Stories Behind 3 Photos – 2017 Week 21

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Helen C

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.
— Anthony J. D’Angelo

I do have a passion for learning, but, I have found out that, having passion for learning doesn’t make learning easier. 😉

Photo #1, the photo above — I wanted to take a photo and she happened to be there.

That day I was sitting on a tour bus in Vienna. I thought to myself, “I haven’t taken any street photo in this trip yet. I should at least take one.” So, while the bus was making a left turn, I lifted my camera and shot this photo.

The photo has a lot of noise in it – it was a cloudy day. Usually I would trash this kind of photos, but since I really like this woman’s face expression and how she walked (and how the other people were blurred), I decided to keep it.

Since I was sitting on a moving bus, the panning camera technique was accidentally used.

Photo #2 – it took me some effort to find her, and I am glad I did.

There were a lot of people shopping at Budspest Central Market Hall that day. If I just wanted a picture, any picture, I could get it done within seconds, but, somehow, I wasn’t in a mood of taking any picture. I wanted a photo of a special person, and I had no idea how this special person would look like.

How about that butcher? No, not quite. The sausage man? I don’t think so.

I walked around with a camera in my hand, wondering since when taking a street photo had become so difficult. It used to be as long as I could build up the courage and took a photo of a person, I would be happy. And now after walking for an hour, I was still looking for the subject.

Finally, I spotted her 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave. In my mind, I gave her a big hug and thanked her.

Photo #3 – it was all about the light.

One evening, driving on a country road looking for a photo opportunity, my husband and I saw a big old building. The soft evening light coated the building with a thin layer of gold and it looked beautiful.

“The light is bad,” my husband said.

Huh? I didn’t get it, but decided not to ask.

When we reached to the side of the building, he said, “Now it looks much better. You can see shadows and it looks more 3 dimensional.”

* * *
My neighbor invited us to his uncle’s farm for their Mother’s Day picnic. His uncle was very nice. He showed us their barn and all his tractors. Of course, we were busy taking photos. Actually, my husband was busy taking photos; I took some.

When we were done, my husband was the first one walking out of the barn, Uncle Lyle was following my husband, and I was behind Uncle Lyle. Right before Uncle Lyle stepping out, I saw the “good” light.

“Wait! Would you please stay here for one more minute?”

And I got the photo I wanted. 😉

Thanks for visiting my blog.

About Helen C

A retired computer programmer who loves writing and photographing, and has managed to publish a YA novel "Jin-Ling’s Two Left".
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44 Responses to Stories Behind 3 Photos – 2017 Week 21

  1. Mother Hen says:
    May 23, 2017 at 12:06 am

    Very nice Helen! If I could I would take more photos of people.. One day recently it was a very rainy day.. We had eaten lunch at one of our favorite places. When we walked out the cutest young lady was walking towards us. She had on black and white rain boots(maybe polka dots) and I think black umbrella and she was very put together in her manner of dress. I very much wanted to ask if I could take a picture of her…

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Helen C says:
      May 23, 2017 at 12:30 pm

      Thank you, Roberta. Trust me, I have had many of those experiences. 😉 Sometime I couldn’t get my camera ready fast enough; sometime I didn’t have the setting right; sometime I didn’t have enough time to overcome my shyness… In the beginning, it bothered me so much that I would think of that didn’t-take-photo the whole day. But it happened so often, so I finally learned to accept that taking photos with my eyes is okay too 😉
      Have a wonderful day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Mabel Kwong says:
    May 23, 2017 at 4:33 am

    Beautiful street photography all round, Helen. Each one of them is so unique, yet I feel that with each one there is a theme of moving, time and wandering among them. Nice to hear Uncle Lyle stop for a moment for your camera. He looks like a natural in front of your lens, and you framed the shot very well 🙂 LIke you, I am very shy about asking people to pose for my photos. Not that because the shot might turn out fake, but because I don’t want to offend them – some people just don’t like their photo to be taken.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Helen C says:
      May 23, 2017 at 12:41 pm

      Thank you, Mabel. You read my mind. These are photos of our lives. Each stage is a little different. The woman on the second photo is slowly moving out of the frame. ;-( Uncle Lyle had sold most of his farm, but he still keeps his tractors. Now I think of it, I should start with some kids’ photo 😉
      I don’t take picture of anyone who doesn’t want his or her photo to be taken. But you know something… the sad thing for me is that some people say they don’t want their photo to be taken, but they really do. I could sense their disappointment (because their photos were not taken), but there was so little I could do.
      Have a wonderful day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. Marga Demmers says:
    May 23, 2017 at 4:37 am

    I love your street photos, they show the human side of people. By the way, I know the feeling of walking around and around and not deciding which person you want to capture. Finally you took a beautiful picture, but more often than not I come home somewhat dissatisfied. Or, another possibility, I see on the screen something that adds value to the photo that I did not see when I took it (and should have, of course).

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    • Helen C says:
      May 23, 2017 at 12:47 pm

      Thank you, Marga. I laughed when I read your comment. I know exactly what you were talking about. 😉 There were times that if I could manage to stand in front of myself, I would slap my own face… I am hoping if I keep practicing, I will reduce those chances. Ha.
      Have a wonderful day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. GP Cox says:
    May 23, 2017 at 5:59 am

    Excellent job! I’m lucky if a take a shot that isn’t blurry and out of focus!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. loisajay says:
    May 23, 2017 at 7:27 am

    Helen, these are all wonderful, but that first photo….! I always try to take a photo like that, and if I do, it is strictly by accident. You are a great portrait artist. You capture the soul of people.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Helen C says:
      May 23, 2017 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks, Lois. I have been thinking of you since last Monday…
      I was quite surprise when I saw how the first photo had turned out. It is definitely “by accident”. Ha. But I did read an article recently (forgot which one), and it says if you use a longer shutter speed, and ask your model to stand still in a moving crowd, you will see the same result — people are blurry, but your model is clear. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet.
      Have a great day.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Anabel Marsh says:
    May 23, 2017 at 8:15 am

    Beautiful portraits. The last one is strikingly posed but my eye is more drawn to the others. The ladies have such similar (slightly world-weary) expressions.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Helen C says:
      May 23, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      Thank you, Anabel. You were right about the “world-weary” part. I thought there were something similar, but I had a hard time to find the word to describe it. THANKS!
      The last photo,..he was a farmer all his life, but he had sold most of his farmland. I guess I was trying to tell a story on aging.
      Have a great day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. restlessjo says:
    May 23, 2017 at 9:39 am

    I like your ladies. 🙂 Yes, as Anabel says, a little careworn. Real life!

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Amy says:
    May 23, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    I always love your street shots, Helen. It really is not as easy as it looks. You captured so well of the light and the facial express of the last image.
    Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Helen! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. lensandpensbysally says:
    May 23, 2017 at 5:38 pm

    Each capture has a strong narrative. Nicely done.

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. Lady Oscar says:
    May 23, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    I admire your photos. They’ve got spirit and warmth from you! Thank you for sharing them. They make my evening peaceful and joyful. ^^

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Jet Eliot says:
    May 26, 2017 at 12:44 pm

    Loved this introspection on people photographs, Helen. Each one is lovely, but Uncle Lyle with the light, in his barn, the pick-up and the cobweb, that one is a work of art.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Helen C says:
      May 28, 2017 at 9:15 am

      Good morning, Jet. Thank you for your comment. This is the first year that, sometime, I think I know what I am doing. It’s a good feeling. All the encouragements I have received help a lot. I am grateful to many bloggers I have met here. 😉
      By the way, I plan to give your novel to my daughter, who lives in Oakland, as a Christmas gift, Is there any way we can get an autographed copy? 😉
      Have a great day.

      Like

      Reply
  12. Sue Slaght says:
    May 26, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    Helen the three photos are all so different and I love each of them. I can’t believe how crisp and clear the first woman is since you took it on a moving bus. The bokeh effect in the background is fabulous and really shows the action. I wonder how many stories the woman in the second photo could tell us. Lastly the light on the face of Uncle Lyle is truly perfect indeed. Each photo stirred memories and brought emotion. Beautifully done!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Helen C says:
      May 28, 2017 at 9:23 am

      Good morning, Sue. Thank you for your kind comment. To be honest, I was surprised how the first photo turned out too. 😉
      I kept a copy of your newest post. I want to read it a couple more times and, maybe, do some shopping 😉 That is a GREAT post, Sue.
      Have a great day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. Otto von Münchow says:
    June 1, 2017 at 9:30 am

    Lovely images, Helen. It’s always fun to learn how photographers think when they take certain photos. Of these three the first one is my favourite, for exactly the reasons you point out; the character of the lady and the blurry background.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Helen C says:
      June 1, 2017 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks, Otto. Your comment means a lot to me.
      The moment I saw the first photo on my PC, I immediately thought of a comment you had made before (it was a comment for someone else), and I said to myself, “Ah, now I really know what Otto was talking about.” 😉
      I am still in a questing mode. Everyday I know a little more about myself as a photographer and that makes life very interesting..
      Thanks again.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. Miss Gentileschi says:
    June 17, 2017 at 11:38 am

    All of your pics are wonderful and inspired but I like the first one the best exactly because it was such a lucky shot 😄

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. Raj says:
    July 14, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    Great pictures.. first one really captures the emotion and the mood overall… Last one perfect play of lights and shadows! Great clicks!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Edward Tan says:
    July 20, 2017 at 12:04 am

    The first photo, the accidentally taken one, is special. Thanks to the blurred background, the lady’s facial impression really stands out. Well done, Helen.

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