Category Archives: Photographs: England

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Barber and His Shop

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Barber and His Shop
A barber takes a break on the steps of his shop, London

Barber and His Shop. London, England, UK. August 5, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A barber takes a break on the steps of his shop, London

We spent a few late afternoon and early evening hours wandering around this area of narrow streets and small shops, killing time before a scheduled evening event. It was a warm evening, and this fellow was sitting on the steps in the doorway of his shop, probably getting a bit of fresh air, when we walked past.

From time to time I’ve read about people with some strict “rules” about what street photography is and is not. They often involve the equipment used, a preference for black and white, a challenge to get in the faces of subjects, and the desire to produce a certain “raw” look. There is nothing wrong with any of that, but I have my own notions about street photography — what it can look like, how it can be done, and even the boundaries around the subjects that qualify as street. It can be and up close, black and white image of a person doing more or less nothing special. But it can also be an urban landscape in which the wildlife is human. It can be in color. People do not necessarily have to be included. It can be produced in a slow and methodical manner or spontaneously while in motion. To make this photograph – notice the very low camera position — I held the camera down at my side and “shot blind” as we walked past.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Scene, Child, Window Reflection

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Street Scene, Child, Window Reflection
A child appears to yell at a reflective window in front of a London street scene

Street Scene, Child, Window Reflection. London, England. August 5, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A child appears to yell at a reflective window in front of a London street scene

This is one of those “either you get it or you don’t get it” photographs. We were in London for a bit more than a week, as part of a five-week period on the road through places including New York, London, Paris, Germany, and Italy. I know that not every “landscape photographer” feels the same way, but I love photographing the streets and people when I’m in places like this. In some ways it is a sort of counter to what I more typically do — I can work handheld rather than with a tripod, I tend to carry minimal equipment, and photographing “the street” often compels me to work quickly and instinctively.

We were out walking somewhere in London — I’ve forgotten the exact context — and we ended up on this busy street full of pedestrians. There is a lot to think about and to see in this photograph, at least in my view. The sky blue color figures prominently in many places within the frame. The carefree girl walking toward her reflection is the center of the scene for me, but behind we also see a couple and an older woman walking away.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: England, Photographs: People, Photographs: Urban/Street

London Sidewalk

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London Sidewalk
People along an urban sidewalk, London

London Sidewalk. London, England. August 5, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

People along an urban sidewalk, London

Sometimes with street photographs I do not quite know exactly what it is that appeals to me even though I know that the appeal is there. Perhaps part of the appeal of street photography, at least with some of the subjects, is that I have to response very quickly and almost entirely on the basis of intuition — often without even enough time to immediately consider the photograph I just made. It is look, photograph, move on, look some more. I may not “see” the photograph as an image again until much later… and even then it may be hard to identify the specific appeal in the image.

I barely recall making this photograph, in fact. I think I was crossing a street and about to come up on the sidewalk, and I’m willing to bet that the dark clad fellow with the headphones on was my primary point of interest. Judging from the low camera angle, I also suspect that I was photographing quickly from the waist, without even taking the time to raise the camera to my eye. (I kind of like this angle — it suggests photographs with classic twin lens reflex cameras.) There are other things about which I could speculate… but I think I’ll just leave it here as a photograph.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Sidewalk, Leaves, Rain, Reflections

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Sidewalk, Leaves, Rain, Reflections
A pedestrian walks across a reflecting, leaf-covered sidewalk in rain near the Tate Museum, London

Sidewalk, Leaves, Rain, Reflections. London, England, August 2, 2016. © Copyright 2016. G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A pedestrian walks across a reflecting, leaf-covered sidewalk in rain near the Tate Museum, London

I made this photograph close to the river side entrance to the Tate Modern in London. I like the museum itself, but I also like the surrounding area for photography of people and of “stuff.” Nearby the Millennium Bridge arrives on the shore of the River Thames and intersects with the popular walkway along the river, so there is no shortage of activity or of people, plus there is a variety of architectural and other subjects, ranging from the river and the bridge to downtown London across the water.

This section of sidewalk in front of the museum was wet from the drizzle, and tiny fallen leaves littered its surface. Seen from my elevated position there were reflections from the buildings. I began by photographing a small group of nearby trees, but soon this solitary figure crossed the open area headed toward the building.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.