How do you photograph the vibrancy of city life?

[Joseph O'Neil]

You have to "feel it inside" first. This is true for any photogrpahy subject, in any format. For example, if you want to capture the serenity of a peaceful landscape, you have to make yourself quiet inside first. Sometimes I'll sit down and chill out under the trees for a half an hour before I start shooting.

For a city, at least to me, it's opposite. When I want to shoot downtown in my city, I often start with a cappichino (spelling?) at Starbucks.

Once you get yourself into the mood, you stop thinking about it, and then just do it.

good luck
joe

[Bill_1856]

At least two of the "Greats," Atget and Brassi, made their wonderful Decisive Moment pictures of Parisean life with their cameras on a tripod, by carefully posing it. I believe that Bill Brandt sometimes did the same in England.

[al olson]

If you are doing street photography, one press camera technique we used in the 50s and 60s was to place the camera on your shoulder. Since it is on your shoulder, the camera is aimed in the direction you're facing. I believe that later on the videocammers used to use this technique before lcd displays became common. It is amazing how accurate this aiming technique can be.

The lens is prefocused to an estimated distance, such as to a lamp post or doorway. If you are doing people shots, click the shutter when the subject moves into your focus zone.

With the camera on your shoulder it is more stable than handheld. People are not threatened as they would be if you were aiming it at them through the viewfinder. This is an excellent approach to candid photography as well.

As far as a vibrancy and bustle of city life I would look for places where people like to gather. In the summer time office workers are eating their lunch in the parks. Consider early morning shots of joggers running through the streets.

Even better is when there are street entertainers around. Their audiences themselves can be very interesting subjects. Some of my favorite places are the Baltimore Inner Harbor, the docks in Alexandria, VA, the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, CO, the Busker Fest (annual event) on the 16th Street Mall in Denver to mention a few.

[tim atherton]

At least two of the "Greats," Atget and Brassi, made their wonderful Decisive Moment pictures of Parisean life with their cameras on a tripod, by carefully posing it. I believe that Bill Brandt sometimes did the same in England.

for me Atget is almost the antithesis of the Decisive Moment... more like the exquisitely extended moment

("It’s a commonplace to say that photographs interrupt or arrest the flow of time. They do it, however, in thousands of different ways. Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” is different from Atget’s slowing down to a standstill, or from Thomas Struth’s ceremonial stopping of time.")

[E_Aiken]

Most every modern LF "street" photographer I know/know if has at least a degree orchestration in their shots. DiCorcia has lights and often poses/places people for his work. Many will give some instruction to their subjects while stopping short of true posing. I don't have a handholdable LF camera so I don't use my 4x5 for what we usually think of "street" photography - I'll do portraits, urban landscapes, etc, but for fast paced work I prefer a Leica or Mamiya 7. I'd love to sometime get a Crown Graphic or the like and do it Weegee style...