When you think of street photography, you probably think of fairly standard focal lengths — normally a 35mm or 50mm lens — or maybe a 24mm for a bit of a more unusual perspective. Of course, that does not mean you have to use those focal lengths. This neat video follows a photographer as he heads out to shoot with extremely long focal lengths and shows the unique perspectives they produce.
Coming to you from Nicolas Doretti, this fantastic video follows him as he shoots street photography at extreme focal lengths like 600mm. Traditionally, street photography tends to favor neutral focal lengths that place the viewer right in the action as if they were inhabiting the environment themselves, but there is plenty of room for other creative perspectives, and now is perhaps the best time ever to grab a longer lens, given the need to keep our distance from others. Beyond that practical purpose, however, the perspective afforded by much longer focal lengths gives an entirely new look to these images, and the telephoto compression can be a great way to really communicate the hustle and bustle and density of city life. Check out the video above to see the images he was able to create.
It goes against everything Tony Ray Jones believed but you can't discredited the fact it's still street photography (and not bad either).
... did you teport it?
I guess these are photographs, alright, but to call this "street photography" seems to stretch the definition of the genre. Also, is it just me, or is this a little creepy?
street photography for the introvert.
Creepy? No. If he was shooting up-skirts or through windows as subjects undress, then, yes.
A little creepy.
Not even a little. Nowhere close to it. :)
Is too.
NUH UH!!! I'MUNNA TELL MY DAD!!!
I agree that this is creepy. I disagree that these pictures are good. They are terrible in my humble opinion
I don't understand why people think that going up close to someone with a 35mm somehow makes it less creepy.
i think it's that a creep would more likely do things from afar going unnoticed. Shooting closer you're more likely looking for a reaction or understand that people are likely to be aware of your presence.
Edit: I'm not personally calling this creepy but i understand why that's how it could be understood.
Good point. Maybe we're all trying to avoid saying that "street photography" is just plain wrong, at any focal length. It's kind of invasive, has the potential to be annoying and even illegal, is at best, rude. and so on. How many articles have you read that promote the idea that a small camera with a physically smaller lens so as not to be as noticeable is better for street photography? Or the idea that street photographers want all black cameras, or that if they don't have one of those, they wrap it in gaffers tape, or how desirable a silent electronic curtain shutter is? Are street photographers trying to be sneaky, and if so, why?
I have a friend who likes people, and likes taking pictures of them, but he approaches them and talks to them and then asks if he can take their pictures. They are all great--the subjects are smiling, either posing or showing off something. That, to me, is totally acceptable as long as you believe it's ok to approach people in public and talk to them in a friendly manner. But not too many people can do that.