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The Street Barber

Posted on November 25, 2012 by TV Smith

Operating under a droopy canvas on side lanes, the street barber is now a rarity in the city. This one in Chinatown KL survives on tourists and backpackers who appreciate the old world charm and unique experience of a public haircut.

To use an ultrawide-angle lens for street photography, you cannot be shy either. You would need to engage strangers as the lens works best up-close. Contrary to what many think, it is not just for taking everything in from afar. The beauty of this specialised lens is how it affects perspective and exaggerate scale when positioned very near.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/160 sec with Lumix 7-14mm ultrawide angle lens.

Single Lens

Posted on September 7, 2012 by TV Smith

I was in Chinatown earlier tonight and had only one lens with me. If you are to take only one fixed-focal lens (non-zoom), which will it be? It is a personal choice but I like the 50 mm (25mm in m43). It is neither too wide or too tight and as such is great for street use. Because it is a bright f1.4, the lighted signboards provided sufficient illumination and speed was a manageable 1/60th of a second, even at ISO 200.

Only limitation is the narrow plane of focus and you have to decide which you want to keep in sharp focus. Here, I focused on the lady. Pana-Leica Summilux paired with the Olympus OMD make a perfect night street photography combo.