Springtime in Boston has been sublime in 2023. On Friday May 26th, I had the day off and had an incredibly productive day of Boston Spring photography, join me as we explore my four favorites from the day.
Haymarket
- Camera: Nikon F3
- Lens: Nikon 24mm f/2.8D
- Film: Portra 400
I’m a sucker for photographing the Haymarket farmers market. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again, but there’s something special about this shot. This shot is killer, the framing brings the viewer in from all four corners. No matter where the eye starts, it’s lead to our focal point, the vendor in the middle and the watermelons. I’m also pretty keen on the way the film stock rendered the different shades of blue in this scene.
It.
- Camera: Nikon F3
- Lens: Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI-S
- Film: Kodak Gold 200
I shot several photographs around the Common on that sunny spring day. While the tree’s blossoming flowers and the Memorial day decorations were beautiful, this image of a lone red balloon stands alone. I composed the image with the tips of the trees in the bottom right and left of the frame. By doing so, there’s a triangle of subjects to bring the viewer through the image. Additionally, the stark blue-sky produces a perfect backdrop for such a minimal image.
Boston Public
- Camera: Nikon F3
- Lens: Nikon 24mm f/2.8D
- Film: Kodak Gold 200
Having lost power the night before, I was in desperate need of some juice to charge my devices. I’d arrived at the Boston Public Library and it was relatively empty – I was overjoyed. I read some econ books I’d been putting off for some time at this counter before the woman at the end of this frame joined me. As I called out in Haymarket above, the framing of this shot is my favorite aspect. The leading lines bring the viewer in, and the warm tones of the library light offers a lovely contrast to the cool exterior tones of Boston under a bright mid morning sky.
Fitting The Frame
- Camera: Nikon F3
- Lens: Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI-S
- Film: Kodak Gold 200
I think the part of this final shot that works best is the fact that we’re looking at an image in an image. The entryway to the Atrium offers up a frame of negative space, highlighting the subject well. I could talk more about this image (the falloff of the light in the top and bottom of the frames, the leading lines, etc.) but I think I’ll let this one stand on it’s own.
Shooting film is hard, but Boston Spring days make it a bit easier. With good weather and hard light, the city comes alive and is willing to show itself to you if you only know where to look.