Quick Shots: Stroll Through Cambridge
Street photography is all about catching a split second in time that tells a story, which is sometimes very challenging. When previously using my Nikon dSLR, I didn't do much street photography because it was bulky and can be very intimidating to people when they see you hold this massive camera up and aim at them. Now that I'm starting to use a Leica, street photography has opened up in a whole new way - the Leica is no bigger than my iPhone, so it's not intimidating, and it's virtually silent. The combination means I can take pictures without my subject feeling like I'm invading their personal space!
Armed with the Leica MP and the Adox Silvermax film (which I absolutely adore, by the way), I took a stroll through Cambridge to capture a variety of the sights and sounds of this university city. My stroll coincided with graduation for students from the University of Cambridge, so it was busier than usual with lots of interesting personalities available to photograph. Here's a selection of prints from my stroll - do you have any favorites?
This woman was relaxing to enjoy one of the first nice days this spring. I was convinced to take the photograph because of her tattoos and seeing that she'd taken her shoes off.
We were walking down the street and I saw the boy being hoisted onto the bike seat and knew I had to get in front of them to take a photograph. The boy was so excited to be sitting on his mom's bike!
A lot of the street musicians in Cambridge are not terribly good, but there are a few worth stopping and listening to as they perform. Tobias was very good!
I walked right past these two German men without noticing them until my ears caught them speaking German. Having taken some German in school, I turned to see who the voice was attached to and was immediately captured by them. For me, it's the little boy who looks bored that really makes the image.
Soon-to-be graduates from one of the Cambridge University colleges line up in procession to enter their graduation ceremony. I intentionally underexposed to create a stark contrast between the black and white of their robes.
This woman's Thai food truck always smells delicious, but there's normally a long line so I haven't stopped to taste it (yet). The woman in the foreground was just placing her order.