Want to talk about street photography? Yeah? Me, too!
Join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry this Thursday as we discuss Street Photography live! We’ll talk about the four Film Simulation Recipes—Kodachrome 64, Classic Kodak, Serr’s 500T, and Agfa Scala—that we’ve been shooting with, show a selection of your pictures, answer any questions that you might have, and much more. I hope that you can join us on March 30 at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern! This is 2nd part to our discussion, so click here if you missed the last broadcast.
We are inviting you—challenging you, in fact—to shoot with one, two, three, or even all four of the Film Simulation Recipes this month. For those wanting an extra challenge, we have two: 1) use reflections and/or silhouettes in your pictures and 2) use a 1/15 shutter speed. These extra challenges are completely optional, but I am excited to see what you do with them. Upload your images by today: up to three of your favorite street photography photographs captured with one (or more) of the four Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested you try—please include the Recipe(s) you used in the file name so that we know. The uploaded pictures will be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow video and have a chance to be featured in the next live broadcast. Don’t procrastinate! If you have something to upload, be sure to do it right now (click here to upload).
Of course, we don’t just ask you to shoot with these Recipes—Nathalie and I are doing it, too, right along with you. This is a community-wide project, which means that everyone is invited to participate. Below are a few of my street photography pictures for this month. I didn’t do real well with the extra challenges, but I feel good that I tried, even if I wasn’t all that successful.
First, before we get into this article, I’ve got to apologize to you all. You see, I went out of town, and I didn’t answer any comments or emails while gone. I just didn’t have time. Sorry. Last night I returned back home, so I’ll try to catch up on all of that over the next several days. It might take a few days to get to them all—I just ask for a little patience. Thank you! Now to the article….
The first episode of the third season of SOOC Live aired on March 2nd. This year Nathalie Boucry and I are doing things a little different, and one of the changes is that we’re discussing themes instead of a singular Film Simulation Recipe. The very first theme is Street Photography. If you missed Episode 1 when it was live, you can watch it below. Don’t worry, the shows this year aren’t two or three hours long like they often were in the first two seasons, so it won’t require quite the time commitment that they used to. Definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it yet!
The Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested for street photography are Kodachrome 64, Classic Kodak, Serr’s 500T, and Agfa Scala. We think that these four Recipes are excellent options for this genre of photography, and if you have an X-Trans III or newer model, there’s one that you can use. We are inviting you—challenging you, in fact—to shoot with one, two, three, or even all four of them this month. For those wanting an extra challenge, we have two: 1) use reflections and/or silhouettes in your pictures and 2) use a 1/15 shutter speed. These extra challenges are completely optional, but I am excited to see what you do with them. Upload your images by March 28: up to three of your favorite street photography photographs captured with one (or more) of the four Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested you try (click here to upload)—please include the Recipe(s) you used in the file name so that we know. The uploaded pictures will be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow video and have a chance to be featured in the next live broadcast; those who upload are automatically entered into a Fuji X Weekly App Patron 12-month subscription giveaway. I can’t wait to see your pictures!
The next show will be live on March 30th at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern. SOOC Live is now twice per month: the first Thursday and the fourth Thursday. The first broadcast is where we introduce the theme-of-the-month and challenge you to photograph using the suggested Film Simulation Recipes, and the second show is where we discuss lessons learned and show your pictures. I hope that you can join us on March 30th! I’ve included the scheduled video below so that you can set a reminder.
Here are a few of my street photography images captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the four Film Simulation Recipes we’re all shooting with this month:
Street photography is a very popular genre, and I get asked fairly frequently what my favorite gear is for it. While I do dabble in street photography, it’s not my most common photographic subject; however, I’ve done enough street photography that I feel comfortable giving gear recommendations for it. In this article I’ll tell you what I use and why.
While there is no definitive explanation, street photography is best described as pictures of chance encounters in public places. It often takes place in urban environments (such as downtown city centers), but it is certainly not limited to that. Some will say that humans must be included in the pictures for it to be street photography, but others will argue that the effects of humanity within the environment is acceptable, and some believe that any urban image fits within the genre. It is commonly understood that street photography involves candid (unstaged) pictures, but some will state that it is the chance encounters that are most important, and it is okay to provide some direction to that randomness in order to create a stronger picture. In other words, there’s no universal answer to what exactly street photography is, but most of the time you recognize it when you see it.
If you’ve never done street photography but want to try, the first place to start is understanding the laws and customs of the place you are photographing. Each country is different, and it may even vary from specific location to specific location. You want to understand your rights as a photographer in a public location, and the rights of those potentially being photographed. Besides the legal question, there is the ethical one: should you? While something might be legally ok, it does not necessarily mean that it is moral. These are all things that you should consider before attempting any street photography. Research the local laws. Consider what you are comfortable photographing and why, and what you are not comfortable photographing and why not. I cannot emphasize this step enough, and I encourage you to spend some time on these questions before heading out with your camera.
After that, the next step is to go to a public place and capture some candid images. The most common location is an urban environment, such as the center of a large city, but it can be anywhere where people are. If you don’t have easy access to a large downtown, consider what is nearby where you live. Even if you live in a small town or a rural location, I bet there are opportunities nearby if you look hard enough.
Now, let’s discuss gear. To be clear, you can use any camera. I’ve done street photography with most of my gear. There are a few tools that I do prefer over others, but if you don’t have these don’t worry too much about it, because whatever gear you currently own is good enough. The list below is simply the cameras that I personally prefer for street photography.
Fujifilm X100V
This is my favorite camera for street photography. Actually, it’s my favorite camera, period. The Fujifilm X100V is my “desert island” model—if I could own only one camera for the rest of my life, it would be this. There are a few things that make it especially good for street photography.
First, it’s pretty small. It’s good for carrying as you walk around for awhile, and people don’t often get intimidated by it like they would with a larger body. Second, the leaf shutter is basically silent, and allows you to be more stealthy. Yes, electronic shutters are silent, too, but they do have a couple of drawbacks that might affect your photography (situationally dependent), so a silent mechanical shutter is an excellent feature. Third, the optical viewfinder allows you to see outside the frame to better anticipate the decisive moment. There are many other things that make the camera great, such as the build quality, weather sealing, traditional tactile controls, built-in ND filter, etc., etc.; this isn’t a review of the X100V, just some reasons why it is my favorite tool for street photography.
Perhaps the top thing that makes the Fujifilm X100V great for street photography are all the Film Simulation Recipes that you can program into the camera. Almost no matter the aesthetic you want to achieve, there is a Recipe that will allow you to get the look straight-out-of-camera, no editing needed. This can make street photography more fun, while saving you time and frustration later.
The Ricoh GR III is a super small and compact camera that you can literally carry with you everywhere, since it fits so easily into a pocket or purse. If you own a Ricoh GR III, there is no excuse for not having it with you. Since photo opportunities aren’t always planned, it’s important to have quick access to a camera at all times, and this model makes it easy. I try to carry my GR III with me whenever I go out, even if it is just to the grocery store.
There are a few reasons why I like the GR III for street photography in particular. Since it is so small and unassuming, most people won’t figure you to be a photographer; if they even notice that you have a camera, they’ll likely think you are a snap-shooter or tourist, and will often disregard you. The 27.5mm (equivalent) lens gives a wide view, which can be good for showing context. Like the X100V, the GR III has a nearly silent leaf shutter. If you don’t want to be noticed, this camera is probably the best bet. There are certainly drawbacks to the GR III (no model is perfect), but for the size and weight it is pretty darn excellent.
There are Recipes for the Ricoh GR III, although not nearly as many as there are for the Fujifilm X100V. If you want to skip picture editing (called one-step photography), the GR III is a solid option that should be strongly considered. In fact, the Fujifilm X100V and the Ricoh GR III compliment each other, and can coexist comfortably in your camera bag.
Urban Crescent – Salt Lake City, UT – Ricoh GR III – Royal Supra
Speak Up or It Will Be Flat – Salt Lake City, UT – Ricoh GR III – Kodak Chrome
Bike with Basket – Scottsdale, AZ – Ricoh GR III – Aged Print
Since you always have your phone, you always have a camera. If you accidentally left your “real” cameras at home, no worries! Your cellphone camera is a perfectly capable photographic tool. My current cellphone is an iPhone 11. I don’t think your cellphone make and model matter much—any cellphone camera will suffice—but I personally prefer Apple, since I can use the RitchieCam camera app, which is only available for iOS (click here).
The iPhone is great for street photography because nobody thinks twice about seeing someone with their phone out. Even if you do get “caught” capturing a picture, you can easily fake that you are taking a selfie or texting someone or some other typical phone action. Many cellphones have multiple focal length options, so they’re surprisingly versatile. My favorite accessory is the Moment Tele 58mm lens.
While I do use my phone for photography, I also use it for another important reason: Apps! Specifically, the Fuji X Weekly App (Android, Apple) and the Ricoh Recipes App (Android, Apple). In my opinion, those are essential tools to accompany your Fujifilm and Ricoh cameras.
Fame, Fortune – Moab, UT – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam App – Standard Film
Yield then Stop – Panguitch, Utah – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam App – Night Negative
Exxon in Winter – Moab, UT – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam App – Night Negative
Let me show you a few more street images that I captured recently.
The three above pictures, despite being pretty different overall, all have something in common (besides being street photography). If you want to know what it is, you’ll have to tune into SOOC Live on March 2. Nathalie Boucry and I will be discussing the theme of street photography, including things like gear and Film Simulation Recipes and such. Mark your calendars now! Be sure to subscribe to the SOOC Live YouTube channel so that you don’t miss out on all the great upcoming broadcasts.
Street photography is a unique and challenging form of photography that requires a keen eye for detail, a sense of timing, and a deep understanding of light and composition. One of the best ways to elevate your street photography is by using Film Simulation Recipes, such as Kodachrome 64, on your Fujifilm camera. These recipes can help you quickly and easily achieve a specific look and feel in your photographs that can be more difficult to replicate with other techniques.
One of the key benefits of using Film Simulation Recipes is that they allow you to emulate the look and feel of traditional film stocks. The Kodachrome 64 recipe, for example, is known for its warm, saturated colors and high contrast, which can add a sense of nostalgia and emotional depth to your street images. By using this recipe, you can give your photos a vintage look that is both timeless and evocative.
SS At 35th – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 64”
Another benefit of using recipes on your Fujifilm camera is that they can help you achieve a more consistent aesthetic across your photos. This is especially important for street photographers who often work in rapidly changing light conditions. Using just one recipe over a series of pictures can ensure that your photos have a consistent color palette and tonal range, which can help to tie your photos together and give them a cohesive feel. With that said, it’s important to consider how to use recipes in a way that is true to your personal vision and style. While it can be tempting to simply use (for example) Kodachrome 64 with every exposure, it’s important to remember that each recipe has its own unique characteristics and should be used in a way that complements the subject and mood.
Also, it’s important to remember that Film Simulation Recipes are not a substitute for good technique and composition. While they can help to add a sense of style and character to your photos, they are not a magic bullet that can fix poor technique or composition. In order to achieve the best results, it’s important to combine the use of these recipes with good technical skills and an understanding of light and storytelling.
Going Out of Business – Prescott, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “1970’s Summer“
Using recipes with your Fujifilm camera can be a powerful tool for street photographers who want to add a unique and personal touch to their work. These recipes can help you quickly and easily achieve a specific look and feel in your photos. By combining the use of these recipes with good technique and composition, you can take your street photography to the next level and create truly stunning and evocative images.
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Walking Next To The Trax – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
Earlier this week I was able to do some street and urban photography in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, with my Fujifilm X-T30. I had two vintage Asahi-Pentax lenses with me: a Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 and a Super-Takumar 105mm f/2.8. I mostly used the 28mm lens, as its focal-length is more ideal for this type of photography. As you already know if you follow the Fuji X Weekly blog, I really love pairing vintage lenses with my Fujifilm cameras. They go together like peanut butter and jelly! I have so much fun with it, and for whatever reason using vintage lenses seems especially appropriate for street photography.
I used my Kodachrome II recipe, with Color set to +2 on some images, for the color pictures in this series. The black-and-white photographs are my Acros Push-Process recipe, except I set Grain to Weak, Dynamic Range to DR400, and Highlight to +3 or +2, depending on the picture. I like to say that you can “season to taste” my different film simulation recipes; it’s something that I do. If a scene requires something to be adjusted a little different in order to create a stronger picture, I will not hesitate to do so. While my different film simulation recipes work well as-is in many circumstances, sometimes they need an adjustment to best fit the scene.
Downtown Salt Lake City is a great location for street and urban photography. It’s pretty safe. Parking is easy. Getting around is easy. It typically has just enough going on for interesting pictures, but not too much where it feels crowded. It’s large enough that you can’t do it justice in just one visit, but not too large where you might get lost. There’s interesting architecture and art. There are interesting people. Downtown Salt Lake City might not be the most idealistic street photography location, but it is nonetheless ideal in many ways.
Federal Traffic Signal – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
Urban Sunshine – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
1st & 4th – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
Man On Main – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
The Joy of Train Riding – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
Rail Riders – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
35 Minute Parking – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
City Winter – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5
Back in August I introduced the Film Simulation Challenge, which is where you pick one film simulation recipe and shoot either 24 or 36 frames before changing settings. It’s kind of like loading your camera with a roll of film, and you are stuck with whatever film you loaded until that roll is completely exposed. This challenge is the digital equivalent of that analog issue. I thought it would be a fun experiment to encourage photographic vision while sharing the joy of Fujifilm X cameras.
The “film” that I loaded into my Fujifilm X-T30 was a 36 exposure “roll” of my new “Classic Negative” film simulation recipe. This recipe is the closest that I could come to matching the new film simulation of the same name that’s on the X-Pro3, but I have to admit, it’s not a complete match. The Classic Negative film simulation changes depending on the light and how you expose it, which is different than the other film simulations. I don’t think it’s possible to create an exact match, but hopefully my “Classic Negative” recipe is at least in the general ballpark. Or, if it isn’t, I hope that some of you appreciate it nonetheless.
My wife, Amanda, is a big fan of Ree Drummond (also known as The Pioneer Woman). She’s a famous blogger, author and television personality best known for her cooking recipes. She has a store, restaurant and bakery in Oklahoma, which my wife and I visited two summers ago. Ree has a new cookbook, and she’s been traveling the country doing book signings. Amanda insisted that we go so that we could meet her, and so we did! We stood in line for almost an hour in order to have a thirty second conversation with her. It was a very quick meet-and-greet that seemed like it was over before it even began. What you might not know is that Ree’s a pretty good photographer, and I was able to suggest that she create a photojournal book of her ranch that features her black-and-white photographs. She replied that she needs to get the pictures off her SD Card first.
I made 36 exposures using my “Classic Negative” film simulation, and most were of this event, especially while waiting in line. The lighting inside the bookstore was terrible, with some crazy mixed artificial lights, and this recipe wasn’t a good choice for it. I did reprocess in-camera the RAW image of Ree Drummond, and I’ve included that at the bottom of this article. I used a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens for these pictures. I hope that you enjoy!
Frame 1: Pink Sleeve – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 2: Sunset 218 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 3: Changing Nature – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 5: SweetalyGelato – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 7: King of Books – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 8: Waiting For The Bus – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 9: 15th Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 15: Brick Chimney – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 18: A Roof – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 19: Waiting In The Waning Sun – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 22: Rick – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 24: No Trucks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 26: Salt Lake Neighborhood – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 28: Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 30: Open – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 31: Happy Amanda – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 32: Bank On It – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Frame 33: Brews – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”
Reprocess of frame 28:
Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – PRO Neg. Hi
Unlike the last video, which had Amanda behind the video camera, I captured all of the footage for this one. While I was doing it, I did my best to think, “How would Amanda record this shot?” I didn’t do a particularly good job, though, but I did record a lot of content in hopes that there would be something usable. I employed my Fujifilm X-T30 with a Rokinon 12mm lens for both the video and stills. Amanda took all of it into editing software and somehow made this great video. Honestly, I don’t know how she did it. She really did an incredible job!
If you haven’t done so already, please visit the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel. I invite you to subscribe. Feel free to like, comment and share. Over the coming weeks and months you can expect more video content to be added, thanks to the talents of my wonderful wife, Amanda.
If you are interested in purchasing the gear used for this video, you’ll find my affiliate links below. If you make a purchase using my links I will be compensated a small amount for it.
Last week I did a little photo walk in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. I’ve been itching lately to do more street and urban photography. Salt Lake City is a very nice and relatively safe downtown, making it an excellent location for this type of picture adventure. It’s not all that far from where I live, so I really need to get there with a camera more frequently.
The particular day and time of my visit turned out to be quiet. Sometimes downtown Salt Lake City is bustling and busy, and sometimes it is nearly dead. This was definitely one of those nearly dead times. On one hand it feels like you can take things at a slower pace and just absorb the atmosphere, but on the other hand there seems to be fewer photographic opportunities for street pictures. There are pluses and minuses.
Nearly Scraping – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
The number one subject that I encountered was the homeless. Like any urban area, there are homeless all over. It seems like Salt Lake City has more homeless than it should, but I think the generosity and compassion of folks in this region might make it seem favorable for those in that situation. I don’t want to dive too deeply into what could be a long rabbit hole regarding the homeless. I’ve talked with several. Had coffee with a couple. Given a car ride to one. It’s a sad problem with few, if any, good solutions. The status quo isn’t effective. There are people trying to help, and there is help for those who really want it. Some just don’t want help, even though they are clearly at rock bottom. I know that photographing the homeless is taboo for some. I would say that ignoring the plight isn’t helpful.
I used a Fujifilm X-T30 camera with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to the front for these pictures. I’ve heard many people say that the 50mm-equivalent focal length of the lens isn’t ideal for street photography, but it all depends on how you use it. I appreciate that this setup is fairly small and lightweight, which does make it useful for this genre of picture-taking.
I Suppose It All Depends – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
