As our summer days start to grow shorter, I have to remind myself to get outside earlier with my camera.
Riverside’s Art Walk typically starts at 6 pm.
For the month of August, that’s when the light is golden, very directional but often difficult to manage due to the extreme contrast.
Sometimes it’s best not to fight it and just expose for the highlight especially when you want to work fast and not pull out a speedlite for off-camera use.
Accept that there will be no detail in the shadows.
In that instance pick out some form that is recognizable and has interesting texture and let your imagination run with it
I tend to use my 50mm lens as my walking around lens.
I favor it more than the 80-200 non-IS zoom lens because I usually ask folks if it’s ok to take pictures of them unlike many other photographers who aren’t comfortable talking with strangers.
Using a long lens means I have to step back away from my subject but in crowds, that’s an impossible situation.
The wonderful evening light also provides great ambience for concerts on the roof of the Life Arts Building.
Take a look at UC Riverside Keroncong’s pictures when they performed on the roof.
[flagallery gid=62]I don’t feel my picture-taking should hold up the foot traffic on sidewalks.
The last thing I want is to have folks to think I’m so important that they have to yield to me.
So the ability to blur out backgrounds using a long lens is nullified by crowds of folks walking into my frame and ‘photobombing’ my picture.
Maybe you’ll get to see if my piece of advice works if you come down to Riverside’s next Art Walk on Thursday Sept 4.
Look for me and stop to say hello.
Peter Phun Photography
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