shooting street photography with the fuji 18mm in margate

So my walkabout in Canterbury didn’t go that well. I got a few shots, but there certainly weren’t any that I would consider portfolio worthy. It’s fair to say I came away from the experience feeling like I hadn’t progressed at all with the 18mm. I was beginning to doubt whether this focal length was really for me. Perhaps I’m a 33mm and 50mm (or 50mm and 75mm in full frame) kind of guy. And then I went to Margate.

Initially I thought I’d struggle in Margate. The promenade and the beach really lend themselves to long focal lengths given the wide open space. Of course there are wide compositions, but I just find the amount of space lends itself to the 33mm or the 50mm. So I didn’t exactly go with high hopes, and certainly my experience the previous day didn’t give me a huge amount of encouragement. However, it turned out much better than expected.

As with Canterbury, I went with the intention of getting a wide range of shots, abstract, candid portrait, architecture, abstract…and I think I was largely successful in doing so (in the sense that I got a range of shots, rather than successful in the quality!). There were a few shots in particularly I was pleased with, but just being able to properly explore the potential of the focal length in a way that I really hadn’t successfully done in Canterbury was a real plus. Whereas I came back doubting I would ever get to grips with this focal length, after Margate I felt much more enthusiastic about making greater use of it than I had done before. To the extent that as I went through the images, I had some difficulty in condensing them down to the ones I was happiest with whilst also demonstrating the range I felt I was able to achieve.

I was actually surprised how I was able to work more abstract compositions with the wide angle. Those types of compositions are something I’m constantly drawn to, and I found that the longer the focal length, the “easier” I’m able to make the compositions work. With a wide angle I felt that I would be drawing in too much additional detail, bringing in clutter that doesn’t need to be there. However, I found I was able to work the compositions, either by making use of shadows to create negative space, or finding ways to make the composition more interesting by bringing in some surrounding elements that add to the frame (eg the shot through the broken window panes below…I felt it would work with just a single pane of glass, but can also work with a couple just as well, indeed, probably helps elevate the composition a bit).

I suppose the other thing I should add is that I was really impressed with the quality of the images the lens managed to produce. I’m not one for obsessing over image quality (so long as an image is sharp I’m fairly unbothered about digging too much into the detail), but I felt the majority of the images came out looking great. Don’t expect me to do a full lens review though, I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

So, will I use the 18mm more when I’m out and about with my camera on the streets? Yeah, I think I will. In that sense at least, it was a worthwhile challenge. I’ll let you be the ultimate judge with the photos below.

Night Street Photography: Capturing Margate & Whitstable

I’ve not been out in the evenings quite as much this winter as I have done in previous years. I think it’s that feeling of getting home and just wanting to crash at the end of the week. With all the pressures of work and the emotional baggage of home life, sometimes it feels like the only thing I have energy for is laying on the bed and doom-scrolling on social media. Every now and then, though, self-awareness descends and self-care is prescribed. And so, there have been times when I’ve dragged myself out, not really feeling it, but knowing that the getting out will help with the feeling it.

When it comes to my set-up, I have three prime lenses to accompany my XT-3: the XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR, the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR and the XF 50mm f/2 R WR (this being a fairly recent addition to my kit). I decided early on when I picked up the XT-3 that I was going to stick to prime lenses on the streets. I felt a zoom lens would make me too lazy and, well, you also can’t beat a 1.4 lens. Far and away my favourite lens is the 33mm. Whether it be for night shoots or during the day, it just seems to be the perfect focal length for me. I’ve been using the 50mm quite a lot lately (I put that down to new toy syndrome), and I have enjoyed using it, but the 33 just has the edge (I’ll probably write more about the 50mm in a future blog).

The past weekend I spent a bit of time in Margate and Whistable shooting, looking for low light shots, experimenting with reflections, and looking for abstract shots. The condensation window is, of course, my favourite, but I’m increasingly trying to look for other types of shot. That said, variety isn’t easy in a small town, so I make do with whatever I can find. We can’t all shoot every day on the streets of London, so sometimes you have to settle for making the best of the local streets. Although people may argue the streets of Whitstable aren’t quite as exciting as the streets of Soho, it doesn’t mean there aren’t shots to be had. You can find interesting compositions in any town or city at night. Sure London is vast with every street seemingly presenting an opportunity, but a bit of patience and you can find at least one composition that hits.

Quite often I go out and end up with around 100-200 photos on my SD card, but once I dig into them, there will be less than 4/5 that I’m pleased with. Sometimes I come back with nothing, sometimes with some I’m really pleased with. This last weekend was certainly no different. That said, I did manage to bag one I was really happy with…a shot through a window in Margate, with two figures sitting opposite each other at a table.

I think what I like most about this are the poses of the two individuals. One presumably looking down at a menu, one seemingly deep in thought. It seems to me there is some kind of story here, a feeling in a moment. What is the figure on the right thinking? Has something been said beforehand? Is there some tension? Who knows. The lighting in the background also really helps I think. The blue and the red seem quite a striking combination in the background.

That was definitely my favourite of the shots taken in the evening over the weekend. There were a few others that were ok, but I think this is the strongest of them all. I’ll post the rest below (both Whitstable and Margate), let me know what you think.

changing my focus...

For a long time, getting the focus right on the subject was important to me. What was the point in taking a photograph unless the subject was pin sharp and crystal clear? Surely photography was always about every detail and every aspect of the subject being in focus? So I’d go out, armed with my camera, survey the scene, set my lens to f8, raise the shutter speed to 1/1000, then take the shot, confident I will get a nice sharp photo. Recently, that’s shifted…

Of course, I still take shots where the subject is in sharp focus, but I’ve gradually shifted away from that being my default, starting to look more at shapes, lights and forms, giving the viewer something to figure out. Not too much that it becomes almost impossible to discern what the subject is, but enough to make the viewer do a little bit of work. It is much more about a sense of the street rather than accurately portraying every detail, every element of the city.

In a way, I guess this is a natural progression. I tend to enjoy art that demands investment from those engaging with it. Whether it be films or books, I like something that challenges me, that gets me to do some work. I tend to find myself less interested in art that presents the obvious, the popcorn movie or the page turner. Every now and then I’ll indulge of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying something light. But it’s not what gets my juices flowing, what gets me interested, engaged, talking, thinking…

Sure, this kind of photography is very in vogue (and owes a lot to the popularity of Saul Leiter’s work), and can sometimes veer into cliche. However, I find it a valuable process in understanding the importance of form and light, and not just worrying about whether my subject is in focus. Learning different techniques and approaches are, in my view, an important step in developing as a photograpger. This approach isn’t an end point, it’s just part of the learning process. And it’s a part I am very much enjoying.

Here’s some shots taken around Shoreditch and Liverpool Street Station.

Fringe and Ginge, Canterbury

Fringe+Ginge is one of my favourite cafes in the city. Well, in truth, it’s pretty much the only cafe I go to in the city…because I don’t really drink coffee so I’m really not down with the whole coffee culture thing. A good cup of tea is all the caffeine hit I need. But it’s not just the tea and chilled vibe (famously, no laptops and stressed people trying to work!) that draws me in, the windows also do it for me…especially at this time of year when it’s cold outside and nice and cosy inside.

In truth, I started taking pictures of the cafe long before I started going in and spending my money. After a while, I felt a bit guilty just using it as a photo location and figured I should actually go in and spend some money there too. And I’m glad I did, Alfie and Olivia (the owners) have made this an essential place to stop off and grab a tea, a pastry or a toasted sandwich. And both have been really cool about me taking photos in and around the cafe, which is also a big plus.

And for a small spot, there’s plenty of photo opportunities, again, especially at this time of year with the condensation on the large windows at the front and side of the building. I was even thinking recently that you could even make a really niche zine out of the interior and exterior of the cafe, but that’s probably a challenge too far for me at the moment. Something to consider in the future though maybe.

Anyway, I thought I’d pull together a number of recent photos taken inside and outside the cafe. It’s amazing what you can get in one, small location if the conditions are right and you are patient (which isn’t always the case with me).

Seascape and Street Photography in Deal

Deal. It’s one of those places I keep going back to. I’m not sure if it’s because of the easy parking near to a very obvious subject, or whether it’s the hope of a free cuppa from my niece when I’m in the neighbourhood (wishful thinking most of the year when I’m there for sunrise!). Or maybe it’s because it gives me the opportunity to shoot both landscape and street photography in one go. Like Folkestone, it offers a good opportunity to go beyond the usual landscape shots, switch up my Nikon D7200 for the Fuji XT-3, and try to capture more of the town and its people.

As is so often the case, I got myself prepared the night before, charged my batteries, packed my camera gear and tried to make it as easy as possible to get up, grab my stuff and go. Unfortunately, things never quite work out to plan. My alarm goes off. I decide to snooze a bit longer. Get up, eat my breakfast and, fatally, start watching TikTok videos. I should have learnt by now…DO NOT WATCH TIKTOK VIDEOS IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU NEED TO GO OUT.

Anyway, I eventually picked myself up and dragged myself to Deal. On the drive there I could already see the colours and I feared I was going to miss the best of it. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The rush did, however, mean I didn’t have much time to think about compositions, so I went for some fairly standard compositions I’ve got before. Nonetheless, it was a good morning, with great colours in the sky and whilst the compositions weren’t unique, I at least got something…so I can’t complain. And on top of all that, I got to meet another Instagram photographer. So all in all, I was glad to get out and about and get that sea air. As you can see below, the colours were pretty fantastic, and made a nice change from the usual stormy and overcast shots I often like and prefer on the coast.

10mm, f8, 0.4secs, ISO100

As I was in such a rush, I didn’t have time to work my L-bracket so that I had enough space to squeeze in the remote trigger, so I tried to predict the waves crashing using a two second timer - no easy feat. Nonetheless, I got some nice colour from the sky and in the water…it’s just, not the most exciting and innovative composition. But, well, I blame the TikTok Scroll for that.

As is typical when I get in the mode, I fired off countless shots without moving from that spot. Lightroom is just a seemingly endless stream of identical compositions, with just slightly different waves and slightly different colours in the sky. Trying to pick one favourite out of so many near identical images is a near impossible task. I’ll settle for the one above because I do like the way the water rushes out between the pebbles on the shore.

Eventually I did shift to a slightly different composition. This time, I kept it extra wide, but went for a landscape orientation and a smaller f-stop to get that sun star effect.

10mm, f13, 1/40, ISO100

Of course, the wide angle distorts the pier quite significantly, and the pierhead looks a bit weird as a result. But I quite like the sun shining through and catching the water droplets (reminiscent of another picture I’ve taken in Deal). Plus I like the way the light catches the legs of the pier on the right-hand side but, again, it’s not the most ambitious or unique photo I’ve taken.

After a few more shots in this position, I decided to move around and try at least one composition that was a bit different. This time I decided to try shooting as low as I could go. I always have mixed feelings about doing this on the coast. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like it works for me, largely because it shrinks the amount of sea that’s visible, and it doesn’t seem much of a seascape without the sea. But sometimes it works, like the shots I got in The Warren last week. Once more, the shots I got were nothing special, but they are handy for me to refer to in future to try and see if I can make them work.

10mm, f13, 1/10, ISO100

After a few more shots here, the sun started to dip behind the clouds and that was pretty much it for those sunrise colours. At this point, I decided to put the D7200 away, grab the XT-3 and take a wander around Deal. As with the seascape shots, I wasn’t really doing well in terms of getting something original, but I tried to look out for details as I wondered around, textures and colours that could make for interesting abstracts, like this cracking paint on a shop sign…

33mm, f5.6, 1/500secs, ISO2500

And of course I couldn’t resist the classic shot looking up Farrier Street to the shelter on the promenade, probably one of the more obvious street photography compositions on Deal seafront but still, it’s difficult to resist.

33mm, f5.6, 1/1000secs, ISO160

And then I spotted this weird, big old yellow bus parked on the seafront. So I decided to go take a look and take a few shots. I was glad the owner didn’t spot me or walk past at any point, because I spent so long trying to find interesting compositions, I’m sure I looked extremely dodgy. I’m still not totally happy with the shots I took (try and guess which one I was least content with…). But at least it made for an interesting subject, even if I didn’t make the most of it.

After about an hour wandering around, I headed back home to Canterbury for a cup of tea and a (very nice) rhubarb and custard pastry at the excellent Fringe + Ginge, which seemed the perfect way to round off the trip and get back to the normal weekend routine (in this case, getting new school shoes for the youngest!).

I’ve put a gallery of some of my photos from the trip below. Will be interested to hear what you think. Does this really capture Deal? Do they feel reminiscent for people who know the town? Or do they give you a sense of what the town might actually be like for those who don’t? Would love to hear what you think.

ian

A weekend at the coast

Did you know 2023 is the Year of the Coast? Well…apparently so. If you’re into all that touristy marketing stuff, then this year is the turn of The Coast. Lucky for me, there’s plenty of nice coastline that’s relatively accessible from my little corner of Kent. From the old church ruins on the coast at Reculver to the White Cliffs to the otherworldly vibe of Dungeness and the old fishing boats (albeit rapidly disappearing it seems), there’s plenty to shoot and enjoy.

Recently I’ve been re-discovering an old part of the coast that I remember visiting as a kid, but not much in the last few <coughs> decades. Shakespeare beach is pretty iconic. The towering Shakespeare cliff dominates the view down the coast towards Samphire Hoe and on to Folkestone. I’ve been back a couple of times in recent weeks, trying to find some new compositions. It’s one of those places where there is one very obvious subject, but a limited number of options in terms of composition. That hasn’t stopped me from trying though, and I’ve enjoyed pottering around and trying to come up with something other than just plonking my tripod down and taking a quick shot. It’s a location too that seems to enjoy some of the biggest waves on the East Kent coast, even with only a moderate wind.

38mm ƒ/8.0 1/6 ISO100

Last time I visited, I noted there were some opportunities that, for whatever reason, I didn’t take advantage of (probably too distracted by the cliffs). Nothing particularly exciting, but the rocks and the sea made for some potential I didn’t really explore. This time howevever, with only a short amount of time available to me, I made my way further up the beach and tried out a couple of alternative shots, including of some old groynes (which seemed to be a theme of my weekend) that I hadn’t spotted on my last visit. I’ll be back there for more in the near future no doubt.

17mm ƒ/8.0 30secs ISO250

17mm ƒ/5.6 6secs ISO400

It’s this looking for details that I decided to focus on the following morning on a trip to The Warren near Folkestone. Thanks to a lift from the yellow jacket wearing Aga McPherson due to issues with my car (more on this another time), we spent a pretty cool (and overcast) morning wandering around the beach capturing the groynes and making the most of the perfect conditions for long exposure photography. Largely having the beach to ourselves, we set to work on capturing the classic East Kent location.

15mm ƒ/5.6 0.8secs ISO100

17mm ƒ/8.0 1/4 ISO100

I’ve been to The Warren a fair few times in the past, and I always go for the same shots. Decaying groynes, water lapping or crashing around them, getting those textures in the water and on the groynes themselves. This time, however, I tried to look for some details on the beach. There’s always plenty of interest dotted around (it’s always been known as a good spot for fossil hunting - something that was an interest of mine as a child), and so I decided to see if I could get some more abstract shots on the beach, looking our for interesting details. This isn’t normally my style. I prefer the bigger, classic landscape views, but it was good to change things up and look for details…this is something that I’ve certainly found has improved as I’ve gone out and done more street photography.

I think perhaps my favourite of these that morning was this shot of an interesting rock (words I never thought I’d type on a blog post…). The mixture of orange and black, alongside the textures and shapes that have been formed by years of erosion made it more interesting than the average rock (again…words I never thought I’d type…). It was tricky to get the shot right, I’m not one for this kind of photography and rather than have the patience to focus stack it, I just tried to get it in one shot. Think I did ok.

70mm ƒ/8.0 3secs ISO100

It’s this sort of thing I think I need to do more of out in the landscape. Look for finer details. Try to look beyond the obvious shots. Nothing wrong with obvious shots, of course. Just, well, they are obvious. As I said before, I think my street photography helps here. I’m getting used to looking for little details here and there, pockets of light, interesting colours, shapes and textures. Bringing that kind of mentality to my landscape photography might help give a new dimension to my photography. Who knows, it may result in me investing in a macro lens and really going for those finer details. Ahhh, GAS. I wondered how long it would be before you would tap me on the shoulder and throw a new temptation in my face…

Right, off to check the tide times to work out where to head this weekend…hmm…