Street Photography

First Impressions of the Fuji X100T /  by John Wineberg

Morning setup at Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco, California, Fuji X100T

I finally broke down and purchased a Fuji X100T.  This will not be an exhaustive review of this camera but a quick overview of what it's been like from opening the box until today, I have been a Nikon user for over 30 years.  My first Nikon was an FE2 that I still own and love.  I actually just sent it out to have it cleaned and have some minor repairs done.  When digital hit I went with Nikon because it was what I knew.  Lately I have felt like my photography has stagnated a bit.  Lugging around a large DSLR with multiple lenses became a hassle.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Nikon gear.  The focus is fast and I'm able to capture fast action.  I've shot my fair share of weddings and many baseball games and I love the results.  I just felt that I wanted an everyday camera that had the features and functions of a DSLR but was more mobile, a camera that I could take everywhere.  The Fuji X100T has fulfilled that role in a very big way.  

Straight out of the box the camera was more than pleasant to look at.  It looks like a distant cousin of the FE2.  The size and shape is that of an old film camera.  The dials, lens and viewfinder all reminded me of cameras of the late 70's.  One thing that was tough to get used to was the positioning of the f-stop ring.  It is very close to the body and there are two protrusions that you can grab with two fingers to adjust.  I wish that it was a few cm out from the body, which would have been closer to the same ring on my Nikon 50mm from 1984.  After a couple weeks of use this is something that I have gotten used to.  The menus are easy to navigate and setup was a breeze.  One of my favorite things about this camera is that you can program just about every button for whatever purpose you want.  You hold down the button and all of the choices appear.  You can also setup several different user profiles for different types of shooting.  The features seem to be endless.  I have only scratched the surface so far.  

The Electronic View Finder (EVF) took some time to get used to.  There is some lag in the screen in low light but overall it is very nice.  The WYSIWYG functionality is amazing.  You also have a ton of information available to you in the viewfinder.  It also reorients itself when you shoot portrait vs. landscape.  I am however new to the paralax feature and am not sure that I can adjust to the way that is presented on the screen.  More detail in my full review after some time with this camera.

I spent a day in San Francisco trying my hand at street photography.  I've always referred to it as urban landscapes.  Until recently I didn't even know that there was a whole world devoted to "Street Photography".  This was fun for me in so many ways.  I practiced my panning skills.

Cyclist, Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA, Fuji X100T

Shot a silhouette.

Silhouette, Stockton St. San Francisco, CA  Fuji X100T

And took in the views.

Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco, CA, Fuji X100T

I was very happy with the results.  I've only had this camera for a little over two weeks and I couldn't be happier.  I literally can take it everywhere.  It fits in the cargo pocket of my shorts or in a jacket pocket, easily.  The only accessory I have added is a wrist strap I found at the Leica Store in San Francisco.  I may look into the lens hood and possibly the thumb-rest, but I want to wait until I am sure that they are necessary.  

Needless to say I am very happy with my purchase.  My next big test will be when I take this camera and try to use it in tandem with my Nikon D7000 with a mid-range zoom to shoot a parade.  My goal is to be able to use the X100T for everything that I would have shot with my 35mm 1.8 DX and to use the zoom on the Nikon for everything else.  The X100T will be on my left wrist with my Nikon on a Black Rapid Sport strap slung to my right.  I will update here with the results.  

 

Till then, Happy Shooting!!

Privacy? /  by John Wineberg

Street photography has taken off, like a rocket, in popularity.  Small mirrorless cameras like the Fuji X series, the Sony A7 and other compacts, that give photographers full manual control, not to mention amazing image quality, are the tools of choice.  Images flood the internet on a daily basis, black and white images of popular neighborhoods and the interesting, or not so interesting, people of them are being added to photo sharing sites by the millions.  

As of this writing it is not illegal to capture a photo of anyone in a public place and then display it for the world to see without any type of release.  The guidelines of use for "Art" or "Editorial" images allow this in many locations throughout the world.  First off, I am not a lawyer and this is by no means a guide to what the legal definition is but istockphoto.com defines it as follows

"What are Editorial Images?

Editorial images illustrate and reflect the issues, themes, and events (both big and small) of our world today.

The people and things in these images are not released. For that reason, they cannot be used to sell anything. Editorial imagery is for non-commercial, non-promotional use only."  

 What you may not use these images for is, for instance, you photograph someone wearing a Tiffany watch and you want to sell the image to Tiffany to use in a national ad campaign.  This use would not be allowed unless you had obtained a model release for the person you photographed or anyone else that is recognizable in the image that enhances the esthetic of that image.  Any lawyers out there feel free to chime in.  

The real question is what expectation do you have of privacy in a public place?  If you have an emotional encounter with a loved one in a public space or you trip and fall and are embarrassed or you spill coffee in your lap.  I could go on and on.  All of these circumstances could be photographed by anyone within sight.  These images could then be plastered all over the internet for the world to see.  In this modern age this has become the reality.

As a photographer I believe I have a responsibility to act ethically and to work within the socially expected norms of where I am.  I may not be bound by a written law that forbids me to take a photo but I must consider what the impact of that photo might be.  Is it hurtful or could it incite violence?  Could it embarrass   someone or does it cross the line of  being too intimate even though it is in a public space?  These are all things that I personally must consider before taking an image.   I have a social and professional responsibility when it comes to my photography.  What I am most worried about is what would happen if photographers don't follow these types of guidelines.  Society inevitably will fight back.  Laws limiting, or eliminating photography in public spaces could occur.  This article in Petapixel is an example of how this has already begun, "Arkansas Passes Privacy Bill That Could Kill Street Photography".  This Bill was ultimately vetoed by the Governor when they realized the possible consequences. Then there is the opposite, the legislation know as the Ansel Adams Act which seems to be giving rights back to photographers.  What is very clear is that this is just the beginning of this conversation.