I generally use my Leica MP for street photography. It’s small and quiet with lenses that do a fabulous job. But even so, it’s not the only camera in my stable and since street photography is about capturing moments on the street, I decided to try out my Fujifilm GF670. Sure, it’s a folding medium format but it has a very quiet shutter . . .
The working process of most street photographers is stealth: capture the subject unawares. If you are using a Leica with a 35mm lens, you have to get in close – unobtrusively – to capture that moment. With its small size and quiet shutter, the camera doesn’t draw attention. Only you the photographer can draw attention. So for many of us, “shooting street” is a bit like hunting: approach the prey quietly, capture the moment, and then fade to black.
A Fujifilm GF670 is big. And because it’s a folder, it doesn’t look like most cameras. That means it draws attention to itself, which would seem to defeat the key strategy of street photography. How can you be stealthy if your camera is getting attention?
My experience is that the size of the GF670 isn’t what gets people’s attention but the fact that it’s a folder. I mean how many people see a camera with baffles? And so what happens when I bring out the GF670 is this: people start asking questions: “What kind of camera is that?” “How old is that camera?” “Is it digital or film?”
And here’s a wonderful thing about human behavior: when people start asking questions, they have lowered the barrier to interaction and ultimately, being photographed. Their curiosity piqued, people move from being silent citizens on the street to fellow humans interested in a novel object. As the conversation flows and they learn more about this odd camera, they never fail to express surprise and sometimes wonder. Then it is a simple and natural progression for me to ask this simple question of them, “Do you mind if I take your picture?”
Now we have turned the street photography strategy on its head: we’ve gone from stealth to obvious, from covert to overt, from hidden to declared. And in the process we’ve engaged the subjects.
Street photography purists might object: “But, if the subject knows your photographing them, that’s not real street photography?” To which I respond, “Really? Do you mean that you can’t capture an authentic human moment of a person on the street if they are engaged in a conversation with you?”
The Carytown Painters
We were walking down W. Cary Street in Richmond last weekend and I had my GF670 out ready for action. From across the street I saw two men, easels unfolded, painting a scene at a local restaurant. There was nothing stealth about their work to “capture the moment.” So when the light turned green, I crossed the street, approached them, and asked what they were painting. They smiled, pointed to two young ladies sipping a glass of wine, and said: “Them.”
I brought my camera into view and it caught their attention (naturally). After a few comments about the camera I asked, “Hey, can I take your picture?” I mean, I simply wanted to “draw with light” these two painters who were drawing with paint. How could they say no? They smiled and agreed. Here they are:
As I frequently comment to others who ask how I get certain pictures, I tell them “get close!” Don’t be bashful. This image is taken with an 80mm f 3.5 lens on a medium format camera. That’s roughly equivalent to a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera. I was standing only a few feet away from them and they barely noticed.
Each painter took their time; there was no rush. I moved in closer to capture one of them working the canvas:
Since I was shooting Ilford PanF Plus (ISO 50), I could shoot wide open (f3.5 on this camera-lens combo) so there’s some nice out of focus in the background. Not as nice as my Summicrons but pleasing nonetheless. I added some vignetting in post: too many lines across the street.
I mentioned earlier that the painters were working on a scene that included two young ladies. Well, one of them noticed the extra attention these two gents were paying them and after paying their bill, one of the young ladies walked over to see their work. She was flattered that she and her friend were the subject of the art work. Here’s her reaction to the paintings:
One of the things I like about this image is how the young lady is cradling her cell phone. If there is a feature of first world life that is now a constant it is the presence of a cell phone or smart phone in our hands or pockets . Over time I believe we’ll be able to date our images based on the model cell phone a subject is holding!
I should point out that she ignored me, not in a rude way but in a way that signaled that her real interest was the painters 😉 So I was able to capture this moment without any attention being paid to me. You can tell I was shooting wide open and I added a vignette to help focus the viewer’s attention to the young lady and the painter.
What was amusing was this: when the painters disclosed that she and her friend were the subject of the paintings — and that their departure was a bit soon (for the painters), she offered to take her seat at the table again and continue eating and drinking . . . and posing. The two painters were delighted and my curiosity was piqued: just who was this young lady’s companion?
I turned towards the restaurant’s outdoor eating area and looked for the young lady’s companion. I didn’t have to look hard or long to find what had so captured the attention of the two painters. Here she is:
She did her best to act like she didn’t see my camera . . . but she did and clearly enjoyed the attention 🙂 I stopped the lens down a bit for this exposure and added some vignette in post.
So there you have it: ten minutes of street photography with a medium format folder. Small? No. Stealthy? No. But the GF670’s size and uniqueness can be virtues.
Mark Goode 