16 4 April 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Technique MONO STREET MASTERCLASS
How ‘real’ do
you want to be?
While long exposures and
motion blur are popular
techniques in street
photography – a classic
example being the bicycle
rider in Hyères by Cartier-
Bresson – they may be less
appropriate for a more
documentary style. ‘I do use
tripods and love my Uniqball,
but never on my street
photography,’ says
Terakopian. ‘For me, this
genre of photography has to
be more real; more daily life
and of the moment.’ This is
not to say more artistic
effects are ‘wrong’ – it
entirely depends on your
approach. Without a clearly
defined process, you will
always struggle.Small is beautiful
As with all kinds of street
photography, smaller
cameras tend to work
best. ‘But for me it’s
because they’re lighter and
therefore not as physically
taxing,’ says Terakopian. ‘An
entire day of walking around
with a heavy camera or a
camera bag full of kit isn’t
conducive to street
photography. I think the way
one moves and behaves
can either draw attention or
make us blend into a scene.
So it’s nothing to do with
the camera, unless of course
we go to the extremes of
carrying two or three
DSLRs with huge zooms
and a super telephoto!’Don’t let rain stop play
One of Terakopian’s most successful and popular
monochrome images ‘Love Your Job’ (above) was taken in
heavy rain. ‘I was rushing to the car park after the Society of
Wedding and Portrait Photographers show and saw the light
from an advertising board, which was backlighting the rain. I
found some shelter and waited for my picture. The adverts
were on a loop and just as an advert reading “Love Your Job”
came on, a businessman walked into frame, on this dull and
dreary day.’ While murky, drab weather might not feel very
inspiring, it can suit your subject and intent perfectly.Better black & white composition
‘I’ve found that with experience, composition becomes more
of an instinct, but my workflow for years was to look at the
entire frame, not just where my subject is,’ Terakopian
explains. ‘Check the corners as well as the middle. Make use
of shapes and lines going into corners or the sides of the
frame. Compose a frame within your frame, which then
awaits your protagonist to walk into.’‘Love Your Job’ one of
Edmond Terakopian’s
best-loved imagesAs well as perfect timing,
this image’s portrait
format works perfectly© EDMOND TERAKOPIAN
© EDMOND TERAKOPIAN
© EDMOND TERAKOPIN