Street photography is a difficult art. Anticipating and capturing fleeting scenes as they happen before you is an extreme mental exercise and can leave you exhausted. You strip away everything relying only on your intuition and a keen understanding of your camera – it is photography in its purest form.
You get close to the action and sometimes end up staring into the eyes of the very subject you are photographing. You have butterflies in your stomach and get an adrenaline rush – not knowing how someone would react when they see you and your camera very briefly. I am still learning about my camera and how to operate it without even looking at the controls. I however decided not to shoot a photograph without first composing it in my viewfinder. There is something very beautiful about a well composed street photograph that utilizes the entire frame and needs very little cropping. It is a challenge but one that is worth taking.
Street Photography
27
Aug 10
Butterflies in my stomach – Why I like Street Photography
17
Jul 10
The joy of point and shoot photography
Every few months I get into this mode where I cannot help but collect old film cameras. I usually start at Goodwill and make the usual tour of all the pawn shops around the city. So if one of you saw me going in and coming out of a pawn shop – it is not because I am broke, but just hunting for that gem of a find. For some reason the prices for cameras at the local Goodwill have been going up consistently – good for them though. Back to the original topic – so I found a Nikon L35 AF P&S camera about a month ago at Goodwill and I instantly discovered the joy of the snap shot. No more fiddling around with aperture or shutter speed. Just point, focus, and click. I was hooked.
I then started scouring the internet for other classic P&S cameras and came to know a lot about the legendary Olympus XA series of cameras. Many have expounded on the brilliant Japanese design here and here.
I got lucky and took a chance on an AS-IS sale on eBay and now I am a proud owner of both an Olympus XA and XA2 cameras. I put both cameras to the test not only to make sure that they were working, but also to check for light leaks etc. The Olympus XA2 is a P&S cameras in the truest sense. It is a Zone Focus camera and is fully automated. Here is a photograph from the Olympus XA2 first:
The Olympus XA is a range finder and gives you little bit more control and operates in the Aperture Priority mode. Here are some photographs from a test roll that I shot using the Olympus XA:
Film Used in Olympus XA test: Ilford HP5 Plus ISO400
Developer: Kodak HC110 Dilution H
Time: 11 Minutes
8
Jul 10
Celebrating Fourth of July in Highland, Indiana
Small towns have the best parades. It is something that everyone looks forward to and the entire town turns out to support the troops and the community. Highland, IN is one such community. We were visiting a good friend of ours and took advantage of the opportunity to see the Fourth of July parade. We were sitting opposite the setting sun so it was pretty darn hard to get good photos of the parade. It did however work very well for the photo above of a marching officer and his US flag against the sun.
The vintage car broke down threatening to hold up the parade. But some men jumped to the rescue and pushed the car along.
And finally yes that is me with a StarWars Stormtrooper. I found him hanging out with Darth Vader 
8
Jan 10
The bond we share
We all go through life making connections and building relationships. These relationships could be with other humans, animals, and even inanimate things. How many of us haven’t given a name to our car or talk about our electronic devices as if they were a person. This bond is especially strong between humans and animals. We humans depend on them for just about everything – food, clothing, even work.
The above photograph was captured in Downtown Indianapolis near Monument Circle. You will find many of these horse drawn carriages parked around the circle waiting for passengers. Sometimes you see a couple out on a romantic evening and at other times you see kids just enjoying the ride. The passengers change all the time, but the horse and the carriageman stay the same. They enjoy a special bond and you can see it in how they communicate and respond to each other. I took this photograph after walking around the circle a few times. I did not have any expectations as to what I wanted to photograph that day. But when I saw this scene playing out in front of me I knew I had something special.
See other interesting B&W work at The Weekend in Black and White Blog
30
Dec 09
Man and his dog in Central Park (NYC)
I love dogs, we have three of them (2 Jack Russell Terriers and a Dachshund). Our dogs always seem to know when we are happy, sad, or sick. They do not mind getting harassed by a hyperactive toddler or ignored when work and life gets in the way. They keep our feet warm while we type away on the computer or watching TV. The simple act of walking ones dog seems to melt ones worries away. To me it is a sacred ritual – one that strengthens the bond between a man/woman and his/her dog.
