How To Do Street Photography

Are you attracted to street photography ? Is street photography one of the photographic disciplines that most fascinates you ? Congratulations reader friend, you are in the right place, because today I bring you a mega guide where I bring you all the tips, tricks and secrets to launch yourself into the street with a camera in hand and achieve authentic and IMPRESSIVE street photographs .

Very recently I told you that the best way to learn photography is to practice street photography . You can read the reasons in the link, while I anticipate that it is such a complete and fascinating genre, that if you control it, you end up dominating practically any discipline.

Therefore, whatever genre you are most interested in, I strongly recommend that you practice street photography, how? That is what we are going to see today. Take good note of everything I am going to share with you here and refer to this guide whenever you need it.

WHAT IS STREET PHOTOGRAPHY?

Street photography or street photography is photography that sincerely captures the human essence in relation to the urban environment.

This is a very general definition, and there is a lot of controversy about what street photography is and what it is not, but I will leave you with some generally accepted points of what street photography is and what it is not :

• It is not a prepared or posed photograph.
• It is not necessary for a person to appear, but their footprint is, for it to be evident that a person has passed by and has left some kind of trace.
• It is a photograph that tells a story or conveys an emotion.

“If you can smell the street when looking at a photo, it’s street photography.”

At first glance, street photography may seem simple. We all always carry a camera with us when we go down the street, which makes it very accessible. However, taking real street photography, a good street photo, is not that easy.

Buuuut… that’s what we’re here for! To learn, right? And to make it easier. If you follow the advice that I am going to give you throughout this guide, and practice (this is very important and I will not tire of repeating it), you will awaken the authentic street photographer that you have inside and you will get photos that will even surprise you. .

Before launching, I want to make a couple of clarifications to avoid possible and typical confusion about what is and what is not street photography.

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY VS. DOCUMENTARY

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PHOTOGRAPHY

It is possible to confuse street photography with documentary photography, however, although they share many aspects and the former can be understood as part of the latter, they have clear differences.

Street photography is spontaneous, while documentary photography requires prior research to send a clear message. The first aims to excite, the second claim or denounces.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY VS. URBAN PHOTOGRAPHY

For many years they have been the same, however, in recent times a new photographic style has emerged that makes a distinction and a separation necessary in order not to confuse the true concept of street photography, it is urban photography that responds more to street photography than street photography .

In street photography, what is important is not the story or the emotion, but the technique and aesthetics. In addition, urban photography is based on prepared photographs, while street photography implies that it be a candid, spontaneous photograph, without any intervention.

Do not scratch yourself, yes, there will be photographs that can be understood as both street and urban photos, but others in which the difference is very evident.

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HOW AND WHERE TO PHOTOGRAPH THE STREET

I have already told you that street photography is done in urban environments, what I have not told you yet is that it does not necessarily have to be in the street. Street photographs can be taken in public spaces such as stations, transport, restaurants, shopping centers, etc.

The fundamental premise, I insist, is that they be spontaneous photographs, where there is no intervention in the scene, that there is nothing prepared or manipulated.

And that it is not an isolated detail or portrait that does not tell anything related to the street.

It is important to transmit the sensations of what is happening, capture the atmosphere and manage to transmit noises, smells, temperature and everything that has to do with the senses beyond sight.

EQUIPMENT FOR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Do you want to know a secret? The street photographer’s equipment is the simplest you can put on your face. Seriously, a camera (with a lens, of course) is enough for you.

And you can do street photography with any camera. That easy. In this discipline, as I have told you, it is more important to transmit an emotion than to achieve an impeccable technique.

It doesn’t matter if you photograph with a mobile phone or with a latest model full frame SLR. It matters that you capture the essence of the street, that emotions, that you stir the viewer, that they feel the photo in their guts. If you are able to do it with a mobile, nothing prevents you.

Although as I will tell you later, it is essential to go unnoticed, so it is advisable to wear discreet equipment, as well as light, so that you can spend hours walking without your neck and back suffering the consequences.

But of course, we already know each other, surely you want me to tell you more, especially if you are thinking about which camera to buy.

We have for you this special article with the recommended equipment for the street photographer in which we recommend what lenses to use for street photography.

We talk about the photographic accessories that make your life easier and that can save you a lot of frustration (if you click in the link you will discover them, but you will also see that they are the most basic) and a series of cameras recommended especially for the street.

If you want a general idea, for street photography the most recommended are EVIL or mirrorless cameras, because they are more compact and quiet, among other advantages.

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THE SECRETS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

To immerse yourself in this genre and learn the secrets of street photography first-hand, you can’t miss our Guest Author article where street photographer David Fidalgo reveals his tricks to become a street ninja .

TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING THE STREET

Finally one of the points that you were waiting for with more impatience arrives, am I wrong? Let’s go to the mess that I have a lot of things to tell you, but let me first tell you something very important.

There are two fundamental aspects that you must master to take good street photography: lighting and composition .

I insist, fundamental. In the links you will find very complete guides on each of them, so that you can delve into them and apply the knowledge learned on the street.

Also, some tips that I talk about below are related to light and composition.

But let’s continue with the rest of the tips. As we have already talked about the team, I take it for granted and I only remind you of two words: discreet and light 😉 .

1. Discretion. I know, I’m very heavy with this. But it is really important that you are discreet so as not to interfere in the scene and capture it honestly, as it is happening. And not only regarding the team. For this, it is important that your attitude and your clothing be as discreet as possible. Nothing to go with a fluorescent orange shirt that makes you be the center of attention.
2. Respect. Avoid capturing degrading images and if someone gets upset because you photograph them (it rarely happens) smile and apologize, and delete the photo if they ask you to.
3. Carry your camera in your hand and not around your neck, or you’ll miss more than one shot. You will also go more unnoticed with it in your hand than hanging.
4. Pay attention to the light. Depending on the light, a story or a scene can change completely. The sensations caused by a hard light have nothing to do with a diffuse light. Go out at different times of the day, from dawn to darkest night. Observe the changes in light and how it affects the scenes. Take the necessary notes, maybe one day you want to return to a specific place looking for a specific light.
5. Make a good composition. I have also told you how important it is to take care of the composition to achieve an interesting photograph, which attracts and catches the eye beyond a nanosecond.
6. Look for scenarios that say something . We are talking about street photography, so the stage is a co-star. A good place will help you contextualize and build the story.
7. History and emotion. A street photograph without one or both of these ingredients is not a street photograph. We have prepared tips for adding emotion to an image and another article so you know how to take narrative photography .
8. Look for interesting subjects, but remember to shoot them in context and not as an isolated portrait, but simply as a portrait.
9. Capture gestures and expressions that speak for themselves. A look can be the absolute protagonist of your image. Pay attention to what is happening around you.
10. Do not copy. It is easy to fall into the temptation of reproducing those images that impact us but it is a mistake, in addition to the fact that plagiarism is neither ethical nor legal. Try to capture the scenes with your unique and personal look. That does not mean that you do not photograph reflections, silhouettes, juxtapositions, contrasts, backlights, details, plays of light and shadow, humorous scenes, lines, geometries, etc., these are themes and resources that work very well despite being the typical clichés, but you can make them yours if you capture them from your gaze and not from someone else’s.
11. Make the viewer wonder. If you get that, no doubt your image works. Creating ambiguity, surprise or making the audience wonder how the hell you took that photo is the icing on the cake.
12. Try going out every day with a different lens or shooting with a single focal length . Over time you will discover which focal length you feel most comfortable with.
13. Go out with an idea in your head. It’s not something you should always do, but going out with an idea in mind will help you stay alert on that subject and focus your efforts. For example, you can go out looking for scenes that convey a specific emotion (loneliness, nostalgia, insecurity, enthusiasm) or a type of subject, such as men with hats. That said, they are just examples or ideas. Think of something that motivates you to put the focus on your next outing.
14. In the evening. At night the circumstances and stories change, the city seems a different one and although it seems that it is no longer the time due to the lack of light, it is not like that. Take advantage of the light from street lamps, shop windows, car lights, advertising canopies and any other point of light that helps you illuminate the scene to capture the essence of the night. I assure you that you can achieve high-impact snapshots.
15. Give it a title. Try to give your photograph a title, if you are not able, rethink if your image really counts for something or has enough impact.
16. Be agile. You have to be very quick, the scene is gone in no time. It is important to know your camera well so as not to fiddle with buttons at the most inopportune moment and to have the settings ready. I’ll tell you about the recommended settings soon.
17. The best zoom is your feet. It is not about being discreet hiding behind a telephoto lens as if you were a paparazzi , but about not attracting attention. This does not prevent you from approaching the scene and getting inside. It is the best way to make the viewer feel that they are part of the story. Come closer. Without fear.
18. Proper clothing. Be careful, discretion is not the only important thing when it comes to clothing. Comfort is also essential. Can you imagine having to go home because you haven’t dressed enough? Or leave empty-handed because you’re frying your neck? Before going out to explore the city in search of the best street scenes, make sure you wear the right clothes, and several layers if you are going to be there for many hours because the temperature can vary several degrees (more or less depending on the part of the world where you live). you are, of course), hat or cap and comfortable shoes. Do not neglect this small detail, it can make the difference between going home with something interesting or with frustration as the only catch.
19. Observe the environment. Observation is essential in street photography. Observing everything that happens around you will be the only way to capture the stories that happen, the decisive moments, and to anticipate the most incredible moments. And not only when you go with the camera, you can also practice observation when you go without it, when you are walking, on the subway or having a coffee on a terrace. Look more around you and less at the mobile screen 😉 .
20. Avoid unforgivable mistakes. There are mistakes and mistakes, the ones that are not forgiven in street photography are: manipulating a scene, retouching excessively or going overboard with the editing settings, photographing homeless people for no reason or putting watermarks, for example. Flee from them as one flees from the devil.
21. Better to go without company. It is easier to move and your companions will not despair. If it is not possible, take advantage of the situation, go chatting quietly without losing sight of what is happening around you, this will help you make yourself a little more invisible.
22. Practice, practice and practice , there will be days when you return home without anything really interesting, but you will accumulate experience in observation and you will pick up speed to frame and readjust parameters when necessary. Without realizing it, you will automate all these actions and the day will come when you will be able to achieve impressive images without batting an eye.
23. Do not dream or expect to travel to big cities. Your best street photography can be in your own neighborhood, it is the one that is most accessible to you, the one you know the most, the one that allows you to study the light from a corner, come back whenever necessary and with the one with whom you can be most connected to convey its essence. Start with him. If you get bored you can explore other neighborhoods, but keep in mind that only New York offers great possibilities for street photography .
24. From home. And if you can’t leave home, you should know that you can also do street photography from your window or from your balcony. There are many street photographers who have shown it in recent months.
25. Patience. Arm yourself with it, I have already warned you that it is not easy to achieve good street photography, you cannot control the light, or modify the scene, or repeat to correct a mistake. You have what you have and it lasts as long as it lasts a sigh. It is a mixture of luck, training, observation, and perseverance. It is not to arrive and succeed. But if you’re really passionate about it, you won’t mind trying it as many times as necessary.
26. Have fun. Street photography is to live it, feel it, love it… Don’t take it as an obligation, to get great results you have to turn it into a passion. Enjoy the scenarios, and the characters, play with them and capture them with your camera and with your heart as a photographer.
27. The camera is always with you. The most important thing is not to plan, although many times it helps, nor to take all the instructions to the letter, the important thing is to go out, practice, shoot, lose the fear of photographing the soul of your city or the city where you are visiting. Don’t forget your camera even when you’re running an errand, your opportunity may be just around the corner.
28. Creativity. When you think you lack ideas, turn to a series or projects. The latter is more complex, but if you feel like it’s time, here’s how to tackle a personal photography project.
29. Edition. Don’t be afraid to edit your photography. It is a necessary step, the last to close the process since you saw the scene in your head. The edition will help you to highlight what is really important in the image, highlight the details and modulate the emotional tone of the photograph. It’s not about putting here or removing it from there, no, it’s not manipulating because it wouldn’t be street photography, but adjusting shadows and lights, focus, color, highlighting textures wherever you consider or reframing if necessary.
30. Know how to choose. Editing a photograph is not only revealing it, it is knowing which of the images within a series of similar frames is the most powerful, the one that can arouse the most interest and gives off the most force. Learning to discard what doesn’t work and choose the best is another essential step that the author of street photography must take.
31. What do you want more street photography tips ? In the link you will find up to 100 express tips.

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES AND TRICKS

No matter how much you love black and white photography, if you follow me you will already know, both languages ​​are equally valid in street photography . While black and white is timeless and focuses you on the story, color can give tremendous play on a compositional or emotional level.

Each of these languages ​​have their peculiarities, their followers and their detractors. In the end, everyone has to find the way to express themselves with the one that feels best. You decide if you prefer color or black and white (or both) to tell your stories.

Color has its nuances, the brain has its way of interpreting it, it’s not just I see a scene and I photograph it in color and that’s it.

No, the color has to contribute something, because of the contrast, because of the atmosphere it creates, because of the repetition, or for whatever reason, but there has to be a reason. Discover how to master color in your compositions in this article and you will never leave it to chance again.

Regarding monochrome, not all photographs work in grayscale. Sometimes an image is sustained by color, although we are not aware of it due to lack of practice, but by stripping it of color, it loses strength.

For this reason, it is important that when composing a black and white photograph you are clear from the beginning that it will be in grayscale and that you make the decisions accordingly. In this mega guide you will find all the tips and tricks to get spectacular black and white photos.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY PARAMETERS

I know you are waiting for recipes. You ask for them very often and what more would I want it to be so easy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, because this is not an exact science but an art in which there are countless situations.

But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t start from some recommended parameters or settings and, from there, readjust whatever is necessary, depending on the situation.

Let ‘s see how to configure your camera for street photography:

• semi-automatic modes. Far from the automatic mode that I do not recommend in this case (and almost in none), there are the semi-manual modes of Aperture Priority or Speed ​​Priority.
• These modes are more suitable because they allow greater agility than Manual Mode. The first thing you should ask yourself is what you need or what you want to achieve. Are you interested in nothing escaping focus? Use Aperture Priority at f/5.6 of/8, for example. On the other hand, if you need a minimum speed for your subject to be sharp, shoot with Speed ​​Priority and the camera will calculate the rest of the parameters to achieve a correct exposure.
• ISO. It is preferable to have an interesting photo with noise than to lose a photo, do not be afraid to raise the ISO to get your image, always up to the limits that your eyes can tolerate of course. On some cameras, you have the option to set a maximum auto ISO. Take a look at the manual of your camera and adjust it to the bearable limit for you.
• RAW format. Starting from the idea that you are going to edit your image and get the best out of it in the processing, I recommend, without a doubt, using the RAW format that will save all the information of the scene. Now, if you don’t think about editing your image for anything in the world, they’d be better in JPG and they’ll take up less space (the burst will also be faster).
• Focus modes. If you are shooting static subjects, the most suitable focus mode is the single-mode (AF-S or One-Shot ). On the contrary, to capture a moving subject, continuous focus mode (AF-C or Al Servo ) will work better for you. Ah, yes, of course, those situations in which you are not sure what is going to happen or if your subject is going to move at any moment… in that case, if your camera has it, set the AF-A or Al Focus mode. Doubts or any questions that are on your mind? The answers in this mega guide focus on photography.
• Exposure metering modes. For scenes with homogeneous light, the easiest and most effective is evaluative metering. However, when you find yourself with contrasts of light and shadow, looking to capture a silhouette, a backlight, etc., I recommend spot metering.
• Activate the image stabilizer. Unless you are going to use a tripod for long exposures, activate the stabilizer and you can use slightly slower speeds.
• Turn on silent mode. Some cameras have silent mode. If this is your case, activate it. Remember the mantra: go unnoticed.

Regardless of what you decide depending on the circumstances, the important thing is that you always have your camera ready.

In other words, if the circumstances change because you change the scene, the light varies, the reason you are looking for, etc., readjust the parameters and do some other tests to make sure that when the time comes, you are not going to miss it by a bad fit.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WITH MOBILE

I have said it at the beginning of the article, of course, you can do street photography with your mobile. What you cannot do is street photography without feeling it.

But back on topic, if you want to get the most out of your smartphone for street photography, don’t miss these tips.

If yours is the mobile for all kinds of photography, I am sure that you will love this mega guide of tips for mobile photography.

What are you wondering which are the phones with the best cameras ? In the link I leave you my favorites.

LEGAL ASPECTS

Photographing on the street has its legal risks. These depend on each country, so it never hurts to find out, especially when you are traveling and it is not your place of residence.

It is also not the same if you take the photo for simple personal satisfaction or with the intention of exhibiting it, selling it, or making a profit in any other way. In this case you will need written consent.

And here and in Beijing, if someone asks you to delete a photo you have taken of them, it is their right to delete it.

Of course, as I have already told you before, it is not something that is going to happen to you often if you do not hide as if you were committing a crime, because then you will raise suspicions and more than one person may ask you for explanations. Moral: don’t hide, photographing is not doing anything wrong.

If what you want to know is what rights you have over the photos you take and share, this article is perfect for you.

FRUSTRATIONS AND FEARS

Oh, my friend, who hasn’t gone through the typical frustrations and fears before taking to the streets to take photos. Fear is natural, and it is not bad. The important thing is to face it.

The worst thing that can happen to you is that they ask you to delete a photo, which is not frequent. But if it happens to you, you just have to explain why you take photos, what you want them for, show the image and delete it if they insist that you do so. And all this without losing the smile.

Regarding frustrations, they are part of the path of photographic learning, regardless of the discipline, do not throw in the towel because they will come too. In the link, you will find how to cope with them.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ON INSTAGRAM

Instagram, with its lights and shadows, is a great source of inspiration when it comes to street photography.

In this social network, you can discover the work of incredible photographers, train your eye and learn to distinguish what works and what doesn’t, as well as share your images so that they can be seen anywhere on the planet with just one click. (By the way, do you follow us already? This is our IG account).

I want to leave you with some resources to delve into street photography through Instagram:

• Street photography accounts. There are some accounts of groups or groups that do a great job of disseminating street photography, such as La Calle Es Nuestra ., the most recent Urban Observers and other more international ones like Street Photo Internacionaland About Street Photography. In any of them, you will find inspiration to fill you up.
• hashtag. I leave you with some in case you need more inspiration (although there are no filters in the hashtags and you can find anything), or if you want to share your street photos. There’s more, obviously, these are just a few examples to start with:
  Street photography that tells stories: #streets_storytelling
  Black and white street photography: #streetphoto_bw
  Color street photography: #streetcolour
• Eyeshot Street Photography. It is an outstanding street photography magazine on paper, but you can follow their account on Instagram.
  This, as I was saying, is just an appetizer, from here what you want to investigate and the time you want or can dedicate to it.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS TO INSPIRE YOU

Speaking of inspiration, there is nothing better than going to the masters, the greats who endure over time and despite trends. In this article, you will find the 15 street photographers that you should know.

BOOKS ON STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

I would like to finish with some literary recommendations on street photography, in case you want to continue delving into the subject:

• Master the art of street photography , our ebook on street photography is the result of months of work by the entire team. I’ve wanted to publish on this topic for a long time and a few months ago it finally came to light. Suitable for starting from scratch.
• Urban Photography (Jesús León) , and no, it is not the urban photography that I mentioned at the beginning, it is a street photography book that is worth reading.
• Street photography (Jota Barros), another much more recent title also in Spanish is that of Jota Barros, a member of La Calle Es Nuestra, which has had an excellent reception among readers.
• Master of Street Photography.Street photography from the hand of 16 authors who tell you about their experience through advice, interviews and image analysis. In English.

To immerse yourself in street photography images instead of reading tips or techniques, here I leave you with a brief, but fabulous, list of photobooks, where photographs are the protagonists with a universal language.

• Snapshots (Elliott Erwitt)
• Street Photographer (Vivian Maier)
• The Americans (Robert Franks)
• The Suffering of Light (Alex Webb)
• Modern Color (Fred Herzog)

We have reached the end of this guide, I really hope that all this content does not remain a mere quick read. I hope you start putting it into practice now.

Do not hesitate to share it if you have found it even minimally interesting and leave any questions, suggestions, authors, or literary recommendations that you want to contribute in the comments. I have only left some references (they are all the ones that are there but not all the ones that are 😉 ). Don’t cut yourself and expand the list ⬇️⬇️⬇️.