Paul shows his most recent Street Portraits using the Leica Q2 Monochrom and Film.
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How I light Street Portraits – Portraits with the Leica Q2 Monochrom
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32 responses to “How I light Street Portraits – Portraits with the Leica Q2 Monochrom”
Lovely photos!
I struggle sometimes with extreme lighting conditions, like with snow, with my Q2M
Great video. Just what I was looking for. Thanks
Paul, I apologize, I am new to your page. I have a quick question…do people ask you to provide the photo you take back to them? If so, how do you do it? Do you gather information from them (email address…etc) or direct them to your page?
Love the Q2M portraits against the wall.
I would be interested to know what you say to people when they ask "what do you want to use the photos for?"
You developed the redhead!
This type of video is the 💣 please more of this. Wow. Strong work!
Paul, my 'ask' is a lot like yours and I have a high success rate. Many times the subject will first ask me what I'm doing this for and I've never found a suitable answer. Sometimes I say it's my hobby, but I don't like that response. Other times I've said I like to do street photography and I'm doing a 'People Project.' Another answer is that I am an amateur photographer and I like to do street portraits of interesting people. None of these is really satisfactory. What do you say? I'm a grandpa so I think that works in my favor to make people less suspicious.
There are some nice shots in here, but oh boy, what has happened to contemporary fashions?? One of the main girls in your images looks as if she stepped straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. She's dressed like one of the waifs you see in reenactments of a Shakespearean or Dickens plays. Ha Ha!!
What helped me most was your sentence: "I almost never get a 'no'". I'm doing streetportraits as well, but I really have to jump over my shadow for that. I'impressed, that you even ask beautiful young women for a portrait. I wouldn't dare to do that. I were afraid, they might be offended. That's why I'm focusing on elder men, which are quite interesting subjects for me especially if they "lived a life". Thank you for your great videos. They help me a lot!
Hi, new to your channel and immediately subbed. Loved your work / art. You are an inspiration. Question, do you like your q2m over your q3? Image quality wise? Or iso / night shots? Thank you
Amazing photos and great knowledge that you are sharing.
Do you prefer to shot your portraits on full 28mm? or do you use the crop modes… or when du you choose to crop if so?
Nice vid, Paul. Good, useable advice. Do you tend to gravitate towards the same areas or just anywhere?
Very instructive tips and advices!
Wonderful work as always 🙌
2:57 Portrait of lad with a bag. Don't stress about the strap. Honestly, it's part of the composition and leads the eye to the pillar just to (our) right of the subject, thus leading us around the photo. It's cool.
Thanks for sharing, great people and portraits.
Do you ask people to sign a release form?
I do take the odd street portrait myself and wondering if I should make a release form.
Great photos. Do you ever email the subjects a copy?
terrific
Wow so glad i found your channel. Amazing portraits and great video! So these were all at 50mm and 28mm?
Amazing portraits. Enjoyed every minute of this video. Many thanks.
Very good video subject Paul… Most of the time in street photography the moment is the thought while the lighting is secondary if at all. But taking the time to find the light makes the difference between a snapshot and a photograph. This video reminds us to keep lighting in the forefront of thought.
The film portrait with the busy background! I think the reflection adds so mutch feeling to the portrait! 🥰
These are lovely portraits Paul, but if I may ask the question that don't you think here the Q2 with its fixed 28mm lens is the limiting factor? Even with a 50mm one could get a lot closer without causing distortion and using a wide aperture could have thrown the background out. Although, some context to the photos may have been lost.
Beautiful. Interesting how you put the light onto them. In portrait, my experience says 80% is the background. My tip for portrait against wall, putting away a little bit more, to get more bokeh/blur. See 14:37 is perfect portrait to me and 16:28. My big inspiration is photograph book: Raised By Wolves by Jim Goldberg
Love the shot of the guy leaning against the black wall with street background. So authentic, seems to tell a story about personal expression in the street.
Getting good catchlights one of the most difficult things outside without flash or reflector.
Great work Paul. I suppose the ‘flat’ light of a cloudy day is still contrasting with the shadows. Great tips to find cover for the subject, and to ask couples or groups whereby I assume subjects are more likely to say yes.
The colour ones work really well.
Do you still use a reflector?
Great discussion, Paul, very helpful. With the headphone guy, him sat down in the stairwell looked very good, you could see the light in his eyes as you say, and you got fantastic detail in his face – so expressive.
First thing I thought of about the camera strap guy was, Oh no it's me! — because on holiday I'll hand my wife the camera and she never thinks to mention my strap has dragged my shirt into total disarray, and I don't think to check, and afterwards I think gosh ten seconds to fix things up would have made such a difference. Then the second thing I thought was, I'll bet we have better luck asking for them to set down a bag if they are in a group – in case they are anxious about pickpockets!
Paul, Your street portraits with your Q2M are fabulous. Great advice about how to use light. Do you have your subjects sign a model release? Thanks.
Really impressive work ❤
Hi Paul,, I recently have been shooting with some of My Vintage (Film Camera, Nikon F n FM Cameras 50 f1.4 n 85 f1.8 n 105 f2.5n 135 f2.8) lenses on My Digital Nikon Z cameras,, The Vintage look is Very Interesting !!!!!! ThankYou for this Great !! exploration of street portraits 🙂 🙂 🙂
The full body portrait was fantastic! Good call on that one. And, I love your approach to asking for a portrait. I think that I'll try using that for my first attempt–after I find a good location that is well lit. Thanks, Paul!