If I had to start over in 2024 with street photography

June 2024 - blog # 4

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I recently bought a new camera – apparently this is becoming a very expensive habit. I bought the ultimate street photography camera in my opinion – the Leica M6. If you don’t know the Leica film lineup – the M6 is a film camera, “reissued” in 2022. There are two other film cameras the Leica MP and MA.

Generally speaking, the differences are minor and mostly limited to aesthetics and whether or not they have a light meter built-in and the build materials.

Coming in at a whopping 6000 dollars and change just for the camera body.

I have paired it with a Voigtlander 28mm F2 Ultron manual lens. A match made in street photography heaven.

My recent camera purchase got me thinking about my own street photography journey and far I’ve come since 2016 – the year I ventured in photography.

More specifically I started to think about “If I had to start over with street photography – would I do anything differently”.

Well hindsight is 20/20 as they say. Let’s take a look at my street photography journey and some of the lessons learned:

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Get ready, Set, Shooot

I started my street photography journey back in 2016. The only photography I had done prior to 2016 were the mandatory photo sessions at family events and casual events with friends using the handiest camera of them all – the one in our smart phones.

My way into street photography was not random as it might seem at times. I’ve actually loved taking photos ever since I can remember and had few different cameras growing up.

My inspiration came from an early age through my dad. He had a few SLR cameras (a mix of Minolta, Zenith and another one I can’t remember).

My dad was really good at taking a lot of photographs of me and my sisters growing up. I remember just loving looking at old photo albums and have my parents tell the same stories over and over. There is just something about having a print in the hands. 

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The re-introduction

Fast forward to 2016; I got reacquainted with photography in 2016 through a work colleague. An expat living in Copenhagen at the time. He was very much into photography not street photography.

We would spend time hanging out and he would always bring his Canon 7D with a zoom lens. I remember he looked like such a pro even though he was not a very experienced photographer, but it did leave an impression on me.

In the beginning I mostly followed along when we went out but gradually it turned into dedicated photo walks. As time progressed, I started to get more and more interested in getting a camera myself and start shooting. This was an opportune time for me to learn i.e. learning by doing (as I could ask my friend for help).

I ended up buying a beautiful little Olympus Micro four thirds (M43) camera jampacked with digital features packed into an old school rangefinder body.

Looking back this was not the best beginner camera and I soon realised it myself after using it for a few months.

First of all, I didn’t know I bought a m43 camera, even though I did extensive research, this completely eluded me.

I fell into the old trap of getting as many features as my money could buy. I loved how the camera looked but I did end up spending more money than I initially set out to.

Also, practically I kept dropping the camera because it was very small with virtually no grip to hold on to. Maybe also because I had nervous hands and not used to handling a camera back then.

I quickly realised I needed a camera that wasn’t as “advanced” for my beginner level back then as the Olympus was.

I wanted a camera that was sturdier and more robust with a solid grip. So I didn’t have to worry about it getting beat up bringing it with me.

So, I decided to sell the Olympus and bough an intermediate level Canon 800D or Rebel T7I.

I had the Canon 800D for almost three years and I learned street photography on that camera. I had two lenses for it but 99% of the time I had the cheap 24mm pancake lens on it. 

The other lens was a 50mm full frame and on a crop sensor it became roughly an 85mm - which I didn’t account for. Another mistake I had to learn the hard way.

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The upgrade

By 2021 I was itching for a camera upgrade but had learned my lessons from the Olympus saga not to invest in the whole eco-system prematurely. Another mistake I had made early on was that I expanded my lens collection without really understanding my photography needs when it came to style and composition.

I just bought all the “classic focal lengths” that the “experts” were recommending. There are so many reasons why this was not a great idea.

First of all the cost of all the extra lenses and not using them because I didn't even know how to use the camera properly at the time.

It’s like buying a Ferrari right after getting your driving license. Not a great idea as I said.

This time I was much surer of my needs and the main driver was to buy a camera that would help take my street photography skills to the next level. I spent 3 years practicing on the canon 800D to fully understand the camera basics e.g. exposure triangle, composition, the possibilities and limitations of different focal lengths.

I forced myself to practice continuously with it but also denied myself an upgrade until I felt I could prove to myself I really needed it.

But the fact remained I had outgrown my Canon 800D at this point.

End of November 2021 I bough my first full frame camera – the Sony A7C M1 and this time I only bought one lens with it. The 35mm focal length as this had been my go-to focal length for the last several years and I knew it well. A great upgraded setup.

Since then, I have expanded my lens collection quite a bit. I now own all the classic focal lengths; (24mm), 28mm, 35mm, 55mm, 85mm and recently added the 40mm equivalent focal length.

The lesson here is that I now only add a focal length based on a specific need I have and not because some self-proclaimed expert said I should add it.

All the focal lengths I own serve very different purpose. I also fully understand the type of photographs I can make whether I pick up a 55mm or 85mm or even the 28mm. I know exactly what I will be getting, so to say.

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So, would I have done anything differently?

I started this blog post telling you about my latest camera addition the Leica M6. The purchase prompted the question:

“If I had to start over with street photography – would I do anything differently”.

Well, it’s hard to pinpoint any one thing as all of the things I did made me understand my street photography needs more and every “mistake” I made ensured that I was able to make better and more informed decisions going forward.

One thing is that I would rather not have spent so much money back then buying an advanced camera only to realise that I didn’t know how to operate. Simultaneously "jumping the gun" by investing in the eco-system with various lenses etc. Only to sell them at a loss.

However, I would probably start with buying a cheap camera like the 800D again.

There are a few reasons why using a cheap and simple setup (a camera and a lens of choice) exclusively to practice with is a good idea.

First of all it’s cheap and won’t break the bank. And don’t have to overcommit if street photography isn’t interesting enough.

It might also help focus on understanding key aspects of street photography instead of playing with cool new features that are not important in the beginning.

Remember to build a solid foundation from the start and only then move on once it’s been firmly established.

The advice I can give new or aspiring street photographers would be to NOT focus on gear. I know this is difficult and a lot of people in the community puts to much emphasis on the gear part of doing street photography.

Gear matters less in the beginning but gradually starts to become more and more vital as you progress as a street photographer and your technical skills and understanding gets more developed.

As I mentioned consider buying or borrowing a cheap dslr or mirrorless camera. Pair it with a focal length that is beginner friendly, such as the 35mm. There is a reason why this particular focal length is so beloved by street photographers.

Once you get a hang of it - "it" being street photography then you can start to expand your street kit. But it requires dedication and patience to understand what you like and how you like to do street photography. This comes only through rigorous practice.

On my YouTube channel I have a full playlist of reviews of the all the classic focal lengths I own.

You can watch them to get an idea of how and what the different focal lengths can be used for in street photography.