Been trying to branch out into street photography

I've never done any street photography to speak of before but I've always highly admired those who do it. It takes a lot of skill, patience and a willingness to be accidentally seen yourself. As someone who has struggled with social anxiety I have tended to shy away but I've been slowly tackling that and other things in my life. On a recent holiday to Hong Kong that I just returned from I made a conscious effort to take more street shots. I'm happy to say that they turned out much better than I had hoped, once I got into light room with them. This is definitely now something I want to explore more. BTW I would love it if anyone has time to take a look at the other shots I took as well on my trip. :)

 

Hong Kong | Photo.net

 

 

I like them. I will be going to Hong Kong next week and hope to do some street photography.

I like them. I will be going to Hong Kong next week and hope to do some street photography.

 

Thank you! Have you been to HK or Asia before? Obviously if so you know what to expect. If not it's a crazy fascinating city! I lived in Asia as a kid from the age of 2 to 6 and developed something of a love for Asia's particular brand of chaos. I'd been to HK before but only as a young kid hence I didn't remember any of it. But I do remember my times in Malaysia and China and it surprised me how much of that flavour this brought back. Although it was more like old school Asia married to an even more chaotic and helter skelter Asian version of New York. The city honestly had blade runner vibes running through it lol.

Was in Shanghai, Beijing and Zian last year. Amazing! Got some good photos and am hoping for the same in Hong Kong.

Here are some pictures from last year

nice job.

A nice portfolio. Street photography is an interesting genre. There can be so much cross over with travel or even portraiture. The narrow back streets in Asia are an endless source of images. A few I took in across China a couple of years ago.

I have also struggled with mild anxiety, a bit more general than you maybe, (include heights and motion, separate and together). If I was to just use a camera with only a 35mm lens, my anxiety alert would be going off, like a geiger counter, way too much, and I would end up backing off too far to get a decent . So I have adapted. I have found shooting at events like festivals and parades and outdoor concerts are far less anxiety provoking than just cruising the streets so-to-speak. I have also found that using a telephoto lens works for me, otherwise I may not have gotten close enough to get a shot of any kind.

Here are some pictures from last year [ATTACH=full]1260332[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1260335[/ATTACH]

 

Nice shots! I particularly like these two! The first for the freeze frame of that moment in time, a joke being told. The second for those neat coils of hose which make nice subject. I could go on about Asia forever. I lived in Asia a s a kid from the age of 2 to the age of 6. My parents taught English and my years in Asia during those formative years instilled something of a love for the "place". I put "place" in quotations because Asia is such an enormous concept as to be almost impossible to categorize. However I lived in Malaysia, China and Taiwan in different cities so I got to see more than a bit of a flavour of different places. Something about the chaos and the culture that arises from it speaks to me, there are aspects of it that feel like home to me. Even though I've mainly lived in NA since the age of 6.

[ATTACH=full]1260619[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1260618[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1260617[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1260616[/ATTACH] A nice portfolio. Street photography is an interesting genre. There can be so much cross over with travel or even portraiture. The narrow back streets in Asia are an endless source of images. A few I took in across China a couple of years ago.

 

Nice shot. Am I correct in guessing that the last 2 were taken somewhere far out west in China? I'm guessing because the Muslim influence I see there is something you see much more of out in the far west of the country. For the first 2 when you captures these did you use a telephoto to remain at a good distance so as not to be seen. Or were you just quick about it? Or I suppose also if you had a very compact camera that makes it easier as well?

I have also struggled with mild anxiety, a bit more general than you maybe, (include heights and motion, separate and together). If I was to just use a camera with only a 35mm lens, my anxiety alert would be going off, like a geiger counter, way too much, and I would end up backing off too far to get a decent . So I have adapted. I have found shooting at events like festivals and parades and outdoor concerts are far less anxiety provoking than just cruising the streets so-to-speak. I have also found that using a telephoto lens works for me, otherwise I may not have gotten close enough to get a shot of any kind.

 

Good to hear I'm not alone :) I've struggled with anxiety or depression most of my life but over the last 5 years or so I've made some good progress on these issues. A telephoto is definitely one of the next lens purchases I'm eyeing closely. The other being either an ultra wide or a macro. It's difficult for me to choose because I enjoy a wide variety of shots. Currently I shoot with a Pentax with a fairly good 16 - 80 F2.8/4 lens. I think 16 is probably wide enough that I may not get a LOT more out of an ultra wide so I may go with a telephoto for the reasons you mentioned here. It allows you to be able to get nice and comfortably back from your subject be it people or wildlife without disturbing them or yourself. The other way to do street photography would be to have a much more compact camera or one with a top down viewfinder which I honestly only recently learned about. But of course money being nowhere near infinite I can only restrain myself to a few things. I've found saving for the absolute best I can get in a lens instead of compromising to get more lenses to have payed off nicely with the lens I have now and is something I will continue doing in the future.

I also have a compact Lumix LX100 - fits into my coat pocket or a small shoulder bag. Have it with me when ever I go out. Doesn't shout "I'm a photographer" as loud as a DSLR. Here is an example shot of a street performer with the tele-zoom. I wouldn't have got close enough with a kit lens

 

Nice shot. Am I correct in guessing that the last 2 were taken somewhere far out west in China? I'm guessing because the Muslim influence I see there is something you see much more of out in the far west of the country. For the first 2 when you captures these did you use a telephoto to remain at a good distance so as not to be seen. Or were you just quick about it? Or I suppose also if you had a very compact camera that makes it easier as well?

 

Yes - last 2 taken in Urumqi. For the first 2 - while I was using my 28-300 lens the first was taken at 28mm and the second at 65mm. These were taken in the back streets of Shanghai - so quick captures walking past.