Rolleiflex Challenge 8: Amsterdam Street Photography
ABOUT THE SERIES
Welcome back to my year-long Rolleiflex Challenge — an analog photography project using my grandfather’s vintage camera from the 1960s. This series celebrates the nostalgia of medium format film through a modern lens.
Every month, I follow a theme and shoot at least one roll of 120 film using my Rolleiflex 2.8F. Then, I share a personal story, reflect on my artistic journey, and review the photos.
This project launched to encourage mindful creativity and push my creative growth. Along the way, I aim to inspire others to slow down, connect with the world around them and discover their own creative habits that spark joy. Thanks for following along!
To support this self-funded series, you can share this post with a friend or donate a roll of film.
THE STORY BEHIND THE LENS
Thanks so much for following along with my 120 film series this year. So many of you have reached out saying, "I wish I could join your photo adventures!" so, for the 8th edition of my Rolleiflex Challenge, I decided to bring y'all along for a photo walk and shoot the first video my new YouTube channel! Stepping in front of the camera is an exciting challenge of its own and I’m having fun learning and experimenting with videos.
Exploring Amsterdam with my Rolleiflex has been my favorite creative outlet this year. It gives me a new way to view the city in 6x6 format, and I also get to slow down and appreciate the details of Amsterdam's unique character. In this post, I'll also share some of my tips for shooting street photography.
Street photography — especially with the Rolleiflex — is all about balancing spontaneity and deliberation to capture fleeting moments while working with a reverse viewfinder. Today, I'm using Amsterdam and my TLR as an example, but these tips serve me well when traveling and exploring a new city through my lens.
Remember, you don't have to be in a picturesque historic city to find gems; with the right perspective, storytelling potential is everywhere, you just have to look out to find it. I hope this story inspires you to take more walks to explore your part of the world.
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” - William Morris,
TIPS FOR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY (WITH FILM)
Slow Down
Take time to be curious and explore. Give yourself a thoughtful moment to compose the frame or anticipate how the scenery will unfold. You'll likely catch special details this way and feel a deeper connection to the final frame. Before committing to a shot, take your time to look for attractive lighting, reflections, and compositions. Personally, I find it very satisfying to anticipate a shot and then *click* I got it!
Be Selective
I used medium format film for this series, which naturally encourages a slower, more thoughtful approach because it only has 12 exposures per roll. Being selective not only forces my mind and emotions to connect with the scenery, it enhances my overall photography experience. I’ve heard that Vivian Maier’s contact sheets don’t have duplicate shots, she focused on capturing that moment and then moved on.
Being mindful and selective is relevant for any photography experience, even when shooting digitally. Instead of rapid-fire shooting, I like to set a boundary for how many frames to take during a photo walk and aim for 24-36 (just like a regular roll of film). The added benefit? You can avoid having to cull100s of photos at the end of the day.
Play with colors
While it's traditionally shot in black & white, street photography comes to life with a different energy when shot in vibrant color. What colors are in your surroundings? And how do they correspond to the energy of the scenery or the emotion you want to convey?
Amsterdam's has plenty of brown bricks, green foliage, and grey clouds, with bold pops of color in the flowers, doors, and bicycles. Look for contrasting tons for more dynamic photos —I noticed a lot of red and green in this series.
In comparison, a place like Mallorca is full of pastels, ochre, and bright, sunny skies. How does that make you feel? And how can you capture that in a photo? Amsterdam often gives me a moody energy, whereas Mallorca more cheerful vibe.
LIGHTING TIPS FOR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Consider the time of day
Whether discovering a new place or walking a familiar route, first consider what you want to capture and plan your walk accordingly. This not only pertains to light (more on that below) but also to the energy and scenery you want to document.
For this series, my primary focus was capturing the quiet canals and buildings, so I started early to avoid busy Saturday crowds of tourists. Early morning is particularly peaceful, as the streets are quieter, and you'll have more opportunities for unobstructed shots of the architecture and reflections in the canals. In contrast, if you're inspired to capture more people interacting, opt for the afternoon and visit a market, shopping street or central square where people gather.
Amsterdam is famous for its cozy cafés and vibrant bar scene. In the evenings, warm lighting spilling out from the inside can create inviting and intimate street photos. In another series, I’d like to document people’s interactions inside and outside these spaces—chatting, reading, or laughing over drinks.
Work with Natural Light
Observe how light interacts with the city you're in. As you know, light is one of my biggest challenges here in overcast Amsterdam, the light is always always soft and even which is actually great for portraits but I do try to plan to shoot outside on days that have more sun. If you’re shooting film, remember to choose a stock with an ISO that best suits your lighting condition. For this series, I used Kodak Gold 200 and Portra 400 which are ideal for daylight.
Somewhere eternally sunny like Florida, I love to shoot plants and nature in golden early morning light. I also like a contrast and shadow so shoot during midday when the sun casts stronger shadows. This is a fun technique to play around with when I travel south.
Of course, everyone loves golden hour and in Amsterdam, it’s beautiful, with the sun casting warm light over the canal houses and bridges. I like looking for long shadows and soft light for dramatic compositions.
Compose with reflections, layers, and leading lines
Look for reflections in windows, puddles, and mirrored surfaces that can add depth to your street scenes. This is a fun way to play around with layered compositions. Lately, I've been inspired by reflections and Vivian Maier's style of self-portraits, check out my recent series.
Capture the interaction between the interior and exterior worlds by focusing on the textures of the window frames, the shapes of buildings, and the reflections. Amsterdam's famous canals offer plenty of opportunities for reflection shots. Look for boats, buildings, or people reflected in the water to create Amsterdam's compositions.
The Rolleiflex shoots in a square (6x6) format, so consider how to fill the frame effectively. Symmetry, leading lines, and cent red compositions work well. However, feel free to experiment with negative space or off-center subjects. The canals and bridges provide leading lines and symmetry, which can be used to frame your shots.
Capture the local spirit
Figure out what makes the local experience unique and incorporate those elements into the photos. Here are some examples that work for Amsterdam and beyond.
Markets are full of character and are great places to tell stories through your photos with candid shots of vendors interacting with customers, colorful fruits and vegetables, and unique items for sale.
Documenting street artists and performers is a great way to capture the lively atmosphere of a city, and these people are usually more open to having their photos taken. Remember to be respectful, not everyone on the street wants to be photographed.
Bikes are an integral part of life in Amsterdam, and capturing cyclists in motion makes dynamic street shots. Experiment with different shutter speeds (1/250 or 1/500) to freeze the cyclists in action or create motion blur (1/60) for a more artistic dreamy effect. Watch out for people interacting with their bikes—locking them up, riding through traffic, or casually carrying extra people, furniture, dogs, or groceries.
Houseboats are a common sight along Amsterdam's canals, and photographing floating homes from different angles can create exciting compositions. Pause on a canal bridge to capture the leading lines and patterns of the houseboats. Or, if you're on a boat ride, get up close for a more detailed view. Look for the colors, textures, roof gardens, and personalized decor.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
Street and travel photography is about observation, curiosity, and capturing the little moments that define a place.
Keep an open mind, and your camera ready—you never know when a great shot will present itself. If you out to photograph this week, let me know. I’d love to see what you create!
CHECK OUT MY NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE INSPIRATION
Thanks for following along. If you’d like to support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film a roll of film. With the rising price of film, it costs €50/month for a roll of film, processing & scanning. Your contributions help cover the cost of keeping this project alive all year long. Thanks for your support!
