Surely more than once and twice you have taken your camera in the middle of the street because something in it has caught your attention, a person, a form, a certain light ... Maybe that time or twice they have become hundreds of them and you You have gone crazy or crazy about street photography. Whether you're curious or passionate about it, and continuing with this series of express tips that make up other articles such as 100 express tips for photographing landscapes , 100 tips for photographing babies and children, 100 Express Tips for Achieving (Your Best) Portraits, o 100 Express tips to photograph in black and white, we propose these 100 tips for street photography. I hope you enjoy it :-).
- Start by learning the basic technique of the exposure triangle :
- The ISO will allow you to increase or reduce the sensitivity of the sensor.
- The aperture of the diaphragm will allow you to control the depth of field and the amount of light entering through the sensor.
- The shutter speed will allow you to decide whether or not to freeze the movement .
- Learn to work the color :
- The color is everyday and close to the viewer
- It will help you to highlight elements and focus interest .
- Learn to work in black and white :
- for more descriptive photographs,
- that look for timelessness ,
- and with greater abstraction .
- It is not necessary to have people in the photo.
- Buildings and places can be great protagonists.
- Although a person always adds interest to the scene.
- The geometry is essential.
- You can use it to frame your scenes with natural frames .
- As well as to compose your scene and direct the look.
- Play with the lines in your compositions.
- Horizontal : they are the ones we are most used to for being the most everyday in the world around us (horizon, sense of writing ...) transmit serenity and peace.
- Vertical : vertical lines direct your gaze from top to bottom or from bottom to top. They are associated with growth, strength, stiffness and height, as they usually escape our usual viewing angle.
- Diagonals : diagonals are lines with a lot of tension , have a lot of visual strength and create interesting perspectives. That is why the diagonal lines are perhaps the most attractive in composition , because they completely break the schemes of your look and, consequently, makes them stand out more than the rest.
- Curves : curved lines are those that are most associated with movement , are fluid, soft, sensual and elegant, and allow you to 'walk' the gaze more slowly through the image than straight lines.
- Take advantage of vanishing points when there are to add depth .
- Stop to observe your surroundings.
- Learn to locate interesting places compositionally.
- Write down those places.
- If you can, go several times and study the light .
- The backlit silhouettes will give you a lot of play,
- As well as the shadows,
- The punctual light of a lamppost,
- Or from a shop window,
- And even faces lit by mobile phones,
- The headlights of the cars,
- And, of course, natural light .
- If it is night, look for good bokeh to increase the interest of your image.
- Pay attention to the white balance to control the color temperature.
- If a single light predominates , it is very likely that the automatic mode will be very useful (daytime photography).
- But at night where many lights are combined with different color temperatures , it is best to adjust it manually .
- Although if you want to ensure the result, it is best that you work in RAW and adjust it in the processing .
- Practice in your city.
- If you don't get inspired, walk around new neighborhoods for you.
- Take trips and practice on them whenever you can.
- Have patience .
- And anticipate ; Learn to see what your image is missing and look around it or wait for it to appear.
- The trick is to find something interesting in an ordinary place .
- Work with discrete and light weight cameras :
- The EVIL , the Bridge , the advanced compact ...
- And even your mobile phone.
- This way you will go unnoticed and it will be easier for you to move through the streets.
- If you can, get a good fixed focus lens :
- They are more compact , lightweight and, above all, bright .
- The classic focal range for street photography is 35mm or 50mm.
- Although if you do not have anything similar, adapt to what you have.
- Get ready to walk.
- Go light luggage and comfortable shoes and clothes.
- Learn to relate to people.
- Be respectful of the people you photograph.
- If someone asks you to delete a photo in which it appears, do so.
- Be legally informed of the privacy rights according to the current legality of each place to know what you have the right to photograph and what you do not.
- Act naturally , you are not doing anything wrong.
- Lose fear , most people do not mind going out in a street photo ...
- … As long as your intentions are good and you don't intend to humiliate anyone.
- Find busy places to start.
- Like bus stations, crossings of busy streets ...
- Or people used to having photos taken on the street, like street performers .
- Learn to hide to get spontaneous photos .
- Avoid eye contact after taking the picture and get away slowly .
- Pretend to photograph something else.
- Learn to shoot from the waist.
- Look for different and unusual views .
- Chop : from top to bottom (try to climb a tall building to get new perspectives).
- Contrapicado : from bottom to top.
- Ground level : try to place the camera at ground level, the results will surprise you.
- Photograph through the glass playing with the dimensions it provides (behind, reflection and outside).
- Take advantage of the atmospheric uniqueness that bad weather gives you .
- Puddles, raindrops on the crystals, colorful umbrellas against a gray sky, footsteps in the snow, fog ...
- Work the balance in composition through visual weight :
- The contrast : Everything that contrasts by differentiation to the rest, weighs more as it attracts our eyes with greater intensity.
- The size : bigger size, more weight.
- The position : the elements located in the upper part of the frame are perceived as heavier than those located in the lower area.
- The texture : a rough texture, stands out more at a glance than a smooth surface.
- The color : warm colors have greater visual weight than cold ones; We also say that they seem to "get closer" more.
- Take advantage and integrate street furniture :
- Arrows,
- Zebra Steps,
- Stairs and lines,
- Bus stops,
- Train stations, signals, etc.
- If you have a camera with manual focus , work in manual, with apertures above f / 8 to have a good depth of field and the largest area focused on the image.
- Learn how to use hyperfocal distance to squeeze the maximum depth of field .
- Choose a shooting mode that allows you to control the result:
- The manual mode lets you control all parameters of the scene. It requires practice, but it is the one that will work best for you.
- The aperture priority mode will allow you to select a diaphragm aperture while the camera compensates for it with a speed that allows you to obtain good exposure.
- The priority mode speed lets you choose a speed while the camera adjusts the aperture diaphragm.
- Spend time and energy analyzing, selecting and deleting your photos.
- And give them a touch of basic editing if you consider it necessary.
- Practice until you get tired.
- Find your own style .
- Be bold, do not be afraid to be wrong, we are tired of always seeing the same thing :-).
- And above all, enjoy.
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