S
StuartR
Guest
Well, I have been in Sapporo Japan for about two weeks now, and I figured I would just write a few words about my experience doing street photography here. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner here, so I cannot really post any examples. That will have to wait until later.
Also, this might not really be of interest to anyone, but it is worth it to me to articulate how things have been going. I should also say that I am not really a street photographer by nature, but it is something that I am doing more often here, as I need to walk everywhere and I always have a camera with me.
Usually I go out with two M's -- an M7 .85 and an MP .72. Normally I have a 35 lux on the MP and a 50 lux on the M7. I load the M7 with slide film and the MP with black and white negative film. In my normal photography, I find that I gravitate towards the 50mm lens -- I like the slightly longer focal length, as I am a bit shy and don't really get right next to my subjects in most situations. Here, however, I have been finding that I am using the 35mm much more often. The reason is that many of my street photography shots of people are taken from the hip. I set the lens at about 10 feet, and try to keep the f stop at 5.6 or smaller and the shutter speed at 1/250th or higher. The first big problem that I have run into is that I tend to favor 100 ISO films like Delta 100 and Acros. In the shadows of buildings and trees here, I find that it is rarely enough to keep those settings...often I have to shoot at 1/125th and f/4, which is a little shakier and a little small on the depth of field for shooting from the hip. Now I know why so many street photogs prefer to use Tri-x...the extra two stops (or 3.5-4 if using it in Diafine) are really useful, so too the under/over exposure tolerance. My only problem with it here is that the only chemical that I have easy access to is Rodinal. I need a one-shot developer because I am living in a hotel type place (actually a special lodging for visiting academics and artists), and I don't want to worry about lots of bottles for holding chemicals. That means I have rodinal, fix, and a fuji version of photoflo.
Anyway, moving on. I have also found that the M7 seems like the ideal platform for hip shooting -- the AE mode would insure that I would get accurate exposures when I am not looking through the viewfinder. I am a bit torn however, as I am currently using it for slide film, which is more critical when it comes to exposure, and the stepless configuration is more of a benefit for slides than for negatives, all else being equal. Either way, unless I am specifically going out only for street shooting, I think I am going to keep my configuration the way it is -- acros in the mp (it is much cheaper here than Delta 100, which is my favorite), and Provia 100F/E100G or Velvia 100 in the M7.
Another thing that interested me was how other people managed their street photography. Do you walk around large areas, exploring new places and seeking out the unknown, do you keep walking around the same areas which you know have the most interesting people/architecture/situations and so forth, or do you set yourself up on a corner, park bench or some other vantage point and wait for things to happen to you? I am definitely the first in most situations. I have been walking around for about 2-4 hours a day, to different parts of the city trying to find new places of interest. The possibilities of the last option came to me today though, in Starbucks of all places. There is a two-level Starbucks right on a major intersection downtown in the Susukino (sort of a red-light) district. On the second level there are tables looking out on the square and the glass is shockingly clean (this is Japan after all). The second floor is only about 15 feet off the ground, so you are still right above everyone walking by. I saw many interesting people and shots as I was sipping my coffee, so I imagine it might be a cool vantage point for shooting. Especially with an SLR and a 180mm lens...though I fear that the Starbucks people might be a little wary of someone with a big SLR and long lens shooting people from their cafe. In any case, it is another option. How do the street photography specialists among us prefer to work?
Anyway, that is all I can think of right now. Perhaps I will write more if anything comes to me. I am happy with one photo that I took so far though: It was a very odd scene. Two Japanese high school girls (in sailor suit uniforms), one with giant headphones on and a directional mike pointed out into the crosswalk, she was making a strange face (kind of a "well, I don't know" face). The other was behind her with her feet set apart and her hips jutting out a bit, her hair blowing in the wind, and a very stern expression on her face. Several other people are looking at them quizzically. In any case, since it was a hip shot, the compisition is not great (they are at the very top of the frame, luckily completely in it, with lots of dead space), and it is a little fuzzy, but I still think it works as a photo. I am not sure it would have if I raised the camera to my eye and they had noticed me...
In any case, here is an old Japanese street photograph that I took last year...just to set the mood. I don't want you to have read all that without a single picture. This one was also a hip shot (well, taken from stomach level really), with the MP and the Konica 35mm f/2. Some of you may recognize it. I am quite fond of it, the bland colors and fuzziness notwithstanding. It was taken outside shinjuku eki in Tokyo.
Also, this might not really be of interest to anyone, but it is worth it to me to articulate how things have been going. I should also say that I am not really a street photographer by nature, but it is something that I am doing more often here, as I need to walk everywhere and I always have a camera with me.
Usually I go out with two M's -- an M7 .85 and an MP .72. Normally I have a 35 lux on the MP and a 50 lux on the M7. I load the M7 with slide film and the MP with black and white negative film. In my normal photography, I find that I gravitate towards the 50mm lens -- I like the slightly longer focal length, as I am a bit shy and don't really get right next to my subjects in most situations. Here, however, I have been finding that I am using the 35mm much more often. The reason is that many of my street photography shots of people are taken from the hip. I set the lens at about 10 feet, and try to keep the f stop at 5.6 or smaller and the shutter speed at 1/250th or higher. The first big problem that I have run into is that I tend to favor 100 ISO films like Delta 100 and Acros. In the shadows of buildings and trees here, I find that it is rarely enough to keep those settings...often I have to shoot at 1/125th and f/4, which is a little shakier and a little small on the depth of field for shooting from the hip. Now I know why so many street photogs prefer to use Tri-x...the extra two stops (or 3.5-4 if using it in Diafine) are really useful, so too the under/over exposure tolerance. My only problem with it here is that the only chemical that I have easy access to is Rodinal. I need a one-shot developer because I am living in a hotel type place (actually a special lodging for visiting academics and artists), and I don't want to worry about lots of bottles for holding chemicals. That means I have rodinal, fix, and a fuji version of photoflo.
Anyway, moving on. I have also found that the M7 seems like the ideal platform for hip shooting -- the AE mode would insure that I would get accurate exposures when I am not looking through the viewfinder. I am a bit torn however, as I am currently using it for slide film, which is more critical when it comes to exposure, and the stepless configuration is more of a benefit for slides than for negatives, all else being equal. Either way, unless I am specifically going out only for street shooting, I think I am going to keep my configuration the way it is -- acros in the mp (it is much cheaper here than Delta 100, which is my favorite), and Provia 100F/E100G or Velvia 100 in the M7.
Another thing that interested me was how other people managed their street photography. Do you walk around large areas, exploring new places and seeking out the unknown, do you keep walking around the same areas which you know have the most interesting people/architecture/situations and so forth, or do you set yourself up on a corner, park bench or some other vantage point and wait for things to happen to you? I am definitely the first in most situations. I have been walking around for about 2-4 hours a day, to different parts of the city trying to find new places of interest. The possibilities of the last option came to me today though, in Starbucks of all places. There is a two-level Starbucks right on a major intersection downtown in the Susukino (sort of a red-light) district. On the second level there are tables looking out on the square and the glass is shockingly clean (this is Japan after all). The second floor is only about 15 feet off the ground, so you are still right above everyone walking by. I saw many interesting people and shots as I was sipping my coffee, so I imagine it might be a cool vantage point for shooting. Especially with an SLR and a 180mm lens...though I fear that the Starbucks people might be a little wary of someone with a big SLR and long lens shooting people from their cafe. In any case, it is another option. How do the street photography specialists among us prefer to work?
Anyway, that is all I can think of right now. Perhaps I will write more if anything comes to me. I am happy with one photo that I took so far though: It was a very odd scene. Two Japanese high school girls (in sailor suit uniforms), one with giant headphones on and a directional mike pointed out into the crosswalk, she was making a strange face (kind of a "well, I don't know" face). The other was behind her with her feet set apart and her hips jutting out a bit, her hair blowing in the wind, and a very stern expression on her face. Several other people are looking at them quizzically. In any case, since it was a hip shot, the compisition is not great (they are at the very top of the frame, luckily completely in it, with lots of dead space), and it is a little fuzzy, but I still think it works as a photo. I am not sure it would have if I raised the camera to my eye and they had noticed me...
In any case, here is an old Japanese street photograph that I took last year...just to set the mood. I don't want you to have read all that without a single picture. This one was also a hip shot (well, taken from stomach level really), with the MP and the Konica 35mm f/2. Some of you may recognize it. I am quite fond of it, the bland colors and fuzziness notwithstanding. It was taken outside shinjuku eki in Tokyo.
