Street photography: thoughts + tips + analysis
If your first instinct is always to place the subject in the middle of the photo, think again. It’s often better in street photography to tuck the subject off to the left or the right, allowing the rest of the picture to counterbalance the composition. I’m not talking about those impromptu street portraits which may … Read more
Here’s a Long List of candidates. Drama, humour, colour, depth, eye-catching interest, facial expressions, sharp focus, balance, frame-filling content, texture, beauty (“Did someone say beauty? What do you think this is? Art? Get the hell outta here!”) clarity, mystery (“Can you have clarity and mystery in the same image?”) mean-streets grittiness, energy, decisive moments… Oh, … Read more
All street photographers experience the moment when, having noticed a subject some distance away, they take the shot — only to find that three-quarters of the photo holds little or no visual interest. One solution is to crop the image, reframing it exactly as you’d wish. Sure, that means throwing away several million pixels — … Read more
When I’m out taking street photos I often notice the reflection of something before seeing the object that’s being reflected. This is because I’m always on the lookout for elements that bring something extra to a composition. Reflections usually bring symmetry: a quality that enhances photos by adding balance and harmony while helping to fill … Read more
I have a feeling that most people only glance at a photo, then move on to the next one unless something in it catches their eye. So what happens when the picture makes no sense? Will the onlooker be obliged to linger for a few seconds or turn away with a sigh of impatience? Either … Read more
I try every possible strategy to take candid pictures in the street. Sometimes I “work the scene” by finding a subject and concentrating on it for while; at other times I keep walking and take the occasional shot here and there. I’m always on the lookout, calculating the odds, trying to predict people’s movements, and … Read more
Colour is both the joy and bane of street photography. If you get it right you can make a great photo; get it wrong — which is all too easy — and your photo will be ruined. In that case your only option is to convert it to black and white. Digital photographers are burdened … Read more
If ever there was a “vexed question,” it’s this one. Time and again this subject comes up for discussion, not always in connection with street photography but with photography in general. I’ve read hundreds of comments in forums and I’ve taken note of what technical experts have to tell us about the topic and to … Read more
A sheet of plate glass less than an inch thick separates the life of the street from the life of the shop window. When window dressers change their display, they — and their display — become a potential subject for street photographers. Should we accept the challenge? You bet! Window dressing is a great subject, … Read more
As I’ve said approximately twenty times in these blog posts, “contrast” — in the broadest sense — lies at the heart of street photography. So here’s a potential theme with built-in contrast: domestic disputes set against a background of cheerful colours. Ironic, huh? Psychologists often talk about the influence of colour on our daily lives. … Read more