Video: first shots of 2023 with a DSLR camera
My Canon EOS Rebel T7. Mexico City Downtown. First days of the year.
THE VIDEO
DSLRs are abandoned by the masses. And this is where things get interesting. Apparently only Pentax will still produce DSLRs. We who still believe in the physicality of photography, both analogue and digital, do not welcome the run-up to miniaturization.
So I go out in 2023 and shoot only with the reflex for the whole day. The experience is pure fun.
Although I'm photographing in the barrio with only the reflex, in the last 10 months in downtown I photographed almost always with mirrorless. I force myself to photograph always composing with the viewfinder which is a real joy, for those who still know what an optical viewfinder is, but it certainly exposes you to taking a type of photography that attracts looks. A sweet return to the past, to feel and experience photography as I really like to do it. I've never had the need to feel like a photographer while I'm on the street, having often used compact cameras without a viewfinder, shooting from the hip…bringing the camera to my face exposes me, declares that I am photographing, adds adrenaline, creates a different impact on the whole experience.
My reflex is compact, light, easy to use.
The day unfolds on a path of failures, many, out of focus, blurred, unbalanced shots. It is the mechanics of pure photography. I love it. I immerse myself wholeheartedly in the experience of being a street photographer. To be in the place is the main thing, then I am OK with the failure, failure is part of the process. I enjoy all the process.
There was a time I was advocating against the DSLRs on the street for street photography. Look at me, now. I have found that after all everything is in the approach and your state of mind, which also influences body language. After all, I've never hidden what I do and I think the idea of the ninja on the street is bullshit.
Now you have the first video of the year and the first photos, guys. I think the photos you see are the celebration of imperfection, exactly what I always aspire to as a photographer. Photos that can breathe in their fragility due to the very essence of photographing on the street, flirting with the imponderable and the unprepared, where instinct and dynamism compete together with us.
I start the new year this way. Thanks to be here, guys, you are the inspiration.
