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. These recommendations are by no means intended to be a comprehensive list; they are simply some ideas that I hope help point you in the right direction when getting started in street photography. 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. The alternative option is to visit somewhere you’ve never been before and go exploring with few preconceptions of what you’ll find. It could be an opportunity to approach the place and it’s community with an open mind, hoping to gain an understanding as you go and create at the same time. Step 2 – Equipment There are a few tips on how to make it easier for yourself. Step 3 – Eyes open and act fast. Getting started with street photography | Mortal Muses. Street photography always sounded like a great idea to me, but when it came to actually doing it I nearly always chickened out – I’d see a great photo opportunity and then be too nervous to go for it in case I was spotted.
It can seem really daunting at first, and when you’ve never done it before you can feel very self-conscious, but there are some great shots out there just waiting for you to spot them. Street photography can be one of the most rewarding kinds of photography there is—there’s nothing like going out not knowing what you’ll find, and then coming home feeling all excited because you got something great. Eventually I found ways of getting started that worked for me, so I want to pass on what I’ve learned in the hope that it might make it a bit easier for anyone else who’s just beginning and is a little nervous about getting out there. What is street photography?
Cameras and lenses Any camera will do, but the smaller the camera the less obvious it will be what you’re doing. 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? I find it gives me more time to interact with them, learn more about their lives, and also to take more photos of them (with their cooperation). So once I get my subjects’ attention– how do I direct them and what is some of the psychology that goes behind it? Why get my subjects to pose? A portrait of a guy I shot in Downtown LA at Starbucks. Street photography is generally understood as taking candid photos.
How to approach your subjects Takeaway point : Don’t judge people by their outward appearances. 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). He heard about the art of archery, and was fascinated with the zen philosophy which was embedded in the art. Zen in the Art of Archery As we all know, archery is no longer practiced in the “real world” in battles and such. However with some good luck (a good introduction by a Japanese friend) and some persistence, Herrigel was able to go under the wing of one of the greatest archers in Japan. 1.
Rinzi Ruiz Suggestion: 2. 3. 4. 5. Conclusion. 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography. In preparation for my upcoming street photography workshops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago I have been doing quite a bit of research into Henri Cartier-Bresson, the Godfather of street photography. LA-based Bo Lorentzen even lent me a copy of a documentary on HCB himself, which was quite insightful about his approach to street photography (as well as footage of him shooting on the streets of Paris).
Although my current approach in street photography is more like Bruce Gilden and less of Henri Cartier-Bresson, HCB influenced much of my earlier work and I still deeply respect his photography and philosophies. I hope you are able to enjoy these things I believe you can learn from Henri Cartier-Bresson about street photography. Keep reading to become inspired and learn more. 1. If you look at the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, he applied geometry to his images poetically. Don’t only see the world as it is, look for shapes and geometry that occur naturally as well. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 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) Garry Winogrand is one of my favorite street photographers that I have gained much photographic insight and wisdom from.
He was in-arguably one of the most prolific street photographers of his time (he shot over 5 million photographs in his career) and one of the most passionate. However, he hated the term “street photographer” and simply saw himself as a “photographer”. I never understood a lot of the things that he said about photography like why you should wait a year or two before developing your shots, why photographs don’t tell stories, and how photographers mistake emotion for what makes great photographs. After having done a ton of research on Winogrand and finding out more about his philosophy in photography, I found a treasure chest. If you want to learn more about what you can learn from Garry Winogrand, read on! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 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.
I consider his approach to be very similar to that of Steve Jobs . I hope that this article can help you get a better understanding of W. Eugene Smith, his work, and his philosophies of photography– to take your own work to new heights. 1. Tomoko in Her Bath, Mother and daughter with Minamata Disease, Japan. W. In a rare interview in 1956 with the great portraitist Philippe Halsmann they discuss the point of why W. Halsmann: “When do you feel that the photographer is justified in risking his life to take a picture?”
Smith: “I can’t answer that. I think the photographer should have some reason or purpose . W. Takeaway point: Often times us as street photographers have a hard time figuring out why we photograph. Are we out there trying to just take snapshots? 2. 101 Inspirational Street Photography Quotes. (Above Image Copyrighted By Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos) Charlie Atkinson: So for this weeks post I thought I would share my favorite quotes from some of my favorite photographers as well as a few others that can be applied to photography as well! They are also not in any particular order, this post is by me as well (not Eric!) As I think there was some confusion on the last gear post I did :). Enjoy! 1.”Q: Do you really distance yourself from your subject?
(Copyright: Peter Barker-Morgan) 26. (Copyright: Charlie Atkinson) 51. Images: Steve McCurry Charlie Atkinson Peter Barker-Morgan. 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. When I started to shoot, I was too timid to get close to strangers to get intimate with them and tell their personal story. However don’t mistake this quote for getting close simply for the sake of getting close. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9.
When you are out there shooting, don’t only shoot with your eyes. The 10 Best Street Photography Blogs on the Web (and more)