Bus Stop
Smoking grandfather, Shanghai, 2006.
Rolleicord Vb twin lens reflex camera, Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white film.
I've been fascinated by street photography for many years. I love the idea of capturing a part of life in a particular location at a particular time. But street photography can be very challenging. It isn't easy photographing strangers in the street and takes a certain amount of courage to point the camera at someone. Of course, you could try to do it stealthily with a long lens from a distance, but you don't get the interaction or connection that makes a good street photograph. The best street photographs (in my opinion) are those taken at close range. There doesn't have to be interaction with the subject. Sometimes it is simply capturing a special moment or an expression, but by being close to the subject, the viewer can often feel like they are in the scene together with the photographer.
The above photo was taken in 2006 with my 1960s Rollecord Vb TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) camera which takes 120 roll film. As you can see, the subject is well aware of my presence but appears to be unconcerned. Part of the reason I guess, is the fact that I am using a 60 year old camera in a digital age. There is less suspicion about my motives and even a fascination with the antique device I am pointing in his direction. I found this to be the case with most of my street portraits taken with these types of cameras and for this reason, they are for me, the perfect tool for such work. I previously wrote about a group of men waiting outside the railway station and we see the same, unconcerned looks on their faces too.
Of course, there are drawbacks, such as the cost of film these days as well as developing and scanning and the relatively long wait before being able to see the images. In a way though, that is also part of the attraction. But anyway, I hope you will agree, the result (at least in this case) is worth all the inconvenience.
Going back to this photo, what I like about it is something some people may miss at first glance, especially if viewing on a small smartphone screen - the man is actually holding a cigarette in his hand as well as the child, who appears to be staring at it. It’s also a timeless image, in the sense that it could have been taken last week, or twenty years ago. It was in fact taken in 2006, so 17 years ago.
So what do you think of the photo? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback and your thoughts on shooting digital vs film. And don’t forget, you can watch the video that goes with today’s post on my YouTube channel.