Budapest Street Photography

After an April landscape trip through Moravian Tuscany, the journey continued by train across Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary — three countries, no border control, no passport checks — arriving in Budapest for a first visit over the Easter weekend. These are street photographs from that stay.

The weather was bright and sunny, and most of the shots were taken in the early morning, with the light low and strong. The camera for the entire trip was the OM-3 — about the perfect travel camera: uncompromising performance for landscape and birds, but small, light, and non-threatening for street work.

The interest in street photography here is in people and the stories that a single image can tell or the questions it might raise. The technique mirrors that used for birds in flight: fast shutter speeds, high burst rates, and long focal lengths — waiting for the decisive moment in a sequence of frames. Every photograph in this album includes a description of what made the shot worth keeping; click the “i” button in the lightbox for the full story and camera settings.

Photographs in this album include: Easter blessing at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Two good people, The holy tear, I am blessed, After the blessing, Oriental Juliet, The lean, Tea-green twirl, Three at the ramparts, Jumping jacks at the castle, I pose, you sweep, Escape, The eyes, The alley, You will never leave me, Waiting for the tram, Walking smoking reading, Gazing at the river, Living in the park, Nine am. and dog tired, Whooaa, thats not good, The couple, St Stephens Pixie, So then he turns round, 200 cigs, On the Buda bus, and more.

▸ Technical data — all 31 images
Image Camera FL f/ Shutter ISO GPS
Easter blessing at Church of Our Lady of the AssumptionOM-340mmf/4.71/800s10047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
Two good peopleOM-392mmf/5.41/800s50047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
The holy tearOM-3140mmf/5.61/800s64047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
Easter blessing (2)OM-334mmf/4.51/800s8047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
I am blessedOM-3140mmf/5.61/800s125047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
After the blessingOM-3140mmf/5.61/6400s50047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
Oriental JulietOM-3140mmf/10.01/400s32047.5022°N, 19.0347°E
The leanOM-373mmf/5.41/2000s40047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
Tea-green twirlOM-3140mmf/10.01/400s10047.5022°N, 19.0347°E
Three at the rampartsOM-330mmf/10.01/400s12547.5022°N, 19.0347°E
Jumping jacks at the castleOM-3140mmf/10.01/125s8047.4919°N, 19.0517°E
I pose, you sweepOM-3109mmf/10.01/400s64047.5022°N, 19.0347°E
EscapeOM-3140mmf/10.01/400s32047.5022°N, 19.0347°E
The eyesOM-346mmf/10.01/400s200047.5022°N, 19.0347°E
The alleyOM-3140mmf/5.61/1250s8047.4931°N, 19.0553°E
You will never leave meOM-3140mmf/5.61/125s12547.4931°N, 19.0553°E
Waiting for the tramOM-3140mmf/5.61/3000s20047.5000°N, 19.0461°E
Walking, smoking, readingOM-369mmf/5.41/400s64047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
Gazing at the riverOM-3140mmf/5.61/500s10047.4811°N, 19.0639°E
Living in the parkOM-3140mmf/5.61/500s40047.4811°N, 19.0639°E
The auntie DoDo methodOM-3140mmf/5.61/500s50047.4997°N, 19.0625°E
Nine am. and dog tiredOM-3140mmf/5.61/400s200047.4997°N, 19.0625°E
Whooaa, thats not goodOM-3140mmf/5.61/400s100047.4997°N, 19.0625°E
The coupleOM-3140mmf/5.61/400s8047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
St Stephens PixieOM-314mmf/3.51/400s12547.5008°N, 19.0539°E
Moses goes window shoppingOM-397mmf/5.41/320s8047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
So then he turns roundOM-3140mmf/5.61/400s8047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
200 cigsOM-3140mmf/5.61/400s64047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
The bin collectorOM-377mmf/5.41/400s20047.5008°N, 19.0539°E
On the Buda busOM-337mmf/4.61/1600s6400—
Travels in the ScriptoriumOM-3140mmf/5.61/500s8047.4811°N, 19.0639°E

For camera settings, techniques and equipment used in shoots like this, see the Technique posts on mcaughtry.photo.