March is upon us, and spring is coming to the Streets of Nuremberg. And it’s really time for it. Albeit, how much we will be able to enjoy it will also depend on how things will continue with the new coronavirus. And it doesn’t look good these days. The latest company directive is to avoid all travels, and everyone who can work from home should work from home for the time being (affecting me as well). And I just learned from TV news that Italy has put the entire nation under lockdown, that means 60 million people. And who’s to decide if that’s insanity or necessary precautions. But, coming back to the Streets of Nuremberg, well into the fourth year of existence of this blog, I thought it was about time for some needed personal spring cleaning.
Shooting street photography with a Leica produces what I call “the rangefinder effect”. While people in the streets have a tendency to find it disturbing having a big ass DSLR pointed at their faces, their reaction is definitely quite different when they see the casually wandering photographer working the manual focus and the aperture ring of an almost anachronistic looking small black camera.
Obviously, shooting with other retro looking cameras like the Olympus PEN-F or the Fuji X100F is also much less intimidating than using a big DSLR with a huge lens attached. But those cams use autofocus and thus the process is often reduced to a simple point and shoot. The point and shoot approach would also work on a rangefinder using zone focusing (the systematic pre-focusing of a lens at specific distance and aperture to achieve a sharp image), but to get the hang of using a rangefinder I mostly take the time to set up the shots individually. Which, as totally unusual these days, draws curiosity and often a (probably pitiful) smile, the rangefinder effect. Especially when you are close to your subjects, what you have to be when you shoot street photography using a 35mm lens.
If you are looking for tips and inspirations around photography, be sure to check out my free Learning Center.
Yesterday was my first day back shooting on the Streets of Nuremberg after the passing of my mom. The past four weeks have been tough, both emotional and physical. The two weeks being daily at her side, when it was already clear that her life will come to an end. Sitting at her bedside the last hours. Then, coping with the loss and with all the tasks that come with it. I didn’t feel like picking up a camera. Neither I was up to do any blogging. But now it is time to get back into the light. I missed going out to play with the light. It’s the best therapy one can ask for.
All that remains are the memories of your love, your laughter, your smile, your warmth, your kindness, your protection, your comforting, your humor, your generosity, your braveness, your many amazing talents. And the light you brought into all our lives.
The Oregonians call their rain “liquid sunshine”. And true Portlandians refuse to carry an umbrella. This is different on the Streets of Nuremberg, especially on a day like today, where it felt like breathing pure water when outside.
But the pouring rain is also an easy subject to get into small talk with a visiting tourist. Before asking if I could make their portrait. The request was of course approved with a smile. And gratefully acknowledged by the photographer with a smile. It’s easy – try it!
For tips and inspirations around street photography check out my free Learning Center. Then take your camera, go out in the streets and shoot! Make the portrait of a stranger!
After the two week Christmas break it was back to work today. It’s not that returning to the job that pays the bills made me cry today. But after a splendid sunny winter day yesterday, that is how the sky looked this morning. Kind of fitting, I guess. This image was the sole “visual push-up” I managed to get done today. Taken with my iPhone through the glass roof of my car. The shape and textures of the droplets just caught my eye. Every day with a photograph taken is a good day in the end.
You should shoot all the time. Use every opportunity to press the shutter. Shoot everywhere. Even in a changing room of a department store. Look for gesture, shapes, lines, layers. Just train your eye, and snap away.
Like I did here while being shopping with The Significant Other this past weekend, using my Ricoh GR II, shooting in P-Mode.
Oh, and The Significant Other didn‘t buy the shirt 😉
2019 is slowly but steady coming to a close, and I’m using the downtime of the holidays to go through my Lightroom catalogue from 2019 and reflect on my photographic journey through the past year. I have divided the images into 5 categories: street, travel, people & events, shots from my hometown Nuremberg and, for everything that didn’t fit into any of the above, a category called objects. And that’s the one I’m gonna start with today.
The other night, The Significant Other and myself went into town for some quick errands. Before leaving, I was seriously debating myself whether to bring one of my Olympus cams along. “Nawhh, won’t be doing photography anyway”, said the seasoned street shooter to himself, considering we had drizzling rain and planned only for a quick splash & dash into the shopping area. Well…guess what?
