A Little Slice of Ubud
I have a lot to share from Bali.. what was a relatively small trip (in time… 6 days) was very large with experience. There were a couple of reasons for going… one was to take some photos of our fantastic friends Jimi & Teresa for their Bali addition to their ‘Pre-Wedding’ photos and the other was to attend the Wiki School Pedia workshop in Sanur. It was however for me also a chance to learn more about another culture.. an island full of very bubbly, happy and expressive people. With amazing architecture, traditions, food and diverse landscapes; it is not hard to see why I enjoyed it so much.
Whilst I knew about everything I would learn from the workshop and being there, I also set myself a personal goal.. a bit of a challenge. Something to help take me out of my comfort zone.. and this is getting up close and shooting people. I have always admired those who can (regardless of where they are) get in there and take the shot.. capture what they see. Myself.. I have not always worked that way. I like personal space, I believe in boundaries and can be (at times) overly polite. I am happy to say that I did challenge myself.. and it is the first step into achieving an attitude I definitely want. The resulting photos will take a little bit of time to get onto the site (a few other pressing things to get done first).
But to start I will share one image.. from Ubud which is north of the main ‘touristy’ parts of Bali. Ubud itself is quite busy with tourists and shops.. but there was a still a very relaxed and ‘real’ feel to the area. I snapped this shot whilst waiting for a lift after dinner one night. It was a chance.. I didnt get to review.. I took a bunch of shots from my hip and checked them out back at the hotel. Whilst we were waiting for the lift.. many people pulled up on their bikes, grabbed a bite.. chatted with their friends and moved on.. it gave a real sense of community as the people in the food store interacted with those that rode past, stopped by and moved on.
I look forward to sharing again soon. Now back to work.
Hi Jack,
This is a wonderful shot indeed. Do you shoot with a really long lens?
It’s difficult getting up in people’s faces to take portrait shots in street photography and I’m wondering how abouts you do it without people showing you an angry face. Any tips?
Thanks Mark 🙂
This is a 35mm @ 1.4 .. so no not long at all. I shot this from my hip and approximately knew where the focus point was going to hit in the frame. Your question partly relates to the challenge I set myself for Bali.. getting up and close to people… asking for a portrait or simply getting the shot I want. It takes a lot of courage to build it up, I am not there yet but I will get there.
For the most part however people wont react, if they do it will be to ask you to delete the photo (which you can always do.. otherwise shortly after they forget and move on with their life).
Hi Jack!
Thanks for the reply! Looks like you’ve got the same reservations as I do when it comes to street photography hahahah.
I recently bought myself an Olympus OM-D with the kit lens and also a prime 45 mm 1.8. I love shooting with the 45 mm but damn, I have to get pretty close up to get the shots I want. The OM-D has a nice flip EVF so I can tilt it down to waist level when I’m shooting, so it looks like I’m checking my camera but I’m really taking the shot 🙂
I noticed some other tricks on YouTube where some photographers would spot their target, then point their camera 45 deg off target at a wall or something, to throw off the subject’s suspiciousness, then quickly redirect back for the shot. I haven’t dared to try that sorta thing yet especially with girls. They would surely think I’m a perv.
Mark
I think at the end of the day.. not much bad can happen. At worst you delete a photo. Just have to drop those personal thoughts and get the shot.