Tag: OM-D E-M1

StoNur on the Road – Ain’t I cool ?

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Olympus OM-D E-M1   Tanzania, 2016

One from the archives, albeit a recent one. In February of this year I spent one week in Tanzania in the town of Moshi on the foothills of majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro. A puzzling African town, Moshi is a fantastic place for Street Photography, as you constantly encounter characters you don’t get to see in our European environment.

This cool dude, even though looking like every bit of an African Warrior, was “just” a security card in front of a small banking outfit. We sat in a cafe next to his workplace, and he kept constantly looking at us. And we were obviously looking at him. Eventually I asked him if I could take a portrait of him, which he initially refused, but than suggested he would pose for a little donation of 2 USD.

As typically you don’t get these kind of shots every day I decided that this opportunity was just too good to pass up. I know that there are purists who say real Street Photos need to be candid and can’t be staged. On the other hand, this guy proudly presenting himself is a just as typical an African street scene.

I have quite a few other interesting shots from my Tanzania trip, so keep looking for those.

Have a very peaceful day

Marcus

Related Posts:

StoNur on the Road – African Primary School

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Gear & Camera Settings for Street Photography

I often get asked what gear and camera settings I use when venturing out to shoot on the streets. What works for me is less gear and very basic camera settings.

Let’s talk about the gear first. I switched from my Nikon setup to Micro Four Thirds because I was tired carrying around a big backpack with 5 kilos and more of camera equipment but without compromising image quality. Another benefit from using m4/3 gear is that when you carry a big Nikon with a big lense attached (and even Nikon prime lenses are huge pieces of glass) you always get attention, you are automatically regarded as a serious photographer, with all the negativ implications  and restrictions many photographers encounter today when roaming the streets. Now with a m4/3 camera that is much smaller and a small prime lense attached you generate much less attention, blend more in, and that is generally what you are looking for as a street photographer. People tend to much less notice you and when they do, they more regard you as a tourist snapping away than a photographer looking for some serious shots.

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The PEN E-PL7 with the 17mm f1.8 attached and the even smaller 45mm f1.8 next to it

Having said that, I typically go out with a single camera, either my OM-D E-M1 or my PEN E-PL7. Attached to it I have typically my M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 prime lens. 17mm in m4/3 translates to ~35mm in full frame format. A fast, perfect and small piece of glass with excellent image quality. Many  famous street photographers shoot 35mm only, as it is more or less equal to the normal field of view of our eyes. In the streets I  like to shoot wide as my desire is to show people in the context of their environment. Continue reading “Gear & Camera Settings for Street Photography” →

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