Month: November 2016

Many street photographers don’t like lugging large DSLRs around. They also like the stealth of a smaller camera. Personally, I’m committed to my DSLR because I made the investment before I knew that I wanted to pursue street photography. The 50mm lens that I have begun to use on my Nikon D750 for street photography makes it look less intimidating. Since I’m tall (6’-4” or 193 cm) the large camera body looks smaller in theory. I also feel that the appearance of the camera has not impacted my ability to get the shot.

For me the greatest problem to solve is how to carry the camera while having it ready for a shot at a moment’s notice. The stock Nikon neck strap doesn’t offer many options to reduce the fatigue of carrying the camera for a long period of time. I purchased a wrist strap that I thought would work, but returned it when I read the notice inside the package that warned against using the strap to carry the camera.

After searching, I found two complimentary products from Peak Design that satisfied my requirements. I consider them complimentary because the camera attachment system supports both. The primary component of the attachment system is a plastic button on a loop of double-layer, high strength line. The line attaches to the camera and the button snaps securely into the connector on various Peak Design strap products. The line has a wear indicator so that it is obvious when the line and button need to be replaced.

I purchased the Slide Camera Sling ($59.95 list) and the Cuff Wrist Strap ($19.95 list). Peak Design also makes the Clutch Wrist Strap and two light weight slings, all using the same attachment system. The Slide Camera Sling can be configured a neck strap or a shoulder sling. The length of the strap is easily adjusted using a locking buckle. As a neck strap, the sling is attached to the strap buttons on the top of the camera. As a shoulder sling, you can use one of the top buttons and a button on an adapter plate that screws into the tripod mount on the bottom of the camera. The plate is designed to work with Arca-Swiss tripod mounting clamps, although I do not use the plate for that purpose. The Slide Camera Sling comes with four buttons.

The Cuff Wrist Strap is a nice alternative that you can keep in your pocket until needed. It comes with two buttons. For me, I will use the Cuff when involved in shooting for active situations where the camera will be coming up and down constantly for shooting. The Slide is useful on those long hikes of discovery when you want to safely let the camera swing by your side.

The Peak Design site has a store; I purchased mine on Amazon and got very quick delivery being a Prime member. I’m very happy with these straps. I’m relieved from the neck pain of the stock Nikon strap and at the same time feel that my camera is secure. Finally, the Slide Camera Sling is a great alternative for anybody who is looking for a neck strap alternative, not solely street photographers.

The event was the second day of the Greenberg Toy and Train Show in Wilmington, Massachusetts. It was held at the Shriner’s Auditorium that has one very large hall about the size of two basketball courts end-to-end. Vendor booths and tables formed aisles for visitors to hike. There were also full-size toy train layouts with operating trains. This was my first shoot using my AF Nikkor 50mm f1.4 D lens.

I shot about 150 photos, which is low for outings such as this for me. Of those, nineteen made the initial cut. I always make an initial pass through the lot just after a street shoot to choose the most promising. Looking at them a day later I can say that maybe half of them will make the final cut.

The activity at the venue was somewhat limited. People went there to look at toy trains mostly and to purchase items for their train collection. There wasn’t as much diversity as you would find outdoors on the street, but the crowd was significantly large and in constant motion throughout the hall. People being people, it wasn’t a waste of time and I enjoyed looking at the trains. I have some great images for the effort.

During one of my wanderings on the vast wasteland of the Internet, I discovered two great street photographers, Thomas Leuthard and Eric Kim, who have both published free e-books on the subject. My favorite Thomas Leuthard e-book is Going Candid . . . An Unorthodox Approach to Street Photography. Generally there is no “orthodoxy” in street photography, so his title is on solid ground. It covers significant and diverse topics, such as composition, ethics, and promotion of your work. You can download this e-book and others from Thomas Leuthard’s web site http://thomas.leuthard.photography/.

Eric Kim also has several free e-book titles as well and I have read Street Photography 101 and Street Photography 102. While Leuthard and Kim share many opinions concerning street photography, Kim takes a slightly more philosophical approach in his e-books. 101 discusses the motivation and equipment for street photography. 102 covers composition is some detail with emphasis on interacting with human subjects. Eric Kim has been a prolific writer and some of his works are for sale on Amazon. For free e-books and information on his Amazon publications for sale see his web site http://erickimphotography.com.

You can follow both of these exceptional street photographers Thomas Leuthard and Eric Kim on Flickr.