Digital SLR Photography - UK (2020-01)

VALLETTA STREET

by Phil Lewis

Sony Alpha 6300 with E 30mm f/2.8 lens.

Exposure: 1/60sec at f/8 (ISO 160).

What we think: Street photography comes

in a number of forms and this type is as

much about the location as it is the person in

the shot. It's essentially a cityscape street

image where the lone figure brings scale

and the whole scene to life, resulting in a

much stronger image than if it were an

empty street. Phil could have made the shot

stronger by positioning himself centrally in

the street for better symmetry to give equal

balance to the pavement on either side of

the road, but this is just a small thing that

wouldmakea strongimageevenbetter.

Why it works

1) Human element adds interest

2) Some detail in the sky maintained

3) Sharp focus throughout

January 2020 Digital SLR Photography 49

L A N DSCAPEEXPERTAdamBurton

“This is a lovely classic landscape
image with beautiful conditions and
great subject matter. Pete has
controlled the exposure very well to
prevent either the bright sky burning out or the
boats underexposing. This leaves a perfectly
exposed image where the colour of the
wooden boats complement the clouds.
My main distraction to the composition is the
wooden plank on the right of the picture. It’s
fairly prominent in the frame and takes my
attention away from the scene more than I'd
like. I have sometimes moved these planks in
the past to help clean up a composition.
Assuming the boat hire people aren’t around,
and providing you put them back where you
found them, I don’t think anybody would mind.
Alternatively, move a little closer to the boats
and form a composition around the three on
the left and exclude the plank completely, or
remove it in Photoshop if proficient enough.”