Such a refreshing message. It’s not only street photography that benefits from an approach like this. I’m a fashion/beauty photographer in based in Switzerland and we host workshops in our studio. Many participants seem to think that you need a 40-60MP camera with at least f1.2-1.4 lenses to be able to make good photos. They’re shocked to find out that most commercial work is shot at f5.6 or f8 and a 24MP camera works just as well. Go out, learn and enjoy and let no marketing dept tell you what you need.
Finally. Someone who has arrived at this perspective. My 14 y/o nephew takes incredible photos and leaves his camera on full auto or AP all the time. He’s all about awareness and framing and not encumbered by concerns over settings. His photos are moving and engaging because he is 100% moved and engaged as a photographer… not distracted by technical details. I’m working on letting go by enabling/trusting the camera to take more control… then myself, responding internally to what I see rather than trying to capture/manipulate it through the camera. As a result, I’m liking more of my photos.
I'm still in the middle of watching the video as i type this, but the opinion i formed about two or three months into beginning photography as a hobby (4 years ago now) is that it's important to understand the exposure triangle so that if an image isn't what you're looking for you know what to change to achieve it, but that in well over 99% of photo opportunities outside of studio work: fully automatic shutter speed and ISO settings with exposure compensation for setting exposure, will capture what you want and yield the best result
I was just thinking about this. Some of the scenes he puts himself in to talk to us just put me at ease and make me want to listen more. Like the one of him eating on the park bench. I don't know why, but that was just such a calming scene. Maybe it's because it felt personal. Like I was just talking with a friend.
can we take a moment to appreciate how much efforts go into filming the video itself let alone the amount of good content shared! You are taking filming yourself to another level!
Agree 100% and having your camera "in your hand, ready to photograph your observations at any moment" is another key to making those photographs. Aperture priority, f8 and one lens is all most of us need for street-photography. Thank you for your inspirational videos.
Aperture Priority has recently been a great discovery for me too - having to only worry about aperture is very freeing while exposure compensation allows some creative control too. If I’d like to be fully in charge and take more time on my shot, then manual is there an option. There’s no right or wrong way of getting a good image. When you do the technicalities matter less than the quality of the photo itself.
@@entremontanas7614 in street one needs to be especially quick to not miss the moment, and that's where aperture priority comes in handy, any type of photography where one needs to be quick can benefit from that mode
@@entremontanas7614 Assuming you've set the ISO, the advantage of using aperture priority is that you don't have to worry about figuring out the shutter speed or anything else. You can dial in your aperture for your desired depth of field and the camera will do the rest. If you want your image to be brighter or darker, use the exposure compensation accordingly - i.e. + = brighter, - = darker. Hope this helps.
I have a Q2 and when I thought so badly that I needed to shoot wide open and with auto focus to "get the most of the camera". I picked up an M2 film camera and you just can't shoot it that way. When I saw the results I was getting from the film style of shooting I quickly realized how much more I liked those shots. I took this approach of going to higher apertures and zone focusing even on the digital camera. I don't really know how to describe it any better than your video did, but it is for sure worth trying out.
100%, there's a time and a place for shooting wide open, but it's completely overused these days. Also, even with my 16-80 f4 at 35mm I can still get blurry portrait backgrounds if shooting a person from the chest up, people forget that focal length and distance are just as important as a wide aperture for blurry backgrounds
Shot at 5:50 is excellent Faizal. Nice cadence and timing on the voice overs at the beginning of the video as well! Nice transitions in the different sections of the video as well, love how you bookended things with the bench at the end.
I can totally relate to the “out of focus” thing. Just the other day I went out with a Vivitar 70-210 and most of my images came up a little soft either because of slight miss focus or shutter speed being a tad slow. At first I thought they were all bad but as I went through them I started liking the look and feel of them
I've been having a similar experience. Recently been putting my camera through some older 90's lenses. While they don't give that same clinical "perfect" look of more modern lenses and coatings... I've actually been appreciating the feel and look more. Something about it looking organic.
So nice to hear that the emphasis is not in owning the best lenses there is and to actually start photographing. Im at that phase and after watching this video im reminded to pause the GAS.
As always love your videos. Your comments about liking your photos slightly out of focus & less sharp remind me of something I heard somewhere about capturing the feeling of the moment as if it’s a memory vs. capturing as much detail as possible. When the photo isn’t perfectly in focus and maybe not so sharp, it does feel like a memory or the essence of what that moment was. I think film does this more naturally than digital, but you do an amazing job of achieving that look digitally (for the reasons you mention in the video). Love your work & you inspire me to try to create these painting-like / dream-like images, so thank you.
Thanks for mentioning the "memory" concept, Trevor. I hadn't heard it, but it rings very true for someone like me (mid 60s) who started w BW film in Kodak Brownie cameras. I adore those old pics for the actual memories they depict and the soft focus that is, relaxing and more as I remember things.
I can't say enough how much I love my X-T30 II when I leave ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed in auto. My minimum shutter speed is set to 1/80s andthen I have Portra 400 film simulation on at 100% of the time. Wonderful results.
I like hearing your insights. Re: sharpness, when I shoot portraits it seems like today’s cameras and lenses are too good for the task. I think it’s ironic that we use these high-res cameras and lenses for portraits, then go into Photoshop to remove a lot of the details like wrinkles around the eyes, tartar between the teeth and the one hair across the cheek! Use a vintage 50/1.4 wide open and none of those are noticeable. 😅
not to long bought a Voigtlander 23mm 1.2 for my fuji and am pleased with results, even lots of people online said it wasn't sharp enough, but it worked for me
I’ve had it on my X-Pro3 since I got it a little over a year ago. I find it sharp even at 1.2, and that’s with a 1/4 Pro Mist. It’s on my camera 90% of the time. Best rendering lens for my tastes, followed by the Fuji 35mm 1.4
Yes! Your natural desire to move away from pin sharp focus is serving you very well. Photography is getting caught up in a race to the bottom, where pixels are more important than art, forests are less important than trees. Carry on, Faizal!
Totally agree and shoot similarly 90% of the time. I love my Fuji F2 lenses and see no need in the wide aperture lenses. I'm 77YO and have been shooting street since 2013. I have also been adding intentional camera movement into my street work.
I am relatively new to photography and I very much appreciated your reflections. I was wondering how deep I had to go into the technical aspects of photography and you affirmed my perspective that it is about capturing a moment through a pov and that there is beauty in the so called imperfection. Thanks so much 💛.
You r so right with what u r saying.. I do lots of wedding photography and I hated myself so many times when a shot wasn't in perfect focus or didn't have the perfect exposure until 1 day I took a picture when the couple left the civil office, a cloud moved and the sun hit badly which ended up in a heavily blown out shot on the couples faces but it still was giving quite an emotion looking at it so I added it to the pictures I gave the couple. Few years later I did their wedding. I came into their apartment for the ready up pictures and 1 of the biggest prints they had on their wall was that very picture. I asked them why they chose this one because it wasn't perfect but they told me "it might not be perfect but what's perfect? You can see how happy we are and that's the only thing that matters. We love it!" That's the moment I realized emotions > perfection.
Fantastic video, truly. I worked at Canon for years - the obsession with camera capabilities and settings can create a serious tunnel vision for photographers and cinematographers. I’ve seen it. It’s okay for gear/tech to be fun but it’s sooo often a distraction. I always remind people, the “ABSOLUTE BEST” camera from 5-10 years ago is probably less than $1,000 used. Is it now obsolete? Of course not. A used 5D Mark III is $500 on MPB. It has taken countless award winning photos. Is it missing some spec or setting that is essential to getting a great photo? Of course not. It’s so great hearing you talk about this and you’re so right; prioritizing the best spec or perfect settings - it distracts from everything important and fun and rewarding.
Man, I love the video "stills" for the intro and outro so much. At the intro, I really thought they were paintings, until some leaves and such started wiggling in the breeze. Lovely shots. And thank you for the advice, I think you're absolutely right. I also personally tend to use aperture priority on my film cameras, and anticipate I would do exactly the same as you. Letting the camera handle shutter speed and ISO, so that I can just focus on fighting through my own anxieties and hesitations to get a shot that I can be confident with, instead of trying to juggle everything and just missing out on living in the moment.
That video is so comforting to me. It really gives answers to questions and ideas that have really bothered me lately. Ever since I started photography (not that long ago), I’ve spent so much time working on trying to get my photos as sharp as possible. But after buying so much equipment and practicing so much time getting it right, I’m still not satisfied. I feel like although some of my photos can be beautiful, as in, in focus, with nice composition, correct exposition, bright harmonious colors, beautiful light... they’re kind of uninteresting or at least, they’re not what i’m looking into doing, really. When I look at images from other photographers that I like, I’m thinking I want to do more "dreamy", sensual photos, which are more about suggesting a general feel than just depicting something or just being "graphically elegant". And therefore I’ve been having this crazy idea that maybe my camera was "too good" and yet I’m having trouble wrapping this idea around my head. Same with focus, I’ve been wondering if maybe, autofocus didn’t get in the way of creativity. Although, actually sacrificing ISO and starting focusing manually again feels like a crazy idea, it feels like giving up on everything I have learned so far. But your input is really comforting me in the idea that maybe it’s not that crazy and that I should be more bold and openminded about how I perceive what should be a "good" image...
I agree. I look at Manual as the setting of last resort. I stick with Aperture Priority almost exclusively. I don’t own Fujifilm f2 lenses. I went straight to f1.4 (16 and 33) so I already ruined myself. Can never go back, but the weight and feel on the X-T5 or X-H2S is so perfect. And when I do want dreamy background separation or night shots, I’ve got it within reach.
I do love this sentiment, so much. And also as someone who was in high school in the 90s in dark rooms for years, using film and camcorders, and disposable cameras, and polaroids. I can say I absolutely love digital cameras and their workflow. I love vintage cameras and older softer looks too. It really comes down to your personal workflow and what makes you inspired to pick it up and film. :)
Interesting video. I've been using Aperture Priority almost exclusively for going on 20 years. Of course, I started photography so long ago that there was no choice but to shoot in manual mode. It wasn't called manual mode, because there were no other modes available. But since then, I seldom shoot in manual mode. Whether or not some photographers are willing to admit it, you're right -- the cameras, by and large, are pretty smart, and can usually come pretty close to nailing it. So why not use all that technology we all paid so much money for?
@@StanleyKubick1 well, that's true, but No one said anything about having to buy a brand new, top of the line camera. Even entry level cameras at a few hundred $ have aperture priority, and virtually any camera on the used market has it.
well said. i do find there are some times where i want to choose the shutter speed too, such as in low light where you want to force a higher shutter speed due to moving subjects. interesting use of unsharpness/motion blur in this video. i feel it works best for this type of street photography which is ultimately aping a retro or abstract look.
Completely agree, depth of field and zone focus are my favourites. I have come to dislike "tack-sharp" and now judge my success more around did I get the composition I wanted, rather than can I see the detail. I watch all of your videos and appreciate the openness of your style. Thanks so much and keep it up
Exactly! I like the less sharper images. For me it's the imperfections that give off the vibe of camera and film tech from the film days. I shoot with the XT2 still. But I miss my XT1. It was perfect for the look I was after.
I've been shooting like this for years and find it to be very enjoyable and yields the most pleasing results while freeing me up to be in the moment. Plus I'm loving the Film scale setting in Fuji's so helpful to use in manual focus mode so it's easier to stay in the zone that's " in focus". Great video!
I just watched your approach to camera settings shifting focus and DoF back to the picture. Without the intent of getting personal: the following yt-video was a 1 y/o ULTIMATE GUIDE to STREET PHOTOGRAPHY by Jason Vong, walking around in NY with a backpack full of gear worth around 20.000 $ (Leica not included) and weighing at least 10 - 15 kg, talking about which expensive lens to use in which situation. I stopped after about 5 min. I'm using 3 Instruments: a ricoh gr3, a Nikon FE2 - and a Mamiya 330 pro. You probably can guess which pictures are most valuable to me ...
Well said Faizal, I totally agree with everything you say, for me photography is about recording an interesting image, conveying a feeling, a mood, an emotion. It doesn't matter about a bit of noise, or if it's not tack sharp.
What a beautiful video Faizal. Not only informative, but the cinematography of it is just unreal, there's such a careful rhythm to it, so relaxing and peaceful. I love that you take the focus (no pun intended) back to photography and the art and process of it, rather than just making another technical video. Keep up the good work, all the love from Scotland.
reminds me of my 'struggles' and you know I did shoot wide open for a long time, I went to Europe for a couple weeks, about a week ago, and I decided to do some photos of the churches, the architecture, the street, et al and shoot in f/5.6 or f/8 as well as open all the way for comparison and it was definitely eye opening, though both were just fine, there was something about shooting at f/8 that felt like I had added, 'more' to my story. Thank you for this video, great vid! Cheers!
You have such a lovely style of presentation and I agree with you. I spend far too much of my working day at f1.2; every wedding I remind myself there are other apertures lol.
I’ve been shooting since 1969, and with the advent of aperture priority. It made things so much easier in so many ways. And then, of course auto focus was also a great invention. Of course, using hyper focal distance and knowing the sunny 16 rule you could get a quick shot, but the less you have to think about as far as the mechanics the more time you can think about light, composition, and moment.
The point you made on excessive sharpness is the reason I actively chose my X-T20 with the 35 and 50 f2’s. I also absolutely love love love the type of images you take and these videos are a great view into the day to day. Thanks. 🙏🏻
I love you mentioning shooting at f8 and above. When I was studying journalism one of my professors/ instructors swore that if you only learned one thing to be a good photojournalist it was F8BT (f8 and Be There). His point being that you had to be ready to shoot when the action happened because the action wasn't going to wait for you while you fiddled with your settings at the office.
There used to be a saying many years ago that said "F8 and be there". There is some debate over it's meaning, though. If you have wide-ish lens, and set the aperture to f8, basically everything in front of your camera will be in reasonable focus. So all you need to do is stand in the right place and shoot when something happens (hence the "be there" part), and at f8, there is no need to worry about focusing....just point and shoot. I think people call it zone focusing today?? But shooting like this is a good exercise in learning composition because you have to pay more attention to what is in the foreground and background since all of it will be in focus. It's great to see someone with your kind of thought process in photography. Thanks for posting the video!
Hello. I use to live in New York City. I walked with my cameras always. I only had one setting on my cameras. I got the photographs I wanted. I didn't care about other settings at all. I just wanted to take photographs. I also watched many videos on different settings, but later figured out that even the cameras didn't mattered to me as long as I got the shot of the subject. The cheapest camera I had was $5.00 dollars. That was a film 35 mm camera. It didn't have a brand name. The photos were beautiful. I would buy the cheapest film too. They were beautiful photographs. All were of the city streets. That's what I liked about that city.😊
Sharp, soft, shallow DoF, deep DoF… it’s all good and part of my artistic expression. I really love your work and draw lots of inspiration from it. The jazz is a nice touch, too.
Hi Faizal, first of all thank you for your honesty in your videos! What impresses me the most, besides the pure content, is the tone of your clips. It is very candid. People just believe what you are reporting. And that's rare these days. Thanks for addressing the issue of "over-sharpening" for once! It's one of the reasons why most smartphone photos just don't look good - too unreal. After a "break" of 17 years, I've been getting serious about photography again for a few months now. My Fuji XT 5 is a nice tool which helps me to learn again: the ability to notice .... Greetz from Hamburg, Jann
Hey Faizal, I think there are two things which gave film photography it’s unique look. 1) The silver halide crystals are not perfectly aligned like a camera sensors photo sites 2) focus was never perfect! I really appreciate the way you let go of perfection and can appreciate the resulting beauty. I’ve really been inspired by this philosophy you and Joe Greer espouse. Thank you!
I agree with what you say, but there is nothing wrong with learnig how to shoot manual when you are starting out. It's fundamental in order to know how a camera works, even if you miss a lot of shots at first, it's the beauty of the learning process. P.S. that XE-4 in the rain hurts my feelings, you are playing russian roulette😅
Love the chill vibe of the video. These days most people try to get the vintage look through filters, so I can totally understand the idea of your photos not looking perfect and appreciate that look.
i love all the information you've dropped here. i do all this plus my current approach is auto ISO and f4 or 5.6 for daytime and 2.8 for indoors and just running with that. I wish someone had told me back when I started how to use the brain in my camera to automate what I want to remove from my shooting decisions rather than feeling like i had to shoot everything in manual.
That was awesome. I probably have to learn the manual basics first as a beginner but the philosophy behind your style is defiantly what I’m looking for when I’m better. The balance… like always
There is so much that I loved about this video: the message, the shots, the color grading, the layout of the video... everything was really amazing. wow. Thank you for such a great video!
I really resonate with your approach. Super sharp images remind me of hyper realism which is not my vibe. I like the distress and mystery that blur may create or things out of focus. I think it’s all about ways of seeing and being present so your recommendations for simplifying camera settings is awesome. Thank you for being real with these videos. I look forward to watching them.
I think i needed to hear this. I used to not care bout settings and shoot, which made the photos engaging. Then recent years, I felt something was lost, and I couldn’t figure out what was lost, or I know, but I do not know how to overcome the conscious which took away my intuition. Thank you for your words
Nice video, very laid back. Slow shutter speeds are great for abstracting but you can set a lower auto ss limit on Fujis which would prevent motion blur (often confused with missed focus) where you don't want it.
I shoot manual when I am trying to sharpen my skills. When applied to street photography, only when I am in "Fishing mode" with zone focus in mind. Otherwise, I shoot with Aperture priority mode and often in continuous low setting to leverage on the functions modern cameras offers. Great video as always.
I here you brother. I set my FujiFilm to A but keep my lens on M/A setup. I begin my own photography journey with film and use my X-Pro cameras in the same manner. Film cameras was all about the lens and ASA settings or ISO today in digital cameras. People put to much time towards setting and miss out on a lot by doing so. Many thanks for sharing your own photography wisdom. 😊
thank you so much. i'm returning to camerawork (more video than photo) after a time away, and this helped me so much. both in deciding on prime lenses for fuji, but also in finding a meaningful approach to things like f stop, street captures, etc. pragmatically helpful but also gave me chills in spots. thanks.
Yep! I've found the same thing. Constantly trying to play that "manual" settings mind-game can take the joy out of the experience. I tend to favour wanting to take my time composing my shot than thinking of the best settings. Aperture Priority has often been my favourite setting. Nicely put-together video Faizal!
I’ve been shooting in a similar manner the past year or so. I don’t this as much with my Fuji X100F, but do it with my Nikon gear. I love my older Nikon primes from the 90’s (D lenses) and my older bodies (D50, D300, and D700). I will auto focus at a given distance, then turn it to manual focus and not touch the lens. Great video!!
Agree. I can shoot anything w my Z9, but often use the D300, D700, or D800 with vintage manual lenses for softer effect. And the F2 prime Faizal mentioned helps let the Z9 feel like it is a salty little street camera instead of the tank that it is (though I am not at all bothered by the size). Interesting tip on the AF/MF switch. Thanks
To compliment what you were saying about focus, I’ve found myself only shooting on manual focus lenses (unless it’s paid work… although sometimes I still use manual lenses). It gives me a feeling of control that i just haven’t found with AF. It’s a step closer to that rangefinder feeling that the photographers I adore experienced and it allows for a margin of error that can create magic
Just ‘stumbled’ upon your video, and I’m glad I did! I needed this! There is a lot to take away from this Video. There is a wealth of information herein, but yet broken down in such simplistic terms. Thank You! Stay safe
I can't like this enough! My cameras are almost always set on A (aperture priority). I let the camera choose the ISO and shutter speed. My standard aperture setting is f/8. "F/8 and be there!" comes to mind. I always check the shutter speed and ISO in the viewfinder to be sure they aren't stupid. I also take a look at the histogram and adjust the exposure as needed. If I come across something that wants separation from foreground/background, then it's east to roll down to f/2 to f/4. I'm also a Fuji shooter. The compact lens series is great, although I sometimes wish they had OIS onboard.
I'm using an Olympus em10 iv and love shooting aperture priority with a super cheap manual lens. Just had a good trip and mostly used a 7artisans 35mm 1.4, so 70mm equivalent. 90% of the time, this was set to f2.8 or f4 because you WANT an entire person, front to back, to be in focus. And f4 and f5.6 were most of the small amount of downtime street photography, I get enough zone focus it's easy to pull forward or back a touch and use the environmental layering of shapes and focal depths to create a nice image. So I completely agree about the in/out of focus comments in the part of the video. Aperture priority makes it work really well because then I don't have to sweat the shutter speed so much if I've locked down the extremes on the iso in the system settings. But, this lens also means I can get close and funky with the bokeh semi-macro shots and have fun with the flexibility.
Love the mentality - I've taken a similar approach recently and really felt more relaxed behind the camera. So great to see you explore this even more.
these fuji lenses are incredibly sharp. I know you just mentioned not focusing on manual settings, and for the most part while shooting fuji lenses I shoot aperture priority, but I have been shooting with manual Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses and using all manual settings or setting ISO at a certain point and doing a hybrid shutter speed/aperture priority. I do miss focus alot but I really do enjoy the art of it all and these lenses while not having the most sharpness, have incredible pop that makes an image that is out of focus almost look like it is in focus. It also causes me to be more deliberate about my compositions and think a little bit about what I want in the image. I do zone focus alot by setting these lenses at f8 and putting the focus at the certain point where they focus from 5 meters to infinity. anyway great video!
Thanks for this. I have gone through about a year of not being bothered to take my camera out at all. I have however recently started taking a few shots here and there, and have also found I'm not "trying so hard" for the perfect settings. I've even started just shooting and using the jpeg from one of the filters I like as a way of having fun again.
Funny I’ve always sought infinite depth of field. I managed to get hold of a Mamiya 330 and using the bellows and multiple exposures obtained landscapes that ranged from several inches out to infinity. On a 35 mm I was always using a 21 mm Zuiko lens at f11 or f22 if it was bright enough.
The good thing about Fuji cameras is that on apperture priority mode you can set an auto ISO range without letting the shutterspeed fall under a certain number. And you use the AEL button to lock the photometry you want. That's how I work when I hit the streets at least and I have found that is a really easy and fast way to produce the image you want.
I've been f4-5.6 usually, forgoing the wide open look that I started with. But maybe even higher f stops is what I should go for. Because what can be bad when a subject is slightly out of focus, but something nearby is sharp as heck and so it is obvious that focus was missed. Maybe the higher f stop could help a bit with this? Not sure.
Absolutely and that's a point he makes in the vid as well. Deeper depth of field keeps more parts of the photo sharp which lessens the importance of nailing the focus perfectly. You'll sometimes need a little higher ISO to maintain shutter speeds with higher f stops, but in my humble experience that tends to be far preferable than missing a great shot with too low shutter speed or missed focus. 👍🏻
random recommendation - really liking it. very well put together and i'm diggin the look of both your images and video work. i'm no street photographer as i live rurally but i've come to the same conclusions. even using auto iso now. for years i've tried to keep iso as low as possible, was afraid of any setting greater than 400. i've left behind manual mode and the iso circus and it feels great and liberating. aperture priority and go for it.
Def resonate with this Faizal! On the bright side i got fast at shooting in manual...eventually. nowadays i pretty much only shoot in aperture priority mode, until the light gets low and then i use auto ISO and set my shutter or aperture accordingly. This allows me to me more immersed in the moment instead of fiddling with dials and knobs.
I totally agree with you concerning Fujis f2 primes, they are special in a way. I would say they are modern optical lens design mixed with a bit of vintage glass aspects (e.g. concerning the bokeh and the contrast). I shoot also a lot of vintage glass, e.g. leica/ zeiss, and if I want AF I go for Fujis f2s.
switching to Fuji from Canon had me shooting full manual for a while. Simply because all the knobs are right there like an old film camera. But also because on Canons its kind of a pain to access exposure triangle without elaborate customization. After a while though I settled on AP like you. Not just for zone focus, but because I think it has more bearing on composition than the other corners of the triangle. Sometimes you need to go all the wide on that iris to pull something out from its background. Other times you want everything in focus.
Wonderful video! I do have to say that shooting manual when you’re learning photography makes you understand certain things that you need to know (and I don’t think there’s another way to do it). One more thing that has nothing to do with the subject of the video: that silver xe4 with the silver 35 is beautiful!
Thanks for this - when I first started photography over 10years ago I was very stuck on shutter priority, and, like you I heard so many folks telling me manual was the only way to go. I've been strictly manual for many years with my Nikon D750, and them with my D850 for mainly nature portraits. Now that I've picked up a Fuji X-T4 I feel like an entire new world has been opened up to me with the way I shoot and how I approach thinking about what I want to capture. I now am expanding my range of what I want to shoot and find myself wanting to get into NYC much more that I did in the past. This video you posted got me thinking differently about how I want to shoot and capture those fleeting moments that would surely be lost by fiddling too much with my settings. Maybe I need to ditch the notion of manual only for maximum control - now I see there may be a better way for using the settings in a way that can get what I need quicker and in less time.
I find that most of the time photographers typically get frustrated from shooting at high apertures because of the limitations of the first lenses we first get, so we automatically develop a desire for very open apertures when really what we want is just the flexibility that comes with the f1.4 lenses and lower. I noticed myself moving towards higher apertures lately and I frankly like it, the depth of field feels much more natural and it also brings in more context to the background, is it overall really nice shooting around f4 to f8 I really like this range.
Just catching up with your channel. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate you helping the photography community ease up on the “fastest lens” obsession. Totally agree that Fujis f2’s are great
Faizal, so good that TH-cam algorithms suggested your channel. I like it a lot. A like your approach to street photography. It is a pleasure seeing your photographs being so not overly detailed and sharp. I agree with you on your approach. Thank you.
I like the premise of this video. Keep settings simple, optimize for your style of shooting and don't worry too much about the critical focus. I heard Pinkhassov tells his workshop students just shoot in auto mode one day and just focus on creativity. Combine this with Bresson's "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept” idea, I can see where this philosophy lead you to where you focus on the images you want to create. That being said I still think with the camera you are shooting you can get better results with a few tweaks like moving to Manual with Auto ISO mode instead of Aperture Priority. You can keep f8 and shutter above 200 to minimize motion blur. Using back button focus in Manual mode you can still get critical focus if your subject is slightly off your zone as well.
Great content. I used to do manual and like you went with aperture priority and it made all the difference. I set it to aperture priority, auto ISO choose either f2 or f8 depending on what I am after and let the camera do the rest. I can spend my time looking for interesting compositions, light or moments. Occasionally on a fixed, static subject I will stop and experiment with setting a bit but find I have more fun if I let the camera do the work. I also started using the Sigma DN DG lenses with auto focus and it nails focus each time, another thing I don't have to think about. I used to abhor and automation but now days find I simply have more fun thinking about composition and just looking more than concentrating on the camera itself.
I do my best work when I let the gear get out of the way. That's why I'm passionate about my X100. It forces you not to think about lenses or gear. Just you and the camera, see the world in a 35mm frame. f/8 and be there -- classic photo journalist aperture, and lets you get away with much cheaper glass (assuming the light/scene allows for it).
I've done a similar thing with my film photography... Nikon FE auto mode (aperture priority) High exposure latitude 100 ISO film I switched from my 50mm f/1.8 Ai-s pancake to a 35mm f2.8 Ai and am likely going to go even wider, to something like a 28mm f3.5 Ai-s. I just set my aperture high enough to get a really wide DOF and I don't really touch my camera settings again or swap lenses unless I want a specific look or something with a narrow DOF for some reason. On my 35mm I can get a decently wide DOF at f4 for most distances on city streets sometimes I can get away with shooting at f8 if available light is bright enough. If I were smart I might switch to 400 iso film for street photography but I really like the look of my acros 100 and I rarely just do street photography. I used to really fiddle with my focusing ring (since I shoot exclusively manual lenses) and I was very fast with the split prism finder in my FE faster even that the nikon d3300 I used to have or the sony cameras I've tried out, but I had to have ideal lighting conditions. Now I just set my focus to generally work for everything and rarely have to change it unless my lighting conditions change and I have to open up my aperture more. The way I shoot landscapes is entirely different to how I shoot street I still go full manual control and take my time since the landscape isn't going to go anywhere. Street and nature photography is a different beast entirely though and it is better to be quick than to be exact otherwise you won't even get the shot. When I started out I too used to really idolize really fast lenses as the best but now I just look at element count and choose the lowest number and call it a day, I don't even care how fast my lenses are anymore.
Shout out to Sarku!!!!
Such a refreshing message. It’s not only street photography that benefits from an approach like this. I’m a fashion/beauty photographer in based in Switzerland and we host workshops in our studio. Many participants seem to think that you need a 40-60MP camera with at least f1.2-1.4 lenses to be able to make good photos. They’re shocked to find out that most commercial work is shot at f5.6 or f8 and a 24MP camera works just as well. Go out, learn and enjoy and let no marketing dept tell you what you need.
Finally. Someone who has arrived at this perspective.
My 14 y/o nephew takes incredible photos and leaves his camera on full auto or AP all the time. He’s all about awareness and framing and not encumbered by concerns over settings. His photos are moving and engaging because he is 100% moved and engaged as a photographer… not distracted by technical details. I’m working on letting go by enabling/trusting the camera to take more control… then myself, responding internally to what I see rather than trying to capture/manipulate it through the camera. As a result, I’m liking more of my photos.
Well said!
I'm still in the middle of watching the video as i type this, but the opinion i formed about two or three months into beginning photography as a hobby (4 years ago now) is that it's important to understand the exposure triangle so that if an image isn't what you're looking for you know what to change to achieve it, but that in well over 99% of photo opportunities outside of studio work: fully automatic shutter speed and ISO settings with exposure compensation for setting exposure, will capture what you want and yield the best result
Very inspiring. Thank you and your nephew!
The editing on this video is so wonderful Faizal; I really love how you’ve grown in your video editing, man!
Thanks! I'm super happy with the edit on this one so that means a lot :)
I’m just such a fan of your videography. There’s something about it that’s so relaxing. Also love the aspect ratio and color grading
thank you 💚
Tutorial for color grading your videos? Looks amazing
ditto@@paoseyochan6314
you mean the music?
I was just thinking about this. Some of the scenes he puts himself in to talk to us just put me at ease and make me want to listen more. Like the one of him eating on the park bench. I don't know why, but that was just such a calming scene. Maybe it's because it felt personal. Like I was just talking with a friend.
can we take a moment to appreciate how much efforts go into filming the video itself let alone the amount of good content shared! You are taking filming yourself to another level!
Agree 100%
and having your camera "in your hand, ready to photograph your observations at any moment" is another key to making those photographs. Aperture priority, f8 and one lens is all most of us need for street-photography.
Thank you for your inspirational videos.
Aperture Priority has recently been a great discovery for me too - having to only worry about aperture is very freeing while exposure compensation allows some creative control too. If I’d like to be fully in charge and take more time on my shot, then manual is there an option. There’s no right or wrong way of getting a good image. When you do the technicalities matter less than the quality of the photo itself.
What about manual, set aperture, two times focal lenght in speed, and auto iso, is there any advantage on using aperture priority?
@@entremontanas7614 in street one needs to be especially quick to not miss the moment, and that's where aperture priority comes in handy, any type of photography where one needs to be quick can benefit from that mode
@@entremontanas7614 Assuming you've set the ISO, the advantage of using aperture priority is that you don't have to worry about figuring out the shutter speed or anything else. You can dial in your aperture for your desired depth of field and the camera will do the rest. If you want your image to be brighter or darker, use the exposure compensation accordingly - i.e. + = brighter, - = darker. Hope this helps.
When you said good photography boils down to "the ability to notice", i genuinely felt a lightbulb go off in my head
I have a Q2 and when I thought so badly that I needed to shoot wide open and with auto focus to "get the most of the camera". I picked up an M2 film camera and you just can't shoot it that way. When I saw the results I was getting from the film style of shooting I quickly realized how much more I liked those shots. I took this approach of going to higher apertures and zone focusing even on the digital camera. I don't really know how to describe it any better than your video did, but it is for sure worth trying out.
100%, there's a time and a place for shooting wide open, but it's completely overused these days. Also, even with my 16-80 f4 at 35mm I can still get blurry portrait backgrounds if shooting a person from the chest up, people forget that focal length and distance are just as important as a wide aperture for blurry backgrounds
Shot at 5:50 is excellent Faizal.
Nice cadence and timing on the voice overs at the beginning of the video as well! Nice transitions in the different sections of the video as well, love how you bookended things with the bench at the end.
I can totally relate to the “out of focus” thing. Just the other day I went out with a Vivitar 70-210 and most of my images came up a little soft either because of slight miss focus or shutter speed being a tad slow. At first I thought they were all bad but as I went through them I started liking the look and feel of them
I've been having a similar experience. Recently been putting my camera through some older 90's lenses. While they don't give that same clinical "perfect" look of more modern lenses and coatings... I've actually been appreciating the feel and look more. Something about it looking organic.
So nice to hear that the emphasis is not in owning the best lenses there is and to actually start photographing. Im at that phase and after watching this video im reminded to pause the GAS.
As always love your videos. Your comments about liking your photos slightly out of focus & less sharp remind me of something I heard somewhere about capturing the feeling of the moment as if it’s a memory vs. capturing as much detail as possible. When the photo isn’t perfectly in focus and maybe not so sharp, it does feel like a memory or the essence of what that moment was. I think film does this more naturally than digital, but you do an amazing job of achieving that look digitally (for the reasons you mention in the video). Love your work & you inspire me to try to create these painting-like / dream-like images, so thank you.
Thanks for mentioning the "memory" concept, Trevor. I hadn't heard it, but it rings very true for someone like me (mid 60s) who started w BW film in Kodak Brownie cameras. I adore those old pics for the actual memories they depict and the soft focus that is, relaxing and more as I remember things.
I can't say enough how much I love my X-T30 II when I leave ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed in auto. My minimum shutter speed is set to 1/80s andthen I have Portra 400 film simulation on at 100% of the time. Wonderful results.
I like hearing your insights. Re: sharpness, when I shoot portraits it seems like today’s cameras and lenses are too good for the task. I think it’s ironic that we use these high-res cameras and lenses for portraits, then go into Photoshop to remove a lot of the details like wrinkles around the eyes, tartar between the teeth and the one hair across the cheek! Use a vintage 50/1.4 wide open and none of those are noticeable. 😅
not to long bought a Voigtlander 23mm 1.2 for my fuji and am pleased with results, even lots of people online said it wasn't sharp enough, but it worked for me
Ordered that very lens today for my X-T5!
I’ve had it on my X-Pro3 since I got it a little over a year ago. I find it sharp even at 1.2, and that’s with a 1/4 Pro Mist. It’s on my camera 90% of the time. Best rendering lens for my tastes, followed by the Fuji 35mm 1.4
Yes! Your natural desire to move away from pin sharp focus is serving you very well. Photography is getting caught up in a race to the bottom, where pixels are more important than art, forests are less important than trees. Carry on, Faizal!
You really should plug your shop / guides more often. The digital street journals are also such a good idea. Great job :)
Totally agree and shoot similarly 90% of the time. I love my Fuji F2 lenses and see no need in the wide aperture lenses. I'm 77YO and have been shooting street since 2013. I have also been adding intentional camera movement into my street work.
I am relatively new to photography and I very much appreciated your reflections. I was wondering how deep I had to go into the technical aspects of photography and you affirmed my perspective that it is about capturing a moment through a pov and that there is beauty in the so called imperfection. Thanks so much 💛.
You r so right with what u r saying.. I do lots of wedding photography and I hated myself so many times when a shot wasn't in perfect focus or didn't have the perfect exposure until 1 day I took a picture when the couple left the civil office, a cloud moved and the sun hit badly which ended up in a heavily blown out shot on the couples faces but it still was giving quite an emotion looking at it so I added it to the pictures I gave the couple. Few years later I did their wedding. I came into their apartment for the ready up pictures and 1 of the biggest prints they had on their wall was that very picture. I asked them why they chose this one because it wasn't perfect but they told me "it might not be perfect but what's perfect? You can see how happy we are and that's the only thing that matters. We love it!"
That's the moment I realized emotions > perfection.
Your videos are inspiring! I feel like you are the Saul Leiter of our time. Of course with your own style. Huge fan!
Hi Westcott! I am a photography newbie, can I use your X100v set up for my X100vi? Thank you for the great work!
Fantastic video, truly. I worked at Canon for years - the obsession with camera capabilities and settings can create a serious tunnel vision for photographers and cinematographers. I’ve seen it. It’s okay for gear/tech to be fun but it’s sooo often a distraction. I always remind people, the “ABSOLUTE BEST” camera from 5-10 years ago is probably less than $1,000 used. Is it now obsolete? Of course not. A used 5D Mark III is $500 on MPB. It has taken countless award winning photos. Is it missing some spec or setting that is essential to getting a great photo? Of course not. It’s so great hearing you talk about this and you’re so right; prioritizing the best spec or perfect settings - it distracts from everything important and fun and rewarding.
Man, I love the video "stills" for the intro and outro so much. At the intro, I really thought they were paintings, until some leaves and such started wiggling in the breeze. Lovely shots. And thank you for the advice, I think you're absolutely right. I also personally tend to use aperture priority on my film cameras, and anticipate I would do exactly the same as you. Letting the camera handle shutter speed and ISO, so that I can just focus on fighting through my own anxieties and hesitations to get a shot that I can be confident with, instead of trying to juggle everything and just missing out on living in the moment.
Thanks!
That video is so comforting to me. It really gives answers to questions and ideas that have really bothered me lately. Ever since I started photography (not that long ago), I’ve spent so much time working on trying to get my photos as sharp as possible. But after buying so much equipment and practicing so much time getting it right, I’m still not satisfied. I feel like although some of my photos can be beautiful, as in, in focus, with nice composition, correct exposition, bright harmonious colors, beautiful light... they’re kind of uninteresting or at least, they’re not what i’m looking into doing, really. When I look at images from other photographers that I like, I’m thinking I want to do more "dreamy", sensual photos, which are more about suggesting a general feel than just depicting something or just being "graphically elegant".
And therefore I’ve been having this crazy idea that maybe my camera was "too good" and yet I’m having trouble wrapping this idea around my head.
Same with focus, I’ve been wondering if maybe, autofocus didn’t get in the way of creativity. Although, actually sacrificing ISO and starting focusing manually again feels like a crazy idea, it feels like giving up on everything I have learned so far. But your input is really comforting me in the idea that maybe it’s not that crazy and that I should be more bold and openminded about how I perceive what should be a "good" image...
I agree. I look at Manual as the setting of last resort. I stick with Aperture Priority almost exclusively. I don’t own Fujifilm f2 lenses. I went straight to f1.4 (16 and 33) so I already ruined myself. Can never go back, but the weight and feel on the X-T5 or X-H2S is so perfect. And when I do want dreamy background separation or night shots, I’ve got it within reach.
I do love this sentiment, so much. And also as someone who was in high school in the 90s in dark rooms for years, using film and camcorders, and disposable cameras, and polaroids. I can say I absolutely love digital cameras and their workflow. I love vintage cameras and older softer looks too. It really comes down to your personal workflow and what makes you inspired to pick it up and film. :)
Interesting video. I've been using Aperture Priority almost exclusively for going on 20 years. Of course, I started photography so long ago that there was no choice but to shoot in manual mode. It wasn't called manual mode, because there were no other modes available. But since then, I seldom shoot in manual mode. Whether or not some photographers are willing to admit it, you're right -- the cameras, by and large, are pretty smart, and can usually come pretty close to nailing it. So why not use all that technology we all paid so much money for?
because a lot of people can't afford $2k cameras
@@StanleyKubick1 well, that's true, but No one said anything about having to buy a brand new, top of the line camera. Even entry level cameras at a few hundred $ have aperture priority, and virtually any camera on the used market has it.
well said. i do find there are some times where i want to choose the shutter speed too, such as in low light where you want to force a higher shutter speed due to moving subjects.
interesting use of unsharpness/motion blur in this video. i feel it works best for this type of street photography which is ultimately aping a retro or abstract look.
Completely agree, depth of field and zone focus are my favourites. I have come to dislike "tack-sharp" and now judge my success more around did I get the composition I wanted, rather than can I see the detail. I watch all of your videos and appreciate the openness of your style. Thanks so much and keep it up
Exactly! I like the less sharper images. For me it's the imperfections that give off the vibe of camera and film tech from the film days. I shoot with the XT2 still. But I miss my XT1. It was perfect for the look I was after.
I've been shooting like this for years and find it to be very enjoyable and yields the most pleasing results while freeing me up to be in the moment. Plus I'm loving the Film scale setting in Fuji's so helpful to use in manual focus mode so it's easier to stay in the zone that's " in focus". Great video!
I just watched your approach to camera settings shifting focus and DoF back to the picture. Without the intent of getting personal: the following yt-video was a 1 y/o ULTIMATE GUIDE to STREET PHOTOGRAPHY by Jason Vong, walking around in NY with a backpack full of gear worth around 20.000 $ (Leica not included) and weighing at least 10 - 15 kg, talking about which expensive lens to use in which situation. I stopped after about 5 min. I'm using 3 Instruments: a ricoh gr3, a Nikon FE2 - and a Mamiya 330 pro. You probably can guess which pictures are most valuable to me ...
Well said Faizal, I totally agree with everything you say, for me photography is about recording an interesting image, conveying a feeling, a mood, an emotion. It doesn't matter about a bit of noise, or if it's not tack sharp.
What a beautiful video Faizal. Not only informative, but the cinematography of it is just unreal, there's such a careful rhythm to it, so relaxing and peaceful. I love that you take the focus (no pun intended) back to photography and the art and process of it, rather than just making another technical video. Keep up the good work, all the love from Scotland.
reminds me of my 'struggles' and you know I did shoot wide open for a long time, I went to Europe for a couple weeks, about a week ago, and I decided to do some photos of the churches, the architecture, the street, et al and shoot in f/5.6 or f/8 as well as open all the way for comparison and it was definitely eye opening, though both were just fine, there was something about shooting at f/8 that felt like I had added, 'more' to my story. Thank you for this video, great vid! Cheers!
You have such a lovely style of presentation and I agree with you. I spend far too much of my working day at f1.2; every wedding I remind myself there are other apertures lol.
I’ve been shooting since 1969, and with the advent of aperture priority. It made things so much easier in so many ways. And then, of course auto focus was also a great invention. Of course, using hyper focal distance and knowing the sunny 16 rule you could get a quick shot, but the less you have to think about as far as the mechanics the more time you can think about light, composition, and moment.
The point you made on excessive sharpness is the reason I actively chose my X-T20 with the 35 and 50 f2’s. I also absolutely love love love the type of images you take and these videos are a great view into the day to day. Thanks. 🙏🏻
I love you mentioning shooting at f8 and above. When I was studying journalism one of my professors/ instructors swore that if you only learned one thing to be a good photojournalist it was F8BT (f8 and Be There). His point being that you had to be ready to shoot when the action happened because the action wasn't going to wait for you while you fiddled with your settings at the office.
There used to be a saying many years ago that said "F8 and be there". There is some debate over it's meaning, though. If you have wide-ish lens, and set the aperture to f8, basically everything in front of your camera will be in reasonable focus. So all you need to do is stand in the right place and shoot when something happens (hence the "be there" part), and at f8, there is no need to worry about focusing....just point and shoot. I think people call it zone focusing today?? But shooting like this is a good exercise in learning composition because you have to pay more attention to what is in the foreground and background since all of it will be in focus.
It's great to see someone with your kind of thought process in photography. Thanks for posting the video!
Hello. I use to live in New York City. I walked with my cameras always. I only had one setting on my cameras. I got the photographs I wanted. I didn't care about other settings at all. I just wanted to take photographs. I also watched many videos on different settings, but later figured out that even the cameras didn't mattered to me as long as I got the shot of the subject. The cheapest camera I had was $5.00 dollars. That was a film 35 mm camera. It didn't have a brand name. The photos were beautiful. I would buy the cheapest film too. They were beautiful photographs. All were of the city streets. That's what I liked about that city.😊
Mate, your videos are getting better and better. Super nice editing and as always a great message to your fellow photographers
Sharp, soft, shallow DoF, deep DoF… it’s all good and part of my artistic expression. I really love your work and draw lots of inspiration from it. The jazz is a nice touch, too.
Hi Faizal, first of all thank you for your honesty in your videos! What impresses me the most, besides the pure content, is the tone of your clips. It is very candid. People just believe what you are reporting. And that's rare these days. Thanks for addressing the issue of "over-sharpening" for once! It's one of the reasons why most smartphone photos just don't look good - too unreal. After a "break" of 17 years, I've been getting serious about photography again for a few months now. My Fuji XT 5 is a nice tool which helps me to learn again: the ability to notice .... Greetz from Hamburg, Jann
Hey Faizal, I think there are two things which gave film photography it’s unique look. 1) The silver halide crystals are not perfectly aligned like a camera sensors photo sites 2) focus was never perfect!
I really appreciate the way you let go of perfection and can appreciate the resulting beauty. I’ve really been inspired by this philosophy you and Joe Greer espouse. Thank you!
I agree with what you say, but there is nothing wrong with learnig how to shoot manual when you are starting out. It's fundamental in order to know how a camera works, even if you miss a lot of shots at first, it's the beauty of the learning process.
P.S. that XE-4 in the rain hurts my feelings, you are playing russian roulette😅
Thanks!
Love the chill vibe of the video. These days most people try to get the vintage look through filters, so I can totally understand the idea of your photos not looking perfect and appreciate that look.
i love all the information you've dropped here. i do all this plus my current approach is auto ISO and f4 or 5.6 for daytime and 2.8 for indoors and just running with that. I wish someone had told me back when I started how to use the brain in my camera to automate what I want to remove from my shooting decisions rather than feeling like i had to shoot everything in manual.
That was awesome. I probably have to learn the manual basics first as a beginner but the philosophy behind your style is defiantly what I’m looking for when I’m better. The balance… like always
I adore Boston and always love to see how other photographers visualize the city. and love when it's in your videos
There is so much that I loved about this video: the message, the shots, the color grading, the layout of the video... everything was really amazing. wow. Thank you for such a great video!
I really resonate with your approach. Super sharp images remind me of hyper realism which is not my vibe. I like the distress and mystery that blur may create or things out of focus. I think it’s all about ways of seeing and being present so your recommendations for simplifying camera settings is awesome. Thank you for being real with these videos. I look forward to watching them.
I think i needed to hear this. I used to not care bout settings and shoot, which made the photos engaging. Then recent years, I felt something was lost, and I couldn’t figure out what was lost, or I know, but I do not know how to overcome the conscious which took away my intuition. Thank you for your words
Your reds and greens (color grading over all) are amazing and so comforting to look at in the video :)
Simple but great tips here, thank you! It also gives a better understanding of how you’re able to create the Faizal look that’s just so great!
Nice video, very laid back. Slow shutter speeds are great for abstracting but you can set a lower auto ss limit on Fujis which would prevent motion blur (often confused with missed focus) where you don't want it.
These videos of you are my comfort zone. Thanks for creating Faizal
I just bought my first DSLR and tips like these are invaluable. Thank you!
I m learning so much thanks to you. You re one of the reasons why I m still so attracted to photography. I love your work. Keep up the great work-
I shoot manual when I am trying to sharpen my skills. When applied to street photography, only when I am in "Fishing mode" with zone focus in mind. Otherwise, I shoot with Aperture priority mode and often in continuous low setting to leverage on the functions modern cameras offers. Great video as always.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your point of view. I'm new in the digital and Fuji world and watch your videos really helps me a lot!
Faizal, thank you very much for what you’re doing in photography!
I here you brother.
I set my FujiFilm to A but keep my lens on M/A setup.
I begin my own photography journey with film and use my X-Pro cameras in the same manner.
Film cameras was all about the lens and ASA settings or ISO today in digital cameras.
People put to much time towards setting and miss out on a lot by doing so.
Many thanks for sharing your own photography wisdom. 😊
Such a lot of sense to this approach, I like your style of photography and your easy going presentation. 👍
Thanks for watching!
Why is zone focusing tricky on Fujifilm cameras? You mentioned about it at 9:30
thank you so much. i'm returning to camerawork (more video than photo) after a time away, and this helped me so much. both in deciding on prime lenses for fuji, but also in finding a meaningful approach to things like f stop, street captures, etc. pragmatically helpful but also gave me chills in spots. thanks.
Yep! I've found the same thing. Constantly trying to play that "manual" settings mind-game can take the joy out of the experience. I tend to favour wanting to take my time composing my shot than thinking of the best settings. Aperture Priority has often been my favourite setting.
Nicely put-together video Faizal!
I’ve been shooting in a similar manner the past year or so. I don’t this as much with my Fuji X100F, but do it with my Nikon gear. I love my older Nikon primes from the 90’s (D lenses) and my older bodies (D50, D300, and D700). I will auto focus at a given distance, then turn it to manual focus and not touch the lens. Great video!!
Agree. I can shoot anything w my Z9, but often use the D300, D700, or D800 with vintage manual lenses for softer effect. And the F2 prime Faizal mentioned helps let the Z9 feel like it is a salty little street camera instead of the tank that it is (though I am not at all bothered by the size). Interesting tip on the AF/MF switch. Thanks
To compliment what you were saying about focus, I’ve found myself only shooting on manual focus lenses (unless it’s paid work… although sometimes I still use manual lenses). It gives me a feeling of control that i just haven’t found with AF. It’s a step closer to that rangefinder feeling that the photographers I adore experienced and it allows for a margin of error that can create magic
Just ‘stumbled’ upon your video, and I’m glad I did! I needed this! There is a lot to take away from this Video. There is a wealth of information herein, but yet broken down in such simplistic terms. Thank You! Stay safe
appreciate your wisdom Faizal, been a supporter for a long time and your ideas and thoughts are always a fresh perspective. Blessings King.
I can't like this enough!
My cameras are almost always set on A (aperture priority). I let the camera choose the ISO and shutter speed.
My standard aperture setting is f/8. "F/8 and be there!" comes to mind. I always check the shutter speed and ISO in the viewfinder to be sure they aren't stupid. I also take a look at the histogram and adjust the exposure as needed.
If I come across something that wants separation from foreground/background, then it's east to roll down to f/2 to f/4.
I'm also a Fuji shooter. The compact lens series is great, although I sometimes wish they had OIS onboard.
I'm using an Olympus em10 iv and love shooting aperture priority with a super cheap manual lens. Just had a good trip and mostly used a 7artisans 35mm 1.4, so 70mm equivalent. 90% of the time, this was set to f2.8 or f4 because you WANT an entire person, front to back, to be in focus. And f4 and f5.6 were most of the small amount of downtime street photography, I get enough zone focus it's easy to pull forward or back a touch and use the environmental layering of shapes and focal depths to create a nice image. So I completely agree about the in/out of focus comments in the part of the video. Aperture priority makes it work really well because then I don't have to sweat the shutter speed so much if I've locked down the extremes on the iso in the system settings. But, this lens also means I can get close and funky with the bokeh semi-macro shots and have fun with the flexibility.
Love the mentality - I've taken a similar approach recently and really felt more relaxed behind the camera. So great to see you explore this even more.
Great seeing street content from Boston, so many videos in NY - loved recognizing these cobblestones and Chinatown streets!
these fuji lenses are incredibly sharp. I know you just mentioned not focusing on manual settings, and for the most part while shooting fuji lenses I shoot aperture priority, but I have been shooting with manual Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses and using all manual settings or setting ISO at a certain point and doing a hybrid shutter speed/aperture priority. I do miss focus alot but I really do enjoy the art of it all and these lenses while not having the most sharpness, have incredible pop that makes an image that is out of focus almost look like it is in focus. It also causes me to be more deliberate about my compositions and think a little bit about what I want in the image. I do zone focus alot by setting these lenses at f8 and putting the focus at the certain point where they focus from 5 meters to infinity. anyway great video!
Thanks for this. I have gone through about a year of not being bothered to take my camera out at all. I have however recently started taking a few shots here and there, and have also found I'm not "trying so hard" for the perfect settings. I've even started just shooting and using the jpeg from one of the filters I like as a way of having fun again.
Funny I’ve always sought infinite depth of field. I managed to get hold of a Mamiya 330 and using the bellows and multiple exposures obtained landscapes that ranged from several inches out to infinity. On a 35 mm I was always using a 21 mm Zuiko lens at f11 or f22 if it was bright enough.
The good thing about Fuji cameras is that on apperture priority mode you can set an auto ISO range without letting the shutterspeed fall under a certain number. And you use the AEL button to lock the photometry you want. That's how I work when I hit the streets at least and I have found that is a really easy and fast way to produce the image you want.
I've been f4-5.6 usually, forgoing the wide open look that I started with.
But maybe even higher f stops is what I should go for.
Because what can be bad when a subject is slightly out of focus, but something nearby is sharp as heck and so it is obvious that focus was missed. Maybe the higher f stop could help a bit with this? Not sure.
Absolutely and that's a point he makes in the vid as well. Deeper depth of field keeps more parts of the photo sharp which lessens the importance of nailing the focus perfectly. You'll sometimes need a little higher ISO to maintain shutter speeds with higher f stops, but in my humble experience that tends to be far preferable than missing a great shot with too low shutter speed or missed focus. 👍🏻
random recommendation - really liking it. very well put together and i'm diggin the look of both your images and video work. i'm no street photographer as i live rurally but i've come to the same conclusions. even using auto iso now. for years i've tried to keep iso as low as possible, was afraid of any setting greater than 400. i've left behind manual mode and the iso circus and it feels great and liberating. aperture priority and go for it.
Def resonate with this Faizal! On the bright side i got fast at shooting in manual...eventually. nowadays i pretty much only shoot in aperture priority mode, until the light gets low and then i use auto ISO and set my shutter or aperture accordingly. This allows me to me more immersed in the moment instead of fiddling with dials and knobs.
I totally agree with you concerning Fujis f2 primes, they are special in a way. I would say they are modern optical lens design mixed with a bit of vintage glass aspects (e.g. concerning the bokeh and the contrast). I shoot also a lot of vintage glass, e.g. leica/ zeiss, and if I want AF I go for Fujis f2s.
switching to Fuji from Canon had me shooting full manual for a while. Simply because all the knobs are right there like an old film camera. But also because on Canons its kind of a pain to access exposure triangle without elaborate customization.
After a while though I settled on AP like you.
Not just for zone focus, but because I think it has more bearing on composition than the other corners of the triangle.
Sometimes you need to go all the wide on that iris to pull something out from its background.
Other times you want everything in focus.
Wonderful video! I do have to say that shooting manual when you’re learning photography makes you understand certain things that you need to know (and I don’t think there’s another way to do it).
One more thing that has nothing to do with the subject of the video: that silver xe4 with the silver 35 is beautiful!
Great video Fazial. Something I really admire about your videos is how much room you give for the video to breathe.
Thanks for this - when I first started photography over 10years ago I was very stuck on shutter priority, and, like you I heard so many folks telling me manual was the only way to go. I've been strictly manual for many years with my Nikon D750, and them with my D850 for mainly nature portraits. Now that I've picked up a Fuji X-T4 I feel like an entire new world has been opened up to me with the way I shoot and how I approach thinking about what I want to capture. I now am expanding my range of what I want to shoot and find myself wanting to get into NYC much more that I did in the past. This video you posted got me thinking differently about how I want to shoot and capture those fleeting moments that would surely be lost by fiddling too much with my settings. Maybe I need to ditch the notion of manual only for maximum control - now I see there may be a better way for using the settings in a way that can get what I need quicker and in less time.
I find that most of the time photographers typically get frustrated from shooting at high apertures because of the limitations of the first lenses we first get, so we automatically develop a desire for very open apertures when really what we want is just the flexibility that comes with the f1.4 lenses and lower. I noticed myself moving towards higher apertures lately and I frankly like it, the depth of field feels much more natural and it also brings in more context to the background, is it overall really nice shooting around f4 to f8 I really like this range.
I wish I had been able to take advantage of your wonderful insights when I bought a Pentax ME (aperture priority) in the 1970s!
Just catching up with your channel. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate you helping the photography community ease up on the “fastest lens” obsession. Totally agree that Fujis f2’s are great
Faizal, so good that TH-cam algorithms suggested your channel. I like it a lot. A like your approach to street photography. It is a pleasure seeing your photographs being so not overly detailed and sharp. I agree with you on your approach. Thank you.
I like the premise of this video. Keep settings simple, optimize for your style of shooting and don't worry too much about the critical focus. I heard Pinkhassov tells his workshop students just shoot in auto mode one day and just focus on creativity. Combine this with Bresson's "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept” idea, I can see where this philosophy lead you to where you focus on the images you want to create. That being said I still think with the camera you are shooting you can get better results with a few tweaks like moving to Manual with Auto ISO mode instead of Aperture Priority. You can keep f8 and shutter above 200 to minimize motion blur. Using back button focus in Manual mode you can still get critical focus if your subject is slightly off your zone as well.
Its somehow soothing just watching your videos and the tone used in your storytelling is just so relaxing
Great content. I used to do manual and like you went with aperture priority and it made all the difference. I set it to aperture priority, auto ISO choose either f2 or f8 depending on what I am after and let the camera do the rest. I can spend my time looking for interesting compositions, light or moments. Occasionally on a fixed, static subject I will stop and experiment with setting a bit but find I have more fun if I let the camera do the work. I also started using the Sigma DN DG lenses with auto focus and it nails focus each time, another thing I don't have to think about. I used to abhor and automation but now days find I simply have more fun thinking about composition and just looking more than concentrating on the camera itself.
I do my best work when I let the gear get out of the way. That's why I'm passionate about my X100. It forces you not to think about lenses or gear. Just you and the camera, see the world in a 35mm frame. f/8 and be there -- classic photo journalist aperture, and lets you get away with much cheaper glass (assuming the light/scene allows for it).
I've done a similar thing with my film photography...
Nikon FE auto mode (aperture priority)
High exposure latitude 100 ISO film
I switched from my 50mm f/1.8 Ai-s pancake to a 35mm f2.8 Ai and am likely going to go even wider, to something like a 28mm f3.5 Ai-s.
I just set my aperture high enough to get a really wide DOF and I don't really touch my camera settings again or swap lenses unless I want a specific look or something with a narrow DOF for some reason. On my 35mm I can get a decently wide DOF at f4 for most distances on city streets sometimes I can get away with shooting at f8 if available light is bright enough. If I were smart I might switch to 400 iso film for street photography but I really like the look of my acros 100 and I rarely just do street photography. I used to really fiddle with my focusing ring (since I shoot exclusively manual lenses) and I was very fast with the split prism finder in my FE faster even that the nikon d3300 I used to have or the sony cameras I've tried out, but I had to have ideal lighting conditions. Now I just set my focus to generally work for everything and rarely have to change it unless my lighting conditions change and I have to open up my aperture more.
The way I shoot landscapes is entirely different to how I shoot street I still go full manual control and take my time since the landscape isn't going to go anywhere. Street and nature photography is a different beast entirely though and it is better to be quick than to be exact otherwise you won't even get the shot.
When I started out I too used to really idolize really fast lenses as the best but now I just look at element count and choose the lowest number and call it a day, I don't even care how fast my lenses are anymore.