THE IDEAL EQUIPMENT FOR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

In today's article we will talk about the ideal equipment for street photography. This is not exactly a new discipline, but it is an undeniable fact that is booming. Perhaps this is due to the proliferation of cameras that have come from the hand of the smartphone, however, it is not exactly an exclusive discipline of mobile photography, although it has been very embraced by it. And, although you can perfectly do street photography simply with a smartphone or with any camera, if you want to deepen more and expand your range of options; if you have discovered that street photography runs through your veins; If you've noticed what makes you vibrate, lose hours of sleep or walk as many kilometers as Forrest Gump, this article is for you.

WHAT IS STREET PHOTOGRAPHY?

Before continuing, I think we should stop for a moment to see what is street, urban, streetphotography or whatever you prefer to call it. Now, we enter swampy terrain, because defining it is not exactly easy. The attempts to define it are quite varied and in some points there is controversy. Two points seem pretty clear, and they are the ones I will base my definition on for this article.

This is photography taken in the street, that is, in public places (squares, markets, streets, the subway, etc.).
It includes the human factor. Either people or some elements appear that evoke their presence.

Therefore, we could say that street photography is one that captures life on the street, and I add that it is what captures the essence of what happens in public places, that records people's relationships with spaces, or among them, the one that whispers stories, the one that immortalizes the customs and the way of life of a society.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?

Camera
goals
Extra battery
Spare memory card
belt
Backpack
Flash
Comfortable shoes

Once we have located and know what we are talking about we can focus on what I promised at the beginning of this article. What is the ideal equipment to capture the smell of the street, its soul, its essence. I insist you can take street photography only a camera, be it a reflex, a mirrorless , a compact or a mobile phone. Any of these options are valid.

Street photography taken with smartphone

Now, as every discipline has its special characteristics, and if you are going to give yourself body and soul you will like to expand horizons and make the most of all the options. So I will detail the ideal team.

CAMERA

Elementary dear Watson. You need a camera. As we have said, anyone can be worth it, but it is true that there are some characteristics more appropriate to the idiosyncrasy of street photography. If you are going to buy a camera thinking that its greatest use will be in the street, you better take these characteristics into account:

Size. Make it as small and discreet as possible. And this depends on you, your hands and your needs, that is, the smallest and lightest you can handle as comfort, safety and ease.
Speed. The rapidity of firing is another important point. The possibility of burst shooting and the time between pressing the button and capturing the photo should be as low as possible. That was my obsession in his day for having a reflex. With my sad compact when the image was recorded the scene had changed completely and my frustration reached exorbitant goals.
Focus. Ideally, you have a very fast autofocus and a convenient and simple manual focus.
Sound. Being silent helps your presence go unnoticed, so a shutter sound as quiet as possible is a good point to keep in mind.
Settings Ideally, it is easy and convenient to handle in terms of controls and buttons.

SOME RECOMMENDED CAMERAS

Next, I leave you with some cameras recommended for street photography. There are not all that are, but they are all that are : 1. Fujifilm X100F This is a compact camera with a retro design and cutting-edge technology that you can find for about 1200 euros on Amazon .

2. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III

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3. Fujifilm X-T20 In the case of this Fujifilm, we talk about an EVIL and with a much more affordable price, which is around 700 euros .

4. Ricoh GRII The best thing about this camera is that you can go completely unnoticed and the results will not disappoint you at all.

Ricoh 175844 GR II - Compact 16 Mp camera, black color, 3 "screen, WiFi, USB 2.0, 28 mm, F2.8 * - Camera

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5. Sony Alpha A6300

Sony Alpha A6300 - Compact Camera with Type E Mount (APS-C CMOS Exmor R Sensor, 24.2 MP BIONZ X processor, 425 AF Points and 4K recording) - Body only * - Electronics

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As I said, there are not all the cameras recommended for street photography that exist in the market, however, all these that I have presented, due to their characteristics, can be great companions when it comes to kicking the street and capturing its essence.

OBJECTIVE

Some of these cameras that I have presented to you are compact, so this section could be skipped if it were your case. Although if you look, the focal length in the recommended compact for street photography is usually around 24-35mm, on an APS-C sensor, which is equivalent to a 35mm or 50mm "of a lifetime" And what does this mean? Well, this could be said to be the most widely used focal distance for street photography because it is the closest to the vision of the human eye. It does not distort like angles or flattens like telephoto lenses. However, and although there is a great debate regarding focal lengths in street photography, there is no exclusive focal length for capturing street images. While some recommendations when choosing your ideal goal .

FOCAL DISTANCE

Although there are those who say no, that this is not street photography, if you want you can use a telephoto lens to get closer to what you want to photograph. What happens is that it is not the most discreet unless you hide in paparazzi plan . And of course, that's where the essence is lost a little. Another option, different from the standard focal lengths that we mentioned before, is to use an angle to capture a greater part of the scene, because it is not always a very specific and delimited action that we want to capture, but what makes sense is to contextualize it within of a wider space.

ZOOM OR FIXED LENS

On the other hand, choosing between fixed focus or zoom is something very particular, each option has its advantages and disadvantages and it is everyone who must choose what they feel most comfortable with at any time and what they need for each situation or type of photo that want to do Although, in general, if you are starting, a zoom allows you more versatility, until you discover what type of photo you want to get. Once you are very clear about which focal point you handle better and gives you more satisfaction, it is time to use a fixed lens.

EXTRA BATTERIES

Everyone knows their limitations (and those of their camera). You may have enough for a street session with your battery life. However, if you are going to go deeper into street photography, if you discover that it is the discipline for which you sigh, get a spare battery. The worst thing that can happen to a street photographer is having to go home because the battery runs out. Well that or ...

REPLACEMENT CARDS

This is the second evil that can happen to you. If you are fast finger; you shoot in RAW; and / or burst, to capture the perfect moment; Or you just find yourself super inspired or the street full of opportunities, you can find a full card before you know it. If you run out of memory before time and opportunities, it will be really frustrating. A replacement card in your pocket does not weigh or occupy. But it saves you

BELT

You may spend many hours in the street with your camera hanging around your neck and we all know that the straps that come with the camera are not the most comfortable in the world. If you appreciate your neck and your back, and you are sure that kicking the street is not going to be a one-day thing to browse or try, you better get the strap that best suits you.

BACKPACK

If you are one of those who simply carry their compact in their pocket or around their neck, the backpack will not be necessary. However, if yours are the case-by-case, and for not losing any opportunity charges with various objectives, batteries, flash, etc., you can not ignore choosing your right backpack. Also if you are going to photograph in a rainy environment, then you should not stop protecting your equipment.

FLASH

This may sound odd to you, but that's because you don't know Bruce Gilden's work:

It is not an essential accessory, of course, but it is very useful to experiment or if you want to do street photography at night. Of course, I think it goes without saying that we are talking about an external flash.

COMFORTABLE SHOES

Yes, this is not an obvious photographic accessory. But it is almost as necessary as a camera. Finding the best street scene will rarely be casual, there is a possibility, yes, but it is normal that you have to kick the streets for hours if you want THE PHOTO. And above all, if you want to have fun and enjoy. As you go with some uncomfortable shoes, wet or cold foot, the desire to photograph will evaporate in what it takes to click.

Everything ready to eat the street? I hope I threw you some light. If so, I am going to ask you to please share this article in your favorite social network. Thus we shed more light on other people who are like you. Thanks and see you soon.

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