(All photographs were taken in Zanzibar Stonetown)
My purpose was to capture the look and feel of not only Stonetown, but it's people as well. However, I had to remember people are not buildings and need to be respected. Many photographers seem to lose their basic manners when out on the street, please keep in mind your camera does not give you any more rights than those of your "subjects".
Before taking a photograph of a stranger, ask permission, if they say no, politely smile and accept. Many photographers keep some one/five dollar bills handy as a small token of thanks if the "subject" agreed to a photograph being taken of them.
As for the technical bits, I may be frowned upon by many photographers, but when it comes to photographing for the purpose of capturing a place in all it's beauty, break the rules now and then. Yes, try and remember the basics, rule of thirds, keep your images well exposed, framed and sharp, yet if you shoot an image at a crazy angle and it is blurred, it may just be what you need, especially in black and white.
Try everything; shoot wide, get in close, change lenses, go low, shoot from above and regularly change shooting angles. Adjust your settings for movement blur or depth of field for portraits of single subjects. Manage your available light to benefit your image at all times. This does not mean never use flash, remember, try everything.
Anticipate, there is always something on the move in a city, be it a delivery man running past or a scooter shooting by. You may not even have time to focus your camera, shoot anyway, you may just get the shot.
as for processing, a nice tip is adding vignetting to your black and white images, darkening the edges completes your image.
Most of all, be patient and enjoy!
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