The Indiana State Fair is my favorite place to practice candid photography of random strangers. This was the first time I ever tried it, and boy did I take the wrong camera: my Olympus OM-1. Even though it’s a compact SLR, it was still mighty conspicuous. Too often, my subjects noticed me photographing them.
But not this time. These two people were engrossed in their conversation.
The next time I shot street at the fair, I took a much smaller camera.
Shuttle rides $1 • Olympus OM-1 • 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko Auto-S • Fujifilm Fujicolor 200 • August, 2012
Last updated on 18 March 2020 by Jim Grey
Great pic.
Thanks!
Two suggestions for street photography:
1) Use your Retina IIa. It small and thanks to the shutter silent. I used a IIIc for years and got some great shots.
2) If you have a digital camera with a screen that swivels so you can have the camera at waist level or use one of your TLR’s. A camera held at waist level is generally not viewed as in use. This why TLR’s where so popular with photojournalists.
Nice shot by the way.
The IIa is an interesting idea. If I shot Sunny 16 and set it for deepest DOF it could just work.
I’ve fallen back on my Canon PowerShot S95 digital camera for most street work. It’s tiny. It doesn’t have an articulating screen, but I can still shoot it from the hip and see the screen well enough.
Come to think of it, your Yashica TLR would be ideal for street work.
I ought to try it. I just shot a roll of slide film in it. I love using that camera.
know what you mean – I need a smaller camera as well…
One can never have too many cameras! :-)