Lensculture

Another one of my Street Portraits selected by the guys at Lensculture 

 "The Competition Gallery is a highly curated group of images showcasing the best photos" 

 Lensculture Portraits awards 2025

Street Portraits

A collection of my street portraits, old and new. A work in progress, an exhibition in the making.

Link to Youtube 

The Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM

 

I recently got the Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM lens, I was undecided but having now tried out the f4 ‘L’ incarnation there’s really nothing in it! In fact I prefer the look and also the handling of the variable aperture STM one. Considering the Canon 6D is good in low light the smaller aperture at longer focal lengths is irrelevant, I can put the 6D on a 1000 iso in dull light such as today 20/12/2024, stop it down to f11 at the long end 105mm and it looks sharp across the frame, and very sharp where you actually focus at. (I wouldn’t go any more than f11 due to the diffraction effect when smaller apertures can start having a detrimental effect)

If I’m up close and personal as I usually am when doing street photography... and its dull/overcast I can always pop my portable flash on, as I did with the above image of a street portrait in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. @ ISO 100, f5, 1/60s, direct flash, taken with said Canon EF 24-105mm IS STM variable aperture lens @ 35mm focal length on the Canon 6D. An overlooked, underrated lens, whereas in reality it’s a solid performer with great optics. 

The benefits IMO of the variable aperture one far outweigh any advantage of the constant f4, indeed if there are any advantages? Better build quality for sure on the f4 but the other one isn’t going to fall apart on you, it’s not built like a kid’s toy! One of the main advantages of the ‘L’ lenses are the build quality and weather sealing, and is where a lot of the extra cost goes, great if you photograph in torrential rain or thunderstorms, but I’m a bit of a fair-weather photographer I like a bit of sunlight.

In fact my reliable sources tell me this lens performs better with the new Canon mirror less cameras than both the constant f4 AND the newer f4 mk2 model! There’s a lot of snobbery in the photography world, “photographers” more into the equipment than actual photography (and don’t the manufacturers know it!) many “photographers” would look down their noses at the “old” equipment I prefer and choose to use over mirror less, etc. Reality check… the only camera that really matters (even more than a Leica 😀) is the one in your head! That’s where images are really made, sometimes I even construct an image in my head than go out and make it happen. The camera is just a tool in-between you and your vision, creativity and the subject.     

Tattooed Calves

A recent street shot from Leeds City market, West Yorkshire, UK. Taken with the aforementioned (previous post) Canon 6D and Canon EF 17-40mm f4 lens, a perfect range for my type of street photography, up close and personal.

Leeds is one of my favorite places for street photography, down to earth people and I often find great characters for portraits.

Canon 6D

I had been thinking of getting another DSLR mainly because they arent making any more! If you are familiar with my blog posts you will know I prefer them over mirrorless for a variety of reasons, if not and interested look at my previous posts… already covered it extensively! I was considering getting a 7D mk2, but after much deliberation I decided on the Canon 6D I’ve had it a few months now actually, I love how light and compact it feels compared to some rigs I’ve used, even feels lighter than my 7D mk1. Also got the Canon 17-40mm f4 lens to go with it, (I already had some prime lenses that are full frame compatible, the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM lens produces super sharp images on the 6D) 17-40mm is a perfect range for my street photography, also got the Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM lens for a bit longer reach should I need it, (Its also a very useful range on my 7D crop sensor) some people give it a bad rap, but it’s a fine lens really, sharp, and with the 6D being good with high ISO’s not being a wide aperture lens isnt such a problem, the IS helps too. Anyway, I will mostly be using the 17-40 and the primes with it.

 

Took me a while to find a decent one, being an old camera (all my cameras are old, but very capable in the right hands) most I saw were quite the worse for wear! I got one in like new condition with a low shutter count from my favourite used dealer, Harrison cameras of Sheffield, UK. Didn’t take me long to bond, for want of a better word, with the 6D, and I’m enjoying using it! I always shoot in raw mode whatever I am using, as I enjoy processing the files, I find the raw files from the 6D effortless to work on! Cant wait to see some large prints from it, its all the quality of a 5D mk3 in a lighter body, albeit with some minor sacrifices which aren’t a problem for me, in fact I prefer the lighter body (and the cheaper price) I find it funny that some describe the Canon 6D as an “entry level full frame camera” Entry level, really! I was using full frame cameras before digital was a thing! Even large and medium format…full frame cameras! 😂

 

I will still use my Canon 7D, it’s a quality image making tool and I have some fine crop sensor lenses to go with it, and off course I also have my trusty compact camera the Lumix LX100, another great image making tool and useful for travelling light and fast. Can’t imagine wanting any more camera bodies, if anything I might get some more lenses but don’t even need them really? As I’ve already said I am not interested in mirrorless cameras (apart from my compact) and I think we reached peak image quality a long time ago, how much IQ does one need? Surely the actual image itself, the subject, the framing, the creativity of photography is far more important and to the point. An average image taken with the most expensive equipment money can buy...is still an average image! “The photographer is the instrument not the camera” – Eve Arnold. Indeed, the biggest variable is the person behind the camera, ergo your equipment is to a certain extent…Irrelevant.  

Selected

Another one of my images selected by the Lensculture editors for their online gallery, this one for the street photography awards 2024. Dont know about being selected, I want to be elected 😀

I also have another street shot ‘Hull Fair 2023’ in the next open exhibition at Ferens Art gallery 2024. Hull, East Yorkshire, UK.

Took this on the South Bank, London. I was waiting around a while looking for the right person to pass by, and I was lucky not to get anyone else in the frame, as it was a busy day with lots of tourists taking selfies under the finger.