Persongalleriet #595: Porträtt i studio

Fick idag möjlighet att få lära mig lite om porträttfoto i studio med blixtar, softboxar etc proffsiga tillbehör. Min kompis från gatufotandet, Urban Bäcklund, som pysslat en hel del med det här med modellfoto, fick vara instruktör. Först var jag modell, då Urban fotade. Sedan fotade jag min fotointresserade arbets- och reskamrat, Jan Bäck. Sist men inte minst fotade Janne Urban. Här nedan ser ni som vill några av mina alster från dagen. Jag har pysslat mycket lite med den här typen av foto även om jag skaffat ett antal speedlights till min Nikon och ljussatt och fotat hemma med dem några gånger.

Ha det gott, alla!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #584: The Big Spotlight in the Sky

Trying to learn a thing or two from Master Alphan, yesterday I looked for those little spots of light that can make a subject really stand out from the background. It was a sunny day, which is almost a prerequisite, otherwise you would have to look for electric lighting to do the job. I have especially come to love indirect sunlight bouncing off a bright surface.

For this next shot, I had scouted the scene for a possible street still life, when this guy stopped me in the street and asked me to take his portrait.I asked him to go down the stairs and it turned out it was the door to his place of work!

Later in the day I found a spot with some Hollywood big screen studio lighting right in the heart of the city. The direct sun is on her back and a big, unpainted aluminium wall is shooting the sunlight right back in her face! As the background is much darker, I think the effect is pretty striking!

Now I have to get out on the streets! It's my last shooting day in Istanbul after all!

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #579: Meeting Canan.....and Ara Güler!

Had so much fun shooting in the streets of Beşiktaş with deviant art photographer and illustrator Canan last year that it was obvious to me that I should ask if she would like to meet up again this year! And she did!  :-)

Just like last year, a day with Canan will turn into a cat day!

Walking through back streets, shooting at small scenes quickly, suddenly we had a little scare. A second after taking this next photo, my brain registered something. - Was that a gun that guy had? Sort of a Kalashnikov?
- Oh my god, did you take a picture? We will be arrested!
Canan was sure that they were police, but I thought in that case they were very civilian in their dress, maybe with the exception of the kevlar... Well, of course we had no trouble in the end.  :-)

Water Pipe Selfie.

Canan with friends.  :-)

Phone Trio.

Batwoman without her mask.

This was shot at, legendary photographer, Ara Güler's restaurant, where Canan had brought me to have lunch. The waitress told us that the owner was there and wouldn't mind seeing a visitor! I have been so shy many times in the past in situations like this, but this time I thought: Why not! I went in and saw Mr Güler sitting at a table with a woman. There was a laptop and some papers on the table. I gave my respects and asked if I could take a picture. He said yes!

Ara Güler at his restaurant. March 8th, 2016.

As I was leaving, they had a quick conversation and the woman asked if I could take a picture of them working with her phone. Of course I obliged, after Mr Güler tipped me off what position would give the best light. I consider that a 30 second workshop with one of the greatest photographers ever!  ;-)

Well, me and Canan got the food and started eating. After a little while the woman came and asked me my name. She needed it so she could give me a credit for when it was published in the book they were working on! That would be incedibly cool if it actually happens! Well it was cool that she even asked! I asked if she could email it to me and she got my email adress.

I must say I was a bit starstruck after this and still am. After all, not many days ago I was looking at Mr Güler's amazing pictures from old Istanbul at his great website!

The day was not over yet and I did some more shooting with Canan as my guide!

The Yawn.

Running Children.

Canan and Two Orange Drinks.

Flower Women.

Finished up the day by walking "with the light" in Istiklar Caddesi, walking back quickly and then with the light again. Me and Canan said our goodbyes until next time at Taxim metro station.

At the Simit Stand.

Photographer at Work.

Cola Turk.

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #576: The Cloth Seller Revisited

Istanbul, March 5th, 2016.
I brought Alphan and Zia with me down a steep hill in "my" part of the city to meet a man who last April asked me to take his portrait (through sign language, since he didn't speak any English). He gave me his shop's card, so I could send the pictures, I guessed. I wrote about this experience in my blog here (sorry, in Swedish...). My plan was to send him pictures, but as I have a tendency to postpone things I still hadn't gotten around to it when it was time for me to go on this trip. Well, I put my printer to work and did some A4 copies for him.

It was good to have Alphan with me as he could translate and I could hear what he thought of the picture. Alphan says he remembered me well, liked the portrait and was happy to receive the copies!

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #574: Back in Istanbul, Day 1

Eleven hours of pure street photography fun!

I met up with Canadian street wiz Zia Kareem at nine at his hotel, which was quite close to the Blue Mosque. His daughter also joined us and we had a good chat. A coffee and çay later and Alphan Yilmazmaden also arrived and we could get started with a photo walk of epic proportions!  :-)

Alphan, Fuji, Zia and Sony at the start of the day!

Shooting has begun! Taking pictures, talking, watching the others as they work....so inspiring!  :-)

Dogs on the Tracks.
We started off going west along those tracks towards the Grand Bazaar.

The guys going about their business.

Young Man & Oranges.

Alphan and Bread.
We did a short detour (I'll get back to the reason for that in a later blog post) in the area close to my hotel, situated across the tram tracks from the south entrance to the Grand Bazaar.

After that we decided to go to the roman aqueduct and the butcher's district, where I had such a good time last year. To get there we walked through the University area.

Istanbul dogs are free to roam the streets.

Butcher's District: Zia and the Smiling Sheep Heads.

Street Photography at its best!.......it's got both Alphan AND Zia in it!   :-)  :-)

We walked down the hill towards Eminönu (the epicenter of the world of street photography, if you ask me!). Walked through som crowded, very crowded and completely-packed-until-nobody-could-move-crowded alleys to get there.

Happy on a Blue Bike.
This alley was just crowded.

Here's a shot from the very crowded alley.

This is from when it got REALLY crowded.

Finally at Eminönu, we had some glorious shooting!

Yes! That is Brother Alphan in the background!

Of course, after all this we needed some coffee and çay and a debriefing, looking a little at what we got.

And, of course, there is a LOT more to show and tell about this day. I will do that in future blogs here at fotosidan.se and in journals at deviantart.com.

Just one more picture for the road!

Be well everybody!

/Niklas