old lenses for your Nikon DSLR

Essential tips for great coast photos

01 Location: The first thing to think about is the best time of day to visit your chosen location. If you’re after sunrises you need to be on an east-facing beach; if you’re after sunsets you need to be on a west- facing beach. Even during the day the angle of the sun will play a huge part in the look of your images. Try to plan a visit when the sun is reasonably low in the sky and will provide some side lighting to bring out the detail and textures of the landscape.

02 Composition: Once you’re there, it’s all about composition. Remember some of the simple rules, such as using foreground interest and lines to draw in the eye, and you won’t go too far wrong, but don’t be afraid to experiment with new viewpoints. Getting down low among the rocks or sand will make the most of interesting foreground subjects and cloud formations, while getting up high on cliff tops will give you a much more comprehensive view of the beach and sea.

03 Polariser: A polariser is pretty much essential for making the most of blue skies and water. By rotating the filter  you can darken blue skies, making the clouds stand out and adding impact to your shots. You’ll also find the polariser useful for reducing the glare from the sea, making it look darker and more colourful.

04 Keep it even: One potential problem you need to be aware of is when using extreme wide-angle lenses you can get uneven blue skies. Watch out for dark bands if you’re shooting with a lens shorter than 18mm on a Four Thirds or APS-C sensor, or 24mm on a full-frame sensor.

05 Tide: With any type of coastal photography you need to keep an eye on the tide. What seems like a safe location can soon get cut off by a fast incoming tide, so check the tide times for the location and time that you’re visiting, and when venturing out onto the shore look out for low-lying areas between you and the safety of dry land that could be covered in water.

06 Exposure: Watch out for dark foregrounds and bleached-out skies

07 Aperture: Choose a small aperture such as f/16 to maximise depth of field

08 Manual: Switch to manual focus, then focus around a third of the way into the scene to ensure that the entire scene is sharp from front to back

09 Foreground: Look out for objects and textures in the foreground to add depth and balance to your wide-angle shots

10 Balance: For a well-balanced composition, try to position the horizon around a third from the top of the frame if there’s strong foreground interest in the scene, or around a third from the bottom of the frame if there’s a dramatic and interesting sky

11 Patterns: Linear features such as rocks, patterns in the sand or clouds can be used to give your landscapes a sense of depth that seascapes often lack

12 Scale: Without a recognisable object it can be difficult for the viewer to get an idea of the scale of a seascape. Try to include figures on the beach, a house or a ship to give the viewer a better sense of the vastness of the landscape

Rock On

13 Rock Pools: Rock pools can often make interesting subjects in their entirety, or you can get in close to shoot details of the flora, fauna an rocks using a telephoto or macro lens. Shooting these subjects is much easier if you have a polarising filter to cut through the glare from the surface of the water, allowing you to get a clear view of this underwater world.

Coastal Flowers

14 Macro or wide: Use traditional macro techniques to get in close when shooting coastal flowers. Alternatively, you can try putting the flowers into context by shooting wide.

15 Windy weather: When shooting coastal flowers, beware of subject movement caused by the wind. To avoid this, you could try to choose a still, windless day, but unless you’re really lucky you’ll have to find a way of minimising this movement. The easiest way is to form some sort of windbreak using your camera bag or reflector, or you could get a helper to hold a coat on the side the wind is blowing from.

It’s a Family Affair

A family day out at the seaside is the perfect excuse for trying out your portrait skills. Most of the family will be happy to pose in bright sunshine, but it’s not ideal for shooting portraits. Get your subjects to face into the sun and they’ll end up squinting, making it impossible to get great-looking shots, but as soon as you get them to turn away from the light you’ll get shadows across their faces. There are a couple of simple tricks that can help you out in these situations, though.

16 Lighten shadows: Get your subject to face slightly away from the sun, then use a reflector or a flashgun to add some light to fill in the shadows across the face. You need to position the flash or reflector on the side opposite to the sunlight, and add just enough light to lighten the shadows, rather than get rid of them entirely.

Page 2

READ MORE: 

The black and white landscape: Make a mono masterpiece
Landscape photography cheat sheet
10 tips for better coastal landscapes
Best camera settings: The right way to set up your DSLR

The lens is heavy, and Bognacki states that he found it near impossible to focus, but has again proved that old technology combined with new can reveal gorgeous results.

What an amazing thing to not only preserve these fascinating relics of camera history, but to also prove their worth in photography today.

Follow Jason on Twitter.

While the majority of the photography industry is going down the road of higher spec cameras, Holga embraces imperfections and film photography. Why did Holga decide to go down such a different road when compared to other conventional camera brands? 

We made this decision 30 years ago. At the time photography was exclusive to the middle classes and the founder of Holga – Mr T.M Lee – wanted to create a camera that was technically and financially accessible so that anyone could experience photography. Three decades on we haven’t changed and still keep this goal in mind, continuously developing new products and cameras that most people can enjoy and afford since the costs of keeping up with the digital race can be very high. While we do our best to preserve film photography, we also understand the cost of film photography has increased too, which is why we have explored other roads by inventing more innovative Holga accessories for digital products for our users’ needs. We have developed Holga Lens and Filters turret for the iPhone 4, and Holga lenses for other notable DSLR’s. However, we have also recently released a new panoramic camera for film photographers. This way we still keep our values, yet we are always looking for ways to serve the needs of our users and meet market demand by being adaptive and innovative.

Of course, not only does our company continue to embrace our recognized trademark for imperfections, we are deeply grateful for our fans and photographers who also find the beauty of imperfections an essential part of their art. Their support drives us to keep going along this road and motivates us to create more and more new products.

Have the big camera brands such as Sony, Nikon, and Canon had a negative impact on Holga at all? 

We adore their cameras and the advances in technology offer photographers a whole new level of experiences. However, we don’t see this in a negative light as people have the right to choose what suits them best; on the other hand we like to think we provide an alternative tool for creative expression. We believe film and digital photography can co-exist and complement each other. Indeed, digital cameras have changed our picture taking habits, but on the other hand when people use the Holga camera it is an entirely different experience and one you can’t get from digital. Now that we have developed new product attachments for adapting digital cameras, we are excited to see how the combination of Holga and high tech works together. Our hope is that it will be a positive way to bring the Holga experience to the digital world.

As images with a vintage or retro look are popular, it is clear that many people today embrace lomography. Why do you think this remains popular at a time when camera technology is so advanced? 

Indeed, there are sizeable communities who are really into analogue photography and they are willing to spend time in darkrooms and allow themselves to be taken in by the charm of film. There are many reasons for its popularity. I think it is mainly thanks to the internet as more photographers can now show their Holga images online and share them with people around the world. We often receive updates from photographers showing their Holga photos on their blogs and websites, so cyberspace has helped in the revival of film photography. Also, apps for smartphones also indirectly promote our cameras and as a result some people may get the urge to try out a real Holga camera.

I also think that the shooting process has a lot to do with its popularity, film photography slows down a person’s pace and compels people to have different thought processes. They need to take the time to consider the subject, light, the composition and the unpredictability of the results are simply more attractive, personal in nature and add a very real dimension to what they do and the results they obtain. Also, film grain, quality and texture along with our Holga signature styles mean that the results are consistently mesmerizing.

And the big question – What do you think the future holds for photography? Will there still be a place for lomography?

Like many other art forms and fashion trends, photography has also transcended time. Take music as an example; some of us prefer pop or the latest tunes while others prefer nostalgia and older styles. We are confident that the future holds a special place for film photography since photography remains experimental in nature. It is an organic and dynamic process and we believe that a sizable number of photographers and users – regardless of their age – will explore and eventually be captured by the creative world of film photography.

Interestingly, we often hear from photographers who say that they have been using the Holga for a long time and that the digital age doesn’t affect their choices. They always have both in their camera bags ready for action. Once you build up a relationship with something, it is hard to let it go and we believe it is likewise for film photography and imagine that people won’t lose their passion for it and that it will continue to be significant for this reason. A large number of photography teachers and artists will continue teaching and showcasing their own style of fine art photography, and our company strives to move with them and play our personal part in preserving the art of film photography. In all, future and trend work like a circle so evidently there is always a backward or retro trend to balance things out. So, we could say that the new needs the old and vice versa. For this reason, everyone at Holga believes analogue photography can endure the test of time and whether we consider recent trends to be a revival or simply a continuing passion for classical photography it will always have a place in post-modern photography.

Visit Holga Inspire.

READ MORE:

In pictures: Creative film photography of the Eiffel Tower

We interview leap on their new photo app

What was the inspiration behind Leap?

When we began on this journey we were a corporate wellness game, trying to help companies get fit by doing health challenges. But we realized we needed to rethink things, mostly because we just weren’t completely passionate about the product ourselves.

So we reimagined it as something that the three of us would want to use – that would scratch our own itch as they say – and designed that from the ground up. When we examined what got us excited we realised that it had to start on the iPhone, had to involve photos, and had to let everyone create their own challenges – not just around health and wellness, and not just within companies. That’s what ultimately became Leap.

Why did you decide to start a photo app?

In doing challenges we needed some way to provide proof for accountability. There are different ways we could have done it, but photos were the perfect place to start. We’re users of apps like Foursquare, Instagram and Path, and we appreciated how integral photos were to those social experiences. There’s a density of information in a photo, so it’s been a great way to not only keep people accountable, but to also show off creativity and spur conversation and banter.

How have you found the reaction to Leap so far?

We’ve been blown away by the response. The variety of challenges we’ve seen has surpassed our expectations, and people are really getting excited about it. There have been great challenges we’ve seen—some of our favorites are the health-focused Work It Out, Inbox Zero about productivity, and even the art-focused Photo A Day.

But there have also been some really cool challenges that are more about sharing a social experience than winning a competition. Our moms and their friends have a Cup You Enjoy challenge where they share an interesting photo of their morning coffee in their favorite mug. It’s a gentle nudge that makes them take those few minutes for themselves, and with Leap they know they’re actually doing it amongst friends. It’s really cool.

Do you think that Leap encourages people to be creative, or do people use it more as a means to upload their quick snap shots?

The creativity in the photography has been awesome to see. Most people use it as an opportunity to express themselves. It’s cool to see how the challenges give the shots a particular context. People have even hacked together collages in other programs to upload into Leap. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some ugly shots of people’s cats, but a lot of users are uploading some really well composed photos to add to the conversation.

Do you think there has been more focus on image-based apps recently? If so, why do you think this is?

There has definitely been a focus on photo-sharing apps (great pun). The cost of technology has come down enough so that a lot of people own a smartphone with a decent camera. A photo conveys so much more information, personality and creativity than an email or a text message sent over the same network. It’s only natural there will be a number of apps helping users accomplish these things.

Lastly – and here is the big question! – what do you think is the future for photography? Do you think photography apps and apps such as Leap facilitate an interest in people to delve into photography, whereas they might not previously have been interested in this?

That is a big question! Thanks to the stuff we just talked about, there’s no doubt that photography will continue to explode and entice new generations of people to not only just snap photos but learn and appreciate the art of photography.

That means there’s a certain scarcity that’s being removed, not unlike what’s happening with the printed word. Anyone can write or take photos now, and that’s having all kinds of effects on culture. But there are a few things that will always remain true: art of any kind is about emotion and community, and we’ll always appreciate great pieces of art and their contributions to culture. Classic literature is still great on an iPad, and beautiful photography will still be moving no matter what its viewed on or how it was taken. That will always be the case.

Leap is available from the Apple App Store and is free to download. 

Follow Leap on Twitter and Facebook.

Apart from the fantastic picture quality from a lens that is over 100 years old, it’s a great demonstration that old technology can happily find its place today – all it takes is a bit of creativity and imagination!

All images below were taken on a Zeiss Ikon 7.5cm, f/6.3 (wide open).

Find Jason on Twitter.

All images copyright Linus Lohoff

The photo-sharing website Flickr is known for catapulting a number of photographers and photo projects into internet stardom, and the still life photography of Linus Lohoff is one of the latest.

The German photographer has been inundated with emails and picture requests after a series of his surreal still life images were recently featured on the Flickr blog. Lohoff’s series, dubbed “Das gebaute Bild” (The Constructed Picture), was part of a photography class project at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences where Linus studies graphics design.

Featuring bright, plain backgrounds, Lohoff’s still life photography series, The Constructed Picture, takes common, everyday objects and portrays them in a different context. Rather than rely on Photoshop effects to create his off-kilter images, Lohoff constructed each set using carefully strung threads, and then photographed them using his Nikon D80.

We caught up with Linus who shared some of the methods and inspiration behind his amazing still life photography, and his reasons why he still loves his Nikon D80.

Digital Camera World: Your images from The Constructed Picture series remind me in a way of Philippe Halsman’s portrait of Salvador Dali, Dali Atomicus. Was he an inspiration at all?

Linus Lohoff: Funny you should think of that picture. I know that image well, but it wasn’t my inspiration in that series. I got my ideas more from the Austrian artist Erwin Wurm. His one-minute-sculptures really inspired me.

DCW: How did you choose your subjects?

LL: I chose common, daily life objects for this series. I felt that these would have the most impact when you show them outside of their normal context.

DCW: What did you use for your backgrounds, and how did you choose the colours?

LL: I just bought simple construction paper in sheets that were 50×70 cm. The colours were chosen related to the objects. The green pear has the strongest contrast in front of the complementary color red, for example.

DCW: How long did each still life take to set up?

LL: The technical set ups have been really simple. Mostly I just put the background on the table and fixed it with gaffer tape.

To build up the still life itself took much more time cause I wanted to follow the theme of “construction”. Each picture is really photographed like you can see it. This was one of the main challenges of that series. Some of the still lifes took really long to set up.

DCW: I’ve read you used nylon thread to keep objects in place. This might be a mundane question, but how many different threads did you need to use? The shoe, for instance, must have required at least 10?

LL: The funny thing is that the shoe image required only one nylon thread! How? I fixed the thread in the middle of the shoe sole with gaffer tape.

I had to figure out the length of the lace to put the shoe at the right height so that the lace looks stretched (holding it with a needle) to give the feeling of an absence of levitation.

That stretching created a suspense and so just one nylon threat was needed. The main challenge getting this shot was that the gaffer tape didn’t hold the shoe for very long and kept falling down. I had to rebuild this still life again and again until I had a satisfying photo.

DCW: How did you light your still lifes?

LL: With a flash. I used a Nikon SB-800 flashgun. I also used a cheap remote-control remote and set the flash more or less one meter and 45 degrees to the right, in front of the object. I fired the flash over the top of the still life to have the light on the object.

For example you can see the little shadow on the picture with the cup. I wanted just neutral lighting.

DCW: Did the set-up take longer than the shooting and post-processing?

LL: Definitely yes. I built up every still life and did little Photoshopping afterwards. The only edits I made were to regulate the contrast a little. Certainly, I could have Photoshopped everything but I constructed the still lifes by hand to let me interact more with the objects.

I am asking myself, would my pictures look different if I had Photoshopped everything? I don’t know. Maybe they would feel completely different, or maybe there wouldn’t have been any difference?

For me the process is always the most important part of doing something. I learn the most by participating in the process. And I think you have also to cherish the process of creation a little bit. Even if your pictures don’t turn out like you wanted, you still learned something for sure.

DCW: You’ve mentioned you shot this series with a Nikon D80. Some people will read this and think, ‘My that’s an old camera.’ In what ways is the Nikon D80 still a relevant camera despite its age?

LL: I love my Nikon D80! I could have borrowed a much newer and expensive camera for this series, but why? I like the simplicity of the Nikon D80. I can photograph whatever I want with it. It has been my friend for more than 5 years and I have never had any problems with it.

Lenses are more important anyway. I used 50mm lenses to shoot this project.

DCW: Have any new Nikon cameras since made you think about upgrading?

Definitely. I like a the Nikon D7000 a lot. It would be in my case the most appropriate upgrade since I’m just a student and can´t afford the really expensive cameras. But the D7000 seems to have a really convincing price/performance ratio. I would also give up my Nikon D80 because of the video capability on the Nikon D7000. I could film the process of construction, which I can´t with the Nikon D80.

DCW: Can you tell me a little about your post-processing? Apart from removing nylon threads, what else did you have to do?

LL: I just boosted the contrast and used a process to make the pictures that show hands look more painted or wax-like. Apart from that, I did nothing else.

DCW: Where do you see your photography going from here?

LL: I experiment a lot. I don´t limit myself to one theme. In my Portfolio you can find portraits, landscapes, night secenes and photograms.
I am still also using analog Nikon cameras.

Shooting this series helped me develop an interest in graphic design. Photography is still my passion, but I would love to combine both in my own way and find my own graphic-picture language.

See More Amazing Pictures

21 Great Examples of HDR Photography

In Pictures: 31 Great Examples of Still Life Photography

In Pictures: 30 Great Examples of Motion Blur Photography

In Pictures: 31 Great Examples of Birds In Flight

In Pictures: 25 Great Examples of Painting With Light Photos

In Pictures: Baby Photography by Rachel Hulin