I was in Boston last weekend and although the shots I had planned to take didn't really pan out I did come across this street performer that gave me reason to experiment.
I am currently intrigued by images that project flow and gesture, and tried to capture both here.
Just something for your consideration. If anyone is willing to comment I'd love to hear if there is any general appeal for this type of work. If any images do strike a chord with you (ahem...) I'd appreciate understanding what aspects do appeal to your taste.
As always, ALL comments whether good or bad are accepted as gifts. Understanding what others see in images is what helps us develop and continue to grow.
I very much like #3 and #5.
Back in my film days when I did blurred images of musicians, I was not experimenting. The lighting was too poor considering the available ISOs to achieve motion-stopping exposure speeds. With modern digital sensors, this is not really the problem and this becomes an esthetic choice rather than a technical necessity.
I have a friend (who primarily still shoots HP5+ rated at ISO 400) who photographs his musician friends in clubs. His primary tool is a Leica M6 with a 35mm Summicron. (I used to have an M4 with that same lens. Awesome combination.) He would set the camera on B, giving him exposures of 6-8 seconds that would create a slightly more extreme version of the motion seen here, and then manually fire a handheld flash to provide a sharp frozen image. Sometimes the exposure would continue for a few seconds more. He told me his hit rate was low and they were usually a bitch to print but his images (those he actually showed) were worth it.
I attempted his technique but I was never happy with the results. If I ever get back to concerts/clubs post-Covid I may experiment some more. The attached is digital with my 2013 Nikon S9500, which did not have the ISO range to stop motion under these lighting circumstances without a flash. This was as telephoto as this camera can do, which is roughly equivalent to a 550mm lens for an FX/35mm.
Thanks Andrew, funnily enough I started out much the same. Shooting images of rock bands way back in the day - I remember my excitement when Ektachrome 400 first came out.
In those days of course motion blur had less to do with artistic vision and viewed solely as a technical flaw. How times have changed.
In the digital era it is so much cheaper & easier to experiment - I'd encourage you to do so and would love to see the results.
Very artzy!
Thanks Hank!
Pretty cool, Alan. Overall, I like the 4th one down because it there is enough focus (optically) on the violinist to anchor me to the mood, scene, while also appreciating the movement.
Strictly in terms of light & exposure, I like the 3rd one from the bottom most.
Thanks for your response Robert, I totally understand where you are coming from and your preference for detail did not come as unexpected.
My goal in these was to place the spotlight firmly on movement and feeling, with detail becoming the backdrop.
This type of work is always highly subjective, there is no right or wrong.
I appreciate hearing your voice on this.
These are gorgeous. I love how the colors all flow together so perfectly. It makes me wonder if there would be an interest to add an abstract image or so to a portrait session. In the first image, you could sprinkle faded music notes in what looks like a musical staff wave - whatever music she was playing.
Thanks for your kind words Jennifer, I'll have to give that some consideration.