Sometimes a girl’s best accessory is her bike, and that’s exactly why we chose to stop this subject. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this is Erin Fetherston, noted fashion designer.
Lens Designations 101
Cameras have developed something called the 35mm standard, which is a carryover from the days of film photography. Full-frame dSLRs capture the same range as the 35mm standard, so lens designations are set to this range. Using a given lens with a crop-sensor dSLR will capture a smaller field of view than it will with the full-frame dSLR.
In the world of camera lenses, the focal length is measured in millimeters, so you will see lenses designated as 20mm, 50mm, 350mm, and so on. The number indicates the distance between the glass lens and the sensor. The smaller the number, the wider the field of view the lens will capture. So if you stand about five feet from a person of average height and hold your full-frame dSLR vertically with a 20mm lens, you will be able to photograph the person from head to toe. If you have a 50mm lens, you might be able to fit only the upper part of their body in the frame unless you step back a bit.
The other reference number related to lenses is the maximum aperture, and this is measured in Focal numbers (commonly known as F-stops). The aperture is the mechanism inside the lens that allows less or more light into the camera sensor. (Common F-Stops you might see on lenses are f/1.2, f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, and f/8.0.) The lower the number, the wider the maximum aperture the lens has. This means that the lens can let in more light when the camera shutter opens and closes, and thus capture the image more quickly. Faster shooting is important for street style photography, because you will probably not use a tripod as you comb the streets for fashionable subjects. The faster the lens and camera take the picture, the less time there is for the slight vibrations in your hand to blur your shot, and the sharper the final image will be.
If you are shooting an oversized item, make sure the photo really displays how big the item is in comparison with the person.
Sometimes size DOES matter.
We stopped this lovely lady for two reasons: her beautiful curly faux-hawk and her jaunty high-waist shorts. By getting in closer and angling her body 45 degrees we were able to capture the best of both elements in one frame—rather than splitting it into two different photos.
Remember that less is more, and not every outfit you choose to photograph has to be elaborate and intricate. You’ll find this to be very useful for the hot days when most people simplify their outfits to just one or two layers.
We shot this stylish man during the fall and again during the winter. If someone is truly fabulous, why not photograph them more than once? Especially if their look changes or evolves with the seasons.
We made good use of bokeh and color contrast on this shot. The black outfit and red lipstick really stand out here. To achieve this, try using a dSLR with a normal to wide-angle lens that has a fast maximum aperture. This shot was taken with a 28mm f/1.8 lens on a full-frame camera, about four feet away from the subject.
When you shop for lenses, you’ll see them designated with the two main reference numbers (for example: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, which happens to be a classic lens that many photographers use for taking portraits. There are faster versions of this lens, too—Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 and Canon EF 50mm f/1.2). Other companies make basically the same lens for their own camera models (for example, Nikon 50mm f/1.8). Remember that lenses are rarely compatible with different camera brands. You’ll also see lenses with even more numbers, like Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS. That means the lens is a zoom, and the numbers indicate the zoom range.
The letters in the lens names are format designations for the camera body types they can be used with. Contemporary Canon dSLRs use the EF-type mount, so EF lenses can be used on them. EF-S lenses can be used only on crop-sensor Canon dSLRs, and are thus usually less expensive than straight EF lenses. Every camera manufacturer has its own proprietary format designations, the same way every car company has a different way of naming its various models. A good online resource for information about lens compatibility is good old Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lens_mounts
The letter designations IS and VR stand for Image Stabilization and Vibration Reduction. Some lenses have this capability, and some cameras have it as well. It can be useful, but after you practice and get good enough, you won’t really need this feature in order to take sharp photos.
Sometimes people have standout pieces, like a pair of eye-catching shoes or an ostentatious bag. Make sure to take some close-ups of those pieces, and remember to get down to their level. This ground-level perspective shows the location with a nice background, and also captures the shape and print on the shoes.
If you have a crop-sensor dSLR: The focal length we use on our crop-sensor dSLR is 17mm. This allows us to photograph a person head to toe from just a few feet away. However, a lens this wide will cause a little distortion on the far sides of your frame. At 17mm, the distortion is at a manageable level, but a wider angle lens may give you unacceptable distortion. If you prefer less or no distortion, you will have to use a lens in the 20mm to 35mm range. Once you get past 35mm though, you’ll have to back up pretty far to fit a person in the frame from head to toe, and that could be a problem in a crowded location or narrow street.
If you have a full-frame dSLR: The same rules apply, but we would bump the focal length up to the 24mm to 50mm range.
HERE’S A HELPFUL TIP: To figure out the lens equivalence between a crop-sensor and a full-frame camera, you can do a little math. Crop-sensor dSLRs are also known as “1.5 cameras” because the smaller sensor diminishes the field of view by roughly 1.5 times compared to a full-frame sensor. So, on a crop-sensor camera, a 35mm lens will capture the narrow field of view that a 52mm will capture on the full-frame (35 × 1.5). To convert the other way, just divide rather than multiply.
Hoods and Filters
Both lens filters and hoods protect your camera lens from physical damage and improve your photo quality. Neither is absolutely necessary, and we don’t use them for our own work. Don’t let that stop you, though.
Hoods. Hoods are usually made of a hard plastic resin, and they often come with the lens. You can also buy them separately. The hood typically attaches with a simple twist on the end of the lens, shading the camera lens from excess light and minimizing hard shadows and glare. The hood also protrudes, protecting your lens somewhat from physical impact. Hoods do add a bit of bulk, and from personal experience, we can tell you that leaving the hood on and putting the whole camera in your bag is not a good idea—the plastic hood could snap. Some hoods prevent you from replacing the camera lens cover, and you ALWAYS want to put the cover back on when the lens is not in use. Scratches on a lens can show up in the images taken with it—reducing its usefulness and value dramatically.
Filters. There are many kinds of filters. Some colored filters are used to tint photos artistically. We don’t recommend these, because it is easy enough to tint photos in the post-production editing process and having photos with their natural color and light gives you the option of leaving them as is or tinting. Some filters protect your camera from ultraviolet light and polarize the light in an optimal way. They also serve as a protective layer for the surface of your camera lens. We don’t see anything wrong with this kind of filter, but it is not necessary for you to use one to take great photos, so the choice is yours. Do make sure to get the proper size if you decide to use a filter. Not every lens has its filter thread size listed on it. If you can’t find it, just ask for help at a store that sells filters or look up your specific lens online.
EXTERNAL FLASH UNITS
We could fill a second book with information about flash photography, because it is an almost entirely different beast than photography with natural lighting. Street style photography will rarely—if ever—require a flash, so we are only going to touch on the basics. Use flash only when you have no other choice. Street style photos look best with ambient light. Flash units introduce even more challenging variables to your task.
Most point-and-shoot compact cameras have an onboard flash, as do crop-sensor dSLRS. Even cameras that are built into cell phones sometimes have a flash. Don’t use the flash unless you have to. We have three good reasons. First, a photo that is possible to take with available light almost always looks better without flash. Second, flash can cause a lot of unwanted results, like red eyes, flash reflections off of glasses and shiny materials, and, of course, people blinking or reacting uncomfortably to the flash. Third and last, most onboard flash units are not of sufficient power and quality to get the job done.
So when should you use flash? When you can’t get the photo any other way. You might be in a dark indoor area or photographing at night. By all means, something is better than nothing. If you plan to do a lot of photography in dark situations or candid shots of people indoors, a flash will be necessary, especially to capture the shot sharply when people are moving. Invest in a dSLR and get a compatible external flash unit. These units range in price from $100 to more than $1000, but a perfectly acceptable unit should run you about $100 to $300.
As with every other type of camera equipment there are many different ways to identify flash units, and there is no universal system. Do some online research. Some features that we highly recommend are:
— An adjustable light that can swivel up and down and side to side. You can experiment with bouncing the light from the flash off a wall or ceiling. This isn’t something you will do often, but the option is nice, and this feature will give you the room to grow and learn more.
Bright color is one of the most common things photographers look for in a shot. Again, the ground-level view shows the street and background of this location, making the shot more interesting. These low-level shots aren’t that hard to do; just practice kneeling and holding the camera a few inches off the ground. Obviously, you can’t really look through the viewfinder, so it may take a few tries to frame the shot accurately. Remember: Practice makes perfect!
— As fast a recycle time as possible. Flash units use a lot of power, and it takes time for them to build up a charge so you can take another shot. Better units charge faster, so you can take shots more quickly. Flash photography is often used to capture people candidly as they move, so the faster your camera is ready to shoot the better off you’ll be.
— Good TTL (through the lens metering). This is one of the most important aspects of the flash unit, because it will be hunting in the darkness for the proper spot to focus on, and the better the flash is at doing it, the more of your shots will be in focus.
— Overall power. A flash should be strong enough to illuminate your subject in the frame. Most flash units that cost around $100 should have no problem with this.
— A diffuser. Many external flashes have a white plastic lip that you can pull out and use to cover the lighted portion. This lip diffuses and softens the light, minimizing overexposure when photographing people. We also suggest using an additional diffuser. These are usually very inexpensive and snap right on. Using a flash without anything to soften the light will give you very harsh results.
Taking Photos with Flash
Here’s the good news: Flash photography can be really fun and is more about quantity than quality. You won’t often be able to compose the image through the viewfinder, or compose the image much at all. It will be too dark for your eye to see. That’s what the flash is for. You just want to point the camera in the right direction and take as many shots as you can. This introduces a whole new dynamic into your photography, and you’ll get a bit more of an organic and random look to your compositions. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to compose the shots or take your time. Just be aware that the situation will be very different, especially if you’re photographing people candidly.
There’s another bonus. Since you won’t always be composing through the viewfinder, this is your chance to experiment with taking photos without holding the camera over your eye. Hold the camera above your head. Hold it low and point it up. You can shoot from angles you couldn’t before. It will be a whole new learning experience, so just try to enjoy it. Also, you can now take many shots while people talk, move, dance, whatever. Just have fun with it.
Okay, now to the technical side:
— An external flash unit typically slips onto the top of the camera, locking into the metal square mounting bracket called the “hot-shoe.” Make sure it is locked on. Also, make sure the metal contacts are clean and unscratched. They are transmitting data between the camera and the flash. You’ll notice the additional heft the external flash puts on your camera. Hang on tight.
— Turn on the flash first, and make sure you have all the settings correct (consult the instructions). Then turn on your camera and set it to full-auto. You can use manual mode to shoot in bursts, but it’s good to get comfortable with the flash in full-auto.
Here’s a shot taken with flash. As you can tell, the subjects weren’t truly posing. In fact, this was taken mid-conversation. Due to the flash, we were able to capture a moment and an angle that we would not typically have been able to capture.
— Now experiment with your flash before using it on a real shoot. Learn the range and the space that your flash will illuminate. Learn how long it takes to charge up, and thus, how rapidly you can shoot. Make sure it focuses on the right objects or people.
— Many external flashes fire off several mini-flashes before the main flash. These mini-flashes are used to find the target and focus accordingly. If you have the setting turned on, these flashes also dilate a subject’s pupils, minimizing the red-eye effect that a flash often causes in the final photo. Get used to the timing, and bear this in mind, since many people confuse the first mini-flash with the actual moment the photo is taken.
— Last but not least, take photos with the camera held horizontally. For normal head-to-toe shots without a flash, you will want to turn the camera vertically to match the shape of an upright human body. You can’t really do this with a flash. If you turn the camera on its side, the flash unit will be off to one side of the camera, and you will be illuminating one side of your subject, creating very odd lighting in the photo. There are ways around this, of course. You can photograph the subject standing near a wall and reflect the light off the wall, but for the most part, you shouldn’t do this. It just doesn’t work.
HOW TO HOLD A CAMERA
Like most skills, producing excellent street style photos takes some degree of knowledge, training, and a lot of practice. We say “produce” instead of “take” because anyone can click the shutter button to take a photo. Excellent photos are produced by a photographer who has ability and experience to compose the perfect photograph. This is someone who also takes the time to edit the photo to produce a beautiful final image. Let’s talk about how you can make this happen.
Have you ever used a hammer or cradled a baby? Holding an object sounds like a simple task, but for certain objects, there’s a right way and a wrong way. With any camera, you have two main objectives: Keep the device secure and safe in your hands and keep the camera steady while the shutter takes the photo. Stability is important, because shaky cameras take blurry photos.
Use both hands when holding a camera, firmly gripping both sides equally. Be careful with folded lens ultra-compacts—their lenses are sometimes located in the upper left or right corner and can be blocked by your finger. If possible, hold the camera with elbows bent and locked, and with the viewfinder or view screen in front of your face. This will minimize shakiness. Smaller cameras have the advantage of being really light and easy to maneuver. Don’t be afraid to try unconventional angles. Once you get used to this standard grip, try holding the camera higher or lower than eye level.
Larger cameras with big lenses—such as dSLRs—require a different grip. Hold the right side of the camera with your right hand and cradle the lens underneath with your left hand, being careful not to grasp the focusing ring on the lens if you’re using auto-focus. (You don’t want to accidentally adjust the focus and blur the photo.) If you are using a strap for your camera, you can have it loosely around your neck so it’s not in your way. Again, you should bend and lock your elbows for stability. It is almost always preferable to use the viewfinder on dSLRs. That means that while you are taking a photo, your eye is stuck to the viewfinder. Consequently, taking photos at different angles means getting up on something higher like a chair or steps or bending down to get low. This is where the yogis among us have an advantage. You’ll want to avoid shaky legs by locking your knees and bending at your hips or waist.