This was a fantastic video! I think very few photographers talk about working a scene completely. I run a small photography group in my town and one of the things I talk about is this to help others. Force yourself to stay in a location and use it to the fullest ability
Excellent tips. You have nailed it. I am a newbie photographer (at 61) and I am very quickly becoming tired of all the youTube POVs that think any random building with a shaft of light and a person walking through it and a bit of post editing is what photographers should be aiming for. For me it is about searching for the remarkable in the ordinary or at least bringing a little poetry to the moment.
When having to choose between either a prime or a zoom for street photo, I think the prime is the safer bet. The bigger aperture usually outweighs the need to zoom in/out. A prime is also less conspicuous than a zoom, which may be useful in some quarters
40 years ago I took a few college photography courses and was told exactly what you just taught, to move your feet to compose you shot. And to look all around the viewfinder. Those skills are in my head every time I compose. Honing this skill has helped me tell stories with my images. Excellent video. Thank you for the refresher.
Turns out I wasn't using a fixed lens wrong. Working a scene is so vital on most lenses wider than a 35mm that I tend to shoot off the back screen to avoid falling into the trap of capturing my perspective over the ideal perspective. Great video. 🙏
I shot last weekend with a fixed focal length, and found myself running about selecting angles and what I include and exclude, thinking a lot more about my purpose for the photograph. It was great. Though I will still use my zooms, I will first apply positional, contextual, and inclusive/exclusive decisions, with focal length just one more tool available.
Hello from an old man recently retired and pursuing photography as an amateur hobbyist. I am really very new to this and finding myself very drawn to prime lenses for my Nikon d7000 and also for my newly acquired Nikon FE. Playing with older ai and ai-s lenses in 24, 28, 50 and 200mm are helping me understand the best ways to use each and teaching me better compositions. Now time to get out there and put these ideas and your guidance into action. Put my boots to the ground and practice! Thanks for a great mentoring session.
I tend to use my zoom lenses as prime lenses that don’t need to be removed from/attached to the camera. I typically set the lens to a specific focal length (like 35mm), then take photos at that focal length - and, if necessary, “zoom with my feet”. I don’t consider zoom lenses to be limiting, except for the smaller apertures, which can make them more challenging to work with in lower-light situations. Interesting video, as always.
I'd add that "empty" image is not always something to be avoided. In many cases, negative space creates a simple yet expressive composition. But only if it is used thoughtfully, which is what the video is all about :)
I respectfully disagree with the concept here. As a pro for 40 years now using a zoom a lot these days I would say move your feet first, then use a specific lens to put a frame around the view. Obviously a zoom gives more variability in this respect, as would a bag of different primes but the place you stand is paramount in my humble opinion and the video does really well to emphasize this
Love this video. I’m always open to new ideas and suggestions. I love my Q2M and enjoy walking the streets and feeling the vibe or pulse of the city. There are so many opportunities in front of you if you just open mind and listen to the city. Anyway keep up the videos they are helpful
I would say that classifying the Q2, Q3 cameras as "fixed" is misleading. Yeah, the physical lens is fixed, but with a dedicated button (that cannot be reassigned) to "zoom", it really is more of a zoom P&S. I mostly leave mine in "35mm", but I'll use other settings as well. For me, my Q2 is more of a 35mm (FOV) camera with an "extra-wide mode" that I switch to sometimes.
Justin, I find zooms distracting. I used them a lot when I was shooting for newspapers because they felt "safe"... But it's been a few years now that I am only on primes, both Leica and Sony, and it's really made a world of difference, they are usually smaller and lighter, and they are faster... they also force you to think and work it. I find changing focal lengths too often also distracting and find myself focused on 1 or 2 lenses. My work has significantly improved by being more disciplined.
Justin - can you do a clip on another one of your assignments. I find them the best. Describing the expectations of the editor, the time-frame, gear used, the location and sample shots. I know you can't always do this for disclosure clauses and that stuff, but take us along if you can.
It all depends if you're just taking a snapshot to remind you of a place, or if you're trying to make a good photo. There is nothing wrong with the first if you're an amateur. Thinking about the image is necessary with a zoom, too. Yesterday I wanted to take a picture of a postbox topper (a creative knitted scene that someone has put on top of a British red pillar box postbox), and by stepping back and zooming in I was able to get a background that wasn't distracting, by excluding surrounding elements. Even though this was really just a record shot, this was better than just standing close to it and getting a photo with a lot of distracting elements in the background. If I had had a 35 mm lens on the camera, I wouldn't have got as good a shot (except by stepping back and cropping savagely to get a tiny image), because of the messy surroundings.
Excellent lesson. Having said that, the images you put up as boring, I preferred to the so-called less boring ones. I suppose the boring value of the images hinges on what purpose or use, one has for said images.
This seems relevant regardless of what kind of lens you use. I know a lot of folks with 24-70’s who only shoot at 24 and 70 effectively walking with two primes.
Interesting video, I'm a Ricoh user (iii & iiix) and I can be guilty of including too much. I don't think it's always necessary to 'fill the frame' as context can be key but I get your point and will accept the challenge in the weeks ahead. 🙂
Good video, but you could replace every instance of “fix lens” with “zoom lens” or even “kit kens” for that matter and it would still work the same, it’s a great call to work the scene (which, to be honest I should do more)
I grew up on fixed lenses and rangefinder cameras. I'm not fond of zoom lenses for documentary work in general. I do like zoom lenses when there's lead flying in the air, though.
The rules of composition du not depend on the lens you work with - they are always valid. You can also change the perspective with a zoom lens - by using your feet... But a fixed lens has several advantages: Lighter, smaller, faster - and quicker, if you learn to see the motifs in a fraction of a second which fit to the angle of view of your fixed lens. If the motif does not fit you have to move yourself, but with the risk to miss the decisive moment.
It's all about perspective. Perspective is the first decision to make. Angle of view follows (if you have a zoom lens or multiple primes in the bag). Just having a prime simplifies the decision process, as you can simply focus on perspective only. The equation of a good image then only has one variable, not too.
Great video as always justin, Moving is great , it allows one to be creative by exploreing the other angles , don't be the lazy photographer get up and move ! When I worked for ESPN covering the senior PGA tounament back in the 90's I would allways dred working the tower cams I always wanted to be on the course running around and getting shots with creative freedom, on occasion I got to do roving cam work but of couse it ment fallowing the leaders with a director in your ear telling you to move backward forwards left or right , I always remember looking over at the freelance photographers with envy because they had total artistic carte blanche to get that perfect shot without a director in their headset.
I think it's also a problem with digital, the sense of unlimited pictures doesn't make you as thoughtful. I try to slow down the work flow by thinking more about the composition than the idea of taking a picture. For example before I go out, I've watched dozens of videos like yours, started reading books about composition, study photos, etc. From all of that, I've created a note on my phone summarizing main themes and elements that are foundational to street photography. Before I go out, I read through that note every time to remind myself. I am not "great" but I am improving by being more thoughtful and training my eye to spot these elements to create a composition. I can spot so many photos with my 35mm and 40mm primes where I didn't fill the frame or capture the true essence of the message like you explained. You've also brought up a good point, the biggest thing I am seeing on popular Fuji channels, the photos lack a message and are just the cliche IG style street photography. I don't need to see a guy on his bike in front of a colorful style tokyo shop for the 1000th time lo.
From what I've seen, the other issue is that people use zooms with little regard for the implications of the focal length. Rather than sizing up a shot, choosing a focal length, and positioning to use that focal length correctly... they do indeed, as you said, just "stop and start shooting." If they'd just transition to "choosing a prime" for the day to learn how different standard focal lengths should be used, THEN transition to primes... it would go much smoother.
I threw myself in at the deep end with primes i was on holiday and to pack light i took with me my 5D and a 50mm 1.8. i was walking on the beach one evening and a couple approached me and told me they were getting married in the resort the following day and there photographer had let them down (i am a professional wedding photographer) so long story short i shot a whole wedding with nothing but a 50mm and produced some of the best work i had ever put out till that point doing exactly what you described slowing down thinking about my shots. since then my wedding kit is a 35mm 50mm 85mm and i bring with me a 70-200 if im shooting a large venue my kit is lighter and works way better in low light never been happier
I like rants, I like helpful videos, and I like rants pretending to be helpful videos. This video was all three. 😜 Zooms should be banned! Seriously though, they don't foster a true understanding of what each focal length looks like or does. The best training on the street is using one lens, like a wide to moderate wide, and use only that for 6-12 months. Once you know your lens, you no longer need a viewfinder or LCD, and you're able to react instantly to most situations with better compositions. I had the Ricoh GR cameras and the Leica Q series, all of which were extremely beneficial in honing some skills I was sorely lacking. Now I use a 21 and a 35 on two Sony bodies. Sticking with one lens is tough, but worth the time and effort.
I use two cameras one with my prime one with a Zoom. IMO there exist Zoom Situations. You see the scene but its too far away… and IMO Ernst Haas did some beautiful shots with zooms in NYC. Sometimes its for him a little detail on a building…. beautiful….
Lenses shouldn't dictate how you shoot, although it might force you into doing something different (for the better, or not), especially for beginners. But in the end, they are just tools. I loved the video, however, as it made me think about my composition and how to bring more layers into my photography and find solutions.
Oh yeah, most RUclipsrs are bad photographers. They just repeat trends and use filters to make it look like a good image. When I'm on the street, I mostly use 18mm. It is just fun to have to get closer or try to fill the frame with things that make the photo complete. Sometimes, I use the 50mm because I like the look, especially for a close-up portrait that I don't want to get the environment.
Always good to hear your rants, I mean thoughts, Jason 🙂Are you saying a snap shooter doesn't deserve a prime lens and they should stick with their kit lens? Only later, upon reaching a higher level of enlightenment, one "may" deserve a bespoke prime lens (preferably ending with "lux") 🙂No, of course you aren't professor. I believe you are trying to encourage people, regardless of their station, to WORK THE SCENE. When I started as a freelance PJ for a smalltown newspaper, all new cameras came with a fast 50mm. It forced us to "zoom" with our feet. Composition is what we studied. Ideas were what we sought. Not camera specs, megapixels, bit rates, etc. In closing, GET OFF MY LAWN!
thank you thank you thank you ! I think street Photography is fast falling in quality because of lack of work on subject and composition . I see it more in some country than others as well . looks like in the U.S. the trend is always more on landscape or then city street photography of people ( still gary winogrand etc influence ?! ) but in the uk for exemple the level is pretty bad with big instagram account are actually very poor in quality ,.. people walking in front of billbord . boring easy work on light and shadows etc .. funny how everyone love Alex Webb or any magnum photographers but a very few do apply the rigueur of work in their images ..I see more interesting work nowdays coming coming from people from the other eastern half of the planet .
A fixed lens to me, has always been on cameras with non interchangeable lenses. A prime lens to me is a non zoom lens. Seem to be using the terms interchangebly.
Yes, seeing something interesting and immediatly taking an image is for most of the situations not the best solution. Yes, and always using the same focal length may help to create a style. But one is also trapped in that style. Morandi was an important painter, but captivated in frame and motif. Picasso would have never become such a manyfold gigantic painter if he had always used - metaphorically spoken - the same focal length. And changing distance will never change focal length, a 35 will always be a 35! And there are many situations where the alteration of perspective is quite limited.
Sounds like you are really describing the newbie and/or 'influencer' shooter- no serious photographer (pro or amateur) takes an image without moving around and assessing changes in distance/angles/light. That same approach can be easily used with a zoom saving time and potentially dust contamination by not having to change lenses. Move/assess/look and then find the perfect focal length from the optimal spot to capture the image.... Amateur 'smapshot' shooters not going to get better just by using a fixed lens!
Another aspect of using prime lenses is figuring out which focal length most suits the photographer's style. It's good to use a variety of focal lengths to see which one the person likes best. And this does not mean going out and buying several primes. It means leaving the zoom at 24mm, then 35mm, then 50mm, etc., for a period of time, and comparing the results. This requires a bit of discipline, but it's worth it.
I started fujifilm x street photography Flickr group in 2012. We now have 7000+ members with 3 administrators. Each member may submit up to 6 images per day which are reviewed to make sure they are street photos. The vast majority of the photos we review are at best barely mediocre. Many members have thousands of dollars worth of equipment and are constantly upgrading. What they capture seems to be stumbing on a scene, take a quick photo and move on. No thought process. No working the scene. No thought about composition, negative space, lighting etc. Most of the RUclips videos I see from so called pros are just dissapointing and perpetuate bad habits. On the plus side, reviewing all the submissions is an educational experience of what not to do. We do have a few members who are quite good. Regarding equipment, although new models are quite compelling, I street shoot with my 16 megapixel XT1 (my old one died and now I have 2,) with primes, 24mm 2.8, 23mm 2.0, 35mm 2.0. I also might use the 27mm 2.8 and 18-55mm 2.8-4 (best kit zoom ever made).
This was a fantastic video! I think very few photographers talk about working a scene completely. I run a small photography group in my town and one of the things I talk about is this to help others. Force yourself to stay in a location and use it to the fullest ability
That is great advice Joshua :).
Excellent tips. You have nailed it.
I am a newbie photographer (at 61) and I am very quickly becoming tired of all the youTube POVs that think any random building with a shaft of light and a person walking through it and a bit of post editing is what photographers should be aiming for.
For me it is about searching for the remarkable in the ordinary or at least bringing a little poetry to the moment.
Totally agree that moving feet, waist & hands make for much better photographs than most expensive gear ...
Thanks!
Thank you so much Richard :).
When having to choose between either a prime or a zoom for street photo, I think the prime is the safer bet. The bigger aperture usually outweighs the need to zoom in/out. A prime is also less conspicuous than a zoom, which may be useful in some quarters
More great advice. And even better presentation. I really enjoy your honest approach to helping us learn.
I love prime lenses. It makes me move and get closer to the subject, literally and metaphorically.
40 years ago I took a few college photography courses and was told exactly what you just taught, to move your feet to compose you shot. And to look all around the viewfinder. Those skills are in my head every time I compose. Honing this skill has helped me tell stories with my images. Excellent video. Thank you for the refresher.
Thank you so much :).
Turns out I wasn't using a fixed lens wrong. Working a scene is so vital on most lenses wider than a 35mm that I tend to shoot off the back screen to avoid falling into the trap of capturing my perspective over the ideal perspective. Great video. 🙏
I shot last weekend with a fixed focal length, and found myself running about selecting angles and what I include and exclude, thinking a lot more about my purpose for the photograph. It was great. Though I will still use my zooms, I will first apply positional, contextual, and inclusive/exclusive decisions, with focal length just one more tool available.
Hello from an old man recently retired and pursuing photography as an amateur hobbyist. I am really very new to this and finding myself very drawn to prime lenses for my Nikon d7000 and also for my newly acquired Nikon FE.
Playing with older ai and ai-s lenses in 24, 28, 50 and 200mm are helping me understand the best ways to use each and teaching me better compositions.
Now time to get out there and put these ideas and your guidance into action. Put my boots to the ground and practice!
Thanks for a great mentoring session.
I tend to use my zoom lenses as prime lenses that don’t need to be removed from/attached to the camera. I typically set the lens to a specific focal length (like 35mm), then take photos at that focal length - and, if necessary, “zoom with my feet”. I don’t consider zoom lenses to be limiting, except for the smaller apertures, which can make them more challenging to work with in lower-light situations.
Interesting video, as always.
I'd add that "empty" image is not always something to be avoided. In many cases, negative space creates a simple yet expressive composition. But only if it is used thoughtfully, which is what the video is all about :)
I respectfully disagree with the concept here. As a pro for 40 years now using a zoom a lot these days I would say move your feet first, then use a specific lens to put a frame around the view. Obviously a zoom gives more variability in this respect, as would a bag of different primes but the place you stand is paramount in my humble opinion and the video does really well to emphasize this
Love this video. I’m always open to new ideas and suggestions. I love my Q2M and enjoy walking the streets and feeling the vibe or pulse of the city. There are so many opportunities in front of you if you just open mind and listen to the city. Anyway keep up the videos they are helpful
I would say that classifying the Q2, Q3 cameras as "fixed" is misleading. Yeah, the physical lens is fixed, but with a dedicated button (that cannot be reassigned) to "zoom", it really is more of a zoom P&S. I mostly leave mine in "35mm", but I'll use other settings as well. For me, my Q2 is more of a 35mm (FOV) camera with an "extra-wide mode" that I switch to sometimes.
Another great video, thanks Justin.
Thank you Alan :).
Justin, I find zooms distracting. I used them a lot when I was shooting for newspapers because they felt "safe"... But it's been a few years now that I am only on primes, both Leica and Sony, and it's really made a world of difference, they are usually smaller and lighter, and they are faster... they also force you to think and work it. I find changing focal lengths too often also distracting and find myself focused on 1 or 2 lenses. My work has significantly improved by being more disciplined.
Justin - can you do a clip on another one of your assignments. I find them the best. Describing the expectations of the editor, the time-frame, gear used, the location and sample shots. I know you can't always do this for disclosure clauses and that stuff, but take us along if you can.
Absolutely Philip, I have one on hold at the moment while I wait for the story to be published :)/
@@AskMOTT Wow - can't wait!
Well said! I couldn't agree more. The only zoom I own is the kit lens that came with my camera and it's been sitting in a drawer since day one.
I have the Leica SL 24-90mm and it also sits in my dry box most of the time.
@@AskMOTT The quality is great but it's honkin huge!
It all depends if you're just taking a snapshot to remind you of a place, or if you're trying to make a good photo. There is nothing wrong with the first if you're an amateur.
Thinking about the image is necessary with a zoom, too. Yesterday I wanted to take a picture of a postbox topper (a creative knitted scene that someone has put on top of a British red pillar box postbox), and by stepping back and zooming in I was able to get a background that wasn't distracting, by excluding surrounding elements. Even though this was really just a record shot, this was better than just standing close to it and getting a photo with a lot of distracting elements in the background. If I had had a 35 mm lens on the camera, I wouldn't have got as good a shot (except by stepping back and cropping savagely to get a tiny image), because of the messy surroundings.
Excellent lesson. Having said that, the images you put up as boring, I preferred to the so-called less boring ones. I suppose the boring value of the images hinges on what purpose or use, one has for said images.
This seems relevant regardless of what kind of lens you use. I know a lot of folks with 24-70’s who only shoot at 24 and 70 effectively walking with two primes.
Interesting video, I'm a Ricoh user (iii & iiix) and I can be guilty of including too much. I don't think it's always necessary to 'fill the frame' as context can be key but I get your point and will accept the challenge in the weeks ahead. 🙂
Excellent suggestions; I'll keep them in mind when I take my photography composition class in NYC next week! Thank you.
btw, I'm using a Fuji X100V.
That’s a great all around camera , enjoy the class in NYC :).
Good video, but you could replace every instance of “fix lens” with “zoom lens” or even “kit kens” for that matter and it would still work the same, it’s a great call to work the scene (which, to be honest I should do more)
That was bang on Justin 👍
Thanks Andrew , I appreciate that .
I grew up on fixed lenses and rangefinder cameras. I'm not fond of zoom lenses for documentary work in general. I do like zoom lenses when there's lead flying in the air, though.
THAT is not only a problem with fixed lenses ! The problem can be found behind ANY camera !!!
The rules of composition du not depend on the lens you work with - they are always valid. You can also change the perspective with a zoom lens - by using your feet... But a fixed lens has several advantages: Lighter, smaller, faster - and quicker, if you learn to see the motifs in a fraction of a second which fit to the angle of view of your fixed lens. If the motif does not fit you have to move yourself, but with the risk to miss the decisive moment.
It's all about perspective. Perspective is the first decision to make. Angle of view follows (if you have a zoom lens or multiple primes in the bag). Just having a prime simplifies the decision process, as you can simply focus on perspective only. The equation of a good image then only has one variable, not too.
Great video as always justin, Moving is great , it allows one to be creative by exploreing the other angles , don't be the lazy photographer get up and move ! When I worked for ESPN covering the senior PGA tounament back in the 90's I would allways dred working the tower cams I always wanted to be on the course running around and getting shots with creative freedom, on occasion I got to do roving cam work but of couse it ment fallowing the leaders with a director in your ear telling you to move backward forwards left or right , I always remember looking over at the freelance photographers with envy because they had total artistic carte blanche to get that perfect shot without a director in their headset.
That’s pretty awesome though that you got to cover the PGA tournament.
I think it's also a problem with digital, the sense of unlimited pictures doesn't make you as thoughtful. I try to slow down the work flow by thinking more about the composition than the idea of taking a picture. For example before I go out, I've watched dozens of videos like yours, started reading books about composition, study photos, etc. From all of that, I've created a note on my phone summarizing main themes and elements that are foundational to street photography. Before I go out, I read through that note every time to remind myself. I am not "great" but I am improving by being more thoughtful and training my eye to spot these elements to create a composition. I can spot so many photos with my 35mm and 40mm primes where I didn't fill the frame or capture the true essence of the message like you explained. You've also brought up a good point, the biggest thing I am seeing on popular Fuji channels, the photos lack a message and are just the cliche IG style street photography. I don't need to see a guy on his bike in front of a colorful style tokyo shop for the 1000th time lo.
From what I've seen, the other issue is that people use zooms with little regard for the implications of the focal length. Rather than sizing up a shot, choosing a focal length, and positioning to use that focal length correctly... they do indeed, as you said, just "stop and start shooting." If they'd just transition to "choosing a prime" for the day to learn how different standard focal lengths should be used, THEN transition to primes... it would go much smoother.
Love the Q ttl crop function from 28 to 35…✌️
I threw myself in at the deep end with primes i was on holiday and to pack light i took with me my 5D and a 50mm 1.8.
i was walking on the beach one evening and a couple approached me and told me they were getting married in the resort the following day and there photographer had let them down (i am a professional wedding photographer) so long story short i shot a whole wedding with nothing but a 50mm and produced some of the best work i had ever put out till that point doing exactly what you described slowing down thinking about my shots.
since then my wedding kit is a 35mm 50mm 85mm and i bring with me a 70-200 if im shooting a large venue my kit is lighter and works way better in low light never been happier
Dear Penthouse....
@@photografiq_presents iykyk ;)
I like rants, I like helpful videos, and I like rants pretending to be helpful videos. This video was all three. 😜
Zooms should be banned!
Seriously though, they don't foster a true understanding of what each focal length looks like or does.
The best training on the street is using one lens, like a wide to moderate wide, and use only that for 6-12 months. Once you know your lens, you no longer need a viewfinder or LCD, and you're able to react instantly to most situations with better compositions.
I had the Ricoh GR cameras and the Leica Q series, all of which were extremely beneficial in honing some skills I was sorely lacking.
Now I use a 21 and a 35 on two Sony bodies.
Sticking with one lens is tough, but worth the time and effort.
I think it’s a compliment but not sure ha ha, thanks for watching :).
I use two cameras one with my prime one with a Zoom. IMO there exist Zoom Situations. You see the scene but its too far away… and IMO Ernst Haas did some beautiful shots with zooms in NYC. Sometimes its for him a little detail on a building…. beautiful….
Hi Justin from CA
Hello Steph :). How are you ?
@@AskMOTT keeping busy and doing well, always enjoy seeing you here from afar! Reminds me of good times spent with ya back in the day!
Lenses shouldn't dictate how you shoot, although it might force you into doing something different (for the better, or not), especially for beginners. But in the end, they are just tools. I loved the video, however, as it made me think about my composition and how to bring more layers into my photography and find solutions.
You know it would've been more helpful? More Photos taken with a fixed lens and then you going through it.
Oh yeah, most RUclipsrs are bad photographers. They just repeat trends and use filters to make it look like a good image. When I'm on the street, I mostly use 18mm. It is just fun to have to get closer or try to fill the frame with things that make the photo complete. Sometimes, I use the 50mm because I like the look, especially for a close-up portrait that I don't want to get the environment.
I love primes. More accurately I _a_ prime. I’m too stupid for zooms or having options in my pocket or lens bag.
Great reminder. In other words, don’t take the easy way out.
Always good to hear your rants, I mean thoughts, Jason 🙂Are you saying a snap shooter doesn't deserve a prime lens and they should stick with their kit lens? Only later, upon reaching a higher level of enlightenment, one "may" deserve a bespoke prime lens (preferably ending with "lux") 🙂No, of course you aren't professor. I believe you are trying to encourage people, regardless of their station, to WORK THE SCENE. When I started as a freelance PJ for a smalltown newspaper, all new cameras came with a fast 50mm. It forced us to "zoom" with our feet. Composition is what we studied. Ideas were what we sought. Not camera specs, megapixels, bit rates, etc. In closing, GET OFF MY LAWN!
Exactly, i aim to encourage not discourage even if sometimes I can be snarky :). Most people can stay on my lawn :).
I take pictures for fun. As long as I like the shot, I go for it. You just make things complicated.
I can only buy a Canon Powershot G15 for street fotos. 😢
thank you thank you thank you ! I think street Photography is fast falling in quality because of lack of work on subject and composition . I see it more in some country than others as well . looks like in the U.S. the trend is always more on landscape or then city street photography of people ( still gary winogrand etc influence ?! ) but in the uk for exemple the level is pretty bad with big instagram account are actually very poor in quality ,.. people walking in front of billbord . boring easy work on light and shadows etc .. funny how everyone love Alex Webb or any magnum photographers but a very few do apply the rigueur of work in their images ..I see more interesting work nowdays coming coming from people from the other eastern half of the planet .
A fixed lens to me, has always been on cameras with non interchangeable lenses. A prime lens to me is a non zoom lens. Seem to be using the terms interchangebly.
Helo 👋🙏❤️
Yes, seeing something interesting and immediatly taking an image is for most of the situations not the best solution. Yes, and always using the same focal length may help to create a style. But one is also trapped in that style. Morandi was an important painter, but captivated in frame and motif. Picasso would have never become such a manyfold gigantic painter if he had always used - metaphorically spoken - the same focal length.
And changing distance will never change focal length, a 35 will always be a 35!
And there are many situations where the alteration of perspective is quite limited.
Sounds like you are really describing the newbie and/or 'influencer' shooter- no serious photographer (pro or amateur) takes an image without moving around and assessing changes in distance/angles/light. That same approach can be easily used with a zoom saving time and potentially dust contamination by not having to change lenses. Move/assess/look and then find the perfect focal length from the optimal spot to capture the image....
Amateur 'smapshot' shooters not going to get better just by using a fixed lens!
😂😂😂 just listen 😂😂😂
Yup, true, best zoom lens is your feet
Crop.
Yeah but almost lossless cropping is a thing.
Another aspect of using prime lenses is figuring out which focal length most suits the photographer's style. It's good to use a variety of focal lengths to see which one the person likes best. And this does not mean going out and buying several primes. It means leaving the zoom at 24mm, then 35mm, then 50mm, etc., for a period of time, and comparing the results. This requires a bit of discipline, but it's worth it.
Nah, we are just doing everything to avoid portraits, as you "street" photographers are 133% focused on. The simple logic is even in the name.
I started fujifilm x street photography Flickr group in 2012. We now have 7000+ members with 3 administrators. Each member may submit up to 6 images per day which are reviewed to make sure they are street photos. The vast majority of the photos we review are at best barely mediocre. Many members have thousands of dollars worth of equipment and are constantly upgrading. What they capture seems to be stumbing on a scene, take a quick photo and move on. No thought process. No working the scene. No thought about composition, negative space, lighting etc. Most of the RUclips videos I see from so called pros are just dissapointing and perpetuate bad habits. On the plus side, reviewing all the submissions is an educational experience of what not to do. We do have a few members who are quite good. Regarding equipment, although new models are quite compelling, I street shoot with my 16 megapixel XT1 (my old one died and now I have 2,) with primes, 24mm 2.8, 23mm 2.0, 35mm 2.0. I also might use the 27mm 2.8 and 18-55mm 2.8-4 (best kit zoom ever made).
??? Frame with your feet?
Meaning “move”
That's not advice on how to take good photographs: it's advice on "how to be like me".