Introduction to Working the Scene
Today’s blog is about ‘Working the Scene’. Do you work the scene? If not, I suggest that you do.
I have seen many photographers work the scene in all genres of photography. Even master photographers like Henri Cartier Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Richard Kalvar, Martine Franck, Diane Arbus, and Martin Parr worked the scene in the old days (one can especially see this in the book "Magnum Contact Sheets," which I recommend owning).
When one finds a good spot, he should spend some time there and not just get a shot that he likes and move on. It is also helpful to visit the area now and then.
Whenever I find a great spot, I always spend some time there, capturing every character that catches my eye and changing composition and angle if possible. By re-visiting the site on other days, you will see the area with fresh eyes and find newer compositions. Also, visiting the area at different times of the day changes the mood because the light changes.
My favourite place in Malta, which I visit very often, is City Gate in Valletta, where the new parliament building is.
City Gate, which in Maltese is called “Bieb il-Belt” is the main entrance to Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The latest entry is the fifth one since Valletta was built and is designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, who was entrusted with building the new Maltese Parliament and its surroundings.
I was lucky enough to have seen and photographed the demolition of the old buildings and the Valletta entrance, as well as the building of the new Maltese Parliament.
I have visited the place on different days, seasons, times, and weather. The first image I shot was in May 2015, and I still visit the place today. I found many compositions, some of which I discovered on the same day and some of which took me months to discover or see. I saw the light change during the day and the seasons. That is the beauty of revisiting a potential place.
In my opinion, it is a must for a Street Photographer to ‘Work the Scene’. It has been tried and tested by many photographers before us, and I am sure it will continue.
Look down at the images that I captured at City Gate in Valletta over the years.
2015 to 2018
2019 to 2022
The images shown here are to show what one can do with a small area. One keeps going because he is searching for a better image or better composition. Very few images come out as wows, others will be good, others will be ok, and the rest will be trash. It is both a process and a form of training for your eyes and mind.
