Street photography is one of those wonderful genres that encourages us to break convention and what we know to be "right" in the big bad, world of the still image. It's one of the few genres, I feel at least, that can encompass all manner of emotions, from humor and lightheartedness to tone, shape, ambiguity, surrealism, and hard-hitting realism at any time.
To shoot street is to train the brain to see shape and light and develop a response to the world around us, quickly and incisively. It's about nurturing an instinctive reaction to an action above and beyond our control, strengthening twitch fibers and muscle memory, and allowing a cognitive switch from the logical and factual to the creative and interpretive.
So, what happens when a renowned street photographer takes to the streets of London to shoot with a two-megapixel toy camera?
It's just about the megapixels, though, is it? It's about the speed of the lens and the processing speed of the body. We sometimes have to be quick, shooting like hipster modern-day gunslingers when shooting street. Time waits for no man, so the tech we use certainly is integral to the outcome of what images we produce. In this video, Kai Wong goes out with insanely good street shooter Craig Whitehead to find out just what challenges are out there when your go-to tech is stripped to nothing more than a Star Wars themes Stormtrooper camera. Speed may well be out of the window, but patience is just as important as we find out here. Cartier Bresson's "decisive moment" is alive and well.
This is a fun and fascinating video that, at its heart, touches more on how we can approach shooting street, compositional value in all its forms, and above all, how we can use any form of media to document the world around us. The vision comes from within and the camera is the tool. This will never change, as is something we should all remember. If you're anything like me, it will get you eager to jump on the train into your nearest city and shoot like crazy!
If you haven't heard of Kai Wong, then I urge you to spend some time getting used to his channel. His reviews and general tomfoolery have been a steadfast source of entertainment and knowledge for me over the years. If you like a no-nonsense, relaxed attitude to reviews on gear, with all the pomp removed and generally with a hands-on, street photography approach, it's the perfect channel.
It is wWell worth a watch. Let me know how you shoot street in the comments!
No more goofball cameras... scanner, pin hole, toy, potato (I made that one up) etc. I bet the intrepid pro photographers, the founders of Fstoppers, don't bother with these "cameras" at all... why should you?
"Taken on a potato" has been around for over a decade. You did not make that up. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/recorded-with-a-potato
Thought I picked one that was impossible. We should advocate for a special page; perhaps "Fstoppers Reviews of Plant Based Cameras." Suggestion for the first article: "Potato Camera or Micro Four Thirds - Which Is Better for Stealth Street Shooting."
Try skipping to the end of the video and seeing the photo's that were taken with the camera. A good photographer who puts the hours in can get interesting photo's even with a toy camera. I quite liked this series from Kai Wong where he challenged street photographers to use 'toy' cameras, even if this video is from three years ago.
Saw Kai's video when it came out as well as viewed most of his other videos. Yes, an experienced photog can outshoot most amateurs and their big pixel cameras using only an i5 phone. But who would want to?
It's not about 'who would want to' but was just a fun challenge on this particular photography channel. Clearly you don't get that. Also the conversations between presenter and photographer were interesting.
I never mess with older "potato" cameras on my free time but I always loved these types of challenge videos from Kai. Truth is, most cameras released in the last 6 years or so are more than capable of anything you could want to do professionally. Now a Toy camera, I'm shocked they could even get the images off the device!
Despite what some say it’s never been about the camera, potato or otherwise, it’s always been about the photographer. The ‘camera’ has always been the means to the end.
A guy I know once used a wheelie bin as a camera with a large sheet of light sensitive paper inside. It was a long time ago so can’t quite remember the reason for his camera choice! I believe he place a potato in the bin for luck.