A few weeks ago I went to Oslo to attend a book launch. I had contributed with images to illustrate a book by Save The Children Norway about kids with disabilities, and were invited to take part in the launch.
I never travel anywhere without a camera. Just in case I get the chance to shoot something. And Oslo is one of my favorite places to bring the camera for candid urban and street photography. Even if all I have is 15 minutes before my train leaves, I always feel great after capturing a few images. This was no exception.
Drawing attention
I used to feel a bit shy and embarrassed whenever I shot street. I didn’t want anyone to notice me shooting. But when I shoot from a wheelchair these days, I just have to accept that people will notice.
It’s almost impossible to not draw attention when I stop at a street corner, adjust my position, get my camera ready and then start shooting. It’s a lot more fuss than just walking past and pressing the shutter. However I have found that people don’t notice me once I’ve just hung around for a bit. So I usually capture my best images after I’ve spent a bit of time with each composition.
This morning I didn’t have much time, so I decided to shoot from a distance to avoid drawing attention to myself. And I think it worked. After 15 minutes of intense shooting I got on the train full of creative energy, feeling very present and with a few decent images in my memory cards.
Even though I have to brush up my basic photography skills with a few planned shoots, I’ll definitely make sure to make time for some candid photography as well this summer. I hope you will as well. And I hope you like my images of Oslo!
All the best,
Tonje
