Monday, April 25, 2016

Eclectic Images from a Morning Street Walk

From time to time I like to go out for a walk with a camera and create a small challenge for myself. This morning it was walking a few blocks up one side of a city street, then down the opposite side, while capturing a few images along the way. Unlike many photographers I never take images of people when I am out on a street walk as I am much more fascinated by what people create…and tend to leave behind as a legacy.

street walk 1

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 44.2mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6

Initially I am usually draw to signs of all different types. The plague above was imbedded in the sidewalk. It is something I’ve been asking myself every morning for well over five decades. As I get older I’m likely asking the question for a different reason.

street walk 2

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 31.9mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6

I love to find things that make me think, like a bit of philosophy.

street walk 3

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 46.1mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6

Which, of course, covers all kinds of approaches to life.

street walk 4

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 58.3mm, ISO 200, 1/320, f/5.6

And, some that remind us that life is a relative experience.

street walk 5

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 35.3mm, ISO 200, 1/1250, f/5.6

Many make me smile and remind me of hobby pastimes.

street walk 6

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 80.5mm, ISO 200, 1/100, f/5.6

Style can be found in the most unusual of places.

street walk 7

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 27.2mm, ISO 200, 1/250, f/5.6

Artwork on buildings always intrigues me and I enjoy finding murals of all types.

street walk 8

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 12.1mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/8.0

It is refreshing to know that the creativity of the human spirit is alive and vibrant.

street walk 9

NIKON 1 V2 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 120.9mm, ISO 160, 1/4000, f/5.6

I often will capture images through store windows, looking for dramatic lighting…

street walk 10

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 92.8mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6

or splashes of colour.

street walk 11

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 10mm, ISO 200, 1/200, f/5.6

Eventually I am drawn to buildings…

street walk 12

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 72.2mm, ISO 200, 1/250, f/5.6

and their beautiful details.

street walk 13

NIKON 1 V2 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 72.1mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6

The artistry of stained glass always draws my attention…

street walk 14

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 58.3mm, ISO 200, 1/640, f/5.6

as do the angles and symmetry of structures.

street walk 15

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 79.1mm, ISO 800, 1/20, f/5.6

Geometric shapes are particularly appealing to me and I often find myself lost in the shapes and angles I find around me.

street walk 16

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 14.4mm, ISO 200, 1/50, f/5.6

I also love high contrast things…

street walk 17

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 67.6mm, ISO 160, 1/60, f/5.6

or everyday items that are rich in detail.

street walk 18

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 17.1mm, ISO 160, 1/160, f/5.6

Repeating patterns act as a magnet and draw me near.

street walk 19

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 35.3mm, ISO 160, 1/1250, f/5.6

The stronger the repeating lines or patterns…the more dramatic and compelling they are to me.

street walk 20

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 56.2mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/5.6

Sometimes I will play with common things like a steel bench, shooting at different angles to create a somewhat abstract image.

street walk 21

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 38.8mm, ISO 200, 1/320, f/5.6

I enjoy creating simple compositions that extend lines from one element to another.

street walk 22

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 75mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/8.0

One of my great joys is working with angles and shapes to create the illusion of something that is not there in reality, except in my mind’s eye.

street walk 23

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 100mm, ISO 160, 1/500, f/5.6

Nostalgia can often be found during a walk…like a brand from my teenage years…

street walk 24

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 67.6mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6

or a reminder of what used to adorn the top of my head…before most of them jumped ship!

street walk 25

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 37mm, ISO 160, 1/800, f/5.6

A street walk reveals character that is demonstrated by rust and age…

street walk 26

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 37mm, ISO 160, 1/30, f/5.6

or by mismatched human attempts at repairs.

street walk 27

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 72.2mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/6.3

Character is found in artistic bricklaying – a skill that is sadly dying away in many cities.

street walk 28

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 65.9mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6

I often wonder what happened inside the buildings I pass.

street walk 29

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 25.7mm, ISO 160, 1/80, f/6.3

The truth always seems to have a way of revealing itself – peeling back attempts at disguise.

street walk 30

NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 76.4mm, ISO 160, 1/30, f/6.3

Invariably towards the end of one of my walks something will leap out at me and compel an image, causing me to think. Was the hubcap discarded and of no more use…or is it simply waiting for the next journey to begin? If there is a new journey – where will it lead?

Article and all images are Copyright Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, adaptation or reproduction of any kind is allowed without written consent. Photography Life is the only approved user of this article. If you see it reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use.

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