Street Photography: Diving deep into shadows Down Under

At the mention of photographic subjects typically found in Australia and New Zealand, kangaroos, koalas, and kiwis usually come to mind. I confess, I did indeed photograph these and other critters on my recent trip to the antipodes. But the most fun I had was photographing the Aussies and Kiwis I saw while out and about. I suppose you would call it street photography Down Under.

The Shadows

I recently made my first visits to Australia and New Zealand. The trip was book ended by four days each in Sydney and Auckland — two sensational cities. In each, I was able to spend some time wandering around, enjoying the hustle and bustle. I took my camera and practised taking candid shots of the people I saw.

I will have more to say about my thoughts on street photography in forthcoming articles. But in this one, I will focus on the interplay of people and shadows.

Finding just the right setting for this type of photography requires bright sunshine, tall buildings which cast interesting shadows, and plenty of people. This seems unlikely during January and February in most places. But, of course, in the Southern Hemisphere they are readily available, right now.

So, in Auckland, and even more so in Sydney, I hit the jackpot.

Street photography down under

I am a newcomer to street photography and very much a learner, but recognise the appeal of geometric shapes, strong contrast, and the human form. I was therefore on the hunt for these ingredients.

To take this first photograph, I had stationed myself near a sharp transition between bright daylight and deep shadow. I waited for people caught in the bright sunshine, either emerging from or entering the shadow. This person, looking cool in his shades, happened to turn and look at me as I pressed the shutter release.

By the way, the photographs in this article were all taken with a single lens. I wonder if you can guess what it was? I will reveal its identity below.

In the next photo, having spotted an intriguing configuration of geometric shadows, I waited for someone to enter the frame. A young woman appeared, leaning against the wall as she waited for her boyfriend. While she was preoccupied with her phone, I sidled up discreetly, aligning her silhouette with the triangular shaft of light. This was the best of four or five hip-shots I took.

I spotted an interesting geometric mix of light and shadow in front of a business centre. I waited for someone to cross the space, and was fortunate to have a bloke in a white shirt appear. Apparently, standard business attire in Sydney, this provided the perfect complement to the deep shadow. The chrome railing and metal studs on the floor add additional interest.

In the photo below, a woman, literally a vision in white, appeared out of the blue at a cross-walk where I stood. As she stepped forward, checking to see if the traffic light was green, I took the shot. Catching her with one foot off the ground, her jacket gently lifted by the breeze, gives the photo an additional dynamic.

Two for one

I like this next photo because it contains two figures: one real, unaware of me, and one depicted on a poster, looking directly at me. I have a further example below of a similar juxtaposition — real person and not real person. Although I have not previously sought this type of opportunity, I think it can be quite effective.

I have also begun to look for situations where a person is lined up against some type of reference frame in the background. I can then lurk, with my camera aimed at the empty scene, waiting for someone to walk into it. Here are a few examples.

The first was taken at the entrance to a library. The classical style building had a beautiful portico, featuring a series of elegant Corinthian columns. This person, perhaps on their way to return a book, walked into the light, aligning himself nicely with one of the columns.

Here is an alternative approach, exploiting a silhouette. The curved, poured concrete wall in the background is brightly illuminated. The coarse texture of its surface is nicely captured in the image, and the geometric shadows add additional interest. It was on a busy street, with many people passing to and fro. Eventually, someone walked through the scene, not quite at a perfect distance from the wall, but pretty close. As they entered the shadow, they were silhouetted against the wall, apart from their trailing foot. Score.

Here’s another brightly lit wall, with a textured surface. The two vertical expansion joints seemed to define a frame into which a passing pedestrian might fit. As I waited, eventually a female figure in Doc Martins appeared, striding confidently up the stairs. I was able to time the shot to capture her placed centrally between the two lines. Too bad about the rogue pigeon.

Vapourware

As I roamed around, I saw numerous people on the street, vaping. They periodically exhaled clouds of vapour, which drifted about them. This person was backlit by a sinking afternoon sun. I was able to approach quite closely, camera at hip, as he stared at his phone. I snapped the shot as he exhaled, generating a cloud of swirling vapour caught in the sunlight.

This elegant, elderly lady walked purposefully along a colonnade, raising her arm to shade her eyes or adjust her oversized sunglasses. I liked the context provided by the rectangular lines of the columns and glass floor-tiles. The woman projected a powerful personality, as sharp-edged as the surrounding shadows.

As this girl fed a group of scavenging pigeons and gulls, they fluttered around her, excitedly. One flew up very close, catching her by surprise. Her expression is a mixture of alarm and delight. Even at a fast shutter speed, the pigeon’s wings are blurred at the tips.

This final photo is the only colour image in this small collection. I am sure you can see why. The photo was taken across a narrow street, looking at a blue-shirted mannequin in a shop window. It is holding a yellow ball, while crouching — perhaps meant to emulate some sporting posture.

I lined up the shot, hoping someone would walk through the frame, aligning themselves with the black column to the left of the window. I hit the jackpot when a person appeared wearing a bright red sweatshirt. It’s another example of a two-figure arrangement — one real, one not real. In this case, added interest comes from the red versus blue contrast.

More street photography down under would have been great

In retrospect, I wish I had been able to spend more time wandering the streets of Auckland and Sydney, photographing people. But I had to make time for photographing more traditional antipodean subjects, such as the Sydney Opera House or Hobbit houses.

I have definitely been bitten by the street photography bug. In a future article, I will describe how my approach to photographing strangers has changed from squeamishness to reckless abandon.

And the lens I used? The humble but superb Panasonic Lumix 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom. The chunky Leica SL2, coupled with this lightweight lens, made for an eminently practical walk-around kit.

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