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1. Street Photography: Documenting the Human Conditi…
2 years ago
Back in 2006 I wrote a .pdf about purism and street photography and posted it on deviantart.com. I featured not only my own work but many of my street-shooting friends from all over the world.

Having wrote that it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to update it. Yes, I could have written something yet I really wanted to do it with video. Until the Canon EOS 5D Mark 2 came about -- and with the most recent firmware update -- i couldn't have achieved "the look" i wanted.

Over the course of two months this summer I enlisted the help of some friends to shoot ... I dunno ... the next volume or whatever this is.

In this video you'll see my work and that of photographers Severin Koller, Frank Jackson and Mario Anzuoni, all with different perspectives for shooting street photography.

There are too many people to thank; please read the credits at the end of part three.

I hope you enjoy it. I know that I had an amazing time shooting and editing it.
  • Romain A plus 2 years ago
    Nice !-)
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  • Radek A. 2 years ago
    Well, rangefinders are just like fixed gear bikes. Very simple, very silent, very customizable, are preferred to be used on streets, feels like they are integrated with user, users have feeling of being special and different. Only that you could buy about 8 fixed bikes in cost of one leica...
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  • KING The Godfather 2 years ago
    I'm looking for a camera like the Leica M9 for years, and now I know what path I need to go. Thank you for the help and I really liked the documentary. ;)

    "King"
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  • Eduard R. Ockerse 2 years ago
    Thanks for sharing Chris, made me notice some things I didn't notice before about how to shoot street... hope to try it out soon.... :)
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  • noeltykay 2 years ago
    Fantastic CW!!!
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  • Bo Lorentzen plus 2 years ago
    Chris - outstanding and educational.. thank you for sharing.
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  • Nurcan Azaz 2 years ago
    Very nice, enjoyable and inspring.
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  • Christian Tan 2 years ago
    Lovely documentary, especially nice to watch people actually taking pictures, I was always wondering how they take their pics, their stance, their pose. I myself use a leica m6 with film and I love it.
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  • Neal Carroll 2 years ago
    Beautiful documentary. I love it.
    I won't argue that film looks different, but for me I prefer the digital workflow. I have only seen film in my youth and have had a lot of time with DSLR's and I love them.
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  • John Cranford 2 years ago
    This is great Chris. Thanks for sharing. I've been shooting documentary work with a Mamiya 7 for a little over a year now. I love it! It's my first rangefinder. I'm not new to film, but this has really changed how I shoot. I get it. Simplification. I can just concentrate on shooting. Keep up the good work!
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  • Noirist 2 years ago
    Interesting until it turned into a Leica infomercial.
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  • Marko Vesterinen 2 years ago
    Love it! Great work!
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  • Fredrik Forsberg 2 years ago
    Wow, I think I understand now. As I started to shoot sporadic street photo with my cell phone I noticed the difference from using a DSLR in the same situations. Less focus on the camera, more focus on being in the situation and work quickly. I guess a range finder must be the ultimate freedom for street photos that still gives acceptable quality (as opposed to my old cell phone). Now I must have a Leica.
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  • Chris and friends, great!
    What a pity I cannot embed it on my site. Would like to show it to more people...
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  • matt drazin 2 years ago
    great video! what lens are you using in that video Chris?
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  • Daniel Benning 2 years ago
    Hi Chris, i wonder if you could give me permission to post this up on my blog?
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  • Navjot Pawera 2 years ago
    Nice. Can't say great, but nice.
    Just that there was too much "preaching" in some parts of the commentary ...
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  • Rodrigo Daguerre 2 years ago
    Great documentary!
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  • Matej Pok 2 years ago
    Great documentary! about things, we all like :)
    I wonder if you could merge 3 parts into one and do broadcast version- possible for download- for us, who wants to watch it on TV.
    It´s just an idea :)
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  • Eugenio García 2 years ago
    Very interesting an inspiring document! Thanks for sharing it. Nevertheless, it's a shame that you don't allow to embed it in other websites. I would love to put it in my photoblog because it's the only document that expresses photography as I understand it. Of course, all credits are yours.

    Any way... I linked the video if you don't mind.
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  • poagao 2 years ago
    What will you do when everyone and his dog is shooting with rangefinders? In order to be different and artistic and non-conformist, you'll have to use a DSLR! Oh noes!

    Just kidding. I use an M3 and and M6 and like them, but I also like my 5D and FG. If I were rich I'd get an M9, but that's not likely. I'm not sure that the lines you draw in this video are as clear-cut as you make them out to be, but it's good to talk to people instead of berate them, which I felt the pdf piece was doing mostly.
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  • zablocki 2 years ago
    1. vision
    2. artistic motivation
    3. style/technique
    4. camera
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  • Christopher Dowling 2 years ago
    Great video. Great to see Severin at work
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  • To-mas 2 years ago
    Hi,
    did you have Leica M9 from Leica company?
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  • Thomas Tikos-Kadji 2 years ago
    I live in New York City and I have been having trouble finding things to take photos of. This really inspired me though, thanks for making this and sharing your wisdom!
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  • Adam Douglas Arts 2 years ago
    This is great Chris! Love it.
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  • Stakedance 2 years ago
    I really enjoy this series. thank you
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  • joshua bermudez 2 years ago
    nice work.
    chris, you look like ed kashi >_<
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  • Patrick Multani 2 years ago
    thank you .

    but there are more rangefinders than Leica M`s ... feels a little bit like advertising, which is the total opposite of your intends, i guess.
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  • Daniel Gautreau 2 years ago
    I love street photos has much as anybody but this is too blah, blah, blah for me. Just shot & show me the snap. Nice work though.
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  • Mate Zemljic 2 years ago
    Amazing!!! Like Your passion for photography.
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  • Very inspiring !
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  • rod Higginson 1 year ago
    thankyou, so inspiring
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  • Zander White 1 year ago
    WOW an out-of-focus Leica promo...
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  • Gene Fama plus 1 year ago
    Chris, what's the lens you're knocking around with in Hollywood at night? A Lux 50?
  • Chris Weeks plus 1 year ago
    hey gene! i normally shoot a 'lux 35 but love shooting the nocti. i don't have a 'lux 50 most of the time.
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  • Olcay Sözen 1 year ago
    Very good documentary! I agree with the most things you talked about but you should mention that Leica lenses are very expensive, so not everyone can afford it. You can get a SLR for around 250 or even less nowadays. But even a used Leica camera is worth more than what...1000?! I'll save money for a M6 and a good lens.
  • leBeat plus 1 year ago
    you might want to try a voigtlaender-lens on the M6, they are great and way less expensive.
    i have this one: voigtlaender.de/cms/voigtlaender/voigtlaender_cms.nsf/id/pa_fdih7pfhga.html
  • Olcay Sözen 1 year ago
    hey! thanks for the advice but I have a 35 summicron now :). This voigtländer lens is tiny. Hope you enjoy it! Good luck!
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  • Nic Hester plus 1 year ago
    Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?
  • Chris Weeks plus 1 year ago
    who are they?
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  • seweryn dombrowski 1 year ago
    great job
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  • Mike Bode 1 year ago
    Yes, it did feel like a "stealthy" ad for Leica, however there is something to be said for a camera which is so simple (shutter speed, aperture and exposure). A Rangefinder can bring out something very special due to the "uncluttered relationship" with the camera and the subject matter and the photographer, something that SLR´s have to be forced to do. I mean in all honesty how many (D)SLR users work in manual mode in the street?

    For me, for this reason, I even prefer an M6 to an M9 for casual photography (and at a quarter of the cost!)
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  • Paul Treacy 1 year ago
    The ultimate rangefinder porn.
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  • Most excellent, thank you!
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  • JonathanJK 9 months ago
    Thanks for posting these, I hope they stay on vimeo for a long time to come.
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  • BlkWhiteFilmPix 7 months ago
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge and for your inspiration ... I too prefer an M6TTL to an M9 and it's far less costly! :)
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  • Roy Birger Nilsen 7 months ago
    Thank you very much for your inspirational work,you truly have inspired me to hit the streets!:-)
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  • AnHaim 6 months ago
    You should mention that having a Leica doesn't make you a good photographer as having a ferrari doesn't make you a good driver.
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