Rangefinder One Hand Spy Shots @ Rome

Its hard…..i mean…really… its hard to be using a 35mm lens and walking up to complete strangers doing their own thing and snap a picture of them.

35mm ? it means I am at most 2 meters away from where they are. You get these ridiculous looks, like “What the hell is he doing in my face ?” Its not everyday that i have my cheerful face on trying to chat them up. Its like snap and go….you get me ?

Spy shots….have got to learn how to take spy shots and this is where the rangefinder works it magic. I mean its call a rangefinder right ?

Set the aperture, know the focusing distance, hold the camera with the lens facing to your left and upright (which means its perpendicular to your body) . Walk past the subject, pretend not to look at them, aim with your gut feel and snap away. All these with one hand !! like James Bond 🙂

Its so quiet that most of the time, your subject will not notice. Start with an aperture of maybe F5.6 which means you will know that your subject is in focus within a distance of maybe +-2 meters (hey, the numbers on the dial on the lens, that’s what’s its for :), the distance also depends on which lens)

If you are getting the hang of judging the distance, you can move slowly down to F2 or 1.4. That’s when you need really know, because +- 10 cm and the subject can be out of focus badly.

But I tell you, the fun is in the unexpected shots and results.

In Rome again, with a backpack, a luggage in tow and one hand on the camera. Walking with these through the uneven streets, with horrible stairs and slopes, taking pictures…….i amaze myself.

I took a walk from the Termini train station to Via Condetti, to Piazza Navona and then back to the train station.

Spanish Steps……lots of people. I never quite get the idea of sitting at the steps for hours. *Scratch head. People watch ?

Time for a Selfie………

How often do you get a Catwalk model sashaying down the street ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwO0qkrJH4U

Piazza Navona. Aside from a few locals. This place is being overrun by Bangladeshis selling souvenirs and gasp…even Bangladeshi street performers. U see Guru Swarmi Boo in my pictures ? And as if its not bad enough, they even took over the job of selling the mass produce art pieces. Yes, I am exaggerating a little. But look around when you are there, you will get what i am saying.