Street Photo of the Week #50

Posted: May 25, 2012 by Lorena in Street Photo of the Week
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Photojournalist Robert Capa once famously declared “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough,” and for many street photographers, the same principle applies. No doubt that getting close takes an extra dose of courage and confidence on the photographer’s part (a great example of this fearless approach here) but it’s a risk one should be willing to take to bring us, the viewers, closer to the subject matter as well. Those are oftentimes the most powerful shots you can take.

Whether it’s getting closer to interesting strangers on the street or getting closer to other details around you that tell a story, it’s a challenge that photographers can overcome with enough on-the-street practice and – of course – guts. Getting closer also allows you to extend your limitations and develop your personal style or voice. After all, how many of us wouldn’t mind becoming a more fearless street photographer?

This week’s theme “Up Close” was meant to encourage just that and we got some interesting close-ups, which you can check out in our album right here. One of our favorites was the following by Sandra which utilized the close up to add a whole other dimension to the scene unfolding ahead of her:

By Sandra Arslanian

Besides being a well-composed shot with interesting details, the photograph speaks to viewers on different levels, especially right now with the current state of Lebanon where unity is much-needed.

Congrats to Sandra who’ll also be receiving a small gift from us to help her get just a little bit closer! (that’s a huge hint right there)

What did you think of this shot? Share your thoughts with us too!

Street Photo of the Week #49

Posted: May 19, 2012 by Lorena in Street Photo of the Week
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Doors can be quite a teaser for the photographer, especially when you can only catch but a small glimpse of what’s behind them. Additionally, doors create an interesting divide between inside and out, which can factor into the composition by adding more depth in the perspective of the shot. Depending on the side of the door you’re shooting from, you can tell a different story with your photograph. Are you peering into the door and showing us something going on inside the door we wouldn’t normally notice? That’s one approach and there are countless others.

For this week’s theme, photographers from our community shared doors in all forms and perspectives. While some zoomed in on the different aspects of the door itself to show us its details, others took a more narrative approach to what a door can represent both compositionally and in the abstract sense. Check out the full album for the “Doors” theme here.

One shot that stood out for us was the following by one of our international friends Fokko Muller:

By Fokko Muller

The contrast between inside and out really guides the viewer to explore the scene unfolding. The bright yellow color and the stenciled bicycles coming together at the door work really well in heightening the moment unfolding. What do you think the little child inside is thinking in there? It leaves the viewer wondering..

What do you think about this shot and what else caught your eye about it?

Street Photo of the Week #48

Posted: May 12, 2012 by Lorena in Street Photo of the Week
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What differentiates one photographer from an another is what they, themselves, bring to the table. It’s a combination of their way of seeing the world and the things that spark their interest that end up triggering them to click that button. We invariably see a lot of the photographer in their photographs and/or projects they pursue. That in and of itself transforms into the magical word called “style”. Have you ever looked at a photograph and knew through just that glance who the photographer behind it was? There you go.

“There are two people in every photograph: the photographer and the viewer” - Ansel Adams

Inspired by that underlying message and that quote (taken quite literally), we wanted to see how creatively photographers from our community could get “into” their photographs to reveal a side of their own personalities in a kind of self-portrait exercise. Check the full album here.

There were many amazing shots this week (one of the best themes of the week submissions so far!) and choosing just one was very difficult for us. The following by Marc Barkowski stood out for us because, in essence, it represents the street photographer and their way of looking at the world from outside-in:

By Marc Barkowski

The richness of details combined with the framing lends to multiple interpretations. Each time I look it at, I notice something new. Most interesting of all is that the photographer is framed but then serves as the bigger frame through which we see the inside of the room.

We should all aspire to find our own voice through photography and put ourselves in our shots so-to-speak because that’s the only way your work will really stand out among the countless others out there. We’ll leave you with that closing message and look forward to seeing the world through your lens (as corny as that may sound).

ZOOM-IN Panel Discussion: Exhibit “U”

Posted: May 11, 2012 by Lorena in Zoom-In Panel Discussions
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Following the dynamic and informative Zoom-In Panel Discussion “Copyright (or Wrong?)” about photographers’ rights and copyright laws in Lebanon led by our great panel of speakers, we’re excitedly preparing for our second panel discussion within this same series. This time it’s all about photography exhibitions and how YOU can showcase your work to a public!

Forget about Exhibit A, B, C, .. We want to focus on Exhibit U! Preparing for an exhibition is no easy feat, especially if you’re still new at it, so learn from various experts in the field about the different aspects to consider as well as upcoming trends to watch out for to make your work really stand out. This is your chance to find out the nitty-gritty about showing your photographs to the world and how you can improve the quality of your next exhibition.

Coming soon!

Just to give you a bit of a sneak peek about what to expect, the panel will involve speakers with the following backgrounds:

  • Exhibition Curator
  • Professional Printing and Framing Company
  • Exhibition Space / Gallery Representative
  • Art Critic (in Media)
  • Professional Photographer(s)
This panel will also be moderated by our very own Arek Dakessian – a talented photographer and active BSP member who’s also involved with us in planning this event.
Interested in being a speaker and sharing your knowledge with others – or – know someone who would fit any of the roles above? Then please contact us at info@beirutstreetphotographers.org before May 18, 2012. Speakers will have a chance to present individually for around 10-15 minutes about their area of expertise with helpful tips for the audience followed by an engaging, informal discussion and a Q&A session with the public.

More information coming soon!

Street Photo of the Week #47

Posted: May 5, 2012 by Lorena in Street Photo of the Week
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Two weeks ago (April 19th) was World Laundry Day, a day to remind people to turn off their dryers and air-dry their laundry outside for the sake of conserving energy. Luckily for this week’s theme, Lebanese people tend to do this on a daily basis, granted there’s no rain. On particularly sunny days, little neighborhoods, like Bourj Hammoud, are decorated with laundry coming in from every which way.

You’d be surprised with the things people hang outside for the entire world to see and the sometimes random things they hang out there that is an even bigger mystery (like plastic bags). Check out what we’re talking about here with this week’s assorted collection for the “Laundry” theme.

This week’s theme got everyone airing out their laundry for us to see so-to-speak and we had some very interesting entries showing a relatively mundane topic (laundry) in very creative ways. We’re positive some people are seeing laundry in a whole different light after this week.

One shot that really stood out from the rest was the following by Emilie taken from below:

By Emilie Houwat

A combination of the angle, use of black-and-white to keep focus on the main subjects (and not the red socks, for example) and the smiling man gives this shot a serene, timelessness. It’s lovely to look at and the laundry decorates the sky as white clouds would. Great job Emilie!

What are you’re thoughts about what makes this shot work so well? Share with us here!

Street Photo of the Week #46

Posted: April 29, 2012 by Lorena in Street Photo of the Week
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For this week’s “Humor” theme, we enjoyed the funny candid captures by the BSP community. The most successful ones shared a common approach: creative overlaps of elements to yield very unexpected and amusing results. Accidental, I think not!

The photographer’s sense of humor is very evident in the photographs. You can learn a lot about a person through their sense of humor and for photographers, it is strongly reflected in their photographs whether they chose to go for in-your-face funny, ironic or more subtle with a catchy title.

Although we each have our own sense of humor, some of the shots were clear crowd favorites. It was a tough choice! You can view the full album here for this week’s theme.

We chose the following shot by Rima Hage because beyond the obvious humor and irony in this shot, her timing was spot-on. You certainly don’t see a shot like this every day!

By Rima Hage

Even though technically, there is room for improvement, this shot works for the theme and delivers what it’s intended to: a laugh (or a chuckle at the very least). Good catch Rima!

* Check out some great examples of humor in street photography on Eric Kim’s blog here *

From Good to Better

Posted: April 25, 2012 by Lorena in Beirut Street Photographers
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Want to improve your street photography skills and benefit from some helpful feedback from members of the growing Beirut Street Photographers (BSP) community? It’s very easy. All you need to do is send us 1 of your street photographs that you believe has room for improvement by email to:

photography@beirutstreetphotographers.org

Please include in the Subject Line of the email “From Good to Better” so we know what it’s for and mention whether you’d like to have your name listed with the photograph or kept anonymous as it will be posted on BSP’s Facebook wall for public feedback.

With the large number of talents in our community, we’re sure you’ll learn a thing or two about how to get the shot better next time.

It’s all about constructive feedback. For anyone interested in giving feedback about the photographs shared for review, we recommend you read this informative post on Pixiq with helpful suggestions on how to give a good photo critique. For example, instead of saying “I don’t like..”, explain why by saying “It would be better if..”.

First photograph for review has already been posted. Check our wall to see it and share your recommendations!

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