Streets

[Rick Waldroup]

From a new project I am working on which combines my street photography with the sounds of everyday street life.

[video=vimeo;54638420]https://vimeo.com/54638420[/video]

To view a much larger version of the video, go here https://vimeo.com/54638420

 

[Brian Moore]

I'm surprised to find I'm the first to respond with a comment. (Other than the well-deserved HHFs from H, P and J.)

This is marvelous stuff, Rick. Also, before looking at this I spent a few more minutes on your website. I looked through the Carny set of images. You are very talented!

Some of the Carny images are rather old, so they must have been shot on film. Others are more modern and I assume that they are digital. They have a digital look. (I don't intend that to be a negative comment; I only mean they don't look like film shots.) What do you shoot with Rick?

If I ever get back to Dallas would you mind if I followed you around at a safe distance just to watch how you work?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I kept coming to this thread on my iPad, which can't play vimeo videos, so that's why I never responded. However, I've now seen it on my computer - and I REALLY love it. Great stuff, Rick. I could have done with a few more seconds on some of the shots, but then I remembered what the pause button was for. But then, the pause button stops the background sounds. Anyway, overall I think the mixture of really excellent photographs to street sounds is a winner.

I'm impressed, Rick, at the uniformity of tone throughout your images. You must have a fixed recipe in your post production, I imagine. It really helps present the images as a set. I tend to be all over the place with tones/colours, and your images are giving me much to think about.

All in all, a beautiful set.

 

[Paul Lange]

......... (I don't intend that to be a negative comment...............

There is a pun in there somewhere

I hi fived before as I loved the idea and it reminded me of some installation artwork I had seen before but I just can't remember where. I also had a small critique but didn't want to come across as being negative (there's that pun again ) about the project. I'll say it anyway - at one particular point the sound seemed to sync with the images this was when the image of the woman smiling came on and around the same time there was some laughter. For the rest of the time the sound seemed a little quiet and didn't quite seem in sync to me.

- - - Updated - - -

Ignore my comment about the sound being quite, I had my volume turned right down [doh]

- - - Updated - - -

quiet even![doh][doh]

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Go back to bed, Paul...

 

[Brian Moore]

There is a pun in there somewhere

Damn photography punsters,...they're everywhere!

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I'm surprised to find I'm the first to respond with a comment. (Other than the well-deserved HHFs from H, P and J.)

This is marvelous stuff, Rick. Also, before looking at this I spent a few more minutes on your website. I looked through the Carny set of images. You are very talented!

Some of the Carny images are rather old, so they must have been shot on film. Others are more modern and I assume that they are digital. They have a digital look. (I don't intend that to be a negative comment; I only mean they don't look like film shots.) What do you shoot with Rick?

If I ever get back to Dallas would you mind if I followed you around at a safe distance just to watch how you work?

Thank you for the very kind words about my work.

When I first went digital, my first priority was being able to make good B&W prints from my digital files. All of my personal work, prior to going digital, was on B&W film. I knew that digital B&W looked different from film B&W, so I did not want to really try and duplicate the film look- I more or less wanted to refine the look and simply get the best look for my style of B&W photography.

I process everything through Silver Efex and then I do very simple PP work- dodging, burning, etc. My process is really very simple- much like back in my old darkroom days.

- - - Updated - - -

I kept coming to this thread on my iPad, which can't play vimeo videos, so that's why I never responded. However, I've now seen it on my computer - and I REALLY love it. Great stuff, Rick. I could have done with a few more seconds on some of the shots, but then I remembered what the pause button was for. But then, the pause button stops the background sounds. Anyway, overall I think the mixture of really excellent photographs to street sounds is a winner.

I'm impressed, Rick, at the uniformity of tone throughout your images. You must have a fixed recipe in your post production, I imagine. It really helps present the images as a set. I tend to be all over the place with tones/colours, and your images are giving me much to think about.

All in all, a beautiful set.

I thought maybe some of the photos were running a bit fast, too. Thanks for the comments. The feedback is great and helps me fine tune this project.

- - - Updated - - -

I want to thank everyone who took the time to view the video and leave comments.

 

[Brian Moore]

Thank you for the very kind words about my work.

When I first went digital, my first priority was being able to make good B&W prints from my digital files. All of my personal work, prior to going digital, was on B&W film. I knew that digital B&W looked different from film B&W, so I did not want to really try and duplicate the film look- I more or less wanted to refine the look and simply get the best look for my style of B&W photography.

I process everything through Silver Efex and then I do very simple PP work- dodging, burning, etc. My process is really very simple- much like back in my old darkroom days.

- - - Updated - - -



I thought maybe some of the photos were running a bit fast, too. Thanks for the comments. The feedback is great and helps me fine tune this project.

- - - Updated - - -

I want to thank everyone who took the time to view the video and leave comments.

Shooting mostly with what,...Lumix GF1 and/or GX1?

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I'm sorry. I meant to put that in there and forgot.[doh]

My main camera is now the GX-1, with the GF1 serving as a backup or a second camera if I need two cameras on a shoot.

The lens I use most often for street work is the 20mm 1.7. However, I am using the Olympus 12-50 zoom more and more.

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks, Rick!

 

[Kev Pugh]

I rather like this Rick....................alot infact...........great concept and execution

BTW don't believe everything they may say about KK

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I really like the candid individuals a lot Rick, more than the groups I think

The groups of people seem more 'composed' if that makes any sense - the individuals look more spontaneous

The street soundtrack is a great idea

 

[Pete Askew]

Great idea Rick. I'd been admiring many of the images on your website before and I really like them very much. Creating the slideshow with ambient sound works well (I recorded some sound in Venice with a similar intention - a project for the coming weeks) and I enjoyed the slideshow. One or two of the shots do seem to run a bit quickly but I suppose that might just reflect one's particular interest / interpretation rather than simply the speed. And it is especially satisfying when the sounds and images come together - I guess it would be difficult to coordinate it more. Anyway, superb stuff all round. Are you planning to do more shows like this?

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

Silhouettes on your site i just love.

In this video the cross section of people seemingly different yet part of the city makes this slide for me.

0.39 the girl's smiling surprised expression to you is marvellous ... only the Fonz could elicit such
0.43 the cheeky homeless young chap holding the cardboard sign
1.15 1.33 homeless poignant. It is tough to do social conscious images. I worked with the homeless four years, some are my friends, stayed with me., In the end i have to give it up as it got to me since really nothing could be done for them, and many are so used to their homelessness that homelessness is home.
1.29 the woman conversing with the two seated men and the child to their right
2.09 the angle the photo was taken with the sign included with the workers
1.05 the three men with phones made me laugh as did 1.43 Elvis 2.05 the man leaning with just his rear parts showing

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Thanks KK, Chris, Pete, and Ahmad for the comments.

Pete, trying to match the photos with the different elements of the ambient city sounds was a bit more difficult than I first imagined. Also, I am having a bit of difficulty with the quality of the soundtrack. I went out the other day and tried using my new simple stereo digital voice recorder, with mixed results. However, I will soon be adding some editing software to my computer to help in that area. I plan on doing a few more of these.

Ahmad, thanks for the very kind words about my work. I have a real hesitation when it comes to shooting the homeless. I could take shot after shot of them, but it bothers me. They are exploited enough, already. I bet I can count on one hand the amount of homeless people shots I have taken the past 30 years or so. And when I do decide to take a shot like that, I always try to engage the people in the photo. I talk to them, usually after I take the shot or sometimes before.

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to view the video and for leaving comments. The feedback is very valuable.