Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Shooter Files Series

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week:
“Train Reflections”

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Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken on a train ride just outside Poltava, Ukraine. I was visiting my good friend in Poltava and she was taking me to see some of the smaller villages in the area. It was the type of older, simpler train made for short commutes instead of long distance travel and I decided to walk around to see if I could find anything interesting. In between the cabins, people come to smoke and I noticed this older man watching the rural landscape roll by as he smoked his cigarette. What interested me the most were the multiple reflections going on in the scene. I made the shot through the door window of the cabin so you could see the reflections of different windows, scenery and people, while leaving the front of the man the least affected. The woman to the right looked back at me just as I snapped the photo.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/4
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 800
  • Focal Length: 35mm

33 Street Photography Photos from One Week in Kiev, Ukraine

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My trip in Eastern Europe started in Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev. Ukraine became my best travel surprise in a while and Kiev was a big reason why. I lucked out with the weather and saw nothing, but sunshine my whole week in Kiev. It was warm, beautiful and the perfect weather for Street Photography. 

While the light was amazing, there was plenty more that I loved about Kiev for photography. It was one of the most photography friendly places I’ve been to, there was so much life to capture, it had its own unique atmosphere and while very walkable, the metro was great too. On top of that, Kiev is a beautiful city that costs a fraction of any other large European city right now.

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Outside of photography, there’s plenty to do and see, amazing food, culture, architecture, and a great vibe. I could imagine spending a lot more time in Kiev and loving every minute of it. I can’t recommend the place enough.

For more on my impressions of Kiev, check out the post I wrote about the city from my Street Photography perspective here.

And for 33 Street Photography photos I captured during my week in Kiev, just start scrolling… 

[Read more…] about 33 Street Photography Photos from One Week in Kiev, Ukraine

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week:
“Currency Exchange”

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Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Kiev, Ukraine at Kontraktova Square. It was starting to get dark, but there was still a lot of activity going on since the square is by a metro, tram and bus stop. I was walking by the long line of mini-market kiosks and fast food joints when I noticed this bright yellow currency exchange store in the middle. I also noticed a small boy standing in the doorway holding a paper bag and wearing what looked to be a school uniform. His blonde hair and the way he was dressed added to the colorful scene. His expression also showed he wasn’t too happy waiting there, which makes sense considering Ukraine’s current currency problems :) So I made the shot just as he looked at me, while keeping his solemn expression.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/4
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 800
  • Focal Length: 35mm

7 First Impressions of Kiev
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

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My Eastern European Street Photography Road Trip started in Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev. I spent a few weeks total in Ukraine and to say I liked the country would be a major understatement. I loved Ukraine and it was one of the best travel surprises I’ve had in a while.

I’ll have a few posts covering the places I visited in Ukraine, with a focus on Street Photography and the many reasons I liked Ukraine so much. 

I’ll start with Kiev, though, and a few first impressions of the city, from my personal Street Photography perspective.

[Read more…] about 7 First Impressions of Kiev (From a Street Photography Perspective)

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week: “Yellow Balloons”

balloon lady-1

Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Kiev, Ukraine by Independence Square. On Sundays, they close down the street by the square so people can walk freely everywhere. This attracts plenty of people and activity. I didn’t understand what the event was, but for some reason a few people were holding these gigantic nets of yellow balloons, waiting to release them into the air. This woman stood out in her pink shirt and bucket hat. She was very stoic and didn’t seem to be paying attention to anything, just tightly holding the balloons. I also liked how the sunlight really made the yellow of all those balloons stand out and how it left a shadow around her eyes. I made the shot, trying to show just how many balloons she was holding, while also keeping her expression and character unchanged. She never paid me any attention, just kept holding those thousands of balloons.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/11
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 400
  • Focal Length: 35mm

A Shooter in… Rome, Italy
with Eolo Perfido

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The Shooter :

Eolo Perfido

Eolo Perfido has lived around the world, but for much of his life, including now, the city of Rome has been his home. He has worked with some of the greats in photography, including Elliot Erwitt and Steve McCurry, and while his career focuses on advertising and portrait photography, Street Photography has become a big passion of his as well.

[Read more…] about A Shooter in… Rome, Italy with Eolo Perfido

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week: “Doorway”

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Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Istanbul, Turkey in the Balat neighborhood. I was looking at this colorful wall when a girl ran over to the door to go inside. I brought my camera up to take a photo, but she ran inside before I could make a good shot. I could hear laughter coming from inside and then suddenly a different girl opened the door to look at me. It only lasted a second as she quickly re-closed the door, but I was able to capture this shot in that split second. After that, the curious girls looked at me through the window a few times while laughing and closing the curtain each time I saw them. 

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/11
  • Shutter Speed: 1/350
  • ISO: 400
  • Focal Length: 35mm

Project Files:
A Street Hunt Episode in Istanbul from StreetHunters.Net

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A Street Hunt in Istanbul

A month ago I had the honor of being included in the new episode of Street Hunt from StreetHunters.net. In the Street Hunt videos, Spyros Papaspyropoulos, co-founder of Street Hunters, leads a filmed Street Photography walk in cities around the world. For his newest episode, he came to my current home, Istanbul. 

[Read more…] about Project Files: A Street Hunt Episode in Istanbul from StreetHunters.Net

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week: “Headless Hand”

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 Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Istanbul, Turkey along the Golden Horn. Parks and grass line the shore in this area and I was walking to Balat when I noticed a man in a gray suit sitting against a tree. A couple of things stood out about him. The tree perfectly hid his head, creating a funny illusion, and he was talking with his hand while on his cell phone. So I walked up just behind him and captured this shot just as he put his hand up, almost like he was saying hello to nobody.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/8
  • Shutter Speed: 1/350
  • ISO: 400
  • Focal Length: 35mm

A Shooter in… Tel Aviv, Israel
with Gabi Ben Avraham

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*A Shooter Files interview series featuring photographers from around the world with a focus on capturing Street Photography in their own cities and countries 

The Shooter :

Gabi Ben Avraham

Gabi was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and never left. You can experience so much of the city just by looking through Gabi’s work. He captures the life of Tel Aviv in a way that would make anyone want to visit.

[Read more…] about A Shooter in… Tel Aviv, Israel with Gabi Ben Avraham