Street Photography Magazine

Street Photography | Equipment and Preparation

Camera Bags

If you want to shoot incognito, a bag that
doesn’t necessarily look like a photo bag (such
as those made by Kalahari) is a great place to
start. Handbag-style bags made by dothebag
and Artisan & Artist are also great alternatives
to traditional styles.
The simplest and best solution is to do
without a bag altogether and to carry your
camera ‘as is’. Padded straps – for instance,
from OP/TECH – relieve the stresses and strains
of carrying a camera for hours at a time.
SunSniper straps attach to your camera’s
tripod thread and enable you to hang your
camera from your hip with the lens pointing
down. This a great solution and means that
your camera is always close to hand when an
opportunity arises.

Clothing

Always wear robust, weatherproof clothing
that can stand a bit of dirt. If you are worried
about your clothes, you won’t be able to

concentrate on the situation at hand. I don’t

really care what I am wearing if a photo

opportunity arises, but I still find it easier to

kneel in the dirt if I am wearing cargo pants.

Cargo pants are also great for carrying

accessories or a spare lens and make it easier

to do without a bag. A lightweight foldable

rain jacket and comfortable long-distance

shoes are a must. You have to be able to walk

for miles and turn tail quickly if necessary.

Camera Presets

I am often asked if there are any camera

presets that I make when I am on a street

shoot, and the answer here is a definite maybe.

You always have to allow for the light in your

current situation, although there are a couple

of things you can look out for when getting

ready to shoot:

ISO values:Select an ISO value that prevents

camera shake. Increase your ISO setting at

dusk or in bad weather.

Focusing:Autofocus often fails in hectic urban

situations due to the enormous range of

contrast and fast-moving action. With a little

practice, manual focusing can be just as fast as

autofocus. If you preset focus to a specific

distance and look for subjects at a similar

distance, you will only have to adjust focus a

little (if at all) before you shoot.

Shooting in manual mode:Make some test

shots at your chosen location and select the

combination of aperture and exposure time

that gives you the best results. As long as the

ambient light doesn’t change significantly, you

can then use these settings to create a

consistent-looking sequence of images, but

remember to reset your parameters if the light

changes. You can, of course, also use aperture

or shutter-priority mode to preselect your

preferred exposure values.

Unless you are just out for a stroll, you will need tough clothing and a waterproof
groundsheet of some sort if you want to get the most out of a trip

ISO 400 | 50mm focal length | f8 | 1/40 s