Category: Street Shooting

Subject matter I find on the street

Street Shooting, Throwback

The View from My Studio Window

Hanako's_561

 

Glenwood Avenue in Minneapolis hosted my first professional studio.  The building’s number was 14 ½, which sounds magical nowadays, and was nestled on a corner of downtown that boasted storefronts whose vibrant history had faded long before I took up residence.  My studio was on the second floor in the middle of the block.  The first floor storefronts were only ever partially rented, with a Chinese restaurant, a massage parlor (Hanako’s Sauna) and a hat shop.  The rest of the stores were vacant, and the block looked a bit blighted.  However, from my studio window one could see a bustling corner of the city. This view is and was the South West corner of Block E, at First Avenue and Seventh Street.  On the right side of this photo is the Schubert Theater which has now been moved to Hennepin Avenue.  Other than the First Avenue night club (not in the photo), none of the buildings exist anymore.  They were razed to build the Target Arena and kick off the development of Block E.

Street Shooting

Unexpected Encounters on a Typical Evening

Two girls and a mule one evening on Silver Spring, Whitefish Bay Wisconsin
@Tom Corcoran 2013

While walking on Silver Spring Drive in my hometown of Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, to be exact, I saw what I thought to be very large dog. What really puzzled me was someone was riding on it. Also there seemed to be a long, horse-like tail. Now, I have seen dogs big enough to carry a child but this scene had a different scale to it. I walked faster and found two young women walking a mule.

They told me that it was to be used at their church for Palm Sunday and that it came from one of the girl’s grandfather’s farm. I assume they were taking the creature for much needed fresh air and relief like so many dog walkers. Only this walk had an added effect for anyone who encountered the group, like me.

Take-away from this? It was a cold day and I decided to take a walk with my camera. I could have chosen to be warm and stay home. If did I would not have seen a mule on Silver Spring Dr. Whenever you decide to take a walk I recommend that you bring a camera. You never know.

For the sake of decorum and privacy, I did not get the names of the young women. I hope they will see this post and contact me for a copy of the photo.

Cityscapes, Street Shooting

Wing Young Huie 2012 Salon Photo Show

What do photography, wine and ping-pong have in common? Last Saturday, Oct 13th, they all converged at the opening of the 4th annual Wing Young Hiue Salon Photo Show.

Wing is a photographer in the Twin Cities who hosts a monthly photography salon.

Wing documents “the dizzying socioeconomic and cultural realities of American society, much of it centered on the urban cores of his home state of Minnesota. He creates up-to-the-minute societal mirrors of who we are, seeking to reveal not only what is hidden, but also what is plainly visible and seldom noticed.” His work can be seen http://www.wingyounghuie.com.

There are approximately 30+ members of the Salon from varying photographic backgrounds. For the last 4 Years the salon has held an annual show of the member’s works. This year 19 members showed their images, all relating to their participation in the salon. The opening was well attended and after wards a ping-pong table was brought out and table tennis madness ensued till late at night.

The entire show can be seen online at  sites.google.com/site/2012wingyounghuiesalon

I showed two images from my current on-going project of urban landscapes or cityscapes. These two images are good examples of a very different approach to photographing than I have been doing for years. It requires that I work with less equipment and carry my camera almost everywhere I go. I don’t chase the light like a lot of landscape photographers do. I mostly stumble upon a scene where the light is dramatic.

My favorite time to shoot is in the evening when the sun is low in the sky or at dusk. Sometimes the light is strong and dramatic which highlights the intensity of a location. It can give drama to a place that most people would walk by and not think about twice. Other times the play of light is so unusual that it seems un-natural. I often look for places where the light bounces off one building to the other which create a menagerie of cris-crossing light.

The sidewalk image is a good example of my stumbling. It’s the type of opportunity I find suddenly and I have to decide to stop and capture the image.

The Pedal Pub photo is a real departure for me because my preferred way of working is to take some time before tripping the shutter in order to try and capture the pathos of the moment. I was experimenting with the program setting on my camera so that I did not have to think about exposure and could concentrate on the fleeting moment. It was a steamy hot evening in June on Nicollet Mall. The setting sunlight was bouncing off of all the glass buildings creating cris-cross light and shadow. I was scanning the place for any opportunity when the Pedal Pub rolled by. The moment happened so fast I barely remember taking the picture.

Cityscapes, Street Shooting

Urban Landscapes

Face Mural North Broadway

Cityscapes, or what I call the urban landscape, is a departure from what I usually photograph, which is people. I have been experimenting with portraits in natural light but with a studio feel. This kind of shooting required that I work with less (equipment) and work within the constraints of being lightweight and simple set of photo gear.

This led me to an interest in photographing the urban landscape. For me, this subject matter ranges from wide shots of many tall buildings to the close up drama or banality of a street corner. I try to capture the pathos of the location and the moment.

More Urban landscapes are on the galley page.