“Sharpness is a bourgeois concept” is one of my favorite quotes from the godfather of street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004). Not that I want to use it as a fig leaf to cover up the fact that I wasn’t able to capture a tack sharp image of this couple being in a rush in a dark alley in Bologna’s historic old town on a late Thursday evening. Image specs are 1/15 sec @ f/5 and ISO 3200 with a 80mm focal length.
Shooting with my OM-D E-M1X and the 12-100 F/4 I was already borderline with my settings for this late evening in the dark alleys. But instead of packing up the camera and heading back to the hotel I just kept shooting, looking for exact those atmospheric street scenes, were motion blur adds to the story rather than being just a technical imperfect image.
And I just love the motion of her dress, the way the light plays on it, the fact that both their right legs are pretty sharp while the rest of the couple’s bodies is in motion.
So next time you are out in the streets at low light, don’t call it a day to early, but keep experimenting with low shutter speeds.
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Have a great Thursday
Marcus
Related Posts:
Street Photography Quick Tip 8 – Capturing Gesture
Street Photography Quick Tip 9 – Motion Blur