Making figures anonymous

3rd October 2014

This exercise looks at using different techniques for making people unrecognisable and less prominent. The aim was to take two to four images for each method.

At the beginning of the exercises of part 4, I still felt uncomfortable and sensed that people regarded my actions as suspicious (I think because Mansfield is a town of high unemployment and benefit claimants). An article I came across written by  Eric Kim in Digital Photography School suggested that if one stood in the middle of a road junction, no-one would take any notice of that person. I gave it a go and it was correct - no-one noticed. This put it into perspective for me.

Small and Many

In the first image, the people are too big. The lads are too noticeable. The viewer doesn't really get an idea of the sense of scale of the place. In the final 3, the people become anonymous. As time went on, the numbers of people increased, and especially in Nottingham it was hard to tell in camera where one group started and another began.

1/90 f8 ISO400 EFL134mm Mansfield

1/320 f8 ISO160 98mm (5D) Nottingham

1/80 f8 ISO100  38mm (40D) Nottingham

1/60 f8 ISO100 EFL38mm (40D) Mansfield

Facing away
In both these images, the people are anonymous as they are facing away from the camera. The girl's blue hair is replicated in the doors of Primark.

1/60 f8ISO100 EFL168mm (40D) Mansfield

1/200 f8 ISO 640 35mm (5D) Nottingham

In silhouette

The group of people walking towards me are in silhouette. Apart from the direction of their feet, the viewer would find it hard to distinguish which way the shoppers are facing. I struggled to find shadows of people on walls due to the time of year and misty days.

1/45 f8 ISO400 EFL168mm (40D) Mansfield

1/1250 f6.3 ISO400 99mm (5D) Southwell

Partly obscured

In image 1, the lady is hiding behind fabric on the market stall making her face and torso obscured giving her anonymity. The mirror in image 2 shows people who don't appear in the image which adds interest to the photo. Image 3 has people obscured in the bus shelter reflection. The joins in the mirrored panels on the hotel obscure the people making them unrecognisable.

1/30 f8 ISO400 EFL93mm (40D) Nottingham

1/45 f8 ISO400 EFL 168mm (40D) Nottingahm

1/60 f8 ISO400 EFL38mm (40D) Nottingham

1/60 f8 ISO100 105mm (5D) Nottingham

Motion blur

Image 1 shows a shopper in motion blur. She has become quite unrecognisable. The people in image 2 were caught in the reflection of the hotel. The angle distorts them and the motion blur makes them unrecognisable. In image 3, I looked at capturing people without heads to emphasis their feet outside a shoe shop.

1/15 f8 ISO100 12mm (Canon Powershot G11) Nottingham

1/15 f8 ISO100 73mm (5D) Nottingham

1/20 f8 ISO400 EFL134mm (40D) Nottingham

Bibliography

Eric Kim, Digital Photography School http://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-the-aspiring-street-photographer/ accessed October 2014