10 Techniques to Improve Your Street Photography
What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. Today I’m sharing with you 10 techniques to improve your street photography. These are all tried and true lessons I’ve learned over a decade of practicing photography.
1. Stick to One Camera and One Lens
The first decision you’ve got to overcome is simple:
“Commit to one camera and one lens.”
Don’t worry about buying new gear. Just eliminate decision fatigue right away. Your camera should become an extension of your eye and body. Focal length doesn’t matter as much as you think—what matters is consistency.
“Photography is a physical medium. It’s about where you position your body in relation to the subject and the background.”
Stay true to one focal length for at least a year. Let it become second nature.
2. Photography Is Physical
You don’t need to intellectualize every shot. Get physical. Move your body. Respond to the world.
That photo I made of the broken-down car in Jericho? It was instinct. I felt the frame. My camera, my body, and my intuition were in sync. That’s how you create layers—foreground, middle ground, and background—all by feel.
3. Treat Photography Like Weight Training
“The more you walk, the more you see. The more you see, the more you photograph.”
Photography is like lifting weights:
- Lift daily, and you get stronger.
- Shoot daily, and you get better.
It’s that simple. No excuses. Show up every day.
4. Work the Scene
Don’t just take one photo and move on. Work it.
At Coney Island, I kept photographing the same basketball scene over and over. Dunk after dunk, same background. Through repetition, I found the moment. That’s instinct. That’s working the scene.
5. Walk Slower Than Everyone Else
“Walk 75% slower than everyone around you.”
By walking slowly, you start to see more:
- Light
- Gestures
- Patterns
- Possibilities
Be present. Be still. Let life come to you.
6. Recognize Patterns
Look for the rhythm:
- Light on surfaces
- Birds in flight
- People gathering at corners
“Familiarity will lead to results.”
Walk the same route. Observe the same bus stops. Study how light hits at different times. Learn your terrain.
7. Study the Light
“Follow the light, not the moment.”
Light is your guide. In Zambia, I waited for the light to hit a child’s eye just right. I couldn’t control it—but I could respond to it. That response comes from studying light, patterns, and being ready.
8. Get Close—Emotionally and Physically
“Photography has everything to do with how you engage with humanity.”
Engage with your subjects:
- Talk to them.
- Smile.
- Share a tea, like I did in Mumbai.
Your presence matters. Get physically close, but also emotionally close. That energy comes through in the frame.
9. Embrace the Flow State
Leave your phone at home. Stop thinking. Enter the rhythm. Go for a walk, camera in hand, and:
- Let life flow.
- Respond with instinct.
- Forget your rational mind.
“Just go out there and live your everyday life. Bring the camera for the ride.”
10. Study the Masters and Study Yourself
- Look at Magnum Contact Sheets.
- Pick up Monument by Trent Parke.
- Flip through books on my Start Here page.
Also:
- Make thumbnail prints.
- Lay them out.
- Create a sketchbook.
- See the patterns in your own work.
I use the Canon Selphy CP1500. I frame tiny 4×6 prints. I write notes. I study myself.
“Composition is intuition. Photography is both a visual game and a physical pleasure.”
Bonus Philosophy: Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
Here’s my secret:
“I don’t take myself seriously. I have fun on the street. I embrace the spirit of play.”
Even under the Coney Island boardwalk, dancing with strangers, I was out there just vibing. I wasn’t trying to change the world. I was having fun.
Final Thoughts: Your Next Photograph Is Your Best One
“Wake up each day ready to play, ready to see. Forget what you know. Just be curious.”
Photography is transformation. Keep making photographs. Treat life like day one.
And remember:
“My next photograph is my best photograph.”
Stay curious. Stay consistent. And I’ll see you in the next video.
Peace.