Why should I start Street Photography?
    This should be a fairly straightforward question for each reader to answer. If you have clicked on this link and are reading this then you already know. Either you feel the appeal or you don’t… and I do. I started photography in 2008 and my first street photo dates from 2013. It is a picture of a street musician in Paris in front of Montmartre. I had a D800 and a Zeiss makro planar 2/100, nice equipment indeed! Over the top even. Up to that point, my main focus was on portraits : my family, friends, their dogs… in colour and in black&whire. It felt natural one day to turn to the streets for photographic material…

So if you like observing people and life around you, if you have a natural empathy for strangers or if you are curious about how other people live their lives, then I think that street photography can be fulfilling to you as a photographer.

Otherwise there is nothing wrong with enjoying other peoples work and carrying on doing your own think. Don’t think you have to “do” street just because a lot of other people are.

What equipment do I need?

If I say that the equipment doesn’t matter, I would be telling the straight hard truth… but then why does this question always crop up? The thing is, we photographers, and me included, put a lot of time and effort in learning and researching about equipment instead of taking and editing photos. My conclusion is that the equipment we choose is really important to us personally. If we don’t like what we have then we cannot be creative as photographers. It is natural to evolve, we all suffer from G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome) and we all know new equipment won’t make us better photographers. Ah, but I’m certain that is does… not because the equipment is better (even if it is) but because it gives us the extra push to go out and enjoy our photography. So let’s give in to G.A.S !

For those who are curious about what I use, I’m afraid I have to own up to a number of cameras and lenses… Having tried a lot of combinations, I am certain that mirrorless is the way to go. Just look at the different cameras I have used and I dare anyone to say that one camera is better than the others!

However, in street photography, discretion is good. Having a small bag, with just one camera and one lens is ideal. Your back and shoulders will thank you after a day out. I’ll make a post soon to compare the cameras I’ve owned and used and what I recommend.

That over with, and a brand new camera in hand, just open your front door and get out!