Street Photography - hand in July 14th - digital only.

Judge: Matt Leamy
Medium: Digital only. Max number of images: 2 (Set and/or Open).

Restrictions: Digital only. Two images allowed to be submitted (Set and/or Open)

Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places And contrary to its name, street photography does not have to be done on the streets.
For inspiration, we recommend reading the 1st couple of paragraphs in the below link:
https://www.jamesmaherphotography.com/street_photography/what-is-street-photography/ (this link took ages to load, so go to main website and Books and Resources and scroll down. It is really informative

Open

Set Subject

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From Matt

Thank you for asking me to do this , it is always an honour to share what I can with club photographers. I found the images varied and interesting. Street photography is a good one, it can be seen in so many different ways. Within the few short words, I have endeavoured to explain how I saw the stories and validate the score each image received. A common issue showed itself with post production processing. Mostly I considered this less important in considering the score. I do appreciate that screens differ and am thankful that I have just calibrated my screen, however particularly in street photography, an over-processed, or indeed a flat under-processed image, is less than ideal

The image of the month was a close call, I've selected 'Phone Break". Congrats to Jaimee

Grade	Title	Rating	Critique
C GRADE - SET
C	Behind the windows	merit	The viewers imagination is invited in to the story. The composition creates a strong dynamic between the 2 characters . Had the character on the left not been partilly obscured across the face, this would have stronger.
C	Bridge	not accepted	The lown angle of the sunlight, reflections and leading lines are pleasing elements with potential to make a strong image. The story that is the centre of attention, is not sufficiently strong to hold the viewer’s interest. Avoiding distracting elements such as the vegetation (lower right) and using those positive elements to support the story would strengthen this image.
C	El 24 de marzo, Buenos Aires	merit	The composition works well with the character to the left looking in and the massive signs filling the space vertically. Colour pallette is bold, dominated by the red , which fits the scene well. In an image like this the viewer looks for stories in the faces and here the exprssion is not quite there. Capturing a "decisive moment" would make this really stand out.
C	Falun Gong Meditation	accepted	The bright fresh colour pallette is pleasing and the three characters create a dynamic visual triangle giving the makings of a strong composition. There are often distracting elements in street photography, working to place them in positions in the frame that are less attention grabbing is one of the skills. Here the story is lost among the secondary elements in the image.
C	Game anyone?	merit	The dynamic action and with the leading character make this image. Everyone else is disinterested but his position front and centre makes him the centre of the viewers attention. Because there is a limited colour palette our attention is drawn to the strong yellows and blues in the background, this image may work well in monochrome.
C	Herb & Olive	accepted	The complexity and contrast of shapes and textures are what draws the eye and rewards the viewer in to this image. To lift this image look for a way to exclude elements, such as the sky, that don’t add to the image. A lift in tonal contrast would bring more to the textural quality.
C	Just Wait	honours	The story, “just wait”, is told well. And there is a sense of pending action that is supported by the composition with the bold horizontal lines and the strong mash of colours. The billboard character is one focal point that adds to that narrative. To take this to the next level it needs another “centre of attention” story element to lift the interest and a lift in the tonal contrast.
C	this tram or next	accepted	The character of this street scene comes across well. There’s almost an architectural feel to the scene but the people and the bicycle ground us back into the street. More active street elements would have strengthened that aspect.
C GRADE - OPEN
C	Men At Work	not accepted	The monochrome works well for this image given that there is a lot of detail that makes it busy. Placed on the strong compositional third line, the characters under the bridge are the most interesting part of the story. Two things that dilute that story are the scale they occupy within the whole frame, and the light areas that draw our attention away from them and towards the supporting elements.
C	On The Road	not accepted	This depicts a scene that typifies the small NZ town with a main highway. A little imagination lets the viewer feel the rumble of the trucks rolling through. To create a compelling story the elements needed to be stronger and larger features in the frame. The composition needs to support the narrative using some of the many tools available to a photographer, for example; wide angle looking up to give dynamic angles.
B GRADE - SET
B	Autumn at its best	honours	This image portrays a real sense of joy. The two wee characters that are the centre of this story have good light in the faces despite being in full shade. A decisive moment was made with the visual 2-dimensional connection, the hand to hand to leg. That speaks to the connection between the three. The colour palette adds to the feeling of delight.
B	Bird man	merit	The close in perspective of this image makes the viewer feel part of the scene. The monochrome is a good choice which allows the shapes to dominate the composition. As the viewer I am drawn into the centre of action with the birds and then drawn to the face of the character. Had he been included in the frame it would have created a stronger visual dynamic between himself and the birds.
B	Dads Park Paint Job	accepted	The connection between Dad and daughter is the real story in this delightful image. The tight crop and soft background keep us fully focused on the story. Two things that held this image back from being lifted it to the next level are that the focus has slightly missed the subjects and the cloning artifacts above dad’s hat; once seen cannot be unseen.
B	friends in the rain	merit	The sense of rain and gloom is tangible. The composition works well with the characters framed by the pagoda, the monochrome keeping us focused on the shapes, and the smudges adding to the narrative. Had the depth of field been just shallow enough to soften the background, the characters would have been more defined, strengthening the story.
B	Kids having fun	honours	The charm and delight come across well. The subject is nicely isolated in the frame with the shallow depth of field and with no background distractions yet there are still enough background elements to give us context. The composition keeps us focused in on the smile, which is the story.
B	Love	merit	Unquestioning love is indeed reflected in the expression on the collie’s face. Having two elements for the viewer to focus on, the woman’s face and the collies’ eyes, create a dynamic that builds the story. The light versus darker areas in the image help to keep us in that story. A minor point is that a shallower depth of field would have added to that.
B	Phone break	honours	The simplicity of this image just adds to its strength. There are stories that can be attached to this, all strengthened by the elements the photographer has worked with. For me, the muted almost two-tone colour palette speaks of a starkness, the scale the woman is in the frame suggests an insignificance, bars on the window and a darkened entranceway build a mood, the centreline splitting the image in two creates a feeling of separate, yet connected. A well-constructed image.
B	Straight down the barrel - Street spice trader	merit	The light on the subject works well. The background gives us enough information to support the story without overwhelming it with detail. The bearded character with that striking flat cap, is magnificent. The direct challenging glare is just a little discomfiting; I do hope that the subject was happy to be photographed.
B	The crossing	merit	Street photography is a broad genre that can work on a number of different levels. Finding connections between seemingly unconnected elements can create a visual interest that draws the viewer, who sees it, into the image. Here we have two unconnected people. The image lacks interest until you see that they are possibly looking at the same thing, there is a bold shadow line from one to the other, they are both highlighted with rim lighting, and they are both on strong compositional lines. The visual and the imagined connection becomes tangible.
B	Yes please!	accepted	This has the makings of a strong street image. The monochrome treatment harmonises the tones and textures in what could have been a busy image. The background wall of bread sets the scene and there are potentially multiple points of interest. The element that is needed to keep the viewers interest engaged, is more of a connection between the characters.
B GRADE - OPEN
B	Blue Ribbon or Blue Ruin...	honours	The composition has been carefully thought through and it takes skill to light so many reflective surfaces without creating distracting reflections. The strength of this image is that it has illustrated the concept reflected by the title, “Blue ribbon or blue ruin” very well.
B	Love Birds	merit	These are beautiful birds caught in an expressive moment. The backlight shows them off well. The composition is very symmetrical which can be visually strong. It is here, however, that there is a slightly awkward balance of the elements. Had the two eyes been on the upper third, with a little more space below to give the frame more of a visual foundation, it would have been been more balanced.
B	Steve	not accepted	Steve looks like he/she is a real character. It is easy to photograph cats and get no expression from them. Here, the photographer has captured a bright lively look in the eyes creating interest. There are technical issues with what looks like heavy noise reduction suppressing detail and the crop is too tight giving Steve a boxed in feeling.
A GRADE - SET
A	Abseiling On The Street.	merit	This image has a pleasing aesthetic with a detailed subject isolated against a mid-toned sky with no detail. Every element adds to the story and the viewer can almost sense the tension as she lets herself over the edge. From the compositional perspective the bold straight lines, rectangles and triangle, make it a strong composition.
A	Airbourne	merit	A dynamic action photograph. The subject is well placed in the frame, being mostly above the horizon line, this adds to the sense of “airborne”. The background is sharply in focus, yet the photographer has isolated the subject effectively with strong light and contrast on the athlete relative to the background. Every element has an impact on the image, the square aspect ratio is one that suggest solidity and stability. Herethye square aspect ratio gets our subject filling the frame, but the dynamic action feel is perhaps not as strong.
A	Fire Spinner Renee	merit	Both Renee and the photographer are showing skill in this image. The shutter speed is well chosen for capturing the burning circle and yet our character is sharp. The background is relatively clear of detail which isolates her well, but it also gives us little information to give us context. The subject feels very tight within the edges of the frame, which gives the subject a cramped feeling.
A	Friday Shabbat	accepted	The lens choice and close proximity of our two subjects to the camera give the viewer a sense of being right there. The shop windows give us a sense of place and the clothes give a lot of information about who the subjects are. As a viewer I find myself looking for another element, a connection between the characters or a moment of action that tells us more.
A	Hitching A Ride	honours	There is so much story in this image. We can’t see the main character’s face but know exactly what is going on. And it’s easy to empathise with someone needing a ride with five dogs in tow. The shapes and placements of the main elements makes this a strong composition. I would suggest perhaps a monochrome treatment may have strengthened that aspect. The cherry on top for me, is the tyre marks leading from the roundabout to the character, almost willing someone to stop.
A	Lotto Kart	merit	The smile on the face could make a viewer think the man in blue is receiving some good news. The elements are all placed well to give us a strong story. The image of the older smiling character on the wall behind nicely adds to the narrative. I’d be reluctant to suggest a monochrome treatment as the riot of colour really adds to the flavour, however the image is busy and the bright areas in the foreground draw the attention.
A	Maintenance Lineman	accepted	A simple bold composition that works very well. The bright colours lead us directly to the subject, and we then have more to explore with the detail of what he is doing adding interest. The narrative is clear and with every element supporting the story. Keeping in mind screen variability, the tonal treatment looks a little unnatural and the colours a little oversaturated.
A	Please Hold the Line	merit	Good thing the top character has his safety backup! This image is so close to being a favourite for me. There are a number of elements that really add to the story, the bottom character looking up, the ladder creating a leading line, the confusion of wires holding the viewers eye in the frame, even the motor cyclist seemingly oblivious, suggests this is a normal scene for this place. The tonal correction: lightening the figures and darkening the sky can be seen, sometimes less processing is more.
A	racing passed street repairs	not accepted	The story here is potentially interesting, exploring the contrast between the gent on his mobility scooter and the complexity of what is going on right next to him. To work well the composition needed to highlight and focus the viewers attention on the gent. Given that we are working with a 2-dimensional medium, for a scene like this that can be quite difficult to achieve successfully.
A	Reaction	merit	This is an expressive photo. The audience is immersed in what is happening in front of them and the sense of delight is tangible. The light and the strong lower third positioning of the lead character with his big smile creates a focus point, with all of the other characters supporting the story. The dutch angle introduces an element of tension and anxiety, which, for me, is an element that is in contrast to the sense of delight.
A	Selfies	merit	The playful aspect of this image is quite engaging. The viewer’s eye is drawn from the characters to their reflections and back again and this creates interest. The building across the street adds context and helps to inform the viewer who has not visited the Len Lye centre. Had the second girl’s face been visible in the reflection the story would have been stronger.
A	Sheep Dog Trials	accepted	This story is all about the two farmers dragging the sheep. The more you look the more you see of their character. The composition leads the viewer into that story, but as there is space in the frame the tendency is to look for more elements to add to the story. The huntaway is solid and obedient, but doesn’t hold enough visual interest to create that balance.
A	Street Repairs	not accepted	Blues, oranges and yellows add to a bold bright colour palette. The patterns and lines formed by the surrounding building have the potential to create a good backdrop, including the angled roof line working as a leading line drawing us into the story. The story needed stronger interest elements to be more engaging.
A	The Debate	honours	These two gentlemen are clearly fully engaged in important discussions. The composition is strong, the figures are well placed in the frame and nicely framed by background elements. The natural colour tones and the generous amount of background gives a sense of place and time without being too busy or distracting.
A	The Entertainers	merit	One could perhaps be forgiven thinking that the empty glasses have helped to lubricate the vocal cords! The story is told well, the moment captured in full voice is well timed. Every element adds to the story, although the background is in full focus, and this adds to the business in the frame.
A	The Salesman	honours	The woman, centre left, looks unconvinced by the salesman's patter. The image holds a lot of interest in the characters as well as in the setting. This is a strong story told through the connection between the characters, the composition, colour palette and the action within the scene. The tonal range is just a little flat .
A	weekly shopping	not accepted	A scene very familiar in Kiwi life can still make an interesting story. The lead character is nicely framed against the bold blue ute. That blue and the reds add interest. To effectively achieve a story that holds the interest, we needed to see more expression of the character.
A GRADE - OPEN
A	Fungi & Lichen	honours	The fungal fruiting body makes for a strong image along with the fascinating form of the lichen. The light on the subject is excellent and the two-tone colour palette adds another strong compositional element. A bit more critical sharpness on the fungi istelf would have been even better.