Michael Talbot – http://www.urbanghost.com/

Where are you located?

I currently live in Toronto Ontario, a great city to photograph in due to the vast array of cultures and classes mixing together in unique neighbourhoods.  For years I lived within walking distance of work, and took most of my photos on that daily trek.  Everyday I was faced with a barrage of interesting characters.  I now live further away and usually bike ride to work.  I’ve recently found a way to photograph while biking (sometimes risky!), which has led to some interesting angles and approaches.  This requires a fast shutter speed, a quick eye, and even quicker reflexes to avoid oncoming traffic!  Although I shoot primarily in Toronto, I enjoy travel and found New York City, Las Vegas, and Cuba to be especially interesting cities to wander with a camera.

What do you specialize in?

I specialize in street and documentary style photography in both colour, and black and white, film, and digital.  Street photography is great because it opens one’s eyes to the world around them, and can turn an otherwise mundane walk into a riveting visual and psychological experience.  You can learn a lot just by observing life a little more closely than you usually would.  I enjoy photographing people in their natural environment and tend to seek out intriguing looking characters.   I also have a journalistic background and work in a newsroom, so some of my shots tend to learn towards photojournalism at times.  I love the sport of boxing and have recently begun photographing amateur and professional fights.

How do you photograph strangers?

Photographing people you don’t know can admittedly be intimidating at times.  You never know the reactions you may get.  Some days I feel very bold and brave and other days I have a hard time getting into the zone.  Depending on the camera I’m using, I’ll either frame a photo carefully, or shoot from the hip and hope for the best.  I find that if I act confidently, most people don’t mind.  If you look sheepish and suspicious, you will undoubtedly draw attention and people may become wary of your intentions.  I rarely photograph children and try not to take exploitative pictures, but at times I’ll break my own rules if I feel an image is too intriguing to pass up.  Most of the time I take candid photos, but occasionally I’ll strike up a conversation with someone I find interesting and I’ll ask them if I can take some shots.  This is rare however, and usually I’m in my own world, trying to capture people in their natural surroundings, without altering the mood.  Another photographer commented that my work was, ‘an honest essay on the human condition: we are diverse, yet we are the same.’  I thought that was the perfect description for what I am trying to accomplish.

What equipment do you use?

I started off using a film SLR, a Canon AE-1 that my mother gave me.  I used that for years and it was a great learning tool.  I learned all the basics with that camera.  I then began collecting old cameras, mostly rangefinders from the 70s.  I used several different models of these, primarily Canon Canonet QL17 GIII, and QL19.  I loved, and still love the look of black and white film, but grew slightly tired of the expense, and scanning involved, and began drifting towards digital, primarily due to convenience.  I bought a Canon 20d, and still use that today.  For the streets I use a prime lens, 24mm or 50mm.  For journalistic assignments I use the 24-70L lens.  Much of my street work lately has been shot with a Lumix LX3, a high end point and shoot digital camera that is well suited towards street photography, as it has a fast, wide lens, and manual settings.  Sometimes I use toy cameras like a Holga, or other very cheap film cameras I find at garage sales and pawn shops.