Gracious Vendor
Street portraits has become a much written about subject, particularly surrounding that feeling of awkwardness and shyness that comes with not having pointed a camera to anyone yet but just having had the thought in wanting to do it which usually ends up discouraging us. I don’t claim to be an expert but if people are the type of subjects that mainly entice you about the streets, I’ve found it helpful in attending events where people already expect to be photographed.
During the Lunar New Year Parade, Joel was often surprised how effortless I would stop in my tracks and photograph someone and because I often venture out alone, it dawned on me that not everyone is inherently comfortable with that approach. I wasn’t either but it’s a practice that I learned to become comfortable with after long days of constantly replicating the process. I generally always capture the portrait first and then talk afterwards about it to the person. I’ve noticed that asking first will often ruin the spontaneity of the moment which is the key element I strive to preserve and not scare away.
Loading...
Parade-Goers at Lunar New Year Celebration
The easiest way to not be disappointed when shooting a parade is to avoid the expectation that you’ll be able to capture every single aspect of the chaotic backdrop that surrounds the celebration. For me, it’s like walking up to a buffet. You can either cram your plate with everything in sight and not feel that you tasted anything substantial or stick to tasting something you already have an inherent attraction to without feeling that you need to worry about the rest.
I met up with fellow Brooklyn photographer Joel Zimmer to shoot the Lunar New Year parade in China Town and despite having arrived early to secure a spot, I was more the willing to give it up because my intention wasn’t to capture the participants in the parade but more the parade-goers who anxiously stood on the sideline.
The vivid colors of the dragon dancers, the firecrackers, the brass gongs and the smell of incense and Chinese street food was all fantastic if you’re the type that doesn’t mind experiencing it all among a packed crowd. Surprisingly enough I didn’t photograph any of that because there was enough people covering those nuances even though I understood that my perspective might have been different.
To view the rest of the photographs from the parade, take a look at the rest of the set on Flickr.
Loading...
