A pigeon in it's attempt to get some breadcrumbs.... Nikon D70s: ISO500 f4.5 1/100 @ 70mm Center Weighted (6mm) WB Cloudy
....converted in CS2, cropping, adjust level, channel mixer, gradient map, unsharp mask , photo filter & shadow/ highlight.
It has been quite a while since I did my last street life shots. Been busy and lotsa other things up on my head. Lucky for me I have a team (of 3 including me!) that really wants to learn and improve in photography. After some planning we finally decided to go out and shoot last Friday - me & Alongz.
To my disappointment, the 70-300mm Sigma "Cap Itik" had some problems the night before the outing. Had to send it to Key Color which will then send it to Sigma - under warranty claim (Heheheh!!) and I will have to wait up to 3 weeks before I can get it back. So the outing this time I have nothing to use except the old trustworthy 18-70mm kit lens of the D70s.
Anyway, it's not really 100% about the lens & equipment....had a great time shooting! Have a story to tell too...read on!
I'll start with the equipments used in this Street Life Series Version II Yr 2007...
Nikon FM2 with 50mm f1.8, Nikon D80 with 18-135mm kit lens, Nikon D70s dwith 18-70mm kit lens & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10k with Leica 35-420mm f2.8.This little shot was done after the "hunting", while "melepak" in CM during TT and debrief /discussion on what we have learnt. Ni shoot ni pakai SE P-900 (Carl Zeiss lens ke?!) - henfon gue yg dah outdated giler!
THE HUNT...
While waiting for Alongz I managed to get 2 subjects - both with their consent and I approached them before shooting. One is Mie (please read on - maybe we can learn something from this Mie dude) and another one is this dude....who seemed to have difficulties to converse....
A beggar enjoying his smoke
Nikon D70s: ISO200, f4.5 1/80 @ 70mm Center weighted (6mm) WB Cloudy
Snapped 3-4 shots. Waited for the subject to look into the lens before I released the shutter. Not really that difficult maybe because I am used to that "wait & anticipate" requirements of getting a shot...the only thing at this point of time was the people are starting to crowd the street so chances of getting natural shots are getting lesser by the moments.
After I managed to get some good composition, this dude packed his things and moved from the location (will put the image up later - Photobucket is acting up early this morning!)
Moving on....(less alphabets...more pix!)
Masjid Jamek in Monochrome, shot from STAR LRT escalator.
B&W Mode on Lumix FZ10k. ISO100 f5.6 1/50 @40mm Spot metering.
Cropping and editing as per Reuters guides done.
A blindman making his way through a crowded street. Almost hit the panel. He was then helped by a young lady to get on board the LRT to his destination he wanted to go. Could not capture more because of the crowd and did not managed to get his permission for more personalized compositions like the beggar above.
B&W Mode on Lumix FZ10k. ISO100 f2.8 1/50 @288mm Spot metering.
Cropping and editing as per Reuters guides done.
A STAR LRT passenger getting into the station in Sentul Timur.
B&W Mode on Lumix FZ10k. ISO100 f2.8 1/50 @128mm Spot metering.
Cropping and editing as per Reuters guides done.
Muslim ladies waiting for STAR LRT.
B&W Mode on Lumix FZ10k. ISO100 f2.8 1/60 @96mm Spot metering.
Cropping and editing as per Reuters guides done.
The area where the pigeons were
Nikon D70s: ISO500 f4.5 1/200 @ 70mm Center Weighted (6mm) WB Cloudy
...same photo converted in CS 2
A pigeon flying away from the street after having a feast of breadcrumbs...
Nikon D70s ISO500 f4.5 1/100 @70mm Center weighted (6mm) WB Cloudy. Cropping & level adjustment done, as per Reuters guidesThe pigeons get their supply of breadcrumbs from Uncle Singh.....
Uncle Singh & his friend. My buddy and me approached them and had a chat. Uncle Singh has been feeding the pigeons there since 1970s. He offered us to take shots with the birds on his head or our heads....we declined! We were yet to perform our evening Asar prayer and with the "CRET!" of the birds we'd be having trouble to do so!
B&W on Lumix FZ10k ISO100 f2.8 1/80 @79mm Spot Metering WB Cloudy.
Cropping and level adjustments done as per Reuters guides.
Along @ Kroch
Nikon D70s: ISO500, f4.5 @ 70mm, 1/80 center weighted (6mm) Cloudy WB, Vivid color setting.That's my buddy/ teammate Alongz. His shots were done on FM2 (Film) and D80. For this shot I have to anticipate his movements (including the eyes) and get the right moment when he was focusing at that direction before I released the shutter. The picture stays because I just like the moments & natural color. Some cropping was done due to a taxi "enter frame" - bukannya senang street shoot ni byk elements beyond our controls!
I have tried to compose this shot the last time I been there but failed due to the uncontrollable crowd. Messy. I was lucky enough to get this one I guess. I spend a good 30minutes or so talking to Mie after this shot.
Mie is in his mid 30's. He was born in Negeri Sembilan and lived in Ulu Langat with his disabled parents and siblings. The parents passed away and now he lives with his kid sister in Selayang. Mie was a pre-natal baby and had to lived in the incubator for a while. When he was about 2-3 years of age he had a very high fever and was pronounced dead. By the miralcle of Allah, he recovered while he was being "kapan" but he suffered the difficulties to walk and his hands were somehow distorted.
Everyday, he'll be around the area of Masjid Jamek KL selling crackers, you can ssee him at the main entrance in any friday insyaAllah. He works on his own, took the LRT on his own and never asked for sympathy form anybody. However, people seems to think he's a beggar - which is totally not the case. Mie sells crackers but due to being a disabled person people seems to give him sedekah instead of buying the crackers he sells.
As I mentioned, I spent a good 30 minutes in coversation with Mie. The crowds were there all the time (glamour plak as if I am doing some article for NatGeo or what!!!). Mie does not like being photographed because people (press, students, freelancers) has done that many time on the promise that it is not for publication but onlny for personal use. Couple of days after being photographed he has seen his iamages in many tabloids & newspapers in this country. Telling FALSE stories about him. On many occasions, he has been carried by Jabatan Kebajikan for interrogation - thanks to the people who did this not only he wasted his time, he had to go home with no extra money in hand due to the wasted time...and he had to swallow his pride when family members & "orang kampung" asked him about his photo being published and all.
What a pity. This is what I hate about some freelancers, student of photography or newspeople or photographers wannabee - TEMBAK CURI! They took photos of poor people with no respect. They just snapped away happily froma distance with their expensive lens and published false stories - how can you tell a true story if you do not even have the decency to approach the subject to take propoer photograph?
Tembak curi - what a real coward! In the end, what do these bunch of idots get? They will get glamour for being able to get some "cool" shots. Post it up inn some forums and get the "Ohhh wow!"...and yet it was a shot taken without consent of the subject!
Some may even get some RM for the shots but what do people like Mie get? NOTHING is as good as it gets but TROUBLE may come instaed of just nothing!
So, fellow photographers and others, next time you wanna take a shot of a poor street poeple, have the courtesy of approaching the subject.
Believe me - I NEVER take a pic without approaching a subject EXCEPT for public photographs - a subject/ many subjects in a crowd. For single shots of people like Mie, I will ALWAYS ask for permission and pay something in return....and I am not making any money or benefit out of them.
Mie told me, his friends - the blind people that plays music around Jalan TAR and some other disabled people around that area, also suffered the same scenario. People just seems to take advantage of them. They beg for courtesy & respect from the rest - they deserve to be treated like other normal human beings too.
Obviously Mie has not travelled much but he has a strong wish to go to Sarawak (I asked him about his baju melayu Sarawak that he's wearing - which was given to him by a friend who no longer need it) and Mekah. InsyaAllah, I told him, one day he'll be there, insyaAllah. He works hard, to suport his kid sister who has 9 child and with low income. As much as he could, he would not want to ask help from anybody - except when he really has no other options due to his condition. Mie always follow the teachings of his parents - never complaint your fate, let others do whatever they want to you but always be grateful of what you have. Always smile and make friends to others no matter how thay have treated you before.
In simple words, maybe he is more normal a human than most of us. Facing challenges straight in the eyes and tackle it with a smile and strong faith to Allah.
So, here's my wish from you who read this entry.....if you happend to see Mie (or people like Mie) do the right thing - BUY what he's selling, give sedekah if you want to and NEVER take photograph without asking permission first.
You'll see Mie at the main entrance of masjid Jamek most of the time especially on Fridays. Drop by and say hello to this dude...and do what is necessary.
You'll be a better person insyaAllah.
