{"id":109145,"date":"2018-08-11T15:33:22","date_gmt":"2018-08-11T22:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=109145"},"modified":"2018-08-11T15:34:29","modified_gmt":"2018-08-11T22:34:29","slug":"how-to-shoot-better-street-photographs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/11\/how-to-shoot-better-street-photographs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Shoot Better Street Photographs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Practical tips on making better street photographs:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Keep it simple<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A simple silhouette of a person at night. Abstract the peoples, and make them less clear.<\/p>\n

2. Shoot head-on and use a flash<\/h2>\n

\"flash\"<\/p>\n

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

3. Obscure your subjects<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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!<\/p>\n

4. Replace the head of your subject with something else<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Surrealism in street photography<\/a> is replacing the heads\/limbs of your subject with other elements!<\/p>\n

5. Shoot head-on<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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

6. Study the masters for inspiration<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Study the masters of street photography<\/a> to gain inspiration and ideas. Reality often repeats itself.<\/p>\n

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

7. Wait for someone to enter your frame to complete the composition<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Crouch down<\/h2>\n

\"surreal<\/p>\n

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<\/a> with Lumix G9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. Triangle composition<\/h2>\n

\"Triangle<\/p>\n

A simple composition: triangles. Look for two faces or heads, and wait for a person to enter to complete the triangle composition.<\/p>\n

10. Shoot in the park<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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