“Be Prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts. It is an apt one for photographers in the constant search for capturing the holy grail of photography-what Cartier- Bresson called “the decisive moment”. Hopefully the following photos of mine illustrate what I mean. In this first pic
taken in Southern China we have a group of girls clearly on friendly terms and a sort of rhythm emerges of their interaction. The nondescript wall behinds them helps focus us on their smiles and gestures. But what gives the shot its piquancy is the lad poised on the edge of the frame with his gaze of shy admiration. Made more poignant by their obvious obliviousness of his attentions. Edgar Degas-my favorite French painter-was adept at putting figures on the edge of his frame to indicate their voyeurism or disconnection from the main action. This furthered his efforts to capture moments that underscored social realities.
But I certainly had no time to think about this shot which was taken with my 300mm telephoto lens and this allowed me to a sufficient distance away to escape their attention. Hence the spontaneity so essential for this photo. A powerful telephoto greatly aids street photography. I emphases street photography as photographing people in their private space raises serious privacy issues.
The success of the photo lies in its un-posed nature. But even if there is plenty of time to set-up a photo, alertness is still essential-coupled sometimes with patience. So when I encountered this family group in Madagascar I took a series of photos with my 28mm lens.
There were clearly surreal elements here which even Salvador Dali may have appreciated such as the cart apparently stranded in the middle of nowhere and the umbrella under the clear sky which contrasts so with dark shadow cast of the wagon. The wide-angled perspective further distorts the already surreal scene by making the plant appear to lean slightly. Still, I sensed something was missing. So I waited-but watchfully. Then the woman with the child exploded with mirth.
Her whole body is convulsed and now the tilt of her head even improves the overall composition, as it becomes almost parallel with her mother behind her and even the plant. And as her reaction contrasts so with the impassive and even baffled expressions of those with her, the sense of surrealism is further increased. Result: an altogether better photo than the one I had taken from the same vantage point a minute or so earlier.
Mark Berthold copyright2007
