Reportage/street photography

[Pawel Piotr]

Hi, 

 

I am thinking to become more diverse in my photography. I have many years of experience of studio stills and fashion photography. I find myself well in landscape and architecture photography  but I have never done any reportage or a street photography. Always thought it's not too creative.

 

With years started to be fascinated with Magnum photographers to the level that I want to try it. I live in Greater London and it is an ideal base to do a reportage (in this city there is always something going on). 

 

Thinking to buy tele lens for my Nikon. For a start a zoom 70-200mm or prime 300mm? Which you think would be better? Any suggestion? 

 

What else I should mind for a start? I guess I don't need a releases if I upload these imagery for editorial use only? 

 

Any advice welcome

 

Pawel

 

 

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, Pawel Piotr said:

Hi, 

 

I am thinking to become more diverse in my photography. I have many years of experience of studio stills and fashion photography. I find myself well in landscape and architecture photography  but I have never done any reportage or a street photography. Always thought it's not too creative.

 

With years started to be fascinated with Magnum photographers to the level that I want to try it. I live in Greater London and it is an ideal base to do a reportage (in this city there is always something going on). 

 

Thinking to buy tele lens for my Nikon. For a start a zoom 70-200mm or prime 300mm? Which you think would be better? Any suggestion? 

 

What else I should mind for a start? I guess I don't need a releases if I upload these imagery for editorial use only? 

 

Any advice welcome

 

Pawel

 

 

 

Most of the street photographers with Alamy don,t use long range telephoto lenses as it appears you are being furtive and could cause concerns in the general public. This could lead to the photographer being attacked or at least his equipment being trashed by the aggrieved joe public.

 

I and many others use short range telephotos (24 - 70) bur a lot use primes ( 24mm, 36mm, 50mm,). I use these too. It pays to get inclose sometimes.

 

Allan

 

[Pawel Piotr]

Thanks Allan,

 

I got quite good 24-70mm and 50mm already however I feel that I would need tele to make the reportage more complex. Some of the subjects can be quite far etc. 

 

'This could lead to the photographer being attacked' I don't think people in London are that aggressive, At least I've never accounted that 😉 

Edited September 18, 2020 by Pawel Piotr

[sb photos]

Every lens/focal length has its use. I will often use focal lengths between 17 - 20mm when photographing arrests up close in the street.

[Pawel Piotr]

9 minutes ago, sb photos said:

Every lens/focal length has its use. I will often use focal lengths between 17 - 20mm when photographing arrests up close in the street.

Thanks, 

 

I see you do a lot of street reportage. Nice. 

 

I guess you submit them all as an editorial? Are these images selling? 

[Harry Harrison]

4 hours ago, Pawel Piotr said:

Thinking to buy tele lens for my Nikon. For a start a zoom 70-200mm or prime 300mm? Which you think would be better? Any suggestion? 

Agree with Allan here, 28/35/50 equivalent lenses for candid street photography though 'news' photography in the street is a different matter, or just get a Fuji X100 to play with and see how you get on.

[Pawel Piotr]

I think I want to be able to cover both - street and news. Basically I don't have experience in this category at all. Maybe that is why I think I think to have all the range - from wide one to tele 

[Harry Harrison]

38 minutes ago, Pawel Piotr said:

I think I want to be able to cover both - street and news. Basically I don't have experience in this category at all. Maybe that is why I think I think to have all the range - from wide one to tele 

I think there is a difference, news photographers tend to carry zooms to cover any situation because if something happens then they need to be able to cover it from whatever position they are able to get to. The classic 'street' photographer is generally more discreet and waits for things to happen in front of him or her and then they can capture it from close by, they don't particularly want to stand out as a photographer. That's  rather a romantic generalization but I think it holds in normal circumstances. Exceptions to every rule of course, Martin Parr uses a Canon with a biggish zoom, Simon Roberts uses a 5"x4" from a tripod on the top of his camper van.

[Pawel Piotr]

Love Martin Parr! His wok is insanely good! And I had a chance to meet him in person. Fantastic guy 

[Allan Bell]

Also it sometimes pays to speak with your intended victim. Another kind of street photography is where the photographer finds what might be a good position and just wait for something to happen. Such as someone walking in front of an advertising poster such that it makes a comical or contrasting composition. Others take images of hard light and shadow areas.

 

You takes you pick on the day depending on various factors.

 

Just trying to help.

 

Allan

 

[Pawel Piotr]

Good points, thanks Allan 

[sb photos]

7 hours ago, Pawel Piotr said:

Thanks, 

 

I see you do a lot of street reportage. Nice. 

 

I guess you submit them all as an editorial? Are these images selling? 

 

Yes, almost all that I shoot is submitted as editorial. It's pointless not identifying them as editorial as they would likely never be used for marketing or advertising. They do sell, some many times. We all need more sales, so I intend diversifying.

[Ed Rooney]

Pawel, as everyone is saying, you have to get in close. Staying back at a safe distance with a tele doesn't work well for news or for street. I used to say, we need to make a double exposure: to get the exposure of the subject, you have to move in and expose yourself. 

 

https://edostrange.blogspot.com/2020/08/street.html

[meanderingemu]

agree with the above, though one caveat, i have used a longer lens much more frequently in last 3-4 months.

[Allan Bell]

On 18/09/2020 at 22:59, Ed Rooney said:

Pawel, as everyone is saying, you have to get in close. Staying back at a safe distance with a tele doesn't work well for news or for street. I used to say, we need to make a double exposure: to get the exposure of the subject, you have to move in and expose yourself. 

 

https://edostrange.blogspot.com/2020/08/street.html

 

Naughty naughty.😮

 

Ignore it's just my way of thinking.

 

Spoke to someone today who said that the restaurants ""spaced out"" their customers. I replied with "Oh! They are putting drugs in the food -----3 second delay------ but I know you mean social distancing."

 

She had a laugh,

 

Allan

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Allan Bell

[Avpics]

On 18/09/2020 at 13:12, Pawel Piotr said:

'This could lead to the photographer being attacked' I don't think people in London are that aggressive, At least I've never accounted that 😉 

I much prefer photographing people in London due to the fact that a person carrying a camera draws no attention, whereas in my home town I stand out and sometimes attract aggressive reactions. Sadly it's one of those Brexit-leaning towns that has an attitude against 'MSM', and worsened of late because of the Covidiocy coverage of packed beaches - of which I must hold my hands up as being 'guilty'. I now avoid taking those risks, to the detriment of sales 😞