The intent of my photographs were to capture the people of China amidst a world of light and shadows. Through street photography, I wanted to capture how humans interacted with the sun in various ways.

In my first photograph, the singular subject of the photograph is dressed fully in white, standing out among the trees and the blue tennis court. Even though the trees and the grass are all green, the sun creates different shades among them, making the entire picture look alive, and in extension the tennis player as well. The lines of the pitch also frame the player, creating a shot that highlights the way people interact with sunlight.

In my second photograph, I achieved the effect using the street photography technique of fishing. I noticed the shadows on the road, which showed the leaves of the tree in detail while casting a golden glow. I realized that a lot of people were enjoying the sun outside, so I waited until someone biked by. Although it is blurry, the way that the sun shines on the man’s face provides a meaningful message.

In my third photograph, the subjects take up only a small part of the top half of the photo, but the leading lines of the stepping stones are able to direct the viewer’s attention to the children who are playing. The water fountain also aligns with the spirit of the children because they both seem energetic and free.

To develop ideas for this project, we travelled to Shine Hills for our first street photography trip, where I learned more about how to use street photography techniques to my advantage. As a shy person, I was worried about other people getting mad at me for taking photos of them or their children, but I think that as I was outside for longer, I became braver. I also found the fishing technique to be really helpful because I was able to study light and shadows to find the right framing, and then just sit there until someone came by.

Red Photos

Yellow Photos

As I regularly employed the ‘fishing’ technique, there were many repetitive shots or shots that didn’t work out. Therefore, I picked them out from the green selection.

Red Photos

When choosing my final red photos, I focused on photography that not only worked well, but also told a story.

The general concept that I would like to capture with my street photography is the people of China. I want to capture what people of China look like, of all ages, and what they do in a day to day life.

The title of this project is Lights and Shadows in Beijing. The story that I want to tell with my photographs is one of how humans interact with the environment, specifically the sun, and how the sun creates light and shadows over a scene. I think that the way sunlight shines through a tree or casts shapes on buildings is very poetic, and I really appreciate the way that it is beautiful but untouchable, and that they are the way they are on their own accord. I want my audience to feel the same way, and feel that they are connected to the photographs because we are all connected to the sun. My intent is to capture human emotions under the sun. Harry Gruyaert is one of my inspirations because of the way he uses light in his photography. His manipulation of shadows and light paints a powerful image.

For my mood board, I focused on the general idea of sunlight.

I updated my mind map to include new concepts, and I added some more research because we are not going to the Hutong area anymore.

The six techniques that I chose to focus on for more project were fishing, the decisive moment, get really close, composition rule of thirds, concentrate on framing, and focus on the background.

Concentrate on Framing

I found this technique to be very helpful as it focused on framing the subjects of the picture in a way that was interesting. For example, I think the first picture could be interpreted very differently if the person’s head had not been in the very left of the frame. The overall photo would have appeared to be very empty, and the two girls would have been to distant from the camera to achieve any effect. However, with the concentration of the framing, I was able to move the camera so that the head of this person would appear in the frame. Also, the head is positioned in a way like the person is thinking and admiring the art, which aligns with the overall message of the photo.

Fishing

To try fishing, I placed my camera in front of the coffee station and took several pictures while other people took their orders.

Some of the photos were not that successful, like the one above, where his face was covered too much by the cups and it wasn’t very clear what he was doing. But I continued to put my camera in the same location, and in the next order, I was able to get two good photos. In the first one, on the top left, his whole face is visible as he talks to the cashier, and in the second photo, on the right, it’s very clear that he is pouring the milk. These were successful examples of fishing, as the opportunities came because I waited in one location.

The Decisive Moment

I took this picture when Evelyn was trying to run by. I think it added value to a picture that was otherwise very empty, as seen on the right. It is a decisive moment because Evelyn ran by very quickly and it would have been easy to miss. I think that the effect of her running across also makes the picture seem livelier.

Get Really Close

By getting really close to this worker, the audience feels more intimately connected with the day-to-day tasks that she has to perform. I realize that getting really close to the subject can help the audience feel more connected to the person, and I wonder what kind of effect it would have if the facial expressions could be seen as well.

Composition of the Rule of Thirds

The picture was taken with composition in mind. The worker takes up just 1/3 of the top of the frame, and there are three trees that also emphasize the rule of thirds. I think that the composition really helped to show the surrounding environment, and the shadows of the trees is also aesthetically pleasing.

Focus on the Background

For these photos, I focused on the background of the photos. Especially in the first one, I specifically tried to frame the photo so the firefighter truck would be in the back. This helped establish the context of the photograph, and the size of the truck versus the person created a comparison that showed the importance of first-responders.

Harry Gruyaert is a Belgian photographer known for his innovative use of color, both with film and digital photography. In street photography, Gruyaert specifically considers the formal element of shape, and how it responds with light, so his photographs consider the background as much as the people. His photographs are an exploration of how people and objects interact in day to day life.

Gruyaert’s work was influenced by his dream to become a film director, and he studied at the School for Film and Photography in Brussels. Due to this, there is strong evidence of cinematography in his photos. Gruyaert was also influenced by his travels to Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the United States, where the vibrant colors and dynamics of the locations appealed to him.

Photo Study

There is an extremely powerful use of color and light in this photograph. The primary colors of yellow, red, and blue feature prominently, and the gray of the road supports the photo with balance. The lighting of the photo places emphasis on the two subjects in an otherwise empty street, and the sunlight provides different shades of color to make the photo look more full. The sparsely populated photograph creates a serene and quiet atmosphere. The slight angle down of the photograph from a point of elevation provides a viewpoint that does not feel intrusive or disruptive of the scene, and the wide-angle seriously considers not only the people in the photo but also the surroundings which they are in.

My favorite aspect of this photograph is how light is used. Although much of the photo is dark, the streaks of light that come through between the buildings seem to provide the street with warmth. I like how they paint interesting shapes, and it is something I would like to focus on in my pieces. In my street photography, I would like to focus on the lights and shadows when taking pictures, and how the subject interacts with it. I think that the way the street photography tells a story is through light.

Works Cited

Street photography is unplanned and natural, and in some cases inspired by the spur of the moment. It comes from being acutely aware of the surroundings, and observing how individuals interact with the environment. Street photography occurs in public spaces, and features strangers as subjects. It involves the photography of daily life and sometimes mundane processes, but the secret to street photography is finding ‘gems’ in between everyday life.