I Tried Street Photography in Berlin (and it Didn't Go Well)
During the only trip that kept me away from Vienna this summer, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I would find myself in Berlin for the second time, with a few more days and fewer must-see places than the first time. Inspired by recent readings about some of the most famous photographers of recent times, I thought that with Berlin's dynamism, I could test my eye for street photography and maybe, who knows, come up with something interesting.
With my new camera and a 24-105 lens, I expected to capture spontaneous urban life scenes and authentic moments of Berlin life. However, the three days of shooting I accumulated can be summarized as follows:
First Day: Failure. Nothing interesting when walking among the crowds of tourists, just masses of people taking selfies in front of monuments and nothing that really caught my attention.
Second Day: Discovery. I discovered that my camera has a silent shutter mode, which could help me not attract attention! Reading and studying the techniques of those who do this regularly, I understood that there are two main ways to do street photography. We could define the first as the "In your face" method, very direct and provocative, which risks annoying people and attracting unwanted confrontations. The second is more discreet, which hides the observer as when we think someone is greeting us but is actually looking at the person behind us; we could define it as the "I still haven't figured out how this camera works/Not you, the one behind you" method. One of the great advocates of this strategy is the photographer Garry Winogrand, whom I haven't studied in detail but is known to many as a great example of this technique. Without experience in street photography, I don't think the first method would have worked for me, but in any case, the second day also resulted in failure: especially in less illuminated contexts, like the subway, the shots came out very blurry, and for the little bit of interesting stuff I found in tourist places, the fact of not being used to shooting without using the viewfinder. Among the few shots that are saved, I like those that depict structures, which are more architectural photographs.
The third day, however, when we started discovering other parts of the city and something in the end, especially in the editing phase, I liked very much. Below are the photos that made me realize I still have a lot to learn and that I am still far from Elliott Erwitt.
In the afternoon, watching the barges crossing the river, we also felt like giving it a try. The closest (and open at that hour) pier we found was hidden in a part of the city that crossing and visiting was perhaps the most incredible moment of the entire trip for me.
At the end of this covered path by stacks of curiously and chaotically piled objects, we found a different Berlin waiting for us, a corner of romance and tranquility, if it weren't for the music played at the "volume of Berlin". For those who don't know, music in Berlin has only one volume: loud.
Guten Morning Barbie & Ken
From the boat we rented, actually a pedalo that exhausted our legs, a side quest of our adventure began: boarding the boat and conquering the throne with the most beautiful view of the city, obviously for those who love this kind of thing...
Immediately afterward, we set off to conquer the distant bridge. Sincerely, at the moment of the shots, all my concentration was taken by the panorama. This would not surprise my mother, who from the photos of my school trips has always and only received horizons. In the editing phase, however, I realized that among the architectural lines, I had captured some stories, which I tried to bring out. These, for me, are the most beautiful shots of this my attempt with street photography.
The man on the right walking alone, the couple behind him, the solitary man leaning against the column. Who knows who they were...
The options for the image framing were at least two, but aren't the clouds and reflections on the water also a spectacle?
Even here, every zoom tells a story of its own. To me, they all seem like shadows so solitary moving in a world too big.
A last look at this different Berlin before heading back.
With the beginning of the evening, my problems with lack of light and blurry surroundings resurfaced. I kept just a few shots that left me with the impression, in the confusion, of still telling something about Berlin life.
Pizza pa ta a(L)ate is obviously an Italian food restaurant that cares a lot.
In the end, despite the failure of my enterprise (for which, among other things, I didn't have high expectations), at least I managed (finally) to capture the trail of the subway behind the person who supported me throughout the trip and who, despite this, made this adventure possible.
After all, it could have gone worse... the subway could have stopped earlier, out of frame.
