Books and websites referenced during this section:

Books:

Angier, Roswell. 2007 – ‘Train Your Gaze’. 1^st edition, Switzerland, AVA Publishing

ISBN 2-940373-37-X

Fox, Anna and Caruana, Natasha. 2012 – ‘Behind the image’. 1^st edition, Switzerland, AVA Publishing. ISBN 978-2-940411-66-5

Freeman, Michael. 2004 – ‘Photographing people’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-20-0

Hedgecoe, John. 2004 – ‘Complete Guide to Photography’. 3^rd edition (first published 1990). UK, Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-119-3

Howarth, Sophie and McLaren, Stephen. 2011 – ‘Street Photography Now’. 1^st paperback edition (first published 2010). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28907-5

Langford, Michael; Fox, Anna; Sawdon Smith, Richard. 2010 – ‘Langford’s Basic Photography’. 9^th Edition (first published 1965). UK, Elsevier (Focal Press). ISBN 978-0-240-52168-8

Szarkowski, John. 2009 – ‘The Photographer’s Eye’. 4^th edition (first edition 1966). New York.

Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 978-0-87070-527-4

Websites:

Cruel and Tender: Photography and the real – teacher and guides’ kit – Available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/search/cruel%20and%20tender

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Nick Turpin on Street Photography:

http://www.sevensevennine.com/

[Accessed 9^th August]

Magnum Photos

http://www.magnumphotos.com/

[Accessed 18^th August]

Steve McCurry’s blog

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/

[Accessed 18^th August]

Photography Mad tips regarding standard lenses.

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/standard-lenses

[Accessed 21^st August]

Urban 75 advice on the rights of photographers

http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-street-shooting.html

[Accessed 12th September]

Photography Laws, Copyright and Trespass

http://stirlyn.co.uk/photography-laws-copyright-and-trespass/

[Accessed 12^th September]

Media:

Fasal Sheik’s website reference to his photograph ‘A camel for the son’

http://www.fazalsheikh.org/projects/a_camel_for_the_son/description.php

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Video of the book ‘Cruel and Tender: Photography and the real – low quality but a reasonable overview. Available from:

http://vimeo.com/channels/ls1/16978071

[Accessed 22^nd June]

Tate gallery – August Sander images

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sander-beggar-al00107

[Accessed 22^nd June]

History today – Don McCullin image of a Turkish Cypriot woman

http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2011/10/shaped-war-photographs-don-mccullin

[Accessed 23^rd June]

Cleary Gallery blog for Dorothea Lange image ‘Migrant Mother, Nippomo, California’, 1936

http://clearygallery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/photographic-mother-day.html

[Accessed 23^rd June]

Nick Turpin’s ‘Seven seven nine’ on Street Photography

http://www.sevensevennine.com/

[Accessed 13^th August] also the Insight film available from sevensevennine via Distrify at https://distrify.com/

Publications used in this section (not necessarily referenced in the texts but including those above):

Angier, Roswell. 2007 – ‘Train Your Gaze’. 1^st edition. Switzerland, AVA publishing SA

ISBN 2-940373-37-X

Badger, Gerry. 2010 –The Genius of Photography. 1^st edition. UK, Quadrille Publishing Ltd

ISBN 978-1-84400-609-0

Cotton, Charlotte. 2009 – ‘the photograph as contemporary art’. 2^nd edition (First published 2004). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20401-6

Dyer, Geoff. 2007 – ‘The Ongoing Moment’. First edition. USA, ISBN 978-1-4000-3168-9

Freeman, Michael. 2003 – ‘Light & lighting’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-21-9

Freeman, Michael. 2004 – ‘Photographing people’ from the ‘Digital Photography Expert’ series’. 1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN 1-904705-20-0

Freeman, Michael. 2006 – ‘The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography’.

1^st edition. UK, Ilex. ISBN-10 1-904705-88-X

Hedgecoe, John. 2004 – ‘Complete Guide to Photography’. 3^rd edition (first published 1990). UK, Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-119-3

Howarth, Sophie and McLaren, Stephen. 2011 – ‘Street Photography Now’. 1^st paperback edition (first published 2010). UK, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28907-5

Langford, Michael; Fox, Anna; Sawdon Smith, Richard. 2010 – ‘Langford’s Basic Photography’. 9^th Edition (first published 1965). UK, Elsevier (Focal Press). ISBN 978-0-240-52168-8

Shore, Stephen. 2007 – ‘The Nature of Photographs’. 2^nd edition. UK, Phaidon Press Ltd.

ISBN 978-07148-5904-0

Szarkowski, John. 2009 – ‘The Photographer’s Eye’. 4^th edition (first edition 1966). New York.

Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 978-0-87070-527-4

Learning Evaluation

I’ve really gained a lot from this section. Mainly in my confidence to photograph people and not feel as though I’m being the voyeur or feeling that I should obtain their permission before taking their image. Generally people don’t care about photographers being there (unless they’re an inconvenience).

I’m still happier using long lenses, where I can be a physical distance from them – I think people are more themselves when they’re unaware of the camera and the extra distance gives them more confidence too. There’s obviously still a place for the shorter lenses, particularly when placing the subject in context with their surroundings. Including the subject to the side of a wide angle lens means that they’re unaware of being in the frame, so that can be an advantage. Using the standard length lens was also a good exercise and it was useful to use it at the show event, as I didn’t have to consider what focal length to choose – it also has a wider aperture so there’s an easy opportunity to throw the rest of the image out of focus if required.

The public space exercise has brought it all together for me and I’m now quite comfortable taking people’s images without a second thought.

Exercise 2.07 – A public space

I grabbed the opportunity to use the beach between Sandsend and Whitby on a hot weekend towards the end of the summer, while there were still plenty of people around. I chose a time when the tide was high, so people were more concentrated in the areas of beach that were useable.

I used two cameras again: the D200 with 170 – 500 mm lens and the D300s with 18 – 200 mm lens. Fir this exercise I was able to use the tripod, which was an advantage when using the longer lenses. I took almost 600 images in 1.5 hours – without being shouted at, and without upsetting anyone (to my knowledge).

On the beach people tend to claim their own little areas to do their own things in (with a few exceptions) but they’re generally discrete groups of people and interesting to watch:

D300s, ISO 200, 36 mm (54 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/22, 1/100 sec.

With the lens at ‘standard’ setting there’s a realistic portrayal of the stretch of the beach towards Whitby. Many people use this stretch for walking, as can be seen in the nearest group and then again further up the beach. There are several types of walkers:

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

The long lens has shortened the perspective, but the focus of the lone walker separates her from the rest of the scene. She’s obviously walking for the opportunity to be alone. Her folded arms show that she wants no contact with anyone else. She’s hiding under her hood. This type of walking gives her the freedom to be alone with her thoughts.

D200, ISO 100, 340 mm (510 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6, 1/250 sec.

Here’s another type of walking – walking for the sake of the walking. There’s no attempt to look around to see what’s going on around her – just walking to get the required exercise. But she looks happy to be doing it, so no problem. She’ll be happy getting and staying fit and that’s reward enough. These long lens settings mean that the subjects can be a long way off and don’t realise they’re being photographed – easy for me!

D300s, ISO 200, 24 mm (36 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/4.5, 1/2000 sec.

Power walking and proud of it – another walk for the sake of the walking, but this time it’s more serious. There’s no sign of any enjoyment – it’s just something that needs to be done. The wide angle has distorted the walkers to some degree, but the perspective has lengthened the beach, making it look as though it stretches much further than it really does. Looking further along the beach there’s lots to be seen. Look at the people in the sea and look at the couple walking together for the enjoyment of the stroll – that’s what it’s all about for me!

D300s, ISO 200, 105 mm (157 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/1000 sec.

Walking the dog – and looking for a site to pitch the windbreak. What’s going on behind the walker has an impact on this image. It puts the walker into context of being a part of the many varied activities on the beach – all working together in their individual interests. It’s also quite clear that I’m invisible again!

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Walking to the surfing group with his kayak, this man is just getting on with what needs to be done in order to enjoy himself – a bit of deferred! The narrow depth of field and shortened perspective of this long lens works well to separate the subject from the background while the background gives him a sense of place.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/640 sec.

Now we move on from the walking to the surfing. I changed the shutter mode to high speed continuous shooting to make it easier to capture ‘the moment’. It’s the waves that make this image, but the thrill of the ride can be seen. I kept the ISO setting low to keep better clarity and the aperture fairly wide to allow a reasonably fast shutter speed – I was more interested in freezing the action for this image rather than one which showed the water movement, although that could have been an interesting option.

It was interesting to see the launching of the kayaks – they obviously had to be sealed up before entering the water so the canoeist had to seat himself in the kayak and seal the canopy on the beach, then wait for a wave to reach him – it looked quite comical seeing a fully kitted up man sitting in a kayak on a dry beach!

D200, ISO 100, 360 mm (540 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/1000 sec.

Long lenses are needed to get this close to the action. The shutter speed has frozen the water into what looks like plastic. The surfer’s concentration and grip on his paddle are evident here as he takes on board what appears to be a wall of water. It looks as though there’s a real buzz to be had from this sport – more than can be seen on the usual surf board.

D200, ISO 100, 360 mm (540 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Looking back onto the beach we now see the family day out, with mother helping the daughter in the finer points of mining. Again, the long lens allows close up images without the subjects being aware that they’re being photographed – not that it matters when the photographer is invisible, but it’s best not to risk upsetting people!

This kind of activity is what the majority associate with a day on the beach, along with the windbreaks, buckets and spades and real sand sandwiches.

D200, ISO 100, 380 mm (570 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/250 sec.

These two are using chipping hammers – usually used for fossil hunting – to vary their mining techniques. This is an unusual application, but it’s all part of the family day out. Just good clean(ish) fun. The moment of impact has been caught as the hammer displaces the wet sand.

D300s, ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/1250 sec.

Beach barbecues are another feature. This image captures a small part of what was a fairly high level, with champagne and a serious cooking fest. Everyone totally engrossed in their own interactions and not at all interested in the camera or anyone else come to that.

D200, ISO 100, 400 mm (600 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

Here’s another barbecue, but at a much more personal level. This is the place to go for a barbecue if you don’t have a garden and this couple certainly seemed to be enjoying it. No fuss. No overt display. They’re just enjoying the experience together. They brought out a couple of cans later and enjoyed their efforts.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/320 sec.

So this is the beach where you can be free to do almost anything you like. Inhibitions seem to disappear because you’re in your own little world, doing what you want to do. I think this image shows that freedom and peace of mind. The out of focus background figures enhance this, leaving the subject the only significant person on the beach.

D200, ISO 100, 500 mm (750 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/6.3, 1/400 sec.

Here’s that captured moment – Father and daughter enjoying each other’s company as they walk in the sea. There’s enough suggested detail in the background to show the place, so they’re placed in context and their smiles say it all. There’s nowhere like the beach when the weather’s fine!

I’ve really enjoyed this exercise. Being so invisible or inconsequential to others on the beach has been quite an eye opener. The ease of capturing these images has really surprised me.

Exercise 2.06 – An organized event

As mentioned in the previously, I used the Egton Agricutural Show as this exercise.

When photographing a public event it’s essential to plan the shoot. Reading ‘Behind the image’ by Anna Fox / Natasha Caruana, many aspects of the planning are described. Of relevance to this exercise, the following topics need to be addressed:

· Topic or theme – in this case, people and what they are doing.

· Approach and methods – I’ll try to blend in with the crowds and use the cameras hand held (tripods wouldn’t work for this close contact / candid photography)

· Timetable – I downloaded the show schedule to determine the opening times of the grounds and tents to the public. Arriving when the tents were still closed for judging would restrict the possible situations, also there would be less people attending the show until the opening of these areas. Arriving too late would make parking difficult.

· Having a local knowledge of the event (I’ve shown livestock at previous shows, many years ago) means that I have a fairly good idea what’s going to be available to me, so research with the downloaded schedule should suffice.

· Reviewing / editing the images in an opportune moment on the camera will reduce the number of images to wade through when they’ve been downloaded, but will also give an indication of the viability of the ones that have been captured. The majority of the editing will be done at home.

· For this project I will require sharp images of the subject’s faces, so fairly fast shutter speeds are needed. I’ll use a relatively wide aperture with potentially increased ISO to attain this for the majority of images, but this will remain flexible as the day continues. I’ll be using the Nikon D300s in aperture priority, with the Nikkor 18-200 mm VR lens. The lens will be set in Active VR to allow hand held use with a long telephoto if required. Operating with this set up will help me merge into the crowd more easily and enable quicker response to candid images.

The final images are as follows:

Starting in the Arts and Crafts tent I came across this lady working with her silk flowers, oblivious to the people around her.

ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/125 sec.

I liked the way she was surrounded by her wares, with lots of colour. The wide aperture has caused her surroundings to be out of focus, while the subject herself is sharp. If she’d looked up it could have been a good portrait image, but the object was to have her unaware of being photographed.

This stall holder obviously knew one of the spectators.

ISO 200, 170 mm (255 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/250 sec.

Again, the wide aperture has worked to separate the subject from her surroundings. It looks to be really happy to see this person. It’s a shame that there are items intruding into the image (the written page and the elbow) but not a lot could be done about it in these circumstances.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/160 sec.

Moving into a darker area within the tent, I increased the ISO, to allow better shutter speeds for the hand held camera. This image epitomizes the potter for me – no makeup, no hairstylist and clothes that could only be worn by a craft artisan!

ISO 200, 65 mm (97 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5, 1/500 sec.

Moving outside I passed some of the trade stands – this one selling walking canes. This young lady looks somewhat perplexed by the array available. I used the canes to provide a sense of place – They’re out of focus, but the subject is still reasonably clear. It’s a shame about her second head, but it’s difficult to get the perfect ‘clean’ image under these circumstances. I could clone the head out of the image if required.

ISO 200, 105 mm (157 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/400 sec.

Here’s a girl who’s happy in her work, selling wonderful looking baking. I still find it surprising that I can capture this type of image without being noticed, or without the subject objecting.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/320 sec.

I increased the ISO again to photograph in the Handicrafts tent. This lady was incredulous that the rosette was given to a fruitcake of that quality! There are so many experts at these events.

ISO 400, 112 mm (168 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.3, 1/400 sec.

We have consternation again as the merits of the carved crooks are discussed. I like the way the older gentleman is so engrossed. The way he’s holding his hands accentuates his concentration as the younger man directs his gaze. By shooting with some crooks in the foreground it’s given some sense of place.

ISO 400, 65 mm (97 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5, 1/640 sec.

Moving into the ‘Small Livestock’ tent, judging is still taking place for some rabbit breeds. I took this image to show the judge working in his field, surrounded by the cages of the animals he is assessing. I should have been more careful with the framing and not cut off the top of his head – I was more interested in keeping him in context with his surroundings.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/640 sec.

I’m not sure of this man’s position in the show. He’s in the judging area, so he may be a judge, an official of the show, or an exhibitor. Whatever his position, he was holding forth with people in the public concourse and he seemed quite at home resting on the top of the cages.

ISO 400, 200 mm (300 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/1250 sec.

I happened across this man on my way back to the car. He was competing in the ‘agricultural horses’ section in the main ring. I still had a high ISO selected from the handicrafts tent, but time was of the essence and it really was just a grab shot. I think this image captures the character of this showman and puts him in context with his horses.

It’s been an interesting day out and I’ve favoured long lens settings to get ‘close up’ images of the subjects. I’ve really surprised myself with the ease of capturing these portraits and gained lots of confidence in taking them.

Project: Public events, public spaces

I’ve been concerned about the implications of taking images of people without their permission, so I’ve looked into it to a degree. There are several sites which discuss the topic, with the following being notable ones:

Urban 75 looks at various aspects of Photographers’ rights:

http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-street-shooting.html as does Stirlyn:

http://stirlyn.co.uk/photography-laws-copyright-and-trespass/ - I followed the link to Simon Moran and downloaded his pdf on the issues (included in my course documents). The bottom line is that there is no problem taking images of people, provided there’s no trespass, no harassment and no obstruction. Obviously there are exceptions (many areas may be considered public (shopping malls etc.) but are in fact private property) so permission may be required to photograph in these locations. Protection measures are also put in place for the photographing of children, so planning to take photographs of sporting events or other activities needs to be looked into regarding the local child protection policies. Generally there’s no law against taking peoples’ photographs, so let’s get to it.

· Timing is important – you don’t want to be too early or too late for specific events. The time of day / type of weather may be important.

· Any restrictions in the equipment needs to be considered –

o Is a tripod practical?

o Will additional lighting be required?

o Is flash photography allowed?

o How much equipment can you reasonably carry?

· Any requirements to allow access need to be looked into – some terrain may require specific clothing, contingency plans in case of accident etc.; Access to property may be required so consider the legal aspects and obtain necessary permissions for access and photography. Research the event / situation to find out as much as possible beforehand.

· Reviewing the project as it progresses will tell you whether you’ve got the images you’re chasing, or whether you need to look further. On larger projects this can be done at home using the computer, but on single day projects, the camera display is an invaluable tool.

· The technique used for the type of photography needs to be considered – the camera’s potential with variable aperture an shutter speed, ISO, interchangeable lenses etc. should be considered.

· Post production, using computer software, may be used for many applications, but it needs to be done with consideration to the remit and suitability of the subject.

Exercise 2.05 – Standard focal length

I’ve purchased a Nikkor 35 mm, 1: 1.8 lens (equating to 52.5 mm for a 35 mm camera) which I used for this exercise, mounted on my Nikon D200 camera. I used a mid-range aperture for the majority of images as this provided an acceptable depth of field and allowed me to concentrate on the framing rather than have to consider the exposure in various lighting conditions.

I used the Egton Agricultural show as an opportunity to photograph people using the 35 mm standard lens. This event would provide lots of potential subjects and I was able to merge and disappear into the crowd to a degree.

I started at the large animal area, and captured this image at the sheep pens.

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/7.1, 1/200 sec.

There are lots of people to study in this image. I think the main two are those with the flat hats – obviously farmers admiring their stock. Using a longer lens I would have been able to pick them out better, but with the standard lens I had to use the framing that was available from my vantage point (getting into the sheep pens would have caused some concern).

I like the way this image looks completely normal – no distortion and no changed perspective. All the verticals are vertical and the posture of everyone in the image looks right. Even the sheep look natural and unconcerned.

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/640 sec.

Moving from the large animals towards the tents, I took this image to show the lack of distortion using this lens. The farmer closest to the camera and people in the distance all look to be correctly portrayed. Again, they look natural.

I’ve obviously been noticed by a couple of people in this image, but the closest farmer doesn’t seem aware that he’s in frame. With a wider or longer lens I would have been able to be ‘invisible’, but with this lens I’m more obviously ‘in their space’. I got round this by looking straight past them after taking the image, so no problems!

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/30 sec.

The small livestock tent is my favourite attraction. This exhibitor doesn’t look too pleased about her rabbit’s performance – could it be one for the pot? The lens has again made an image possible where there’s no distortion in any area and the perspective looks correct.

This image (and several to follow) were taken through a gap in the cages – only exhibitors and officials are allowed into the judging area – so people in the judging area were unaware of my presence.

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/125 sec.

I like the story that’s being told here. This guinea pig judge isn’t happy about an aspect of the presentation and the two exhibitors have no option other than taking the lecture he’s giving. The onlooker seems to be taking it all in but again, there’s nothing he can say. The judge is always right! I don’t think I’d have caught this instant with a zoom lens. The freedom provided by having a fixed lens means that the choosing of the focal length has been taken out of the equation, so all there is to do is frame and shoot!

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/100 sec.

Here we see more deliberations by the judges. This image captures two distinct groups – the pair on the left seem to be in serious discussion, while the inspection on the right is creating some entertainment for the onlookers. Apart from the top of the cage at the bottom left (which is very close to the camera) the image is in good focus and everything looks quite natural.

Using a zoom lens I could have picked out either group, but probably with the loss of the moment in one of them.

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/15 sec.

I’ve obviously cropped this image – there was too much distraction to the left of the view, which detracted from the scene. I was obviously noticed by one member of the viewing party, but not with any concern. The look of pity on the main subject’s face has come across well. I could have used a wide angled lens for this capture, but that would have caused distortion, and there’s none to be seen here.

I was pleasantly surprised that this image came out so well. Without any vibration reduction I would have expected a blurred image at this shutter speed.

ISO 100, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/350 sec.

Back out in the sunlight, this image again shows how the lens keeps everything in the right perspective and distortion free. It gives a good impression of the spectators’ activity on the day, showing their movement between exhibition tents and stalls. It also provides different groups of people to look at. Even the dog has it’s place in the scene.

I like using this lens for this type of reportage photography – no consideration of the amount of zoom, just frame and shoot, knowing that the result will be a good representation of how the scene looked.

ISO 400, 35 mm (52.5 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/8, 1/2500 sec.

This image was taken at a higher ISO, as I was entering the Arts and Crafts tent where I needed this setting due to the lower light levels. I like this portrait – it shows the character of the wood worker (look at his scarred arms and those working hands), while showing the results of his craft. This puts him into context very well and everything has natural perspective due to the lens.

Inside the Arts and Crafts tent I captured this conversation between a potter and her prospective customer. Again the potter is shown in context with her creations, still with her working clothes and clay ingrained in her fingers – dressed and portraying herself as the artisan. Once again, the standard lens has come good with no distortion or shortening of perspective. It’s a very easy lens to use.

I’ve learnt a lot from this exercise and it’s a lens I’ll use if I’m capturing portraits (particularly contextual) or when it’s essential to have no distortion / perspective shortening. It’s been a very worthwhile purchase.

Project: Standard focal length

The standard lens is that which produces the ‘as seen’ image, having no distortion or lengthening / shortening of perspective, which one would think ideal for most journalistic or factual photography. Using this lens means that the photographer must move the camera to frame the image, instead of varying the focal length.

Langford’s Basic Photography tells us that the standard focal length for a 35 mm lens is around 50 mm. This is based on a film dimension of 24 x 36 mm. A DSLR (not full frame) has a sensor 15 x 22.4 mm. Because of this reduced target area, a focal length of around 28 mm is the standard lens for these cameras. Michael Freeman’s ‘Photographing People’ states that technically the standard focal length is the same as the diagonal across the array, which equates to 27 mm for the above sensor. This is not strictly true, because sensor sizes have increased since this book was published (2010) and other factors (e.g. crop factor) affect the calculation.

The Photography Mad website: http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/standard-lenses gives a good overview of the ‘standard’ lens:

“A standard lens, also known as a "normal lens", is one which produces an image that roughly matches what the human eye sees, and which looks natural to the viewer. It sits between the telephoto lens and the wide angle lens, which produce unnaturally zoomed-in and zoomed-out images respectively.

Standard lenses have an angle of view of around 50 to 55 degrees diagonally. This is roughly the same as the angle that the human eye can comfortably view, which is why it gives a natural-looking perspective.

Normal lenses make great general-purpose lenses, and can be used to photograph everything from close-up portraits to landscapes. They tend to be very "fast" lenses (i.e. they have a wide aperture), making them great for indoor and low-light photography.

The technical definition of a standard lens is one whose focal length roughly matches the diagonal or the film or image sensor. For a standard full-frame 35mm camera this gives a focal length of around 43mm.

In reality, the actual focal lengths chosen by manufacturers tend to be slightly longer than this. For a 35mm sensor, 50mm is the most common standard lens, although some companies do sell lenses which are closer to 43mm focal length.

Crop Factor

Because the "ideal" focal length depends on the sensor size, cameras which are less than full-frame will require lenses with shorter focal lengths. For example, a camera with a 1.5x "crop factor" will require a lens which is 1.5 times shorter than the standard 50mm, which works out at 33mm. A number of manufacturers produce 35mm standard lenses to meet this requirement.

Perspective

By definition, a standard lens produces images whose perspective is very similar to that seen by the human eye. This gives their photos a pleasing, natural feel, and helps focus attention on the subject, rather than distracting the viewer with an unusually distorted image.

Because of their ability to accurately reproduce a scene, standard lenses are an excellent choice for photographing people. They are particularly good when shooting candid photos, where you want to include some surrounding scenery to put the subject in context.”

With this in mind I’ll use a standard lens while photographing for the ‘Public event’ exercise. The images for next two exercises were captured at the same time and venue using two cameras. Both cameras were hand held as a tripod would have been impractical in a crowd and I was also trying not to be noticed.

Exercise 2.04 – Close and involved

Getting closer to subjects without them being aware that they’re being photographed is more difficult, particularly in crowded situations. For this exercise I’m using the D300s with the 18-200 mm lens set at 18 mm and also using the Sigma 10-20 mm zoom. I used aperture priority. The majority of images are taken with the aperture set relatively wide, to allow fast shutter speeds – in this situation I won’t have time or room to use a tripod.

It’s Whitby Regatta Monday when the pier road and the West pier are transformed into a (quite tacky) street market and fairground – and lots of people doing what they consider the regatta is all about (nothing relating to boats!) The folk week is in progress, so there’s still some scope there too.

Starting on the East side of town we find the ‘happy’ people:

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/200 sec.

Happiness seems to be a rare commodity on this street. The wide angled lens causes some distortion at close range and convergence with the verticals – looking at this image, the distortion isn’t really obvious, but the verticals are well off true. This could be relatively easily corrected in Photoshop, but I’m leaving the images as taken for the majority of this exercise.

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/320 sec.

Using the wide angle here has put this group of musicians into context. They are obviously busking on Church Street. The acoustics are good just here and the sound carries very well. Another useful attribute with the wide lens is its long depth of field, so the band and their surroundings are all in fairly good focus throughout the image. They must have been aware that I was taking their photograph, but they carried on as if I wasn’t there (I’m still the invisible man to most people!). They had a surprisingly good sound and were well rehearsed too, so a contribution was well earned.

Moving across to the West side and into the market stalls, we come across more happy people carrying all manner of useful props:

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/800 sec.

This image again puts the seller into context with his wares and his stand. Looking at other things that are going on in the image is interesting and the depth of field, even at this relatively wide aperture allows reasonable definition to be able to see these elements.

I was in close proximity to this trader and he heard the camera as the shutter was released. He suggested £1 per photo, but he wasn’t forthcoming so I left without being paid! Obviously the sound of the camera is a disadvantage when trying to be invisible, but it’s a very small one.

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/250 sec.

This trader seems to be making headway with potential customers – all genuine bargains of course! Although I’m quite close to the group they don’t seem to notice the camera and just carry on with their business, making it easy to capture this interaction and see the skepticism of the on looking old lady.

ISO 200, 10 mm (15 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/7.1, 1/125 sec.

This shorter lens allows a much wider view, so the lady on the right has no idea she’s in the frame, although she was the main subject as she lays down the ground rules to her children. I was less than a metre from her, but as I appeared to be shooting away from her she was unconcerned. The distortion is showing more with this lens – the verticals are well off true and the main subject has developed large biceps and a somewhat elongated head.

Again there are lots to be seen in the rest of the image – look at the lady with her fish and chips. (She’s a little out of focus, but that’s due to her movement, not the depth of field) She can’t eat them because she needs to cover her handbag, but you can’t come to Whitby without eating fish and chips!

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/3.5, 1/1250 sec.

Moving onto the West Pier proper, the room for maneuver gets less, as the rides and stalls have taken up half of the pier’s width. It’s now clear that pushchairs can be a real problem, but at least the people are more closely grouped. There are several points to look at in this image. First of all there are the mothers with the pushchairs, pretending that this is such good fun. Then there are the inappropriately dressed revelers (just look at the cellulite!). Look further back into the crowd and see the fed up people who want to get along the pier but who are stuck behind another chair jam. A couple of them have noticed that I’m taking photographs, but they don’t seem to be bothered. This is obviously a disadvantage in this situation, but unavoidable as there was nowhere else to go. I think it’s worth it for the image.

ISO 200, 20 mm (30 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/5.6, 1/400 sec.

This image puts the ride operator into context with the amusements and the potential customers into context with the operator and the rides. Again we can see more detail in the image – at least someone has bought a helium balloon and people are riding the Ferris wheel.

ISO 200, 14 mm (21 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/22, 1/8 sec.

I used a small aperture here, to allow a slower shutter speed in order to blur the movement of the speeding cars while still maintaining the onlookers in reasonable detail. This puts the onlookers into context better – at a higher shutter speed the onlookers could have been sharper, but the motion of the ride cars would have been lost. A disadvantage was the shutter speed being slow without the use of a tripod. It’s difficult to hold the camera steady for this speed – I must have been lucky!

ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/3.6, 1/50 sec.

Returning from the pier, I went to look at the ‘Reaper’, a restored 1902 sailing herring drifter, in Whitby as part of the Regatta festivities. Taking this image from the quayside at low tide puts the visitors to the vessel into context in a different way. In this view the subjects are small in comparison to the mast and sail. This gives more of a perspective of their position.

ISO 1600, 10 mm (15 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/7.1, 1/13 sec.

In the forward cabin of the ‘Reaper’ I used the extra wide angle lens at a high ISO and without additional lighting, so none of the other cabin occupants were aware that they were being photographed. This has the advantage that there is no false posing by the subjects, but a disadvantage that they continue moving and are unaware that they are coming into frame (like the lady in the right of the image). Another disadvantage is the distortion caused by the wide lens: so the lady on the left has a longer head than I remember, with a long jaw and nose; and the verticals in the left of the image are far from true. I’m happy enough to accept this distortion for this image as I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The high ISO causes some noise in the image, but the camera’s noise reduction makes this acceptable for this situation.

ISO 200, 10 mm (15 mm equivalent 35 mm), f/7.1, 1/100 sec.

We must not forget the fish and chips! Using the wide lens again enabled this image of the queue outside this feted café. It’s a common sight to see this queue continuing across the street as customers wait their turn to share a table with total strangers for their dinner – it’s another expected Whitby day out thing! Again there’s distortion in those close to the camera and there’s serious convergence of the building verticals, but the people aren’t aware of being photographed, so it makes it worthwhile. Because they aren’t aware of being photographed, the subjects carry on regardless – look at the girl, bottom centre, tormenting her sibling and all the smiling faces as they wait for their treat!

So the wide angle lens has a lot of potential for photographing people unaware of the photograph being taken. It has disadvantages, but being able to put people in context with their surroundings is a major advantage.

Project : Wide angle

Looking at the Magnum Photos website: http://www.magnumphotos.com/ There are so many excellent photographers here. I particularly like the work of Carl De Keyser, Ian Berry, Werner Bischof, Philip Jones Griffiths, Steve McCurry, David Hurn, Guy Le Querrec, Dominic Nahr (some incredible photojournalist images), Trent Parke, Raghu Rai and Moises Saman in relation to this project – they all use wide angle lenses to show their subjects in context in many of their images. In particular I’m impressed with the work of Steve McCurry.

Following the Magnum Photos link to his blog http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/ there are various posts where his portraits put the subjects in context and tell such stories. He’s obviously travelled to some amazing places but his talent for showing people in their surroundings is amazing. Many of them use wider angle lenses to show the subjects in context and he’s obviously at one with the people he’s photographing. I don’t pretend to have his talents or skills (not yet anyway) but it’s a level to aspire to.