Composition and the Urban Life
You see the shot, you fill the frame and then…..
The location was packed, lots of people milling around – some talking, some eating taking time out from work. In the midst of this there were 2 people, not connected, sitting separately from each other. The crowds melt away and quietly there is an essence of isolation and foreboding in the scene.
What creates this? This shot is all about the space the 2 main elements in the frame occupy. They are sitting apart, but there is a relationship between the 2 figures. The foreground figure is large and the other figure is further away, diminutive as if shrinking. The pavement is worn and empty, almost as though nothing exists apart from the 2 figures. The tonality, surface textures and space created in the shot adds to the empty eeriness of the scene. The woman watches, the man watches and the photographer is watching too. It’s voyeuristic in nature.
This is a moment in time – nothing else exists in this moment apart from the isolation of the 2 figures, watching….
I take the shot and move on.
Lou Smith is a Fine Art Photographer with over 25 years experience in the visual arts and teaches Street Photography techniques in London. If you would like to learn essential street photography skills, book a street photography workshop with London Photo Tours and Workshops. See you soon.
Photographs and content may not be used without permission.
© Lou Smith 2013, All Rights Reserved
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