Tag Archives: village

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

The Pose

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The Pose
A woman stands on a sidewalk as a man and a woman photograph her and another talks on a phone

The Pose. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman stands on a sidewalk as a man and a woman photograph her and another talks on a phone

In many of my street photographs that include people, I am seeing some kind of momentary tableau — almost an arrangement that one might imagine and then pose the figures to produce it. These ephemeral arrangements constantly appear and disappear on the street, and I’m fascinated by the arrangements themselves and by the prices of trying to see them fast enough to make photographs.

This one was a bit more static than some — in fact I may have been the most active participant, as I more or less made this and a couple other photographs very quickly as I continued walking past. The primary interaction was between the young man sitting on the step with the camera and the woman with her back to my camera position. Another woman at right was making, with her smart phone, what may have been a documentation or informal photograph. To the left, leaning against a column, another woman seems unengaged with the main action, looking away and holding a cup of coffee.

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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Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Woman Pushing Stroller

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Woman Pushing Stroller
A woman pushing a child in a stroller in a cross walk, New York City

Woman Pushing Stroller. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman pushing a child in a stroller in a cross walk, New York City

Perhaps intuitively I have been making quite a few street photographs at cross walks, either while waiting for the light to change or while crossing the street. I think I need to be more conscious of this situation and the reasons it can work. For one thing, I stop at cross walks. While I do photograph as I’m “on the move,” the pause gives me an opportunity to scan my surroundings a bit more intently. In addition, there are usually other people collecting at the corner and waiting to cross — it might be an individual or it could be a small crowd. Also, when people are crossing they tend to (at least most of the time) be focused on their progression across the street and perhaps are less aware of me. Finally, the cross walk itself can provide an interesting visual context, especially the newer striped design.

This photograph is a bit hard to fully explain. There’s something about the black-attired woman and her unusual white sunglasses, along with her position as she looks toward the right side of the frame. The child seems completely inert, almost like luggage in the stroller. And, again, there are those alternating stripes of pavement and white paint.

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: Italy, Photographs: Urban/Street

Local People, Radda

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Local People, Rodda
Local people form an impromptu tableau in the town of Radda, Italy

Local People, Radda. Radda, Italy. August 27, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Local people form an impromptu tableau in the town of Radda, Italy

It was our last day in the hills of the Chianti region of Italy, and for reasons I cannot recall at the moment we made one final visit to the small, hilltop village of Radda, situated in the wine and olive growing region between Florence and Siena.

We arrived early — which makes sense, in retrospect, because later we had to drive to Florence, where we would stay for the next few days before flying back to the US. The town, which can be quite busy at times, was rather quiet, and some of the small streets were almost deserted. The sun was low enough still that the narrow streets were still in shade. I walked up steps to the front of the town church, looked down, and made this photograph of an interesting collection of people standing near some steps.

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: Italy, Photographs: Urban/Street

Laundry, Morning Sun

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Laundry, Morning Sun
Morning light shines on a building wall with drying laundry, Radda, Italy

Laundry, Morning Sun. Radda, Italy. August 27, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light shines on a building wall with drying laundry, Radda, Italy

If my memory is correct, I made this photograph on just about our final morning in the Chianti region of Italy in the summer of 2016. We had spent a week with family at a place in the hills, exploring the vineyards and olive groves of the region, and visiting the hilltop village of Radda several times. (It was one of the nearest towns in this rural area.)

We visited again on this morning, arriving early enough that the narrow streets were not crowded, though vendors were starting to set up shop for the day. Because we were in no hurry, I took time to wander off from the main street and look around a few out-of-the-way spots, including this little street up near the highest point of the town, where buildings were packed tightly together. The brilliant summer light was just hitting the wall of this 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.