I was looking forward to working with Keith Skelton for quite some time in the streets of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a big city with a lot of things happening. Keith chose a day with Chinese parade in the afternoon. In the evening, the plan was to go to Hollywood.
Street photography is more than just taking pictures of a place and its peoples. It is is about capturing the right moment along with the usual parameters that goes on to getting the right picture. What distinguishes between the good from the ordinary is the “eye”. What would look nice in a picture – a two dimensional frame. An ongoing debate on this topic – is that what the eye saw? I will share my view in another post.
The composition brings the feel and form that connects the viewer to the point the photographer has captured. Sometimes, this feeling is intuitive — coming in a blink. But, as the noted cognitive scientist Herb Simon and popular writer Malcolm Gladwell both reckon — such intuitive decision making ability comes to the trained eye in this case and not to the novice. It comes with practice. Spending few hours watching Keith Skelton go about doing his stuff gave me the opportunity to see this clearly.
Street photography is also about personality. So much about being in contact with people. And it is not so much being chatty and friendly. It is about making others comfortable, so people keep doing their own business. Shop owners keep looking for customers, and customers keep on with their transaction. The photographer is just a silent non intrusive entity who keeps watching. And when a prey-like subject appears or about to as in the case on the umbrella/hat store in Chinatown, he shoots it. Keith says – do not stalk. Well, I am not sure that I agree with that. If I am unobstrusive, undisclosed, and following all the laws, whats wrong. I observed how Keith handled the situations. In many ways, he was up there, when I was a bit slow, like the girls who dressed up like divas. Later, he was there with the tableau before others. He, for once, appeared like that obnoxious photographer who jumps on everything unless pushed back. But I got – that is what it takes. If I did not see him working like that I would have considered my time wasted. The other important learning was the camera to use. He was using the Nikon D300 which by no means is a slealth street camera. He also had a compact. During the event, when there were a million people with cameras, there was no issue in people being photographed. He used the D300 and it was slinging loud and clear. He did the same when he was in Hollywood later in the evening — when there were crowds and the place was touristy, he had the big camera. But then, where taking pictures can land someone in trouble, he was using the compact. This is an art that needs to be mastered. Just like anything else, practice is the key to mastery.
Once back from Hollywood at dark, I was dropped by a guy named Danny at the Westin. The Motion Pictures Reel awards were going on. I had a drink and walked out to the LA live where after a couple of strides, I ended up in Rock and Fish. Not so much of picture taking. It was a moment of reflection — what the day was, what were the moments of lost opportunity.
The day had began with Keith going through a book by Henri Cartier-Bresson in Amtrak station of LA. To perform and capture the “decisive moment”, there is much work and training of mind is required off-camera. This was what I was wondering. Street photography requires mastery of composition and speed to an extent that it comes second nature. With that thought, I was slowly setting my mind to Yosemite. In a few hours, I was about to take the bus with moments captured from my few hours spent in LA. Thanks Keith. Thanks to all you who were such a great company.
Just as nature changes its colors with seasons, the mood in the scultpure garden changes as well. It is skating time.