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Nikon 60 2.8 D for Street Work

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Very nice shots Joe.
Richard
 
Richard G T said:
Not everybody has the guts to do this type of work. You do and do it
very well with that 60mm. Thanks for sharing these captures. I
enjoyed them.
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Thank you Richard - not sure how gutsy I am - If I have a concern about 'shooting' someone I'll approach, talk & ask permission (the gent in the wheelchair is a case in point) or if my NYC radar tells me to walk on - I do exactly that.

--
http://www.joejosephs.com
 
Jeff Klofft said:
Joe,

Great shots (as usual). I especially like the first and last ones.
How do you find the focus speed on the 60? Does it hunt much? I've
been thinking about this lens instead of the 50 (they are almost the
same cost :-0 )
--
Click to expand...
Thank you Jeff. As to the 60mm 2.8 D's street capabilities (especially the very critical focus speed) I find it fast enough. If you get the chance compare the 60 2.8 D to the 50 1.4 D. The additional light gathering capability of the 50mm D make it IMO an excellent street/lowlight tool - especially mated to a D700 or D3.

--
http://www.joejosephs.com
 
Nice candids. I have the G version. I'm wondering if you get any static from the subjects being up close and all? I use my 105VR in this situation but the lighter 60 on the D700 sounds great.

--
(i)lmtfa added to amino acid for molecular biological studies
 
lmtfa said:
Nice candids. I have the G version. I'm wondering if you get any
static from the subjects being up close and all? I use my 105VR in
this situation but the lighter 60 on the D700 sounds great.
Click to expand...
Thank you Imtfa. I've been shooting what I'd like to think is serious street work for over a decade and have yet to find myself in a 'dicey' situation. My modus operandi is simple - where possible and/or appropriate I approach my subject, strike up a conversation and ask permission to shoot a few shots (the gent in the wheelchair & the bookseller are two cases in point). I gave a fiver to the wheelchair subject (and almost always give a few dollars to street musicians and panhandlers. I also don't conceal the camera preferring to be up front about what I'm doing.

Other then that I rely on my NYC radar to evaluate a situation. If I have any doubts I'll introduce myself and ask permission. If my sixth sense says 'walk away" ---- I do exactly that.

All in all I find 97.5% of the people I meet are fine folk - not everyone gives me the nod to shoot but that's cool - there's always something intriguing around the corner.
Just watch out for the crazy two and a half percent.
--
http://www.joejosephs.com
 
hooly said:
Love the first three. Would you share some details about your
treatment on them?
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Thanks Kevin for the look & kind words - hope things are well in Helsinki.

My post processing (for street shots) is usually geared toward one simple goal - isolate and highlight the main subject. To that end I select my main subject, inverse the selection and soften the background. Sometimes I'll 'pop' my subject with a Topaz plug-in and/or Nik software plug-in. I use both and highly recommend them (of course there are many fine alternatives available).

Here's an alternative street shooting procedure. Use a lens no greater then 28mm on full frame or 20mm on a DX body. This will give you a much deeper depth of field and therefore a very different (almost opposite) look compared to some of my images in this post. Instead of a dreamy out of focus curtain this method brings background elements into play. One word of caution - you'll need to be close to your subject (no more than five feet!!) for this to work properly. At this distance, getting permission to shoot is strongly recommended.

The results, however, can be stunning. The central question is ---- does the background add or subtract from your compositional goals?

Life and photography is all about choices - hit the streets, experiment, learn & have fun.
--
http://www.joejosephs.com
 
I really like your work, Joe, for many different reasons. I was almost shocked when I scrolled down and saw COLOR, but it was perfect for the shot and perfectly done.

Thanks for posting the images.
 
Joe, I am also interested in the process of being open and getting people's cooperation and consent. If you don't mind going into some amount of detail, do you offer money during your request for a photo, or offer it as thanks either after they consent or after you've taken the photo? Or just make a donation to a street musician or someone else and then ask?

All these options (and others) sort of have a different psychology. You've got a system that works, and you are very comfortable with it-which, I'm sure, makes your subjects comfortable as well. It seems to be affirmative, is some (or many) cases. You present the individuals you photograph (the sort of "portraits") with a great deal of dignity.

Thanks
 
JEGG said:
Joe, I am also interested in the process of being open and getting
people's cooperation and consent. If you don't mind going into some
amount of detail, do you offer money during your request for a photo,
or offer it as thanks either after they consent or after you've taken
the photo? Or just make a donation to a street musician or someone
else and then ask?

All these options (and others) sort of have a different psychology.
You've got a system that works, and you are very comfortable with
it-which, I'm sure, makes your subjects comfortable as well. It seems
to be affirmative, is some (or many) cases. You present the
individuals you photograph (the sort of "portraits") with a great
deal of dignity.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Depends on the situation but when I offer money it's usually prior to asking permission to shoot. Thank you for the dignity comment. I would not post an image which pokes fun at someone, however, documenting the human condition is another matter - one which I strongly believe demands documenting - even if it disturbs or brings tears to our eyes.
--
http://www.joejosephs.com
 
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