Capturing Ueno: Street Photography with a 50mm F1.4 Lens
Nikon Ai Nikkor 50mm F1.4
I recently began shooting with a vintage 50 mm lens. The images that have resulted are beyond my expectations. This was my hope, and to some degree my expectation. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much I would love the tactile sensations of shooting with a manual focus lens. It feels incredibly personal to rotate the focus ring on your subject. It is much like a decisive moment for oneself.
The optics combine a gentle, "dreamy" appearance with wide-open sharpness and enhanced clarity when stopped down. At its widest aperture of f/1.4, it creates a soft, painterly image with appealing bokeh and some spherical aberration that enhances skin tones. Stopping down the lens significantly boosts sharpness, with optimal performance around f/8.
I tend to stick with the f2-f2.8-f4 range, occasionally stopping down further to f5.6 or f8 (usually for video). The character of this lens is best exhibited wide open until around f4. Even at f4, it begins to look a little pedestrian, yet it remains very sharp and renders the image in a relatively neutral way.
Shot with the wider apertures, the Ai Nikkor 50mm F1.4 provides something lost in many of the lens lines manufactured by most camera companies recently, imperfection. Life is imperfect; seeing it captured perfectly is too much. That level of perfection strips the very soul from the subjects it means to flatter.
Ueno Market and a 50mm lens
Ueno market is a favourite location of mine. It has so many alleys and streets to wander around. Many of the shops have been there for generations, and some of the people have been working there for a lifetime. The history is palpable, almost tactile, in the images one can create in this old Tokyo location. A 50mm lens feels right for Ueno, long enough to make great portraits with, and just wide enough for a narrow back alley.
What makes Ueno such an ideal place for street photography is not the history, not the side streets, and not even the people, but the light. On a sunny morning, Ueno Market is one of the best locations in Tokyo for street photography. As the sun rises to midmorning, gorgeous, contrasty light spills over both sides of the tracks that split the market in half. The taller buildings reflect pools of specular light onto the street, which dance around waiting for a market goer to shine their light on. The alleys have even more contrast in their narrow paths, a dramatic line between light and shadow slowly moves along just outpacing the sun.
The 50 mm lens performed admirably as I moved up and down the market's streets, making several passes over key locations. The lens's smaller profile is ideal for the close quarters of the market. Some areas are very busy, with more people than space, and each person seems to be going at a different pace. There is a good flow of traffic, but with so many stalls to shop at, it can be chaotic in places.
Visit The Ueno Market
I would suggest visiting the Ueno market for street photography when you are in Tokyo. Start at 9:00 AM; most of the market will be closed, and the high-contrast light has not yet started. Many of the shopkeepers are setting up for the day. This is a great opportunity for fantastic images, and it provides a good warm-up for the wonderful light that is coming shortly.
I like to start at the back of the market and work my way up to the front. I occasionally loop around and repeat a section, either for a second chance at a missed opportunity or to let the sun catch up with my pace, illuminating the path ahead just the way I like it.
As always, I would love to hear your story in the comments below. If you feel so inclined, share a coffee with me. I am a flat white kind of guy. Happy shooting, everyone.
To book a tour, visit my photo workshop/photo tour website or email jeff@tokyoforgeries.com directly.
