Gearless (3 of 7)
Gear, more focused, cameras, are what you’ll find most covered in talking about street photography.
hashtag popular brands
No one ever really asks me what camera I use. For a while, I'd make mention of using prime lenses, but really, I've avoided it as anything of a focus. Shortest version, I got a free camera many, many years ago, and stuck with that brand. With enough sunk in camera bodies and lenses, switching seems untenable. Also, at no time has my ability become such that a better brand was needed. I've seen other photographers place black tape over the brand name of cameras to reduce the chance of being robbed in the streets. Others wear the branding on bags and shirts. I guess part of the lore of some famous street photographers is the gear they used, with a sort of romanticizing of a camera producing legendary images. It would seem that someone with a great eye could do as much with a smart phone as they could a camera. I feel as though putting too much emphasis on the tool between me and the image would inhibit me from actually capturing the image. I've handled a few other brands, and really, some of them feel amazing in the hand. Secretly, I lust after the Q2 monochrome reporter edition, and have watched the used sites for a few years for that magically priced, barely used one that no one would snap up.
But, if any gear mattered most, it's having my comfortable pair of boots to walk in. Ankle support for uneven ground, protection from the 3 trillion things that want to scratch, poke and snag my feet. A little grip to remain steady on steel grates, manhole covers, or the odd stair tread. Something that will resist picking up street residue. A quiet sole as part of blending in and not sounding out. Lacing up boots, and then being able to forget about them until I take them off; being comfortable enough to be in the moment, instead of being gear conscious.
Every so often a social media post will come up saying “what your camera brand says about you”, and the slight jabs remind me not to be too serious. A camera isn't a horoscope, it's the window I look through to catch the moment.
This isn't to look down on people who favor a particular brand. Being loyal to what works, or enjoying how a particular brand performs, quirks and all is nothing to look down on. But, sometimes that brand, model, etc seems to engulf the actual process and take away from the spirit of the action.
Most all times looking back at my own photos, I can remember the place, the moment, the vibe, sometimes the smell, but don't remember which lens, the aperture, and certainly not sore feet.