Street Portrait Photography with 90mm

[the warrior]

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Leica Monochrom - 90mm Summicron f2 E55 Mandler Desing with a very light vaseline in the filter - f4 1/250 - 2 meters +-

 

As I walk, if you're not fast you lose the picture, you have to be prepared to capture the shot.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2016 by the warrior

[Steve Ricoh]

Nice work, Jhon.

Out of interest, do you set the focus ring to 2m then wait for someone to enter the 2m region, using guesswork, or is your eye using the RF?

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[Michael Hiles]

Very nice. Your 2 metre constraint is interesting - promotes mental focus.

[the warrior]

Indeed it is Steve, set to the desired distance and wait for it to come to you or you walk toward them, or both.

 

True Michael, much concentration is needed.
Many shots fail, just barely, but fail.

[the warrior]

Many of you have been those that consultant me as do the photos on the street walking f0,95 - f1 - or F1.4.

I will answer also here:

My friend, You should not despair, you must practice a lot, is not easy, but if you persist start seeing good pictures.

You must have the shutter lag time and shoot a little time before, you must have patience and a good eye, eye fine, I'll tell you That I have taken two years to get a few failures and many Successes to f0,95 - f1 - F1.4
every day You have to go out and make a lot of shots.

Gradually you will gain.

Greetings and thanks.

 

Edited February 4, 2016 by the warrior

[A miller]

Many of you have been those that consultant me as do the photos on the street walking f0,95 - f1 - or F1.4.

I will answer also here:

My friend, You should not despair, you must practice a lot, is not easy, but if you persist start seeing good pictures.

You must have the shutter lag time and shoot a little time before, you must have patience and a good eye, eye fine, I'll tell you That I have taken two years to get a few failures and many Successes to f0,95 - f1 - F1.4

every day You have to go out and make a lot of shots.

Gradually you will gain.

Greetings and thanks.

 

 

Jhon - I think you are overstating the difficulty with getting these shots.  It is really quite easy for anyone.  And there are many ways to do it.  Waiting for someone to enter a zone of focus is just one of many; and I frankly think it is one of the least fun ways.  I am only entering this discussion b/c I feel that you have created some special halo around people who can get these shots.  Truth is that anyone can do it.  There is a slight learning curve but like everything else in life, practice makes perfect.  Happy shooting.  Adam 

[the warrior]

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Yes Adam, this technique is very easy, you just have to go out and shoot people moving f0,95 or 1 meter and a 50mm F1.4 only to realize it, I encourage you to do and teach us or the photos, and more between all learn photography.

The truth is that anyone can do and do well.

It's just that I do not like the hyperfocal are customs of each, I find boring hiperfocal only use the hyperfocal with 21mm in concentrations of people.

I will explain more about it, I'm not tenngo time.

[A miller]

Yes Adam, this technique is very easy, you just have to go out and shoot people moving f0,95 or 1 meter and a 50mm F1.4 only to realize it, I encourage you to do and teach us or the photos, and more between all learn photography.

 

 

Right, Jhon, except that f0.95 or even f1 is NOT necessary to achieve the effect.   Depending on the lens, focal length, distance between you and the subject, and the other subjects in the scene, you can be at 2.8 or even 4 and get the same OOF look.  So the idea that you have to be at 0.95 or 1 just doesn't make any sense.  The point is to make an interesting photograph and not worry about the technical means of getting.  And let's not try to suggest that this is some kind of rocket science and that we are teachers and everyone need to learn from us.  Our photographs carry  more weight when they are thrown out simply as a matter of interest to view and enjoy. 

 

I am NOT a professional photographer; I hardly know what I am doing and just make it up as I go along, as ANYONE can.  I have shared dozens of these kinds of photos on this forum.  Here are some:

 

 

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It's just that I do not like the hyperfocal are customs of each, I find boring hiperfocal only use the hyperfocal with 21mm in concentrations of people.

 

 

I am not sure I understand what you mean here.  And I think it is better just to share and enjoy our photos than to try to define a particular workflow that doesn't make sense.

 

 

I will explain more about it, I'm not tenngo time.

 

Please, no need to "explain."  Let's not try to be a teacher.  Just share and enjoy. 

[the warrior]

I think the language is an impediment and that you have not understood my message, on the other hand maybe the translation is to blame for a misunderstanding.
There are no hidden messages in my photographs, moving individuals only when they stand is simple.
I do not seem to see people moving in the photos, it is more coplicado of making f0,95 and 1 meter, when the target does not move is very easy to hit

But in any case the most important thing is to enjoy what each one does, not you think ?.

 

I think you seem upset about something, I explained why I have asked and I think it is best to explain to anyone who wants to read, if you do not want to read is free to do so.

[the warrior]

This morning, as the lady walks down the sidewalk, 1 meter, f2

 

[A miller]

I think the language is an impediment and that you have not understood my message, on the other hand maybe the translation is to blame for a misunderstanding.There are no hidden messages in my photographs, moving individuals only when they stand is simple.I do not seem to see people moving in the photos, it is more coplicado of making f0,95 and 1 meter, when the target does not move is very easy to hitBut in any case the most important thing is to enjoy what each one does, not you think ?.

 

I think you seem upset about something, I explained why I have asked and I think it is best to explain to anyone who wants to read, if you do not want to read is free to do so.

I am not upset in the slightest. I just take issue with the suggestion that you made that there is something about these types of photos that you can do that others cant (in particular in your response to Steve Ricoh). F stops dont matter at all or how you get the shot. It is all about the ENERGY and VIBE that you capture, and how you render it. Many of the head shots that you have shared (in my opinion) lack that interesting personal vibe and energy. A couple have it, like the very last one you posted, which has good energy.

[Steve Ricoh]

Yes it was me who asked Jhon about his technique, and he kindly responded both here and by PM, which I thanked him for. 

 

The way I look at it Is simple, if I like someone's work, I will say so. If I don't like the photograph, or it does nothing for me, I do not comment. If on the other hand someone asks for constructive criticism then that's a different matter, as long as I feel competent to reply.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Steve Ricoh

[Steve Ricoh]

I think the language is an impediment and that you have not understood my message, on the other hand maybe the translation is to blame for a misunderstanding.

There are no hidden messages in my photographs, moving individuals only when they stand is simple.

I do not seem to see people moving in the photos, it is more coplicado of making f0,95 and 1 meter, when the target does not move is very easy to hit

 

But in any case the most important thing is to enjoy what each one does, not you think ?.

 

I think you seem upset about something, I explained why I have asked and I think it is best to explain to anyone who wants to read, if you do not want to read is free to do so.

 

Excellent response!

[maxspbr]

Great photos! Really liked them.

 

And I have this lens (mine from 1958) and I know how heavy it is! Very difficult to use it the way you done.

[Iduna]

Hi guys,

 

the whole thread is full of excellent photos!

 

The technique depends on your camera and the chosen lens. Strolling through the streets I adapt my own technique to my equipment: it can e hyperfocal distance and it can be a fast AF as well. I think one has to find one's own approach. Exercising, training, developing a good eyes and learning to guess what will happen next in front of a nice backdrop. This can be an extended search with a kind of psychosomatic features.... Happy shooting!

[the warrior]

explain to A. Miller that these portraits are only a challenge for me, shoot + - f1 and 1 meter, and walking, it's just a challenge, it is a way to keep my accuracy on the fast approach, the people walking towards me or people to whom I am speaking, nothing else, is something that I like and kept my eye fine.

I understand that everyone should not like it, do not understand this attitude, but do not worry, no problem.

 

Many thanks Steve ricoh, maxspbr, iduna A. Miller and othres members of this forum, you are great, and I will explain the technique to those who ask me, and for those who want to know more about this.

 

I'm not a great photographer, I am not a good photographer, but I try to do things that I like and try to sharpen my eye and my mind, and also in Madrid-Spain I teach others how I do it.

 

My personal experience in this type of shots:

 

- I do not say good or bad, are my shots and nothing else.

Six years ago I bought a M8.2 and Summilux 75, that lens was in my camera for two consecutive years, during that time I only shot at close range at f1.4 and almost always within 1 meter, preferably people movement, was a challenge for me and I wanted to become good at it, do some different things to other photographers.

I had other Leica lenses and MP, with this to other things Photo street too, and landscapes.

Later I switched to other lenses for my M9 and M9-P, and discovered that no matter the lens, only care to place the focus right in the eye of the people and not mind having a f0,95 a f1 or f1, 4 only care tenber skill and speed to choose either the time of shooting to put the focus on the eyes.

Naturally one 21mm is different from a 135, one look small errors and other errors look great.

In the end it is firing at the right time.

Not the same shoot thus moving with a film camera with a digital camera, my MP is quick on the shutter, is instantane, but my Monochrom is not fast, has a shutter delay, the delay must be know and apply to the trigger.

 

We also have to see that each person walks faster or slower.

In the mind and the eye must see it to shoot at the right time.

For this there is only one way, is necessary to know the team and you have to go out often and make lots of pictures.

When you acquire the ability to shoot moving large opening and a one meter will have a capacity not have the fotografis Todis and may do things that others can not, different things, eseo is all a personal challenge.

I'm glad that interest them and learn how little I know.

 

This system teaches to have much confidence when shooting.

Greetings to all friends and everyone.

I feel my English is not good, hope you do not express evil and that you understand it, it's just my opinion and does not pretend to be a teacher or something else, just take pictures.

 

I'll leave some pictures this afternoon, Leica Summilux 50m, f1.4, 1 meter, all of them moving through the streets of Madrid.

You can see the DOF little, only the closest eye.

 

The photographs show you are not good, are examples of this can be done with practice.

 

 

 

 

 

In the last picture you can see a fault, the focus is on the eye furthest from an error, not all the time is right.

 

[A miller]

John - Thanks for your post.  To be clear, the only problem I have is when someone suggests that their photos are difficult to obtain in a way that others can't w/o being as good a them.  I am happy to regard this as a problem with me not understanding what you were trying to say.  That's all good, and your photos are great and you are more than welcome here and everywhere else.  

Best, 

Adam

[the warrior]

No problem, the problem is google translate and speak different languages.

 

Many thanks my friend.

[brill64]

engage your subject.

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[Iduna]

Hi guys!

 

this is quite an interesting thread with excellent pictures, however the technique may be. I like the different approahes, because every photographer is different and has other problems to tackle. I feel also very awkward when I do my first shots on a new day but then this disappears as if the camera is telling me to be a different person - very strange. Keep going, guys!