Beginner Street Photography
Street photography is the ideal way to express your
creativity while perfecting your photographic technique. The shots you create
can weave together a vibrant story of a neighbourhood or a local community,
while challenging your photography and supporting you to develop an artistic
style.
The first of the street photography tips is to
determine your plan in capturing images. Are you looking to simply strap a
camera around your neck and look at an area through a photo-journalistic
tactic, or do you prefer to talk and interview someone and create a portrait?
Photojournalism takes an approach were the
photographer is standing back to capture moments happening without interfering
or posing their subjects. If a shot is missed, there is no way to recreate it;
as a substitute you look ahead to the next opportunity.
A more personal side to urban photography is to focus
on the individuals on the street, find their story and capture an intimate
image that reflects their personality. That person may be a businessman,
someone who is homeless, or even a priest who is handing out his literature on
a street corner. The photograph of that person that you take then becomes part
of a larger narrative that weaves through your images.
The second item you as the photographer will need to
figure out is the subject or the aim of your images. Perhaps your subject will
be any person you meet who is willing to talk with you. Maybe the subject
becomes more specific, such as individuals in a particular area. It is
important to find a focus for your photography when starting out, and as you
become more confident to broaden your perspective.
Thirdly, it is important to determine what kind of
equipment you have and acknowledge its limitations. For instance, if you have a
compact digital camera, it might not have a quick enough shutter speed to take
photo-journalistic shots at night, so it might be best to focus your pictures
to daytime hours instead of returning home with a set of blurred images.
The fourth piece of advice to a new street
photographer is to work with light. Natural light is most photographers'
preferred lighting technique. When you are starting out in street photography
it is important to take a moment and look around an area and pick out places
that look too dark, like alleyways, that will underexpose a photograph and make
it too dark to see the subject. Consequently, if an area is much too bright it
might cast dark shadows on a subject, or wash them out in a photograph. Look
alternatively for areas that have an even light. Chances are if you can see
everything clearly with your naked eye that your camera will be able to as
well.
Finally and if you can, bring an assistant with you
when embarking on a street photography session. This person does not have to be
a photographer, but someone who can be there and carry any equipment would like
to bring with you. Most importantly, this person acts as extra protection and
safety for you and your equipment when partaking in urban photography.
The most important of all street photography tips is
to continually take photographs. Practice will allow you to hone your skills.
Even expert photographers anticipate taking hundreds of photographs in one
session out on the streets and realize only a handful may turn out. The most
important part is meeting people and uncovering the essence of a community.
Capturing the photograph is purely the final step of the process.
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