Do you take your camera for a walk? In our second article on that topic, we’ll look at why it’s good for you and your photography in ways you might not have thought of, why you might ditch the telephoto lens. rear and how to improve the ability to capture vivid subjects even with shorter lenses .
Earlier this year, my wife and I went out for a daily walk. I used to bring a camera, but now, I rarely bring it, because I want to use that time to record the day’s activities. But on an early evening last summer, I took it with me because the light was amazing. We passed an elderly couple, where the man was taking pictures and his wife was patiently waiting nearby. I jokingly asked if she, like my wife, was another photography widow. She and her husband both laughed and said firmly, “Yes!”
It is easy for people to get lost in activities that distract them from their lives, especially if that life is stressful. For many people, being active means aimlessly scrolling through social media or watching bland, unimportant YouTube videos. That can become an addiction that is a short-term pain reliever to numb the pain or boredom in their lives. But it doesn’t work. When we walk with our cameras, we get distracted but are creating something, exercising and maybe even socializing. I don’t know about you, but people always come to talk to me, usually as soon as the sun rises over the horizon and I want to take a picture of it. Those parts of photography are so important to our mental health.
There has been a long tradition in many cultures worldwide of people walking alone. This temporary movement is often misinterpreted as wandering aimlessly or as a difficult journey to a particular place. However, for those who perform such ceremonies, it is more than that because there is a purpose behind it regarding personal spiritual and spiritual growth. It often involves paying attention to the world around them on that journey and learning about themselves.
A study on the impact of pilgrimages on human health has shown that pilgrims are more satisfied and optimistic about their lives and less troubled with their health problems. I’m not suggesting you pack up and walk to some remote religious site. However, in this stressful modern world, when we hustle and compete for our place in society, and when we have little time to focus our minds on the present, walking with the camera becomes a mindful act that engages us. It can serve a similar purpose, making us notice the wonderful natural world around us and experience inner calm.
I’ve been told it might seem a bit fairy-tale or weird to some people, but that’s important to photography because calm is essential to getting great photos.
Many novice photographers let the excitement overwhelm them. Very excitable, especially when we are photographing something special; I clearly remember my heart pounding when I first saw a wild elephant through an SLR’s viewfinder. After all, we wouldn’t be able to create photos if we didn’t have a passion for photography. However, enjoying the moment peacefully will lead to more shots than rushed eagerness to get the shot.
If you talk to any good street or wildlife photographer, they will talk about the value of standing still and waiting for the shot. Many novice photographers do not do this. They rush from place to place, trying to find action instead of discovering a good setting and waiting for things to happen there. So when walking with your camera, you also need to stop.
With many genres of photography, you need to be able to predict exactly when you should press the shutter button. That is what the great Henri Cartier-Bresson defined as l’instant décisif, the decisive moment. To capture that, you have to be ready for it. It is a skill that can be learned. So with experience, you can predict the perfect shot even when you’re on the go. I remember watching a TV show about Cartier-Bresson, which showed him almost jumping down a street, running to the right place to take a picture without being noticed. That takes a lot of practice and it’s an ability you’ll gain by stopping and watching for the first time.
Is the solution to use the telephoto lens to get up close?
Clients often ask me the same question during my outdoor seminars: “Why does that man have such a large lens.” My usual answer is that they are just making up for inadequacies in other areas. I’m joking, of course, but some people feel that they have to go around with something like a rocket launcher no matter what they’re going to shoot.
The smaller camera and lens combination is better in many ways when walking. Cartier Bresson, one of the most famous photographers who ever lived, traveled around with a small Leica 35mm rangefinder camera with a 50mm lens. It’s a tiny camera compared to today’s massive digital monsters. The battlefield photographer, Robert Capa, also uses a 50mm lens on his small Leica. They used them for their portability and superior image quality. That focal length forces you to work with the photo. With an APS-C camera with a 1.6x crop factor, a physical lens smaller than 33.33 mm will give you the same field of view. On Micro Four Thirds, it will be an even smaller 25mm lens.
Long lenses are great. They allow you to take certain photos. However, they are a pain to carry on walks. Most are bulky and unsuitable for walking photography. Years ago, I suffered from neck pain after carrying around a large DSLR camera and a long lens for a day. Since then, I’ve been discovering the benefits of lighter camera systems and shoulder straps. Why do manufacturers still offer neck straps and not the much more practical shoulder straps?
The temptation with a long telephoto lens is to capture things that are far away. This is not always a good approach. As the subjects are further away from your camera, there will be more atmosphere between you and them. That air is filled with impurities that degrade the quality of the image. Take the following images as examples. The relatively small float in the water at the end of the image is much sharper than the much larger castle in the background. In turn, the castle is clearer than the distant trees and houses. Water vapor and dust in the air reduce visibility, even on a clear day.
So if you want good photos, consider getting closer to your subject and using a shorter lens.
Birds, animals, and even people aren’t necessarily so easy to get up to, so that’s where the telephoto lens can come into play on its own. However, in most cases, the definition of all modern cameras allows for a lot of cropping. Furthermore, short telephoto lenses are now available that are lightweight and offer excellent image quality. But even with a standard kit lens, if you bring a camera, there’s a reason why you might get better photos than with a long lens.
Capturing vivid subjects with a shorter lens is more difficult to achieve. Many technically minded photographers aim to bring out the subject and blur the background. However, that can be a bit monotonous. It’s great for catalog photos. But adding background context by using a shorter lens, not too close, using a crop sensor camera, and reducing the aperture, can enhance the narration of some photos, bringing out the details of the environment. that you are passing.
Creating complex stories with animated objects is much easier than with landscapes or still lifes. Moreover, we can consider adding other elements to the image to make the image more interesting. For example, this could be motion. Most bird photographers consider bird shots on a stick to be inferior to action shots. But great lighting can even take the humble bird-stick combination to the next level.
Showing behavior is another storytelling element that one can add to a photo to elevate it beyond the ordinary. A dog chasing a ball, a bird pulling a worm out of the ground, a cat loitering and a person laughing at someone else’s misfortune will all add an extra element to improve the sentence. story of the photo. We can observe and photograph these things while walking with our cameras.
When walking, the most important thing to remember is that you are shooting for no one but yourself. The act of taking a photo is much more important than the photo.
If you missed it, in part one, we looked at the uses of sunlight and why camera positioning is essential when walking with your camera.
Do you have any tips to pass on to others when out and about with their cameras? It would be great to hear about your experiences and see some of your photos.
