I used to immerse myself in street photography for a number of years. Not so much over the past few years, but now that I’ve moved back to Portland, OR, I’m finding my interest grow again in that area.
Portland and the NW, in general, is such a photogenic area. Not only the territory and city, but also the people. Such interesting characters and lives. Portland has a very distinct look and vibe that resonates strongly with me. It has definitely reignited the street photography spark in me again.
So I’ve really enjoyed digging back into street photography again. Looking for the stories I could find and capture from the street. Another change I’m making is to go back to using 50mm as my primary focal length.
35 or 50mm
This topic has been covered to death. I’ve been talking about it recently on the podcast. And really, all street photographers have the focal length that really clicks with them. For me it has always been 35mm and 50mm.
35mm = Storytelling
I think a 35mm lens is the perfect lens for storytelling. It helps you focus on a particular subject but also includes context to help you tell your stories.
50mm – Intimacy
For me, I tend to resonate more with 50mm. It’s true, for the passed few years I’ve been shooting primarily with 35mm. It seemed to be the most practical, as I often wasn’t sure what I would find or even what I was looking for with my street photography.
Although I think a 50mm can be harder to work with for this style of photography, I think it’s still a fantastic storyteller lens, but helps you concentrate more on the intimate parts of the story. That’s where I’ve decided to go back to and use as my primary lens, perspective.
Still Getting Used to Things
I am loving my photo outings down to the city and shooting with a tighter, 50mm perspective. But I’ve got work to do.
Street photography, good street photography is not easy. It’s a skill that is developed over time. Although I used to shoot a lot of it, it’s been a while and I definitely need to rebuild my street shooting chops.; to really take advantage of that 50mm perspective. It can be so powerful when used correctly. I guess that’s really any lens, huh.
A Few Shots
Here are a few shots I’ve taken in PDX using my Leica M262 and a Summicron 50. These shots are all taken with my Leica M Typ 262 with a Summicron 50. If you’d like to see some film shots I’ve taken of Portland back in 2018, check ’em out.
Click on the thumb to see the full image. Enjoy. 🙂
Centralia, WA – Stepping Back In Time