{"id":130887,"date":"2019-09-06T16:12:04","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T15:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=130887"},"modified":"2019-09-06T16:12:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T15:12:04","slug":"take-best-ever-street-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/latest\/articles\/take-best-ever-street-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Take your best-ever street photos"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u2018Untitled,\u2019 Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, taken by Marina Sersale on an iPhone<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Only a few decades ago, the term \u2018street photography\u2019 didn\u2019t really exist, even though what is claimed to be the world\u2019s first photograph, taken by Joseph Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce in 1826, shows an urban scene. While more formally posed portraits and urban or rural landscapes were fashionable in the 19th century, a lot of early travel and documentary photographers were, of course, taking photographs of street scenes. By 1897, French photographer Eug\u00e8ne Atet was consciously taking images of a Paris which he saw expanding and developing very quickly, as more and more people flocked to the capital. As well as capturing old buildings, he was keen to record ordinary people on the streets, and how they lived their lives. Atget went on to influence future generations of big names, including Man Ray and the surrealists, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, William Klein and so on. Martin Parr, arguably Britain\u2019s best known photographer along with David Bailey and Don McCullin, is also best known for a lot of his street work.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the present day, and street photography now tends to be seen as a discreet, candid type of image making which records the complexities and quirks of our modern, very urbanised age, often using visual puns and wry juxtapositions in creative new ways. Or it can go down a more documentary road, with the emphasis on recording the decisive moments of modern life as it unfolds, or just interesting characters you see on the pavement. Smartphones have revolutionised the genre too, and to an extent, everyone is now a street photographer. This is not to say that the craft of street photography is easy to acquire, however, and there is a big demand for tuition from experts (type \u2018street photography courses\u2019 into Google and 199,000,000 results pop up).<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to sign up to a workshop to enjoy street photography, however, and there are some great books on the subject, including a new one from Ammonite Press. Masters of Street Photography<\/em> <\/a>does a great job of exploring how 16 leading lights of the genre go about their craft, and while it can never be the last word on this very diverse subject, it gives a great overview of current trends and best practice. As editor Rob Yarham explains, \u2018Be it a decisive moment or not, street photographs work best when they capture the emotional and context of their subject matter.\u2019<\/p>\n

This said, there is an incredibly diverse range of street photographers included in the book, who are shooting in very different locations all over the world. This international scope is only fitting, as street photography is very much a vibrant and evolving art form. Their images not only record modern society but ask questions about it, arguably making street work more relevant and poignant than many other forms of contemporary photography. Also, the \u2018street\u2019 itself will often be different every time you visit it, even more so in very fast-developing parts of the world such as China, Southeast Asia and India. What approach you follow is very much a matter of personal choice, and Masters of Street Photography<\/em> reveals a lot of very diverse ways of working. Some leading exponents, such as Jesse Marlow, are drawn to the use of abstract shapes and strong colours, following a very \u2018graphic\u2019 route; others, such as Rui Palha, are more about capturing atmosphere and emotion, with a lot of powerful portraiture. As this fascinating book reveals, it\u2019s really about capturing what you find interesting and compelling about your subject matter, be it in Birmingham or Beijing.<\/p>\n\t\t

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\u2018Grandma with Grandchild\u2019 by Alexey Titarenko<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Spoiled for choice<\/h2>\n

In terms of equipment, street photographers are spoiled for choice, which is great news if this book inspires you to give this genre a go, or take it more seriously. At the entry level, most modern smartphones are more than capable of taking great street shots, particularly as the best ones now o er similar levels of control to a standalone camera. Meanwhile, innovative features such as Night Sight on the Google Pixel phones, for example, enable you to get great results when the sun goes down. The other advantage of using a phone is that it\u2019s nearly always with you.<\/p>\n

Moving up a level, there is now a huge range of light and portable mirrorless cameras which deliver great results without weighing you down or instantly marking you out as a photographer; one immediately thinks of Fujifilm\u2019s nifty and pocketable X series of APS-C mirrorless models, or the classically designed and wonderfully compact Olympus OM-D line-up, complete with sharp lenses you can fit in your hand. While a lot of full-frame mirrorless cameras are getting as bulky as DSLRs, good options for high-resolution images include the Sony A7 III with a smallish prime, such as the Zeiss 35mm f\/2.8 or 55mm f\/1.8. Your choice of lens is obviously very important, and while the great street photographers of the past, such as Cartier-Bresson, favoured classic 35mm and 50mm primes, a reasonably discreet zoom lens obviously gives you more flexibility. There are now many more mirrorless and compact cameras with silent shutters too, which makes the candid street photographer\u2019s job much easier. In many ways, gear is the easy part.<\/p>\n\t\t

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\u2018Six Panels\u2019 (2009) taken in Melbourne, Australia, by Jesse Marlow<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Understand the legalities<\/h2>\n

Before getting some practical tips from some of the photographers in the book, it\u2019s important to deal briefly with the elephant in the room (or on the street), namely the legal aspects. A lot of potential street photographers are put off by worries about attracting the wrong kind of attention, be it from aggrieved subjects who don\u2019t want to be photographed, through to security guards and the police. Others are just shy. Every country is different, but in the UK at least, you have more rights than you probably realise (see below). If you are in any doubt, or encounter any problems while shooting, always seek professional legal advice.<\/p>\n

Finally, get some business cards made. If one of your subjects does take offence, they often calm down when you freely identify yourself as a serious photographer or offer to share your pictures with them (perverts and terrorists are unlikely to offer you their card, right?) Never feel you need to be shifty or somehow feel guilty about following the endlessly rewarding pursuit of street photography. The photographers in this book certainly don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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The law of the street<\/h2>\n