I have never shot Street Photography before, and have always been terrified of it (I don't like being intrusive). But with this challenge I figure I HAVE to at least give it a try. Especially since my town has such a nice downtown area to do so.
First question, is a wide or zoom lens better for this kind of shot? It seems like one has to get close and in the action, but if I did that with my zoom the depth of focus would be too small. Advice?
I have never shot Street Photography before, and have always been terrified of it (I don't like being intrusive). But with this challenge I figure I HAVE to at least give it a try. Especially since my town has such a nice downtown area to do so.
First question, is a wide or zoom lens better for this kind of shot? It seems like one has to get close and in the action, but if I did that with my zoom the depth of focus would be too small. Advice?
purists say it has to be wide or at least normal to get a viewer to feel "in the thick of the action". It is mostly true, but there is no rule which cannot be broken :). It's true that a long tele would have smaller DOF, but perhaps it would be sufficient. Also, it is safer and therefore psychologically easier to shoot from a distance :). I say if the image conveys the spirit of the street, tells a story, then it is street photography, who cares which lens you've used.
First question, is a wide or zoom lens better for this kind of shot? It seems like one has to get close and in the action, but if I did that with my zoom the depth of focus would be too small. Advice?
The question doesn't mean much: we have a 10-22mm zoom, and we have a 100-400mm zoom, so zooms can be very wide, very long, and anything in between. Your question is more like, "Is it better to stand off at a distance and use a telephoto, or get into the middle of the action and use a wide angle?"
And the answer to that is, "It depends!"
So don't worry too much about it, do what works for you and plug away at expanding your comfort zone :-)
Ok, after a few more hours of shooting, maybe I have something.... Funny enough, I might just use an image that I caught about 10 seconds after roll over.
Do you think street photography can be done well with a 50mm? Anyone have any examples?
Of course it can. Google "Henri Cartier-Bresson" if you want examples... The prototype of the street photographer :-) The vast majority of his images were with 50mm.
Although, that was on 35mm camera (read "full frame") and you have a cropped sensor camera, so your equivalent would be closer to a 30mm lens, for the same angular coverage, but... It's in the general ballpark.
I have read somewhere that to get candid street photos of people, you can use a wide angle so that your subject doesn't notice he/she is the subject. Your subject is composed somewhere on the left or right side of the frame, and then you crop later in PP.
Problem is, cropping is not allowed in minimal editing.
Do you think street photography can be done well with a 50mm? Anyone have any examples?
Of course it can. Google "Henri Cartier-Bresson" if you want examples... The prototype of the street photographer :-) The vast majority of his images were with 50mm.
Although, that was on 35mm camera (read "full frame") and you have a cropped sensor camera, so your equivalent would be closer to a 30mm lens, for the same angular coverage, but... It's in the general ballpark.
R.
Thanks. I also found Nixter's profile, which is great! And flickr had some nice examples. I posted before I searched.
Street IS minimal. The whole frame tells the story. You all are just thinking entirely too score and DPC-centric. Go out and enjoy the experience! See what you get.
Street IS minimal. The whole frame tells the story. You all are just thinking entirely too score and DPC-centric. Go out and enjoy the experience! See what you get.
Does one normally need to ask permission to photograph random strangers on the street, or can you just snap away?
I always thought that street photography was more candid than posed. So I'm going to just snap away. If I get something good, I might talk to them afterward.
Is this a new SC or just ideas thrown for future challenges?
I am looking forward to it although I am always in 2 minds about photographing people. Apparently, one can take photos of anybody in a public space. When I see kids with their parents, I normally ask permission.
Does one normally need to ask permission to photograph random strangers on the street, or can you just snap away?
In a public place, people relinquish their expectation of privacy. It's usually best for all purposes to take candid images. At least, that's what I intend to do. When people become aware their image is being captured, they change their behavior. I'll use a 135mm or 200mm lens, so I don't have to get in someone's face, because Basic rules prohibit cropping. We have a stretch of good weather coming over the next 5 days. I know a place where there will be a lot of people on the street.... outside. I'm a wildlife photographer, so I'm going to treat the madding crowd like a herd of elk.
Is this a new SC or just ideas thrown for future challenges?
I am looking forward to it although I am always in 2 minds about photographing people. Apparently, one can take photos of anybody in a public space. When I see kids with their parents, I normally ask permission.
This is the new exclusive challenge just posted last night.
