Shutterfinger

What I've Been Doing Since My Last Post

I know: I said I was calling it quits to blogging, but I just can’t help making one or two more posts. After all, the street photography book that was one of the main reasons I stopped blogging was just published in late May. Since I mentioned Shutterfinger in the book and related promotional efforts, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the book here.

 The book’s title is “Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment,” published by Rocky Nook. The list price for the print version is $29.95, with an e-book version available for $19.95. You should be able to find either one on Amazon for less or, if you prefer, you can visit Rocky Nook’s website or a physical bookstore. If you'd to support my past and present efforts, I encourage you to buy a copy, if you haven’t already.

You may also be interested in a podcast I did with Derrick Story of The Digital Story. The topic was “Street Photography Ethics”—something I wrote about in the book but explored more fully in the podcast. I participated in a similar discussion of style in street photography, which should appear soon on Valeria Jardin’s Street Focus podcast, hosted on the This Week in Photo website.

Your feedback on any and all of these will be welcome here in the comments section. In the meantime, my next big adventure will a two-week trip to Ghana; specifically Lolito, a small town in the Upper Volta region. My family and I will be helping with renovations and upgrades to the local school. I plan to document our efforts via video and stills. Who knows? I may even post the results here on Shutterfinger.

A Focus on Focus

This is an example of how the plane of focus can make or break a shot. The slightest back- or front-focus would have rendered the fencing in the foreground unsharp, thereby eliminating the contrast between what's sharp and what's not. On the other hand, I doubt this image would have worked as well if it was all in focus. What do you think?

I'm pretty relaxed about most technical aspects of photography. A bit of under- or overexposure or a white balance that's a bit too warm or cool is really not that big a deal if you're shooting Raw and converting many of your files from color to monochrome anyway. The one area where I tend to get fussy is focus. I use focus, composition, and the way tones are arranged in a scene to help direct the viewer's eye to what I want them to see. Of these three, a missed plane of focus is the one I am least able to correct in Photoshop. Blurring things is easy; focusing something that wasn't in focus to begin with, not so much.

That's why I--and I suspect I'm not alone here--still like shooting with manual focus cameras (my Nikon FM3A, for example). It's easy to tell from looking through the viewfinder where the plane of focus is and where it isn't. Because manual focus lenses have distance markings and lots of them, I can even prefocus a lens without looking through the viewfinder, stop down for depth-of-field, and use the depth-of-field markings (anyone remember those?) to get a pretty good idea of how much of the image will be in reasonable focus.

You can probably tell from the narrow angle of view here that I was using a telephoto lens. My focus shifted from achieving depth-of-focus to making it deep enough for key compositional elements to look sharp. This, by the way, was shot while walking up the stairs on the Eiffel Tower.

Lack of consistently accurate autofocus, especially indoors, is why I'm preparing to sell my Nikon D7000. It has many wonderful qualities; this just doesn't happen to be one of them. You can tell me I'm using it incorrectly and accuse me of being incompetent all you like. You can also assure me that this problem doesn't exist, every photo you've taken with your D7000 has been tack-sharp, and therefore I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't care. Life is too short and there are too many good cameras out there for me to have to use one I don't trust completely. I've got my eye on one or two replacements but won't tip my hand just yet. It probably won't be another Nikon though. Nothing personal; it's just time for a change.

If you or your camera can't get consistently sharp photos of this type of subject at this distance then something is seriously wrong--speaking of which, why would someone name a chic restaurant in the St. Germain area of Paris "Le Schmuck"? It doesn't sound particularly appetizing. On the other hand, I imagine the French find some of our restaurant names equally perplexing.

I have just the opposite attitude toward my Nikon V1 though. It focusses a lot faster than I can and with more consistency and accuracy too. Throw in its small size, nondescript appearance, sturdy construction, and quiet operation and it's a street and travel photographer's delight. Instead of feeling as if I have to be constantly on my guard to make sure it doesn't screw up, I feel as if I can relax and concentrate on capturing the right light and the right moment. And shouldn't that be everyone's focus?

 

 

 

 

 

Observations on Street Photography in Paris

You won't have to look very hard to see me and my Cole reflected in the glass of this Parisian restaurant.

I recently returned from a week-long trip to Paris, referenced in my preceding post. Now I'm back in Philly, sorting through photos and recollections; reconciling what I thought the experience would be like with the actual experience. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Traveling light is a good idea.

Paris is a very accessible city from a street shooting perspective. Between the Metro, the RER trains, and rental bikes, it's remarkably easy to get to anywhere you want to go without a car. That said, you're still going to do a lot of walking and whatever equipment you plan to use will add weight and take up space. I carried only a Nikon FM3A with a 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor and 28mm f/2.8 Voightlander lens. My digital kit, which my son used more than I did, was a Nikon V1 with 18.5mm, 10-30mm, and 30-110mm lenses. He seldom carried all three at once. Although we were invariably tired by the end of each day, it wasn't because of lugging ridiculous amounts of equipment.

Most other tourists followed a similar ethic. As you might expect, smartphone and even iPad cameras were the most popular choice by far, followed by compact digicams and Canon Rebels and Nikon D3000 and D5000-series DSLRs with kit zooms. Only rarely did I see someone carrying a full-frame DSLR, tripod or large tele-zoom, and the people who did so were almost always guys in their twenties.

Aside from the weight issue, a smallish, touristy camera gives potential subjects the impression that you are a harmless tourist (which you may very well be) rather than a Pro Photographer with Suspicious Motives.

I literally had less than a second to frame and capture this before this busy waiter vanished back inside.

You've got to be fast.

Paris is a very populous, popular, and busy city. Tourist sites, of which there are many, draw huge crowds, create long lines, and cause congestion. Cars, buses, bikes, and motorcycles zip about in all directions. Parisians are often in a hurry and will dash past you or in front of you if they think you're slowing them down. (Keep in mind that I say this as someone who is a pretty brisk walker himself.) What this means for street photographers is that although there are plenty of people on the streets, a large percentage of them are in constant motion. Even when you try to photograph something or someone stationary, someone else will step into the scene. The only way to counteract this frenetic appearance and disappearance of perfect moments is to be quick and decisive. You need to be able to raise your camera to your eye and achieve a well-focused, well-exposed photo in no more than a second.

Just as I was framing this shot with the manequin in the foreground, I saw the woman in the background getting ready to take her seat. This lucky shot is the result of not just grabbing a shot and moving on.

It helps to slow down.

Does this contradict the paragraph above? Not necessarily. Even though you need to be ready to snap a photo in an instant, you also need to relax and open your awareness to what's going on around you. Is that group of teenagers about to explode in laughter as one pulls a prank on another? Is the woman hanging onto her lover's arm about to lean over and kiss him? Is that custom Harley-Davidson chopper about to be mounted by a petite young Frenchwoman in chic leathers? If so, draw your bow (frame the composition, either mentally or actually) and when the moment comes, shoot.

Automation can be too slow.

I mentioned in the second paragraph above that I was using a Nikon FM3A. This was not purely because of some sentimental attachment to film (although this was admittedly a factor); it was because this camera has so little automation. It will take pictures even if the battery is dead. If the shutter is cocked it will fire, period. I can set the aperture, shutter speed and focus and know that they won't change unless I manually do so myself. The camera will not hunt for focus or decide to change the ISO setting. Provided I've set everything correctly, I can press the shutter button without worrying that the camera itself will screw up the shot.

Contrast this with an automated camera such as the Nikon V1, where you have to remember not to keep it on too long for fear of draining the battery, turn it on before shooting, zoom or not zoom, check the shooting mode dial to make sure it didn't accidently move to some other mode, zero the exposure compensation, turn off the camera after shooting, and on and on. Can you still get great shots with a camera like this? Absolutely. Can you rely on it not to screw up when you least expect it? Not so much.

I was literally standing right next to the woman in the foreground, but because I was close and the camera was at chest level and silent, no one noticed me.

Go wide and get close.

Simply put, a moderately wide-angle lens lets you get close enough to your subject that you don't have to be as concerned with people stepping in front of you. It also makes it easier to pretend you're shooting something more interesting behind them, which in a city like Paris is more likely than not.

It's not all about photography.

As much as I enjoyed exploring Paris with camera in hand, I got even more enjoyment from doing so with my son, meeting people from other countries and backgrounds, practicing French, eating delicious meals and trying new foods. My goal was to have this sense of wonder and enjoyment reflected in my photographs rather than the other way around. I hope I achieved it.

 

Shooting (and Freezing) In Paris

I shot this right next to the Seine. If this scene looks like it was freezing cold it's because it was.

For the past week I've been in Paris with my 11-year old son, Cole. It's the first time for both of us. He's been on spring break and I've been taking a break from work. We've also both beeen trying our hand at street photography Paris-style. This is, after all, where street photography got its start, first with Eugene Aget and followed soon after by Brassai (a Hungarian shooting in Paris) and Henri Cartier-Bresson. By no means do I place myself in such great company; I'm simply inspired by it.

What has not inspired me is the unseasonably cold weather (a high of 4° C or 41°F), the crowds, and the rapid pace. Shivering plays hell with image sharpness, even if your camera or lens has image stabilization. The crowds offered plentiful subject matter; that is, if you like shots of people clothed for Arctic conditions. You've got to move fast though, because busy, distracted people think nothing of stepping between you and a prospective subject. And then there are the countless other tourists with their smartphones and tablets, attempting to frame and focus photos with the sun at their backs and shining directly onto their screens. Tourists or not, scenes of people staring dumbly at their smartphones while they play games or listen to music are so common that I refuse to photograph them any more.

This was shot just outside of the Eileen Gray exhibition at the Georges Pompidou Center. It's the sort of place I could shoot all day, especially because it's indoors and the crowds are less insane that at the Louvre.

I haven't regretted my decision to travel light though. My son doesn't mind carrying either one of my cameras as we walk for miles each day and neither do I. I'll publish a portfolio of my results when I get back. These two shots will have to hold you in the meantime.

 

 

 

Now What?

Beijing is probably the last place you'd expect to find an Ohio State fan. Then again, maybe he just liked the bright red color of the jersey.

One of the most disconcerting discoveries I had upon arriving in Beijing was that in most respects it  didn't look all that different from Los Angeles. It was packed with cars, bicycles, pedestrians, huge shopping centers, and office buildings. Aside from the people, signs, and a few of buildings being Chinese, Beijing could have been almost any oversized Western metropolis. Combine that with gray skies and flat lighting caused by air pollution, and the result is a city that is not particularly photogenic. This is true of many other travel destinations as well--you can't just start snapping pictures of everything you see and expect them to be any good; you've got to work for them, just as you would if you were at home.

Nothing says "China" to me as much as bicycles and the color red.

 

These are the stairs leading up from one of Beijing's massive train stations. I still don't know how I managed to capture a scene like this with only two people in it.

 

Not only did this sudden rain shower add visual atmosphere, it helped clear the air of oppressive pollution and the sidewalks from ever-present dust.

Since I was travelling with my wife and kids, I didn't have the luxury of being able to photograph wherever and whenever I wanted. That meant I had to be extra alert to any opportunity to shoot anthing better than the average tourist "happy snaps." For me, these opportunities presented themselves in the form of dramatic lighting, colors, graphic shapes, patterns, and weather conditions. They may not have appeared as often as I might have liked, yet often enough that I had a good time taking advantage of them. Had I been there longer or in the right places, I could also have taken advantage of special occasions and activities, such as festivals, ceremonies, games, sports, and so on. No matter; as I often remind my kids, "You get what you get and you don't get upset."

Back from Beijing

Parasols such as this one were quite popular among Chinese ladies wanting to protect themselves from the sun beating down on their heads. This was shot just outside the entrance to the Forbidden City.

In case anyone has been wondering why I haven't posted anything in over a week it's because I was in Beijing and Xi'an, China from May 23 - June 1. Because of the Communist Party of China's Internet firewall policies I wasn't able to blog from within their marvellous country. In many cases I wasn't even able to access even the most innocuous photo blogs. As hardships go, this one was far from insufferable, and in any event it explains why Shutterfinger was temporarily dormant.

I wasn't in China alone. I travelled with my wife and three kids, ages 12, 10, and 8, which was an adventure in and of itself. Westerners are not rare in Beijing, which has a population of approximately 19.6 million people; however, families of five African-Americans, one of whom has shoulder-length dreadlocks (my youngest son), are apparently so uncommon that Chinese and Westerners alike would stop dead in their tracks to stare, dumbfounded. Some, thankfully a minority, would rush over to touch his hair, often without asking.

Here's what things looked like inside the Forbidden City. It's clearly not so forbidden anymore. In fact, within an hour after I took this shot, this courtyard was packed with people.

There's a lot more I could tell you about our adventures and discoveries than can possibly be covered in a post or two. My plan is therefore to post every few days or so in serial fashion, until either you or I lose interest.

For now, I invite you to relish the irony that I, who offered advice on "Travelling Light," took my own advice a little too far. In my care to make sure my kids didn't leave anything essential at home, I forgot to pack the battery charger for the Nikon V1 I took along for the trip--a fact I discovered on the first day, when a few hours of photographing Tienamen Square and the Forbidden City drained 86% of my battery power. A similar day of shooting with my Nikon D7000 would have drained no more than 25%, but because mirrorless cameras rely so much on live view displays they are a lot more power-hungry than standard DSLRs.

This kid was too big for a stroller and apparently unwilling to walk, so his parents indulged him by plopping him into a luggage carrier. He didn't seem to mind seeing only where they had been rather than where they were going.

Fortunately, I'd had the foresight to bring an extra, fully charged battery. I was also lucky to be in Beijing, where after a few days of searching through the countless digital camera shops in the city, I found one that sold me a counterfeit yet functional MH-25 charger for less than $15.00. In the meantime, although the constant need to turn the V1 on and off to conserve battery power put a crimp in my street shooting, it allowed me to get all the shots I really wanted to get.

One of the benefits of coupling a smallish sensor with short focal length lenses is that you get plenty of depth of field. This was shot at 12.7mm at f/5.0.

Despite the Nikon V1 being more power-hungry than I expected, I would still recommend it as a travel camera. I barely noticed having it in my small shoulder bag during a mid-day trip to the Great Wall of China in 90-degree heat (Fahrenheit, not Centigrade) while other photographers who were lugging full-sized DSLRs and one or two fast zooms were definitely feeling the pain. Focusing was lightening fast and accurate too, as was exposure and white balance. The only thing I wished for was one or two small, fast primes. Even though the V1's 28-70mm equivalent kit lens is tiny for its type, it's still 2.75" long (70mm) when full extended, which is at both extremes of its range. No matter. I was pleased with the results and hope you will be too.

My Experience With the Nikon V1

Here's the Nikon V1 (left) next to a Canon G9 with lens retracted. As you can see, their body sizes are quite similar. So are their weights. The G9, however, has a lot more buttons, dials, and direct controls. It also has a hot shoe that will work with any standard flash unit, which is something the V1 lacks. On the other hand, the V1 is generally much easier and faster to operate and produces much high quality output.

Being the independent thinker I am, I decided to see for myself how well the much-reviled (and equally much-praised) Nikon V1 with its 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom would perform as a street and travel camera. As you can see from the comparison photo above, the V1 meets many of the most important qualifications for street and travel: It's small (approximately 113 x 76 x 43.5 mm/4.4 x 3 x 1.7 in. body only), lightweight (383 g/13.5 oz with battery and memory card), durable (magnesium alloy body), and unintimidating.

The question on my mind was whether it offered the speed, flexibility, and image quality that are so lacking in compact digicams and camera phones. I was not expecting it to be as capable or to have the same image quality as larger, heavier, more expensive APS-C and full-frame DSLRs. Those of you who do have that expectation should read no further. What follows is a summary of my discoveries, likes and dislikes, and a few tips for overcoming some of the V1's shortcomings.

Speed

The V1 is ready to shoot as soon as you extend the lens from its fully retracted state--or, in the case of the fixed focal lenth 10mm f/2.8, as soon as you press the On button. Unlike compact cameras with electronic zoom mechanisms linked to a rocker switch, you have direct and immediate mechanical control over focal length, with markings on the lens barrel. The image snaps into focus as soon as you press the shutter button halfway down. The 3" diagonal, 921K-dot LCD display is reasonably visible in bright light, however, when you raise the camera to your eye it automatically switches over to the built-in 1440K-dot electronic viewfinder. 

The Nikon V1 really struts its stuff when it comes to continuous focusing speed. If you use its electronic shutter, the V1 is capable of tracking movement in bright light at 10, 30, or 60 frames-per-second. It also has a 44-frame buffer, even for raw images. This is more useful for sports or wildlife photography than street and travel, but it's nice to have on hand nevertheless.

I asked this gentleman's permission to take his picture, which he graciously granted. The speed element here was the Nikon V1's ability to capture fleeting facial expressions and hand gestures such as this one.

No sooner had I raised the camera to my eye than this teenager turned to glance at me. I focused and released the shutter in no more than a half-second. Even though his face is off-center, the focus is spot-on. The first question out of his mouth was, "Are you a tourist?"

Things slow down when you need to do something other than focus, frame, and shoot. The V1 has very few direct controls. This means that when you want to set options such as ISO, white balance, or exposure mode (PASM), you have to do a bit of menu-diving. These generally aren't things you need to set often, so in my experience the inconvenience is minor.

Exposure compensation, which is something I use often, is directly available by pressing and turning the control dial on back of the camera. Unfortunately, you have to press a Set button for your change to register, which once again slows things down a second or two. (There is no exposure bracketing feature, by the way, but since I never use it I never missed it.)

An added speed-bump is the fact that there is no way to turn off image review, even when you're using the electronic viewfinder. This is no consequence to shooters who like to "chimp" every shot. For those of us who want to keep a constant live view of the subject, it's an annoyance that requires tapping the shutter button after each exposure to return to live view.

Image Quality

The V1's 10MP image sensor is approximately 4X as large in area as those in the average compact digicam while half as large as a four-thirds sensor. Should it come as any surprise that the image quality is significantly better than that of compact digicams and falls short of that of APS-C and full-frame, especially at high ISOs? In this regard shooting with the Nikon V1 is no different from shooting with 35mm vs. medium-format film. All things being equal, of course the larger format will offer a noticable edge in resolution and smoothness. It will also require a larger, heavier camera with larger, heavier, lenses--the sort of kit that a sizable percentage of photographers would rather leave at home than carry everywhere.

In bright light and at its base ISO of 100, the Nikon V1 can produce amazingly sharp and smooth images. And no, I didn't boost the color saturation in post. If anything, I lowered it.

When you look at the Nikon V1 for what it is--a compact yet capable camera--then its technical image quality is quite impressive and more than sufficient for street and travel photography. (Artistic image quality is your responsibility.) It well exceeds anything you'd need for screen resolution on the web. Based on personal experience, it's also good enough for excellent 11x14 prints, even with slightly cropped images shot at ISO 800.

Unobstrusiveness

I find that I'm lot more comfortable pointing a small, nondescript looking camera at people on the street than a large DSLR with a lens the size of a soda can. So are my subjects, at least those who notice me at all. The all-black Nikon V1 simply doesn't attract much attention. The same might not be true of the all-white version, yet even that would be more likely to convey that you're a style-conscious amateur rather than a pro.

Better yet, the V1 offers a choice of two shutters. The mechanical shutter operates with a whisper-quiet "snick." The electronic shutter is dead silent. So are the focus and zoom mechanisms in the lenses. I found it almost eerie how easy it was to photograph someone from only inches away without attracting even so much as a glance. 

Battery Power

Travel photography requires the ability to shoot off and on for hours at a time, as you move from one place to the next. Street photography requires the camera to be on for long periods, ready to snap a picture at a moment's notice. Both can be a heavier than normal drain on battery power.

Fortunately, the V1 uses the same high-capacity 1900mAh EN-EL15 battery Nikon designed for its D7000 DSLR. This battery charges quickly, can easily last through a full day of shooting, and is readily available if you should decide to pack a spare. Don't take this for granted. Many cameras are powered by batteries so weak and hard to find that they become an Achilles heel.

 

 

 

Drawbacks and Remedies

All cameras have limitations and design flaws. The Nikon V1 is no exception. In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, one of the most annoying is the mode dial on the back of the camera. It doesn't cycle you through the standard PASM exposure modes you might expect. You have to menu-dive for that. Instead, the modes are Motion Snapshot, Smart Photo, Still Image, and Movie. Suffice it to say that the mode I used most often was Still Image. The problem is that although the detents on the mode dial seem stiff enough, in practice it's quite easy to accidentally move the dial. I solved this problem by taping the mode dial in place with a piece of black gaffer's tape. This shouldn't be necessary, but at least it's quick, cheap, and effective.

The gaffer's tape solution also came in handy for taping down the small removable plastic cover for the accessory port. Travel photography in particular involves a lot of camera handling, jostling, moving around, and distractions. Anything that can fall off of your camera will, and will probably never be seen again.

The one thing you can't tape over is the slow lens speed typical of kit zooms. You're at f/5.6 before you know it. Even though the zooms have vibration-reduction, you'll still be shooting at speeds below 1/30 and/or high ISOs in low light. This system begs for one or two fast primes with a maximum aperture of at least f/1.8.

Finally, keep in mind that like many digital cameras, the Nikon V1 takes a few seconds to awake once it's gone to sleep. That may not sound like much, but it can often mean the difference between catching or losing a once-in-a-lifetime shot. My solution was to increase the default time-before-sleep from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. This reduced the constant need to re-awaken the camera with only a minor increase in battery drain. You can increase the time-before-sleep even more if you like, just make sure to have a spare battery on hand if you do.

Would I Buy One?

Given the amount of money I have budgeted (less than $1000 for camera plus one or two lenses), the V1 is a strong contender, especially now that Nikon has temporarily knocked $100 off the price here in the U.S. If the price ($800 with 10-30mm kit zoom) still seems high for a camera of this size and specification, keep in mind that the Nikon V1 has a built-in hi-res optical viewfinder. That said, so does the Panasonic Lumix G3, for roughly $200 less, but with considerably less ability to maintain focus on fast moving objects.

If I had more money on hand I'd probably opt for the Olympus E-M5, assuming I was also willing to wait for dealers to have them in stock. I might even consider the Sony NEX-7 if it weren't for the lenses being so large. You'll know what I decided when you see the pictures I upload from my upcoming trip to China. Until then, I hope you enjoy the photos I've taken so far. Feel free to visit my Zenfolio gallery for more examples. If there are any Nikon V1 owners out there who have something constructive to add, please send comments.

 

Traveling Light

In case you're wondering, this 35mm f/2D Nikkor weighs only 7.6 oz (220 grams) with rear cap.

A recent photo enthusiast magazine, which I won't mention by name, recently published its travel photography issue. Amidst its photos of exotic locales, it featured an article on recommended equipment for travel photography. Their list included items such as a Canon EOS 5d Mark II full-frame DSLR, a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom, and a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS zoom. All three are excellent pieces of equipment. Assuming a reasonable level of skill on your part and a great travel location, you should be able to get excellent photos with this kit, all day, every day.

There are just two problems with this recommendation. First, assuming you could afford such a collection of top-drawer pro equipment to begin with, you'd be committing to taking it all with you on a trip far from home, where you run the risk that unless you carry it with you at all times, it could be stolen from your hotel room, the trunk (boot) of your car, the train you're travelling on, the restaurant you're eating at, etc. In some countries you also run the risk of having your equipment stolen even if it's on your person. Thieves may not know the exact value of your gear, but they will generally assume that big equals expensive. More often than not, they will be right.

The second issue, closely related to the first, is weight. Your interest in security and photography means you'll be carrying your equipment with you practically everywhere you go. That 10 lb. (5 kg) shoulder bag that seemed so manageable when you packed it at home quickly becomes a torturous ball and chain when you have to lug it around at high altitudes, high temperatures, and high humidity. You may soon find yourself begging for some enterprising thief to relieve you of your burdon, or at least share the load.

All of the above factors are compounded if you have travel companions who are non-photographers. They won't understand why you brought so much equipment in the first place, why you're always stopping to take pictures of someone other than them, and why you always look so miserable and distracted.

In short, it's one thing to travel with a lot of heavy and expensive equipment if you're a pro who's either getting paid to lug it or paying someone else to do it. It's quite another when you are the beast of burden.

So what is the perfect travel camera? It all depends on what you consider "perfect" and how much you're willing to compromise. The three factors I consider essential include:

1. Small
   Size is, of course, relative, but the closer your camera and lens combo comes to being something you can carry in a pocket or purse, the better. Small cameras and lenses have the added benefit of looking less intimidating and/or valuable to others.
2. Lightweight
   This too is relative. My limit is a kit that weighs no more than 2.5 lbs (approximately 1kg) including shoulder bag and strap. If I can get away with less weight, so much the better.
3. Fast lens
   I have yet to travel anywhere where the ability to shoot in low light without flash or a tripod hasn't been valuable. VR/IS/SR also help a lot, especially if combined with lens speed. If I have to choose between one or the other though, I'll go with lens speed because it helps keep shutter speeds higher and allows more control over depth-of-field. Unfortunately, fast lenses tend to be large and heavy. I never said this was easy.

Non-essential but nevertheless valuable is a zoom lens. I almost never use zooms when I'm practicing street photography because I find them bulky, slow, and unnecessary. When it comes to travel photography, however, a single wide-to-tele zoom reduces the amount of equipment I have to carry and keep track of. A zoom also reduces or eliminates the need to switch lenses, which in turn reduces how often the sensor is exposed to dust.

Total all of these factors up and you come up with a fairly short list of cameras, most of which are mirrorless and many of which are surprisingly pricey for what they are. I've already settled on one or two I think would be ideal for me. What about you? I'm particularly interested in hearing from any of you who have "been there, done that" and know from experience which camera/lens combos can get the job done with maximum enjoyment and minimum pain.

Mark Your Calendars

On August 24-25 of this year Rocky Nook, the publisher of such excellent books as Bruce Burnbaum's "The Art of Photography" and George Barr's "Why Photographs Work," will be hosting photoact2012, a photography art, craft, and technology conference with workshops in sunny Santa Barbara, California.

Among the speakers and educators will be Bruce Burnbaum, Dan Burkholder, Uwe Steinmuller, Ken Rockwell, and yes, me. Those of you who've never heard of any of these gentlemen (alas, there are no ladies among the speakers) might want to Google or Bing their names, if only to see what you could be missing. My workshop will be on street photography, which seems to be experiencing a renaissance these days. Please click the link I provided (here's another one) for more information.

The prices are reasonable. The speakers, location, and weather will be excellent. Mark your calendars accordingly. Better yet, be there. I'd love to meet you in person.

It Pays to Be Prepared

This was the expression on my wife's face when she saw me enter with a camera on my shoulder. We were seated next to the front window, which was to my right. There was enough light for me to get a reasonably sharp, daylight-balanced exposure at 1/50 second and f/2.8 at ISO 400.

My wife and I had agreed to meet for dinner at an Indian restaurant in Manayunk, a neighborhood in Philadelphia that features a wealth of small shops, bars, and eating establishments. As I often do, I had a camera slung over my shoulder. This amused her, as you can see from the photo above. Her impression was that there wasn't much to photograph in the restaurant other than the food and her, and that once we finished dinner we would head home to relieve the babysitter and put the kids to bed.

Ah, but we had come in separate cars--she from an office in the city and me from my office at home. So instead of going directly home after dinner I dawdled a bit. Strike that. I was "testing the low light capabilities of the Nikon D7000's image sensor." I was also testing my hand-holding abilities. IS/OIS/VR/SR, etc. are all wonderful things. So is being able to hold a camera still without them.

By the time dinner ended it was twilight. The sun had just set. The remaining light from the sky cast a soft glow over everything. Because I was using a 35mm f/2.0 lens I had the option of using a fast aperture to raise my shutter speed into the range of hand-holdability without having to drastically raise the ISO. As tempting as it is to use high ISOs in low light, I generally do so only as a last resort because low key subjects are the first to show image noise and don't respond as well to shadow curve adjustments. The best example of this is the photo below, located only a few dozen yards away from where my car was parked.

The bridge above was backlit by the western sky, where the sun had just set behind the trees. The bridge is silhouetted because if I increased the exposure the clouds and sky would have clipped. If I had shot this as a JPEG I would probably have deleted it later. There would be no way to rescue the lost shadow detail. A cameraphone would have been out of the question. Fortunately, I shot RAW with a Nikon D7000, so I could do what I did below.

Pretty amazing, eh? Because I braced myself on a nearby post I was able to shoot at 1/25 second and f/5.0 at ISO 200, which meant the shadows were clean enough that I could boost them in post without having to worry about them getting glittery on me.

By the way, the water you see in the photos is from the Manayank canal, which runs parallel to the Schuylkill (SKOO-kuhl) River, and was the first canal dug in the U.S. The railroad tracks are for a suburban commuter train, which makes Manayunk easily accessible. Should you decide to visit, take a tip from me: Be prepared. Bring your camera.