Working the Scene in Tokyo’s Shibuya
One of the first lessons learned as a new street photographer is to work the scene. That is, to move around the scene you are shooting for the best image to capture. I learned this lesson very early as I only had access to a single lens, a 50mm. I would love to claim artistic instinct, but in truth, I had no other choice.
As my hobby grew into a love affair and I began studying earnestly, I learned that working a scene was a best practice. All the greats practiced this concept in one way or another. As my camera collection grew, I practiced working the scene with each new lens. At some point, moving around the scene was not enough. I could see the best shot in my mind. I began to previsualize the scene I wanted to capture. This skill saved me a lot of film back then.
I soon missed the challenge of finding a second or third shot. I broadened my concept of working the scene to include different techniques. I still move my feet, but I shoot it three different ways when I have something I love. One such way is today’s photograph, taken in Shibuya, to juxtapose life's fleeting moments with the chaos that is Shibuya.
Shibuya Summer
I moved closer and further away, shot in portrait and landscape, and ultimately decided to drag the shutter to give the people walking past some motion blur. This is the image I saw in my mind, but it wasn’t about moving my feet or even changing lenses, it required a different approach, a different understanding of working the scene.
My idea came to life when I added the simple technique of a 1/30 shutter speed. I could have gone slower to 1/15, making the people look like ghosts. I could have even used an aperture of f1.8, focusing on the man with the phone. Even the classic f11 1/500 combination would have made a good shot.
In writing this and reviewing the image and the memory of making it, the best technique or way to work a scene is experience. Returning here and improving the original idea is the ultimate way to work the scene. Of course, the scene will never be quite the same, but the idea of it is. Working that idea into the best version of itself will work us into the best street photographers.
