street photography My Street Photography Tips

[ChiTown]

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Been shooting for over 40 years and almost 21 with Street Photography. It's the person behind the camera that it's all about. You can shoot with any lens or any camera system for great results. The right lens is what you hear about most, and that is just a crock. No lens is the be all one and only for the streets. 35 mm bores me to death and that is what is recommended most. Is it great for street, yes, but so is a 50, 60, 90, or whatever you're using, if done right.⁠

I'm going to give everyone who is looking here a couple tips that have helped me most over the years. ⁠

1- I find the most interesting people portraits on the streets, talk to them and then ask if I can photograph them. Sometimes I give them a few bucks depending on the situation. If they say no, which happens about 20 percent of the time, I don't ask for my money back. If they say yes, I get into the distance for best results and compose the area around them. Lot of them will pose at first, but thats not for me. I will tell them not to pose and say that i'm going to get a few shots while we talk. That is when the true emotions and expressions happen. You have to catch the right one at the right time. After a while, they will forget about the camera. Start the conversation light and then build it up for the right emotions.

2- Your images will always be more powerful if you have another story within the story. That means something interesting happening in the background. Not always necessary, but can really make a good image into a stellar image. ⁠ Street photography is the hardest to get good at. You have to become quick and efficient with your camera, find a system that works for you. . ⁠

Best of luck⁠
Merry Christmas!⁠

[farnz]

I hope you won't take offence because none is intended but these look like soft targets that I wouldn't shoot out of respect for these less fortunate people.  I'll readily give money to people on the street but I won't photograph them because I don't want to intrude on an unfortunate time in their lives that they're likely to want to forget in the future.  I've been street shooting for a good many years too and I found your tips interesting and equally applicable to to less indigent people.  

The one thing I might add is that it is important how you ask whether you can take someone's picture.  If you simply ask "Can I take your picture?" then most likely answer will be "No." because humans naturally say "no" to anything as an initial defence.  But if you ask "Do you mind if I take your photo?" then the subject will detect that you care about their feelings in some way and are more likely to agree to having their photo taken.  Or perhaps a dialogue will start as to what you intend to do with the picture, both of which responses are better than a straight "No.".

Pete.

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[IkarusJohn]

I find the concept of “street” brings with it so much baggage.  ChiTown’s tips are interesting, but like @paulmac’s images from the north of England, they need to be taken with care, and perhaps serve a particular purpose.  Bruce Gilden’s serve another (assaulting his subjects), and Joel Meyerowitz’s yet another (situational).

I appreciate the amusing (Erwit) and the unguarded moment (Frank), but I rarely see the point of images of strangers, unless the context has a strong purpose.

Edited December 21, 2019 by IkarusJohn

[Le Chef]

I happen to be a fan of ColinT544 who created the “What do we photograph on the streets?” thread. His pictures of Glasgow capture people in context, who appear to be fleeting and then gone from the frame a second later. They tell stories that are reinforced by camera, lens and film chosen for the job to create a quite particular tone. It’s a very distinctive look, and a Colin’s pictures are easy to pick out amongst others. To me he has created a very clear template for street photography and one which I wish I could emulate.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Le Chef

[Likaleica]

1 hour ago, Le Chef said:

I happen to be a fan of ColinT544 who created the “What do we photograph on the streets?” thread. His pictures of Glasgow capture people in context, who appear to be fleeting and then gone from the frame a second later. They tell stories that are reinforced by camera, lens and film chosen for the job to create a quite particular tone. It’s a very distinctive look, and a Colin’s pictures are easy to pick out amongst others. To me he has created a very clear template for street photography and one which I wish I could emulate.

+1

Colin has a lot of fans.

[earleygallery]

Street photography of homeless and buskers go into room 101.

Edited December 22, 2019 by earleygallery

[A miller]

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8 hours ago, farnz said:

I hope you won't take offence because none is intended but these look like soft targets that I wouldn't shoot out of respect for these less fortunate people.  I'll readily give money to people on the street but I won't photograph them because I don't want to intrude on an unfortunate time in their lives that they're likely to want to forget in the future.  I've been street shooting for a good many years too and I found your tips interesting and equally applicable to to less indigent people.  

The one thing I might add is that it is important how you ask whether you can take someone's picture.  If you simply ask "Can I take your picture?" then most likely answer will be "No." because humans naturally say "no" to anything as an initial defence.  But if you ask "Do you mind if I take your photo?" then the subject will detect that you care about their feelings in some way and are more likely to agree to having their photo taken.  Or perhaps a dialogue will start as to what you intend to do with the picture, both of which responses are better than a straight "No.".

Pete.

Who is she talking to here, Pete? 🤦‍♂️😂

Not me!!!

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Edited December 22, 2019 by A miller

[farnz]

Did you ask for the dog's consent, Adam? 😄

She was definitely not a happy camper.  "Where you fram?!" 😂

Pete.

Edited December 22, 2019 by farnz

[A miller]

1 minute ago, farnz said:

Did you ask for the dog's consent, Adam? 😄

Pete.

That dog would look cute in a bright orange jump suit - as would her owner 

Shame on them!!

Edited December 22, 2019 by A miller

[Le Chef]

1 hour ago, A miller said:

Who is she talking to here, Pete? 🤦‍♂️😂

Not me!!!

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The dog was undeturd...

[andyturk]

Where's the fedora? I can't find it ...

[farnz]

6 hours ago, andyturk said:

Where's the fedora? I can't find it ...

Funnily enough I think I was wearing my Fedora that day and Fedoraman was resting his.

Pete.

@A miller

 

[lanetomlane]

11 hours ago, earleygallery said:

Street photography of homeless and buskers go into room 101.

Do agree on the homeless James, but some of the buskers make interesting subjects; especially bass bands/bass instruments in B&W in low light.

Cheers, Tom

[RayD28]

2 minutes ago, lanetomlane said:

Do agree on the homeless James, but some of the buskers make interesting subjects; especially bass bands/bass instruments in B&W in low light.

Cheers, Tom

+1

[ChiTown]

I have to agree with the argument above, depending on the situation. Most all of you don't know me, so coming to assumptions, well some of us know what we were taught in grammar school about that. I know all of my subjects first hand by name and their story. I only photograph certain street people with regards to themselves and their story. I am also as I wrote about given consent. Although I have never been a fan pf photographing people in horrible situations, or a fan of exploiting them, some do and that is their choice. Last year I sent a less fortunate British man back to his homeland from Chicago. Took seven months dealing with the British consulate. He is now back home in Northern Ireland with his family.  

Most would have ever even looked at him let alone ask him his story.

Some of us do 

Sunsets are Boring, don't you think

 

[earleygallery]

10 hours ago, lanetomlane said:

Do agree on the homeless James, but some of the buskers make interesting subjects; especially bass bands/bass instruments in B&W in low light.

Cheers, Tom

Well there's always exceptions to the rules. I'll admit I have taken photos of both before so perhaps I'm being hypocritical but my criticism is 'lazy' street photography - and I'm not pointing that at the OP by the way, just a generalisation.

[ChiTown]

The tripod setup

This trick works about 90 percent of the time. I have my camera set up on a tripod using a kind of zone preset focus area  about ten feet away with a cable release. When an interesting person is walking past, you get their attention by nodding your head at them with a friendly smile. As they walk past, they notice your tripod and takes them about ten feet to turn around to look back wondering and curious as to what is this guy doing.

Snap

The Street Sweeper

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