This module posed some new challenges for me. Unlike last module when I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do from the very beginning, this time I was in two minds. The two options I couldn't decide between were street and food photography.
Both genres are to be incorporated into the Culture Crossroads project so I decided that it was high time I worked more on that aspect of the project. During the past few modules, I focused much more on architecture and history and a bit of landscape photography but had virtually no time for street and food photography.
Naturally, a culture is the sum total of both history, architecture, cuisine and mentality (along with the customs, traditions and rituals that go with it) so my first choice of a topic was street photography.
Truth be told, I am not a street photographer and cannot say I am good at it. Most of the street photographs I have are accidental shots of people, stolen moments that I noticed around me. Paradoxically, I have never intentionally gone out to take street shots. One of the reasons is that I am too shy, I think, to approach people and have their picture taken.
The image above is one of the first-ever street images I have taken. This girl was just sitting next to me at the bus stop, waiting for the vehicle to arrive. I used my phone, to avoid being noticed. The quality is really poor but I loved her colourful bracelets.
Another image I took by accident, just because I had a compact camera with me and the mother and child didn't see me. Still, with the GDPR as it was initially released, I wouldn't be able to capture moments like that without permission.
This image was just a coincidence - I came to take pics of the building but then I saw this man. This place is known as the Bulgarian 'wall of weeping' since it used to be the place where university admission exam results were displayed. 20 years ago, you had only one shot per year which meant that you can choose to apply to only one university (if you were a girl) or to the university and military academy (if you were a boy). If they didn't accept you, you had to work for a whole year before being eligible to apply again. So, naturally, this place has seen a lot of tears, hence the name. Today, examination results are still displayed here BUT very few people go since there is an electronic system where you can check your results online. This man, though, had come here to see the results in person and he wasn't very pleased. I had a few seconds to capture this moment and I wasn't even looking for something like that.
Usually, I find the most interesting street shots, when I am not looking for them - like the two examples below. What is more - people in Eastern Europe are not exactly keen on having their picture taken.
They are also quite suspicious to anyone with a camera. If that 'anyone' is a stranger with a DSLR, things get even worse. So this module I wanted to experiment with this genre and see what I can do. However, there was a huge obstacle - the GDPR.
When the GDPR regulation came into effect a few weeks ago, people in Eastern Europe began fearing doing anything until the matter is legally resolved. According to the regulation, any kind of data, images of people too, were considered personal data and were subject to agreement between the photographer and the model. This meant that any photographer aiming at taking pics of people and candid street scenes would have to have a written permit from everyone in the frame BEFORE pressing the shutter button. In Bulgaria there was an outrage from photo journalists and photographers in general, so currently the regulation is being modified according to the Bulgarian legislative system. Unfortunately, by the time the whole adaptation kicks into effect, this module would be over so even though I wanted to try my hand at street photography, it simply had to wait.
The image above is one of the first-ever street images I have taken. This girl was just sitting next to me at the bus stop, waiting for the vehicle to arrive. I used my phone, to avoid being noticed. The quality is really poor but I loved her colourful bracelets.
Another image I took by accident, just because I had a compact camera with me and the mother and child didn't see me. Still, with the GDPR as it was initially released, I wouldn't be able to capture moments like that without permission.
This image was just a coincidence - I came to take pics of the building but then I saw this man. This place is known as the Bulgarian 'wall of weeping' since it used to be the place where university admission exam results were displayed. 20 years ago, you had only one shot per year which meant that you can choose to apply to only one university (if you were a girl) or to the university and military academy (if you were a boy). If they didn't accept you, you had to work for a whole year before being eligible to apply again. So, naturally, this place has seen a lot of tears, hence the name. Today, examination results are still displayed here BUT very few people go since there is an electronic system where you can check your results online. This man, though, had come here to see the results in person and he wasn't very pleased. I had a few seconds to capture this moment and I wasn't even looking for something like that.
Usually, I find the most interesting street shots, when I am not looking for them - like the two examples below. What is more - people in Eastern Europe are not exactly keen on having their picture taken.
They are also quite suspicious to anyone with a camera. If that 'anyone' is a stranger with a DSLR, things get even worse. So this module I wanted to experiment with this genre and see what I can do. However, there was a huge obstacle - the GDPR.
When the GDPR regulation came into effect a few weeks ago, people in Eastern Europe began fearing doing anything until the matter is legally resolved. According to the regulation, any kind of data, images of people too, were considered personal data and were subject to agreement between the photographer and the model. This meant that any photographer aiming at taking pics of people and candid street scenes would have to have a written permit from everyone in the frame BEFORE pressing the shutter button. In Bulgaria there was an outrage from photo journalists and photographers in general, so currently the regulation is being modified according to the Bulgarian legislative system. Unfortunately, by the time the whole adaptation kicks into effect, this module would be over so even though I wanted to try my hand at street photography, it simply had to wait.
Hence, to be on the safe side, I chose something else I have been fond of for the past years - food photography. As an integral part of any culture, the local cuisine is the best way to really feel the place you are visiting. So far, however, I have concentrated mostly on other aspects of my project and have used each opportunity to see more and document more of the Balkans. I kept postponing taking food images for two reasons:
1) food photography can be done in a controlled environment and the only thing you need is a quiet place and some food to photograph
2) I've had no time to do something new
1) food photography can be done in a controlled environment and the only thing you need is a quiet place and some food to photograph
2) I've had no time to do something new
As for experience, I have always been a fan of food photography - actually started with photographing whatever food was at hand at home and then moved on to creating some more difficult compositions and created a makeshift studio in my bedroom (a really makeshift thing). Still, things worked but as I progressed, I found out I want to photograph other things.
Still, I made up my mind to try and produce images of local Bulgarian food for the sake of this module. There was a problem though - how do you photograph your own cuisine and make it appealing to both locals and foreigners from the other end of the world without making it look like a cliche and doing something artistic?
I am yet to find out.
Still, I made up my mind to try and produce images of local Bulgarian food for the sake of this module. There was a problem though - how do you photograph your own cuisine and make it appealing to both locals and foreigners from the other end of the world without making it look like a cliche and doing something artistic?
I am yet to find out.
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