And the practice.
There are times when – given the tens of thousands of frames I’ve made – I’m just a little off. Being either one click away from the optimalexposure, though, will make you faster.
Estimate first.
Then check with the meter.
Then focus on the subject of your choice.
Frame left.
Frame right.
Centre.
Whatever makes the composition visually easy and pleasant to look at.
If you’re at f/1.4 and the subject is eight feet away, pre-focus the scale with the 8 feet mark in the middle at the corresponding hash mark for f/1.4.
Let’s say you estimated that the light was at a thirtieth. You put the rangefinder – yes, I’m biased – to your eye and you see that your light was spot
on but the focus was more like nine feet. You shift it. That can happen in an instant. You corrected. You nailed the moment.
If your lens was at f/2.8 and set for twelve feet and the camera was set at a sixtieth, you would have been clicking around to high hell.
You’d have missed the moment.
But, yes, like I’ve said before, “you would have learned and that is important.”
Very important.
For I believe this process of learning street photography is like a karate or kung fu belt system. I don’t know the progression of colours, nor do I
care, but you get my point.
The first part.
Everything you learn there you apply to the second part.