Here are the photos I took on the street photography trip:
The contact sheet below contains my “yellow” images selected from all the pictures taken on the street photography trip. These photos loosely connect to my inspiration, Sally Davies; however, they do not completely replicate her photography style. My main goal was to use the techniques mentioned in the previous post and capture China’s people.
The contact sheet below contains my “green” photos selected from the “yellow” sheet above. These photographs are more specific to aspects of life in China that I find very fitting to showcase to others. More specifically, I think these photos highlight the life and culture that one can and will see when going to Hutong, which I find are very important to Chinese and Beijing culture. For example, one can take tours on red bike carts throughout Hutong and the large elderly population throughout China.
Finally, my “red” images are included in the competition to select the best 12 photos to display outside the high school office. These images are the most exciting pictures I have taken and directly connect to the mission of highlighting China’s people and everyday life. While they do not directly relate to Sally Davies’s photography style, I found that the images that did connect to Davies’s photography were not as exciting or relevant to Beijing’s culture as the ones I have selected.
The first two images I selected (IMG_4669 and IMG_4774) depict an elderly figure interacting with a young child. The first of the photos (IMG_4669) was taken at the beginning of the trip when a child was using an exercise park next to 后海 Lake. I found this scene very interesting as the grandfather was holding the child with utmost care and profound love, which I think can be seen in the image through the caring look the grandpa has when looking at his grandchild. On the other hand, the grandchild is entirely unaware of the amount of love the grandfather has and is looking away. This juxtaposition of directions makes the image so interesting, as the audience’s gaze is focused on the child, but the grandfather’s gaze is solely on the child. Additionally, I like the framing in the image and the warm tone from the natural light that is brought to the idea. I think that the warm lighting supports the emotion in the grandfather’s gaze very well. This image highlights juxtaposing directions, decisive moments, and getting close.
IMG_4774 showcases a grandmother asking her granddaughter to take a photo of her and a statue of a child, placing a letter into a letterbox. I think this image shows the importance of Chinese history within China itself, as the figure shows when a significant event occurred for this postal store in the Hutongs. This historical highlight can be seen throughout China, with the bustling life in Hutongs and other culturally important areas, such as the Forbidden Palace and the Great Wall of China. This picture also depicts an interaction between a grandmother and a child, often seen throughout China because of the large elderly population and the large percentage of grandparents living with their children and grandchildren. This image focuses on the background and captures gestures.
My final photograph is IMG_4819, which depicts two men riding a bike cart throughout the hutongs. I like this image because I think it best captures the busy life that one has in Beijing. The people in the coaches are not super distinct. However, their excited look makes the image accurate to Beijing and life in China. I think that the upbeat mood of the image and the continuous flow of carts show the constant cycle of work that one experiences in China, and the glee of the two men highlights the many fun elements of living in Beijing. I chose to make this image black and white because the colours were not as necessary to get the point across, and when in colour, it was hard to make out the details of the two men and their excited expressions. I think that the framing, including the car and tuk-tuks behind the cart, also truthfully conveys the crowdedness of the city, which I believe to be closely linked to everyday life in China. This image uses working the scene, eye contact, fishing and capturing gestures.