Five Street Photography Tips for Success
You can find stunning shots in street photography everywhere, so you don’t necessarily need to travel to get great shots.
This technique means taking candid pictures without permission and without the subject’s knowledge. However, staged photos are not prohibited in street photography. If you come across an interesting character, you can ask strangers for permission to take their picture. This is a great way to get an intimate portrait of people in their day-to-day life.
In street photography, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy getting out with your camera. Your goal is to capture emotion, humanity, and depict a person’s character. Street photography takes a lot of practice and patience, but with these following tips, it can be incredibly rewarding.
Check Your Camera Settings
The easiest setting for snapping a street photo is using your camera in automatic aperture-priority mode and then select your aperture and ISO manually. Cameras then determine shutter speeds. A good starting point for bright sunny days is at f/16 and ISO between 200–400. If your camera displays a shutter speed greater than 1/200th of a second, you are ready to snap your shot.
Make adjustments to the aperture and ISO based on the shutter speed your camera is reading. Shutter speeds below 1/80th can result in blurred images. However, you can also use them for good effect. You can overcome blur simply by raising your ISO and/or choosing a wider aperture. If you’re new to photography you can always select P mode (program or auto) and let the camera pick the settings. However, you can still adjust exposure if you wish.
This type of shooting is useful when you’re shooting on the fly, and you don’t have any control over what the camera is doing. Program mode does a decent job, but try not to rely on it in low light because the shutter speed may be too slow to catch movement.
Pick the Right Camera & Lens
One of the most important elements for street photography is choosing the right lens. You may be tempted to use a long lens, but that can result in more damage than good. Don’t be that creepy person standing across the road pointing a giant lens at strangers. If you want to look inconspicuous, get up close. Get lost in a busy crowd by using a wide-angle lens. Many street photographers prefer a smaller, lighter, and more discreet camera to a hefty DSLR.
Get Close To Your Subjects
A lot of successful street photos were taken only a few feet and sometimes just a few inches away from the action. If you are observant, you can catch some interesting subjects if you walk through a busy street, market or park. Getting closer may help to ensure you have the right picture at the right time if your photographs aren’t what you imagined.
Always Keep A Camera With You
The best street photographers are spontaneous and wait for no one. Street photography is a discipline that you must practice constantly to make yourself better. With a camera in your pocket, you can share your vision and never miss a good photo opportunity. Street photography is one thing you can’t live without, so you need to have it at your fingertips at all times.
When the ‘decisive moment’ occurs you only get one shot at capturing your subject before it’s gone forever. You rarely get a second shot at capturing this moment, so you have to be prepared.
Ignore Your Inner Voice
Street photography can be intimidating to some people. Some may be afraid their subjects might get angry at you, threaten you physically, or even call the police if they get angry. These are all common fears, but they can all be overcome by experimenting and taking your camera out more. Take your camera to an interesting place. Whenever I travel, I am often found sitting at cafes and restaurants with my camera, ready to take advantage of any opportunity that arises. Observing in a comfortable setting allows you to wait for the pictures to arrive as you’re at ease. If you sit outside a café with your camera, you are less likely to be noticed than if you stand in the middle of the street.
When you are on a walk with your camera, put on your headphones and listen to some music. In addition to helping you relax, music can also inspire creativity. If you are comfortable, it’s well worth a try even though it may not seem logical. My advice is to be aware of your surroundings if you do this at night, in an unfamiliar area or in an uncrowded place.
The more you practice these tips the more comfortable you’ll get with your street photography.
