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What do you carry on "the street"


denny_rane

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I often go into so-called dangerous areas of the city both to feel the vibe and to get some photos. I’ve found over the years that dangerous areas aren’t as dangerous as people think. I’ve been able to avoid trouble by being a nice guy, being street wise, and appearing innocuous. I know when to make eye contact and when not to. I also know when to take a picture and when not to. Those things can be key.

 

My only weapon is my charm! :eek:

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We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!
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Maybe I have just been lucky but I have never had any problems photographing on the streets. What was surprising to me is that the safest place I have been to is China. I was in Shanghai, X'ian and Beijing and took a lot of pictures. I have never been anywhere that the people were nicer or more open. The only problem was that because I took so many pictures I ran out of film. Not easy to find film in China.
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Dumb question about the firearms discussed here: Is a full size long range pistol really practically needed according to 90% of strolling shutterbugs' self defense cases? - Given legal options I'd really favor some Derringer instead, assuming trouble doesn't exist outside a 6' bubble.

Back on topic: I am no real street shooter. For my touristy stuff I'd backpack a camera bag or two and pull a camera or two out. Vest pocketed spare lenses are an option.

Sometimes (while hiking to natural swimming ponds or in the backyard shared with a couple of other blocks of flats) I am using an "official" P&S to remain stealthy. - I simply consider it a less bright idea to let camping ground neighbors know "This is that Leica guy's tent and he went for a swim." Otherwise I don't fear much, as soon as I changed bus lines.

"Stealth" is just about standing out as a premium theft target, in my case.

Upon the backpack: I don't want to ride motorcycles with shouldered camera bags.

Cameras packed might vary. Fujis, Pentax / Samsung or Leicas. For film maybe even TLR & folding RF combo.

I haven't carried a tripod for ages. I think I'd be more likely to bring flash instead.

I have a micro fiber cloth somewhere but see no need to bring a whole big cleaning kit into the field. If a lens gets hit, I can remove or exchange the filter on it. Why would you need a rocket blower during a single shift in the field? - Clean your lens before you go out and / or when you come home.

I usually don't go through an entire battery per day but yes, 1 spare for two bodies gets carried. I try hard to bring spare cards, in case I 'll get asked to delete pictures or such...

Lenses? - Kit zooms or the 21/35/90 combo, 50mm on crop, maybe a 135mm in a side pocket of the backpack.

when i see videos of well known photographers, they rarely carry much.
Explanations: Those folks probably have their shots pre-planned to some extend? - If I am after a head shot, do I need a 21mm? - If I am either awaiting right moments or interacting with subjects there is a single right lens and no time to replace the wrong one.

The need for a lot of gear is based upon a "look & see" approach and urge to sponge everything happening around you. - I think that emotion suits a tourist as well as a journalist but aren't street shooters a bit different? + To the guy with a hammer everything looks like a nail &

I have a 50mm on my camera 90% of the time. But i also carry a 28 and an 85.

Are the 10% worth the bulk &/ speed loss? To my understanding street shooting happens on the side. You might reschedule your days around it, to get hours of good light for it but you'll mainly do other errands too? - If I lack groceries, I shouldn't waste all my space and payload on camera gear. Shooting at (or after) school meant reduced gear, due to books in my pack.

 

I don't think additional gear carried matters a lot concerning your ability to interact with people. Its the first camera you are using that marks you "photographer"; people don't bother noticing the 2nd on your other shoulder (as long as that one isn't with a huge white zoom).

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I am amused by those who carry multiple vintage rangefinders, lenses and film. Why all the hassle? I think you would miss more shots than you would get. I can see a simple rangefinder, wide or 50mm lens and a few film rolls, but more than that screams "artiste" or I want to be taken "seriously'.

I snicker when I see you guys.

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Are the 10% worth the bulk &/ speed loss? To my understanding street shooting happens on the side. You might reschedule your days around it, to get hours of good light for it but you'll mainly do other errands too? - If I lack groceries, I shouldn't waste all my space and payload on camera gear. Shooting at (or after) school meant reduced gear, due to books in my pack.

 

I don't think additional gear carried matters a lot concerning your ability to interact with people. Its the first camera you are using that marks you "photographer"; people don't bother noticing the 2nd on your other shoulder (as long as that one isn't with a huge white zoom).

1. "Street Photography" is a BIG Genre and often has nothing to do with people at all. and often is not shot on "the street".

2. Try shooting a sign of a hotel, on a corner, that is 5 stories high, and include the Art Deco Cigar-Liquor store sign that is 10 feet off the ground. You have to go Way Back to get that shot with a 50. Yes it is Mucho Worth carrying a 28.

On the water front, shooting across a pier to get the burned out fire-boat that collided with a tug boat 20 years ago.?.....Yes, the 50 will get it, but not near as well as the 85.

"Street Photography" involves A Lot More than waiting for two girls to walk in front of a sign, of two men.

It is the documenting of every day life that unfolds in "Public Places".

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1. "Street Photography" is a BIG Genre and often has nothing to do with people at all. and often is not shot on "the street". . . "Street Photography" involves A Lot More than waiting for two girls to walk in front me of a sign, of two men. It is the documenting of every day life that unfolds in "Public Places".

 

It seems to me a contradiction that documenting of everyday life that unfolds in "Public Places" would not by definition - involve "people"?

 

Be that as it may, yes. "Street Photography" as a Broad Heading will certainly encompass a lot of things. In fact any 'definition' of any photography genre will always be somewhat, if not mostly user derived.

 

Noted your question asked what others carry for "Street Photography" and implicit in that question is to expect the responses to be from the point of view of those others' definitions of "Street".

 

Personally, I'd define your first example (Hotel Sign and Cigar Shop) under the banner of "Architecture", and the second example (Tug and Fire Boat wreckage, 20 years old) as "Historic/Documentary". But that is by the by.

 

If I were walking around a large area for along period of time and I wanted to capture History, Architecture, Landscape, People, Interiors and lots of other stuff, then, depending upon other factors (for example if I had a car or not / if I were in my home country or not), I'd typically have my Sling-shot bag and a 5D Series Body and two or three Lenses: one being a fast wide Prime (35), one being a Normal Zoom (24 to 70 or 24 to 105), and if a third, a telephoto (135 and the x1.4 extender). Additionally I'd have my Fuji x100s.

 

But for what I term "Street Photography", which for me means "Portraiture" (i.e. Photography of People) and “Candid” and usually at “quite close or intimate Subject Distance” and “in a street or public setting” - then I now almost exclusively use the Fuji x100s. Before buying my Fuji, I’d typically use 5D Series and a fast 35mm lens: in Film times, long ago, I used three lenses only 35; 50 and 135. I rarely used the 135 for "Street".

 

Certainly walking around a large area for the best part of the day, photographs present themselves and a “walkabout” standard zoom is quite handy in these situations allowing a range of FL to be easily and quickly accessed - 5D Series and 24 to 104/4

 

18418456-orig.jpg

 

*

 

Sometimes the shot is there and the lens is simply what one has at the time mounted on the camera, perhaps because one was using that lens for other purposes, (in this case for Sport, and there was a choice between two cameras mounted with a 400/2.8 the other a 70 to 200/2.8 – the 70 to 200 was the better choice):

18395124-orig.jpg

SOPAC, Sydney. 2005

 

*

 

But, answering the question, if I am going out specifically for “street photography” (by my definition) I like to carry only my Fuji x100s:

 

17760851-orig.jpg

“After the Concert”, Subway, Vienna

 

WW

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I often carry an old film camera like my C330f or my ETRS. I get lots of interesting comments, and somehow seem less like the stereotype currently prevalent. With 35mm film or "full-frame" digital, the 28-105 Nikkor is a great walk-around lens. Sometimes I use the Tamron 19-35. Never more than one lens at a time, though.
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17854155-orig.jpg Jochen said:

"xplanations: Those folks probably have their shots pre-planned to some extend? - If I am after a head shot, do I need a 21mm? - If I am either awaiting right moments or interacting with subjects there is a single right lens and no time to replace the wrong one.

The need for a lot of gear is based upon a "look & see" approach and urge to sponge everything happening around you. - I think that emotion suits a tourist as well as a journalist but aren't street shooters a bit different? + To the guy with a hammer everything looks like a nail &"

 

No, if out for street photography, most will likely have no pre-planned shots except of where to go photographing. Most street photographers I know carry one camera maybe with a little camera or their smart phones for back-up. Why? To be able to move around fast and not blow your back out if you are out on the street for several hours. Most take one lens, and adjust to it. More often a wide angle, favorite for many being 35mm, You can take any picture with that lens on the street and in fact with any lens. IMO good street photographers generally don't carry a long telephoto lens as it tends to detach both the photographer and the viewer from that feeling of being there and instead project the feeling that at the photographer is too scared to actually interact on the street. The photos oft times look like some kind of paparazzi or spy photos. Plus, they weigh a ton.

 

Pictures happen in an instant, you don't want to be wondering about what lens to use, or changing lenses. If you need to have two lenses, many street shooters may carry 2 small cameras with different focal lengths, and some will just use one with a zoom. You need to be in the now and not thinking about your equipment. So this is pretty much how most of the people I've shot with go about it.

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Well of course and well taken William. Done that too. Usually when I hook up with a bud to go shooting we hop in the car and sort of go, so where do ya wanna go. Maybe end up going someplace, not liking it and going someplace else or maybe you see something while you are driving and pull off and go there. Sometimes we'll just take a drive and stop and photograph whatever we like.
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My Grandmother certainly stimulated my "roaming bug". In the school holidays Nan used to take my cousin and me on a "train trip", we just caught whatever was the next train leaving the central station and got off at random and investigated what was there. I was in Primary School, about between eight and ten years old. So it has never been unusual for me to do similar all my life, either at home or O/S. Growing up and buying a car certainly helped at home. Fortunately my Wife has a similar passion for 'going for a drive' ... to somewhere.

 

WW

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Not a lot. Right now and for the foreseeable future its my new Nikon F2, ( simple compact plain Jane version) 50 1.8, one spare roll of film and a filter or three. all fit in a small bag. I like to travel light. Also I always keep a few single dollar bills handy for the homeless.
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Unless you have another reason for it, you can likely skip the bag - 1 or 2 rolls of film in "cans" taped to the camera strap, filters in a pocket. Operated that way with my F2 for years. Still a favorite camera!

More than one way to skin...One man's poison...Beauty is in the eye.......I certainly appreciate your point of view. I have done that, and still do on occasion.

I usually DO NOT use most of the stuff i carry. But with a back-pack, the weight is not much of an issue. So it is all pretty much out of the way, just along for the ride...on my back. :)

Plus, when you DO Need

battery

cleaning fluid

different lens

smaller/extra strap

tape

water

extra eye-cup

flashlight

One Hundred and One things that different people like to carry, it sure is nice to have it.

But you are certainly correct, for a Hack street photographer, 97% of the time i could make do with one body and a 50mm lens, and a few rolls of HP5. :)

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Always carry a Minox subminiature in pocket, whether carrying another camera or not. For the street, bars, etc can be anything from an Olympus XA, Rollei 35, small 35mm folder, Leica ltm, Contax IIa or Leica M. 50 or 35mm lens. Digisix meter. Carry appropriate lens shade but only used where needed. Except for XA, carry camera in either a fitted case or, for Leica tm cameras, a purse like case that fits in pocket (keeps dust and lint out of camera). While for some a case nay not be sophisticated, I have saved a lot of money on possible camera repairs.

Most of this stuff usually can fit into my jacket pockets. but use vey small bag to hold stuff and book if taking train. Oh yes, sometimes an extra roll of film.

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