Great insight. I've been shooting professionally for over 30 years. Street photography became my creative outlet apart from the paid work. I can't stand the "gatekeepers" of street, who try to dictate what you should or should not shoot. Also, while I may watch an occasional POV video, the reality is that they just aren't that interesting, especially with the annoying bounciness of the content as a result of walking with a a camera strapped to your chest. Go out and shoot regularly to develop your own style, and disregard the trends.
Thank you for sharing! I feel I am a couple of years into my career in reality but feels like a lifetime. Having only really given street photography my creative focus for the last 12 months, it's been a very eye-opening experience. I think getting out and shooting as often as possible will be the difference between repeating others work and finding our own styles
The gatekeepers of mediocracy, as I like to think of them. Yep, I go out there, daily, and yes I march to the beat of my own street photography drum. Always.
Gatekeepers in any field of work, usually have no talent and contribute nothing to their field of work all they have is their attempts to tell people their work is no good.
@@iaritrasaha I shoot street photography for myself. However, in doing so, I'm building a collection of images that may eventually become a book or stock archive.
As a uni student who really likes photography, I can say with my experience that what makes your photos better is your eye. The way you look at things, the way you stop to observe what surrounds you. Not replicating trends. Sure, inspiration is a great way to get new ideas but watching other photographers take the same pictures over and over again just narrows down what you will want to photograph in the streets. The most important thing to me is to keep my own personnal way of looking at things, always keeping my camera on in case a bird starts doing something interesting, in case a pedestrian starts running to avoid the stop light going to green... All these things that you wouldn't see if looking for something specific. To me, photography has to be spontanious.
Good video. I'm a professional photographer and have been since 1986. I was a photojournalist for a while, then ultimately opened my own studio. I delved into street photography doing a documentary series for a book I was hoping to publish, and I still do street photography when business is slow with portraits, models, gr. seniors, etc. My take on street photography "teachers" and their videos on UA-cam is that almost all of them are bad. No emotion in the photos. Just photos of someone walking into a patch of sunshine casting a shadow on a nearby wall, or a reflection from a puddle, i.e., photo 101. The other thing is many of the UA-cam certified pros preach that you have to use a certain type of camera and lens. As a former photojournalist I know that to be pure bullshit. Sometimes great shots are lost because all you have is a 28mm or 35mm lens on a rangefinder camera. If using a rangefinder is honestly what you want, and you're not being influenced by these carnival barkers on UA-cam then by all means use a rangefinder with one fixed lens. On the other hand, if you want to use a full-on larger camera with a zoom lens or an assortment of lenses, by all means do that. All anyone cares about who views your images is how good they are--do they invoke an emotion, do they tell a "meaningful" story, simple things like that. Honestly, I've never had anyone who has seen my images, in a paper or magazine or portfolio or on-line, including hundreds of clients, ever ask me "what kind of camera and/or lens did you use" other than people attending workshops that I teach. Long rant but I'm rather disgusted by what I see regarding street photography on UA-cam.
I've studied photo history in university, and I find the "social media esthetichs" to photography and especially street photography very interesting. Thing we are focused on now, is is the rush of getting likes, and thinking engagement = I'm a good photographer. In 10-20 years, we're going to learn about this time in the history of photography, and the weird notions we had about photography. Back in the day, people thought colour photography was crap and the only that was "true photography "was shooting black and white.
Makes me think of old restaurants that are almost 100 years old and how they have wooden walls with the wood grain, 90s beige panasonic cash registers instead of an iPad, old decorations and picture frames of what they last look like 20-50 years ago, family, etc etc. While all the new restaurants are decked out in technology, have social media and some of them always being on there all the time, following trends and what others do, then close in a couple of years. People think consistency is key but it really should be longevity that matters.
I feel that you've just made such an poignant observation, touching on the current state of photography and the influences made through social media. The comparison to past prejudices against color photography drives home how constantly changing standards are dictating what we consider "good" photography. Indeed, today's obsession with likes and instant feedback can distort our perception of value, focusing more on popularity rather than artistic merit. It will be interesting to see, in years to come, what future generations think of this era. Will they consider it as a phase of unprecedented democratization of the art form, or will they view it as an era of shallow metrics? As we forge ahead with these prevailing trends, any energy being spent upon the current paradigm should be balanced by creating images that hold to those constants of good photography. How do you think the rise of social media will impact the way photographic education and criticism are envisioned in the future? Will it deter from the learning and mastery of traditional skills and techniques, or create new standards for excellence?
I was personally inspired to try analog photography after watching the documentary on Vivian Maier, who seemingly took photos just for herself and for the practice and ceremony of the craft, there was something inspiring about not worrying SO MUCH about what others think of your photos but rather what YOU think of your photos, and while I do listen and learn from professionals far more experienced than me and work to improve myself ultimately I'm my biggest audience. My shots may be basic to some (I love architecture and old cars), my following small (but growing), but as long as I'm enjoying the process I don't mind. Ansel Adams once said that to him a great photo can simply be something that caught his eye, and that catch was worth preserving, and I keep that in mind when I'm out shooting. Occasionally someone else is wowed by my photos, and that makes me smile a little bit more.
I kind of get the perspective of the high volume tiktok production content being a gateway to more, at least for some people. A certain number of people will be inspired, spend the time and find their own groove over time. People are more likely to find initial inspiration from social media these days rather than a magazine, coffee table book or exhibition. If it sparks a flame that sticks and grows for some, that's great. I also like videos like yours that prompts people to think more and try "different". Some of the insta/tiktok narrow focus people will find videos like yours while searching relating to their new interest. I think it's cool that the trend is putting more people with cameras into the street, making it seem like a less weird thing to do. I remember going to Sydney as a kid in the 70s and 80s and being struck by how many people had cameras around their necks and were using them. It's one of the things that made me want a camera of my own.
Thanks for sharing and yeah I agree hopefully those shorter form videos are the gateway into books, longer videos, documentaries etc. And yes I love that now I can bump into more people on the street with their cameras, it's great to share the experience with strangers knowing you have this interest in common
The modern, more superficial style of street photography is actually very good for the hobby. Sure it devalues the proposition, but that precisely allows a certain kind of people to appreciate photography that otherwise would’ve never thought Henri Cartier Bresson pictures were good, because for that we require to have a higher sense of the art of photography. All and all I think it’s a positive outcome to have more people shooting.
Sure I hope the more people that do it the more it devalues the idiots who overcharge people for photography (especially wedding photographers who don't deserve that level of income for a skill so many can learn).
@@toddysurcharge771 I think the money in Wedding Photography comes from having to deal with Bridezillas and the pressure of taking the right shot at the right time while also making the client think their shots are unique. It's a high pressure industry. Don't be a judgy brat.
With all my respect, but you are wrong. There is no need to swim in a sea of junk to appreciate the beauty of a crystal-clear lake. And there is beauty in the superficial as well as in the deep. There is nothing more shallow than a simple still life painting (fruits and stuff) and nothing deeper than some abstract or concept art, yet both are beautiful in their own way.
@@kobe3576 Thank you for your comment. But I don’t think I’m either wrong or right. Using your own analogy; I do think that the more crystal clear lake’s pictures there are, the more information and angles would exist which will increase the probability of us appreciating said lake from a perspective other than its crystal clear water, given that any given lake’s beauty may come from one or many characteristics. We can’t be the judge of collective consciousness’ taste. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Has the abundance of popular music killed the existence of elite classic composers?
I am 63 and still learning..but also I am 63 and still have fun taking pictures! Started with 15 year .. only few people had camera's..... thnx for the channel!
Some great ideas, I've recently limited myself to one APS-C camera with a fixed 24mm lens (38mm equiv) and instead of using a zoom all the time, this has been a great test of using a fixed lens.
This is a much needed video. I appreciate that you take the approach of reflecting on this issue in a non-judgmental way. There's content creation and popular styles and there's the plethora of historical work, a huge body of work that needs no words, actually because the stories are that compelling within the photos themselves. In our street photography group we do talk a lot about gear but we talk about projects too and try to inspire and help each other to grow. As a genre hopper, my constant involvement in street (especially when shooting film) is what propels me way more than any other. Thank you George.
Couldn’t agree more, by stripping away all the technology we have available in digital cameras and just get back to the fundamentals of film speed, aperture and shutter I find it makes you focus more on the actual image. I love digital photography, but what I love about film is it is about the photo, never the technology
Yes agreed, I'm trying to move my digital set up closer to my film set ups at the moment, I find my film images these days are somehow better than digital almost by default 😂 dangerously close to going old and slow DSLR
I've just moved in a uni city. And I must say I finally get the appeal of street photography being able to tell the story of how I see this place and how thats changed over the couple months I've been here has been fascinating.
Good video! I'm just a hobbyist but I first got into photography over 30 years ago. I primarily do nature shots (I'm an avid hiker) but I also enjoy macro and street photography. My current favorite way to shoot street is picking a single focal length and a single JPEG filter and going out with no idea what I want to capture. Sometimes it works, sometimes I get nothing except the learning experience of what I did and didn't do that day. Keep up the the entertaining content, you're putting out some quality stuff.
I started with film in 2011 and there’s not much influencers and content creators yet before, i just shoot and produce photos that i feel so immersed with and enjoy shooting. Starting with film really makes it different on how i treat shooting using my cam now. I just got back to it now using a digital cam now, and i just really shoot what Im interested in. You’re right that it should be limitless, the important thing is you enjoy what you’re doing and you like what you are shooting. It really does make photography even more fun and immersive.
amazing video, as a person who got into film photography about a month ago, your message resonates with me a lot. i got myself a Pentax K1000 - at the beginning i found it for very limiting, but because of its simplicity and the limited exposures i get, i find myself a lot more thoughtful about each thought than i normally would with my phone ... Thanks
This is one of, if not the best, summations and explanations I've watched about street photography. I've been doing very amateurish street photography for years without realizing it was a thing. Over the past month I decided to dig deeper into street photography to get an idea of what others are doing and improve my focus and skills. What I discovered was a lot of repetition of themes and not a lot of quality. Too many people are trying to mimic the work of famous photographers, like Henri Cartier-Bresson, without finding their own unique vision. I realize it's difficult and challenging to stand out from the crowd when everybody has a camera now, myself included, but there's an overwhelming amount of the same tired images. I'm kinda burned out after a month of looking at countless photos of portraits of people with mobile phones, reflections in puddles, candid sneaky shots of women and people on public transit. To be fair, some of the shots are very good, but most are instantly forgettable. If nothing else, watching this video and seeing the work of others has inspired and motivated me to try something different. Artistic challenge breeds inspiration.
Thanks man! Thank you for sharing too, I completely relate to coming back with images that feel forgettable, it's something I'm working on and would love to talk more on in another video down the line
I've been reminding myself lately to avoid shooting people using their cell phone because it has been overdone, even though I have done it a few times. The exception may be if the person is dressed in an interesting way or sitting in a certain way using their phone. For example I photographed one man talking on a cell phone while he was sitting on the edge of a public trash container, which I thought was kind of funny since normally no one uses a trash container as a chair. :) Would this be something unique and memorable?
@@Dj.D25 yes, because you will remember the way you felt when you took the photo. It may not be memorable to others, but to you it will. Photography is about you, not so much the viewer. (in my opinion)
theres always gonna be silly trends that oversimplify the whole thing the trend is picking out of, but good on you for trying to rectify the narrowness of this trend.
I really enjoy your content. I couldn't phrase it better :) not only these "talk videos" are interesting but overall you make great content, thank you!
Great to keep an open mind and keep on learning. Newer cameras allow us to shoot a wider range of images. Along with film and iPhones, this is a good thing. What’s captured in the image and how you feel about it is important.
I just subscribed, this is a really great video.. I'm about to ride a motorcycle from S.E Asia to Mongolia, Nepal ,India...etc.. Recently dropped my 5D for a Fuji X-T30ii and I'm loving it. Been shooting my whole life. I won't be using Social Media for my shots. I'll be using my YT channel :-) I don't allow outside influencers to play apart in my photography... I have my own style...
Right now I’m in a place where I just bought my first nice digital camera and I think the only advantage over film is that I have so much more memory to be able to take photos. I’m not always super happy with my shots but I think it’s good for me to just get more practice shooting lots of new stuff and that just isn’t always feasible for me on film.
On photography in general, but street photography particularly, a picture should tell a story. I began photographing in the 1970's and this was a rule for those who did it. My problem with what is called street photography nowadays is that pictures rarely tell a story. You see mostly poor ones, some that explore light, colors, forms, composition but very few tell a story. I believe most people go into the new "street photography" because it's easier than rent a studio, create a concept and dive into it. I hope people start realizing this and we see more stories told instead of just "content". Empty "content" is like the calories from candies: worth nothing.
In my opinion it boils down to this: either you’re photographing for yourself as a rewarding personal experience or your shooting for an audience and for clicks. The latter, in my observation, trends to produce an uninspired collection repetitive images.
Yay Street photography and The United Stand crossover.. this is a really useful video, as someone just starting, and also deciding NOT to do social media, im glad for the lack of instant inspiration/copying/comparing. Thank you!
A really well observed video and not only relevant to the street genre. You are very right about stripping photography back to basics. The problem is many of these new fauxtographers are not about the art they are about the likes. And that simply feeds them back into the vicious cycle of fad following homogenous creating rather than genuine, creative image capture.
Thanks Jason, I agree I think it even leaks into other art forms like music where new producers create the same beats with the same drums and the same vocal delivery as what's popular. It's a shame but I think it's part of learning then finding ways to put your own spin on it
Yes, if you have the motivation to put your own spin on it then you will go on to carve out your own niche. A good newcomer to photography will not only follow the advice but question why that advice is valid and build upon it. The quickest way to becoming a good photographer is to realise likes are not indicative of your ability.
Thanks for this video, it's giving me confidence to just shoot the things I find interesting rather than mimicking top images on Instagram. I'm preparing to buy a Canon M50 for travelling in the summer but I (drunkenly) stumbled upon and purchased a Canon AV-1 film camera + 3 lens + accessories for £90 and feel so much more excited about shooting with it and learning film. The M50 will have to wait a few months! Also I loved your video that referenced Danny Ric and his Leica!
Thank you! As much as I like the M50 that drunk purchase is deffo a winner, think you'll really enjoy it. Hopefully a 50mm in there! And thanks 😂 that vid didn't get seen much! Hope Danny Ric gets a seat next year
Im agree with you, people tend to see a good street photography must be a street potraits or still photo this day. I really like cropping and learning some composition technique. I dont mind if people said it "why your photo looks blurry", "why your photo so tilted?" cause for me streets photography its all about shoot what i like to shoot.
I don't really follow street photographers online so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think it's fine to follow trends, especially if you're starting out. You start by doing what everybody else does, then you'll naturally start pushing towards your own stuff. That's how pretty much any learning works. I get that it's annoying because you end up with a lot of similar-looking shots floating about online, but that's just the nature of consumerism - art does become increasingly packaged and canned to please the largest number of people at the lowest possible cost, like Hollywood movies. But as a process of learning, I don't think it's a fundamentally bad thing. And if you never steer away from the trends, then maybe you just don't have that kind of creativity in you, which is OK too - I often wonder if I do!
I approve of the reasoning of bringing the concept of taking photos digitally as if they were staring at a film camera, and that's exactly what I usually do, but because I, like many old men, have started with films and not like many of today who claim to give advice, with digital where you shoot in bursts with all the aids of modern cameras praying for a good photo. At the time you had to be more careful in setting up and wait for the right moment to press the shutter button. Each photo was a cost, It was very easy after a long wait for development to have only a few photos on a roll of 24 or 36 shots or worse at the beginning without even a photo.
Thank you for sharing! Yeah I think as someone who learnt with digital and autofocus we've been spoiled and actually limiting ourselves may be the way forward
Thank you for sharing! Yeah I think as someone who learnt with digital and autofocus we've been spoiled and actually limiting ourselves may be the way forward
The biggest problem with street photography in general are the photographers themselves. I see it so often on social media and in cities I travel to. They love the idea of being a street photographer but are often people who just photograph streets. A street photographer in my opinion is someone who is like a ghost, they blend in, un-noticed. The grey man. They get 'the' shot and you would never know they were there. I'm not a fan of the in your face style of Bruce Gilden or his personality. I do however have great respect for street photographers who have captured great works. My personal favourite is Vivian Maier. Someone who was not only technically brilliant with a great eye but also as a person who wasn't looking to be a celebrity / influencer like so many people today.
This is a great point, thank you! I agree I think it's something I'm constantly aware of, not just photographing the street but finding something in the streets. Love the story of Vivian Maier, not sure she wanted us to know but she did great work without ever being told
Come to think of it, Vivian took a lot of photos of children. Imagine doing that in this day and age, you'll make people around you angry, if not immediately getting called the police on, especially if a man does it. It's sad because street photography's world today is like a world without children, even sadder that it's caused by the world getting more dangerous for children now.
@@excalibro8365 So true, she did. Today it's really sad as you say as people instantly think everyone with a camera is some sort of weirdo. The times today have certainly changed for the worse.
Enjoy your videos! I've been thinking similarly lately, but I also don't prevent myself from shooting in a way that may be considered overdone. One "technique" or limitation that I impose on myself is shooting with a b/w viewfinder & display. I do this by shooting RAW+JPEG, turning on b/w effect, and setting lighroom imports to Adobe Default colors. This way I can focus on geometry & dynamic range while shooting & achieve pretty much any colors in post.
Thanks! That's so interesting you mention that, that's how I've been shooting on my A7C for a while now as I don't like any of the colours in-camera, so I use black and white to simplify things then use my presets in lightroom 😂
@@GeorgeHolden Unconventional tips like that could make a great video! Another setting I use is diag+square lines instead of rule of 3rd. I come up with a random geometry “rule” to use as a theme for an album. Something like using exactly 3 lines to align subjects. Not going over is harder than it sounds in a city 😅
@@randomcommenterurl that's interesting I haven't tried that! Funnily enough I do have a whole video on the black and white topic scripted and ready to go, but not sure on a thumbnail yet 😂
Perfect video! I think this helps me realize the relationship between a photographer and their gear. It's been said that it's not about the gear, it's about the photographer, and I think this helps to bring both into light. Both are dependent on each other. I started out with the simple stuff, only then developing the basics and fundamentals. Now at a point, I feel like I need to upgrade my gear because of the type of photography I'm doing
That's fair! I often think there comes a time when either the photographer or the hear are the bottleneck, one always needs to keep up with the abilities of the other
I like letting people do what they want to do and I just do my own thing. Dipping into other types of photography and trying different things - that’s all part of the journey.
what I noticed since I started shooting film is, that when I take out my digital camera I only shoot like 30 pics, and only when Im playing around with settings and presets I maybe take 100 pics over the span of like 2-3h. Before I used to go out all the time and would regularly come back with more than 150-200 shots. which also mightve been beneficial since I needed to start somewhere and find myself. so yeah thanks tho for the video. very well narrated and to the point! cheers!
the thing is, i don't gife a dang about any of the trends online, heck, i only watch them for fun ideas and inspiration, but when i really go out there to shoot, i usually stick to my own style and take shots i think look cool, i basically don't care about any trends and other stuff like this, because i do this for fun and i'm not gonna let anything influence that idea
Oh well, at the age of 73 I have became completely trendless irrespective of whether its fashion, cars , gadgets or social media. I am immune to the age of the algo, social media, five second timespans. and wanting to please others just to get more likes. My inspiration and gateway into street was the story of the late Vivian Maier. She managed to solder on for nearly fifty years producing what can now be seen and appreciated as great images without apparently receiving any recognition in her lifetime. What greater lesson in self-motivation can there be?
Enjoyed the video. So much truth and matches a lot of the thoughts that have rolled around in my head. I started shooting Street back in 2013 after first discovering the genre. You did lose me when you talked about film. As a 77 year old photog, I love the freedom of the digital era. I still have a Pentax ME Super in the closet, but am not interested in resurrecting it. I'm looking forward to more of your videos and thoughts.
I returned to photography a few years ago. Covid allowed me time to wander and shoot, hone skills and acquired a style, that is still evolving. The issue isn't just street, but photography in general, and this is caused by too many self professed pros waxing lyrical about a skillset which is honed down to one or two aspects of photography. It's also affected by social media algorithms that encourage and promote a very limited set of skills for budding photographers. I totally agree with your surmise, and doff my hat as too few social content creators are honest about this. As you say, go out, shoot, be yourself and find your voice. I'd also suggest building a website and encouraging traffic there. Social media is totally destructive and in time you'll get bored of engagement. As for most engagement is about clicks. If that's all your after then it is what it is, but this will not improve your photography, it merely encourages you to shoot for the algorithm. Great vid. 🙏
good advice Thank you, luckily I can think for myself and I try to create something of my own even if it has already been done somewhere, so I still don't try to copy anyone
Great video!! I feel lucky that my first proper interaction with street photography was magnum streetwise from which i saw many great examples of street photography of different types and not needing to be things that are more repeatable such as the street portrait trend of street photography. I feel my idea of street photography is more about documenting and taking things that i find interesting, anomalies and oddities are something i enjoy when i spot them and also just everyday mundane stuff can be interesting especially in the city as im not that often there, not as much as id like for my photography anyway. To your point of simplifying or rather putting restrictions on yourself i do enjoy doing that also, i tend to keep my screen blank and for street basically always use 50mm.
Yup, I‘ve been shooting street for about 2 seconds, it’ll be a year soon that I got a canon rebel. I feel like street photography is more undefined in that it depends on the moment…that might be too naive of me but I can’t just tell strangers to pose for me besides that would be limiting. Great advice about advice!
@@GeorgeHolden I lived on Ladybarn lane for a few months back in the 90’s, near Plattfields park. Anyway, I am inspired and my friend who is a great photography mentor to me and I will be gong today to shoot and enjoy some of San Diego. Thanks George and God bless.
I feel the same way. Street photography it's not only candid photos and random stuff, it feels like doing snapshots over and over. From over the past few decades street photography it's something to express feeling and create environment in the photo
It's great it has problems like this, so many people are just blind followers. So, It's really easy to stand out if you have the courage to not be like everyone else, especially in street photography when most things are the same and not very good.
@@fredriksvard2603 that's interesting, something I do consider as well. I don't think it's pointless today, because in 100 years we'll value the photos of the 2020's
@@GeorgeHolden Yes, i just mean that when the pioneers did it it was new and filled a void, now we have it by default with instagram and cameras around us everywhere. There aren't many photos that rise above those snapshots imo, most street photography i see is "man crosses street", "man walks with umbrella" or "person wonder what this photo will be used for".
This video reminds me when I was using sony a200 to capture my friend sister wedding. With indoor and horrible lighting, i need to be creative with my, at that time, current equipment. thank you for reminding me
Hi, George! I agree with your points about misunderstandings that this fleeting social media trends cause. Mindlessly mimicking composition or trick out of TikTok video will lead to some cool shots but it also will lead to a narrow aesthetic perception. I think that newbies intrested in photography should leave this tricks for later and start from fundamental rules like harmony, contrast, proportions e.t.c. They also need to understand that good art invokes emotions and makes beholder to think about what he see. That`s it, that`s enougth. All they have to do with that knowledge is to go outside and look arond for interesting and beautiful scenes to shoot. And you don`t even have to own a good camera for that because we all already at all times have with us convenient and quite capable smartphone. It`s a shame so many people dismiss cameras that always have been in their hands and in front of their face.
i think thats a way to look at. I feel that this is actually a little thing that can get to more and more people and are spreading the photography for far more people. I feel like this is good even if 90% of this is just bad pictures or "trend" photography with expensive cameras.
Agreed the mass reach is great, my point is ensuring that newcomers are made aware of all subgenres rather than the popular forms which could put them off
This is a great video. I got into photography because it allows you to show how you view the world. Or at least try your best lol we are all unique and personally I have the most fun shooting things I love.
I left manual focus in 1987, too late to go back for me 🤓 Yes, no burst shooting. One, and in some cases two, or three, should be more than enough. In regard to film, it is something else which I left and will not be returning to. I did love my SF1 Pentax and Takumar/ Asahi lenses. Those POV street videos nowadays where it is all about the street puddle, reflections and framing using rails or some awful choices as foreground frames, is really a point where you switch them off. The ultra-sharp, wide-open photos of people which do not look interesting, and tell no story is all too prevalent. Good points in your video, take cares, Loren
Folks get so lost in the weeds trying to discern what they are SUPPOSED to make photos of and what genre 'label' applies. Just learn the Craft of Photography (Composition, juxtaposition, exposure triangle, decisive moment and post production.) Carry a camera that you like to use with you at all times. Make photographs with that camera. Make them images that YOU like. Share those images if you feel like you want to. (Don't care what others think about them...as long as YOU like the work.) That's it. Don't overthink it. Have fun. (and if you are lucky, make a good living.)
You need to get yourself a Fuji X-Pro1, 18mm f2 lens, zone focus the lens, use the OVF only and slap in a really tiny SD card that holds 30 or 40 shots. Shoot only to JPEG, don’t chimp either. Finish the card, take it out, put it away for a while, then ‘Develop’ them much later.
Thanks for the idea Derren (you'll never guess what came in the post today 😂) I believe there is no 18mm with a physically manual focus ring and focus zones - I can't be doing with the digital focus meter you get in the Fuji OVF
@@GeorgeHolden the 18mm f2 has a manual focus ring. On the camera body through the LCD screen or even EVF, you can set scale focus distance with the distance meter. I use this feature a lot when I’m doing fill flash and shutter dragging at events and street photography. The focus scale is quite cool as it highlights areas on focus as you adjust the aperture. It’s very effective and works really well.
@@derrenleepoole that's good to know! At the moment on 35mm I'm looking having the shutter, f stop and focus distance visible without checking the viewfinder or powering on. Being picky I know 😂 but I want to find that set up, maybe a manual lens on Fuji could be the way
5 years ago there was literally NOTHING on a street photography topic in UA-cam, as a genge it was more interesting than a usual “I am a photographer” things. So I was learning on a works of greatest and not by hype bubble, and by everyday practice of shooting strangers without a permission and talking. So this is real street photography to me.
@4:37 One overarching problem with the young who have been brought up digitally, is they do not know analogue things and find themselves easily corralled by the categorization that naturally happens upon all internet/digital interaction.
Well said. I can't shoot 500 frames a day! 20, 50 max. Maybe because I learned should film. The so-called gatekeepers are stifling creativity. Where is it written that street photography must contain a person? I find the term in and of itself limiting. I have and all ways will call myself a documentary and urban photographer. It's so much more liberating!
I hear you! Professionally I have shot thousands per day and regretted it 😂 street now sometimes I may only shoot 8 when taking my 35mm camera out with me
exactly what i have also thought these days tiktok full of those reels going out to girls saying i am a street photographer can i take your picture ... Like Why if it's not candid can you call yourself a street photographer .. also I saw people with 85mm lens with bokeh calling it street photography but with no story
In my opinion, street photography is a very personal and intimate experiance. I mean sure, u can watch tutorials about the technique or how to.... But beeing outside on the street, only you with your camera and your eyes, makes it so special. And to be honest all the Instagram tutorial stuff about how to and so on.... I really don´t like it and next to I feel pretty unconfortable to watch them cause it reduces the working process, regarding street photography, from a amazingly tasty dinner to junkfood. So don´t know if I am wrong but that´s how I feel about it. But George I really like your content and what you are talking about. Thumbs up and carry on man!!
Thanks for sharing Alex, I really agree with what you've said - I'm actually doing a video in a couple of weeks exploring that experience a bit more, hard to put into words and images but hopefully I can do an alright job. Thanks for watching!
What I find really annoying is those professional photographers who say they are street photographers and yet they are obviously using models for their 'wonderful images'. You know the perfect image where the woman looks through the window with a great pose be it on a train/ cafe' out of a car window etc. I can understand that for say magazines and selling fashion but selling it as street photography it's a bit much, if we all had models we would all get the perfect shot. Street photography is about just being in the right place at the right time with the right light, not set up. I wish more people would realise this.
for example fujifilm cameras where you can create your own jpeg recipes and then you just stay that, simulate the film well and then insert a 1gb card inside and manual lens .
The problem is not the trend, but the social media. We had trends all the time, think about Impressionism, Puntillism, Realism, Minimalism etc, etc. The problem is not the trend, but the people who influence others to make them believe that if you don't follow such trend you are worth nothing as a photographer. Most of these "influencers" are just repeating the same thing over and over ad nauseam, because 1) they have no idea what is photography about, 2) they are ignorants who don't know how to think by themselves and 3) narcissism.
I do that choice thing with a regular DSLR. I didn't even know you could just burst shoot the thing until recently. 😅 I always just aim for a certain number of shots (4-6 good ones that I'm happy about) on a walk and that's what decides my journey. I'm not particularly interested in street photography but I do suburban photography if that's even a thing. I guess my limiting factor is distance because I don't own a car. 😂 I guess the reason I limit myself is because DSLRs are loud as hell. No quiet shutter feels like shooting with meaning.
I hear that! Similar thinking made me consider a DSLR again recently (the countdown begins) and I like the idea of suburban photography, cars in garages and cool open road vibes!
nice vid, but I don't think that people want to be street photographers, then seeing the trend and wanting to become street portraits. It's more likely they see street portraits and "miss understanding" it with street photography. But I got your point with the influence…
This is one of many things Social Media has ruined. Instagram is the worst way to view photography - Printed in a frame, on a wall. Not a 4 by 2 inch screen.
I'm not a big fan of these street photography trends and the pictures it produces because it isn't exactly street. I do think it can help encourage someone who is new to go pick up their camera to go shoot, overcome their fears and learn how to communicate. Then eventually leave the trend to learn the actual history, legends who paved the way for street photographers today inspiring them to shoot just like them to document moments of time and history. Just like how hip hop where Biggie, Pac, Nas, Wu Tang, Tribe, Pharrell, Dr Dre, Premier, J Dilla, Busta Rhymes, laid the foundation for newer generations to where we have Metro Boomin, Kanye, Kendrick, J Cole, Joey, Drake, etc who are inspired by the greats to rap or produce like them and define their own style, when they were at one point going with the trends then ditched it to build their own sound. I use to follow the blue and orange trend, but got tired of it and started learning more about street that it helped me continue shooting.
Couldn’t agree more. Instagram street photography is mostly portraiture outdoors, I wouldn’t even class it as street photography. Maybe I’m a traditionalist
Thanks, I think it is still street photography and a great form - like humans of New York does a great job using the format - just they include the context in focus rather than the subjects nose
To your point, I shoot my digital cameras like film. I give myself one to three takes and if I don’t get the shot I move on. I hate having junk frames so I never shoot bursts. Part of what makes photography therapeutic for me.
Check out MPB here and grab a used camera deal!
MPB UK: prf.hn/l/QLBLRLl
MPB US: prf.hn/l/y8b8X8w
MPB EU: prf.hn/l/BJ1JqJo
Great insight. I've been shooting professionally for over 30 years. Street photography became my creative outlet apart from the paid work. I can't stand the "gatekeepers" of street, who try to dictate what you should or should not shoot. Also, while I may watch an occasional POV video, the reality is that they just aren't that interesting, especially with the annoying bounciness of the content as a result of walking with a a camera strapped to your chest. Go out and shoot regularly to develop your own style, and disregard the trends.
Thank you for sharing! I feel I am a couple of years into my career in reality but feels like a lifetime. Having only really given street photography my creative focus for the last 12 months, it's been a very eye-opening experience. I think getting out and shooting as often as possible will be the difference between repeating others work and finding our own styles
The gatekeepers of mediocracy, as I like to think of them. Yep, I go out there, daily, and yes I march to the beat of my own street photography drum. Always.
Gatekeepers in any field of work, usually have no talent and contribute nothing to their field of work all they have is their attempts to tell people their work is no good.
How to you manage to make money with street photography, Stock?
@@iaritrasaha I shoot street photography for myself. However, in doing so, I'm building a collection of images that may eventually become a book or stock archive.
As a uni student who really likes photography, I can say with my experience that what makes your photos better is your eye. The way you look at things, the way you stop to observe what surrounds you. Not replicating trends. Sure, inspiration is a great way to get new ideas but watching other photographers take the same pictures over and over again just narrows down what you will want to photograph in the streets. The most important thing to me is to keep my own personnal way of looking at things, always keeping my camera on in case a bird starts doing something interesting, in case a pedestrian starts running to avoid the stop light going to green... All these things that you wouldn't see if looking for something specific. To me, photography has to be spontanious.
Thanks for sharing!
Good video. I'm a professional photographer and have been since 1986. I was a photojournalist for a while, then ultimately opened my own studio. I delved into street photography doing a documentary series for a book I was hoping to publish, and I still do street photography when business is slow with portraits, models, gr. seniors, etc. My take on street photography "teachers" and their videos on UA-cam is that almost all of them are bad. No emotion in the photos. Just photos of someone walking into a patch of sunshine casting a shadow on a nearby wall, or a reflection from a puddle, i.e., photo 101. The other thing is many of the UA-cam certified pros preach that you have to use a certain type of camera and lens. As a former photojournalist I know that to be pure bullshit. Sometimes great shots are lost because all you have is a 28mm or 35mm lens on a rangefinder camera. If using a rangefinder is honestly what you want, and you're not being influenced by these carnival barkers on UA-cam then by all means use a rangefinder with one fixed lens. On the other hand, if you want to use a full-on larger camera with a zoom lens or an assortment of lenses, by all means do that. All anyone cares about who views your images is how good they are--do they invoke an emotion, do they tell a "meaningful" story, simple things like that. Honestly, I've never had anyone who has seen my images, in a paper or magazine or portfolio or on-line, including hundreds of clients, ever ask me "what kind of camera and/or lens did you use" other than people attending workshops that I teach. Long rant but I'm rather disgusted by what I see regarding street photography on UA-cam.
Thanks so much for sharing, appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment 🙏
UA-cam = paid influencers by the camera industry
You nailed this topic Guy!! Excellent!
I've studied photo history in university, and I find the "social media esthetichs" to photography and especially street photography very interesting. Thing we are focused on now, is is the rush of getting likes, and thinking engagement = I'm a good photographer. In 10-20 years, we're going to learn about this time in the history of photography, and the weird notions we had about photography. Back in the day, people thought colour photography was crap and the only that was "true photography "was shooting black and white.
Yeah I think in years to come this era will hopefully be a bad dream 😅
Makes me think of old restaurants that are almost 100 years old and how they have wooden walls with the wood grain, 90s beige panasonic cash registers instead of an iPad, old decorations and picture frames of what they last look like 20-50 years ago, family, etc etc. While all the new restaurants are decked out in technology, have social media and some of them always being on there all the time, following trends and what others do, then close in a couple of years. People think consistency is key but it really should be longevity that matters.
Word
I feel that you've just made such an poignant observation, touching on the current state of photography and the influences made through social media. The comparison to past prejudices against color photography drives home how constantly changing standards are dictating what we consider "good" photography. Indeed, today's obsession with likes and instant feedback can distort our perception of value, focusing more on popularity rather than artistic merit.
It will be interesting to see, in years to come, what future generations think of this era. Will they consider it as a phase of unprecedented democratization of the art form, or will they view it as an era of shallow metrics? As we forge ahead with these prevailing trends, any energy being spent upon the current paradigm should be balanced by creating images that hold to those constants of good photography.
How do you think the rise of social media will impact the way photographic education and criticism are envisioned in the future? Will it deter from the learning and mastery of traditional skills and techniques, or create new standards for excellence?
I was personally inspired to try analog photography after watching the documentary on Vivian Maier, who seemingly took photos just for herself and for the practice and ceremony of the craft, there was something inspiring about not worrying SO MUCH about what others think of your photos but rather what YOU think of your photos, and while I do listen and learn from professionals far more experienced than me and work to improve myself ultimately I'm my biggest audience. My shots may be basic to some (I love architecture and old cars), my following small (but growing), but as long as I'm enjoying the process I don't mind. Ansel Adams once said that to him a great photo can simply be something that caught his eye, and that catch was worth preserving, and I keep that in mind when I'm out shooting. Occasionally someone else is wowed by my photos, and that makes me smile a little bit more.
Thanks for sharing!
As I person who just started street photography this video really helped my inner struggle and questions I had for this trend.
I kind of get the perspective of the high volume tiktok production content being a gateway to more, at least for some people. A certain number of people will be inspired, spend the time and find their own groove over time. People are more likely to find initial inspiration from social media these days rather than a magazine, coffee table book or exhibition. If it sparks a flame that sticks and grows for some, that's great.
I also like videos like yours that prompts people to think more and try "different". Some of the insta/tiktok narrow focus people will find videos like yours while searching relating to their new interest.
I think it's cool that the trend is putting more people with cameras into the street, making it seem like a less weird thing to do. I remember going to Sydney as a kid in the 70s and 80s and being struck by how many people had cameras around their necks and were using them. It's one of the things that made me want a camera of my own.
Thanks for sharing and yeah I agree hopefully those shorter form videos are the gateway into books, longer videos, documentaries etc. And yes I love that now I can bump into more people on the street with their cameras, it's great to share the experience with strangers knowing you have this interest in common
Those PaulieB walkies videos are absolutely fascinating, think I've binged through them multiple times, they're such good advice and conversation.
I liked some of them too. Though I would like to see similar videos done for photographers in other major cities.
Love them!
Same here, would love some international cities
@@Dj.D25 absolutely, would like to see Paulie in a load of other countries and cities
The modern, more superficial style of street photography is actually very good for the hobby. Sure it devalues the proposition, but that precisely allows a certain kind of people to appreciate photography that otherwise would’ve never thought Henri Cartier Bresson pictures were good, because for that we require to have a higher sense of the art of photography. All and all I think it’s a positive outcome to have more people shooting.
Agreed more people = more voices!
Sure I hope the more people that do it the more it devalues the idiots who overcharge people for photography (especially wedding photographers who don't deserve that level of income for a skill so many can learn).
@@toddysurcharge771 I think the money in Wedding Photography comes from having to deal with Bridezillas and the pressure of taking the right shot at the right time while also making the client think their shots are unique. It's a high pressure industry. Don't be a judgy brat.
With all my respect, but you are wrong. There is no need to swim in a sea of junk to appreciate the beauty of a crystal-clear lake. And there is beauty in the superficial as well as in the deep. There is nothing more shallow than a simple still life painting (fruits and stuff) and nothing deeper than some abstract or concept art, yet both are beautiful in their own way.
@@kobe3576 Thank you for your comment. But I don’t think I’m either wrong or right. Using your own analogy; I do think that the more crystal clear lake’s pictures there are, the more information and angles would exist which will increase the probability of us appreciating said lake from a perspective other than its crystal clear water, given that any given lake’s beauty may come from one or many characteristics. We can’t be the judge of collective consciousness’ taste. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Has the abundance of popular music killed the existence of elite classic composers?
I am 63 and still learning..but also I am 63 and still have fun taking pictures! Started with 15 year .. only few people had camera's..... thnx for the channel!
Some great ideas, I've recently limited myself to one APS-C camera with a fixed 24mm lens (38mm equiv) and instead of using a zoom all the time, this has been a great test of using a fixed lens.
That's a great idea as a set up, I'm doing something similar soon as my run around
This is a much needed video. I appreciate that you take the approach of reflecting on this issue in a non-judgmental way. There's content creation and popular styles and there's the plethora of historical work, a huge body of work that needs no words, actually because the stories are that compelling within the photos themselves. In our street photography group we do talk a lot about gear but we talk about projects too and try to inspire and help each other to grow. As a genre hopper, my constant involvement in street (especially when shooting film) is what propels me way more than any other. Thank you George.
Thanks! That's great to hear and I agree the old work needs no explanation, curiosity in street I think is what keeps me interested and always looking
Watching Kai during his DigitalRev days unironically taught me a lot about street photography.
Agreed! His approach always reminded me out doesn't need to be stressful
Couldn’t agree more, by stripping away all the technology we have available in digital cameras and just get back to the fundamentals of film speed, aperture and shutter I find it makes you focus more on the actual image. I love digital photography, but what I love about film is it is about the photo, never the technology
Yes agreed, I'm trying to move my digital set up closer to my film set ups at the moment, I find my film images these days are somehow better than digital almost by default 😂 dangerously close to going old and slow DSLR
The margin between the teacher and student was so spot on. And Paulies series is a gem
Glad that came across and yes love the walkie talkie series
I've just moved in a uni city. And I must say I finally get the appeal of street photography being able to tell the story of how I see this place and how thats changed over the couple months I've been here has been fascinating.
That's great to hear, enjoy!
Good video! I'm just a hobbyist but I first got into photography over 30 years ago. I primarily do nature shots (I'm an avid hiker) but I also enjoy macro and street photography. My current favorite way to shoot street is picking a single focal length and a single JPEG filter and going out with no idea what I want to capture. Sometimes it works, sometimes I get nothing except the learning experience of what I did and didn't do that day. Keep up the the entertaining content, you're putting out some quality stuff.
Thanks Zach! That sounds good keep at it!
I got myself a fuji and a manual focus lens and shooting with a black and white preset for a year now. it has greatly improved my perception.
That's a great idea, which lens did you opt for?
I started with film in 2011 and there’s not much influencers and content creators yet before, i just shoot and produce photos that i feel so immersed with and enjoy shooting. Starting with film really makes it different on how i treat shooting using my cam now. I just got back to it now using a digital cam now, and i just really shoot what Im interested in. You’re right that it should be limitless, the important thing is you enjoy what you’re doing and you like what you are shooting. It really does make photography even more fun and immersive.
That's great to hear, thanks for watching!
All sound advice. Thanks for letting me know about Paulie B. I'm off to check out his content right after this!
Great to hear, definitely check him out!
amazing video, as a person who got into film photography about a month ago, your message resonates with me a lot. i got myself a Pentax K1000 - at the beginning i found it for very limiting, but because of its simplicity and the limited exposures i get, i find myself a lot more thoughtful about each thought than i normally would with my phone ... Thanks
Thank you, that's great to hear and hope you continue to enjoy it!
This is one of, if not the best, summations and explanations I've watched about street photography. I've been doing very amateurish street photography for years without realizing it was a thing. Over the past month I decided to dig deeper into street photography to get an idea of what others are doing and improve my focus and skills. What I discovered was a lot of repetition of themes and not a lot of quality. Too many people are trying to mimic the work of famous photographers, like Henri Cartier-Bresson, without finding their own unique vision. I realize it's difficult and challenging to stand out from the crowd when everybody has a camera now, myself included, but there's an overwhelming amount of the same tired images. I'm kinda burned out after a month of looking at countless photos of portraits of people with mobile phones, reflections in puddles, candid sneaky shots of women and people on public transit. To be fair, some of the shots are very good, but most are instantly forgettable. If nothing else, watching this video and seeing the work of others has inspired and motivated me to try something different. Artistic challenge breeds inspiration.
Thanks man! Thank you for sharing too, I completely relate to coming back with images that feel forgettable, it's something I'm working on and would love to talk more on in another video down the line
I've been reminding myself lately to avoid shooting people using their cell phone because it has been overdone, even though I have done it a few times. The exception may be if the person is dressed in an interesting way or sitting in a certain way using their phone. For example I photographed one man talking on a cell phone while he was sitting on the edge of a public trash container, which I thought was kind of funny since normally no one uses a trash container as a chair. :) Would this be something unique and memorable?
@@Dj.D25 yes, because you will remember the way you felt when you took the photo. It may not be memorable to others, but to you it will. Photography is about you, not so much the viewer. (in my opinion)
Thanks for correcting the perspective.
Thanks for watching!
10:48 that's why i started learning film photography~ so i can appreciate photography more than just point and shoot recklessly
great insight!
Thanks!
theres always gonna be silly trends that oversimplify the whole thing the trend is picking out of, but good on you for trying to rectify the narrowness of this trend.
That's true and thank you!
Great advice, I would add that if you don't want to shoot film but want to be more selective with shots then go out with a low battery.
Great idea! Or a tiny SD card
I really enjoy your content. I couldn't phrase it better :) not only these "talk videos" are interesting but overall you make great content, thank you!
Thank you so much, happy to hear you enjoy the videos!
Great to keep an open mind and keep on learning. Newer cameras allow us to shoot a wider range of images. Along with film and iPhones, this is a good thing. What’s captured in the image and how you feel about it is important.
Agreed!
Your image at 4:04 is actually very fascinating with the angles, the figure behind the bicycle.
Thanks!
I just subscribed, this is a really great video.. I'm about to ride a motorcycle from S.E Asia to Mongolia, Nepal ,India...etc.. Recently dropped my 5D for a Fuji X-T30ii and I'm loving it. Been shooting my whole life. I won't be using Social Media for my shots. I'll be using my YT channel :-) I don't allow outside influencers to play apart in my photography... I have my own style...
Thank you for watching!
We’re all learning no matter where we are. Very refreshing video!
Thanks!
Right now I’m in a place where I just bought my first nice digital camera and I think the only advantage over film is that I have so much more memory to be able to take photos. I’m not always super happy with my shots but I think it’s good for me to just get more practice shooting lots of new stuff and that just isn’t always feasible for me on film.
Definitely digital is the way to go if you want to get plenty of shots in
On photography in general, but street photography particularly, a picture should tell a story. I began photographing in the 1970's and this was a rule for those who did it. My problem with what is called street photography nowadays is that pictures rarely tell a story. You see mostly poor ones, some that explore light, colors, forms, composition but very few tell a story.
I believe most people go into the new "street photography" because it's easier than rent a studio, create a concept and dive into it.
I hope people start realizing this and we see more stories told instead of just "content". Empty "content" is like the calories from candies: worth nothing.
Agreed I think today tricks are the subject rather than a real subject with a story
Great Work👌
Thanks 🔥
In my opinion it boils down to this: either you’re photographing for yourself as a rewarding personal experience or your shooting for an audience and for clicks. The latter, in my observation, trends to produce an uninspired collection repetitive images.
Great take!
Yay Street photography and The United Stand crossover.. this is a really useful video, as someone just starting, and also deciding NOT to do social media, im glad for the lack of instant inspiration/copying/comparing. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
A really well observed video and not only relevant to the street genre.
You are very right about stripping photography back to basics. The problem is many of these new fauxtographers are not about the art they are about the likes. And that simply feeds them back into the vicious cycle of fad following homogenous creating rather than genuine, creative image capture.
Thanks Jason, I agree I think it even leaks into other art forms like music where new producers create the same beats with the same drums and the same vocal delivery as what's popular. It's a shame but I think it's part of learning then finding ways to put your own spin on it
Yes, if you have the motivation to put your own spin on it then you will go on to carve out your own niche.
A good newcomer to photography will not only follow the advice but question why that advice is valid and build upon it. The quickest way to becoming a good photographer is to realise likes are not indicative of your ability.
Thanks for this video, it's giving me confidence to just shoot the things I find interesting rather than mimicking top images on Instagram. I'm preparing to buy a Canon M50 for travelling in the summer but I (drunkenly) stumbled upon and purchased a Canon AV-1 film camera + 3 lens + accessories for £90 and feel so much more excited about shooting with it and learning film. The M50 will have to wait a few months!
Also I loved your video that referenced Danny Ric and his Leica!
Thank you! As much as I like the M50 that drunk purchase is deffo a winner, think you'll really enjoy it. Hopefully a 50mm in there! And thanks 😂 that vid didn't get seen much! Hope Danny Ric gets a seat next year
Im agree with you, people tend to see a good street photography must be a street potraits or still photo this day. I really like cropping and learning some composition technique. I dont mind if people said it "why your photo looks blurry", "why your photo so tilted?" cause for me streets photography its all about shoot what i like to shoot.
Thanks for sharing!
I don't really follow street photographers online so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think it's fine to follow trends, especially if you're starting out. You start by doing what everybody else does, then you'll naturally start pushing towards your own stuff. That's how pretty much any learning works. I get that it's annoying because you end up with a lot of similar-looking shots floating about online, but that's just the nature of consumerism - art does become increasingly packaged and canned to please the largest number of people at the lowest possible cost, like Hollywood movies. But as a process of learning, I don't think it's a fundamentally bad thing. And if you never steer away from the trends, then maybe you just don't have that kind of creativity in you, which is OK too - I often wonder if I do!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for teaching me not to be influenced with media social. I feel you that streetphotography should be limitless.
Agreed and thanks for watching!
I like this!
I approve of the reasoning of bringing the concept of taking photos digitally as if they were staring at a film camera, and that's exactly what I usually do, but because I, like many old men, have started with films and not like many of today who claim to give advice, with digital where you shoot in bursts with all the aids of modern cameras praying for a good photo.
At the time you had to be more careful in setting up and wait for the right moment to press the shutter button.
Each photo was a cost, It was very easy after a long wait for development to have only a few photos on a roll of 24 or 36 shots or worse at the beginning without even a photo.
Thank you for sharing! Yeah I think as someone who learnt with digital and autofocus we've been spoiled and actually limiting ourselves may be the way forward
Thank you for sharing! Yeah I think as someone who learnt with digital and autofocus we've been spoiled and actually limiting ourselves may be the way forward
The biggest problem with street photography in general are the photographers themselves. I see it so often on social media and in cities I travel to. They love the idea of being a street photographer but are often people who just photograph streets. A street photographer in my opinion is someone who is like a ghost, they blend in, un-noticed. The grey man. They get 'the' shot and you would never know they were there. I'm not a fan of the in your face style of Bruce Gilden or his personality. I do however have great respect for street photographers who have captured great works. My personal favourite is Vivian Maier. Someone who was not only technically brilliant with a great eye but also as a person who wasn't looking to be a celebrity / influencer like so many people today.
This is a great point, thank you! I agree I think it's something I'm constantly aware of, not just photographing the street but finding something in the streets. Love the story of Vivian Maier, not sure she wanted us to know but she did great work without ever being told
Come to think of it, Vivian took a lot of photos of children. Imagine doing that in this day and age, you'll make people around you angry, if not immediately getting called the police on, especially if a man does it. It's sad because street photography's world today is like a world without children, even sadder that it's caused by the world getting more dangerous for children now.
@@excalibro8365 So true, she did. Today it's really sad as you say as people instantly think everyone with a camera is some sort of weirdo. The times today have certainly changed for the worse.
Enjoy your videos! I've been thinking similarly lately, but I also don't prevent myself from shooting in a way that may be considered overdone. One "technique" or limitation that I impose on myself is shooting with a b/w viewfinder & display. I do this by shooting RAW+JPEG, turning on b/w effect, and setting lighroom imports to Adobe Default colors. This way I can focus on geometry & dynamic range while shooting & achieve pretty much any colors in post.
Thanks! That's so interesting you mention that, that's how I've been shooting on my A7C for a while now as I don't like any of the colours in-camera, so I use black and white to simplify things then use my presets in lightroom 😂
@@GeorgeHolden Unconventional tips like that could make a great video! Another setting I use is diag+square lines instead of rule of 3rd. I come up with a random geometry “rule” to use as a theme for an album. Something like using exactly 3 lines to align subjects. Not going over is harder than it sounds in a city 😅
@@randomcommenterurl that's interesting I haven't tried that! Funnily enough I do have a whole video on the black and white topic scripted and ready to go, but not sure on a thumbnail yet 😂
Really really good video mate. Nicely done.
Thank you man, appreciate it 🙏
Perfect video! I think this helps me realize the relationship between a photographer and their gear. It's been said that it's not about the gear, it's about the photographer, and I think this helps to bring both into light. Both are dependent on each other. I started out with the simple stuff, only then developing the basics and fundamentals. Now at a point, I feel like I need to upgrade my gear because of the type of photography I'm doing
That's fair! I often think there comes a time when either the photographer or the hear are the bottleneck, one always needs to keep up with the abilities of the other
Great video about trends in photography and cliches
Cheers!
Good video mate and I sort of agree your points and appreciate the detail.
Thanks Hasan 🙏
I like letting people do what they want to do and I just do my own thing. Dipping into other types of photography and trying different things - that’s all part of the journey.
That's the best way!
what I noticed since I started shooting film is, that when I take out my digital camera I only shoot like 30 pics, and only when Im playing around with settings and presets I maybe take 100 pics over the span of like 2-3h. Before I used to go out all the time and would regularly come back with more than 150-200 shots. which also mightve been beneficial since I needed to start somewhere and find myself. so yeah
thanks tho for the video. very well narrated and to the point! cheers!
Thanks Kevin and thanks for sharing that!
the thing is, i don't gife a dang about any of the trends online, heck, i only watch them for fun ideas and inspiration, but when i really go out there to shoot, i usually stick to my own style and take shots i think look cool, i basically don't care about any trends and other stuff like this, because i do this for fun and i'm not gonna let anything influence that idea
Thanks for sharing, good to hear!
Oh well, at the age of 73 I have became completely trendless irrespective of whether its fashion, cars , gadgets or social media. I am immune to the age of the algo, social media, five second timespans. and wanting to please others just to get more likes. My inspiration and gateway into street was the story of the late Vivian Maier. She managed to solder on for nearly fifty years producing what can now be seen and appreciated as great images without apparently receiving any recognition in her lifetime. What greater lesson in self-motivation can there be?
Thanks for sharing Dennis, do you share your work anywhere in particular?
The irony of using a Gary Vee quote about being careful on who you get advice from 😮. Not sure if that was on purpose but well done if so.
I get there skepticism of Gary Vee from things he's promoted, I understand 😂 but that piece of advice in a vacuum I think is worth paying attention to
Bravo! Brilliant insight! Instagram and tik tok proudly destroying creativity and creating clones since 2016!!!!
Cheers Scott!
Well said! As I heard growing up, “variety is the spice of life”.
Ain't that too he truth!
@@GeorgeHolden sure is…and a willingness to be different from the pack. Then you can be an influencer and start a new trend haha!
@@JaredTremper hahaha new trends for the win 😅
Thought provoking video. Very interesting, thanks.
Thanks for watching 🙏
Enjoyed the video. So much truth and matches a lot of the thoughts that have rolled around in my head. I started shooting Street back in 2013 after first discovering the genre. You did lose me when you talked about film. As a 77 year old photog, I love the freedom of the digital era. I still have a Pentax ME Super in the closet, but am not interested in resurrecting it. I'm looking forward to more of your videos and thoughts.
That's great to hear, thanks so much for watching!
I returned to photography a few years ago. Covid allowed me time to wander and shoot, hone skills and acquired a style, that is still evolving. The issue isn't just street, but photography in general, and this is caused by too many self professed pros waxing lyrical about a skillset which is honed down to one or two aspects of photography. It's also affected by social media algorithms that encourage and promote a very limited set of skills for budding photographers. I totally agree with your surmise, and doff my hat as too few social content creators are honest about this. As you say, go out, shoot, be yourself and find your voice. I'd also suggest building a website and encouraging traffic there. Social media is totally destructive and in time you'll get bored of engagement. As for most engagement is about clicks. If that's all your after then it is what it is, but this will not improve your photography, it merely encourages you to shoot for the algorithm. Great vid. 🙏
Thanks very much and thanks for sharing!
good advice Thank you, luckily I can think for myself and I try to create something of my own even if it has already been done somewhere, so I still don't try to copy anyone
Thanks and great to hear!
Great video!! I feel lucky that my first proper interaction with street photography was magnum streetwise from which i saw many great examples of street photography of different types and not needing to be things that are more repeatable such as the street portrait trend of street photography. I feel my idea of street photography is more about documenting and taking things that i find interesting, anomalies and oddities are something i enjoy when i spot them and also just everyday mundane stuff can be interesting especially in the city as im not that often there, not as much as id like for my photography anyway. To your point of simplifying or rather putting restrictions on yourself i do enjoy doing that also, i tend to keep my screen blank and for street basically always use 50mm.
That's great thank you! Streetwise is definitely a great variety of images to get started with, love the blank screen approach too
@@GeorgeHolden i really find that i can just concentrate on whats going on round much better!
Yup, I‘ve been shooting street for about 2 seconds, it’ll be a year soon that I got a canon rebel. I feel like street photography is more undefined in that it depends on the moment…that might be too naive of me but I can’t just tell strangers to pose for me besides that would be limiting. Great advice about advice!
Congrats on the first year!
@@GeorgeHolden thank you. From your videos, I gather you’re in Manchester right? I like having a camera with me. It’s fun to learn
@@TheFamedwarrior72 yeah Manchester here! Always got to have a camera on you
@@GeorgeHolden I lived on Ladybarn lane for a few months back in the 90’s, near Plattfields park. Anyway, I am inspired and my friend who is a great photography mentor to me and I will be gong today to shoot and enjoy some of San Diego. Thanks George and God bless.
I feel the same way. Street photography it's not only candid photos and random stuff, it feels like doing snapshots over and over. From over the past few decades street photography it's something to express feeling and create environment in the photo
Agreed!
It's great it has problems like this, so many people are just blind followers. So, It's really easy to stand out if you have the courage to not be like everyone else, especially in street photography when most things are the same and not very good.
That's very true, I think it does take a conscious effort to stand out, something I am very far from doing myself
@@GeorgeHolden Being aware of it is the first step in helping push the ambitious beyond.
Another take - i don't think "street photography" has been relevant since the 60s or so no matter how you approach it.
@@fredriksvard2603 that's interesting, something I do consider as well. I don't think it's pointless today, because in 100 years we'll value the photos of the 2020's
@@GeorgeHolden Yes, i just mean that when the pioneers did it it was new and filled a void, now we have it by default with instagram and cameras around us everywhere. There aren't many photos that rise above those snapshots imo, most street photography i see is "man crosses street", "man walks with umbrella" or "person wonder what this photo will be used for".
Thank you for addressing this. Well and calmly said. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
This video reminds me when I was using sony a200 to capture my friend sister wedding. With indoor and horrible lighting, i need to be creative with my, at that time, current equipment. thank you for reminding me
Thanks for sharing!
@@GeorgeHolden No prob man !! Btw, is it only me that thinking that the less the camera feature the more fun and stressful it gets 😂😂😂
@@andrasudra6756 definitely share that 😂
Hi, George! I agree with your points about misunderstandings that this fleeting social media trends cause. Mindlessly mimicking composition or trick out of TikTok video will lead to some cool shots but it also will lead to a narrow aesthetic perception. I think that newbies intrested in photography should leave this tricks for later and start from fundamental rules like harmony, contrast, proportions e.t.c. They also need to understand that good art invokes emotions and makes beholder to think about what he see. That`s it, that`s enougth. All they have to do with that knowledge is to go outside and look arond for interesting and beautiful scenes to shoot. And you don`t even have to own a good camera for that because we all already at all times have with us convenient and quite capable smartphone. It`s a shame so many people dismiss cameras that always have been in their hands and in front of their face.
Thanks for sharing, cheers!
I like your take on this, man. Great video, thanks.
Thanks for watching 🙏
You must have inspired "Man Carrying Thing" to make a 4-hour video essay on modern photography
Wait does that video exist?!
i think thats a way to look at. I feel that this is actually a little thing that can get to more and more people and are spreading the photography for far more people. I feel like this is good even if 90% of this is just bad pictures or "trend" photography with expensive cameras.
Agreed the mass reach is great, my point is ensuring that newcomers are made aware of all subgenres rather than the popular forms which could put them off
AT LAST... You have hit the nail on the head... Thanks 🙏
I have never been great at DIY, but this I fluked it
This is a great video. I got into photography because it allows you to show how you view the world. Or at least try your best lol we are all unique and personally I have the most fun shooting things I love.
Thanks! Always stick to your perspective
I left manual focus in 1987, too late to go back for me 🤓 Yes, no burst shooting. One, and in some cases two, or three, should be more than enough. In regard to film, it is something else which I left and will not be returning to. I did love my SF1 Pentax and Takumar/ Asahi lenses. Those POV street videos nowadays where it is all about the street puddle, reflections and framing using rails or some awful choices as foreground frames, is really a point where you switch them off. The ultra-sharp, wide-open photos of people which do not look interesting, and tell no story is all too prevalent. Good points in your video, take cares, Loren
Thanks Loren! Agree completely, thanks for sharing 😄
Folks get so lost in the weeds trying to discern what they are SUPPOSED to make photos of and what genre 'label' applies.
Just learn the Craft of Photography (Composition, juxtaposition, exposure triangle, decisive moment and post production.)
Carry a camera that you like to use with you at all times. Make photographs with that camera. Make them images that YOU like. Share those images if you feel like you want to. (Don't care what others think about them...as long as YOU like the work.) That's it. Don't overthink it. Have fun. (and if you are lucky, make a good living.)
Great and simple words to live by!
100% agree about shooting film. I interact more with the world. I even stop the car more often and get out to get this shot I saw. 😊
Agreed, I was out shooting digital this morning and felt waaaay less in the zone
You need to get yourself a Fuji X-Pro1, 18mm f2 lens, zone focus the lens, use the OVF only and slap in a really tiny SD card that holds 30 or 40 shots. Shoot only to JPEG, don’t chimp either. Finish the card, take it out, put it away for a while, then ‘Develop’ them much later.
Thanks for the idea Derren (you'll never guess what came in the post today 😂) I believe there is no 18mm with a physically manual focus ring and focus zones - I can't be doing with the digital focus meter you get in the Fuji OVF
@@GeorgeHolden the 18mm f2 has a manual focus ring. On the camera body through the LCD screen or even EVF, you can set scale focus distance with the distance meter. I use this feature a lot when I’m doing fill flash and shutter dragging at events and street photography. The focus scale is quite cool as it highlights areas on focus as you adjust the aperture. It’s very effective and works really well.
@@derrenleepoole that's good to know! At the moment on 35mm I'm looking having the shutter, f stop and focus distance visible without checking the viewfinder or powering on. Being picky I know 😂 but I want to find that set up, maybe a manual lens on Fuji could be the way
5 years ago there was literally NOTHING on a street photography topic in UA-cam, as a genge it was more interesting than a usual “I am a photographer” things. So I was learning on a works of greatest and not by hype bubble, and by everyday practice of shooting strangers without a permission and talking. So this is real street photography to me.
That's interesting thanks for sharing!
@@GeorgeHolden i am purist, (because I can lol), you can find my impudent POVs in profile
I couldn't have said it better. Some really great advice there. A new sub from me
Thanks very much 🙏
Very well said. So very true.
Cheers!
@4:37 One overarching problem with the young who have been brought up digitally, is they do not know analogue things and find themselves easily corralled by the categorization that naturally happens upon all internet/digital interaction.
Great!
Well said. I can't shoot 500 frames a day! 20, 50 max. Maybe because I learned should film.
The so-called gatekeepers are stifling creativity. Where is it written that street photography must contain a person? I find the term in and of itself limiting. I have and all ways will call myself a documentary and urban photographer. It's so much more liberating!
I hear you! Professionally I have shot thousands per day and regretted it 😂 street now sometimes I may only shoot 8 when taking my 35mm camera out with me
So right, and the only camera you have to use is the Leica or the X-100v.
Exactly!
I totally get the idea of CONTENT CREATORS vs. Passionate shooters. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE
The difference is giant I feel
@@GeorgeHolden I concur!!! 💯%
exactly what i have also thought these days tiktok full of those reels going out to girls saying i am a street photographer can i take your picture ... Like Why if it's not candid can you call yourself a street photographer .. also I saw people with 85mm lens with bokeh calling it street photography but with no story
I agree the 85mm needs to chill
In my opinion, street photography is a very personal and intimate experiance. I mean sure, u can watch tutorials about the technique or how to.... But beeing outside on the street, only you with your camera and your eyes, makes it so special. And to be honest all the Instagram tutorial stuff about how to and so on.... I really don´t like it and next to I feel pretty unconfortable to watch them cause it reduces the working process, regarding street photography, from a amazingly tasty dinner to junkfood. So don´t know if I am wrong but that´s how I feel about it. But George I really like your content and what you are talking about. Thumbs up and carry on man!!
Thanks for sharing Alex, I really agree with what you've said - I'm actually doing a video in a couple of weeks exploring that experience a bit more, hard to put into words and images but hopefully I can do an alright job. Thanks for watching!
Sick teal and orange burn 🔥
It's for the best 🌤🌲
As a philosophy, the fact that adult learners are also experts is easy for many photography mentors to miss.
Yes agreed, I'm actually planning a video on the "mentor" factor in online photography soon
Anyone can take a photo but not everyone can produce artful images.
Very true🧠
What I find really annoying is those professional photographers who say they are street photographers and yet they are obviously using models for their 'wonderful images'. You know the perfect image where the woman looks through the window with a great pose be it on a train/ cafe' out of a car window etc. I can understand that for say magazines and selling fashion but selling it as street photography it's a bit much, if we all had models we would all get the perfect shot. Street photography is about just being in the right place at the right time with the right light, not set up. I wish more people would realise this.
Yes a believe planned candid photography for editorial is great but when posed as street isn't right
for example fujifilm cameras where you can create your own jpeg recipes and then you just stay that, simulate the film well and then insert a 1gb card inside and manual lens .
Cheers!
The problem is not the trend, but the social media. We had trends all the time, think about Impressionism, Puntillism, Realism, Minimalism etc, etc. The problem is not the trend, but the people who influence others to make them believe that if you don't follow such trend you are worth nothing as a photographer. Most of these "influencers" are just repeating the same thing over and over ad nauseam, because 1) they have no idea what is photography about, 2) they are ignorants who don't know how to think by themselves and 3) narcissism.
Thanks for sharing!
I do that choice thing with a regular DSLR. I didn't even know you could just burst shoot the thing until recently. 😅
I always just aim for a certain number of shots (4-6 good ones that I'm happy about) on a walk and that's what decides my journey. I'm not particularly interested in street photography but I do suburban photography if that's even a thing. I guess my limiting factor is distance because I don't own a car. 😂
I guess the reason I limit myself is because DSLRs are loud as hell. No quiet shutter feels like shooting with meaning.
I hear that! Similar thinking made me consider a DSLR again recently (the countdown begins) and I like the idea of suburban photography, cars in garages and cool open road vibes!
Totally this, I love sub/urban photography but ironically I live very much in the country. Frustrating 😂
nice vid, but I don't think that people want to be street photographers, then seeing the trend and wanting to become street portraits. It's more likely they see street portraits and "miss understanding" it with street photography. But I got your point with the influence…
Thanks, yes I meant different trends being some newcomers intro to the genre and have a misunderstanding of what it is/could be
This is one of many things Social Media has ruined. Instagram is the worst way to view photography - Printed in a frame, on a wall. Not a 4 by 2 inch screen.
Great take!
Just do what you want , nobody controls photography, there isnt a right or wrong way .
Exactly right!
I'm not a big fan of these street photography trends and the pictures it produces because it isn't exactly street. I do think it can help encourage someone who is new to go pick up their camera to go shoot, overcome their fears and learn how to communicate. Then eventually leave the trend to learn the actual history, legends who paved the way for street photographers today inspiring them to shoot just like them to document moments of time and history. Just like how hip hop where Biggie, Pac, Nas, Wu Tang, Tribe, Pharrell, Dr Dre, Premier, J Dilla, Busta Rhymes, laid the foundation for newer generations to where we have Metro Boomin, Kanye, Kendrick, J Cole, Joey, Drake, etc who are inspired by the greats to rap or produce like them and define their own style, when they were at one point going with the trends then ditched it to build their own sound. I use to follow the blue and orange trend, but got tired of it and started learning more about street that it helped me continue shooting.
I appreciate the hip hop reference especially from your username #shimmyshimmyya
Very interesting and apt for me, great video!
Thanks for watching!
Couldn’t agree more. Instagram street photography is mostly portraiture outdoors, I wouldn’t even class it as street photography. Maybe I’m a traditionalist
Thanks, I think it is still street photography and a great form - like humans of New York does a great job using the format - just they include the context in focus rather than the subjects nose
@@GeorgeHolden Love Humans of New York. Very different feel from flashy, over edited, soul less Instagram trends tho 🙂
Good video love it man
Thanks!
To your point, I shoot my digital cameras like film. I give myself one to three takes and if I don’t get the shot I move on. I hate having junk frames so I never shoot bursts. Part of what makes photography therapeutic for me.