A Sun Flare And Shadows On A Cold Afternoon

The image I will discuss today is an older street image that I created during a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, in early 2014.

Background Story

At that time, my family and I had lived only for two years in the US, and while we already had been to Washington, DC, and New York City, Atlanta still was unexplored territory.

So we booked a hotel and drove the 2hrs and a bit to Georgia's capital.

We made sure that we covered all the regular tourist attractions: CNN headquarter and studios, the aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and of course, the house where Margaret Mitchell lived and wrote her famous novel Gone With The Wind.

Also on the list was the High Museum of Modern Art, which has a great art collection and where I was able to create some interesting images.

How It Was Made

It was January, cold, and the sun was setting early.

Besides my Fujifilm X-Pro 1, which I used as my primary tool, I had a Canonet QL17 loaded with Ilford Delta 400.

While walking a street downtown Atlanta, the sun in our faces, I lagged a bit behind my wife and daughters and noticed how the setting sun outlined their silhouettes.

I grabbed the Canonet, aimed, pushed the shutter, and hoped for the best.

Why It Works

After getting the developed roll back from the film lab, I was happily surprised by the result.

This image works for me for several reasons.

To start with the film grain: I love the looks of Delta 400. As I mentioned before, one of my all-time favorite films.

Then the tonality. What I did not expect was the detail in the shadows and the highlights. Look at the details of houses on the other side of the road. And even in the sun flare are details from the trees visible.

I also like how the composition turned out. The viewer's eye is directed to the main subjects in the frame by the lines created by the columns on the left and the trees and road on the right. The direction of their shadows in the foreground enhances this effect.

And lastly, I love how the large sun flare and the crispiness of the silhouettes turned out.

I think this might be one of my best candid street shots.