Other Lands, Other Cultures
NEX-6, 18-55mm E-Mount Lens @ 25mm, Aperture Priority Mode, 1/60 secs, ISO 250, f/8
The main reason for my lack of posts over the last three months or so is that I have been travelling a fair bit in both my work and personal lives, so it makes sense to tick off the ‘Other Lands, Other Cultures’ photograph with some shots that I have managed to take abroad – specifically in Majorca (work) and Portugal’s Algarve (personal). I have chosen the featured image as it embodies the theme quite nicely, due to the lack of outdoor kitchens (manned by fishermen at least) in the UK! I also enjoy the engagement between subject and photographer, as the fisherman proudly displays his catch, which is about to be prepared for myself and a number of family members and friends to eat.
A couple enjoying a rest in Majorca.
In order to really show the ‘other cultures’ part of the title, it is necessary for the photographs to contain a human element more often than not, which takes the majority of the shots you will see in this post into the realms of ‘street photography’ – something that I am not fully comfortable with just yet! Whilst I really do enjoy looking at other people’s street photography images, and would dearly love to take many of my own, I think I need to build up my confidence in approaching random people and taking candid photographs of them, as I really feel as though I am intruding when doing so!
This smooth gent didn’t have much to say about me taking his photograph!
In theory, compact cameras like the NEX-6 are less obtrusive for street photography, when compared to something like a full sized DSLR, but I still seem to get gripped almost every time I point my camera at somebody that I don’t know! And in some ways the smaller camera makes me feel more self-conscious because it makes me look more like an amateur taking random shots of people (which I pretty much am!), than if I had a larger, more professional-looking DSLR – which may turn me from ‘strange creep’ to ‘interesting photographer’ in the mind of my victims. At least some of my subjects cannot complain though, as in the above shot.
Our waiter preparing flambéed crepes for dessert. Cinnamon powder being added is the cause of what he referred to as ‘stars’.
What I find easier than taking photos of complete strangers going about their daily lives, is when in a situation where you already have built a rapport with the subject, even though you may not have known them for more than a few minutes. I took the above image in a restaurant in Carvoeiro, whilst the waiter was preparing our dessert. He seemed to really enjoy preparing the crepes, and was more than happy for me to take photos of him at work. A slowish shutter speed of 1/50 of a second allowed me to capture some movement in the burning cinnamon, and I can claim justification for the photo’s inclusion in this theme because the waiter told us that it was now illegal for this to be done at the table of restaurants in the UK, for health and safety reasons! I haven’t checked to see whether or not that is true…
Some young models promoting Roxy and Quicksilver take a stroll, with price labels still attached to everything.
Towards the end of the holiday in Portugal, I visited a type of fair in a local town where many things were happening, including a dog show, fashion show, street entertainers, and many stalls showing off local products. I found this to be a good way of overcoming some of my concerns about photographing people that I did not know, as there were many people there working and expecting to have photos taken of them. I snapped the youngsters above from a distance to begin with (probably about 40 metres), using my telephoto lens, not realising that they were models and assuming they had been to the beach recently. It was only when they got closer that I realised they were promoting clothes and accessories, and I didn’t feel so guilty about having taken their photograph.
I took this photo of a Roxy model during their fashion show.
A little later in the day I happened to walk by the same models putting on a fashion show – along a catwalk with music and announcer. I have never photographed a model previously, but managed to get a couple that I was relatively happy with – for this shot I crouched down and angled the camera slightly, for a more interesting composition. I probably didn’t have to crouch too low in order to shoot up at the model, being shorter than her to begin with, but it was good to get some blue sky in the background.
A performer entertains visitors to the fair.
Walking amongst the visitors there were a number of other entertainers, such as mimes, jugglers and the lady above. The photo of her would have benefitted from a clearer background, but I was limited by the number of people walking by (there are others about to walk into shot from the right!), and I also had my 55-210mm telephoto lens attached when I saw her, so wasn’t able to get too close without completely removing the ribbon from the shot. Maybe it will be possible to remove the people walking behind, with the help of Photoshop, so I will need to look into trying that when I get a chance.
The local radio station was broadcasting from the event, which meant I was able to grab this shot of the DJ.
I caught this little chap taking a well earned rest, and looking proud of himself, having won a 1st prize in the dog show earlier.
Whilst people and animals are often very useful for telling a tale of different cultures, it is not always necessary for them to be the main focus of an image. During my earlier business trip to a convention in Majorca, I grabbed a few shots during one of the break sessions – when everybody was able to enjoy a bit of sun, outside on the balcony.
Not a standard business setting for the UK.
Simple objects can also be used to tell a story with your photography, setting a scene and telling people something about where you took the shot. Below are two images that I took in the town of Albufeira, along the coast from where we were holidaying. One shows a lifeguard station on the beach, and the other shows the effect of tourism on the town!
I’ve never seen this on Blackpool beach.
Brits Abroad! Presumably this outdoor escalator was built for tourists who find walking up and down ordinary stairs too much of a drag when on holiday.
Of course ‘culture’ can mean many different things, from food and entertainment, how the weather effects people’s daily lives, and even the way in which graffiti may be drawn or painted. In Portimao, I came across a couple of buildings that had been turned into a celebration of art.
This derelict building had been painted to advertise the Portugal Underground Film Festival, from the previous year.
Right next door to that was another wall which had been converted into a piece of art, which by itself was very interesting. However, I do believe that my photograph went from being a simple record shot of the artwork, into something telling more of a story, by the inclusion of the young lady that kindly posed for me to take the shot. This is definitely one of my favourite shots that I have ever taken, because I made the effort to add a bit of humour (or mystery) to the image, which makes it more interesting overall.
I enjoyed taking this shot above all others, as I had a direct impact on the outcome by asking the girl to pose in the way she is doing.
I have to admit that I did not come across a vast number of derelict buildings that had been turned into something more interesting, in order to brighten up the area, and I’m sure that there are a number of projects along the same lines in the UK as well, but it was still nice to see that people had made an effort to make the most of a potential eyesore. As in the UK also, not all of the graffiti I came across was particularly full of artistic merit, but I did quite like this small slogan spotted on the walk down into Carvoeiro one evening.
During my two trips abroad I took the opportunity to take more than just street photography and/or candid type shots, with plenty of landscapes and holiday snaps of my family and friends thrown in as well. They would not really fit into the theme of this post though, but I will let you into a secret of a special little beach that we found, just in case you are ever in the area. A word of warning though – it isn’t easily accessible to those who have difficulty with stairs, as you need to walk down a steep staircase through the cliffs. It could really do with an escalator!
A view of the rocky outcrop at Praia do Carvalho, taken from the surrounding cliffs.
I was experimenting with my fish eye lens whilst on the beach, to see how it suited a different style of photography to which they are normally used for.
Another shot of the rocky outcrop taken from the above cliffs, this time using a natural hole in the rocks to frame the shot.
So, if you plan on holidaying on the Algarve at some point, please do search out Praia do Carvalho if you are in search of a picturesque sun trap one day. It is fairly close to Carvoeiro, which is worth a visit itself as well, where I can recommend the restaurant Casa Ibérica – sit upstairs and when David (waiter and the owner’s son) gives you a free glass of port at the end of the meal, tell him I sent you and ask for one of his father’s cigars to go with 😉
A great restaurant, by Carvoeiro beach, for some tapas and a bottle of wine – finished nicely with port and a cigar.
So, during my time away I feel that I did get some good practice at taking street photography style shots, often helped by the fact that my subjects weren’t just random passersby, and as such were quite open to having their photographs taken. Now I just need to get some practice and build my confidence when shooting the general public…
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