Using the relationship between similar colours as a visual anchors a useful technique to engage with the viewer and to keep them looking at an image for longer. This is a really simple assignment, designed to make you think about the colours you see and to develop your powers of observation....
Excluding distractions and keeping compositions as simple and straightforward as possible is always good practice in photography - it is easier to create order and a sense of structure with only the bare essentials in the frame....
Some of your best street photography can be done during the hours of darkness and you should aim to complete at least one night shooting assignment....
Most landscape photographers use colours instinctively and to a large extent we are restricted in that we can't really choose colours - we have to shoot what's in front of is. However, there is some room for manoeuvre, in that we are able to frame compositions selectively and can seek out particular colour combinations. It's therefore worth getting to grips with basic colour theory before embarking on this assignment....
American photographer Mark Cohen adopted a 'no-finder' approach to street photography, where he would shoot instinctively, without looking through the viewfinder. As Cohen shot at very close range this often cut off heads and limbs and usually resulted in pictures with a sense of chaos and urgency....
A useful device in creating a harmonious image is using a 'frame within a frame', where you use a natural frame such as overhanging branches or an archway, to emphasise the focal point of your image. This technique keeps compositions tight, naturally directs attention toward the subject and can help enhance depth in the image by separating the foreground and background. ...
As street photographers we are the anarchists of the art, the rebels, the rule-breakers. Our art is often an immediate, passionate and creative pursuit that reflects a sense of urgency; there is little time to think about the rules, never mind apply them....
Our eyes are designed to locate and follow lines, whether they are natural or artificial, leading us instinctively to explore the scene in an image. A lead-in line is a simple visual trick that takes advantage of this to draw and direct the viewer's gaze into the frame....
Imagine that you are in a dystopian sci-fi world and that the town you live in will not exist this time next week - pretty easy to do when you are in the middle of a global Coronavirus pandemic. If it wasn't a viral outbreak it could be an invasion from space or a zombie apocalypse, but I had just seven days to record the essence of where I live in a set of 12 images...