In this post, I want to share some of my favorite shots taken in the past three months that were made on street photo walks. In most cases, I shot my camera using zone focusing and off eye level.

I shot this picture of a shop keeper when I was heading back to Grand Central Terminal after a quick walk along 42nd street, in NY. I shot it with black and white film using a 200mm lens. I stood by the storefront adjusting my frame and focusing as he continuously gave me that look. The entire process took me several seconds which felt like an eternity. I waved with a smile and walked away.

On this photo, I was paying attention to the sharp, geometric shapes the shadows were creating with the afternoon light. I set my camera to zone focus at 5 feet and was moving rather quickly as it was a cold day. I wasn’t looking to make eye contact with him, and I was quite surprised to see him looking at the camera when I processed the file.

In this case, I responded to her look; there was something very youthful about her. I was aware of her looking in my direction but seeing her faint smile when I processed the file was the cherry on top.

I love looking at people not taken by gadgets or occupied doing stuff; so I couldn’t help taking this photo as I was riding the subway and looked at how she was the only person in the group not doing something. She was quite aware of me taking the photo and let her friends know, but before they looked in my direction, I was already exiting the train.

With this photo, I responded to their body language. I took this photo through a bus window in Washington, DC as I was heading to the Tidal Basin with my family. The bus stopped on a red light, and they were there, perhaps waiting to cross the street.

I took the picture at the National Gallery, in Washington, DC as I responded to the color harmony in the scene and observed his body language.