Two professional photographers based in the North West of England.
Our work has been published worldwide and featured in advertising campaigns for Leica, Canon, Kodak, FujiFilm and Capture One. After 30+ years of earning a living from photography, we started this RU-vid channel to share our current work and experiences. We like to think of ourselves as photographers with a RU-vid channel rather than RU-vidrs with a photography channel.
And If you are wondering where our channel name comes from...
"Photography can be a mirror and reflect life as it is, but I also think it is possible to WALK, LIKE ALICE, through a looking glass and find another kind of world with the camera." Tony Ray-Jones
This is very eye opening to me, I love taking pictures mos specially people from the streets or anything in the streets. I am scared to show people my pictures because they always tell me it's not proper, no rule of thirds etc etc. This video helps me gain more confidence and just take pictures for you not for others. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for watching. I’m glad you got something from it. Ignore the idiots who comment negatively on photographs. Those that do this are often insecure and lack visual literacy. They find it hard to see the good in a photograph when they have such a negative mindset.
I only got in to photography in this new digital age but started shooting film about 18 months ago. Logically, it makes no sense - cost, inconvenience etc But that misses the point of why take photographs. The whole act is more considered from pucking your film stock, taking the photo and then the magic of pulling your roll of film out of the developing tank to see if you have anything and then the absolute magic of making a print for yourself in the darkroom. Digital will never be able to bring this joy.
Bravo - beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’ve seen some amazing photos taken with instamatics and phones, and some that weren’t pleasing to me done with high end equipment. People just need to chill.
If you were present and pressed the shutter, that 100% makes you a photographer. Some people are full of shit! Bet their own pictures are total nonsense. LOL
With a manual focus camera like the Leica, it is impossible to focus in real time, at least that is the case for me. The 28mm is then the absolute weapon by focusing on the hyperfocal, the shot is instantaneous, you just have to concentrate on the framing. This was the principle used by disposable cameras. Excellent and relevant video as usual.
Silly Question. Have you ever shot manual focus for street photography? I have a A7III and have old Pentax lenses I am using. I will shoot at a aputure of F4 or F5.6
Sorry Jeff I am a hooligan and use a 16/80 zoom, it suits my purpose. It does spend a lot of time at the bottom end but I hate missing an opportunity and I find a prime frustrates the life of out of me. I have done my time with primes, but each to their own.
This is one of the benefits of digital vs film. I can shoot in raw and use either color or b&w. With film you're stuck with what's loaded in the camera until you use that roll up. Unless you shoot color and you scan it as a raw file. Then you have a digital negative to work with.
Great video. This style of shooting should be something any street photographer should at least try out, as it yields great results, but like you said requires practice. My Leica Q3 works great like this.
How about just using you iphone camera? At least half the people walking down the street are looking at their iphone. You can be totally invisible if you are holding your phone and taking pictures.
So I cheat a little. I go out to farmers markets, street fairs, etc... to get close to people. I find more people understand or think your photoing the event and not them. Its been a great strategy for me especially since I live in a small town. Just walking in the street and photoing random people feels very intrusive so I am intimidated. One other tip not sure if mentioned - silent your shutter sound if your camera has that feature - works great if you try shooting from hip which is my new strategy when I don't have an event to piggy back on.
I use a Nikon full frame. I bought a 40mm a year and a half ago. I think it's a good compromise between the 35mm and 50mm. I love that lens. I bought a 28mm at Christmas. It may not be the sharpest lens but I really like the focal length. I can get closer to people and still have enough of the scene in the frame to put in context where they are. 40mm is better for things across the street from you or further down the street from you. I recently bought an old Canon AE-1. It came with a 50mm lens. I found a 28mm that was like new on fb market for $50. That included shipping. I grew up with point and shoot film cameras but never an SLR. I always wanted one. I picked up the camera for $85. So I only have a little over $100 in it. I've spent that much on film and processing of not more. I think I've shot 7 rolls through it since April. I still prefer my mirrorless cameras but I think shooting film with an all manual camera makes you slow down and think about the shot because you don't want to waste a bad shot since there's only 36 to a roll. I think shooting film will help my street photography with a digital camera.
I just realized the basic payload of my comment was "yes." I agreed with everything you were saying. So I dunno. Not really valuable as comments go, except to say that I loved this video and I agreed with your POV. :) "Too much information in the frame" was a solid takeaway for me.
Thanks for the tip on focusing starting at infinity, 99% of the time I shoot street at 28mm and zone focus but on other occasions shooting with the 50mm I have often pushed the focus tab the wrong way. Great content as always. 👍
Making digital pics and then making them look as if shot on film, that's definitely not 'style'. Film has character, whereas digital painting by numbers. Of course you can take pics faster than 1 sec, if you want that use a Robot camera. Keep up the good work, analog rules, OK.
I admire your sentiment but I don’t agree with the comment. Style is how you see the end result and how you want others to see what you saw when you took the photograph. How you get to that style is irrelevant. It’s just part of the process. Sometimes it’s film, sometimes it’s digital. Film is a different process mentally and physically when shooting. In 2009, I submitted six b/w digital images (colour originals processed to my b/w film “style”) to Getty Image Gallery in London as part of a Canon sponsored group exhibit. Getty were printing the images. A week or so later, I had an email from the Getty printers asking me to submit Canon digital files as they couldn’t accept medium format film scans. So my files were close enough to scanned film to put doubt in the mind of some of the best printers in the world. As they would be because that’s how I like my images to look. In 2012, I edited and printed Don McCullin’s digital images. Colour to b/w with grain to keep with his b/w film style. He took the first print from the inkjet printer and said “wow. I could sell these in Hamilton’s Gallery”.
@@WalkLikeAlice That not what I understand by style. It has got nothing to do with how you see the end result. I associate it with quality of appearance, shape and pattern, design exhibiting collective characteristics.
The lens also depends on the environment. A wider lens is easier to manage in a busy city street, while a 50 is more useful in a less densely populated suburban scene where it’s more difficult to get close without being noticed.
Great images but more Light-Scapes as apposed to “street photography” imho. Street photography should reveal moments of the absurd, or find beauty in the mundane or reveal what is otherwise hidden. That’s the real trick. If not, then an image of a bus or a builders discarded, half eaten sandwich would qualify. These are random “walk by” images taken on nice kit by a guy who knew how to find the light at a wedding. Nice images but not really a great example of what street photography is all about. Just an observational opinion not a critique.
Lester, you are so funny, and symptomatic of the feedback RU-vidrs get from insecure people attempting to make themselves feel better and trying to elevate themselves at the expense of others. My sister is a psychotherapist and would probably tell me to not comment here as that I’m probably speaking to someone who had it tough as a child. But sometimes people need telling. Don’t comment mate. Seriously, you are damaging your spirit mate. I would hazard a guess, and I’ve not seen anything creative of yours, I don’t know you, but I know your contribution to the creative hemisphere could only be substandard at best. No creative talent, least of all a photographer, would dare make such a childish, un thought out observation. You do not need to put other people down, under the guise of being helpful, to elevate yourself. Look in the mirror and say … Lester you’re fine as you are. if you need any support message me and I’ll send you my sisters number. I mean this sincerely.
I like the option of being able to shoot from the hip and zone focus. I find a camera shoe mounted spirit level takes care of horizon and vertical problems. Nice video and stand out images!
Oh it’s Mr sound “expert”. Again. It’s our channel. It’s free. If you don’t like it, jog on. It’s really that simple. And if you think your comments are going to make one iota of difference to what we put out, sorry buddy but you are very much mistaken.
Ha haaaaa! @tweaker01, Christ what a bell-end. Mate it’s not our fault you were bullied at school And feel the need to elevate yourself by putting someone else’s work down. Do you have any idea how much time and effort goes into making a RU-vid video? No you don’t is the answer you’re looking for. Maybe ask your one subscriber they might be able to shed some light. But seriously man … it’s not life’s fault you’re lonely. Here is a little secret you might not be aware of … professional or semi talented photographers and creatives do not give out or dish out unsolicited criticism. They invite it. So when criticism comes unsolicited it’s known to be the voice of someone who can only be without talent or even the potential to develop any. That’s the problem with people who are dishing that stuff out 😂 they don’t get it! A professional knows straight away it’s a talentless moron delivering it. Your thoughts are the consequence of frustration simply because you can’t take a decent photo 😂😂😂😂😂
@@WalkLikeAlice So my question to you is why use a 24 or below MM lens which actually moves people further from you instead of a 50MM, 80MM, 100MM lens which brings them in close. It seems counter intuitive to use the lens you use..
@@josebrivera1716using a telephoto lens will isolate the subject from the background and will give a voyeuristic look instead using a wide angle will give more of the envirorment and context in which your subject may be and can make feel the viewer inside the image and not detached.
@@filipposaponaro3943 A voyeuristic look? Where do you get that idea? I guess you value having a wide angle shot. I value getting the person, their expression and or interaction with someone or something. In my photos you can still see their surroundings. I am not doing street portraits. And I am mostly documenting people in the community where I live. I zoom in enough to see a good view of their faces and their surroundings. But I am not close up to them, using my view finder and telegraphing that I am taking their photos. Half my shots are from the hip. I am trying to be invisible to them.
I am finishing off my stock of Film! Digital is better! I've used film since a teenager, now 80! Film not romantic! Expensive, It always was! Yes 8x10 in Weston's time was 15c a sheet! A breakfast was same price in USA!
As well as the street, I shoot landscape and wildlife. I can shoot up to 4000 45mp (Nikon Z8) in a day. My PC is pretty powerful, but the only way to review so many photos quickly is by importing as 'embedded and sidecar.' I would typically aim to keep less than 50 shots. Yesterday in Bournemouth, I took about 300 street photos ( yes, I use burst and shoot from the hip, not exclusively) again, importing with 'embedded and sidecar'. Lightroom will build standard previews when in idle.
I’m a great believer in photographers finding the methods which work for them. Most of my Mac user friends who need to see images quickly tend to use PhotoMechanic. It reads the embedded jpeg like LR, but it’s a lot faster.
Save your cash. We bought Monochrom cameras because the ISO was better than the regular M9 cameras. Today, I would buy a regular colour camera and convert to b/w. The quality is indistinguishable.
@@WalkLikeAliceRed Dot Forum has shown that this simply not true. The tones and fall of between highlights and shadow are dreamy. If you’re talking about just your everyday snapshots, then sure - but if you’re talking about true fine art black and white photography and PRINTING huge - absolutely there’s a difference that’s well appreciated.
with respect. I’ve been printing b/w images from digital for over 20 years. I’ve even printed for Sir Don McCullin. I was the face of Canon’s iPF pro printers and was used as a consultant for those printers because of my expertise in b/w. I was also a consultant for AlienSkin software and was sponsored by Capture One. I was also a consultant for FujiFilm regarding b/w film emulsions. I’ve been printing b/w for 35 years both analog and digital at a professional level. I know my stuff. Companies have employed me because I know my stuff. Photographers have commissioned me because I know my stuff. And I don’t post on Leica forums 😊
Oh and one last thing. You can’t retain highlight details with a monochrome camera like you can with colour converted to b/w, and you can’t separate tones in an image like you can when you convert from colour to b/w. So when it comes to fine-art printing and the reflectivity of print surfaces, that additional control can make the difference in a lot of the tones which can be sucked out of the print by the medium.
Really enjoyed this presentation. Deep and contrasty images, love it. Can I ask what ISO settings you used for the gym images? Super crisp and strong impact.
