35mm is the Best Lens for Street Photography!
Best Lens Jeff Austin Best Lens Jeff Austin

35mm is the Best Lens for Street Photography!

The versatility of the 35mm lens makes it suitable for various street photography situations, from capturing vibrant street life to intimate portraits of individuals. Its ability to perform well in low-light conditions is another advantage, allowing photographers to shoot during dawn or dusk without compromising image quality. The compact size of a 35mm lens also means it’s less obtrusive, enabling photographers to blend into the surroundings, which is vital for authentic street photography. Overall, the 35mm lens combines these qualities to provide an effective tool for storytelling through striking and compelling images.

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Tokyo Is The Premier Street Photography City
Best Locations in Tokyo, Tokyo Jeff Austin Best Locations in Tokyo, Tokyo Jeff Austin

Tokyo Is The Premier Street Photography City

Tokyo, the bustling capital of Japan, beautifully embodies the contrast between tradition and modernity. With its neon-lit skyscrapers, serene temples, and dynamic street fashion, it stands out as a premier destination for street photography. Whether you’re an amateur enthusiast or an experienced professional, Tokyo has something to offer every photographer looking to capture the essence of urban life.

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The Loss of Context: How Over-Cropping Can Misrepresent Street Scenes.

The Loss of Context: How Over-Cropping Can Misrepresent Street Scenes.

In the instant photography and social media age, the art of capturing street scenes has evolved immensely. With just a click, anyone can take a snapshot of their environment and share it with the world. However, this accessibility also brings a significant challenge: the tendency to over-crop images. While cropping can enhance a photo's composition or highlight particular details, over-cropping risks stripping away crucial context, ultimately misrepresenting the story behind the photograph.  

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Ultimate Zoom Lens for The Best Street Photography

Ultimate Zoom Lens for The Best Street Photography

I appreciate prime lenses and consider myself fortunate to have an extensive selection. At the same time, I acknowledge the vital role that zoom lenses play in photography, and I find them quite useful. I carry one on my daily outings in Tokyo. It is heavy and old, and I don't always use it, but it does its job remarkably well when I do.

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I Love Tokyo
Creative Process Jeff Austin Creative Process Jeff Austin

I Love Tokyo

Tokyo is such a wonderful city! It’s clean, safe, easy to explore, and filled with fun experiences. I truly feel blessed to call this vibrant place my home, where I can spend my time capturing the beauty of one of the most fascinating cities on earth. Sharing those photos online brings me immense joy, but nothing compares to the excitement of taking you on a photo tour of Tokyo!

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In Tokyo, Colour Is Best For Street Photography.

In Tokyo, Colour Is Best For Street Photography.

I love to shoot in black and white. I love it so much that I purchased a camera that only shoots in black and white. That camera is the Q2 Monochrom by Leica. That is how much I love black-and-white street photography. This blog is almost entirely in black and white. Why suggest Tokyo looks best in colour? I think that it does.

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Is The 1:1 Aspect Ratio Best For Street Photography?
Creative Process, Pre Visualization Jeff Austin Creative Process, Pre Visualization Jeff Austin

Is The 1:1 Aspect Ratio Best For Street Photography?

I frequently use the Leica Q2 Monochrom and Nikon Z9 cameras. They have a common aspect ratio of 24 x 36 mm (3:2), ideal for landscape and portrait photography, appealing to the human eye. This ratio resembles televisions, theatres, computer screens, and most printed materials. Since many designs favour this ratio, why opt for a 1:1 aspect ratio?

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Shibuya Crossing: Why Street Photographers Hate It, Why I Love It.

Shibuya Crossing: Why Street Photographers Hate It, Why I Love It.

I want a moment. That is what I shoot in street photography. It is what I shoot in all other genres of photography as well. I don’t consider what is popular, what has been done before, just the moment. It must be a fraction of time expressed in a nearly tangible format. I need to be able to taste, smell, almost touch, and feel it. I fail at this all the time.

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Rediscover Street Photography in Shibuya
Creative Process, Philosophical Jeff Austin Creative Process, Philosophical Jeff Austin

Rediscover Street Photography in Shibuya

Twenty years and three kids later, losing the confident innocence I once shot in the streets of Shibuya with became too easy. So much that I didn’t even realize it was gone. I love to shoot in all genres, but I am especially fond of street photography. I practice it daily, even when I don’t have a camera. Complacency can creep into any man’s life if you let it. This idea is the concept behind my namesake, Tokyo Forgeries—a daily reminder to strive for originality.

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28mm Is  The Best Focal Length For Street Photography!

28mm Is The Best Focal Length For Street Photography!

Is 28mm the best street photography focal length? Many say it is. I one hundred percent agree! Except when I don’t. This exception is not a complicated one. I will explain further along. However, 28 mm is a complicated. It is not a wide angle nor a standard focal length such as 35 and 50mm. This one reason is precisely why I think street photographers love it. Wide angle enough to be wide but not so wide to distort reality. Also, it is not standard, unlike the historically favoured 35 mm and 50 mm focal lengths.

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Shooting For Eye Contact In Shibuya
Creative Process, Shibuya, Leica, Monochrome Jeff Austin Creative Process, Shibuya, Leica, Monochrome Jeff Austin

Shooting For Eye Contact In Shibuya

Eye contact is paramount. It resonates with everyone; it doesn’t matter if you enjoy street photography or any other type of photography—we all grasp the impact of eye contact. Why is it so hard to capture it? For me, it is fear.

Fear of the unknown, to be more specific. How will they react to having their picture taken? When I show them, how will they respond to my rendering? All these thoughts, along with the calculations, mathematical and creative to take photographs, plow through my mind instantly—the click of the shutter button is merely the result of all that grey matter processing. If the math is correct, the sum will be a good image.

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Working the Scene in Tokyo’s Shibuya

Working the Scene in Tokyo’s Shibuya

One of the first lessons learned as a new street photographer is to work the scene. That is, to move around the scene you are shooting for the best image to capture. I learned this lesson very early as I only had access to a single lens, a 50mm. I would love to claim artistic instinct, but in truth, I had no other choice.

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The Joy of Sharing Street Photography.

The Joy of Sharing Street Photography.

Most of my day as a street photographer is spent scouting new locations rather than shooting them. I do this not by choice but through instinct. I spend just enough time exploring an area’s potential, capturing something I am happy with, and moving on. I have many favourite spots in Tokyo. I revisit them often but never consider any particular place to be mine. If anything, they belong to the city, and I have only carefully observed their potential.

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The Best Focal Length For Street Photography Is?
Creative Process, Pre Visualization, Leica Jeff Austin Creative Process, Pre Visualization, Leica Jeff Austin

The Best Focal Length For Street Photography Is?

What is the best focal length? 28mm-35mm-50mm-wider or longer? A leading question for some is undoubtedly meant to be the title of this article, but what is the correct answer? That answer is simple, yet complicated by the effort required to achieve simplicity. The (simple)correct answer is the one you have with you. You have mastered it or are on the way to mastering it. This focal length matches the vision in the heart.

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Akabane: Tokyo’s  Street Photography Secret
Akabane Jeff Austin Akabane Jeff Austin

Akabane: Tokyo’s Street Photography Secret

Most do not know of Akabane at all. Tokyo’s northernmost transportation hub sees the city's east and westbound trains at the same station. I first came to know Akabane as just that; with time and a little exploration, I soon learned of its secret. It is a premium street photography location in Tokyo; no one has figured this out.

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