Shlomi Amiga

Street | Last Updated: February 12, 2021

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I’m a documentary photographer whose main focus is on people. I sometimes like to think of myself as the street photographer version of David Attenborough, narrating situations of humans in their vast urban habitat.

Humour and simplicity are key components of my approach – both visually, as well as how I go about photographing my subjects.

I’m a serendipity junky, and live for moments where everything aligns in a way that makes the viewer question the validity of the photograph as candid or staged. For the record, if it’s not a straight-up portrait – it’s always candid.

Cameras are work/play tools for me so I use different equipment for different types of photographic work.

The evolution of my gear follows one main trajectory – downsizing. Over the years I’ve learned more about myself as a visual storyteller, my aesthetics, and most importantly, what the experience of photographing needs to be for me to enjoy it.

The conclusion is, as I’ve mentioned above – simple. I used to be a DSLR shooter for many years but now I just can’t be bothered with the size, especially with how much mirrorless technology has caught up over the years in terms of quality and usability.

For commercial, editorial and wedding work, I use the Fuji system. Nothing beats the experience you get from those cameras because they were designed with the history of the medium in mind.

For street and personal photography, I use both Fuji and Leica.

Cameras

Fuji X100T – I love the 35mm focal length and this camera fits in my coat pocket. That’s really it. The focus is not the best but I only shoot it with hyperfocal distance so it doesn’t bother me at all. This my go-to street camera that I always have with me.

Leica M6 – This body that I have belonged to a legendary Israeli photographer named David Rubinger. Rubinger photographed Israel for over 60 years, more than 50 of them for Time Magazine. I was so excited to get my hands on the very camera that documented so many historical events of my birthplace.

Fuji X-T2 (not in the picture) – This is my workhorse for all paid work. It’s fast, reliable and enjoyable to use.

Lenses

Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 – Pretty much the only lens I have on my Leica M6. It’s super sharp and super tiny!

Fuji XF 16mm f/1.4 – Party lens for weddings. Allows me to get close and make the viewer feel like they’re on the dance floor.

Fuji XF 23mm f/2 – Go-to for most editorial/photojournalism work as well as environmental portraits. If I had to choose only one lens to keep this would be it.

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II – I love this lens for the separation and shallow depth of field I get from it on the X-T2 cropped sensor. It also has a lot of character and is far from perfect, which I appreciate!

Fuji XF 56mm f/1.2 – This is my go-to lens for most studio portrait work – this lens is slow to focus but used under the right conditions is an absolute beauty. Too sharp sometimes!

Lights/Triggers

Godox TT685F (X2)

Paul C. Buff Einstein Strobes

Hardware & Software

I use Photo Mechanic to cull through photographs and Lightroom to retouch. For more complicated tasks I will dive into Photoshop if necessary.

Misc.

Squarehood for my Fuji X100T – Why do I have it? Because it’s sexy. Can you say sexy on this website? The dad in me is not even sure about anything anymore!

www.shlomiamiga.com | @shlomiamigaphoto