{"id":38570,"date":"2017-02-15T12:15:09","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T20:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=38570"},"modified":"2017-02-09T16:03:51","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T00:03:51","slug":"how-to-capture-the-decisive-moment-in-street-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/15\/how-to-capture-the-decisive-moment-in-street-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Capture the Decisive Moment in Street Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric<\/p>\n

How do we predict the decisive moment in street photography?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I want to share some practical tips, insights, and thoughts on how to better capture the decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d by predicting it before-hand.<\/p>\n

First of all, capturing the right moment in street photography is the difference between a mediocre and a great photo.<\/p>\n

Timing is everything. Not just street photography, but life. You need to have good timing when starting a business, when investing in stocks, when asking someone out on a date, and when to shoot.<\/p>\n

1. History repeats<\/h2>\n
\"eric
Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the interesting things I learned in street photography is this: history repeats.<\/p>\n

What I mean to say is that when you see people doing certain hand-gestures, they tend to repeat it.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say you want to shoot a candid (without permission) street photograph of a guy smoking, and taking a puff from his cigarette. You might see him from 20 feet away, and you try to sneakily walk close to him to take a photo. And the second you are (about) to bring up your camera, he stops smoking.<\/p>\n

In that case, what you want to do is hang around, pretend like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re checking your phone or whatever, then wait for the guy to lift up his cigarette and take a puff. Then at that moment, you need to quickly shoot to capture the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdecisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of him taking a puff of his cigarette.<\/p>\n

This also happens with couples kissing in public. Often, couples kiss (more than once) in the streets. If you spot a couple kissing, hang around them for a little bit, and wait \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I can guarantee they will kiss again. And at that moment, you want to be ready.<\/p>\n

2. Predict the future<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One practical tip is learn the pace at which people walk. If you notice closely how fast or slowly people walk, you can predict that in about 10 seconds, your subject will be in the right spot at the right time.<\/p>\n

You can do this in several ways. First, you can find a good background, and wait for your subject to enter the frame at the right time, and then click to capture \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthe decisive moment.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

Another tip: you can stand at an intersection, and look at the left side of the street and the right side of the street. See how quickly (or slowly) people are walking, and at what moment they will intersect. Often when people intersect, they bump into each other, and an interesting \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdecisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 might occur. At that moment you want to be ready, to capture that shot.<\/p>\n

3. Master your focal length<\/h2>\n
\"eric
LA, 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to learn how to quickly shoot street photography and capture the ideal composition, you need to learn your focal length by heart. You need to know what your framing looks like before<\/em> you bring up your camera to your eye.<\/p>\n

For example, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve shot with a 35mm for the last 10 years (age 18 to 28). I know the 35mm by heart, I can frame a scene with a 35mm before even lifting the camera to my eye.<\/p>\n

And therefore, I know how close (or far) I need to be from my subject to make a good street photograph.<\/p>\n

Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/a> mastered the 50mm in his lifetime, Alex Webb<\/a> has stuck with a 35mm, and Bruce Gilden<\/a> has stuck with the 28mm.<\/p>\n

Whatever focal length suits your street photography, stick with it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for a long time.<\/p>\n

4. Take lots of photos<\/h2>\n
\"eric
Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One big misconception about capturing \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthe decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is that there is only 1 single decisive moment.<\/p>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

In reality, there are many<\/em> decisive moments you can capture in street photography.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdecisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 can be the second that someone lifts up their hand to shield the sun from their eyes. A \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdecisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 can be the second that someone jumps over a puddle, when they give you the middle finger, or when they start laughing.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you can influence the scene and create a decisive moment. For example, in my \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcLaughing Lady\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 photo in NYC, I interacted with her, chatted with her, and kept taking photos. She felt awkward, and started to laugh, and I caught that decisive moment, through my presence.<\/p>\n

You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be a ninja street photographer. Know that often your presence can be a good thing. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always need to shoot street photography candidly.<\/p>\n

\"robert
Robert Frank Elevator Girl Contact Sheet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So when you see an interesting scene in street photography, keep \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcworking the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and try to capture the best moment. And often, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what the best moment is until you go home and review your photos.<\/p>\n

5. Become a master at choosing your best photos<\/h2>\n
\"henri-cartier-bresson-contact-sheets-magnum\"
Henri Cartier-Bresson Contact Sheet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Henri Cartier-Bresson taught us that composition can only be used as a tool after<\/em> you have reviewed your images.<\/p>\n

The same is with the decisive moment. You never know what will be the best decisive moment, until you go home and look through all of your photos and choose your best image.<\/p>\n

If you find an interesting scene and you have taken a lot of photos, choose only 1 photo from the scene. You must choose the best photo.<\/p>\n

How to choose the best photo? Follow your gut. Choose the image that strikes an emotional chord in your heart. Also choose an image with strong composition, lines, and form.<\/p>\n

Often we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what our best photos are. So if you have a series of images and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not sure what is your best shot, ask other photographers you trust for their honest opinion.<\/p>\n

6. Use zone-focusing<\/h2>\n
\"eric
Tokyo, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you have a camera with autofocus which is too slow or unreliable, I recommend using \u00e2\u20ac\u02dczone focusing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in street photography.<\/p>\n