We have a guest blogger today!
Danny Santos II is a fresh talent from the Philippines who’s currently residing in Singapore. His street portraits have taken the online photo sharing community by storm, and we have the priviledge of his insights on how to shoot street photography as well as an interview! Enjoy!
The Interview
What subjects and genre are you specializing in?
My subjects are strangers I find in the streets, and the genre I’m try to specialize in is both street photography and portraiture.
How do you define your photography style and signature?
I’m not sure if I have a style… I think I’m still in the process of developing it. I always like to experiment with sunlight, but then I also like shooting in the rain. And when the wheather is in between sun and rain, I like shooting portraits because of the overcast sky. I’m not sure if I’ll ever stick to justs one particular style.. maybe just for a while, then I’m looking for other styles again.
Which one photographic piece of equipment would you say is the most critical to you?
I’d say it’s my 85mm lens. I have a love-hate relationship with this lens. When I first bought it, I was kinda disappointed. I found the focal length awkward to use in the streets.. it’s wasn’t long enough, but also not wide enough. I couldn’t come up with keepers with it, so it stayed in my cabinet gathering dust. After a couple of months, I decided to give it another try and be very patient with it… eventually, I started to figure out how to use it and got one keeper after another. Now it almost never leaves my camera.
Do you have a favorite lens?
The 85mm f1.4, as described above.
Can you briefly describe your walk-through from capture to display?
I always shoot in RAW. From there, I import all the shots to Adobe Lightroom to screen the keepers, and whenever necessary, adjust the exposure, add vignette, and crop the shot. After this, I export to Photoshop to adjust the contrast, and whenever necessary, apply selective highlights and shadows using channel selections (this is equivalent to dodge & burn), enhance sharpness, and convert to black & white. That’s about it.
WAIT! Don't Miss! Grab This Free Book NOW!
What inspires you most?
I guess it’s the thought of creating a photograph that’s worth looking at and smiling about… that beautiful everyday moment which would have otherwise gone unnoticed. I’m reminded by a quote I read from the famous street shooter Robert Doisneau: “The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.”
How do you decide on location or subject?
For the location, I always look for good people traffic, good potential background, and good light. I think having these things in a location increases your chances of getting a good photograph. For the subject, on the other hand, I always look for someone you wouldn’t mind looking at. They don’t necessarily have to be aesthetically beautiful (although that helps a lot), they should at least have character, you know. As long as they don’t look normal, and as long as I feel that their look will translate well in a photograph, I start shooting.
Which ONE photograph that you’ve created that you’ll consider as your favorite and why?
I think it will have to be the two girls running barefoot in the rain.
I think I really got lucky with that… not only were they barefoot, they were running in synch! That for me is the exact definition of being at the right place at the right time.
What’s your current project?
I’m currently working on my “Portraits of Strangers” set where I roam around Orchard Road every weekend and take close-up head shots of strangers with their permission. I’ve always wanted to kind of transition from shooting street to shooting portraits, and this project is my personal effort to do that.
The project has been going on for quite a while now, and I’m almost done since I now have about 82 out of 100 strangers. You can see all the portraits I’ve taken so far in my facebook page here or in my flickr set here.
Please provide our readers three quick tips to be successful in your field and genre.
1) Keep shooting and keep experimenting. A lot of my keepers were a product of “happy accidents”.
2) The fear will never go away. Just shoot through the fear, and when you get that keeper, your going to want more.
3) Relentlessly look for inspiration online and in books. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut where you won’t know what to do next. Constantly looking for inspiration keeps you looking forward to learning and trying new things.
My Blog: http://www.dannyst.com
My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dannyst.photography
My Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannysantos/
5 Tips on Shooting in the Streets
by Danny Santos II
“What are some unwritten rules of street photography according to Danny Santos?” Well, my answers were really more like tips than rules, and they’re not according to me but more like stuff that you will just learn eventually the longer you shoot. I decided to share my answers here and expand further. There are a lot more useful tips you can find online, but I believe these 5 tips is a good place to start with. So here goes…
#1. Perfect photographic moments in the streets come only once in a blue moon… but when it comes to you, it’s worth the wait. So have the patience of a saint.
I remember one weekend when I was shooting for about 2 hours with no single decent shot. I was tired, demoralized, and about to call it a day when suddenly this blue angel showed up in the middle of the crowd, walking almost aimlessly while texting in her mobile. This one shot made my day. It was enough to quench my photographic thirst for the rest of the week.
There were times where I’d go for 3 to 4 hours with no good shot to show for. I used to get so frustrated about it with fist up in the air, but nowadays I know that’s how it is… sometimes that’s what it takes for you to get that “keeper”.
#2. To capture that truly unexpected moment, sometimes you have to be unexpected yourself. Be discreet by blending in the crowd.
Try not to stick out like a sore thumb by wearing conspicuously bright clothes or constantly having your camera right in your face. Relax, put your camera down, and be an invisible observant by being just one of the casual street walkers. Raise your camera only when you’re a second away from taking that candid shot. Take a few clicks, then put it down again.
Some street shooters push the envelope by being so obvious to their victim subject so as to provoke a reaction towards getting photographed. That’s also a way to get that keeper shot if you’ve got the balls for it. Bruce Gilden is a good example of a photographer with balls of steel.
#3. Don’t hesitate, just shoot… in fact, shoot like crazy.
Great street photographers like Garry Winogrand and Trent Parke were very trigger-happy shooters. Winogrand could finish a roll of 36-exposure film just by walking from one block to another. He was able to publish 6 books in his lifetime. On his untimely death, he left behind 2,500 undeveloped rolls of film, and an additional 6,500 rolls that developed but not yet previewed – over 300,000 photos were undeveloped in total. 3 more books were published after that.
Trent Parke once said “You shoot a lot of shit and you’re bound to come up with a few good ones.”And indeed he shot a whole lot… and got way more than a few keepers.
Learn from them. I remember one night I shot like crazy while walking in the pedestrian lane in Orchard over and over again, trying to capture a good silhouette shot from the headlights of the cars on red. I didn’t care what the other people were thinking of me. Eventually, I got my keeper:
However, please don’t take this as a recommendation to just recklessly shoot anything that moves with the hopes of getting a few good ones. You have to know what kind of image you want to create first, and determine the circumstances where you can get that image, then intelligently shoot like crazy.
#4. The fear will never go away. Learn to deal with it and shoot through the fear.
I’ve been shooting for about 2 years now and I still get scared shitless most of the time. That feeling is always there that sometimes I would ask myself “why am I doing this to myself again?” The fear and paranoia will not get better… what DOES get better is your ability to consciously decide to shoot anyway despite the possibility of getting slapped in the face by the tough-looking chick you’re about to photograph:
Don’t get too reckless, though. I don’t want you to get slapped and blame me for it.
#5. Relentlessly look for inspiration. The more you immerse yourself with great photos, the higher your expectations of your own photos will be.
I’ve been there… on my first few clicks from my new DSLR, I thought “that’s not bad.. that’s not bad at all.” And a few more clicks and I had the ability to create stories out of my shots to justify its existence. At this point, I can still remember my girlfriend shaking her head saying ‘no.’ Then after a while when I get to see all those other awesome street shots on Flickr, and I get back to my early stuff, I realize how embarrassingly bad I actually was.
One important trait of a photographer is that ability to effectively curate his own work. In order to do this, you need to raise your personal standards. In order to do this, expand your horizons by relentlessly looking for inspiration from the classic masters like Garry Winogrand, William Klein, Helen Levitt, Henri Cartier Bresson, Daido Moriyama, Elliott Erwitt, and Philip-Lorca Dicorcia to name a few. For modern street photography, there’s Trent Parke, Matt Stuart, David Solomons, Nick Turpin, Matt Robinson, Matt Weber, Lukas Vasilikos, Nils Jorgensen and so much more.
The more familiar you are with what a good street shot looks like, the more discerning you will be of your own shots, the better you will be at judging if you’ve got a keeper. This way, you don’t show off your mediocre work.. everyone has a lot of that. Only show the ones that make your heart leap… the ones where you can proudly attach your name to.
***
Thank you Danny for sharing your insights, inspiration, and vision to our readers. Street photography is a genre that everyone should be able to dip their toes into and it’s an endless supply of interesting subjects for any aspiring photographer. Getting comfortable shooting strangers helps photographers build confidence and trains you on how to build rapport and communicate with your subjects better as well.
Readers Found This Page With These Terms
- barefoot street (31)
- barefoot in the rain (26)
- danny santos ii mobile photography (1)
- two girls running in the rain (1)
About David L. Tong
It is simple… If someone claims that he took the shot, how come you and Danny on the same spot? lol. You should have seen each other side by side and probably you would know that its Danny because he is quite famous in SG, especially if you are also a photographer.
Thanks ma'am. We're cool. :)
Stealing does not end that easy with a sorry. There should be some legal actions on this. If stealing will just cost you to say sorry then this will never stop. Remeber how arrogant Naknu Toroba was yesterday? 20 cane strikes for you and vanie!
Where is Naknu Toroba aka Mr Aborot now? He's was boasting yesterday as if he really knows everything about photo :D
Probably hiding.
I know vanie, in photography she is good, kind, very nice and accommodating, when I speak to her she told me everything let's just say when she started the photography she don't know what photography life will be. Let's just say "tanga pa sya s photography before" .
She admitted it but she don't have any intentions to sell it or whatever she didn't even put any signature on it. But now look at her photo's it's very nice.
Well kay Danny pa rin ang huling message, but Danny is a good person too, pare-pareho tayong pinoy dito just move on and let's cut this issue.
Hi Anonymous,
Are you Vanie Bacolod who is now going by the name Anonymous? If you are, then I completely understand. The name "Anonymous" sounds more credible than the later. If you are not, then you are probably just a confused friend who is trying to twist a CRIMINAL ACT to a story of friendship and kindness. Whatever it is you are trying to do by giving out that comment…IS NOT WORKING! Now please, do yourself a favor by shaking off that stupid attitude and doing something meaningful in your life. The world needs every bit of intelligence from human kind to survive.
Lastly, never use the excuse "pare-pareho tayong pinoy" to stop the party…you see, the FILIPINOs I know are not NAIVE and STUPID and you can NOT shut them up with some lame apologies!
At some point or another, A CRIMINAL ALWAYS PAY!
Now go screw yourself!
I don't know why some people are declaring that the "issue is now close" when shouldn't this come from the offended parties? I am not just talking about Danny Santos or other photographers who was obviously ripped off… but to the clients / friends / etc. who was able to browse and even comment on the portfolio / blog before. More so if there were paying clients who was enticed to enter into a contract due to the said images. If you want to apologize, then do it in your facebook & aminus portfolio and not on just the obscure comments section of a blog.
You might want to read up on Section 8.10.3 of the Singapore Contract Law: http://www.singaporelaw.sg/content/ContractLaw.ht…
More interesting is SG's IP Law which should cover Danny Santos… please refer to Section 12.1.8 (secondary infringement): http://www.singaporelaw.sg/content/iplaw2.html
david tong is right, a lot of people doing that thing but no one claim they did! except for vanie, she's the bomb!
I think david tong you should credit your blog to vanie, "kidding"! nice blog david, you are the author of this blog so should be the one closing this issue.
For danny you are a great photographer.
I hope this will be a lesson to everyone and this issue is now close.
Photo theft is very common in this day and age, and in my experience as a photosite addict (I scour Flickr/500px/aminus3/pbase hours DAILY for entertainment and inspiration) as soon as the perpetrator finds out his/her act has been discovered, the natural reaction would be deleting the ‘evidence’ outright…
This case was rather unusual because not only was the photo used inappropriately, it was taken by a) widely publicized photo; b) fellow countryman; c) same geographical location (how small is SG?); and audacity of ACCUSING THE ORIGINAL ARTIST OF COPYING…
That’s new and original. Now honestly, with all the praises and comments that we saw in the Aminus3 and Facebook photos, the offender clearly knows the truth and claiming ownership of the said photographs.
If Mr. Aborot wasn’t so abrasive with his claims and instead clarified with Ms. Bacolod about the incident and have HER deal with the issue, this wouldn’t have escalated to this point and a lot of embarrassment would’ve been prevented.
Not only did he claim Danny stole a photo, but also that I don’t know who I’m featuring or promoting. Wow, really now?
Let this be a lesson to all that copying other people’s work may fool the layman and those who trust your words outright, but the Internet is a vast ocean with trails scattered everywhere, nothing an experienced Googler can’t investigate and prove in 10mins or less.
When I was told “Cmon david.. u know photography.. does it even look like it’s Danny’s photo??”
I had to chuckle because yes, I know this photo very well and it took me 2secs to know that comment is either a fraud or a mistake, one or the other.
Trust your work, learn, improve and grow with it, don’t start your career and reputation based on fraud.
Hello vanie,
Glad to see your appology to danny, hope you also do understand why i react on this issue, danny and i are not really that close, but he is a friend. And he is a good person andi just don’t like what happened and what iv’e read here. We all do make mistake and no one is perfect. I may not be dnny but i appreciate what you just did. Hope the problem and mistakes ends here. We must all remember we all hold the same ideas and with that we must give respect to one another. Photography maybe just a hobby us or we do this as a living, as a pro.. we still speak and breath the same passion. And with that again, we must learn to pay respect with someones work. Thanks for putting effort to close and resolve this issue. Im sure danny will be glad that all things has been cleared and corrected.
~at para naman sa bestfriend ni karl,lol lets try to put water and not fuel to the fire.
Btt: again thanks sir david for the article and master idol danny for sharring. Mabuhay!:D
ohhhhh my! that's the hardest thing to do! yes everybody made mistake and I congratulate you & your husband for offering a public apology to Danny!
Hello to all,
Yes Paolo you just posted first before me…
I and my husband apologise to Sir Danny as well as Sir david's blog.
To stop this issue yes it's Sir DANNY SHOOTS! hope this issue ends I think everybody is happy right? it's the hardest thing to do apologizing publicly.
This will be a lesson to each and one of us and everybody makes mistake but please do not include other people that don't have any connection to this.
Once again we are very sorry to sir Danny and hope our apology accepted.
This issue will stop here.
Thanks!
Hi Vanie,
I don't know you personally but we do have common friends here in Sg. I'm not speaking on behalf of any group here, but could you PLEASE STOP & ask whoever is spreading the rumors that a group named MASP is behind all these "misunderstanding/ publicity/ ( i don't care stuff of yours)", if you know who. We, friends of Danny, naturally will react to this insult but as all had been settled in a nice way we will forget the issue and move on. If the rumors will continue and the names of the group/s will be put to shame, we won't hesitate to publish this issue to a more embarrasing media. Hope you clearly got my point.
Just a gentle reminder. :)
Hi Sir Billy,
I'm so sorry for your and MASP group, I didn't know about that, besides no group name has been mentioned here, I apologize for who ever said that or spreading the humors, I don't have really idea about it. I apologized on behalf of whoever he/she is, anyway I will inform everybody to stop this humors and cut this issue.
I admitted it that it's all my fault and not everybody else, it's only mine! I thank you all for your kind understanding as well as to Sir Danny.
Nice article you have here Sir David, and Thanks Danny for sharing. :)
just can't help but to react on Naknu and friend_of_original's post claiming danny is a copy cat.
Danny as we all know, went through a lot of hard work in order for him to get to this point. I remember him telling me how hard it is to get that "keeper" shot, how countless hours was sometimes wasted just waiting for that priceless moment. I tried doing street photography and It's not really a walk in the park, yes we can get decent shots here and there, but shots like danny are really hard to get. You need patience and more more patience. Truly a hard work. And for someone to accuse you of stealing, copying (or what ever you want to call it) that work you just did.. all the time spent.. those long long hours… I think is not right. Admiring photos of others, sharing them on your blog, FB's, forums etc. for inspiration is ok.. but as a photographer our selves we should know where to draw the line. I do know all the readers here get what i mean.
Now that all evidence are placed and laid out here.. I'm now curious on what naknu and friend_of_original is thinking and plan to say next. I hope Apologies would be made who ever is right or wrong here, I hope this issue gets it's proper closure.
~iilan na nga lang tyo pinoy dito, tyo tyo pa nagkakatalo.. just my cents! :)
When time comes i'll show the SS lol
There's a new definition of "100% SURE" from hereon out… use it when you're not sure.
Could somebody post the screenshots of her FB and post it in DPP? :D
Hi David/Danny,
I am not directly speaking in behalf of the accused but I saw the fb screenshot that one of the poster is pertaining to. I myself was a bit shocked because
1. I know what camera the accused is using
2. the person is on my list and not to belittle the accused, the accused is not in the ranks of danny
3. the name of the person being pertained to is on my fb list.
4. I use and check my fb feed almost daily. Although chances that i missed this post is a possibility, I personally didn't see it myself.
i can help mediate to settle this dispute. Feel free to contact me directly. There are just some peculiarity
on the fb screenshot that i saw. I could forward the photo to the both of you should you wish to see it.
You know them well since ms. scam is also leading the group you helped to established, go and get some lorries and shift places :P
@balimbingka
obviously you know who i am but not brave enough to post in your real name.
I was compelled to respond to the issue since i know the people involved. I've gotten in touch with Danny and discussed what happened. I am not posting here to represent a group. I am also a photographer and i understand how Danny feels.
I've done my part. Should you wish to exchange a more intelligent conversation, you know how to get in touch.
Nice article sir!!
And to the "real" copycat, the truth will set you free!! LOL!!
luckily i have Screen Shots of her FB before she even deleted lols
I think the owners of the other two images allegedly stolen should be informed and see how they respond to this issue. :)
Now why did that album in FB suddenly disappeared? Hmm…
Where's Mr. Aborot now (c'mon, flippin your surname backwards kinda takes out the anonymity of using an IP cloaker or VPN).
and wow, even the Aminus3 account of the person claiming to own the photos is now deleted… Only the WIX account remains (that doesn't contain stolen images).
I think the friend of this NAKNU is guilty … :D .. don't mess with my idol Danny :D
ooppss i think i saw this photo tooo and it's deleted in her album :D
I bet the "kit lens" used on the bicycle photo on your friend's Facebook is 85mm F1.4 Lol!
The original photographer\’s images\’ exif states…
http://www.flickr.co…/4702982138/in/ – Taken JUNE 2, 2010 http://www.flickr.co…nia/4702669167/ – Taken JUNE 13, 2010
Quite a traveler, from Toronto to Seoul in 11 days, toting a Canon 85 1.2 and Nikkor 50 1.4 as well… Wow dual system :D
Lame claim to fame…
hahahaha!…sayang ang "Miles" eh…..
Negative publicity is still publicity. What do you plan to do with this Danny?
Stolen shots haha… collection of stolen photos from different photographers. If you will look at the whole album it does not have the consistency of a single photographer. If she's a good photographer, should her take of husband and son should be as powerful as Danny's favorite shot. Don't accuse Danny as a copycat. Know your friend and your group (shitters) before claiming something without a proof.
It'd be amusing to know if this "original owner' of yours "Naknu Toroba/Friend of Original" also claims to own several other photos that were actually stolen from Flickr as well.
Not a far fetched idea.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/5855431898_91…
proof of what? Danny can't even answer when he took his "favorite shot".
He's probably searching for a date when it was raining in Orchard Road.
Look. . Danny is a great shooter..that I'm sure of.. what I don't like is that his "favorite photo" .. the most-like photo.. is not his.. this i'm 100% sure.. I know who took it, i know when and where it was taken… i know what was the "event" in Orchard on that day..
Forgodsake this photo is saved on two PCs in my home! i even had it as my office PC wallpaper during that time! It's on my facebook page, my friendster page.. all because i love this shot which was taken by someone I know very well.
Cmon david.. u know photography.. does it even look like it's Danny's photo??
– i'm stopping here. I have stated my case.. you guys can have this photo if you like.
Naknu, didn't I just answer the question? March 6, 2009 at around 4pm. This was taken beside the Mandarin Gallery while it was under construction… pretty much were this photograph was also taken (but at a later date): http://www.dannyst.com/blogimg/gallery-bad-weathe…
As my final proof, here are 4 of the frames from the consecutive bursts I took. You will notice the frame at the top right is the photo in question. I cropped it so you get a closer look. This is unprocessed, by the way.
Here's the link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/5855431898_91…
Ok Naknu Toroba…Here is the deal..the person you thought you know very well is Ms. SCAM. Right now, she is hoping you keep your mouth shut because you are embarrassing yourself and her….You see her portfolio site was well hidden until you exposed her.
Tell your love one…DO NOT STEAL PHOTO! RESPECT PHOTOGRAPHER'S RIGHTS! SHAME ON YOU!!!
PHOTO SCAM #1:
Scammer Site: http://vanie.aminus3.com/portfolio/20.html
TinEye Analysis Result: http://www.tineye.com/search/b9131cd6039b163419aa…
Real Owner Site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chewie007/4702982138…
- This photo was taken on June 2, 2010 in Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON, CA.
- This Photo was featured in Flickr Explore
PHOTO SCAM#2:
Scammer Site: http://vanie.aminus3.com/portfolio/13.html
TinEye Analysis Result: http://www.tineye.com/search/b9131cd6039b163419aa…
Real Owner Site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dslr_mania/470266916…
- This photo was taken on June 13, 2010 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II in Seoul Korea.
- This Photo was featured in Flickr Explore
PHOTO SCAM#3:
Scammer Site: http://vanie.aminus3.com/portfolio/14.htmlTinEye/
TinEye Analysis Result: http://www.tineye.com/search/2c03a9724f8bde104fd3…
Real Owner Site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannysantos/33356554…
- This photo was taken on March 7, 2009 using a Nikon D300.
- This Photo was featured in Flickr Explore
NOW EAT THIS: THIS PHOTO BELONGS TO DANNY SANTOS :D
And your cry baby whiny-assed opinion would be…? If you are smart you will Shut Up!
Great reverse searching Kathleen. I simply copy/pasted the URL of the offender's photo into google image search, and naturally, if Google indexed a similar photo on an EARLIER date, it'll rank higher in the results. Lo and behold, those photos are taken by someone else.
The real story: Ms. Scam telling Naknu I go out and shoot (but going somewhere else, hope you don't think as evil as I am)
"Not only do I have the original raw file, I also have the photos taken before and after this final shot."… sound guilty to me!
Danny, can u give the exact date you took your "favorite photo" ? the 2 girls running in the rain?
Sound guilty? What he meant was, the shot was a selected shot from a series of CONSECUTIVE BURST shots.
Instead of questioning Danny, why don't you guys who are hiding under pseudo names show some proof to begin with?
I don't have the file with me to view the exif (it's at home), but if memory serves me right, this was taken on March 6, 2009… in the afternoon. I am very curious what proof you guys have. I have spent 3 years building my reputation as a photographer, and I will not take this lightly.
This photo was taken with a number of consecutive photos.. can you tell me how many photos were taken? And in which sequence was this photo from that series?
Keep in mind that the exif info is not proof enough..that is easily viewed in Flickr.
Stating that my photo or myself is a "copycat" is a very strong accusation. Please be careful with what you are saying and make sure that you have enough proof to support that. Not only do I have the original raw file, I also have the photos taken before and after this final shot.
Please contact me directly about this concern. I would like to meet your friend.
hi david, http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3335655452_13… photo of danny santos is the same with my friend's photo from orchard. my friend's has the original raw photo file if you want to verify the source. email me at hapiholiday@hotmail.com if you want to verify this one from danny is a copycat.
Can you confirm your allegations beyond what your friend said? It\’d be more prudent if you posted with your real name and maybe even going straight to Danny Santos for confirmation instead of creating a ‘gossip show’ comment without any proof to back it up.
Stating that my photo or myself is a "copycat" is a very strong accusation. Please be careful with what you are saying and make sure that you have enough proof to support that. Not only do I have the original raw file, I also have the photos taken before and after this final shot.
Please contact me directly about this concern. I would like to meet your friend.
retract the copycat and apologise kay danny issue is close
so ganon nalang yon? closed na gad?
Thanks forrrr that post ! Go on! sending posts like that
aha! the secret reveals! great article sir David. Thanks for sharing Danny! :D
Great interview, I feel inspired already!! :D
Thank you for this feature, Sir David! Very much appreciated :)
BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY AND VERY INFORMATIVE ARTICLE!