I like to play with geometry in my work. Sometimes I like to accomplish this with shadow, but in this particular image I was able top do that with the ‘natural’ surroundings of the building. The lines of the interior of the building create a natural frame for the Subject. As we discussed in PREVIOUS blog posts, I believe the secret to good photography is learning how to manipulate where the viewers eye is drawn.

It is interesting how much geometry plays into my work. While I am out walking looking for subjects, I make every effort to frame the subject. While this does not always work to my benefit, I find that in the moment, it is better to frame in this way.

I think the immediate inclination of newer street photographers is to move as much as possible and take as many pictures as possible. I started this way. I thought the more the better. When I was more inexperienced in the craft, I found that I would have 1-2 ‘good images’ out of 500 shots taken. Really a waste of time and effort. The extra second I take to frame, to find symmetry and geometry in every shot, no matter what, has paid dividends. If I check an SD card now as compared to when I began this journey, I would say that at least 40% of the images I have after a long day of shooting are good enough to relook at in the future.

To my readers, who are looking to get better at street photography, take the extra second to frame. Take the moment to define the space in that definitive moment. Take the nanosecond required to find your own geometry.

In this case, I would say the geometry, coupled with the stark contrast of the dark area against the subject, really draws the viewers eye to the subject, ultimately his stern appearance. Let me know what you think of this work.

For the editing process, I did not have to do much at all. The image was taken at night, and the those deep darks were already there. The contrast of the light areas was also already present, so I really just had to do a simple crop to get the ‘effect’ I wanted.

Thanks so much for reading this far, for the support, and for being awesome.

-Maurice