Yeah it is what it is haha. But I know a few people who don't suffer from this issue. I think I will do a video some day offering some solutions or ideas. But need to test them for myself first.
@@SamuelStreetlife Pleeease do. There are many photographers that do not really have the opportunity to go to Paris for a week, then London and back to Paris again, like Siegfried Hansen 😁 (or anywhere at all that's not their hometown, really)
Exactly! You raise your chances by going out often but even then, some days are good and some aren't. Just how it is :) I always learn something each time so it's all worth it.
In situations like this, I like to think about my photos as if I were looking at them 20years in the future. You’re walking around your city and find it boring, but give it 20 years and these boring shots take on a great deal more interest, as you’ve captured fashion, mood, the time itself. Even the boring shop windows will be interesting when you can compare them to future branding styles. With this in mind, you photograph the boring and will never run out of potential shots.
I used to doubt my ability as a photographer when I had a bad day with no decent shots and after watching this video I know even the greats have bad days, thanks for posting.
Hi Samuel. I used to feel the same way about the centre of the city I live in, in Athens. Moreover, due to work and having a baby, I'd only walk on the same path all tourists go from, where there's nothing of any interest (bar the ancient sites). I gave myself a task: to force myself to find a way to photograph on that street. From that, I now have a long project with my Ricoh GR IIIx, a project I'm enjoying and more than ten thousa pictures taken on that small part of the city centre, shot almost every single day on my way to/from work etc. From boredom, I transformed it into a creative exercise that became a project I'll be shooting for the coming years. I saw several shots on those streets you were walking, though obviously my shooting interests and style are different: I go way closer to my subject, at 1m snap focus. Anyway, love your videos.
Haha, oxford street is actually kind of similar to my hometowns shopping streets. But at least you have a lot going on around the main streets as well. Or they feel more crowded and lively than the side streets in my city. But interesting isn't it? :)
Try some slow shutter shots. It can really introduce a whole different look to what’s going on. Like at 12:58 the stationary lady with a the baby carriage. You could slow your shutter to 1/15th of a second and everyone around becomes a blur
I appreciate the honesty in this video, Sam! You should have kept the Safari Yashica T4 and use the Camouflage strap on it - boom, invisible camera! And thanks for the little reminder of the first (and luckily only) super aggressive street interaction I had so far 😂😅
Excellent video. This is the kind of videos I like: reality. I think many of us go through the same thing and get bored with our city because we overexploit it. It may be that we are to some degree to blame, but we go out thinking that we MUST come back with a worthwhile photo and we force ourselves, we raise our expectations and, when they are not met, we are disappointed. The truth is that, as Sergio Larraín said: "it's like love or friendship, you can't force it. Nothing good comes out of it." We must resume the pleasure of going for a walk and taking photos for the simple fact of distracting ourselves, of enjoying it, without the pressure of objectives or goals that, when we started, nobody imposed on us (not even ourselves), and simply let it flow. Really good video Samuel. A hug from Mexico.
This was pretty amusing actually. I live in Hamburg myself and finding interest in something you see everyday is kinda hard. It's good to see you keep trying even if the Laune ist einfach nicht da ;)
Sometimes I tackle burnout in my city by taking out a much longer focal length than I'm used to and getting a bit more abstract with reflections/glass/shadows etc. Kinda resets your brain a bit. worth a try!
you could maybe use the bikeracks at 9:57 to frame the benches that are right next to them and if enough of them are empty you might be able to get some sort of tunnel effect with multiple racks
I feel your pain Sam. We all go through it sometimes in our own city. Last week I tried a different route and only got one shot. When your not feeling it, it only takes one good shot to motivate myself. The build site is important photo good to have
I am sort of bored of shooting in my city but I like to find something new every time I go! And plus it makes going to new places that much more exciting! Great video I hope to come to Hamburg one day ✌️
Ich musste lachen, wie ähnlich es Dir in Deiner Heimatstadt geht. Hier bei mir im Zentrum Bayerns, 53 Jahre am gleichen Ort, fehlt mir auch oft jede Motivation. Ich wohne am langweiligsten Ort der Welt. Und wenn ich mal nach München komme meide ich die großen Einkaufsstraßen. Die glaub ich sind in ganz Deutschland überwiegend gleich öde.
I live in a village in the Andes of southern Ecuador with a population of about 5,000. I don't have a vehicle, so I'm more or less confined here. Yesterday I was thinking as I walked on a trail in the woods that what limits people more than anything in photography is having preconceptions about what their photographs should look like. I think a person without these preconceptions can find good photographs anywhere, in anything. It's what Shunryu Suzuki said: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's, there are few." I'm happy if I can get one good photograph in a day. Some days I can't, most days I can get more than one. I, too, am very picky. Is that those preconceptions again?
Oh, I can understand you so much! I have lived in Florence all my life. A incredibly beautiful city, but... for me is so common, so usual and sometimes is hard to find new photo hints.
You wicked smile and understated charm got me out with the D90 and a 50mm - pure Custom BnW High contrast....and I produced some great pictures just for thinking... Your negative and my negative became positive , Samuel....have a great day!
Love watching you work 📷Something you said reminded me of something Henri Cartier-Bresson (one of McCurry's significant influences) wrote, "Life is once. Forever." You can't tell them to go back and do something again, it will never be the same. From his book The Decisive Moment 1952.
What an inspiring provocation 😂 when I´m bored of a place, I look for new maybe weird approaches, that are not the 1st choice in a certain situation. Trying to play with reflections, words/symbols/neons (11:07, 11:25, 11:40, 13:07, 13:29, color😉match 23:56) in the "store fronts" / signs, looking for lucky matches and develop positive Ideas. But: you do this, too, on more positive days 😉
Haha Sam, i can SO feel your rant! The beginning of the year is always so hard to shoot because everything looks gray and boring, the weather is cold and everything you know looks exactly as boring as the last year 😄. Maybe it's a good idea to rest for some weeks to refuel and start anew? Anyway, it eases my mind to know that i'm not alone ❤ Greetings from Berlin!
To update my earlier comment, which was posted before I saw the later part of your presentation, your waterfront images seemed to save the day, quite well. The sky cooperated, as the day ended. Thanks for creating this presentation!
I totally understand your comments, home towns are just too familiar and we need stimulation. I actually lived in Hamburg for a year, a long long time ago, and well I've never been back!
Love seeing your stuff in Germany and Japan. I grew up in Germany (American military family), and since my wife is from Tokyo, I have been to Japan many times. Both countries are special to me. Thanks for always showing us around during your trips.
I feel the same boringness Samuel. I used to live in Istanbul for 10 years and then I moved to Germany. When I was in Istanbul, I was thinking there is nothing interesting to photograph. So now, after 5 years in Germany I must admit that I was wrong. Istanbul could be one of the nicest and most interesting cities in the world. So the thing is now I can not find anything that worths to be photographed in Germany :( I live in NRW btw
Istanbul was always considered a great city for street photography! Just look at Alex Webb images from Istanbul. I've never been there unfortunately. Really want to go someday. And you always realize how great something is when you don't have it anymore. I feel the same when I moved a bit away from Hamburg. I can still visit it of course but not on a daily basis.
Great video! 23:57 could have been the perfect (colour) shot with the fancy dressed couple. The man with the blue and red clothes in between the red and blue sign
Nicely seen! Yeah I should have taken more photographs but I didn't want to get out of my black and white mindset. I knew it wouldn't work that well in BW but once I am in color mode it is hard to see in bw again.
I have been living in Pamplona for the last 5 years (I went to university here 50 years ago). I go out and shoot street every morning. I haven't had a boring, unsuccessful day yet.
Great new vid, think most of us can relate to this boredom of our cities - mine is always mixed with the unease of photographing a rowdy Mancunian who's having a bad day in my city 😂
23:27 that place behind you with the curves and light, or that abandoned model could have made a good bnw picture. Also you should visit Tunis, Tunisia. You'll be shocked haha
I can totally relate about getting bored about shooting in my own city... I live in Los Angeles and there are tons of places to shoot, but because I love here I very often take it for granted. Thats why I love to travel and shoot, everything is always new and exciting!!! But yeah I have to start appreciating where I am and just get out there and shoot shoot shoot!!!!
It's especially extreme in Germany, though (except for maybe Berlin). Cities are designed in such a boring way, primarily to accommodate cars. "Fun" or disruptive activities are not wanted. No interesting installations, no unusual perspectives, nothing there for kids. People dress mostly the same, people try to be as unobtrusive as possible, nobody wants to be looked at even for a second. If you carry a camera with you and you're not in a tourist spot, you immediately look suspicious. Most inner cities look identical. It has to do with most of the major cities being flattened in WW2 and when they rebuilt them, everything became pretty generic. Most old towns are very small, depending on where you look. I also believe that the people's behavior is still partially influenced by that same time. Especially older people learned to "never step out of line" and that's how they raised their children. Of course things are changing but it takes an extraordinarily large amount of time for stuff like this to get better.
From Spain, I like a lot your videos, I think that have a great content. I'd like to know how do you focus with the Voigtlander, do you use the focus peaking?. Thank you. I am waiting the next video ;)
This sounds like me, my city is uninspiring and boring 😂 But it's also why I don't restrict my niche to street only. I also do landscapes, animals, or macro because I love photography.
Hamburg is for me the best city for street. The variety of st.pauli, rich areas like Blankenese, water and harbour areas and especialy the Speicherstadt offers so many possibilities. Not even mentioning the bridges, cemetry‘s … and the Hamburger are the coolest folks in germany. Poor and rich close together. And thats coming from a guy from Stuttgart. I am at least twice a year in Fischkopfhausen 😂
Great video as always. I also find it a bit of a challenge to do street photography in Taipei, which is where I reside. The streets in general are quite messy for clean composition. I've started to resort to using zoom or the 56mm prime for a close up crop (I have a Fuji X-T4). By the way, personally, I would have loved playing with the water puddle at 26:20 for some reflective shots. I usually get maybe 4-5 photos with a total of 200+. And often come back from a day of shooting with nothing at all. Thanks for showing us the "keeping it real" side of street photography. Cheers.
That one place you said you never take photos - have you tried a slow shutter for motion focused on the person sitting down or someone other person. Also the rafters in the store fronts had some contrasting lines - maybe it can be used with birds but I think would work with your bnw. gutes Licht!!!
after a 2 weeks traveling thru Japan, I came back with a huge need to get into photography and shoot my city (Berlin) in b&w. As a newbie, and after quite a bit of searching thru the internet, I decided I am going to use a FUJIFILM X-T30 II. I am getting a lot of inspiration watching your vids. Danke schön 🙏
Das beste Bild : 20:39 ! Grosse Klasse auch für 28:38 ! Sehr gut für 31:04 und 31:15 ! Das Bild auf 33:30 ist überhaupt nicht Scheisse, im Gegenteil ich finde es sehr gut : die Geschwindigkeit des "Pedalierenden" ist sehr gut fotografiert !
Interesting. It points up that everyone has different aesthetic sensibilities. For example, as you were saying, If only there was a billboard with a big graphic," you were passing a shop window with no products but big graphic signs for Sale and %. That would have caught my eye for a picture.
Samuel, you should try Olympus cameras (now 'OM-System), the later digital types. The reason you should try them is because they have a feature which is very similar to the 'snap' feature on the GR.
@@GeorgeHolden pretty much all of them. The trick is to assign the AEL/AFL function that normally resides in the shutter button to any of the many function buttons elsewhere on the camera, and by turning lens reset to off. On the later cameras, E-M1 mk2 and up, you can set up to three pre-defined distances, earlier ones though just one, however this is still okay to operate, and tbh probably faster as you can change it to zone focus at any point, as you wish and when. But the principle is near identical to that in the GR. It'll even remember the distance when you power off the camera. The main gripe as always is the lens which isn't as low profiled as on the GR (so bigger pockets is a must), but the advantage is that you can change lenses which you can't on the GR. I've been using the Olympus like this for years now, as have many others of course.
I live in New York City and more often than not I don’t know what to capture… and NY is a street photography haven. It’s all about overcoming that boredom
I can, very much, relate to your being bored with your home city. I can, also, relate to struggling with negativity. It is a gray day, here, as I am typing this. Such is life, especially on some days. We should practice our shooting, even when conditions are not favorable, so that our skills are maintained. It is very good to see that you are using your D850 for street photography.
Great video. I had a quesion about the photo you took of the ladies jumping. Was there a reason why you didn't offer to send the lady who took a phone camera photo of your photo a copy of it?
I actually did! But she was deaf and couldn‘t understand what I meant. Then she just pointed to my camera and asked to take a photo with her phone. I assume she didn‘t wanted to bother me and just needed a picture of it to share on social media.
That is a bag I found in some shop in Japan. I think its a japanese brand that only sells within japan. It's not a camera bag but they make a camera bag version that is thicker and looks a bit more techy. I prefer the smaller regular one :) I forgot the brand name sorry...
@@SamuelStreetlife I was wondering the same, so I looked for a comment to upvote - would you take a look at your backpack when you have a chance? I'd appreciate it.
They say you should leave your hometown to be inspired creatively or career wise… so I’m in Mexico now and switching my channel to photography only. Great video Sam
I am at the 21 minute mark of the video right now and man , you've stayed positive a lot of times ;-) Now i will watch to the end. Oh, and by the way, i was in hamburg a few month ago and we also ate in this "Burger-schuppen". The staircase looked interesting but i couldn't get anything from interest there, image wise. Good to see, you've called it boring as well. :-))
Okay, finished now. Antik-market are really enjoyable, also here in Berlin. and yes, i must admit that i think everybody has preferred places to go to when taking photographs. and of course, you also get bored by looking the same things again and again. but the good thing in Berlin , at least, is, if you are around Alexanderplatz and stroll around in circles, you always end up seeing new faces every time you come along again. anyways, great video IHR ZWEI! haust de...
Whenever I move somewhere, I feel my photographic quality runs in an inverse bell curve. It starts decent as I get the obvious shots, then I have to work through the ordinary and known to find my creative approaches again.
Thanks for sharing this Samuel! The negativity is hilarious and authentic :) We all have these kinds of days. Would love to hear how you feel about your gear and if you're feeling settled with your current setup. I'm trying to forget about the gear and decide on a final setup so I can just focus on the photography.
I know that feeling of taking pictures in my hometown. Of course for everyone else there are 100 photo compositions there. But you probably already have made each of them many times. Worked each of them out and therefore are bored to take another one. At least that’s the thing in my case.
Wish I was there....Hello Samuel I'm from India and professionally a Pharmacologist but I'm in love with Streetphotography n for that I have bought a FUJIFILM XT30 II with XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens yesterday. Should I go with the kit lens initially or should I go for a Prime Lens for Streetphotography and daily shooting purpose ??? I'm having very little knowledge about Cameras and Lenses so I badly need your guidance 🙏
Hey nice to meet you! Your setup is already very capable! I also have the 15-45mm kit lens but I mainly use it for filming. But the image quality for photos is very good. With street photography you want to use smaller aperture values (for example between F5.6-F11) to get most of the frame in focus. This works best when it is bright outside. The Kitlens is very sharp around these aperture values so its a great option for Street! And you can play with the zoom which is convenient. I would try to get used to the kitlens and shoot as much as you can with it until you find your sweet spot of focal length (zoom position). Because the 15-45 has a electronic zoom it is hard to know what focal length you are at (no markings on the lens). But when you review your images on the camera you can see what mm focal length you used for the photos. And if you find yourself using one focal length most of the time then you can later invest in a prime lens that comes closest to your most used focal length. But it is not really nessecary if you shoot mostly Street. Prime lenses open up more so you can take photos in lower light situations. For that primes are great. But during the day with enough light you can use the 15-45mm and have all you need. Best wishes!
I have been completely uninspired since 2019. And unfortunately my family and I have not done much traveling. But be careful. I got super burned out shooting weddings and senior portraits to the point where I no longer enjoyed it. I put so much emphasis on getting back out and shooting street, nature and landscapes that I burned out of trying to shoot what I truly enjoy as well. It's a slippery slope man, find inspiration do not fall down the same hole I did!
Some days we just don’t feel it. The light is bland and it seems all too familiar shooting in our hometown. Plus I think we all get the January blues where we just trying to get our energy levels back after the Christmas break.
I live in the same city in my whole life, 34 years in Ankara the capital of Turkey. When I try to take photos I always felt like this is boring, its just lame. The city never inspired me, it is very gray and dull. But when I look into others works, specially the masters, somethings are starting to shift in me. Others works gives me hope and excitement to follow my guts and take pictures even the %100 of it is shit. I accept the fact everything is somehow futile and temporary on my life. Photography experience is no exception. When I'm in the zone I don't think about the city but somedays i feel the same and just go home to watch youtube channels to see others also feel the same.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I think every photographer feels stuck in their home town. It's a struggle. Thanks for showing us around I found it interesting 😊
Yeah it is what it is haha. But I know a few people who don't suffer from this issue. I think I will do a video some day offering some solutions or ideas. But need to test them for myself first.
@@SamuelStreetlife you've got my view. - DSLR gang
@@SamuelStreetlife Pleeease do. There are many photographers that do not really have the opportunity to go to Paris for a week, then London and back to Paris again, like Siegfried Hansen 😁 (or anywhere at all that's not their hometown, really)
Thanks for keeping it real! It's not realistic to think each and every time you got out you're going to get a banger or be inspired.
Exactly! You raise your chances by going out often but even then, some days are good and some aren't. Just how it is :) I always learn something each time so it's all worth it.
In situations like this, I like to think about my photos as if I were looking at them 20years in the future.
You’re walking around your city and find it boring, but give it 20 years and these boring shots take on a great deal more interest, as you’ve captured fashion, mood, the time itself. Even the boring shop windows will be interesting when you can compare them to future branding styles.
With this in mind, you photograph the boring and will never run out of potential shots.
Such a good point, future perspective we'll value the photos of 2023
I used to doubt my ability as a photographer when I had a bad day with no decent shots and after watching this video I know even the greats have bad days, thanks for posting.
Hi Samuel. I used to feel the same way about the centre of the city I live in, in Athens. Moreover, due to work and having a baby, I'd only walk on the same path all tourists go from, where there's nothing of any interest (bar the ancient sites). I gave myself a task: to force myself to find a way to photograph on that street. From that, I now have a long project with my Ricoh GR IIIx, a project I'm enjoying and more than ten thousa pictures taken on that small part of the city centre, shot almost every single day on my way to/from work etc. From boredom, I transformed it into a creative exercise that became a project I'll be shooting for the coming years. I saw several shots on those streets you were walking, though obviously my shooting interests and style are different: I go way closer to my subject, at 1m snap focus. Anyway, love your videos.
So interesting you mentioning oxford street. As a londoner that is my boring place to shoot!
Haha, oxford street is actually kind of similar to my hometowns shopping streets. But at least you have a lot going on around the main streets as well. Or they feel more crowded and lively than the side streets in my city. But interesting isn't it? :)
You know what would be cool is if you could show how to overcome this boredom in the city you live in. That would be a great video.👌
Definitely planning that! This time I just wanted to share a photowalk and some thoughts :D But yeah, we need a video with some ideas, solutions haha.
I agree. Many of us live in boring areas
Good topic
Like you I have returned to DSLR particularly the 850 and I've kept my Griii. And I am reading that more are making the change back.
Try some slow shutter shots. It can really introduce a whole different look to what’s going on. Like at 12:58 the stationary lady with a the baby carriage. You could slow your shutter to 1/15th of a second and everyone around becomes a blur
I appreciate the honesty in this video, Sam! You should have kept the Safari Yashica T4 and use the Camouflage strap on it - boom, invisible camera! And thanks for the little reminder of the first (and luckily only) super aggressive street interaction I had so far 😂😅
Is there footage of that?
Excellent video.
This is the kind of videos I like: reality. I think many of us go through the same thing and get bored with our city because we overexploit it. It may be that we are to some degree to blame, but we go out thinking that we MUST come back with a worthwhile photo and we force ourselves, we raise our expectations and, when they are not met, we are disappointed.
The truth is that, as Sergio Larraín said: "it's like love or friendship, you can't force it. Nothing good comes out of it." We must resume the pleasure of going for a walk and taking photos for the simple fact of distracting ourselves, of enjoying it, without the pressure of objectives or goals that, when we started, nobody imposed on us (not even ourselves), and simply let it flow.
Really good video Samuel.
A hug from Mexico.
At around 24:01, good photo with the guy in red and blue. Matches the red and blue signs around him.
This was pretty amusing actually. I live in Hamburg myself and finding interest in something you see everyday is kinda hard. It's good to see you keep trying even if the Laune ist einfach nicht da ;)
Sometimes I tackle burnout in my city by taking out a much longer focal length than I'm used to and getting a bit more abstract with reflections/glass/shadows etc. Kinda resets your brain a bit. worth a try!
👍🏻😎👍🏻 You did get a few nice shots. Great content as always.
I just bought one of those straps thanks! I did mention you sent me!
Thanks for the motivating video. I wanted to go take pictures.
you could maybe use the bikeracks at 9:57 to frame the benches that are right next to them and if enough of them are empty you might be able to get some sort of tunnel effect with multiple racks
I feel your pain Sam. We all go through it sometimes in our own city. Last week I tried a different route and only got one shot. When your not feeling it, it only takes one good shot to motivate myself. The build site is important photo good to have
love to see you out on the street again enjoy these type of videos the most
Nice thanks for the comment! I had fun making this and I want to do more of these photowalk videos :)
I am sort of bored of shooting in my city but I like to find something new every time I go! And plus it makes going to new places that much more exciting! Great video I hope to come to Hamburg one day ✌️
I watched til the end, and inspite all the challenges shown, for me this video is overall a success.
Ich musste lachen, wie ähnlich es Dir in Deiner Heimatstadt geht. Hier bei mir im Zentrum Bayerns, 53 Jahre am gleichen Ort, fehlt mir auch oft jede Motivation. Ich wohne am langweiligsten Ort der Welt. Und wenn ich mal nach München komme meide ich die großen Einkaufsstraßen. Die glaub ich sind in ganz Deutschland überwiegend gleich öde.
I live in a village in the Andes of southern Ecuador with a population of about 5,000. I don't have a vehicle, so I'm more or less confined here. Yesterday I was thinking as I walked on a trail in the woods that what limits people more than anything in photography is having preconceptions about what their photographs should look like. I think a person without these preconceptions can find good photographs anywhere, in anything. It's what Shunryu Suzuki said: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's, there are few." I'm happy if I can get one good photograph in a day. Some days I can't, most days I can get more than one. I, too, am very picky. Is that those preconceptions again?
Oh, I can understand you so much!
I have lived in Florence all my life. A incredibly beautiful city, but... for me is so common, so usual and sometimes is hard to find new photo hints.
Great to watch your video again ^^
very lively and full of mood video, I really liked it, it inspires me to shoot, thanks for the evening mood, we are looking forward to new videos! )))
Fantastic photos Samuel, thank you.
Thanks for taking us on yet another adventure Samuel!!
Wah o... first time see your channel with Chinese sub title, good new look for 2023? Keep it up, thank you and happy new year!
I am trying to do subtitles for every video now but it is a lot of work :D But I will do my best! Happy new year!
You wicked smile and understated charm got me out with the D90 and a 50mm - pure Custom BnW High contrast....and I produced some great pictures just for thinking... Your negative and my negative became positive , Samuel....have a great day!
Love watching you work 📷Something you said reminded me of something Henri Cartier-Bresson (one of McCurry's significant influences) wrote, "Life is once. Forever." You can't tell them to go back and do something again, it will never be the same. From his book The Decisive Moment 1952.
What an inspiring provocation 😂 when I´m bored of a place, I look for new maybe weird approaches, that are not the 1st choice in a certain situation. Trying to play with reflections, words/symbols/neons (11:07, 11:25, 11:40, 13:07, 13:29, color😉match 23:56) in the "store fronts" / signs, looking for lucky matches and develop positive Ideas. But: you do this, too, on more positive days 😉
23:56 is a good catch, but he was shooting B&W so that doesn't work
Thanks for your great videos. The best B&W conversion for my Nikon has been Silver Efex pro2. Give it a try...
Haha Sam, i can SO feel your rant! The beginning of the year is always so hard to shoot because everything looks gray and boring, the weather is cold and everything you know looks exactly as boring as the last year 😄. Maybe it's a good idea to rest for some weeks to refuel and start anew?
Anyway, it eases my mind to know that i'm not alone ❤
Greetings from Berlin!
To update my earlier comment, which was posted before I saw the later part of your presentation, your waterfront images seemed to save the day, quite well. The sky cooperated, as the day ended. Thanks for creating this presentation!
I totally understand your comments, home towns are just too familiar and we need stimulation. I actually lived in Hamburg for a year, a long long time ago, and well I've never been back!
Thank you it was perfect👍
Amazing video 😊
YES! NEW STUFF🥰🤗👌
Yeay yeay
Love seeing your stuff in Germany and Japan. I grew up in Germany (American military family), and since my wife is from Tokyo, I have been to Japan many times. Both countries are special to me. Thanks for always showing us around during your trips.
Inspirational and fun 😁
I find the best way to not find places boring while taking pictures is lowering all expectations, and realising loge is boring most of the time
I feel the same boringness Samuel. I used to live in Istanbul for 10 years and then I moved to Germany. When I was in Istanbul, I was thinking there is nothing interesting to photograph. So now, after 5 years in Germany I must admit that I was wrong. Istanbul could be one of the nicest and most interesting cities in the world. So the thing is now I can not find anything that worths to be photographed in Germany :(
I live in NRW btw
Istanbul was always considered a great city for street photography! Just look at Alex Webb images from Istanbul. I've never been there unfortunately. Really want to go someday. And you always realize how great something is when you don't have it anymore. I feel the same when I moved a bit away from Hamburg. I can still visit it of course but not on a daily basis.
Great video! 23:57 could have been the perfect (colour) shot with the fancy dressed couple. The man with the blue and red clothes in between the red and blue sign
Nicely seen! Yeah I should have taken more photographs but I didn't want to get out of my black and white mindset. I knew it wouldn't work that well in BW but once I am in color mode it is hard to see in bw again.
I have been living in Pamplona for the last 5 years (I went to university here 50 years ago). I go out and shoot street every morning. I haven't had a boring, unsuccessful day yet.
Great new vid, think most of us can relate to this boredom of our cities - mine is always mixed with the unease of photographing a rowdy Mancunian who's having a bad day in my city 😂
I’ve had so many photo walks like this, but if a city has water I have so much more fun doing street photography by there.
Negative Samuel is the mind of every street photographer. I’m a fan 😂
23:27 that place behind you with the curves and light, or that abandoned model could have made a good bnw picture.
Also you should visit Tunis, Tunisia. You'll be shocked haha
“grumpy retired street photographer revisites his favourite places” haha jk, actually loved that one!
I can totally relate about getting bored about shooting in my own city... I live in Los Angeles and there are tons of places to shoot, but because I love here I very often take it for granted. Thats why I love to travel and shoot, everything is always new and exciting!!! But yeah I have to start appreciating where I am and just get out there and shoot shoot shoot!!!!
It's especially extreme in Germany, though (except for maybe Berlin). Cities are designed in such a boring way, primarily to accommodate cars. "Fun" or disruptive activities are not wanted. No interesting installations, no unusual perspectives, nothing there for kids. People dress mostly the same, people try to be as unobtrusive as possible, nobody wants to be looked at even for a second. If you carry a camera with you and you're not in a tourist spot, you immediately look suspicious. Most inner cities look identical.
It has to do with most of the major cities being flattened in WW2 and when they rebuilt them, everything became pretty generic. Most old towns are very small, depending on where you look. I also believe that the people's behavior is still partially influenced by that same time. Especially older people learned to "never step out of line" and that's how they raised their children. Of course things are changing but it takes an extraordinarily large amount of time for stuff like this to get better.
17:33 the guy on the wheelchair was interesting, behind you. Btw great video as always ;)
From Spain, I like a lot your videos, I think that have a great content. I'd like to know how do you focus with the Voigtlander, do you use the focus peaking?. Thank you. I am waiting the next video ;)
Meine Familie wollte HH besuchen, Fischmarkt, Hafen usw.. Danke für dein Video, es hat uns aufgezeigt keines Falls und nie Hamburg zu erkunden..
You're like a Venom when he walks on the streets, "oh, c'mon people let's have some fun"😂
Who doesn’t feel like B&W in and around Hamburg this time of the year 😉
Lovely impressions ⚓️
This sounds like me, my city is uninspiring and boring 😂
But it's also why I don't restrict my niche to street only. I also do landscapes, animals, or macro because I love photography.
Excelente vídeo. Muy buenos tus comentarlos
How do you edit your b&w photos? sooc or Lightroom presets?
Hamburg is for me the best city for street. The variety of st.pauli, rich areas like Blankenese, water and harbour areas and especialy the Speicherstadt offers so many possibilities. Not even mentioning the bridges, cemetry‘s … and the Hamburger are the coolest folks in germany. Poor and rich close together. And thats coming from a guy from Stuttgart. I am at least twice a year in Fischkopfhausen 😂
Great video as always. I also find it a bit of a challenge to do street photography in Taipei, which is where I reside. The streets in general are quite messy for clean composition. I've started to resort to using zoom or the 56mm prime for a close up crop (I have a Fuji X-T4). By the way, personally, I would have loved playing with the water puddle at 26:20 for some reflective shots. I usually get maybe 4-5 photos with a total of 200+. And often come back from a day of shooting with nothing at all. Thanks for showing us the "keeping it real" side of street photography. Cheers.
That one place you said you never take photos - have you tried a slow shutter for motion focused on the person sitting down or someone other person. Also the rafters in the store fronts had some contrasting lines - maybe it can be used with birds but I think would work with your bnw. gutes Licht!!!
after a 2 weeks traveling thru Japan, I came back with a huge need to get into photography and shoot my city (Berlin) in b&w. As a newbie, and after quite a bit of searching thru the internet, I decided I am going to use a FUJIFILM X-T30 II. I am getting a lot of inspiration watching your vids. Danke schön 🙏
Das beste Bild : 20:39 ! Grosse Klasse auch für 28:38 ! Sehr gut für 31:04 und 31:15 ! Das Bild auf 33:30 ist überhaupt nicht Scheisse, im Gegenteil ich finde es sehr gut : die Geschwindigkeit des "Pedalierenden" ist sehr gut fotografiert !
Interesting. It points up that everyone has different aesthetic sensibilities. For example, as you were saying, If only there was a billboard with a big graphic," you were passing a shop window with no products but big graphic signs for Sale and %. That would have caught my eye for a picture.
Samuel, you should try Olympus cameras (now 'OM-System), the later digital types. The reason you should try them is because they have a feature which is very similar to the 'snap' feature on the GR.
Which camera specifically? I'd be keen to try!
@@GeorgeHolden pretty much all of them. The trick is to assign the AEL/AFL function that normally resides in the shutter button to any of the many function buttons elsewhere on the camera, and by turning lens reset to off. On the later cameras, E-M1 mk2 and up, you can set up to three pre-defined distances, earlier ones though just one, however this is still okay to operate, and tbh probably faster as you can change it to zone focus at any point, as you wish and when. But the principle is near identical to that in the GR. It'll even remember the distance when you power off the camera. The main gripe as always is the lens which isn't as low profiled as on the GR (so bigger pockets is a must), but the advantage is that you can change lenses which you can't on the GR. I've been using the Olympus like this for years now, as have many others of course.
I live in New York City and more often than not I don’t know what to capture… and NY is a street photography haven. It’s all about overcoming that boredom
I feel that! I'm in Manchester UK which has a lot of action but it's become normal and hard to find interesting shots
This is what I feel in my little home town too xD
Ciao. Posso chiederti quale fotocamera stai usando in questo video e quale obiettivo monti? Grazie
🤣 That was a good positive start.
Can the nikon not shoot black and white jpg and raw color at the same time? Just shoot in BW and then also have a raw file for color later.
How do you walk around a restaurant/coffee shop and not feel awkward taking photos? Awesome video man! Love these long ones.
it's called balls.
I can, very much, relate to your being bored with your home city. I can, also, relate to struggling with negativity. It is a gray day, here, as I am typing this. Such is life, especially on some days. We should practice our shooting, even when conditions are not favorable, so that our skills are maintained. It is very good to see that you are using your D850 for street photography.
Спасибо! замечательные фото! всегда смотрю!
Took me back to my trip in 2013 Dec ...thanks
you could try different techniques like double exposure to find similarities in everyday items and people, buildings or things in nature.
Thumbs for that Nollie Crook 👍
Great video. I had a quesion about the photo you took of the ladies jumping. Was there a reason why you didn't offer to send the lady who took a phone camera photo of your photo a copy of it?
I actually did! But she was deaf and couldn‘t understand what I meant. Then she just pointed to my camera and asked to take a photo with her phone. I assume she didn‘t wanted to bother me and just needed a picture of it to share on social media.
It is better to have one good photograph there than 100 in an exotic place. Don't worry, relax.
Good reminder 🙏
Hey, that backpack that you're carrying on is that an camera bag? Looks clean, like that style. What is it?
That is a bag I found in some shop in Japan. I think its a japanese brand that only sells within japan. It's not a camera bag but they make a camera bag version that is thicker and looks a bit more techy. I prefer the smaller regular one :) I forgot the brand name sorry...
@@SamuelStreetlife I was wondering the same, so I looked for a comment to upvote - would you take a look at your backpack when you have a chance? I'd appreciate it.
Thank you for providing us with the Spanish translation.
They say you should leave your hometown to be inspired creatively or career wise… so I’m in Mexico now and switching my channel to photography only. Great video Sam
If you want to do more colour stuff, maybe you could get hold of the GR3's new negative film profile early? :)
I can‘t wait for that! Once it is available I will make a video about it using it👍
Why not take the usual color and have in-camera BW conversion or have a photo editing app BW conversion?
DAMN! YOU FUCKED UP!! THAT WAS SOOOOO FUNNY WHEN YOU MISSED THE CHICK DOING THE SAME POSTURE!!!!😭🤣🤣🤣
Did you not shoot the B/W using the Nikon MC setting for jpegs?
I did! But you don‘t see a B&W preview when you look through the viewfinder. And I don‘t check my images often when I take street snaps.
I am at the 21 minute mark of the video right now and man , you've stayed positive a lot of times ;-) Now i will watch to the end. Oh, and by the way, i was in hamburg a few month ago and we also ate in this "Burger-schuppen". The staircase looked interesting but i couldn't get anything from interest there, image wise. Good to see, you've called it boring as well. :-))
Okay, finished now. Antik-market are really enjoyable, also here in Berlin. and yes, i must admit that i think everybody has preferred places to go to when taking photographs. and of course, you also get bored by looking the same things again and again. but the good thing in Berlin , at least, is, if you are around Alexanderplatz and stroll around in circles, you always end up seeing new faces every time you come along again. anyways, great video IHR ZWEI! haust de...
Whenever I move somewhere, I feel my photographic quality runs in an inverse bell curve. It starts decent as I get the obvious shots, then I have to work through the ordinary and known to find my creative approaches again.
Thanks for sharing this Samuel! The negativity is hilarious and authentic :) We all have these kinds of days. Would love to hear how you feel about your gear and if you're feeling settled with your current setup. I'm trying to forget about the gear and decide on a final setup so I can just focus on the photography.
I know that feeling of taking pictures in my hometown. Of course for everyone else there are 100 photo compositions there. But you probably already have made each of them many times. Worked each of them out and therefore are bored to take another one. At least that’s the thing in my case.
The girl in the coffee shop, exhausted after the pride parade. Such a nice shot!
Lol, I live in a rural town in south africa, only bushes and dirt roads. That is heaven!
What lens were you using on the 850? Neither are listed in your gear list. Thanks. I enjoyed your tour. Maybe better without your GoPro man?
It is the Voigtländer Ultron 40mm F2! I haven‘t updated my gear list for a while. Thanks for the reminder!
@@SamuelStreetlife I see your Nikon still isn't on your Street Photography gear list
Wish I was there....Hello Samuel I'm from India and professionally a Pharmacologist but I'm in love with Streetphotography n for that I have bought a FUJIFILM XT30 II with XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens yesterday. Should I go with the kit lens initially or should I go for a Prime Lens for Streetphotography and daily shooting purpose ??? I'm having very little knowledge about Cameras and Lenses so I badly need your guidance 🙏
Hey nice to meet you! Your setup is already very capable! I also have the 15-45mm kit lens but I mainly use it for filming. But the image quality for photos is very good. With street photography you want to use smaller aperture values (for example between F5.6-F11) to get most of the frame in focus. This works best when it is bright outside. The Kitlens is very sharp around these aperture values so its a great option for Street! And you can play with the zoom which is convenient. I would try to get used to the kitlens and shoot as much as you can with it until you find your sweet spot of focal length (zoom position). Because the 15-45 has a electronic zoom it is hard to know what focal length you are at (no markings on the lens). But when you review your images on the camera you can see what mm focal length you used for the photos. And if you find yourself using one focal length most of the time then you can later invest in a prime lens that comes closest to your most used focal length. But it is not really nessecary if you shoot mostly Street. Prime lenses open up more so you can take photos in lower light situations. For that primes are great. But during the day with enough light you can use the 15-45mm and have all you need. Best wishes!
der shutter sound ist sowas von satisfying 🤤
I have been completely uninspired since 2019. And unfortunately my family and I have not done much traveling. But be careful. I got super burned out shooting weddings and senior portraits to the point where I no longer enjoyed it. I put so much emphasis on getting back out and shooting street, nature and landscapes that I burned out of trying to shoot what I truly enjoy as well. It's a slippery slope man, find inspiration do not fall down the same hole I did!
Some days we just don’t feel it. The light is bland and it seems all too familiar shooting in our hometown. Plus I think we all get the January blues where we just trying to get our energy levels back after the Christmas break.
Jawohl. Sehr cool. Grüße Maik
I live in the same city in my whole life, 34 years in Ankara the capital of Turkey. When I try to take photos I always felt like this is boring, its just lame. The city never inspired me, it is very gray and dull. But when I look into others works, specially the masters, somethings are starting to shift in me. Others works gives me hope and excitement to follow my guts and take pictures even the %100 of it is shit. I accept the fact everything is somehow futile and temporary on my life. Photography experience is no exception. When I'm in the zone I don't think about the city but somedays i feel the same and just go home to watch youtube channels to see others also feel the same.