Flight

The picture is so simple but also dynamic and eye-catching. Let’s imagine if this photograph were taken from the same background and setting, but the person was walking or standing. Would it be as unique as the picture above? No. Humans tend to seek attention towards dynamic and action photographs. We must understand that an exceptional scene may be a day experience for some people. This can be seen in the picture because of the attentive look and facial expressions the students in the midground have toward the student jumping. The photo has a monochrome that gives a vintage vibe back to the candid photograph era, letting audiences focus on the people and imagine what they may have looked like with colors. Also, the monochrome and bland background makes the overall setting unurbanized, mostly with trees, cloudy sky, and factory buildings. Equally, the floor looks like what we commonly see in everyday life. Still, if you pay close attention, we can see the bulky texture and repetitional pattern the floor has, showing complexity within simplicity. Shifting views to the jumper, the picture was taken instantly when the student took flight from the ground, showing the decisive movement incorporated within the photo. The perfect arch on the back, elegant arms and body posture, and prominent and dominant face show ideal harmony and synchronization. The picture was taken from eye level to capture the power and dominance of the student. I also used cropping techniques such as changing the photograph’s tone to be more dramatic, making the monochrome reflect vibes from the candid photograph era, and the value and contrast between the student and background to make the picture appear full of dominance.
Next time, I could’ve done better by incorporating more abstract elements within the frames, such as some running and about to disappear from the scene, which requires more decisiveness and vision. Also, I should’ve explored this scene from many angles, not only from the side. If I had taken this from the front or back angle of the jumper, I could better capture the student’s emotions, facial expressions, and actions and have a broader and unique background. Also, what would it be like if I didn’t crop the photograph monochrome? Would it make it more complex or unique? It may have better fit my intentions: Complex emotions and actions within a simple picture. Next time, I will experiment with monochrome and colored photographs to test what fits my statement of intent better.

Contact sheet: The photographs are shot in a calm and bland setting, focusing on an object or the person in the frame. I intended to shoot the purest form of everyday life, meaning I tried capturing people’s emotions, the nature (trees and grass), and the architecture (buildings and shops) in everyday life.

Street Photography

Yellow light: I realized that some of my photos were lucky shots that unintentionally had unique abstractions and themes. In other words, even though these lucky photographs have unique elements (shape, value, line, pattern, contrast, color)  and stories of their own, it does not fulfill my intention, which was to intentionally capture the “simplicity” but complex themes within a photograph.

Street Photography 1

Green light: I dived deeper by selecting pictures with excellent synchronization, harmony, and motion. In these photographs, I use the rule of thirds to keep my main subject in the center of the frame, and a bland and calm composition to represent “simplicity”. Most importantly, capturing the expressions and motions of people from daily life, such as walking, sitting, and exercising. I showed this by taking close-up pictures showing the textures, shapes, and colors of the people.

Street Photography 3

Red light: The pictures are all monochrome to let the viewers imagine the original subject’s colors and think about what is beyond the scenes. The pictures are simple, as they are things like walking, exercising, eating, and sitting, which can be seen in our daily lives. Still, the deeper anatomy and complexity come when focusing on the people’s expressions and motions within the frame. The photographs required great decisiveness as the people were in motion. The pictures are taken from eye level or at a down angle to capture the power and dominance of people. The photographs are close-up shots of people in action to capture their emotions and facial expressions of daily life.

Street Photography 4

The title of this project will be “Simplicity.” I want to go back to the Candid photography era, capturing the unurbanized streets and towns and shooting the busy actions of the people on their way to work. Today, internet technology overwhelms people’s positions and roles in society. As a humanity, we continue to lose our identity and question our capabilities. So, I want my photographs to be a time machine for people to return to when there was no technology or artificial intelligence, just simply human power and dominance. I want them to realize we wouldn’t have the modernized society we imagined long ago without humanity. My idea is straightforward, as I’m trying to capture abstract motions of people and objects within a frame. But my true intent is to find uniqueness and complexity within such a simple abstract, capturing a shot with precise organization and perfect harmony of the people’s gestures and emotions. In my photographs, I will use natural and calm compositions, reflecting the unurbanized society in the 1900s. I will take close-up shots of people walking to capture emotions and facial expressions, and make people think about what may be beyond the frame. The photography will be monochrome, letting audiences focus on the people and imagine what they may have looked like with colors. I will be taking photographs from eye level or a down angle to capture the power and dominance of people.

Most importantly, I have to be decisive; My vision of a scene is a first priority, and permission comes second. I will effectively use the rule to spotlight the people. I will be using cropping to change the tones and values of the photograph, making the picture look abstract but straightforward.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGl7Si9HLU/1ibH6ilwaFVRYjcxz41qTw/edit?utm_content=DAGl7Si9HLU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

1. The decisive movement refers to the instant capture of a significant action of many elements in a frame. The photographer must be able to anticipate the perfect timing to shoot the motions and expressions of everyday life in the frame. Movement, composition, light, and subject should be synchronized or flowing in motion.
2. Working the scene refers to the photographer having a curious vision of capturing a scene with purpose rather than a quick snapshot without potential. The photographer explores a scene by observing, experimenting, and thinking critically about what they want in the frame. The photographer must be patient to find the perfect composition, movements, and interactions within that scene.
3.  Focus on the background refers to focusing on landscapes, forests, and buildings, and capturing the photograph’s overall scene. Focusing on the background adds context, mood, and elements to the scene, helping the audience to understand the themes and primary subjects within the frames.
4. Balance and harmony is the control of the visual elements and emotional equilibrium to make the photograph more harmonious and aesthetically appealing. The photographer experiments with shapes, tones, colors, and textures to create a sense of order, stability, flow, and a unique mood.
5. Composition refers to the artist’s decision of how they want the subjects to be positioned in the frame using the rule of thirds. Composition is the aesthetic and harmonious elements of a photograph. The composition gives audiences a picture or idea of what comes to mind when first looking at the photograph.
6. Perspectives refer to the spatial relationship between objects within a scene, whereas angles refer to the position and level at which the photograph is taken. Different perspectives change the aesthetic and majesty of the objects, and other angles cause a shift in emphasis and view.

The street photographer I am influenced by is Henri Cartier-Bresson. Henri comes from the candid time of photography, making himself a candid photographer. Henri explores many photography styles, like portraiture, landscape, and street photography. Henri’s photographs were great at making “decisive movements” in pictures, where he focused on shooting the precise instant with precise organization and perfect harmony, showing his candid photography style. He focuses on monochrome in his photographs, fully trying to engage his audience with the objects and settings, not bothering the audience’s vision with the colors. The composition in his photographs is calm and peaceful, taking natural settings like forest trees or a couch. But in the photograph “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare,” he tries to capture dynamic motions, like the perfect timing of an object and a person about to move out of a frame, bringing out themes like rapidity and intensity. When taking photographs of natural objects and settings, Henri uses close-angle lenses to focus on small details like the textures, feelings, and emotions the photograph brings to mind. As his photographs are monochrome, he needs to capture all the small details for the audience to imagine the real scene. When capturing abstract and instant scenes, Henri uses the wide-angle lens to capture all the motions in the frame, then crops his photographs to make the frames and composition more precise and focused. Even though the photographs are monochrome, Henri effectively uses shadows, streets, and walls to contrast grey, white, and black. Henri believed that using the rule of thirds in his photos was crucial for a photograph to capture good composition, decisive moments, and emotions. Henri makes the midground and background bland while capturing the emotion and movement of the object in the foreground. In his photographs, audiences can indicate that Henri is standing up because the frame of the photographs is the eye level of a person standing up, or sometimes a frame that is looking down to capture a person sitting on a bench. Henri’s theory of capturing decisive movements and many elements inspired me. I want to take street photographs with precise organization and perfect harmony, simultaneously capturing simplicity and clarity with a unique composition.

In his photograph “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare,” Henri Cartier-Bresson connects several simple elements to form a complex, abstract, and unique shot. The person and the shadow about to disappear from the frame, and the splash in the pond becoming vague, show Henri-Cartier-Bresson’s decisiveness as it shows his instant capture of precise organization and perfect harmony. The background includes fences, houses, a chimney, and mountain landscapes, which are typically viewed as appealing and straightforward in our daily lives. The houses, fence, and person create shadows that contrast and pattern since they are reflections. The composition is calm and peaceful. The emotions and facial expressions of people are not described, but the hasty motions of the person show themes like busyness and rapidness. We can tell the person is in a rush because he is in a blur of motion. Also in contrast, the person behind the fences is in walking motion, representing themes like calm and slow. The fences, ladder, mountain landscapes, and the person running make abstract shapes. The picture is monochrome to capture all the small details for the audience to imagine the real scene and think about what is beyond the frame. The photograph was taken from a wide-angle lens to capture the dynamic motions and abstract details, then cropped by using the rule of thirds to use the midground and background as bland and focus on the main subject (the person and the splash in the pond). The photograph was taken from the eye level of the person running, to give a perspective of what it would look like for someone to witness this instant scene in daily life.

Salomon, Simone. “Henri Cartier Bresson.” FOTO ARSENAL WIEN, 2025, www.fotoarsenalwien.at/en/exhibition/henri-cartier-bresson-en. Accessed 30 May 2025.

Friends: The theme I explore in this photograph is that ISB children are willing to accept friends from diverse backgrounds and cultures and be friends with them. The composition in the picture is calm and peaceful, exploring the typical friend groups in elementary school. I used a close-up angle to capture the emotions and facial expressions of the children. I used the rule of thirds to keep the children in the center of the frame rather than overwhelming them with a vivid or eye-catching background. As the children were unaware that I was taking a photograph, they focused on playing; it is an excellent example of candid photography. The picture intends to show that friend groups are crucial because they let children find their new selves, identity, and uniqueness. Children gather and form into friend groups where they feel included. These groups have unique styles, norms, and leaders. In the photograph below, we can see how the children are listening and looking at the leader of their group. The photo required decisive movements, as I found it interesting at the moment how the leader (girl standing up) in the group faces one direction while all others face the opposite direction, showing the power and dominance of the leader. I incorporated architecture and buildings in the photograph. The pillars of the bridge above cause shade over the children, contrasting with the sunlight in the background. This contrast of the shadow and sunlight shows different values and tones. In theatre, the lighting will flash on the main subject to show it is essential. However, the photograph uses reverse lighting, where the shadow beams on the children rather than sunlight, showing everyday life.

Exercise: This simple image seeks a more profound meaning: daily routine is essential for health and joy. COVID-19 has made us so virtual, forgetting the importance of active and healthy living. We must get off our phones. This photograph reminds us that although exercise may take effort and time, everyone must exercise daily to keep themselves motivated and confident. The photograph required decisiveness since the picture captures students running in motion. The photograph is very abstract but synchronized, as the students look like they are running at the same pace and pattern. The picture was taken close-up while standing up, mainly focusing on one of the runners. The photograph was also taken after the student was aware that I was taking the picture, meaning the student’s smiles and gestures ” v ” were for the intention of the photograph, not his daily life, showing that this is a posed photograph. The background is vibrant with green trees, a blue sky, and a blue track that gives positive feelings. The image’s background is mainly conveyed with vividness but blandness because I intend to capture the student’s full emotions and facial expression, not bothering with the background. Looking at all the runners, they have a shadow in front of them. No matter how fast we run, we cannot be in front of a shadow. This might symbolize how we, as a society, daily chase a better self by continuing to apply ourselves to once-impossible challenges, such as post-COVID-19 virtuality and routine changes.

The life of a firefighter: The photograph was taken during the fire drill, which is usually full of panic and noise, but the facial expressions of the firefighters are calm. The firefighters risk their lives to save our lives at any moment and any second. People like us don’t dare to take these risks because of fear and worry. However, these firefighters take this risk as a chance, always alert to save at least one more life daily. For some people, being an upstander takes courage. Still, firefighters always fight for people’s lives in their everyday lives, showing that being an upstander for others may be an everyday occurrence for someone. In the photograph, the background is full of vividity, with primary colors like green grasses, yellow buildings, and red firetruck, while the firefighters are wearing navy blue clothes, showing distinctive contrast with the background. The oxymoron of the calm and peaceful composition of the background contrasting with the dominant and strong gestures of the firefighters shows the audience that the focus of the photograph is on the firefighters. The photograph is candid, where firefighters prepare for the fire drills. The picture is abstract, as it tries to capture the eager emotions of the firefighters and the rapid preparation of equipment from a close-up shot. Also, the angle of the photograph is leveling up to highlight the dominance of the firefighters, reflecting on our portraiture unit.

Street photography is when the artist develops a vision, curiosity, and imagination, freely expresses creativity, and works the scene by taking street photographs with intention and purpose. The key to street photography is decisiveness and the ability to capture emotion, humanity, and soul. The photographer’s boldness is key when taking street photography since street photography can be doubtful and have mistakes like weird, ugly, or strange. Street photography is the study of capturing unmediated chance encounters and random incidents, letting the photographer experience skills like movement, rule of thirds, perspective and angles, triangles, balance, and harmony. The photographer can also specifically work on the 8 visual elements of art: color, texture, shape, pattern, and focus. A key tip when taking street photography is to be ready and take any shots that you find interesting. Elliot Erwit stated, “You can find pictures anywhere, you just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity.” So, don’t be afraid of what the other people would think of the photograph, ask for permission later, and always put your artistic vision, curiosity, and imagination primarily when taking street photography.