street photography with long lenses

fontmoss

fontmoss

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seen a few folk on flickr who get raved about for their street photography but on closer inspection are using 135mm or longer lenses. What are peoples' thoughts? more kudos if get a shot with a 35/50mm or is that puritanism? im intrigued but not trolling, what is the general consensus?
 
It's up to the photographer I think! I know some people think the only way is to use a shorter focal length, and get right up in people's faces (I saw a video of an American guy literally a foot away from his subjects face), but many don't have the confidence to do that!

I care much more about the composition and quality of the shot than the focal length used. If it's a well composed, well exposed shot that tells a story, then I don't really care whether it's been captured at 50mm, or from a mile away with a 1200mm! In my eyes, if it's a good shot, it's a good shot!

That's just my views though, as someone who doesn't do street photography (I want to give it a go, and when I do I'll be using my 100mm!), I'm sure others will disagree!

Chris
 
I've been out doing a bit of street photography in the city centre today and used my 70-300. Not because I'm scared of getting up close and personal but because it can somtimes get you a shot that you'd miss if you had a short lens. I've tried it with a 50mm prime and a 17-70 and each have their merits but I gotta say I enjoyed using the long lens, you can get some great shots when you're close up too.
IMO you can get some much better eye contact and expression when you're pointing an SLR with a 300mm lens at somebody :D
 
The only ever street shot I've done was with 300mm at full zoom. I'd love to do some street photography but I really aint got the bottle.
 
I think a shots a shot. Focal length doesn't matter. Having said that i don't have the balls to go out with a 250mm :lol:

Been posted before but this Bruce Gilden video is mad. Too intrusive IMO :nono:
 
well, depends on the shot I believe! with a shorter length you can get right "in-there" between people etc... but this causes reaction (which is usually good!) but a long lens could be used to get candid shots that otherwise would be spoiled by you being in the subjects face!

I use 35 to 90mm lenses (depending on the camera), personally for me, I think I would find it too hard to use a longer length lens! the 90mm on a hassy is already stretching it (great for portraiture though!)

but mostly I agree with chris321 and Mangelwurzel, whatever the lens, what matters is the picture it helps take!
 
We had a perch at the fortnightly farmers market showing a few of our pictures as a promo for our annual exhibition, we also handed out leaflets - it gave me the perfect excuse to carry my camera and take pictures. I really enjoyed it, and found peoples reactions to be favourable, although I wasn't in their faces too much (definitely not like Bruce Gilden).

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I also believe that in some street photography, using long focal lengths will also get you more of the "Shallow" DOF.
 
I find street photography tricky in the UK as people are so paranoid about cameras. It's often a better days toging in the uk to leave the SLR and take a good wee compact out with you... people seem less bothered and you are a little more subtle!

Abroad i've never had an issue though... people dont seem so bothered
 
Once, back in early 2008, while down in London Oxford St. I saw this guy who was using what seemed like a Nikon D3 and the 14-24 AF-S (both were very recently released). He was walking at a relatively fast pace, especially considering the busyness of Oxford St., and was getting right up there in people's face taking shots.

I envied him for his kit, his courage to get up there (this is a full frame, so even 24mm is way too wide).

I tried it, on another visit (D700 and 24-70AF-S kept at the 24mm mark) and you REALLY have to get close to people. It was then that I realised why he was walking at a fast pace, people do get a bit, tiny bit, annoyed at such close invasion of their personal space (mind you that guy I saw was REALLY handsome .. may have helped him a bit :shrug: :p)

Personally, I do a lot of this type of photography, but only where it "seems" to be socially and morally acceptable (busy cities, busy parks etc.). My lens of choice is in the 58/1.4 Voigtlander, or the Nikon 50/1.8 .. but there are times when I've used my 70-200VR or even the 70-300VR. From all that, I've found two things intimidate people more than anything, getting too close, and using a big lens. With smallish primes people are not too weary of you pointing the camera in their face, and most are happy of you to shoot them, in a way they "seem" flattered; but not so much with the other two approaches.

But, as Chris (from above) has said .. does it really matter what focal length you use? Your aim is to capture a specific shot that gives a specific story. May be being too close ruins that, may be being too far ruins that ... may be getting the subject to notice you ruins it, may be not .... it is all down to what you want to capture.
 
I can't say I've ever done any street photography, but to be honest I would find it quite invasive if someone stuck a lens right in my face. Using a longer lens allows for some common courtesy.
 
fontmoss said:
seen a few folk on flickr who get raved about for their street photography but on closer inspection are using 135mm or longer lenses. What are peoples' thoughts? more kudos if get a shot with a 35/50mm or is that puritanism? im intrigued but not trolling, what is the general consensus?
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don't matter what you use its still perving on strangers :lol:
 
markelliot said:
I find street photography tricky in the UK as people are so paranoid about cameras. It's often a better days toging in the uk to leave the SLR and take a good wee compact out with you... people seem less bothered and you are a little more subtle!

Abroad i've never had an issue though... people dont seem so bothered
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I know what you mean! I live pretty much on oxford st (takes about 20seconds to get onto it from my bed to outside selfridges! -not very fun, but useful for doing street!

Ive been out before with my 40D, and people really do give you the most horrendous looks (which can be useful). However when I went out with my new tiny (in comparison) Voigtlander the other day, people laughed, smiled, posed etc! I was amazed at the difference! And this was taken in the same place on the same day (a week later)!

Also, when out with the bigest of my cameras, the hassy, people don't give you looks, but they don't interact either. I think they think your just a pro if your using a camera they have never come across before.... especially if its big:lol:
 
cheers guys some interesting comments, maybe i should borrow a long lens or take the 50-150 for street stuff. Ive found the 35mm (crop sensor) handier because as said its less obtrusive and obvious and wide enough i can aim at someone without them too aware of it.

food for thought though and good excuse for more glass :)
 
i use my 70-200 for street photography, sticks out like a sore thumb but at least i'm some distance away from my subjects
 
From what I understand its all about how a long lens compresses perspective and a wide angle stretches it. I guess this can come in handy when trying to make a subject stand out from the crowd.

I personally admire someone that can get amazing shots with a wider lens mainly because its something I find very hard, where as I could take plenty of shots with a long lens.
 
I love the look of street photography but personally i dont have the guts/balls to get up to close to people and stick a camera in the face, However its gotta be said that Lukewoodford street photography is the best i have seen in this style, make Bruce Gildens photos look turd! unless i`m missing something i dont rate Mr Gildens pics at all.
 
fontmoss said:
seen a few folk on flickr who get raved about for their street photography but on closer inspection are using 135mm or longer lenses. What are peoples' thoughts? more kudos if get a shot with a 35/50mm or is that puritanism? im intrigued but not trolling, what is the general consensus?
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Puritanism :|? Maybe, a little ;).

I think that it depends on whether you see "street" photography as an art form, or a ****ing contest :shrug:.

Personally, I wouldn't even bother to look at the EXIF data, before deciding whether or not to praise a good looking shot - it's just about the image, IMHO.

That said, I spent a day doing street photography last month and went armed only with a 50mm prime (on a full frame sensor). I really liked the shallow depth of field that I was able to get, as well as the very "realistic" looking proportions of the backgrounds (unlike with a very long lens, which tends to compress everything :(). For those sorts of reasons, I generally prefer shots taken at shorter focal lengths.

The down side though, was that in a couple of situations (like when shooting a bunch of kids doing stunts on their BMX bikes), I just couldn't get far enough back to fit everything in the frame :(. If I ever do it again, I'll make sure that I have a wider angle option.

Can't say that I've really seen much close-up, wide-angle "street" shots though :thinking:. I think that might look really interesting :).
 
Naboo32 said:
I think that it depends on whether you see "street" photography as an art form, or a ****ing contest :shrug:.
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:clap: it's all about the end result, the image that is created.... as I said in my earlier post lots of different length lenses have their merits and I'm currently enjoying using the 70-300, but no particular one is a "must". I think that people who claim that it's all about a particular lens are somehow missing the point of street photography. Anyone for EXIF Top Trumps? :D
 
Who cares what lens it is, its not a contest to see who is bravest about getting up into peoples faces, I don't really want to see a fish eye shot of someone's nasal hair :lol:

As some have pointed out, its about the end result. Now if someone would like to go get a 50mm shot of the inside of a lions mouth, I'll be impressed by your bravery.
 
That's cool! He chose the coloured fruit without even looking :clap:
 
there are loads of very, very good street photographers out there, just a few are:

laurent filoche
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dom cruz
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eddie law
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all use a range of techniques and equipment, from a fixed 135mm lens to a leica. I dont think Gildens can be upheld as the best example or as an aspirational model IMHO there are lots of photographers pro and amateur doing better work
 
What about 10mm then? :)

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This one was taken with a p&s a while back but I find it compositionally great and still like it!
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For me, street photography doesn't have to do only with faces, I personally prefer people's shots in their every day lifes, like Henry Cartier Bresson, with his people-jumping-over-puddles shots, even though Luke's and Trappe's photos are brilliant!
 
see. theres a world of street photo talent on this very forum
 
I like the 70-200mm sometimes, wouldn't be the same shot with a 50mm.

Now in a crowed place, I'd take off the grip and use the 50mm.

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stylgeo: That 2nd one of yours is an absolute corker :thumbs:
 
as said..use what you're comfortable with.i've done a couple of london meets/street photography stints in the last 6 months with some truly talented togs...and personally,i find it hard to brave getting in peoples faces for the shot,although i'm getting a little braver having used my 24-70 on the last meet,as opposed to my 70-200 on the previous :lol:
 
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