Street Photography - tried it, didn't get very far!

[welly]

Its not really my point of view, and this really is my point, its the definition of a genre that you or I cannot change, its not up for discussion there is no ambiguity, there is room for a little compromise/artistic licence but not at the scale you are talking about, 50mm is the starter, 60mm....can anybody tell the difference :shrug: not really especially on a crop, but much more than that and you aren't going to get close and wide, a tele close up does not make the viewer feel like he/she is part of the scene or is in the scene, its voyeuristic binocular.
Maybe you can get the odd shot that somebody thinks looks vaguely street at longer than 60, but there'll be an element of personal subjectivity thrown in to that.
I don't need exif to be able to judge whether an image is street or not.

I'm curious as to where this list of rules/definitions is that says a street photograph MUST be taken with X mm lens. Can you point me to it?

 

[welly]

Where is this definition you speak of? I can't find it....

I do a lot of BA work and if there's one thing I've learned about definitions...it's that 90% of the time everyone has a different one

Ah you beat me to it. I'm with you though, I'd like to see this book of rules. Not that I do street photography (at the moment) but am interested in it and wouldn't like to start off on the wrong foot by using a 35mm or 85mm lens.

 

[joxby]

I think we're getting the cart before the horse here.
Forget focal length and concentrate on the angle of view required to qualify as "street".
That is the area that needs to be researched, not you must use X focal length.

Definition....I dunno, try wiki or the luminous landscape link I already posted.

The necessity for the use compact cameras and equipment defined what street is, a long long time ago.
Take a look at the masters of street like Winogrand, Meyerowitz, Bresson, Guilden, Atget, Stieglitz, Levitt, Arbus, look at their equipment and work, I see no teles, not because there weren't any (although there probably wasn't early doors) but because wide and close is what makes street...street, they defined it with their pictures long before some of us were born.

 

[mid_gen]

Oh ok, so it's not focal length any more.

So what angle of view is required to adhere to the strictly defined rules of 'street photography'?

I'd like to know please, as I'm going to have a buy a new compact camera before I do anymore street photography because using my DSLR apparently means my pictures don't qualify.

 

[joxby]

Oh ok, so it's not focal length any more.

well its kinda linked...don't you think, depends on your format

So what angle of view is required to adhere to the strictly defined rules of 'street photography'?

I'd like to know please, as I'm going to have a buy a new compact camera before I do anymore street photography because using my DSLR apparently means my pictures don't qualify.

How about you put some effort into researching it yourself, if you're not interested fair enough, but spare me the sarcasm.

Take a look at the masters of street like Winogrand, Meyerowitz, Bresson, Guilden, Atget, Stieglitz, Levitt, Arbus, look at their equipment and work

 

[natjag]

This is interesting. I don't shot 'street'. However, perhaps the definition and scope has changed since it's conception. Just as R n B in music meant Rhythm and Blues, it's something different now. 10 years ago texting, was incorrect grammer, now it's developed into the English language as a word with meaning. Perhaps 'street' has evolved as well. It's may perhaps have a few subsections, consideration should be given to photography and style evolving.

Have a look at Pete Carr's site. I see many shots he put under the heading/section of 'Street' taken over 50mm and quite often with a 70-200.

 

[mid_gen]

well its kinda linked...don't you think, depends on your format

How about you put some effort into researching it yourself, if you're not interested fair enough, but spare me the sarcasm.

I have done some research...and the conclusion I come to is that there is no concrete definition of 'street photography'. You look at those shots on the link you provided and most of them could quite easily have been taken with a telephoto from a hundred yards away, which makes a mockery of the suggestion that you HAVE to use a compact and you HAVE to use wide lens.

Personally, I do use fairly short focal lengths when I go street shooting...but to say that you *can't* go street shooting with longer focal lengths is a load of crap....which is what we have been saying.

 

[joxby]

Have a look at Pete Carr's site. I see many shots he put under the heading/section of 'Street' taken over 50mm and quite often with a 70-200.

If I had to be picky, its a little about what lens you use. Get up close with a 100-400 and you'll need to move back. 50mm on FF is perfect I'm finding. On 1.6x crop it was too tight. So obviously you would have to account for that which is why I always say its around 24-50mm. 85mm shots, as you said, of the guy smoking with wonderful bokeh aren't technically "street" more of street candid portraiture. In the most simplest of ways street is essentially just documenting life on the streets.

[youtube]5dipTqJfiE4[/youtube]

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Bruce Gilden. Rule breaker. Flash, interacting with people, changing events but still a street photographer.

 

[mid_gen]

I've seen Gilden's work before....and if 'street photography' is capturing hundreds of images of people looking startled because a strange looking man has just stuffed a flash in their face.....I'm not interested...

Which comes back to the point....street photography is not strictly defined...there are no 'rules' about what equipment you use...it's about the images you capture. Whether it's with a long lens or a UWA it doesn't matter one jot.

 

[joxby]

I have done some research...

No you haven't, or you'd have a balanced well though out reason why your street can be shot at tele lengths, and I'd accept and respect that opinion.

Nobody says you have to use a compact camera except you, and I'm pretty sure most peeps can tell the difference between a tele and a wide angle shot.
There are only 3 photos in that link, 2 of them cannot be described as anything other than w i d e, even on my blindest day, one of those is nearly fisheye, the other one 50mm.

You think its a load of crap....fine and good luck with it then.

 

[mid_gen]

Sorry you are contradicting yourself.

Nobody says you have to use a compact camera except you

The necessity for the use compact cameras and equipment defined what street is, a long long time ago.

Two points.

1) As with many things....there is no one definition of street photography. What one person calls street photography another calls 'candid street portraiture'...and so on.

2) The shot is what matters, not the equipment you use to get it.

So where this whole discussion came from, the assertion that there is some fixed focal length range that qualifies for this type of photography is just disingenious. Most people will shoot street on a wide lens, because by definition you're on a street most of the time and your subjects are close! If someone took a great street shot you wouldn't look at it and say "great shot".....then check the EXIF and see it was taken at 150mm and say "oh no sorry forget it, it's not street photography.

Oh and please excuse my sarcasm in an earlier post, it's just my way, and it doesn't come across well on t'internet, I should know by now

 

[NorthernNikon]

Deleted.

 

[joxby]

Sorry you are contradicting yourself.
Two points.

1) As with many things....there is no one definition of street photography. What one person calls street photography another calls 'candid street portraiture'...and so on.

2) The shot is what matters, not the equipment you use to get it.

So where this whole discussion came from, the assertion that there is some fixed focal length range that qualifies for this type of photography is just disingenious. Most people will shoot street on a wide lens, because by definition you're on a street most of the time and your subjects are close! If someone took a great street shot you wouldn't look at it and say "great shot".....then check the EXIF and see it was taken at 150mm and say "oh no sorry forget it, it's not street photography.

Oh and please excuse my sarcasm in an earlier post, it's just my way, and it doesn't come across well on t'internet, I should know by now

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