#eventualy they had to close it to the public

[red-velvet-0w0]

digital drawing of the wreckage of the SS Palo alto

based off of this image by photographer Kevin Johnson:

[marytagus]

Arrow 5x23 - “Lian Yu” What We Know What We Hope

What We Know

Extended Promo

Synopsis 

DEATHSTROKE, NYSSA AL GHUL, MERLYN AND DIGGER HARKNESS JOIN OLIVER’S BATTLE AGAINST PROMETHEUS – The battle between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Adrian Chase (Josh Segarra) culminates in a final epic battle on Lian Yu. After recent events, Oliver decides to recruit a group of unlikely allies – Slade (guest star Manu Bennett), Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law), Merlyn (John Barrowman) and Digger Harkness (guest star Nick. E. Tarabay) – to defeat Chase. However, Chase has his own army – Black Siren (guest star Katie Cassidy), Evelyn Sharp (guest star Madison McLaughlin) and Talia al Ghul (guest star Lexa Doig) – and the forces collide in an explosive season finale.

Promo Stills

Cast on IMDb

Note: is it just me or IMDb just listed everyone (erratickly at times as it’s no way Julianna is rigth after Stephen on the Credits order) and some probably aren’t going to be there? If you have other info please tell me but Deadshot(?); Tatsu(?); Constantine(?); Mari(?); Roy(?); Rory(?); Anarky(?)... I’m almost certain Marc told us Rory wasn’t coming back this Season; Roy, we keep hoping but...I don’t think he was filming.

Writers

Wendy Mericle & Marc Guggenheim

They wrote several episodes together

3x04 - “The Magician”

3x18 - “Public Enemy”

4x01 - “Green Arrow”

4x23 - “Schism” (Teleplay) 

5x01 - “Legacy” (Teleplay)

5x08 - “Invasion” (Teleplay)

Game changing episodes, out of the box episodes. But always good Olicity in the bakground moving forward.

Behind the screen pics

What we expect / hope

This Season of Arrow has not failed on giving us pumped, fast paced, breath taking episodes and it looks like for Season Finale they are taking us on a ride that is threatening to blows us out of the Earth atmosphere.

Firstly there’s so many great characters coming back to our screens for this Finale there’s no way they can fail in providing for great fights; second, Chase is a top node villain, right up there with Mirakuru pumped Slade Wilson; third, we know we are losing people, wondering Who will have us at the hedge of our seats (eventually right up until Season 6 premiere)

The fights are going to be epic and both the stills and the promo show a few of them:

Nyssa vs Talia

The al-Ghul sisters having at it is a long wish for all of us.

We don’t know if this is a fight to the death or not, we only know there is going to be a clear winner

Colar resposta do Marc à minha pergunta

I hope they both survive.

Between the two Nyssa is the one more meaningful on the Arrowverse, a “player” on both Arrow and Legends. Talia is more relevant in the comics, on Batman, and a great foe for the showrunners to keep up their sleeve in case it’s needed.

Dinah vs BS

Dinah finally shows up and right when it’s needed. BS doppelganger on Earth 1 wasn’t a Meta but her power fell on to someone else.

Don’t know if that is going to be a surprise to BS, hope it is. Plus it looks like their Scream’s equal each other with one added advantage for Dinah in future Season 6; Curtis gadget from 5x22 protects her from any soundwave blocker. A pity it was left there on the ground at Dinah’s home

 or did someone pick it up? If so I’m really hoping it was Oliver.

This fight is not life and death because both characters were confirmed for Season 6 and Marc even went to the extent to say they wouldn’t kill KC character ever again.  So they will scream their heads off, in the end the Team that includes BS will lose, and Team Arrow that includes Dinah will win.

I know BS fits the plan of getting Olicity haters back to watching and that’s really why that character is there. It also fits as the main opponent to Dinah and to deepen Quentin arc that has been pretty basic since he was successful in overcoming his drinking problem.

I really enjoyed the good “couple” / bad “couple” feels the show gives us here

Yes, I do know Oliver and Nyssa are not really a couple, they never could or would be, but Chase and BS wouldn’t be bad IMO. An Oliver/Felicity fighting Chase/BS for Season 6 doesn’t sound that bad but I don’t think that’s what they are going for here. Chase won’t be around for Season 6 (either he’s dead, in jail or committed to an asylum) this looks to me like a Big Bad mantle pass on.

With BS as Big Bad of the Season Team Arrow needs Dinah, she’s the one that holds the same kind of weapon, the one that can physically counter act BS.

Oliver vs Chase

The fight we all been waiting for. I don’t know how many steps Chase thinks he has on Oliver now, 10, 50… what I know is that I don’t think Oliver is making the moves the way Chase expected. He definitely expected Oliver to come to Lian Yu but I don’t think he was expecting the alliances Oliver brings in with him.

Chase has been preparing this moment for years, his purpose all along was having a broken Oliver so close to the hedge that a simple nudge would send him spinning down the lowest pit and into a suicidal cycle, and William is the last nudge and Chase is ready to give it.

But that’s not the Oliver that stands in front of him.

Plus Chase’s Team is nowhere near to aid him in anyway. They are facing their one foes; and the people Chase was holding has leverage are all free except for William.

But William is really the one that matters. To get to him Oliver will have to go through Chase but Oliver values and knows something Chase is probably not considering, his Team is as dead set as him in getting William to safety. They would risk themselves for it; they won’t leave or run for cover before William is safe. And the Team will get William, I have no doubt.

Oliver’s alliances

Besides Team Arrow (Felicity, Thea, Diggle, Curtis, Rene, Dinah), the “volunteering” Malcolm Merlyn and Nyssa al-Ghul (since 5x22). Oliver goes to the ARGUS prison on Lian Yu and recruits both Harkness and Slade Wilson (not under Mirakuru influence anymore).

Slade Wilson

The “old times” when they were brothers. The “old times” before the Mirakuru. Slade has a son, just like Oliver, he’s on board to fight but what will he want in exchange? His freedom? More than that? Only that? Nothing?

Harkness

He’s only shown in one still (like Rene) a hint that he may be involved in scenes too interesting to be showing up in the promos.

If I can venture a guess I would say William’s rescue.

Other things happening

William’s rescue

There’s no detail or images on how William is rescued but we know someone is rescuing him. Samantha was taken too (hence she didn’t alert Oliver before 5x22) so I have no doubt she’s on the group that goes to save William. The other members of this group I think are: Thea, Felicity, Curtis, Malcolm, Harkness.

Those are the ones that are not involved in any face off with Team Prometheus members. I would add Diggle if it weren’t for the still that shows him at Nyssa, Deathstroke and Dinah side. Same with Rene.

Queen’s siblings

Oliver goes to face Team Prometheus and splits the Team. I recall the two truths and a lie that listed a moment when Thea would not agree with Oliver’s “orders”, I think this is true and that this is the moment when it happens.

Oliver doesn’t want Thea joining the part of the Team that will face Team Prometheus, Thea does not agree. But Thea will accept, she’s needed to save William

Olicity

I look at the still’s and I have 3x23 feels all over. Oliver is going off to face the dangerous, more personal, foe he ever faced; a foe that has proven, time and time again, that he plays Oliver like a fiddle. Oliver may not come back, but Felicity will make sure Prometheus won’t break Oliver again with his mind games.

She’s the only one that can reassure Oliver that Chase is wrong, Oliver is a good man, the proof being that Felicity, the woman Oliver recognizes for her goodness, for her light, loves him, she allways will. He made her life better just by being in it, not worse like Chase argued, never worse.

Getting out of the Island

Are they getting out of the Island in current timeline before the end of the episode? That’s a question we can only guess the answer to. My guess is they will be on their way out of the Island, eventualy at least part of the Team that got to William and William himself will be on the way out. Remember the plane doesn’t have the capacity to fly everyone at the sametime and I do think William and Samantha will take precedence over everyone else, plus someone that can fly the plane (maybe Curtis). Others will need to find another way out. Team Prometheus knows where their transport in is so they are the ones with the advantage to use those. But this is all a guessing game. What I do know is not all answers will be given and the Season will end with a cliffhanger, the greatness of which we never witnessed before, at least not on Arrow.

On the opposite end, on Flashbacks, Oliver Queen manages to get to the boat Anatoly got him and he’s off the Island. Somewhere along the line there will be a last face off between him and Kovar. A parallel to Oliver vs Chase. Both fights will probably share the time slot episode wise keeping us jumping from one to the other in a incredibly pumped moment where Arrow will have the oportunity to once again show us how different the Oliver that left the Island 5 years ago is from the Oliver that is at the Island in current time (hope I don’t get disappointed on this).

On flashbacks we are in to face more terribly emotional scenes as the show is going to present us with scenes they didn’t show on the pilot. I’m wishing for these scenes to be shown: Moira, Thea, Tommy finding out Oliver had been found alive; Quentin finding out Oliver is alive and is hope building on Sara survival only to be crushed all over again.

Of course I know they are going to show double L too. I’m not ready for this but it’s the final end of Oliver and double L story.

I’m so very excited the episode is going to be so pumped so very lit my head is already spinning. This is going to so so good

and the introdution to a rough Summer Hiatus.

[xottzot]

2017-5(MAY)-24 to 26--Wednesday to Friday

2017-5(MAY)-24 to 26--Wednesday to Friday

Around 7:35pm an aboriginal woman (one of the usuals) came out of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD and was screaming and shrieking and swearing non-stop. She was doing this whilst walking ON the roads, and on any footpath.

She was acompanied by 2 male aboriginals.

This is the SAME woman who was roaming the streets earlier today and had gone into the rented picketed fenced corner house. (and was demanding to see/talk to somebody of there?)

Tonight, she went thru to the criminals pedestrian walkway, but instantly returned to walk the streets and footpaths still LOUDLY yelling, cursing, swearing and shrieking. The male aboriginals followed her wherever she went and eventualy they accompanied her as (still LOUDLY cursing and shrieking) she walked thru the criminals pedestrian walkway with them following and was gone....at least for now.

It was SO LOUD as to wake me.

Even if I had have been halfway to death as mapped out, she would have woken me it was THAT damned LOUD.

This is now going on for the second straight night in a row.

She walked off to go to another aboriginal household (of many) which is closely allied to the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD.

Please note:--that this very same very obnoxious criminal aboriginal woman was the very same one who approached me in the past after she just walked off the street and was verbally harassing me to give her money. - I was polite and reserved, though I now wish I had not been. But then she might very well have bodily attacked me, as it seems she has done so to other innocent poeple in the past.

At the time I later heard that this criminal woman also has in fact broken into innocent peoples houses too.

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Later.....at close to midnight....damn abo's from the the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD loudly yelling in the streets and upsetting dogs, and then walking thru the criminals pedestrian walkway. Whilst others of them sat and stood around the front of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD.......

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2017-5(MAY)-25--THURSDAY---

Abo's have been all about again. Not as noisy, but just as rampant.

In the rented picket fence household property there's been plenty of banging sounds in the yard and not surpisingly abo's are freely allowed to wander in and out of there at will. - The two boys of that household freely associate with the criminal aborigials and have become criminal themselves.

To faciliate their constant goings out of themselves and aboriginals, there's been for some time a hole smashed in the side/rear/front fence to allow them to travel without being seen travelling between the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD and there, and of course they think nothing of actively trespassing into the neigbours property in between, at night or day. And the next-door neighbour seem so thoughtless as not to even care. The neighbour seem to be (or becoming) closely allied to the aboriginal households as well, including their next door neighbours the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOSUEHOLD which seems to have risen to become top-dog amongst all the aboriginal houses. (Fatguts the aboriginal drug dealer would be proud of what he's created. An aborigial ghetto, and a ghetto of crime.)

And they'll carry on doing whatever smashing of things they want. Today was hurling rocks and pieces of tiles about smashing them. But the house next door (number 1) has already had its gas meter metal door ripped right off from the gas meter metal box of that house. It's now open to all weathers to degrade and become a hazard from more attacks.

The corner household appears to have also had installed a new (replacement?) hot water system in the past few days into that rented picket fenced corner house. No wonder the abos are wandering in through the front door. Hot water must be a new experience for them rather than smashing shit and being feral all the time.

Shitheads in cars have been loudly tearing around on the streets, and VERY coincidentally as soon as they stopped or faded away, a shithead on an unlicensable-for-road-use offroad motorbike was tearing all about ALL on streets thoughout this hellhole suburb. And I DO mean all around. It went in and out of this hellhole suburb and all THROUGHOUT it at will all up to and including 9pm at night, He had NO LIGHTS on the bike whatsoever. - I wish somebody had've run into and killed the shithead. - No signs or hearing of ANY Police anywhere as usual. - And the shithead stoped in at into the yard(s) of the aborigial CRIMINALS or the white trash living next door to them. -- I'n not contacting the West ausralian Polce...fuck 'em. They've done nothing about all the shitheads and they give a free pass to aboriginal criminals of all ages, andor the Police are servants of the higher authority aboriginal services now who are like false gods......

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2017-5(MAY)-26--FRIDAY---

Whlst innocently checking my letterbox, this is what I saw in this aboriginal ghetto of criminals.....

Several school-aged aboriginal criminal kids who NEVER ever go to any school despite a school literally being across the road from them all. - No, they instead wander ON the streets and commit crime.

At the aborginal household that was previoulsy empty for 12 months or so because the previous aboriginal drug dealer had been evicted in early 2016, there was a diaper toddler child sitting in a lounge chair with wheels being pushed by another aboriginal child (very young school-aged) on the concrete driveay to and from to the road edge. -- That chair also in fact looks to be the same one one that was previoulsy outside on the verandah of a house newly let out to new residents across the road from there. And then it mysteriously vanished one day. (stolen by the aboriginals? - Or given to them to placate them?)

That aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD is entirely connected by constant traffic of aboriginals to & from crossing the road night and day to the aboriginal household that was previously empty for 12 months or so because the previous aboriginal drug dealer had been evicted in early 2016. The aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD itself was an offshoot of the aboriginal drug dealer. The aboriginal drug dealer drove out thru severe intimidation and violence, and countless Police incidents the previous innocent resident of a young woman with two young boys. Dear Fliss herself and I witnessed it happening and emergency contacted Police when Fatguts the 'king' of all the drug houses and drug dealings went beserk and tried to attack the woman at her household. That caused her to leave for her own safety and her children. But Fatguts continued with seemingly complete West Australian Police immunity from EVERYTHING. That state whereby aboriginals are totally immune from everything and instead have departments working for THEM has become rampant. That state has once again become long established at the eviction of Fatguts whereby the mantle of king of crime has handed to the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD.

This morning a small dark car sped at high speed around on the roads around the corner shop, and drove straight to the driveway and property of a house directly opposite the innocent old guy who is always yelling across the road at to and its inhabitants at any time of the day. -- There was yelling and LOUD vocal goings on there across from him. And I do mean LOUD. - It's no wonder the old guy is continually yelling at them.

And incidentally, that house property he is yelling at is a place that was also shown in West Australian media (TV and newspapers) some years agao when dear Fliss was here with me, whereby the media accompanied the West Australian Police as they raided the property in a rare showing of Police dealing with crime occuring in this hellhole suburb that it has become. I think it was a drug dealer raid....but THAT house was nothing in size and scope compared to the aboriginal Fatguts drug dealer household in the next street and which all residents knew of (as well as West Australian Police) and yet that place was constantly protected by them or somebody in authority!

Today, a debilitated woman of a residence in the streets of aboriginal hell and crime, had visitors to her household whereby they seemed to be installing disability access features to her residence. They also delivered a largish crimson 4 wheeled electric scooter ('motorised wheelchair') powered by internal batteries there. And what was so typical, was that the woman go into it and was given a 'test drive' how to use it with a social worker woman walking alongside her. -- BUT....they did NOT go upon the footpath because....aboriginal feral children were running rampant at the place across from her home, aboriginals pushing a large wheeled lounge cahir with an aboriginal diaper toddler in it going back and forth along the concrete driveway, public footpath, and to the edge of the active road. -- And so the woman in the 'motorised wheelchair' instead drove it slowly up the road ON THE ROAD on the wrong side of the road. Whilsts she was doing that, the acompanying woman was inanely chatting to her as if it all was the most natural thing in thw world to do. When they came to the streets intersection, they stopped. The walking woman gleefully annunced, "Oh! There's a shop just over there. That'll be good for you then!" --- Obviously the walking woman has absolutely no knowledge or comprehension whatsoever of the crimials and crime and traffic....

I fully expect her motorised wheelchair will be stolen or vandalised. (I certainly do NOT wish that, but it is what it is at the helhole.)

Incidentally, I have not mentioned the rampant aboriginal-toddler-in-a-diaper but that one has been rampant ON the roads and mindlessly goes across the active roads worse than a dog off a leash. - - The aborigial-toddler-in-a-diaper is CONSTANTLY coming out of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD, and running (toddling) across the road by itself to the other aboriginal household that has 2? toddlers-in-diapers there. (the residence that use to be the Fatguts drug dealer household). -- Yesterday evening, an aboriginal adult (the overweight aboriginal woman of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD) was (as usual) treating the feral toddler in-a-diaper worse than at a dog (ALL the aborignals let their dogs runs loose and never are controlled), and the aboriginal woman was yelling at the feral toddler in-a-diaper to walk across the road and go into the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD. The feral toddler in a diaper flatly refused and just sat down on the steet kerb. When the aboriginal tried to grab its arm, the feral diaper bratling just literally LOUDLY screamed & shrieked as hard as it could (as if it was run over - this tactic is use right thru adulthood), it threw off the grasp and toddled off to the brick letterbox of the aboriginal household behind it. Again the adult grabbed the feral diaper bratling but it squirmed out of being grasped, and again sat down on the street kerb in its diaper. This time the the feral diaper bratling was picked up. It LOUDLY screamed but this time was totally ignored. (all this was taking place on the concrete driveway of the aboriginal house and right beside and ON the road.) - The feral aboriginal diaper bratling was carried off back into the house of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD loudly screaming.

And TODAY, that same feral aboriginal-toddler-in-a-diaper is on the roads AGAIN and doing the same thing. (it must do this constantly everyday and and in darkness too), and again an aboriginal from the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD yelled at it to to get back (which is rare in any case that being 'responsible'), but it of course angrily and defiantly refused as it does with ANY thing that is ordered of it. This is how they are all brought up and are reared into criminality. -- West Australian aboriginal crime is the highest, or amongst the highest in Australia. (crime statistics are always being fiddled with and manipulated for political and departmental gains as well as aboriginal purposes)

Crime is SO BAD that it is almost accepted that all crimes reported are by aboriginals. (and believe me so MUCH is never made or known by the public) - And it comes as a shock when some crimes are not by criminal aboriginals. But many non-aboriginals not only suffer from aboriginal crime themselves, but they also ally themselves TO aboriginals. And run with them.

Later today around after midday noon, a young woman of the rented corner house with the picket fence returned home via being dropped-off by somebody in a small car. Later....the young woman was WALKING ON THE ROADS in a group and stood with aboriginals at the streets intersection on the road. The group included the totally irresponsible overweight aboriginal 'adult' woman and they were all returning from the shops area. Also in the group was the oldest boy of the rented picket fence house who has become utterly feral and roams with the aboriginals day and night. He has long since become just like them and does anything they say of him to do and he follows them like a dog. They noisily carried on upon the roads. They fed the toddler-in-a-diaper ON the road and they all pretended they were being 'responsible' and 'normal'. -- They all walked down and into the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD. -- A casual note....the older boy wore a black 'bandanna' around the lower part of his face but it kept slipping down. As I said, he has long since become as criminals as those he associates with.

Throughout all this, aboriginal school-age criminals who never go to school, have been running around wearing a school uniform but NOT going to school. It's just an alias. It's also used to fool authorities into thinking thy are harmless school children who go to school. And so the authorities fool themselves (as always, yet again), that everything is under control. -- It's NOT.

A woman delivering 'junk mail' and a local public newspaper walking a bicycle with the load, avoided them all and kept a close eye on them for her own safety. (she purposely does not deliver to the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD as always for her own personal safety.)

At 1:18pm---- A marked West Australian POLICE vehicele, "GM 106", slowly came around on the streets and parked at the the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD. A young policeman and young policewoman (the driver) exited and went into the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD. -- But they only stayed mere minutes and then left around 1:21pm. -- At the same time, an unmarked 'surveillance?' vehicle left as well.

Then false calm......

But then shirlty after the Police ahd left the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD, an aboriginal came out of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD clutching something. What was highly unusual was that she walked on the footpath. As she walked off, the big black dog (mottled with brown) wlked out of the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD, across the road and onto the footpath to slowly follow her. (just like the feral aboriginal toddler-in-a-diaper does everday). - Please NEVER make the mistake that they treat pets well, they do NOT and never have done so. -- The dog slowly rounded the street corner on the footpath and just stood there in an innocent neigbours front yard. The aboriginal woman almost at the end of the street and near the shops area YELLED LOUDLY OUT and kept yelling and threatening the dog. The dog wore a huge (for gloating purposes only?) dog collar with metal parts all upon it like a 'gangs dog'. She kept yelling out LOUDLY. The dog just kept looking at her. She began walking all the way back again and constantly yelling out LOUDLY. (all this is typical behaviour for the aboriginals even with their own crimial children, and as always it's all ignored). - She got closer, and the dog slunk away towards the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD. Then she put a burst of speed upon her walking and the big dog literaly bodily cringed, it's tail between it's legs, and it loered itself to the road surface. The aborigial woman grabbed hold of the dog collar and hauled it into the aboriginal CRIMINAL HOUSEHOLD.

As I said...false calm....

Sam & Max barked and are upset. I need to take them outside and to safely watch over them in the backyard as they do their ablutions before rushing back inside to avoid rain. It's becoming VERY cold again.

It's perfect alias weather for the criminals and aboriginal criminals to get around in their all-black clothing...........that they wear in summer too.....because it assists to stop them being observed and identified........

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I tried to have a sleep during the daytime because I am feeling so ill, but I was prevented from sleeping. I was actually stopped from doing so. And (as you can read above), you can see why from all the noise that was made.

Everything is once again building up for more crime and shit.

Weekends can be the worst for that but it has long since gone past the point where it it is only confined to 'weekends'. Now it is EVERY day and EVERY night.

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24-May-2017 --- I love you dear Fliss and want to be with you and far from this hellhole. -- Say hello to dear Cath for me. I think of her and her struggles in life too. And of course I am ALWAYS thinking of YOURS (and OURS) struggles dear Fliss. But nobody gives a shit about me despite me being innocent and honest. - Always remember me when I am no longer alive

25-May-2017 --- I love you dear sweet Fliss and so want to be with you and so very far from this hellhole. -- I have become very physically unwell. Constant emergency ablutions, almost throwing up all the time, dizzy, and of course still unable to sleep. Max is also unwell. Sam is not the best either. 'tis the season for things dying. -- I am writing these entries as a compilation. I am too unwell being unwell & sick whlst dealing with the almost useless internet speed which is slower than dialup for me. -- Somebody please tell Cath I care about her troubles including her family health troubles, just as I do you dear Fliss. But I have been ripped away from having any contact with you Fliss and it was not by my choice at all. I want everyone to know that. -- My wounds are aching a lot too. I'm returning to bed. I am feeling far too cold again. And the forecast is for worse periods of cold....and NO rain in Winter.

26-May-2017 --- I love you Fliss. Nobody believes me of anything. I am in hell in a hellhole. -- And our car (yours and mine dear Fliss), it has died quite possibly forever. I do not have the money to get another at all. Dear Sam and Max will run out of food, as will I, as will the remining dear chickens. - I am not eating enough as it is, and now the car stuffs up for good. -- It is a time to die.

[joya34blanco]

How to Conquer the Biggest Fear in Street Photography

As a street photographer you may have had fear sometimes taking photos on the street. All of us who spend time in the streets shooting know that not everyone likes when you take photos of them. When photographing strangers, our biggest fear is of people noticing that we are taking photos of them or people complaining about being in the frame.

The biggest fear in street photography

Every time this thought hits your mind, just realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’d say that 99% of the fear and anxiety taking photos of strangers comes from inside you, not from the outside. You need to deal with your fears and know that the biggest problem you could have is someone calling the police (which doesn’t happen really often, at least it’s never happened to me). In most of the countries taking photos on the street is allowed and you don’t need permission. Always check the regulations of the country or the province where you are shooting.

If you want to photograph kids I’d recommend always asking for the permission of the parents. In a lot countries you can get in trouble really easily for taking photos of minors without permission. If you want to check in which countries you need consent to take photos, please check this link: Countries that need consent.

Requests to delete the photos

From my personal experience I have to say that sometimes it’s tricky to take shoots of strangers. Some people have come to me asking to delete the photos in front of them. You don’t necessarily need to do that. As per the law in Canada (British Columbia) I can take photos in public places as much as I like. If I want to publish them it’s different story, but you can take photos without having to be worried about getting in trouble. When people ask me to delete their pictures I do it, not because I’m afraid of them because I don’t want to start arguing with someone and lose time that I could be shooting, and out of respect for that person.

Advice to help you be invisible

Since I started shooting I’ve changed my technique a lot. With time you’ll get better and you will feel more confident asking for permission or framing your photo to get an interesting composition.

I have tried different tips and techniques that you can find on the internet, most of them from Eric Kim (one of the biggest street photographers of our time) and from other photographers like Bruce Gilden, among others.

Here is a list of different things people do and my opinion about each of them.

The shooting from the hip technique

You’ll find that this way of taking photos helps you at the beginning but it won’t take you really long if all the photos you do are like this. You need to frame your photo and think about what you want in your frame, otherwise you’ll end up just being lucky.

Shooting from the hip doesn’t allow you to decide, you are just finding something interesting and trying to get lucky pressing the shutter. Let’s be honest, if you want to get good photos don’t do this. Street photography isn’t easy, so you need to be confident and earn the photo. Last but not least it looks pretty shady having your camera on your chest and pressing the shutter when you see something.

Here is my advice to avoid shooting from the hip to give you a better result. What you can do is walk with your camera around like you are shooting a video, people will think that you are just a tourist and won’t care that much what you are doing.

Dress code

There isn’t a proper dress code for street photography, but I will recommend you to dress according to the style of shooting you are gonna be doing. If you go to poor neighbourhoods don’t dress fancy. I often dress with damaged or old clothing to fit in more in that kind of environment.

In case you are shooting in the middle of the city my recommendation would be always dark clothes rather than brighter ones. People won’t notice you that much, and if you want to capture candid moments that’s what you need to blend in more.

Camera and equipment go as light as possible

In terms of camera equipment, you should always go as light as possible. The less you carry the more freedom you will have when you’re shooting. In my case, I bought my first camera about a year ago (Nikon D7200) and even tho I love the camera I realized after a short amount of time that I couldn’t take the camera around. It was too heavy and too noticeable.

When you are shooting street photography you want to be as invisible as possible, that’s why months later I decided to buy another camera (Ricoh GR II). The advantage of this camera is the fact that it’s super small and I can carry it around all the time. Now I take photos every day, and that helps have no regrets when I see something that I want to shoot.

My personal experience

Since I started I haven’t had a lot of problems. A bunch of people said no when asking for permission but many others said yes. Sometimes people will yell at you for taking photos and others will try to run away from you, but the more shots you take more confident you’ll feel.

I’ve experienced more problems taking photos of rich people than poor people. Which is funny to me, people who have less are seemingly willing to give more than those who have everything.

Rough neighborhood

As a photographer based in Vancouver, I find my inspiration in neighbourhoods like Vancouver East Side which is known for their problems with poverty and drug abuse in some zones. Hastings Street is the part of Vancouver East Side that interests me the most. There is where I take most of my portraits and where I get to talk and share some moments with the people.

In the image above you can see my portrait of a man with tattoos on his face. When I saw him I was by myself and I wished to take his photo. I won’t lie to you I was afraid. Taking photos of people doing drugs or in bad situations is not easy. I get too close emotionally sometimes and feel bad for taking photos of them, like I am stealing something from people who have nothing. But in these cases you need to be strong and see photography not as a weapon but as a way to capture something beautiful and exciting to you. Back to the point, I saw this man and I hesitated taking the picture or not, but eventualy I did.

I asked him, “Excuse me, I really like the tattoos on your face and I would like to take your portrait, do you mind?”. (Always compliment your subject, it gives you a reason for taking the photo.) The man looked at me seriously and said, “Just one, do it fast because I’m mad.” So I took the photo as fast as I could and after thanking him I left and continued taking photos of other people.

Be brave but also be safe

In most cases when you are in areas where is not always safe you don’t want to take a long time taking the photo so I switched to automatic and just took one frame. The outcome was great from my point of view but it is not always like that. Rushing is not always a friend of success, but in some cases you don’t have an option.

Many times some of the tough guys you see if you get closer and ask them for a photo you realize how easy is to take photos of them.

Note from the editor: Always put your own safety first and if you feel it would be dangerous or unsafe to take a photo then do not do so.

My point with this article is to help you realize it’s okay to take photos of strangers in street photography. Think about Robert Frank, Bruce Gilden, or Henri Cartier-Bresson. They didn’t hesitate when the shot showed up in front of them, the question is, would you?

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The post How to Conquer the Biggest Fear in Street Photography by Camil Adell appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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