BEHIND THE SCENES OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY/ PART B

THE CAMERA : THE HIDDEN PARTNER IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY.

In the last chapter I spoke about the first steps in street photography. I said:"At the end of the process a skilled street photographer will know how to cope with any situation, and in any location, with one camera and one lens. Any camera, whatever its "rank" will do the job. Any additional piece of equipment will only handicap him. Those who possess a wide choice of equipment will do best to take with them only the most essential equipment, and the most fitting for the location where they are going to work. Bear in mind that the photographer's personal abilities are more important than those of the camera. The best choice will be one (prime) lens with the focal length depending on consideration of the possible measure of approach to the subject, and the nature of photography one wants to project to the viewers."
SHOW ME YOUR CAMERA, AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE…
Beyond our basic need to capture moments that set our imagination on fire, there is apparently a constant (and incontrollable) impulse to get results "of high quality" by this or that item of equipment. This is a wide-spread mistake among photography aficionados!  This "high quality" they aspire to achieve seems to them only "a matter of price". Unfortunately for them real quality is born in our imaginations, it cannot be wrapped up like a gift package. Good art has never been a matter of a casual click, nor dependent on sophisticated equipment. The brush used by great painters 500 years ago is the same as the one we use today; the artist's greatness is not in his tools, but in his ability in using them.
SO HOW COME THE CAMERA PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S WORKS?
There is nothing more important for the serious photographer than being the owner of a camera that will go with him/ her "in water and fire", a camera that will fulfill all his wishes and dreams, but one which will not require any special attention whenever he wants to be left alone in the face of a situation, when he needs to delve into his own intimate creation, when, that is, any occupation with the camera's technical side will constitute a brutal intrusion into his creative process.
The choice of the right camera is, therefore, an act that will stay with its owner for years to come. There should be a strong bond, a telepathic bond almost, between photographer and his camera. But this is almost impossible in our times, because of the current world "upgrading epidemic".
Basically there is no such a thing as a bad camera: each type of camera has been produced, in its time, for a certain target-public, with characteristics endowing the camera with certain advantages and disadvantages in relation to other cameras. The creation of a "telepathic relation" with one's camera develops in years of work and its results are more important to the photographer than this or that new technical device.
When choosing a camera great stress should be put on fitting the camera to the kind of work the photographer is about to do. One should bear in mind that the most expensive camera is not necessarily the most suitable camera for the work one wants to do.
Choosing a camera nowadays is not simple in the light of the wide choice the market offers. Nor does the current trend of going over to digital photography makes the choice any easier. In the past the difference between camera bodies of the major producers was much smaller; most of the important attributes were more or less the same, and differences were marginal. The day the digital sensor entered the game, however, big gaps were born between cameras, and with them more parameters which influence the photographer's choice of his camera. Considerations such as the size of the sensor, the number of pixels, noise, crop factor etc, certainly make the choice more difficult, especially in the light of the fast pace of technological changes.
BEFORE YOU CHECK THE CAMERA'S ATTRIBUTES CHECK YOUR OWN…
A "perfect camera" exists only in legends, maybe also in science fiction movies. It is therefore advisable to choose a camera that will fit our specific needs like a glove to our hand. Once in a while I come across people who chose to buy as their first camera the most expensive, sophisticated type. When I look at their carrying on in the street they remind me of a four-year- old child trying to fly an F-16 fighter plane. What did the poor guy want? All he wanted was to fly a nice kite. Unfortunately for him, a friend he consulted advised him to read first a kite review on the net…
The endless review sites manage to spin our heads, and confuse us more and more as we strive to reach a sensible decision. In the end one forgets that behind that state-of–the- art camera which looks like a little NASA spaceship full of buttons, like a three-storied organ, with an operation book which indeed resembles that of a real spaceship, there is only a man (no astrophysicist piano player). And this man is not able to enjoy even 10% of the functions offered by his "beloved chosen".  After he checked with a scientific microscope, so to speak, every photograph taken with that camera and published he decided to buy it, feeling sure that he would get the same "quality" he perceived in the pictures. But as soon as he has taken the pictures, there comes the disappointment: he cannot understand why he fails where photographers with much simpler equipment succeed. Some time later he falls again into the same pit having been convinced by marketing agents that the next camera will certainly, but certainly, do for him the job he so desires.
POSSIBLE CHOICES OF CAMERA FOR THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER
 
SLR cameras
 

 
These are the most popular cameras, preferred by photographers who want cameras that contain most functions offered by current technology. The main characteristics favored by the majority of photographers are: the size of the sensor, the number of pixels, maximum sensitivity with minimum noise, the number of focus points and the number of shots per second the camera is able to deliver.
This camera type is considered a work-horse that is able to produce an enormous number of photos in a very short time. It is equipped with advanced and precise systems of light measurement and focusing. With this goes also an impressive assortment of exchangeable lenses of all angles and qualities. And to top it all we also get quite a number of possible attachable accessories. This is indeed an impressive machine. But, alas, those who are impressed by it are mainly beautiful girls and beginning amateurs. The main disadvantages of this type of camera are easily felt after several hours of hard work: the camera is rather heavy, its click is noisy, and its shutter and mirror mechanisms cause vibrations which badly effect sharpness, mainly while working in low-light conditions. Out in the street this type of large and heavy camera stands out and is difficult to camouflage. People, consequently, tend to feel threatened by it. And last, but not least a complete system of camera body, several lenses and some additional accessories tend to be rather expensive comparing to other types of camera.
 A photographer who will not learn to take advantage of its pros will meet mainly with its cons and eventually will give up. The great challenge here is to turn a disadvantage into an advantage: it is well known that street photography is mainly about penetrating a subject's private space in a quiet, quick and furtive way i.e. without being seen, heard or noticed. Well, it is almost impossible to hide such a heavy, noisy camera from a subject's eye. He/she will probably notice you from a distance and regard you as a threatening, unwelcomed quest. From that moment their eyes will follow you with nervous suspicion. No doubt that such a bulky camera puts a limit on the street photographer's freedom of movement and exposes him/her to the danger of suspicious and nervous, may be even hostile, subjects. This may render his artistic efforts futile before he even got started.
The best solution for street photographers who choose to work with SLR digital camera is adapting their approach to their prospective subjects. Work with this type of camera will obliges them to work directly with the people they are interested in, meaning that they will have to look for direct contact, even friction, with their subjects, using all their senses in the sharpest, most intelligent way. Personal charm and character have a key function in this approach. A prompt analysis of situations and the ability to respond suitably are highly important. Familiarity with the area and its people are equally important. The thing is not just to know how to het yourself out of a bad situation, but rather to know how to get into it successfully.
Conclusion: Not all that is good for the press, nature, or sports photographer is necessarily good for the street photographer. One advantage of working with an LSR camera, despite all its disadvantages is that in the course of time it will make you a better person and photographer.
 
RANGEFINDER CAMERAS
 

 
This is one of the veteran cameras which is most highly regarded among well known street photographers, as well as aficionados. This was true in the past; it is so in the present and is probably going to remain true in the future. The moment you hold a rangefinder in the palm of your hand you will realize that somebody truly thought seriously of designing a camera that will fit your hand like a glove. All advanced digital technologies notwithstanding, most types of rangefinder cameras are still being produced and marketed for film photography. A photographer who has gone over from SLR, digital, to rangefinder photography will soon experience some difficulties working with his/her new camera. This is a different school altogether, entailing different work habits, and it takes getting used to. As a matter of fact this is apparently the most difficult system of all the 35 mm cameras available on the current market. However, having learnt to use this camera and gotten used to it, it is easier to use than all the others. Its operation is, in most cases, mechanical, and manual: diaphragm, shutter speed and focus are adjusted by hand, and separately from one another. Certainly a camera that will teach you to think in a different manner!!
The camera's design and, the method of working with it is quite different from that of the digital SLR camera. I shall not go into technical detail here; I will mainly dwell on its qualities as compared to other cameras.
The rangefinder's main advantages in comparison to SLR digital cameras are: It is small, easy to hold and to hide, and thus it does not attract attention. Its operation is quiet and its shutter mechanism does not cause vibrations (there is no moving mirror). Its operation is simple and efficient, it is intuitive, there are no superfluous buttons, only those necessary. This type of camera also prides itself on a wide range of small, light, exchangeable lenses of the highest optical quality. Its mechanism is of the highest durability and it is protected within a strong, resistant casing.
The main ( and few) disadvantages of the rangefinder are mainly in its focusing system: it is not done through the lens as is the case in the SLR, and as a result there is always a slight deviation that should be corrected.  In cameras of this type each lens of a certain focal length has a specific frame suitable for it inside the eye piece. However the number of these frames is limited (and different in the different makes). If you want to use a lens for which there is no special frame-lines you have to buy and use an outside eye-piece (or viewer) which will show you the outside boundaries of the picture you are taking. For instance, if the maximum frame-lines you have in your camera are for a 28mm wide-angle lens, and you want to use a lens of a wider angle you will have to use an external eye-piece suitable for that lens's angle. It is inserted in the camera's hot shoe.
Another point relating to rangefinder cameras is that all of them use prime lenses only, i.e. each lens has a fixed focal-length, the maximum being usually 135mm. There are no zooms in this type of camera.
Conclusion: choosing to go over from digital to rangefinder cameras is a serious challenge to any photographer of whatever rank. The greatest advantage of this type of camera is in that it is concerned only with what is necessary. It thus leaves the photographer free with more time and space for the essential creation process.
 
Compact  cameras
 

 
Until recently compact cameras were not taken seriously by professional photographers. Today, however, almost any self respecting photographer will take care to include in his arsenal a little camera of quality which may be able to put to shame with its abilities not a few of its larger sisters. Usually they are still used as backup cameras, but technological trends indicate that the gap between reflex and compact cameras are rapidly narrowing, and that it is quite likely that soon behind any small camera in the street we will find a great photographer hiding.
To what does a street photographer aspire to more than to enter discreetly another person's private space, take photographs and go out without being noticed? How easy it is to wander around in the street without that feeling that, with your bulky camera, you are regarded as a threatening presence by the street's people. Even if you are caught taking a photograph (with a little compact camera) you will easily be forgiven, as no more than "just a casual tourist".
There is no need to dwell on the advantages of the compact camera; and the list of its disadvantages is shrinking by the minute. What remains to us is to give a huge credit to the producers of this little princess which is fast developing the abilities of a big queen, and who seems to be going to take over the photography market soon and in a  big way.