76mm Street Photography - Fuji XF 50mm f/2

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What is your go to telephoto lens for street photography? Mine is the Fuji XF 50mm f/2 and in today's video I take a walk around chinatown shooting with it on my X-E4 and talk about the process of using a long lens like this for street photography.
Feel free to drop any questions related to this topic in the comments section!
Gear in this video:
Fujifilm 50mm f/2: partner.shopmoment.com/VyV2Q6
X-E4: partner.shopmoment.com/kjbJk0
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Check out my Momment lesson guide on Fujifilm cameras: partner.shopmoment.com/gbNarg
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street photography, fuji, film, fujifilm, analog, rangefinder, pov, gopro, X-E4, XE4, X100V, X100F, street photography tips, tips and tricks, techniques, uninspired, motivation, best street camera, best beginner camera, street photography basics,Boston photographer, best film simulation, composition tips, get better at exposing, exposure tips, 35mm film stocks, kodak portra color, astia film, shooting manual, point and shoot, scanning photos, street photographers, how to shoot street

[@FaizalWestcott]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/faizalwestcott02221

[@curtquill8413]

Question do u get recognized alot

[@malmcowy]

Weird compliment: I struggle with insomnia and somehow your videos are the best to help me fall asleep. Something about the music, your voice, and the beautiful photos help me relax. Always rewatch the videos the next day though to see what I’ve missed. Really love your work!

[@MostafaSheshtawy]

in 5:07 , the cinematic term is upstage lighting , is having the camera on the dark side of the face while it's being lit from the "other" side. A lot of cinematographers love that lighting technique. love your videos

[@slackisland]

I love how you approach your street photography! Ive been following your videos lately. Really inspiring me to work more of my photography. Have a good day Faizal!

[@Wwillfoley]

absolutely love your videos they inspire me to get out there and take photos!!! keep it up man :)

[@JasonLiu100915]

Man, that puddle shot is amazing! It has an indescribable atmosphere. Thanks for another brilliant video!

[@wv2050]

I’ve only recently subscribed to your channel but I’ve learned so much about street photography watching your videos. Your calm explanation and video style makes me look forward to watching your new content. Thank you for sharing your expertise and experience with us. Cheers from Australia!

[@taboneal]

A great video and excellent use of music. It enhances the visuals, is well tempered, and maintains a consistant level. Double thumbs up!

[@johannesmaierhofer5001]

Your videos always make me forget about everything else. I think I watched most of your recent videos and never skipped a second. I recently got myself a used x-e4 and am loving it. Since it’s my first proper camera I am now very much realising that a better camera does not equal better shots. Feeling exited to get better though, so thank you for inspiring me to try something new :)

[@patrickgerardphotography]

Hey Faizal! Brand new to the channel! Love your style man! I've been going back through your videos I can't get enough! You're a big inspiration to me lately. Keep it up dude!

[@jg_jgjg]

I think 5:35 works best as a series of two photos. The landscape one gives context to the portrait one, but the expression of the guys face in the portrait one is great. Amazing stuff as always man!

[@mtafaqqa]

I'm very excited everytime when i watch your videos of going outside for taking photography. Our life should be like this! Outside world is always amazing. And finally, please stay safe and healthy! 😁

[@klebinger]

You’re such an inspiration. Every video makes me want to go out and start shooting immediately. Plus: gonna buy this lens. :)

[@flow_leit]

As usual Faizal, it always a pleasure to sit, relax and watch your POV video. I have to say i share a lot of commons things in your streetphotography vision. We don't really need to follow rules of others to "be a real street photographer who never change his focal lenght" or to do this particular thing or that. Yes we can have a favorite lense with pro & cons, but sometimes for artistic / motivation reason or to try to have a new sight or new different perspective, it's nice to change our habits and try sometines new. At the end of the day and i know it's a "silly sentence", we just need to enjoy our walk / stroll (not sure about the righ word in english) and take pictures.

[@tracyhaben]

Great video--so helpful! Love your work!

[@rafeakspvd]

Loving these perspectives and I completely agree about Chinatown. Was there 3 weeks ago for a session and the colors around there are so good.

[@BarnabasTYT]

Have been finding inspiration like this video! Nice work!

[@jacobmaness7244]

Great video. Loved the images, and it motivates me to take a diffrent focal length out next time I go shoot. Good stuff.

[@danielphotoa]

I subscribed for the chill mood your videos have, really cool content 😌

[@AlexRied]

Hey Faizal, just wanna say, your videos are great!!! I love your passion of street photography. Really inspiring! Wish you all the best! Greetz from Hamburg Germany :)

[@FaizalWestcott]

Thank YOU for watching and supporting the channel :)

[@RendiOktavian-hn6gl]

Man, always love your works!

[@jaycielinh]

such a great video faizal! the last photo is probably my favourite one- this makes me want to experiment more with longer focal lengths as i'm always shooting the 35mm focal length ahah

[@brandonlovestech454]

I love these videos man, very inspiring

[@ItsOrtiz]

Just bought this lens and it has really become one of my most favorite lens. Especially as one who is a little nervous with shooting right up in my subjects faces, it’s a great lens for getting great shots from a distance

[@Alans_Archive]

really liked the pictures you took, especially the reflective one with the text and the dude shooting the basketball 🤯

[@SuperReview]

This is my favorite focal length, cool to see it get some love - and nice shots!

[@MatthewMorse]

At 4:07 I really love the juxtaposition of the face mask with the "perfect life" portrayed in the advertisement. Kind of a neat push and pull between real life versus ad life. Neat capture!

[@bill3117]

I love the Boston area for street photography when I visit from my home in the mid-west. I like the photos using reflections! Thanks for the idea of using the 50mm f/2 for street. I'll be trying my 23, 35, and 50 f/2 in Scotland soon.

[@joshcullum88]

Love your videos mate! Inspired me to start taking street pics too

[@yodabest7626]

There is just something about your videos that put me in a good mood!!!! :)

[@TheMinecrafters2u]

Every time I watch your vids I go out for a shoot the day of its amazing

[@ezdubs8511]

Some truly great shots you got there

[@mkkrt]

Great stuff! The 50mm f2 is my current favorite.

[@kaid3566]

Damn, you got some gorgeous photos, several of which are more than sufficient to hang on a wall or include in a photo book, well done! You mentioned Ernst Haas, and I wonder if you're familiar with Saul Leiter? I've been absorbing everything I can by him lately, and I highly recommend the book All About Saul Leiter and watching his documentary In No Great Hurry. What he was doing with color out on the street back in the 50's is just astonishing! As in his work, in many of your photos I see just the perfect level of abstraction, something that's difficult to put into words, but words are unnecessary when a good picture is worth a thousand...

[@sommelierofstench]

my man. shooting fujifilm. using longer focal lengths for street photography. i wrap my strap around my wrist/arm when shooting handheld too. really cool to see the POV of different areas, thanks for taking us along. all that being said, i love longer focal lengths for doing stuff like this. you really get surgical and precise shots of certain details to make things stand out. you get pictures of “things” more often than pictures of “scenes” it seems. changes your approach to shooting greatly.

[@lukasstekly5709]

Love your calm voice❤️

[@svenyss]

In my opinion if anyone says "you should do it like that" has no clue. There is not just one way of doing things and that's why streetphotography is so nice, because so many people do it differently. So I'm happy that you change your focal lengths and perspectives. I do that too. I mostly use the 23 f for Fuji but I also love the longer lengths as well. I subscribed as well as I really like what I've seen. Thank's for being creative and sharing!

[@AmazingSquid]

"Fast fall off" is the term you're looking for with that cinematic lighting on that man's face at 5:21. Great stuff, man

[@andrewsalama3616]

The word you are looking for for that photo at around 5:30 for the drastic contrast of one side being lit and one side in shadow falls under the term "Chiaroscuro - "an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something." often used to describe the look of classic Noir films etc. Great vid as always Faizal.

[@philoography8233]

so great seeing you crushing the game again

[@wakethegiant9705]

Love your stuff!

[@davidgatchalian885]

Agree with the comment about bringing a variety of lenses. I like to bring two different lenses when I go out. Appreciate your videos Faizal.

[@shuttersounds__jpg]

I love that focal length, i have used it extensively for street photography with my 50mm f1.8g on a z50 (aps-c x1.5 = 75mm~)

[@FaizalWestcott]

first

[@cosmonaut1961]

Thank you very much! Inspiring! 👍

[@joeyburgess9396]

You are single-handedly inspiring me to get outside and shoot more street photography

[@FaizalWestcott]

At the end of the day that's what I hope my videos help people do so I'm really glad to read this!

[@herwarthaug]

awesome shots! 🤟🏼

[@gaarakabuto1]

The idea I always had with focal lengths was that,you need to find what you feel to be your "main" focal length may that be the 28mm, in which you feel comfortable shooting, your brain works within this focal length and after a point you think in that focal length.But then I also feel like you need to get more experience through two other choices,one that challenges you and you feel like using it is just difficult and challenging and one that you are ok with and comfortable enough to shoot with when your main focal length lens isn't available but that will do the trick too,50mm usually is that focal length.

[@clemmentalo4820]

Love this vid, one of the things that i "hate" in street photography is the idea that the only way to do it properly is to get closer.

[@K3zz21]

I did some street photography on a rainy day with my 100mm vintage Minolta lens. I genuinely took some of my absolute favorite street photos. I realized so far, 50mm is actually my least favorite Street focal length. I’ve really enjoyed the extremes way more.

[@magdalena6035]

When you're having a bad day but see a new video from Faizal 😍 Living in a small town in Austria your videos literally take me to another world. Really loved your shots in this video. I hope one day I'm brave enough to go out and take photos myself.

[@FaizalWestcott]

That's so kind of you! I'd love to visit Australia sometime! I always see really cool work made in Melbourne

[@johannesmaierhofer5001]

Oh the classic Austria/Australia trap caught another one ;)

[@magdalena6035]

hahaha jep that‘s how small it is 😅🇦🇹⛰

[@johnvienna3422]

@@FaizalWestcott Dude... seriously...

[@johnvienna3422]

Here in my large town in Austria, I feel just the same, Magda. Always nice videos from Faizal, and I'm now thinking about a longer lens like this so that I can photograph from further away. (Not in a creepy way! - just a bit scared to approach people.)

[@michaelajoseph6856]

Thank you!

[@dalexa]

I used a M42 Pentacon 50/1.8 in my DMC-L1 (that translates to a 100mm in the four thirds) and I just loved it. Made me go further away from the subjects to have them on the backgrounds or, sometimes, just really close.

[@paramidge8935]

The lighting term you are searching for is 'Chiaroscuro' it's not a 'fancy word' (it's a word like any other) but an Italian word meaning 'light dark'. The cinematic reference is typically to Film Noir which you may have heard of. It is great for the eternal metaphor about the duality of the human spirit and is as old as art itself. Hope that helps.

[@jeffroberts3217]

I was surprised to discover that the compact nature of the 76mm POV actually made many of the images more personal than a wider field of view, at least to me. I appreciate all of your videos and the opportunity to learn so may new things. Keep up the great work!

[@User-jekqocofowowowpeoro]

I’m consdiering moving on to fuji from canon, and just found out your channel recently and I love your works! You got me deeply interested in street photography. All this time I’d thought wider lenses are ‘right’ for street photography and as a fan of longer focal lengths that kinda got me worrying about what lense I should go for… but I guess I can just keep using the focal lengths I’m used to. Can’t wait to get a new camera!

[@darianm.4521]

Kind of late but I was a previous Canon user and let me tell you. The change was totally worth it. Something about Fuji just gets you into the shooting mood. I went with the x100v. Such a simple camera, but it packs a punch.

[@stanmorinaka4551]

The shot where you got some dramatic lightning with is referred to Rembrandt lighting, especially the one where you get a triangle shiny spot under the eye.

[@mross77]

my favorite SP Yt channel 🤜🤛 👋👋

[@benjones8977]

I’ve been using the 50 F2 for a while now and it’s a great lens! Sometimes I have to use the focus limiter to speed it up though. It’s not the fastest lens.

[@thehasinhafiz]

Dude that shot from the rooftop was 🙌🏼

[@joe_tographer]

Another great video 👏

[@oddhoney]

Rembrandt lighting, per the 5:06 mark. Good stuff :)

[@martincasadoblanco7799]

Yeah! New video!!

[@FaizalWestcott]

😄

[@mapakern3979]

I often do street photography on an APSC sensor with a 50mm too, but I wish it were even tighter. The things that catch my eye are usually far away and I like the compression

[@ikaros4203]

that last pic is fireeee

[@loadedvideo]

Very cool video with a cool Fuji lens...I use the 35f2, love it. Considering selling the 561.2 to get this lens..

[@Edvanfleury]

I am hear to listen your sweet voice like always

[@tonyparatore888]

Ernst Hass definitely, I've seen that in your videos... You have talent...

[@voltgaming2213]

your photography style is so unique it is like some Fan Ho with pushing framing subjects indirect to the max

[@Atokinox]

50mm on apsc is one of if not my favorite focal ever i love it sm

[@cdrdd]

love my 50 1.8 for aps-c, cheap, small and sharp

[@RazeTheWeak]

Was on the fence about selling this lens (again) and picking up the new sigma 18-50, but this video helped talk me out of it. This isn't the easiest focal length to work with, but when you get the feel for it and nail a shot it's hard to match. I'll probably still grab the sigma, but I'm going to keep my 50 for rainy days when I need weather sealing and really want to isolate subsects (ala Saul Leiter).

[@rodya_malverde]

Love using a 85mm on a full frame. Really makes the subject matter stick out.

[@FaizalWestcott]

It's been a while since ive shot a 85mm on a fullframe. Always loved it!

[@FlosBlog]

@@FaizalWestcott not to different from 75 considering the angle of view, like four or five degrees

[@jameshammond89]

great stuff

[@anlsahal4147]

Apsc + 50mm is my favorite combo for streets. 75 mm focal lenght is just right.

[@Rabixter]

This is inspiring me to pick up my barely used 50mm f2 which is collecting dust at the moment.

[@daryljohnson9010]

Ernst Haas is a favorite of mine too!

[@danielthomas7430]

Great video 👍🏼

[@FaizalWestcott]

thanks!

[@haeskenhoff]

Nice chill vibe. Got the 50 f2 myself, really like it, a good intuitive distance to the subject. Can keep a bit of distance but close enough, just the right amount of intimacy. What Dynamic Range setting do you prefer? It’s a bit interesting to explore. Setting it to 100% give a more contrast look, i think coupled with the classic chrome it’s very aesthetically pleasing for days with lots of glass and sun like you had here.

[@blue_hillz9815]

i like "time with" photo too))) thx for ur videos)

[@dhritimanbatchu]

At 5:07, did you mean "chiaroscuro"? Terrific exploration of this focal length. As a beginner myself, I'm very much in the phase of understanding how different focal lengths affect not only the frame itself, but my approach to crafting the image. I'm very, very close to investing in a Fuji X camera with the famous "Fujicron" primes so this was even more meaningful. Cheers!

[@jaycielinh]

i definitely thought about that term too, the use of strong contrasts between light and dark - but not sure if that was the specific term for the lighting technique in filmmaking aha

[@tomasharan2540]

hey I didn't know you were in the Boston area. I'm in Worcester but love film photo walks

[@JamesABloomfield]

I've done some street shots with the 56mm 1.2, it's a really /different/ experience but I made some great photos with it.

[@gevers1]

Loved that lens but traded it up for the 55-200 (another great lens, btw) cuz i wanted a zoom option.

[@MehmetUgur]

Nice one Faizal! Even though I'am kinda stuck in 35mm & 50mm focal lengths in street photography, I have been always wanted to complete my Fujicron series with 50mm f2. It feels liberating to allow yourself to use longer focal length in street photography from time to time. :)

[@anonymousl5150]

One reason to go for the 50 f2 is that it's just a better lens. Quite a bit sharper and far superior microcontrast.

[@MehmetUgur]

@@anonymousl5150 oh really? Didnt know that. I thought they all have similar lens quality.

[@anonymousl5150]

@@MehmetUgur It's exceptional even among the primes for MTF tests, and far exceed the 23 and 35 f2. Microcontrast tests were done by users, some will say this is by far the best microcontrast lens among fuji. Its distortion correction is also far superior to the 23 and 35 f2; although 50 mm is easier to design, it's exceptional even for a 50 mm lens.

[@trezegol2007]

Hi. Interesting subject and clip you did. I have my XT4 and 50mm which I'm still experimenting with. Motivating to see how well it performs in street photography, but have you also used it in low light, in the evening, at night? How does it perform there? Thanks

[@mikefoster6018]

Interesting! I briefly used my 56mm (85 equiv) for street but just did portraits. My 33mm (50 equiv) lens just arrived and I can tell it's going to be an interesting enough challenge. None of that fancy, atmospheric distortion and easier 'scene encompassing' of shorter focal lengths. Less bokeh than the 56mm lenses. I'll have to get great at finding genuinely interesting vignettes amongst all the noise on my street walks. It feels like a blank slate, without those attributes mentioned above. I'll have to do a bit more work than the camera/lens. My ideal would instead be to be using my beloved 16-55mm. But its f2.8 on a crop sensor has some limitations (ISO noise, mediocre separation except in full zoom) that make it tricky now that the daylight is getting shorter and gloomier here in London this time of year. The 33mm f1.4 will allow me to retain some bite.

[@suehodnett6911]

Chiaroscuro 👥

[@EJKelly]

Wondering if you set to manual focus and use spot when doing reflections?

[@albertsmith9315]

Enjoyed your video, but I kept looking at all the close up action and moving pedestrians and all I kept thinking was "shoot!"... then I remembered that I was seeing with my normal wide-angle view. Long lenses don't work for my street shooting, but everyone has a different vision.

[@lol-vq8dh]

2:38 where is that shot from? (Like where does eatenbyflowers upload videos?)

[@juliantaveras4992]

the 50 f2 is one of the greatest lenses in the fuji line

[@SimbiusStreet]

My favorite length is 50mm but been at 35 for the past 3 years because of my fujix100

[@madupaul]

Man it's very creative shots you're taking. I loooove your channel. I wish it'd be easier to take photos outside at this time of the year in Montréal. Would you mind writing down the name of the photographer you're referring to at 10:48 ? Ernest... something? Thanks in advance! Take care

[@chefboyardee8801]

bump

[@johnyoung1606]

As a news photog about 55 yrs ago till today as documentarian I carried a 24mm few inch below my chin and a 105 or 85 on 2 Nikon F,, bit lower for similar opportunity :) Nothing New As just a teenager I studied HCBresson and others with things You are discovering today, Faizal look to the past talk to the OLD GUYS n Gals or CK out photo BOOKS... Good Hunting JY :))

[@76Jvt]

Do you ever take photos looking through the viewfinder?

[@KenRuan]

What do you use to shoot your POV? GoPro?

[@homecareful]

I enjoyed this a good deal. I only want lenses for my XE-2 that have aperture rings, so I am selling my pancake and getting this 50mm.

[@jabadalakishvili931]

What was your shutter speed/aperture 10:48

[@vidumn]

perfect shot 12:23