EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Did you know that cities speak? They speak through their people, their streets, their facades ... The life that takes place in the streets is the soul of any city, have you ever tried to portray it? Freeze your movement, your gestures, your spontaneity? That is known as "Street Photography." Street Photography or street photography is not something new, it has always existed, although it is true that in this era of telecommunications is more fashionable than ever. Anyone carries a camera in hand with the latest generation mobile phones, and some of these mobile phones have really good cameras, which makes it easier for urban photography to have achieved such fame and diffusion. This type of photography is very exciting and although it requires a lot of patience and that you leave shyness at home, it is very rewarding. I'm going to tell you the most important thing you should know to become an urban photographer, you're sure you are looking forward to it!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO DO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

There are different opinions regarding the type of objective to be used. There are those who recommend a wide angle to obtain deeper and more powerful images, who think that a telephoto lens is better to go unnoticed and take photos from afar, but if what you want to do is “pure and hard” urban photography, the philosophy is to get in the scene, to capture all its essence, not to steal from a distance, so a fixed 35 or 50 mm that forces you to get closer would be the best, and of course lighter . Because the ideal is that your equipment is very light , that you have it at hand at all times and that neither weighs nor bulges too much. Since you cannot be adjusting parameters continuously, use semi-automatic modes. Every street scene is ephemeral and will last just a moment, it will not be waiting for you to adjust the speed of light, the opening or the measurement mode, for example. When you look up again, the scene will have changed completely. That is why you should always have your camera ready, you can use the priority mode you prefer, depending on the type of images you want to obtain, but adjust the standard parameters and for the rest use the automatic or semi-automatic modes . Do not worry if you later have to process the photo to improve it, also in this type of raw photography more a powerful scene than the sharpness or perfection of the image.

RECOMMENDED DRESS

This point is more important than it seems. Everyone can dress as they please, we are in a free society, however, if you want to get urban photographs, it is essential to go unnoticed. It is much easier to shoot a natural and spontaneous scene when your way of dressing is discreet and you are not the target of all eyes. Better if you become "invisible" and as sure you don't have that power, then make your clothes "less visible";).

IMPORTANT: ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS

It is not necessary that you ask permission to all the people you want to photograph before shooting, in that case your photo will have vanished, however you should not forget that if someone gets upset and asks you to delete the photo, you must do so. You may be asked what it is for, nothing happens, you explain that you are a photography enthusiast, you can show him the photo kindly and if he likes it, it may be until he asks you to send him a copy! (Remember that a smile always helps). On the contrary if that person is upset and wants to be erased, do so without arguing.

Nacho Pello Photo

Streetphoto365 photo

TIPS FOR DOING STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Be very respectful. Avoid capturing degrading images, if you photograph a musician or a street artist, try to compensate him with some currency. 2. Keep your camera in your hand and do not hang on your neck, or you will miss more than one snapshot and you will also go less unnoticed. 3. Photography sequences. Do not stop shooting and you can take some surprise.

Caro Musso photo

4. Try shooting without looking through the viewfinder. It requires practice, but you may be lucky to get a wonderful photo from a lower angle.

Thomas Leuthard Photo

5. Look at the surroundings and stand if necessary. Sometimes we find a reason that can give us a good snapshot, but you will have to have a little patience, wait for the right moment ... and shoot!

Emilio Chulia

6. Look for scenarios that tell you something, so not only will you have an image, you will also have a story.

publikkacion

7. If you do not like the result too much, do not erase, try to turn your image to black and white, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Segovia, by Caro Musso

8. Try to go out every day with a different lens , so you check the different results without having to load with all the equipment. 9. Look for interesting faces.

Kriss_toff's photo

10. Have fun. This type of photography is to live it, feel it, love it ... Do not take it as an obligation, enjoy the scenarios, the characters, play with them and shoot (not to kill, of course). 11. Shoot, shoot and shoot , you will have time to erase. 12. Be agile. You have to be very fast, we have already said that the scene vanishes quickly. 13. Better if you don't keep company . You will move easier and your companion will not get bored. And if you have company ... take advantage of the situation, go chatting quietly and this will help achieve your "invisibility." 14. Architecture can be very interesting, but it will always win with the human factor.

Cosmic Smudge Photo

AS A LAST TIP I WILL TELL YOU THAT ...

The most important thing is not to plan, or take all the indications to the letter, the important thing is to go out, practice, shoot, lose the fear of photographing the soul of your city or the city where you are visiting. Do not forget your camera or when you are going to run a message, your opportunity may be just around the corner. At the end of this post I leave you a gallery of urban photographs so that you finish cheering yourself up.

Come on! What are you waiting for? Take your camera and go outside! But first take a second to like or share if you found this article interesting. Until next time!