When I go out, I carry my LX3 with me most of the time. It's quite normal that 'street photography' comes to mind, then.
Here is an interesting movie about a very gifted comtemporary American street photographer:
Dit is een boeiend filmpje over een straatfotograaf (in het Engels):
And here is the guy's Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/joewig/
I also read an interesting article about what street photography really is here.
My set of street photography pictures on Flickr:
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Straatfotografie met de LX3
Café De Rijselpoort, Ieper.
Straatfotografie Bachten de Kupe, mijn introductie naar Straatfotografie
De vestingen, Ieper. Een plaats met heel veel geschiedenis. Maar ook bruisend in het heden. Mijn twee kinderen spelen in het zand van een openbaar speeltuintje in de schaduw van de Ieperse vestingen. Naast mij op de bank zit Jean-Pascal. Hij houdt een oogje in het zeil want ook zijn kinderen klimmen en klauteren dat het een lieve lust is. We beginnen een gesprek als vreemden, over koetjes en kalfjes, over het weer en de kinderen. Maar al snel komen we op het onderwerp van (straat-)fotografie. Onder mijn arm hangt een Lumix LX3 met Leica lens. Het toestel is een rangefinder en vergezelt mij op bijna al mijn uitstappen. Je weet maar nooit … die ene foto. Maar ik ben een beginnend fotograaf, een amateur. Jean-Pascal haalt zijn Canon 1000D boven. Hij vertelt over Straatfotografie Anders, en zijn expositie in september. Over zijn vorig leven als estuaire schipper. Hij blijft heel bescheiden over zijn foto’s, maar net die bescheidenheid maakt mij bijzonder nieuwsgierig naar zijn werk. Ik neem me voor zijn website te bekijken, nog diezelfde avond.
Jean-Pascals foto’s tonen het leven zoals het is, in soms harde contrasten, met oog voor het sociale en het detail. Geen pathetiek, geen overdreven emoties, maar een empathische en optimistische benadering van zijn onderwerp. Met de mens, of wat de mens achterlaat, centraal. Die foto’s neemt hij in een regio waar ik persoonlijk mee vertrouwd ben: Menen, Ieper, Roeselare, Kortrijk, Gent. Maar de foto’s van Jean-Pascal dirigeren de aandacht naar een schoonheid waar ik in het normale leven aan voorbij ga: de schoonheid van het ordinaire. Een dronken man op de Korenmarkt in Gent, een vervallen en verlaten schoolgebouw (afdeling haartooi), een man op een motor, iemand die zijn portefeuille bovenhaalt bij de Ieperse autorally…
Straatfotografie bestaat al lang. Het is de subversie binnen de fotografie. Geen studio, geen modellen, geen kunstmatige belichting. Fotograferen op openbare plaatsen. Soms van op heuphoogte, letterlijk vanuit de buik. Het fotograferen van onbekenden. Misschien vraag je toestemming om je onderwerp te fotograferen. Misschien ook niet. Misschien leidt dat tot agressie. Jammer. Wel spannend. Henri Cartier-Bresson, de vader van de straatfotografie, durfde wel eens een grote zakdoek rond zijn Leica draaien, en deed alsof hij zijn neus snoot, terwijl hij onopgemerk foto’s nam.
Straatfotografie is tegelijk heel gemakkelijk en uiterst moeilijk. Dat bepaalt de fotograaf zelf. Zo ook wat het materiaal betreft. Jean-Pascal verkiest een digitaal reflex toestel met een grote zoom en blijft ver van zijn onderwerp vandaan. Andere straatfotografen kiezen een groothoeklens en zitten bij manier van spreken op de schoot bij hun onderwerp. Toch blijft de kern van de zaak: fotografeer onopgemerkt, zodat het onderwerp, uw personage, niet beseft dat er een foto genomen wordt, en zich natuurlijk en ongedwongen gedraagt.
In de VS is ’street photography’ aan een opmars bezig. Door de aanslagen van 9/11 is men daar veel strenger geworden op fotograferen in het openbaar, en veel fotografen vinden het ‘cool’ om te fotograferen waar het eigenlijk niet mag omwille van de veiligheid.
Hier in Vlaanderen, in het bijzonder Bachten de Kupe, blijkt straatfotografie aan te slaan. Waarom eigenlijk? Heeft het te maken met ons norse karakter? Of met onze harde bolster met een zachte kern? Jean-Pascal legt met zijn foto’s de schoonheid van de Vlaamse ziel bloot. En dat moet je gezien hebben!
De website:Jean Pascal Salomez.
(C) Ivan Lietaert
15/07/2009
The LX3 as my sole camera/camcorder
Since a couple of weeks, I have been the proud owner of an LX3, and yes, I'm extremely happy with it.
The selection process, mostly going through internet reviews, forums and talking to other amateur photographers, took several months. Being on a tight budget, my preference would shift from a DSLR (Olympus E420) over a compact (TZ7 or LX3) to a dedicated HD Camcorder (canon hv30 or hf200), and back again. In fact, if my budget had no limits, I would have opted for the Lumix GH1.
So there I was, well informed. But what would be my final decision? Like Kierkegaard, I felt that it would be a 'jump into the abyss'. I chose the LX3, and boy, I'm so happy with it.
Many posters in this forum are pro or semi-pro photographers, and they are very willing to point out that the LX3 is a good camera, perhaps the best compact around, but that it can never replace a DSLR.
Of course, as an amateur/beginner, I must agree. But I'm also a father of 2 young children, with a 3rd one on its way, and I can tell you the LX3 is a dream. It replaces my previous sd camcorder and compact camera, and accompanies me on all my family outings in its leather case, which I ordered shortly after I had the LX3, tucked away under my armpit. Try doing that with a DSLR.
My biggest concern was the limited zoom range, but now I have the LX3, I don't need it. I can crop in post, even in video (with quality loss, of course). Actually, the still image quality totally blows me away, and I've have seen my skill as photographer increase each day, since I've had it. Really.
For still images, I love the iA mode, the fast flash recycle time (much faster than my old Canon Powershot A590IS) and the Dynamic B/W for artistic portraits of my family and my first steps in 'the artistic street photography'.The colors, low light sensitivity and wide angle lens also add to the artistic result.
In Movie mode I'm still happy, but there are a couple of issues that I clearly don't like, being into video rather seriously: 1) the purple vertical lines when filming a strong source of light (=smearing), 2) there's no exposure lock.
The pro and semipro photographers I mentioned before, I guess, don't realize (or forgot) what it is like being a father of young children: bags, diapers, cookies, pram etc. There's simply no place, time or energy to lug around a full frame dslr, lenses, tripod etc. In this stage of my life, the LX3 fulfills my needs, and when time comes, who knows, the GH1, or its successor may be within reach.
The selection process, mostly going through internet reviews, forums and talking to other amateur photographers, took several months. Being on a tight budget, my preference would shift from a DSLR (Olympus E420) over a compact (TZ7 or LX3) to a dedicated HD Camcorder (canon hv30 or hf200), and back again. In fact, if my budget had no limits, I would have opted for the Lumix GH1.
So there I was, well informed. But what would be my final decision? Like Kierkegaard, I felt that it would be a 'jump into the abyss'. I chose the LX3, and boy, I'm so happy with it.
Many posters in this forum are pro or semi-pro photographers, and they are very willing to point out that the LX3 is a good camera, perhaps the best compact around, but that it can never replace a DSLR.
Of course, as an amateur/beginner, I must agree. But I'm also a father of 2 young children, with a 3rd one on its way, and I can tell you the LX3 is a dream. It replaces my previous sd camcorder and compact camera, and accompanies me on all my family outings in its leather case, which I ordered shortly after I had the LX3, tucked away under my armpit. Try doing that with a DSLR.
My biggest concern was the limited zoom range, but now I have the LX3, I don't need it. I can crop in post, even in video (with quality loss, of course). Actually, the still image quality totally blows me away, and I've have seen my skill as photographer increase each day, since I've had it. Really.
For still images, I love the iA mode, the fast flash recycle time (much faster than my old Canon Powershot A590IS) and the Dynamic B/W for artistic portraits of my family and my first steps in 'the artistic street photography'.The colors, low light sensitivity and wide angle lens also add to the artistic result.
In Movie mode I'm still happy, but there are a couple of issues that I clearly don't like, being into video rather seriously: 1) the purple vertical lines when filming a strong source of light (=smearing), 2) there's no exposure lock.
The pro and semipro photographers I mentioned before, I guess, don't realize (or forgot) what it is like being a father of young children: bags, diapers, cookies, pram etc. There's simply no place, time or energy to lug around a full frame dslr, lenses, tripod etc. In this stage of my life, the LX3 fulfills my needs, and when time comes, who knows, the GH1, or its successor may be within reach.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Pin hole (in camera effect)
One of the more 'artsy farty' creative effects (in camera) is the pin hole effect. Notice the FOD difference in the two pictures.
Friday, 12 June 2009
On lack of background blur and real story
After using the camera for a couple of days, I've come to the conclusion that massive background blur cannot be achieved with the LX3.
When I was researching for a new camera, this feature was actually on the top of my feature list, but now that I have the LX3, it has dropped to zero importance, because I have learned that one can make very interesting portrait pictures without it. My finest example is below. It was taken in a spur of the moment, when I was talking about my new camera to my neighbour and wanted to demonstrate the wide angle.
Real story: On day two I took some pictures of roses in our garden. My wife sent one picture to her work email address to put it as desktop image on her pc. Her boss saw it and was amazed by the colours and ordered it as desktop image on all of the PCs. (Yes, she's a real bossy boss...)
When I was researching for a new camera, this feature was actually on the top of my feature list, but now that I have the LX3, it has dropped to zero importance, because I have learned that one can make very interesting portrait pictures without it. My finest example is below. It was taken in a spur of the moment, when I was talking about my new camera to my neighbour and wanted to demonstrate the wide angle.
Real story: On day two I took some pictures of roses in our garden. My wife sent one picture to her work email address to put it as desktop image on her pc. Her boss saw it and was amazed by the colours and ordered it as desktop image on all of the PCs. (Yes, she's a real bossy boss...)
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
First pictures
Hm, bizar. I first published a movie, and now I publish my first pictures. Kind of says it all: I find the movie mode rather important!
So here are my first still images:
So here are my first still images:
D-Day: the Lumix LX3
After a very long period of research, I finally got it: my Panasonic Lumix LX3 compact camera. Coming to this point has been a long process of reading reviews and looking at movies and pictures of a wide variety of sources. My shortlist was: the Canon 500D, Canon HV30, Canon HF200, the GH1 (in my dreams!),the Lumix TZ7 and the Lumix LX3.
I wanted a good still image camera, but at the same time a good HD camcorder. The criteria were: matching my budget (€500), good optical zoom, low light capabilities, background blur and easy editing of movies. I must admit that it drove me crazy: each camera shortlisted would excel in one or more of the criteria, but none would excel in all. (There was one, the Panasonic GH1, which matched all the criteria, but at $1500, this camera was far above my budget.)
To cut a long story short, I chose the LX3, because I 'd rather have the best compact camera than an entry-level DSLR.
So here is the very first movie I put on vimeo, and I'm pretty sure many will follow!
I wanted a good still image camera, but at the same time a good HD camcorder. The criteria were: matching my budget (€500), good optical zoom, low light capabilities, background blur and easy editing of movies. I must admit that it drove me crazy: each camera shortlisted would excel in one or more of the criteria, but none would excel in all. (There was one, the Panasonic GH1, which matched all the criteria, but at $1500, this camera was far above my budget.)
To cut a long story short, I chose the LX3, because I 'd rather have the best compact camera than an entry-level DSLR.
So here is the very first movie I put on vimeo, and I'm pretty sure many will follow!
LX3 low light test from Ivan on Vimeo.
This is my first published movie shot with my brand new Lumix LX3. I wanted to test the low light capabilities of this wonderful camera, and I must say I like the result a lot. I hope to find a way to avoid the exposure shift, which is obvious towards the end of this clip. (You cannot lock exposure). I hope that another way of metering (there are three), will do better. This movie was shot with 'spot metering'. EDIT: after further testing, I seem to get better results using 'weighted metering' instead: the auto-exposure seems less obtrusive than in this movie. Watch my next posts to see the difference.
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