The fantastic gear I use for Street Photography
The Evolution of My Equipment.
The Evolution of Your Equipment.
Your photography gear evolves as you grow and shrink, physically and mentally. A person’s bank balance, attitude, and physical well-being help determine their gear. The photography you do plays a massive role in influencing your gear choice. So far, I’ve only mouthed platitudes but stay with me for a moment. A landscape photographer will carry a tripod. A landscape photographer without a tripod is like a photographer without a camera or phone. They take a few lenses and filters, pack all this into a backpack, and then hike with the weight to remote locations. Many camp out, adding tents and other equipment to their load. In contrast, a street photographer’s gear is minimal.
The Panopticon and why we must blend in.
Now is the moment you wake up and ask me why this is so. A street photographer must blend in with the action unfolding on the roads. With the spread of surveillance technology, most people suspect photographers and their intentions. When I started my photography journey, most of my fellow humans did not when I took their photographs. In the last few years, many have asked if I belong to the press: television or press. Only when I express scorn for the media–all of whom have sold themselves to the political establishment–do they relax. One gentleman worried I’d send his image to the police, who would bully him for money before allowing him to push his cart around.
We live in a panopticon, and surveillance technology makes lives difficult and public. I often believe we need to revert to an analog lifestyle. Social media, surveillance cameras, and profiling technologies are intrusive and track us constantly.
As I have developed, so have my gear. Before I continue, I must remind you I use different gear when I travel, and I will write separate posts about the gear I use on the road. Photography equipment is expensive, and you must remember this. If you wish to buy specialized gear for several genres you want to specialize in, your bank balance will disappear faster than the speed of light, and before you know it, your bank locker will only contain air.
I’ve written a long preamble, and it’s time to move on. Those who do not wish to read the post can watch the attached YouTube video. Please watch it anyway, comment on the video, and hit the subscribe button!
The Gear I Use.
My Fujifilm X 100V
I’ll start with my camera. Years ago, I started with an Olympus OM-2n camera, shooting with black-and-white film. In the beginning, I used a 50 mm prime lens and bought a 70 mm-200 mm Zoom lens. Two forces motivated me to buy the zoom lens–my shyness (I hid behind lamp posts) and my conviction that a zoom lens was a chick magnet. Over the years, I moved to a Nikon D200 and then a Nikon D 810. I did not ditch the zoom lens, as it has advantages. The significant benefits of a zoom lens are that it allows you to zoom in on faces and to ensure your image has a tight crop.
The Nikon D810 is heavy and prevents you from blending in, especially nowadays, when privacy is a universal concern. Never assume that people on the street don’t care. They care about their privacy and wish to avoid harassment by the corrupt cops and pesky press folk. No one appreciates it when someone shoves the snout of a big lens into their noses. A big, heavy camera announces you as a “PHOTOGRAPHER,” and people decode the message as “BEWARE. RUN AWAY.”
Now, I use a Fujifilm X100V. This camera is small and has a fixed 23 mm lens. Fujifilm introduced the Fujifilm X 100 VI, which has a built-in zoom. This camera (the Fujifilm X 100V) is small, light, and powerful. I am amazed at how much power Fuji has packed into this tiny camera. I like to use the optical viewfinder most of the time, but with the X100V, I use the rear LCD screen. It gives me anonymity when I need it. Most importantly, because it is small, the camera does not cause alarm bells to go jangling. There is no jingle-jangle sound you hear when using this camera!
My GoPro Hero Black 11
The next item I use is the GoPro Hero Black 11. My brother-in-law is a gem and has gifted this incredible bit of equipment to me. When I use the GoPro, I put my camera in my bag. Again, there is no need to have two cameras dangling from your neck. Apart from the inconvenience, there is no need to announce your grand arrival on the streets. Remember, we are not royalty to whom our fellow world travelers must bow.
I use a small GoPro tripod or a GoPro handle to keep the gadget steady. I may buy a gimbal or convince GoPro to upgrade me to the latest model someday! Indian streets are noisy, so I use a GoPro accessory called the “Media Mod.” This accessory captures my voice better than a GoPro without the “Media Mod.” Sometimes, I place a small Rode microphone on the Media Mod. You cannot use the Rode microphone if you are not using the media mod, which is annoying. My Rode has a hairy cover, one of those small things that helps to reduce annoying wind sounds. Does it work? Sure.
Recording Audio.
Often, I record voice on my mobile phone, and sometimes, I also use my mobile phone to record video. My OnePlus 10GPro has an excellent dual-screen feature. It divides the screen into two: capturing the scene in front and capturing me as I talk into the phone. I am still not an expert at looking into the phone when I use this handy feature, and I resemble a person trying to find Mars in the blinding Delhi sun.
When I record my voice on my phone, I use a Syncope microphone set, and I am convinced I misspelled the name. However, I will buy a dedicated “Zoom” audio recorder later this year. I will record podcast episodes from the street, and I am much better at this than gazing at a computer screen and trying to sound corporate. If I cannot bitch and moan when I speak, I sound like a bit of limp seaweed.
The External Battery Pack & My Bag.
Never leave home without an external battery pack. I am overjoyed that most manufacturers (except Apple) use the C-port. Yes, this is the first step towards achieving universal values in humanity!
And last, my bag! I use a sling bag–a Lowepro sling bag. I like this bag because it resembles the crappy little sling bags many of us used in college. It slips around my shoulders and rests on the small of my back. A conventional camera bag is prominent and screams your arrival. This bag most closely resembles a ‘jhola.’ You don’t want your gear to announce your presence.
Share a laugh. Life is short!
Walk on the streets, blend in, hang around, share a story and a smile, and buy someone a cuppa chai. Squat on the road with your feet in the gutter. Breathe in the smoke and the dust, and recognize that your life is becoming shorter but richer. Then, shoot your photographs and leave a legacy that future generations cherish.