Last night had been billed as ‘Urban Photography with a dash of Chiarascuro’, and so it proved. An oft-published author, Graeme was a wonderfully lively speaker, and he gave us a masterclass in the principles and practicalities of urban (or street) photography, with many examples exhibiting extreme contrast and great blocks of negative space.
He also encouraged us to think beyond individual images, and consider Projects. The more we work with a given theme, be it style or subject matter, the more we learn about it, and perhaps about ourselves.
And to embrace our failures. A handful of ‘keepers’ from an entire day out? What other pursuit has quite as high a failure rate as photography? And yet, every day is a school day, and every failure can become a learning success.
From comments overheard, this was all received as being accessible to everyone, and indeed inspirational to many. The tricky Italian word was even attempted a few times, and, whatever the pronounciation, the message was clear – expose for the highlights, and let the shadows go to black. (Or vice versa – more Italian).
Perhaps we’ll see more urban/ street in this style in our Facebook group, at Perth Photo Forum.
