Street photography from 2 perspectives
Introduction
The video introduces the topic of street photography and sets the scene for the rest of the video.
Meeting up with Carlo in Osaka
- The speaker met up with Carlo Brien, a fellow photographer and YouTuber from Australia, to shoot some street photos in Osaka.
- They decided to shoot in an area called Shinsekai.
Shooting Street Photography
The speaker discusses his experience shooting street photography and compares it to Carlo's experience as a portrait, wedding, and landscape photographer.
Using Different Focal Lengths
- The speaker typically uses an 85mm lens for street photography but has been experimenting with wider focal lengths like 35mm or 28mm.
- He believes that using wider focal lengths forces him to be more thoughtful about his compositions.
- Carlo chose to use an 85mm lens for their shoot while the speaker used a wider lens.
Choosing the Right Lens for Street Photography
- The Sigma 1.4 DG DN is an awesome lens that delivers performance comparable to a G Master at almost half the price.
- However, its size and weight can be cumbersome when shooting on the streets.
- Shooting at f/1.4 can give good subject separation with creamy bokeh but may not be ideal if you want to incorporate more layers into your street photography by shooting at higher apertures.
- For this reason, using a smaller and lighter prime lens like a 35mm f/2.8 may be wiser when shooting on the streets.
Using Long Focal Lengths for Street Photography
The speaker discusses why using long focal lengths like 85mm lenses are becoming increasingly popular among street photographers.
Advantages of Long Focal Lengths
- Long focal lengths like 85mm lenses allow you to incorporate human subjects without having to be super close, which can be helpful for those new to street photography.
- They also provide a lot of compression and most primes open at f/1.8, creating crazy bokeh.
- These two factors combined make long focal lengths an easy choice for many street photographers.
Disadvantages of Long Focal Lengths
- Using long focal lengths can result in less or no risk of being confronted by your subjects, making it an easy choice that may not challenge you as a photographer.
- The compression and bokeh created by long focal lengths can also potentially crowd out a big part of your frame.
- While the speaker loves shooting with an 85mm lens, he agrees that it is often considered the easy choice for street photography.
Conclusion
The speaker concludes the video by encouraging viewers to experiment with different focal lengths and find what works best for them in their own street photography.
Final Thoughts
- Different focal lengths offer unique perspectives and compressions that cannot be replicated simply by zooming with your feet.
- While using long focal lengths like 85mm lenses may be popular among street photographers, it's important to challenge yourself and not rely on them as an easy choice.
- Ultimately, finding what works best for you in your own street photography is key.
Why the 85mm Lens is Great for Street Photography
In this section, the speaker explains why he recommends using an 85mm lens for street photography.
Benefits of Using an 85mm Lens
- The longer focal length allows photographers to take portraits from a distance, which can be helpful for introverted individuals who are uncomfortable with getting too close to their subjects.
- After gaining confidence shooting at 85mm, photographers may feel more comfortable moving down to wider focal lengths like 35 or 28mm.
- Using an 85mm lens can make photographers excited about shooting streets and motivate them to go out and shoot more often.
Conclusion
In this section, the speaker concludes the video and thanks viewers for watching.
Final Thoughts
- The speaker thanks viewers for watching and encourages them to check out Carlo's work on Instagram and YouTube.
- Viewers are invited to provide feedback on the video.