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What You're Looking For & What You're Looking At

Updated: Dec 26, 2023

A thought on perspective and the intended effect of a photo.


OBEY Giant, Street Photography, Obey, Los Angeles
What does the chain link fence represent in this context?

The feeling of discovering your shot is more fun than pressing the shutter button. I often locate a person, a location, an object, or light and shadows playing well before I know what the shot will be. Once my interest has peaked I try to find an angle, or perspective that make the shot more interesting.


There are a series of shots leading to that one still that captures what I have in my head, but its rarely the first one.


Go High & Go Low

Climb on top of a car, or a fence. Crawl under a dumpster, or lay on the ground. Change your perspective to change your shot. You will discover something entirely different, and often something you like better.


OBEY Giant, Street Photography, Obey, Los Angeles

OBEY Giant, Street Photography, Obey, Los Angeles

Get Closer & Back Up

Often the depth you're looking for is behind you. The right shot will hit you like a ton of bricks when you see it through the lens. Your emotions on the day will inform your response and the photos will represent your mental state.

There is a vast difference between taking a picture and making a photograph.

Robert Heinecken


The Why

The sounds of Los Angeles early morning traffic and the crush of advertising we're an assault on my senses. A mural speaking to the strength of immigrant peoples, and their desire for something better obscured by layers upon layers of advertising. Using four stills of the same model to sell the clothes designed by a company following in the failed footsteps of American Apparel and run by a CEO facing several abuse and sexual harassment charges.


What exactly are we selling? Interpretation is for the viewer. I had my opinions when I shot the photo.


OBEY Giant, Street Photography, Obey, Los Angeles
Quality Obscured by Quantity - Chris Hawkinson

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