50mm lens has its advantages. It's great for street portraits and it's able to photograph from slightly far so you attract less attention of your random street models. It also gives some context than longer focal lengths. But only some.
A dweller of Bangkok Chinatown who just doesn't care about all the hassle around and keeps living in his own way. 50mm on March 18, 2023 in Bangkok
The lens sometimes makes me feel that there is not enough space for scenes in my frame since you often can't step away in streets or crowded places. From time to time, I also notice a slight lack of the feeling of being inside the scene like if 50mm was a telephoto lens.
Happily, I have 24mm which is an opposite to nifty fifty. Some say it is challenging comparing to 35mm since it grabs too many details around and you sometimes have to shove your camera in the face of strangers. It's not only about embarrassment - 24mm attracts too much attention to you so you often shoot people's reaction to the camera, not the life as it is.
So, these are just words. Without philosophizing, 24mm is just a cool lens. All images below are taken with it.
Garbage service at work at night on 28 March, 2023 in Bangkok
On my way to Yaowarat Street.
Arriving in Yaowarat Street on March 27, 2023
I often like tilted photos at the beginning but then I understand that I had to fix it in Adobe Lightroom, and feel sorry if I already posted it on the blog. Let's see if I will sorry this time 😁
A portrait of a tuk-tuk driver on March 18, 2023
On the "hunt" for foreign clients. Tuk-tuks are motor tricycles and their drivers, known for their adventurousness and tendency to inflate prices for their service (this is in Bangkok, whereas in other Thai cities tuk-tuks are just another urban transportation option).
Another one on March 27, 2023
But they are not bastards, they just make a living and endure the quirks of these strange foreigners; and I am not an exception. The photo was taken like this: I noticed the tuk-tuk driver negotiating a group of people. I approached the tuk-tuk from the back, squeezed between the potential customers, and stuck my head along with the camera under the roof of the tuk-tuk, saying "I just need a photo". I, then, said ขอบคุณครับ, thank you in Thai, and very quickly left, noticing that the people and the driver were amused by my frolic and all were smiling.
18 March, 2023
When I saw this restaurant barker, I rushed to her (being afraid she's change this playful mood and the scene would be lost for me) and took a couple of images. Not giving her a chance to work with me, I quickly moved, having said "thank you" in Thai in a pointedly respectful manner; as I always do to Thai strangers if they notice my photo interest to them.
Customers of a restaurant on Yaowarat Street on March 27, 2023 in Bangkok
I have already mentioned my attitude towards some of my tilted photos. I like this image and tilted-ness is part of its charm (as I believe now). I did it on the go extending my hand towards the models so as not to attract their attention; the lens had a fixed focusing distance of 2 meters. This is one of my tricks.
Colorful farangs looking at a restaurant menu on March 28, 2023 in Bangkok
I took the image with the same trick, on March 28, 2023 in Yaowarat Street. So, as you see I am an often visitor of the area. 😀
I got spotted while crossing the street:
Spotted but not hated. 😀
What else I love about 24mm, it is how strong the angle of view manifests itself. You only need to lift the camera a bit up and the scene looks completely different.
I said "a bit" - this is "a bit":
At a street restaurant
Let's lift higher:
A lottery salesman - March 27, 2023
I call it the drone mode although my camera is still in my hand. 🙂
Eaters at the red table
My Street Photography Adventure Continues
Daring little street photographer in Bangkok Chinatown on March 28, 2023
Right after finishing the post, I am heading to the old Bangkok area with the 24mm lens. (And, on the way, I'll probably have time to take images of birds for Feathered Friends community 🐦😊).
More stories from Thailand are coming! Check out the previous ones on my pinmapple.com
I took these images with a Nikkor 24mm 2.8D (only the very first with a 50mm) on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 in March 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.