People on Descending Escalator, MoMA. New York City. August 18, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A group of people on the “down escalator” at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
I couldn’t resist the idea of photographing the steady stream of distracted people coming down this escalator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. I employed a technique that I often use when shooting on the street, namely to find an interesting structural subject (in this case, the escalator) and then wait for the right person or people to occupy the frame. I made a series of photographs of people on this escalator, and ended up liking this one the most. There are a number of specific things about the people in the scene that attract my attention, but I’ll let you discover them on your own, should you be so inclined.
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i’m curious… did you stand in front of the escalator with the camera up to your face making it obvious what you were up to? or did you try to be inconspicious? i’m trying to get better at street photography… :)
I used a slightly longer than “normal” focal length, both to “steepen” the apparent angle of the escalator and so rhat I could stand back just a bit and be part of the crowd. If I recall correctly, I employed a strategy that often works, namely to stand and watch and when a potentially interesting juxtaposition of figures appears quickly raise the camera and make an exposure.
There are different ideas about street photography that cover the spectrum from an in-your-face, almost confrontational approach to a secretive (some might say stalker-like) approach. I’m somewhere in the middle, not trying to draw attention to myself, working quickly and quietly, and rarely speaking to my subjects.