How to Shoot Better Street Photographs

Practical tips on making better street photographs:

1. Keep it simple

A simple silhouette of a person at night. Abstract the peoples, and make them less clear.

2. Shoot head-on and use a flash

flash

Use a flash in street photography to add more immediacy, energy, vigor, and contrast to your photos. A simple solution is just using “P” (program mode) on RICOH GR II, and using the pop-up integrated flash.

3. Obscure your subjects

Shoot through patterned walls, or transparent surfaces, to make the face of your subject less clear. The more difficult it is to see your subject, the more interesting the photograph will be to look at!

4. Replace the head of your subject with something else

Surrealism in street photography is replacing the heads/limbs of your subject with other elements!

5. Shoot head-on

Try the ‘cutoff technique‘ in street photography and shoot head-on! Don’t just shoot from the side. Be aggressive, and use a wide-angle lens (like a 28mm or 35mm).

6. Study the masters for inspiration

Study the masters of street photography to gain inspiration and ideas. Reality often repeats itself.

For example in the photo above, I remembered a nice composition from Sergio Larrain, and used it as a starting point to try a similar composition.

7. Wait for someone to enter your frame to complete the composition

If you see a nice curve or arabesque composition on the floor, wait until a subject enters the frame, and photograph their legs while it is spread as a “V” (triangle composition).

8. Crouch down

surreal downtown la eyes

Shoot from a low angle perspective, especially with a wide-angle lens, to make the subject look more surreal and larger than life! This photograph was shot at 24mm with Lumix G9.

9. Triangle composition

Triangle Lisbon composition

A simple composition: triangles. Look for two faces or heads, and wait for a person to enter to complete the triangle composition.

10. Shoot in the park

Go to the park to shoot street photography, you will often see interesting stuff– like this father and son in the sand pit.


Street Photography 101

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Street Photography Ideas

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Street Photography Techniques


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Street Photography Articles

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Street Photography Composition Techniques


STREET NOTES.

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LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

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Timeless wisdom from the masters of street photography.

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FUNDAMENTALS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

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Street Photography Inspiration

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Beginner Street Photography Articles

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Definitions in Street Photography

How to Shoot Street Photography

Street Photography Equipment

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How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography

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Find deeper meaning in your street photography:


Street Photography Tips & Technique

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Street Photography Guides

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In-depth guides on street photography:

Street Photography Equipment

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The best equipment for street photography:

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Street Photography Editing and Workflow

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Learn From the Masters of Street Photography

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The Masters of Photography

Prague, 1968. Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos
Prague, 1968. Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos

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