Street photography is a genre of photography that captures real-life moments in the public domain. Street photographers often use a wide-angle lens to take close-up shots of people in urban settings. These candid photographs are usually taken without seeking permission from the subject and can range from street vendors, musicians, pedestrians, or any other person who may be caught at that moment doing something interesting.
1. Define its message
This is the first and most important step of your street photography: What is the message you want to convey?
Are you looking for a certain feeling, or trying to express something through your images? How can you tell a story with your images? What is your message? The same goes for your subject: What’s their story? Can it be told though images or do they need words instead? How can you use your images to tell a story about them and their life experiences, or about what their community means to them.
2. Study your surroundings
When you’re out on the streets, pay attention to your environment. Look for details that stand out—the way sunlight falls on a building’s facade, or an interesting shadow cast by a tree branch. Look for patterns in what you’re seeing; perhaps there’s symmetry to be found in architecture or asymmetry in human figures. Look for color palettes and textures: are there any colours that seem to complement each other? What about textures? Are there any patterns in how people dress or wear their hair?
Look for lines: horizontal lines can draw your attention across a street, while vertical ones may lead you upward toward skyscrapers (or downward if they’re telephone wires). Look also at the movement of cars and pedestrians—these moving elements will give life and perspective to your photos.
3. Be a part of the action
You want to be a part of the action. Don’t just stand back and photograph from afar, but get involved with what’s happening around you. This is why street photography is so great – there are always people around doing fascinating things!
Don’t be afraid to get lost in the moment. If someone or something catches your eye, don’t think about it for too long before taking a picture. You might miss out on an opportunity if you hesitate too long.
Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. Street photography isn’t always about taking pictures from far away; sometimes it can mean getting right up close and personal with your subject matter so that they take up most of the frame (or even all of it).
Don’t worry about getting in their way either – sometimes we’re lucky enough that there’s no one around us when we’re taking photos! We can go wherever we want with whatever equipment we have with us (no tripod required!).
Conclusion
Street photography is a rewarding and exhilarating hobby, but it’s not an easy one to master. It takes time and practice to develop your skills. However, we hope that by following these three tips you can get started on the right foot.