#opticnervestreet

[opticnervecollective]

POTM - Behind the Shot!

We got so many great submissions this month for our ‘Hands’ challenge! The judges had a tough time, but in the end, Rome-based street photographer Fabio Renzi won the day.  There's a lot to love about Fabio’s photo: the optical illusion of the extra hand, the stark contrast between light and shadow, the pastel colours that Rome provides so well, the repetition of the shape of the bollard on the wall behind it, and the pattern at the top-left that looks like someone rolled a die and threw a five.

Congrats, Fabio!

Two ice creams are better, Rome 2020

We caught up with Fabio to find out more about this intriguing shot. He told us:

“In the center of Rome there are ice cream parlors on practically every corner. I often stand at the exit of these to try to take some interesting photos. When I took the contest photo, my attention was captured by the sharp cut of light. I lurked in the hope that an interesting situation would arise, and in the end, it did. The person holding the second ice cream was one step behind the woman in the photo, completely in shadow, and there was only a fraction of a second in which that person had just their arm with the ice cream in the light. I found myself in front of a surreal and funny scene, which thanks to luck and timing, I was able to capture.”

If you would like to see more of Fabio’s work, please check out his Instagram profile at https://www.instagram.com/eyes_look_rome/. 

Thanks, Fabio, and congratulations again!

[brutas]

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[brianfoneill]

2018 #EHS #photoobserve #doubleyedge #OpticNerveStreet #pixelection #ig_street #burnmyeye #LensOnStreets #monochromaticphotos #dpsp_street #bnw_marche #Street_phs #emergenciamag #rentalmag #somewheremagazine #allformatcollective #_streetography_ #streetphotography_bw #creativeimagemagazine #seventwentymagazine #bnwlas #StreetsGrammar #photocontempo #streetphotomag #friendsinbnw #reconnaissancemagazine #independentphoto #streetfeat #nextjauntmag #missnothingmag

[geometre18paris]

OUR FRIENDS THE ANIMALS

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#dog #bike

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#sweet_street_beat #friendsinstreets #streets_storytelling_fr #streetphotographers #capturestreets

#ss_hub #streetleaks #streetizm #eyeshotmag #life_is_street #lensculture #myspc #street_incity

#streetmoment #thephotosector

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#progressivestreet #friendsinstreets

#sweet_street_beat #ourstreets_ #streetphotography #streettruth #urbanphotography #street_eye_phones #spfyourshot

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[iannidadog]

Pizzeria Al Capone, Kurfürstendamm, Berlin. . . . . . #berlinstreetphotography #berlinickliebedir . #sweet_street_beat #streets_storytelling #streetfinder #myspc #streetziers #mcl_streets #urbanstreetphotogallery #streets_unseen #streetizm #capturestreets #StreetsGrammer #streetsacademy #fujifilm_street #streetleaks #ifyouleave #mydaidia #streeteye #gf_streets #streetshood #OpticNerveStreet #streetphotographersfdn #LensOnStreets (at Berlin, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSKBjjsI8RD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[opticnervecollective]

Picture of the Month - Behind the Shot!

Congratulations to Vienna-based photographer Petra Rautenstrauch for winning our challenge this month - ‘Pets’-  among some stiff competition. (People and animals, am I right?) Despite the serious look on the cat’s face, this photo is pure fun, with a hint of Magritte’s The Son of Man surrealism. 

Me, as a cat with a hat, Vienna, 2021

We asked Petra to tell us the backstory of this self-portrait/animal photo:

‘I found this cat behind the window about two years ago in a house on my street. It was a lucky shot. I later found out that there are three cats living in this flat. On the same day I took the image with the hat, I also took pictures of another one of the cats, sitting in another window, with a mosquito net. She looked so scared and so beautiful at the same time; I was fascinated by her.

Since finding out there were three cats living there, I always walk by those windows to hopefully see them again - or even better - to make another funny shot with a reflection. But I had never found a cat sitting in the window again. Mostly the curtains are closed or the cats aren’t in the windows when I walk by - until last year. I passed the flat again with my young dog and found the red cat sitting behind the mosquito net, giving us the same beautiful, frightened look.

I still pass by this flat. You never know what tomorrow will bring.’

Congratulations, again, Petra! Sometimes we return to a place many times in the hope that it yields more treasures!

To see more of Petra’s work:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/petra.rautenstrauch/

Website:  www.rautenstrauch.at

[opticnervecollective]

Picture of the Month - Behind the Shot!

Our challenge this month was ‘Layers.’ Most street photographers we know want to take better layered photos, but it’s one of the hardest things to achieve in the genre. Turkish photographer Emir Sevim was the winner of our competition with this double-take-inducing shot from the streets of Istanbul. We loved his clever use of foreground and background elements. The perspective is great as the objects in the foreground get smaller as they go down the block, as do the people. Congrats, Emir on this fabulous shot!

Flow of Life, Istanbul 2022

This is what Emir had to say about his image:

It was a cloudy day with no sun. I always wanted to go somewhere different from the places I took pictures. While I was wandering around the streets, I saw the bags hanging in the grocery store on the corner.  I got this photo after taking a few other photos, which you see below.

Thanks, Emir, for sharing the other shots you took as well as the winning shot. It’s always helpful to see how a photographer worked the scene. Congrats again!

To see more of Emir’s work:

IG: @emirssevim Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/187118160@N02/ www.emirsevim.com

[opticnervecollective]

POTM - Behind the Shot!

The winner of our 'Hats' competition is Manuel Castañeda! We received a lot of great entries to this one, from the ridiculous to the sublime (and we mean both the photos and the hats themselves). But one artist seemed to stand out as THE hat photographer, thanks to many great entries, and that was Manuel, a Mexican street photographer. Even choosing which of his photos to choose wasn't easy, but this one seemed to provide mystery and a feeling of anticipation that the guitarist could emerge from the shadows and start blasting out a tune at any moment. Very well done, Manuel! 

Epílogo 17, Rioverde, México, 2021

Manuel told us that this photo, and some of his other entries, are part of a larger project:

“I took this photograph in the local market in the center of Rioverde. He is one of the few musicians left here. He didn’t want to be portrayed, but he accepted when he saw that his face couldn’t be seen in the photo.

“It is difficult to get a portrait of a stranger done in a small city like Rioverde. Older people are very suspicious, though fortunately my photographic style gives them a little more confidence as I focus more on details, either their clothes or some object they have, and not on their face. Yet many times they tell me that they do not want to be photographed anyway.

“I want to document everything that is disappearing in the region of San Luis Potosí, and that includes the market musicians. I’ve included several other photos from the project here.”

Such a great style, Manuel, and now we know that there is also a practical reason behind it. Congrats again for winning this month’s competition! If you’d like to see more of Manuel’s work, please visit his Instagram page,  @castaneda_v_ .

[brutas]

. . . . . . . . . . . #burnmyeye #brasilia #nicolandia #myspc #thestreetphotographyhub #opticnervestreet #aintnostreet #lotsmagazine #spicollective #bmw_demand https://www.instagram.com/p/CAc4gyznZcF/?igshid=73u956jm4lr2

[brutas]

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[opticnervecollective]

POTM - Behind the Shot!

Congratulations to second-time winner, Germany-based street photographer Patrick Wendt for this month’s winning shot for our “Dogs” theme. Our team was unanimous in this choice, which is unusual for the group! This photo is striking for its Golden Hour lighting, the composition, color palette, and story. It may take a sec to see the dog, but sure enough, the everyday scene of a friendly dog getting a head scratch is right there, though in shadow.

Untitled, Kutaissi, Georgia, October 2018

We caught up with Patrick to hear how this photo came about.  “I don’t think too much when taking photos (probably why I like doing it). I just wander and take pictures wherever and at any time of day, but I especially like that golden hour. This day I saw the empty store window and the light was just right. And then suddenly there was a girl playing with a dog and they made a shadow. I made some shots, and this was the result! “I can’t wait until everything goes back to normal. These days I don’t use my camera. But there will be better days in the future.” We all feel your frustration, Patrick!  To see more of Patrick’s work, his Instagram account is:

@patrickwendt0815

Congrats again on this stunning image!

[brutas]

. . . . . . . . #Berlin #bcncollective #burnmyeye #myspc #spicollective #bnw_demand #street_sweet_beat #gfstreets #opticnervestreet #lensculturestreets https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-dX0wBYmb/?igshid=xzm8jjjo2ebn

[brutas]

. . . . . . . . #brasília #burnmyeye #storyofthestreet #spicollective #eerstreet #aintnostreet #opticnervestreet #sweet_street_beat #myspc https://www.instagram.com/p/B6iWrzYBMhM/?igshid=1kddto5gur4i5

[brutas]

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[opticnervecollective]

POTM - Behind the Shot!

We had a huge number of entries for our competition, “The Beach”. It was clearly a subject close to many of your hearts. As tough as it was to choose, the winner is...Kathleen DiTanna!

This shot clearly takes the spirit of seaside humour and makes you look twice. It's also a high quality photograph and the photographer has clearly thought about how best to line herself up to get this shot. We just hope this guy doesn't try to buy an ice cream. Congratulations, Kathy!

Coney Island Foot in Mouth, Coney Island, NY, 2019

Kathy described to us what sounds like a great day, and not just for the photos she made:

“The Professional Women Photographers of NYC was holding a meetup in March last year to visit Coney Island and to witness the famous Polar Bear Plunge. This was a great opportunity to photograph a special Coney Island experience!  As it turned out, I did take loads of photos of the polar bear plunge but also spent time on the Coney Island pier. 

I had noticed this man exercising by the railing.

Initially I was attracted to the scene of the man and the young boy in green because of the age difference and the pop of color.

As I watched the man exercising and the little boy running, I continued to take photos.

Fortunately, as I was photographing the man exercising, the boy ran out of view and another man walked right into the frame, thus the foot in the mouth image!

I am from the Philadelphia area, so going to Coney Island is exciting any time of year. Coney Island had a very low-key vibe in March when I visited. As the day wore on, people were seen walking the boards and getting some sun. The excitement of spring was in the air! Most businesses were closed, except of course Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs and those shops preparing for the Memorial Day opening. It was a really interesting day with the pier, the plunge, and the people making it a unique photo experience.”

Makes you want to head to Coney Island right now, doesn’t it? Congrats again, Kathy! If you want to see more of Kathy’s work, check out:

Tumblr:        https://streetzkd.tumblr.com  Instagram:  www.instagram.com/streetzkd  flickr:           https://www.flickr.com/photos/teachkd/  Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.ditanna

[brutas]

. . . . . . . #saopaulo #augusta #fotogenikcollective #opticnervestreet #streetsacademy #streetscenemag #intercollective #burnmyeye https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Y1Fg8n1rk/?igshid=u8jwn5lhmjf4