norman shearer
Veteran
- Location
- Corby, Northants, England
My first street shots were with a Canon 5D and a Olympus 21mm F2 Zuiko lens so I had to rely on zone focusing. I had the camera round my neck and a wired remote switch in my pocket. So I aimed my body at my subjects and took a shot or 2 when they were in range. I avoided eye contact and often had to crop heavily because I was shooting too early because I was worried the shutter noise would give me away!
I found the experience pretty daunting but fun and with the right glass attached I was occasionally blown away by the results of some shots. It was definitely the beginning of a passion that took my interest in photography to another level.
Some years and several cameras l8r I now predominately shoot from the hip with a Ricoh GRD3. That camera gives me the confidence to shoot in environments that I could never shoot in with other cameras. The small size. The silent shutter and the blacked-out LCD all help ease your fears of being harassed for street shooting. You still get looks but they are more questioning than hostile and by keeping on the move you are gone before anyone can give you grief.
Confidence plays a big part also. Something I still lack although I am very gradually getting more confident as I put the hours in.
It definitely pays to begin street work in an environment where you do not stand out. A crowded town shopping area allows you to blend in and be harder to pick out. I often walk behind a couple so my approaching target/s do not clock my camera. Sometimes I carry a shopping bag in one hand so I look like a shopper rather than a photographer. Sometimes I pretend to be using my mobile phone to avert the targets eyes from my camera while I'm shooting them.
It also pays to get very familiar with your equipment. Stick to one lens or one focal length and eventually you'll get your keeper rate quite high. I think that is one reason I preferred the GRD3 over the Panasonic LX5. Different focal lengths just make the job harder with few benefits. Primes tend to be sharper as a rule anyway and you get to know the optimal aperture and subject distance.
I found the experience pretty daunting but fun and with the right glass attached I was occasionally blown away by the results of some shots. It was definitely the beginning of a passion that took my interest in photography to another level.
Some years and several cameras l8r I now predominately shoot from the hip with a Ricoh GRD3. That camera gives me the confidence to shoot in environments that I could never shoot in with other cameras. The small size. The silent shutter and the blacked-out LCD all help ease your fears of being harassed for street shooting. You still get looks but they are more questioning than hostile and by keeping on the move you are gone before anyone can give you grief.
Confidence plays a big part also. Something I still lack although I am very gradually getting more confident as I put the hours in.
It definitely pays to begin street work in an environment where you do not stand out. A crowded town shopping area allows you to blend in and be harder to pick out. I often walk behind a couple so my approaching target/s do not clock my camera. Sometimes I carry a shopping bag in one hand so I look like a shopper rather than a photographer. Sometimes I pretend to be using my mobile phone to avert the targets eyes from my camera while I'm shooting them.
It also pays to get very familiar with your equipment. Stick to one lens or one focal length and eventually you'll get your keeper rate quite high. I think that is one reason I preferred the GRD3 over the Panasonic LX5. Different focal lengths just make the job harder with few benefits. Primes tend to be sharper as a rule anyway and you get to know the optimal aperture and subject distance.