How I See It: Piccadilly With A 90mm Lens
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Traditionally, street photographers have used a wider focal length - 28mm, 35mm or 50mm. So what happens when a telephoto lens is used to make street images? I take a 90mm lens to Piccadilly Circus to find out.
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Some folks may think 90mm is kinda long-ish... but that's the point: very tight framing. With wide angle lenses, sometimes you'll easily put more unwanted stuffs your frame.
Of course, documentary-style street photography generally favors wide angle lens, and there's Saul Leiter/Ralph Gibson etc who make abstract-ish shots. Kinda different approach.
Yes - you’re absolutely right. I love the more abstract effect when there is time to frame up and use the 90mm properly.
Nice video. In particular, I enjoyed your explanations of your prints. Thanks
Thanks for watching! And for reaching out - very glad you enjoyed it.
love the shots love your process and most all your patient and detailed walk through of what made you print the ones you did. you got a sub, your Brighton video was inspiring as i am there next week
Thanks for the sub and for the feedback. That’s really helpful. I’m pleased you like the print part of the video - it seems to be going down well.
Enjoy Brighton - I hope the weather is as good for you as it was for me.
Love your approach. In this video and in general.
Thanks so much - that is truly great to know. I can only be myself.
Always good to switch lenses to keep things fresh. I dont use it much these days but I have some of my favourite photos with the fuji 56mm 1.2 which I guess is a similar focal length
Yes, very similar; that's a gorgeous lens, if a bit slow to focus at times. I have always enjoyed using it at night when there seems to be more time to set up the shot. Thanks as ever James .
Great video Hugh. You are extremely creative with your photography. Hope it’s ok to nick some of your ideas when I go out at the weekend? Cheers. Wayne 👍😎
Of course! That’s what it’s all about, Wayne. Thanks for your kind words.
Great job Hugh. I thought your lady up the steps shot was lovely. Little things can catch my eye in a photo and in that one it was the position of her arm. 😆 Funny I suppose but I thought it complimented her movement in the scene which had a great feel about it.
Good job 👏
Thanks very much. Glad you like that image - the light was so so good. You're right; it is funny what catches the eye. I guess it's highly individual. Thanks again.
Agree, the shot of the lady going up the stairs to Shaftesbury Av had some atmosphere to it. Let’s be fair she looks quite appealing too, which only adds to the pleasure of viewing what is already a good image. Anyway another great job. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much - glad you like it.
Very well explained thank you, I'm just beginning my photo journey
Glad it was helpful! Best of luck as you set off - I know you will learn to see things differently and will be so grateful for it.
Regarding the focusing, it's your party
I will definitely try 90mm or equivalent on mf3 👍
Great 👍Enjoy experimenting.
As I don't live in an urban area, I don't do a lot of "street" photography, but when I do, I generally prefer a 70-200 (or even longer, unless I'm primary focussing on architecture, in which case I prefer my 16-36). The essence of street photography is "catching people in the act of being themselves," and that concept often falls apart if subjects are aware of your presence and intent. As you point out, longer lenses allow you to be more discreet (although another reason I don't do a lot of street is that I feel like I'm invading people's privacy, which I realize they've no reasonable expectation of in public*). Of course, there are situations where you want more context, or other rationale for using wider lenses. Being able to quickly adapt to the ongoing moment is why zooms are so helpful (and the better ones are every bit as good as primes these days). If one is concerned with size (and weight, or don't want to waste you money on the excessive overkill of larger format systems), then they should consider Micro Four Thirds, which offers the further advantage of more DoF flexibility (2x at the same aperture, although it's easy to go shallow), plus a lot better selection of wider-range zooms.
*Great comment on phones--it's sad how absorbing people find them. The upside for street photography is that, as camera phones are so ubiquitous, people are used to them and probably don't care as much that they're the subjects of photos or videos--in fact, some probably enjoy their "15 minutes of fame" (or indirect social media hits). That said, you've done a good job of preserving anonymity of your subjects while still managing to get some nice shots.
I agree with everything you say. You have to go with what works for you. That may be a question of cost, weight, or ethics - whatever you feel comfortable with will be what you return to time and again. Your phrase about catching people being themselves is such a good point. It is exactly that.
And, yes, phones - they are a key signifier of our times and we will miss them when they're gone. Look at the number of street photographers chasing after newspapers and hats.
Just watched a few of your videos and subbed. Great stuff. It's very interesting to watch you as you work, and to hear the thought process. I also think it's great to actually see a printed photo at the end. You're too modest on the keepers front. Anyway, well done and look forward to more content.
Welcome aboard! Glad you like the printed feature at the end - it seems to be going down well. Thanks for your kind words and support.
Somewhat Saul Leiter.. nice work
Thanks - definitely enjoy his work.
Back in the day (~30+ years ago) during film days - the ‘go to’ lens for, what we now call today as ‘Street Photography’, was 135mm f2.8!
Indeed, I have recently re-discovered and ‘shaken the dust off’ (😁) my old Olympus lens (still in excellent condition) for such a ‘back to my roots’ project, for the next year or so.
With a K&F Concept OM-E Mount adapter (other adapters are available) on Sony A7rII but entirely reliant on manual focus (via Focus Peaking) and Manual Mode exposure, but engaging IBIS for hand-held photography. So far the results are promising and beautiful!
So ….. instead of buying an all new auto-everything-lens - why not try a high quality ‘old’ medium-telephoto lens, which can be picked up very cheap second-hand, for ‘Street Photography’ giving you a bit of ‘Stand-off’?
BTW ….. Excellent video Hugh!
Love that. 135mm would really challenge me. It would certainly slow me down. With then Leica M cameras I can use lenses going back half a century without an adapter.
Thanks for acknowledging my experience.
Good quality Zooms were not available back in late 80s or early 90s for Olympus OM camera!
You generally bought a camera with a 50mm followed by a 24mm or 28mm - at that time, the first telephoto was 135mm (either f3.5 or more expensive f2.8!) I bought the f2.8 but this lens delivered me excellent images - a few award winning images.
Indeed, today with IBIS plus Focus Peaking using 75-135mm range lens for Street Photography would be a good partnership - as you illustrated.
Zooms aren’t always the answer anyway. I love a prime for its size and how you get to know that focal length intuitively.
Hi Hugh I'm a fairly recent subscriber and loving the videos that I've watched so far. I love shooting with the amazingly sharp Viltrox 75mm f1.2 on my Fuji so it's approx 105mm on a FF. I find it quite funny that I was criticised on a recent Facebook post for shooting Street at narrow apertures because the guy said Street SHOULD be shot at F8 etc 😂 he also said if I shoot wide open then the 'Street' isn't visible in the images! Obviously doesn't understand Street Photography 😊 Each to their own I say. I also love shooting abstract images. I recall you mentioning Saul Leiter in a previous video. I love his work
Hi Paul. Thanks for the feedback. There will always be people willing to tell you what you shouldn't be doing. My only guideline there is that it should be candid. Otherwise, do what works for you to tell the story. Those longer focal lengths are probably what would be considered portrait lenses. There's nighhbg wring with that and Saul Leiter did indeed shoot with a longer lens which is where so much of his softer focused and more compressed style came from. No one argues with him.
Nice content 👍 Good luck with your channel!
Thank you! 👍much appreciated Andy.
I'm considering getting the Fuji 90f2. It's a lot bigger than the Voitlander because it's actually a 140mm f2 equivalent. Nice video.
Yes - I made a mistake in the video - the Fuji XF 56 is closer in equivalence to the 90mm full frame. I knew that - I just messed up in filming. I do have both Fuji lenses and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Thanks for reaching out.
All good mate. What do you think of the 90 then?
@@adamevans7945 I like it - it’s not really my focal length because it doesn’t suit how I shoot but the results are great especially for the shallow depth of field.
Another great video Hugh 👌🏾 Just for clarification though, do you mean 90mm full frame? If so then for my Fujifilm bodies, with a x1.5 crop sensor my closest lens would be the XF56mm (85mm equiv). I also have the XF90mm which is effectively 135mm full frame. Apologies if the confusion is all mine, as I’m no familiar with your Leica sensor size. Ray 🙏🏾
You're spot on Ray - the Fuji 90mm is indeed equivalent to a 135mm Full Frame - my slip. Yes the Fuji 56mm (a real gem of a lens in its own right) would have been a morensensinke comparison. Thanks for the feedback Ray - hugely appreciated.
Are all the photo meant to be out of focus
Not all. And they aren't all. The 90mm is a challenge shooting wide open on a manual focus camera.
I really enjoy my Tamron 70-300 for street photography. I can reach things I can’t get to. The vid was a little dissapointing tho. No clowns, no elephants, poor excuse for a circus….
Haha - yeah, it’s all health and safety these days!
Glad you’re enjoying that lens - must be quite a size to give you that reach; heavy too?
@@hughrawson. Well, weight is the cost of getting what you want at times. I don’t really mind it, I prefer the invisibility provided by the distance. I do use the full range of the zoom, and provides the benefit of the range without having to carry multiple lenses.
Sorry, all the photos look blurred and / or out of focus. I think holding your camera at arms length hasn't helped. Stick to the 28mm.
Can’t please ‘em all Brian. I’m definitely more suited to a 28mm but thanks for the feedback.