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Up Close and Individual

I saw the bag of oranges as I got off and just had to twist around and fire before the doors shut. Not sure why - but those oranges stood out so much in colour and how the man was cradling them like a baby.

Serendipity is my good friend.

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Gilles 3 years ago

My main problem, when I try to shoot some streets, is to catch an interesting look, so when I see 6 of them just in front of my eyes trough your picture... well I'm totally caught by action !

Richard Ford Thanks.. pure chance though. but then again a foreigner spinning around quickly like a ballet dancer and firing off then 2 feet away will evoke a reaction..

Ben Spurgeon Love this description, I'll need try this technique! Great moment you created and then captured. Funny that I didn't see the oranges until I read your comments.

Richard Ford With a 20mm lens. Even f 2.8 has massive dof. So set the lens to 2metres and just shoot from any and all angle. It is a lot of fun shooting with ultra wides...

I like 28mm too now - but for that you need to raise and look through the viewfinder...

Gilles Ok, I see now, funny ! effective and useful at the same time.

Zaahir Essa 3 years ago

cool. just had to twist around and fire? is that camera welded to you or something? :D

Richard Ford Yup. Never leave home without camera in hand, with lens cap off and film in the back.... the one time that you don't is the time that you will miss the shot of the century.

Zaahir Essa tell me about it. i dont have my own camera at the moment, but i left the one i was using at home...was driving along the beach when it started raining...and there i saw TWO rainbows, clear as hell, both stretching into the harbour....i just parked the car and sat there watching the opportunity fade in front of my eyes :P

Junying Shao 3 years ago

Crowded in bus, busy in work, a snapshot of the true life....

Richard Ford Yes - I was crowded in there too before I shot! :-s

Reggy 3 years ago

Wow, amazing how you could make a picture in that crowd !!

Richard Ford Just use a wide angle lens and snap away...! ;-)

iraklis 3 years ago

Fantastic street shot and very telling of the mood during transit... bravo.

Richard Ford Thank you!

Alberto Peroni 3 years ago

A stunning capture, Richard! I am impressed!

Richard Ford Thanks Alberto!

Robert 3 years ago

Incredible! This inbetween all those people! The story is genious! Every face a different one! There views! A picture when you look at it you will find all time new storys.

Robert

Richard Ford True.... I think I will print this large and hang it... just so I can try and look more into it as time goes on...

I want to do a shot like this now - but with even more people... may need a different setting and something wider still than 20mm to pull it off..... hmm... fisheye.....

Robert Fisheyey! Maybe works but not from a close distance. The distortion to much i think. But with a normal 10mm it will work!

Robert

Song Yao 3 years ago

Great picture Richard. Brings a quote to mind:

Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure. ~Tony Benn

I love all the eye contact. For me this really makes the picture.

Richard Ford Thanks Song (or is it Yao - do you use Chinese or western order online?),

I took a few that day like this. Despite this one having the most pleasing composition - those eyes just add that little bit of bite to the scene that I think is needed - otherwise it would be quite dull..... I must give a lot of credit to the chick on the far right - her condescension is palpable!

Song Yao Western. Never been to China (though I want to rectify that in the future). I'm an Aussie expat (from Melbourne) whose been in the UK for the past 7 years.

I've noticed you use TMax-400. I mainly use HP5plus for street. How do you think the two compare?

Richard Ford I think that the HP5 and Tri-X are very similar. So I would say that HP5 vs TMAX 400 is the same... the HP5 is less contrasty, has more middle tones and the round grain structure. The TMAX - is more contrasty and has those new square grains. The main reason I use it is because of the new grain structure - it scans a lot better IMHO. Though I do prefer the natural look of TRI-X/HP5 more. But since I am digital dark room - the TMAX is a much better choice for me.

Song Yao Interesting about the grain structure - I may have to give it a go. Cheers Richard.

Ulrik Hasemann 3 years ago

It's a wonderful photo!
And the almost symmetrical positioning with the orange man in the middle is really interesting.

Richard Ford Thanks Ulrik. As I mentioned above I only shot because the oranges caught my eye at the last second as I stepped out of the carriage. And as I mentioned below the whole shot was a complete surprise and hidden reward that I only knew I had after I developed. After all - who remembers a shot of oranges! ;-)

KoPi 3 years ago

excellent Richard. the (e)motionlesness combined with the composition - the two front people... then the eye goes to Mr. orange and finallythe girls on either side are the bonus - makes for a great shot. subwayshots are often used in street photography, but many are just too random (or the results look too random). this is a good example of what it looks like when you get it right.

Richard Ford For me the strongest elements are the lady on the right with that look of almost contempt and the two girls on the left - the guarded stance of the elder one and the complete lack of attention and quite sad expression of the younger one.

The somewhat emotionless couple in the front really just link it together and they only manage to do that because of the distortion that comes from a 20mm lens being put inches away from their faces.

Then we have Mr Mandarin in the background. He was the street feeler that pulled me into this - but he knew he just had to step back, clutch his fruit like an old lady would her lottery tickets and just go with the flow around him.

Ulrik Hasemann This is a great description!
But I think it's a set-up ;-)

Codrin Lupei 3 years ago

Excellent image, Richard, loved it in screening, a story with many stories captured inside! Great work! Keep it up!
all the best
Codrin

Richard Ford Thanks Codrin.

Serban Mestecaneanu 3 years ago

Richard, this is a gem! all characters in this images are like put by a divine hand... really like it, thank you for feeling the urge to shot it :-) Interesting that the oranges 'called' you to shot it, although 'they' knew 'they' will not come out but in B&W - the irony of the fruits!

Richard Ford Needing an urge to shoot is not something that I am without often. I have very little in the way of embarrassment or shyness and I'm a pretty stubborn and determined person too...that and the more I shoot - the more the stress of work life melts away.

But yes those darling little citrus harlots, hanging around in a subway station, flashing their colour and subtly trying to make everyone take notice with fleshy temptation.... they were just begging for a dose of de saturation and tonal execution!

Laurent Roch 3 years ago

Nice atmosphere ! Well done !

Richard Ford Thanks Laurent, appreciated.

Kevin Ng 3 years ago

When I saw this in screening I really wasn't sure what to think - kept going back till it was no longer in screening. Looking at it more and more, I'm starting to see a story here - I like that - serendipity is your friend indeed, as it is for all photogs - good job!

Richard Ford For sure the more you look the more it has elements to it. I like that each person is holding something. A little sister, a gaze, a bag of oranges, a gaze and some folders. Each person is in the same place at the same time - but have no other connection or relationship - until my big mug showed up on the scene. ;-)

ESPhotography 3 years ago

I love this shot, great to see it published.

Richard Ford Thanks - it was a nice surprise after developing as I did not really think too much about it when shot or even remembered that I had shot it.

Codrin Lupei, Robert, Glen Ballis and 13 more people added this to favorites

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