What is street photography is it art or documentarian of life today, is street photography important, and what’s makes a street photo a street photo, all intriguing questions, and not one of them is easy to answer. Each photographer has a different interpretation of what makes a street photo I want to try and explain what I look for in a street photo and I know some of you will agree with me and some of you won’t and that’s the way it should be.
I’ll show examples of what I think street photography is and what it isn’t. This genre is one of the hardest to master, it’s not just about capturing someone walking down a street or a silhouette of someone walking past something, street photography is all about moments good or bad. Don’t get me wrong it takes a lot of work to get a great photo of a silhouette on the street but, for me, this isn’t street photography, let me show you an example:
The first photo took a lot of waiting and thought, I had to look for the right composition and once I got that right I had to wait for the right person. I waited here for hours and I think it paid off.
The second photo is all about a moment this image for me is what comes to mind when I think of street photography, capturing a moment that would otherwise be lost to time, the photo shows a tender moment between a couple. Having to be ready to capture something that happens in front of the camera isn’t easy and again it takes a lot of work, walking for miles deciding which way to walk watching every little thing and keeping one’s ears open for a sound that might lead to a moment. Most photographers don’t realize how draining this can be both mentally and physically. After spending a whole day shooting I normally need a few days to recover and this is why I moved to a city that way I don’t have to be out all day.
There’s so much noise in the world of street photography everyone has an opinion on the subject so it can become hard to focus when you're out with a camera. I’ve had so many photographers telling me that my work isn’t what a master of street photography would consider being street, there’s not enough of the scene is one of the things I get told more than anything else, you must shoot with a wide angle lens and capture the whole story. So against my better judgment, I went out and bought a Ricoh GR which has a 28mm focal length, now I love shooting with the GR but it’s not me I love shooting close up and looking into the eyes of the person I’m photographing. I connect more this way and I know it’s not what others do or what others connect with and that’s ok. Street photography must be what you connect with if you connect with light and shadows great shoot that and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not valid, like all art it should speak to a few and course debate with the rest, no need for labels. High contrast monochrome work will always work better on social platforms as for the most part it doesn’t need the casual viewer to think, but photographers who embrace the art will take their time with the image and notice all the details when they raise the camera.
Those same photographers will also embrace the photos I take with my 85mm focal length as they don’t just scroll and click, they take the time to look and soak in the detail. I focus more on the street when I’m shooting with the 85mm I’m watching looking for that perfect subject and moment and that’s what keeps me on the streets with my camera.
What I am trying to say, is do what feels right to you, and don’t let someone label your work those that do have no understanding those that understand will never label you. It could be that you’re drawn to people wearing red and all your work revolves around this one color and that’s great it gives your work a voice and a consistency.
I’m drawn to bokeh, the subject front and center and the background blown out, I might blow out the highlights and push the viewer’s eyes right to the subject or I might notice colors in the street or in a window that I can blow out. This is a look I love and connect with more than any other, but for me, it can’t just be bokeh and nothing else I always try to photograph a moment, sometimes it’s just nice to take an artistic street photo like what Matt Hall (The13thsecond) or Craig Whitehead (Sixstreetunder) shoot, it’s what calls out to me when I’m out on the streets, as long as I connect with it that’s all care about.
If you’re wanting to learn about street shooting my advice would be to start with the true masters, Bruce Davidson, Henri Cartier Bresson, Diane Arbus, Saul Leiter, etc. Pick up a book and study the photos of these amazing photographers, seeing their work in print should teach you almost everything you’ll need to know. Before I have a day of shooting I’ll spend an evening going through one of the many books I have, this can really help me before I start to shoot, doing this allows me to become focused, mindful, inspired, and ready for the day ahead. I’ve found there’s nothing better.
If you don’t have access to these books, then find great photographers online, you’ll know when you find the right photographer, their passion for the art will shine through, Sean Tucker is one of the best photographers on YouTube, the passion he has for all art is intoxicating, Ted Vieira is another photographer who is passionate about the art and then there’s one of the best teachers of street photography Brian Lloyd Duckett who’s videos and workshops will teach you nearly everything you need to know, these 3 photographers block out all the noise and they just focus on what matters, they will teach and inspire, they all get me excited about picking up my camera.
So what do I look for when I’m out with a camera, emotion, moments, love, and yes even hate I never really have a plan in place as I head out, my day normally starts with traveling on a train and from the moment I arrive at the station I’m looking for something to shoot, this could be someone arriving hugging a loved one or friend they haven’t seen in ages or maybe someone saying goodbye. Train stations, airports, etc are wonderful places to look for emotional moments, however, I never see other street photographers in these areas, never dismiss these places as you can build a wonderful portfolio of photos from shooting in and around travel hubs if you take the time.
New photographers worry about their styles, editing a photo or if their photo is sharp and in focus and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter when shooting street photography, you should be asking yourself this one and only question, did you capture a moment? If the answer is yes then congrats you more than likely have a street photo.
When it comes to style, it doesn’t matter what matters is that your work has consistency and again I’m going to point you in the direction of Sean and his video where he talks about having consistency in your work. Click here
Another big problem with spending too much time online is you’ll be told that you must have a style and stick to it, I’ll say this just once don’t let your street photography become limited, what do I mean by this, well look closely at the work by the true master (not at someone with 100,000 followers on an online platform) I mean the true street photography masters, they never limit themselves to one style. The true masters of street photography will shoot anything that interests them, they’ll head out on a hot sunny day, but they won’t limit themselves to shooting in only good light, you’ll find these photographers shooting in all lighting conditions and all weathers come rain or shine. A street photo doesn’t need good light to be great, it needs a great moment and it really can be this simple. Don’t become a one-trick pony like so many online photographers.
Street photography is all about what you see and what it means to you, I’ve taken many a photo that others don’t like and that’s fine, I like it, and I connect with it. Moments can be something so subtle that most might miss it, maybe friends laughing or crying these moments are what makes a street photo for me, this is one of the reasons I shoot with a long focal length, I get in close and then take the photo I want to see the light in their eyes, using this focal length I can also capture envy something that can easily be missed shooting with a wide angle lens is perfect for most but it just wouldn’t capture these subtle moments, I’m sitting in a coffee house writing this blog and I just looked out the window and captured this photo:
Being ready for anything to happen in front of you is so important in the art of street photography, even though I’m writing I still find myself looking around watching for these wonderful moments of human interaction, yes I could’ve taken this photo with a wide angle lens but it just wouldn’t be the same I need the focus on the emotional moment this gentleman is having.
I know it feels great to come home and share your photos, but remember this, the numbers and likes don’t mean a damn thing, it won’t matter who likes your photo, the important question is do you like it (I know I’m repeating myself), if the answer is yes then once again it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks. The masters couldn’t care less about the number of likes a photo might get or who likes a photo they’ve taken.
Street photography is also one of the only genres where gear doesn’t matter, all you need is a camera and lens, now this can be the camera on your phone, I’m here once again to tell you that you don’t need the latest greatest gear, you don’t need a bag full of lenses and different cameras. All you need is one camera, one lens nothing more. Limiting yourself to this will I promise in the future make you a far better photographer, you’ll come to the point when you forget all about the damn thing in your hand and you’ll work on instinct, think of it like this, you never think about using a pen, you just pick it up and use it, your always thinking about what your writing and the same should be true of your camera and photography.
Photography is a real joy and it’s a privilege to take a street photo, but you must have one thing to be good and it’s not going to cost you anything, you do however have to carry it with you every day and that’s passion, you have to have passion. Remember that the privilege to take a street photo can be taken away from us at any point, so please never take it for granted.
Below are a few of my favorite street photos from the past 8 years:
