{"id":165023,"date":"2022-05-02T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?p=165023"},"modified":"2022-07-25T10:45:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T09:45:37","slug":"beginners-guide-to-street-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/improve-your-photography\/beginners-guide-to-street-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginners guide to Street Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beginners guide to Street Photography – If you love people watching, then street photography could be perfect for you, and this beginners guide to street photography will guide you through what you need to know about street photography.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lead image: Man crossing road at sunset in Miami, Credit: Ezra Bailey, Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n

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Welcome to the AP Improve Your Photography Series<\/strong> \u2013 in partnership with MPB<\/a>\u00a0– This series is designed to take you from the beginnings of photography, introduce different shooting skills and styles, and teach you how to grow as a photographer, so you can enjoy producing amazing photography (and video), to take you to the next level, whether that\u2019s making money or simply mastering your art form.<\/p>\n\"Improve\n

Each week you\u2019ll find a new article so make sure to come back to continue your journey. The start may seem basic to some photographers, but it\u2019s an important step in making sure you\u2019re comfortable with your equipment and the basics of photography, as it\u2019s part of the foundations that help build into great photographs, and once you know these, you\u2019ll be able to play with them, and understand further articles in this series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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What is Street Photography?<\/h2>\n

Street photography is photography that includes random or chance events in public places. It can include people and how they behave, becoming a document recording life in a specific time, period and place.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"Piccadilly\t\t\t

Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street in London, England, UK, Credit: Alexander Spatari, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Pioneered by people like Paul Martin<\/a>, there are a number of other famous photographers who are known for street photography including Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/a>, Walker Evans<\/a>, Garry Winogrand, and Tony Ray-Jones<\/a>. Have a look through some of their photographs, and you’ll find inspiration, as well as be able to notice how fashions have changed over the years.<\/p>\n\n

What camera should I use for Street Photography?<\/h2>\n

The camera – It\u2019s up to you what you use, some recommend using a small camera, and minimal amounts of kit, but other street photographers have used larger DSLRs<\/a> like the Nikon D5, and even cameras with a flashgun \u2013 hardly subtle! Bruce Gilden is famous for using flash in his street photography. If you don’t already have a camera, and think Street Photography is going to be your primary subject, then have a look at our guide to the best cameras for street photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can use whatever camera you have with you, be that a smartphone<\/a>, a real camera (more fun), and use autofocus (assuming the camera has it). You may prefer to use a camera with an optical or electronic viewfinder, such as a Digital SLR or Mirrorless camera, or you may prefer to \u201cshoot from the hip\u201d and use a camera with a tilting screen, so you can shoot from down low or high up.<\/p>\n\n

How should I prepare for Street Photography?<\/h2>\n

Perhaps it goes without saying, but ensure your camera battery is charged, and your memory card has plenty of space. Also make sure your mobile phone has enough charge in case you need it.<\/p>\n

The main thing is to be familiar with your camera, and to use the camera you have, if you have a choice between different models, use the camera that brings you the most joy, or you\u2019re most comfortable using in public spaces. In terms of comfort, wear comfortable clothes, and as you’ll most likely be walking a lot, make sure you’re wearing comfortable footwear.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"Photo\t\t\t

Photo taken in London, United Kingdom, Credit: Daniel Gotz EyeEm, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Make sure you\u2019re familiar with the environment<\/strong> you\u2019re photographing, it may make sense to walk around the area with your camera in your pocket the first time you go somewhere to see if you can see any good places to shoot, as well as assess how safe the area is. Don\u2019t worry about the weather, shooting when it\u2019s raining, or when it\u2019s dark, at night, can add a whole new level of atmosphere to an image.<\/p>\n\n

Four “Simple” Steps for Street Photography<\/h2>\n
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  1. Look<\/li>\n
  2. Wait<\/li>\n
  3. Snap<\/li>\n
  4. Edit<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t

    The bike handlebars make for an interesting frame in this photo. Credit: Bonfanti Diego, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

    1 – Look<\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s no good trying to do street photography if you\u2019re staring at your phone. Put your phone away, and hold onto your camera, ready to shoot when needed. Observe and watch people, look around you, see if there are any interesting sights that could combine to make an interesting photo. You could look for juxtaposition<\/a>, between the subject, such as a person and the surroundings, this could be matching colours, or contrasting colours. Be on the look out for interesting people, streets, art, and buildings, or anything else that can make for an interesting composition or framing device.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\"Waiting\t\t\t

    Waiting is important in Street Photography. Protests can make for a great subject for street photography. Credit: FilippoBacci, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

    2 – Wait<\/h3>\n

    Patience is key. Be ready for something to happen at any time and expect the unexpected. Often, you\u2019ll need to wait for something to happen. Or wait for the right person to enter the scene or frame. Other times you might have to move to another location, or frame the scene differently by moving your camera, till you find something that looks interesting. Other times you’ll be waiting for the light to bring another element into the scene.<\/p>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\"Capture\t\t\t

    Capture the moment in Street Photography – Credit: Tara Moore, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

    3 – Snap<\/h3>\n

    Take the photo and use a quick enough shutter speed (1\/200s), use a bright enough aperture (f\/2.8 or similar), use whatever ISO speed is needed to keep your shutter speed quick enough. Noise doesn\u2019t tend to matter too much in street photography, and it\u2019s more important to capture the moment, than worry about noise. Plus, you can always convert the photo to black and white if noise is excessive.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\"Couple\t\t\t

    Couple on the tube, edited, and converted to monochrome. Photo: Joshua Waller<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

    4 – Edit (this is optional)<\/h3>\n

    If you want, you can present your images as they are, especially if you\u2019re more interested in \u2018reportage\u2019 photography or simply a record of the people and places you see, but for the most impact, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll want to edit your photos, whether that\u2019s for contrast or to boost colours, or to crop your images, or you may want to convert your images into black and white (monochrome) images. See our guide to editing photos to make them pop<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    Practice makes perfect…<\/h2>\n

    Don\u2019t be discouraged, it takes a lot of practice, and as life unfolds in front of you, you will sometimes get a striking photo, and other times, a number of ordinary, potentially even boring images. Often this is the case with the majority of photographs, and you shouldn\u2019t worry about it. Professional and established photographers don\u2019t show their average photos, but no doubt they\u2019ve got hundreds, if not thousands of normal photographs.<\/p>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\"Street\t\t\t

    Street photography, Credit: SolStock, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

    Keep going, if at first you don\u2019t succeed, try again a different day, or at a different time. You may need to work out when somewhere is busy, is it rush-hour, or is it lunchtime? If you\u2019re interacting with other people, remember that a smile goes a long way. You may find people are friendlier if you smile and explain what you are doing, if asked.<\/p>\n

    Shoot all walks of life, all types of people, warts and all. You’re capturing reality and presenting a view of the world as you see it. So taking photos of your community and life around you is a great way to have fun with photography.<\/p>\n

    Street photography and the law – make sure you read our guide to street photography and the law<\/a>, as well as our guide on how to be street smart when taking street photographs<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

    More inspirational tips and ideas to inspire your street photography<\/h2>\n

    Street photography is such a popular form of photography, that Amateur Photographer has covered it numerous times, so you’ll find lots of street photography articles<\/a> on this website, but here are some of our favourites that we think you should have a look at for some more inspiration! Simply click the titles below.<\/p>\n

    Tips from three professional street photographers<\/a>:<\/h3>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"Neil\t\t\t

    Neil Hall was keen to include people to humanise scenes, to tell the story unfolding in front of him Nikon D5, 1\/3200sec at f\/3.2, ISO 125<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n

    Black and white tips from Brian Lloyd Duckett and Edmond Terakopian<\/a>:<\/h3>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"Photo:\t\t\t

    Photo: Brian Lloyd Duckett, Black and White Street Photography<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n

    10 commandments of street photography<\/a>:<\/h3>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"Street\t\t\t

    People often read my body language and get a sense that I am no threat to them, Antonio Olmos<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n

    David Gibson on great street photography<\/a>:<\/h3>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"Shin\t\t\t

    Photo: Shin Noguichi, Toyko 2016. Matching colours make for a striking image.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n

    Heather Buckley on challenging the rules of street photography<\/a>:<\/h3>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\"Acrobats,\t\t\t

    Acrobats, Street Photography, Brighton-based Heather Buckley<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n

    Terms to learn:<\/h3>\n