Oftentimes, other photographers would ask me "how do you do it?", or "how do you get that close?" or "do your subjects get offended?". frankly, there is no rule , only the natural instinct of feeling the vista.

Mostly, I shoot with a 28mm lens, which naturally forces me to get in close, I consider a 50mm lens a short telephoto, almost sniper-like, and a 35mm a "normal" lens, the 28mm FOV is just a bit wider and gives me that little extra leverage that I thrive on for street photography. I also played with shorter lenses, but keep going back to the 28mm FOV, which feels natural to me.

The size of the camera doesn't actually matter much, only to the contrary presumption uttered into internet forums.

Aspiring street shooters are way to conscious about their gear, worrying more about their camera, instead about the final image.

It really is about your attitude and your "belonging" to the scene, there is no reason to hide, sneak or camouflage in what you are doing with your camera... granted, some shots may require a bit of "hip shooting", just to get a little closer to the scene than one can do with the good old viewfinder maneuver.

Getting closer may require your commitment, but you just need to consider your options and do a final knockout, be real, be there and don't worry about your gear, the sound of your shutter, or the size of your camera. At the end of the day, almost no one got offended by me taking their photographs, nor did anyone ever care about the camera I was using, except people who recognized the equipment - other photographers, obviously noticed the Leica around my wrist.

Everything about street shooting is about the final image, an engaging story, and a great looking print will only get the crowd's attention - even for the web, I'd regard it a "printed" piece of art, and editing your work is just as important as taking the picture with your camera. Editing one's photo for the viewer is becoming a reality in life, which street photography is all about.

Street photography is one's vision of true life, experience and self-awareness, shared between the one who's clicking the shutter, "the subject", and the audience. The final recipient, looking at the photograph should be able to read the print and imagine a story... I received an email the other day, someone commented on my work, looking at it as poetry.

Through the looking glass, the viewer sees and engages into a lesson about reality, many times twisted through the lens of the author, always aware of his surroundings. By expressing one's realm through street photography, I'm opening a window for you to look through.

Special thanks to my friend Will Vidal for co-editing.

© Markus Hartel

Markus Hartel

Born in Germany, I developed my love for photography when I was a kid. My grandma used to give me her rangefinder camera to take family pictures. That was fun!

Being a teenager, I bought my first camera and within a few years I developed the necessary technical skills for serious photography. I made a living as a typographer, graphic designer and as a digital photo retoucher... eventually documenting real life became my passion.

View more of Markus Hartel's work at http://www.markushartel.com or visit his blog at http://www.markushartel.com/blog