A Couple More Shots From April 4, 2023

Street photography, Mumbai-style.

If you've shot any street photography over time, you're likely aware that getting up close to your subjects can create a sense of intimacy and capture their emotions and expressions more effectively. However, what you might not realize is that the distance you choose to shoot from should be influenced by the focal length you're using.

Let's take the example of a 24mm focal length, which I used on my Sony ZV-1 for these shots. A 24mm lens is considered to be a wide-angle lens, which means that it has a wider field of view and can capture more of the scene in front of you.

When using a wide-angle lens like a 24mm, you need to get closer to your subject in order to fill the frame and create a strong focal point. If you shoot from too far away, your subject may appear small and insignificant in the frame, and you'll lose the impact that you were hoping for. If you don't close the distance or at least try to include interesting foreground details, it's going to be a boring-why-the-hell-did-I-even-bother type of shot in most cases.

On the other hand, shooting from too close can also have its downsides. For example, if you're shooting portraits of people, being too close to them can distort their features and make them look unnatural, especially if you're not shooting your subject straight on. Additionally, it can make your subject feel uncomfortable or invade their personal space, which can negatively impact your ability to capture their true emotions, at least if you have a preference for candid photography as I do.

And one tip for those of you starting out in street photography. If you're using a zoom lens, try shooting from the widest focal length of your lens as your walk-around focal length. Typically, you'll have access to the widest aperture settings too, which will allow you to create a little more bokeh and less depth of field, with the added bonus of being able to use a higher shutter speed. Then if you don't have time to zoom in with your feet, then zoom in with the camera. This will save you time and allow you to get used to a specific focal length so that you'll be able to visualize your shots before you even take them. Plus, you'll miss fewer shots working this way as you won't be constantly messing with the zoom.