Coffee Shop Candids.

Took a stroll into our local coffee shop here, and snapped a couple photos of the workers while ordering.

(I'm aware of the blown out glare on the menu)

Nothin' eh?

I really like these available light, B+W shots you took...a bit posed, but technically very good.

Reminds me of pictures you used to see from the '30's to the 60's....photo journalist stuff....they have a nice realistic quality about them....lighting and metering is very appealing.

Any more similar pictures you would like to share.

I don't have an EXIF translator so wonder what equipment and settings, ISO you used ?

I'm assuming you asked the first if you could take pictures of them. A buddy and I take a lot of city pictures...landscapes, buildings, etc.

We would like to take more candids of people...but we don't have the courage to summon up to ask them.

Any hints ?

Oh these weren't posed. Any sort of awkwardness probably comes from me nonchalantly taking photos for no reason. =)

I know these two so getting their photos wasn't very difficult, and I didn't exactly ask either. They are aware that I am attached to my camera at all times haha. However when it comes to photographing strangers, I guess that all depends on the lens that I am using. During that evening I had my 24mm attached so it's much more difficult to get these sort of images from complete strangers without asking permission. That said, I do enjoy walking really near people going the opposite direction and snapping photos with my camera down by my chest (I make it look like I am fiddling with it). I really get a lot of interesting stuff that way.

I'll post some of that if you're interested.


Camera Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/2.5
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 1250
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution 240 dpi
Y-Resolution 240 dpi
Software Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
Date and Time (Modified) 2011:02:13 16:51:23
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE
Date and Time (Original) 2011:02:13 13:01:54
Date and Time (Digitized) 2011:02:13 13:01:54
Max Aperture Value 1.4
Metering Mode Spot
Color Space sRGB
Focal Plane X-Resolution 3526.760563 dpi
Focal Plane Y-Resolution 3528.042328 dpi
Custom Rendered Normal
Exposure Mode Auto
White Balance Manual
Scene Capture Type Standard

Great conversions to black and white
Doesn't look posed to me, I prefer the 2nd one for the better lighting range and the foreground noise in the Bokeh.

CBownPhoto wrote in post #12012049
Oh these weren't posed. Any sort of awkwardness probably comes from me nonchalantly taking photos for no reason. =)

I know these two so getting their photos wasn't very difficult, and I didn't exactly ask either. They are aware that I am attached to my camera at all times haha. However when it comes to photographing strangers, I guess that all depends on the lens that I am using. During that evening I had my 24mm attached so it's much more difficult to get these sort of images from complete strangers without asking permission. That said, I do enjoy walking really near people going the opposite direction and snapping photos with my camera down by my chest (I make it look like I am fiddling with it). I really get a lot of interesting stuff that way.I do that occasionally. One of my cameras is an older Pentax K10D with a 12-24 mm attached...I have the battery grip on it and use the bottom shutter release button, rather than the one on top of the body. I think, most people aren't aware of some cameras having a shutter release at the bottom of the body.
I just got a Canon G12...looking at using that...it looks like a P+S...so it may draw less attention than a DSLR.

I have an old Leica Rangefinder- film- that I used to use...no shutter noise...so that was not bad.

I'll post some of that if you're interested.Thank you, that would be great. I think those two pics you posted are really good.


Camera Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/2.5
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 1250
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution 240 dpi
Y-Resolution 240 dpi
Software Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
Date and Time (Modified) 2011:02:13 16:51:23
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE
Date and Time (Original) 2011:02:13 13:01:54
Date and Time (Digitized) 2011:02:13 13:01:54
Max Aperture Value 1.4
Metering Mode Spot
Color Space sRGB
Focal Plane X-Resolution 3526.760563 dpi
Focal Plane Y-Resolution 3528.042328 dpi
Custom Rendered Normal
Exposure Mode Auto
White Balance Manual
Scene Capture Type Standard

Nice camera equipment...using a fast wide angle and a higher ISO worked well. I note that I couldn't really see any grain ..er...noise...at the high ISO.
Again, very nice photos....really have that '60's candid feel about them.

Thank you very much.

real nice BW. What did you use to convert? Silver FX?

I do most of my editing in bridge, and then import it over to Photoshop to adjust the curves, just enough to get strong blacks and no overexposure in the subjects.

Love it! Great conversion.

Nice

i think candid shots should depict the action, expression, or event, but these don't do too great a job of it.

on the technical side, great pictures and conversion!

stayhumble wrote in post #12020494
i think candid shots should depict the action, expression, or event, but these don't do too great a job of it.

on the technical side, great pictures and conversion!

Well, unfortunately for them... this was the action for that moment. Guess you could say it was a very slow evening.

Either way, thanks.

Lovely portraits with excellent PP. I like them.