When taking photos of people in a dynamic environment (and here I am talking specifically about Southeast Asia), it is very important to keep one’s photos as simple as possible. Capturing something too messy, unless it is composed in a very smart way, will take the viewer's attention away from the photo’s main subject and the story it tells.
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When in a very busy place, like a market or festival, compisition can very easily get messy and confusing. People are scattered all over the frame and do not help direct attention to a particular subject. Mostly, the problem comes when different people, or subjects are juxtaposed. If one person is partially hiding another, it gives a feeling that the photo was not very well thought-out.
Here is an example of a badly juxtaposed photo:
You can tell there was an idea behind the composition, but the fact that the people are "on" each other does not help to create harmony. This is a common problem for photographers, no matter their skill level, as it is often a matter of milliseconds to get the right shot. But, as we are now (most of us) using digital cameras, we can afford to "click click click."
When juxtaposition is taken into consideration, it is important to have a good timing. It is also necessary to anticipate the right moment, looking through the viewfinder (or the screen) for people moving towards or away from the center of the frame.
About 15 seconds after taking my initial shot, things started to look better and I waited for the right moment to make my next attempt (see the top article photo).
One can also play with juxtaposition to bring a different feeling to a shot. Trying to hide parts of a subject with other people in the foreground can help give feeling to the scene, like a busy street in Yangon during a festival:
So remember, next time you photograph a buzzing place, not only should you use a wide aperture to blur out some of the mess, but you can also clean up a busy shot by waiting for the right timing so all your subjects are visible and clear.
Etienne Bossot is a travel photographer who has been based in Hoi An for 7 years. He runs the popular Hoi An Photo tour & Workshop and leads photography tours across South East Asia.
