As I draft a couple of posts of tips for taking better street portraits, I’m reviewing my portfolio.  Among the portraits are scattered, however, the various near misses that are the backgrounds that never found their stranger.

Above, thick fog diffuses the soft winter light, whilst fresh snow acts as a natural reflector.  Last night’s blizzard has turned The Mall into a giant light tent, with a vanishing point arch of stately trees running through it, but no one is around to ask…

One of the main divides I encounter speaking with others who shoot street portraits are those who advocate a stranger led approach, and those who advocate a background led approach.  I’m generally the latter, for reasons I’ll sketch in coming posts, and so my shots generally start as a stage.  The actors, however, don’t always show on cue.  Sometimes time simply runs out, and you simply have to walk away, leaving these relics behind on the CF card – test shots to nail down settings, compose, prepare, all for naught.  I thought I’d share what that sometimes looks like.