Some Dos and Don'ts for the Aspiring Street Photographer. Jason Little is a photographer (shooting macros, portraits, candids, and the occasional landscape), part time writer, and full time lover of music. You can see Jason’s photography on his photography blog or on Flickr. Shallow Depth - April 10, 2014 Shadowfall - March 27, 2014 Beyonder - March 21, 2014 By Jason D. Little on in Shooting Street photography. What makes street photography difficult for some is the boldness required to pull out a camera, approach a total stranger, and essentially enter their space, even if for a brief moment, as they go about routine activities that normally do not take place in front of a lens.
DOs: Know the laws concerning street photography for the particular region in which you will be shooting. DON’Ts: Don’t try to blend in by dressing like a spy. 5 Top Tips to Get Started with Street Photography. Street photography is a means of capturing society in the moment, a chance to document life as we know it, freezing human actions and reactions to the world around us.
It’s a great way to incorporate your photography with your responses to the community around you, here are five tips to get you started. Step 1 – Location Choosing your location is vital to the success of your work. You could view this as a chance to document somewhere that you know already or have explored before. It’s a chance to understand the ambience of the place and it’s people, and the chance to capture that on film. Step 2 – Equipment. Getting started with street photography. How to Direct Your Subjects When Shooting Street Portraits. (Above video: New street portrait POV video I recorded in Chicago.
Chicago Street Portraits, Volume #5 ) I have always been drawn to people, especially those who I find are interesting “characters.” I tend to gravitate towards people who have interesting facial expressions, to those with outstanding outfits, or accessories. Although the majority of the street photography I do is done candidly, I have been drawn towards doing more posed street portraits of people I find interesting. Why? So once I get my subjects’ attention– how do I direct them and what is some of the psychology that goes behind it? Zen in the Art of Street Photography. (All photographs in this article provided by Rinzi Ruiz ) My good friend Nicholas Susatyo recently recommended a book to me: “ Zen in the Art of Archery .”
In-fact, it was the book that Henri Cartier-Bresson said had the deepest influence in his photography. I have been meaning to read it for a while, so on my flight to Philly I decided to give it a go. The book is written by Eugen Herrigel , a German philosophy teacher who went to Japan for several years and learned the art of archery (while teaching philosophy at a Japanese university). 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography.
10 Things Garry Winogrand Can Teach You About Street Photography. (Above image: Garry Winogrand, World’s Fair, New York City, 1964.
All photographs in this article copyrighted by the estate of Garry Winogrand) 10 Lessons Weegee Has Taught Me About Street Photography. Weegee is certainly one of the most infamous street photographers in history.
Although he never called himself a street photographer (he worked as a press/news photographer) his obsession with capturing people was unparalleled. With no formal photographic training, he covered some of the most gruesome murders (and shots of everyday life) around New York City from the 1930′s to the 1940′s. Armed with a portable police-band shortwave radio, he was always on the beat for new stories to cover– and he even had a complete darkroom in the trunk of his car. This allowed him to get his photos to the newspapers as quickly as possible. Weegee is also famous for the use of his 4×5 Speed Graphic large-format press camera and flash– which added even more drama to his gritty black and white photos.
Many street photographers are under the false impression that shooting with artificial light in street photography is just a recent phenomenon. Note: some of these photos are gruesome and NSFW. 1. 2. 3. 4. 7 Lessons W. Eugene Smith Has Taught Me About Street Photography. W.
Eugene Smith is one of the legends of photography. Although he was notorious for being maniacal, emotionally distant, and unreasonable– he channeled those energies into being one of the best photographers history has ever seen. 101 Inspirational Street Photography Quotes. 10 Famous Street Photography Quotes You Must Know. (Above image by Garry Winogrand) If you want to get a deeper insight into street photography and take better photos, I feel it is very important to study the work of the street photographers who came before us and paved the way for the rest of us.
Not only that, but reading the quotes and words by these influential street photographers is a great way to train your mind to take better photos as well. Below are some of my favorite street photography quotes that are concise, inspirational, and have influenced me in one way or another. 1. “If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa This was one of the first quotes that hugely influenced my street photography. However don’t mistake this quote for getting close simply for the sake of getting close. 2. When you are out shooting and you felt that you got a “keeper” it is easy to run home, post-process the image, and upload it to the internet for the rest of the world to see. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
The 10 Best Street Photography Blogs on the Web (and more)