Street photography is a fantastic way of capturing the business of human life in its raw form. Whether it’s in cities, parks or market places, street photography is a way of remembering modern history. A photo today may look normal to us, but in 50 years it will tell us of how things used to be. It’s a vital part of helping society to remember.
Here are 10 tips to help you improve your street photography:
- Blend in: One of the keys to successful street photography is to be inconspicuous and blend in with your surroundings. This can help you capture candid and natural shots without drawing too much attention to yourself.
- Use a prime lens: Prime lenses, which have a fixed focal length, are great for street photography because they are generally lighter and more compact than zoom lenses. They also have a wider aperture, which allows you to capture more light and create a shallow depth of field.
- Get close: Street photography often involves capturing intimate and candid moments, so getting close to your subjects can help create a sense of intimacy and connection in your images.
- Experiment with angles: Experimenting with different angles and viewpoints can help you create unique and interesting street photographs. Try shooting from above or below, or get close to the ground to capture a different perspective.
- Use a fast shutter speed: Street photography often involves capturing fast-moving subjects, so using a fast shutter speed can help you freeze the action and capture sharp, clear images.
- Use a slower shutter speed: By using a shutter speed just a tiny bit slower, you’ll be able to capture some beautiful motion blur in your scene. Be carful to keep very still when you take the shots so you don’t ruin the photo. If your camera has image stabilisation, this will help greatly.
- Shoot in manual mode: Shooting in manual mode gives you complete control over the exposure settings of your camera, which can be useful in street photography where the lighting conditions can vary widely.
- Pay attention to the background: The background of a street photograph can be just as important as the subject, so be sure to pay attention to what is happening behind your main subject.
- Shoot in black and white: Black and white street photography can add a timeless, classic feel to your images. It can also help draw the viewer’s attention to the composition and tonal contrast of the image, rather than the colours.
- Use presets for processing your RAW files: Presets can be a great way of processing your images quickly, with consistent colours. Here’s a link to download presets for your images: download
- Use candid shots: Capturing candid shots of people on the street can be a great way to tell a story and capture the energy and mood of a place.
- Edit selectively: Post-processing is an important part of street photography, as it allows you to fine-tune your images and bring out the best in them. However, be sure not to over-edit and lose the authenticity and spontaneity of the scene.