Street | Urban | Travel | Photography by Marcus Puschmann
“Uzbekistan explored – People of Khiva” is the first in a series of blogposts about our recent journey through beautiful Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is an amazing place for street photography, the people super friendly and open to be photographed. Continue after the jump to see more street images from Khiva, our first destination in Uzbekistan.
Continue reading “Uzbekistan explored – People of Khiva”
Uzbekistan is not only colorful. It super friendly to the traveling street photographer. I‘ve never visited a country before where people are so easygoing about being photographed. They see a camera directed their way, they generally flash a smile! The Significant Other (the iPhone shooter) even observed, the bigger the camera the easier they agree to a photo. So photographing the bride and her friend during a quiet moment on her big day’s wedding photography session near Samarkand‘s Registan Square was easy. When the friend saw me aiming the Nikon, she started smiling. Amazing!
I took the photograph with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Image specs 1/400 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 180 and 190 mm focal lenght. Jpg straight out of camera, no postprocessing.
Have I mentioned what a fantastic monochrome camera the Nikon Zf is? Even with a budget travelzoom attached.
Have a great Sunday
Marcus
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Life is colorful in Uzbekistan. That‘s were we are since last weekend. The Significant Other and I are touring the magical cities of the historic Silk Road. After starting off in Tashkent, we continued on to Chiwa, then Buchara, and arrived today in Samarkand. Uzbekistan is a great place for photography. Colorful, vibrant, full of historic places. And especially great place for street photography. The locals are super friendly, generally smile when you signal you want to take a picture and many want to talk to you. They are curious to talk to you, living in a country that has just started to open up to tourism.
The cities, all of them more than two thousand years old, are full of life, especially at night, when the temperatures drop to comfortable levels. The two girls holding the balloons are standing in front of the Mir-Arab Madrasa of Buchara, an active university founded and built in the 16th century. The buidling is part of the Poi Kaylan complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I will share photos from this achitectural marvel in a later post.
I took the photograph with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor 40mm f/2. Image specs 1/50 sec @ f/8, ISO 6400 and 40mm focal lenght. Jpg straight out of camera, no postprocessing.
Have a great Friday
Marcus
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Sometimes a street image demands color. Like this one, taken in Genoa’s medieval old town near the Genova Piazza Principe railway station. The warm glow from inside the shop juxtaposes perfectly with the dark street and the bold statement on the wall that translates to “Bite the State”. The color contrast captures the mood of the image, the contrast between public dissent and tranquil private life on a quite late evening. The warm light inside feels safe and calm, very different from the dark and gritty street outside. Things like the tilted street sign, worn walls, and wet pavement suggest a place that’s been a bit forgotten or ignored. A scene that I saw and immediately felt drawn to capturing it.
Images specs are 1/60 sec @ f/2 and ISO 500. I took the photograph with the Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2. Postprocessing in Lightroom Classic (increasing the contrast and adding a vignette).
If you are looking for more tips and inspirations around street photography tips, check out my free “Learning Center”.
Wish you a great Monday!
Marcus
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While heading to a quick dinner in Midtown Atlanta this week, I enjoyed the late afternoon warmth and the beautiful light. The golden glow of the setting sun cast long shadows on the sidewalks, adding depth and character to the Midtown streets. It was the perfect time for some quick street photography using my iPhone 16 Pro Max, capturing the energy of the city as people made their way home. By bike, on foot, and in their cars, each with their own story. Some rushed with purpose, others lingered, caught in quiet moments. The reflections in glass buildings, the flicker of neon signs coming to life, the movement at crosswalks — it all made for an ever-changing canvas for the stories of the street, just waiting to be framed. For a few more images, continue after the jump…
Continue reading “Heading Home”
Isn’t it nice when a day starts full of color? This is especially true after having spent the night in an airplane seat crossing the Atlantic Ocean eastbound in a KLM Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I opened the shades, and there it was, the colorful airy sunrise. Playing round with my iPhone, it switched to macro mode when I zoomed in and focused on the ice crystals on the outside of the window. I really love the effect it generated. Kind of artsy…
I love these things, playing around with the camera (or the smartphone) and see what I can get out of interesting things I see. This is what I call my visual push-ups. Photography stands for “painting with light”. But it is also “playing with light”.
Get your creative juices flowing. Grab a camera (or phone) and try things out. As the saying goes: One good photo a day keeps boredom away 😉
For more tips and inspirations around street photography, head to my free Learning Center.
Have a great Friday
Marcus
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I’m back in the air this morning. Hard to believe it is the my first intercontinental business trip since 2019. Thanks to Covid. I’m flying from Nuremberg via Amsterdam to Atlanta. Weather wise I will improve, leaving the freezy streets of Nuremberg for the, according to my iPhone weather app, almost summerly warmer ATL. Not that I will get much out of it, as I’m staying only a few days and it will be all work (plus maybe a dinner or two). And a travel day is always a great opportunity for some street and travel photography, usually by doing snapshots with my iPhone. The one above is a prime example for the beautiful black and white images that can be produced with a modern smartphone camera. To see more images from my travel day, click to continue….
Continue reading “Travel Day (19)”
Sometimes it is worth going back in the Lightroom Library and re-visiting old street images. In this case from my Around The World Trip back in 2017. I came across this photo from a barefoot girl in a white dress wearing a gas mask. Singing in the streets of Tokyo. Back then I thought this apocalyptic masquerade was a bit over the top, even though she was singing great. I remember thinking “wow – what a voice”. Looking at the political turmoil shaking our world in these days, this street photograph from 8 years ago is kind of symbolic – Apocalypse Wow. And a certain similarity with Francis Ford Coppola’s famous movie with almost the same name.
Diving back into my old image archives feels like flipping through the pages of a forgotten book. Rediscovering moments I once captured but never truly appreciated. Sometimes, a fresh perspective or newly honed editing skills breathe new life into those hidden gems.
What once seemed like an average shot now reveals a composition or emotion I previously overlooked. And then there’s that deeply satisfying moment when I stumble upon an old frame that suddenly clicks with me in a way it never did before—like the image was just waiting for the right time and mindset to be brought to life. Like this of the apocalyptic street musician in Tokyo.
Taken with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 12mm F/2 prime lens (24mm full frame equivalent). Image specs 1/60 sec @ f/2 and ISO 800.
If you are looking for tips and inspiration around street photography, check out my free Learning Center.
Have a great Sunday!
Marcus
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There is more from the last weekend’s visit to Genoa’s Museum of Natural History. In my last post I have mentioned juxtaposition as compositional element. Now how about this juxtaposition? This white tiger was by far the largest tiger I ever saw, dead or alive. Crazy big. The card in the display said the animal died in 1758 in a Circus, was subsequently stuffed and eventually ended up in the museum for everyone to simply admire. The Tiger was huge by my standards. How must that little girl feel looking up to this white giant?
A street photographer can apply many compositional elements to the images to generate a viewers interest. Leading lines guide the eye through the image, creating a sense of depth and direction. The rule of thirds divides the frame into a grid, helping to position subjects in a way that feels balanced and engaging. And, like in this example, Juxtaposition places contrasting subjects or elements side by side to create visual tension or highlight differences. Like the white giant and the little girl.
Taken with my Nikon ZF and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE, image specs 1/125 sec @ f/5.6 and ISO 6400, 40mm focal length. Jpg out of camera using the Zf’s default black & white mode that can be quick-selected by a dial on top of the camera.
If you are looking for more tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center.
Have a great Thursday
Marcus
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