The Biscuit Barrel

You get to your subject, get off the tram or out of the car. Bike, whatever.

You check your gear.

You look, you see. What’s going on? What’s this about?

What is the shot i need to take? What is the shot i WANT to take? What is the shot that will happen, the natural one that you don’t force. The one that tells the only truth you have to see?

Can i do all three?

Step close, listen to the crowd. Listen and watch for non-verbal cues. What’s the semiotic language available to me. What are the symbols, what do they mean?

I’ve listened and I’ve learned what i can say and how. I’ve seen the people and I’ve seen their eyes.

I move back.

I shoot the wide shot. The one with the most context, the one that defines what’s going on in clear, easy to understand ways. Street-signs, people, gestures and context tell the story. I have almost everything i need. But what do i want?

I get closer. People start being entities, not crowds. You catch faces, gestures. The big faces first, then the small, then both. After all, the big faces is whwat people care about, why you are there. This is work, no time for fun.

My eyes move over the crowd.

You hold the camera to your chest so people can see it, never hide it. They need to get used to you, to feel comfortable. Don’t blink. More calmly. This is Zen, this is where you’ve learned through hard work to live. It’s what you love, this is what I love.

I hunt, I snap. I try to explain what’s happening, what I think is happening. This is the moment where opinions matter.

I move closer.  My subject is lurking somewhere out there. The hunt is on. Keep moving. Things happen, people move, you notice beforehand what’ll go on. You position yourself, you check your settings. You wait for the moment.