There’s no shortcuts to improving your street photography, but there certainly are some simple heuristics to live by. Street photography is like basketball. The more you hit the court and practice your shot, the more shots you will make.
- Shoot daily
- Use one camera, one lens
- Walk the same route for one month
- Practice chatting with people and confrontation
- Wear a smile and don’t be shy
- Avoid hesitation. Don’t think, just shoot.
- The technical settings need to be mastered. Either shoot fully automatic mode or get good to the point where you don’t have to think about it. I suggest automatic mode.
- Learn layering and how to piece together the foreground, middle ground, and background. What to include in the frame, and what to exclude from the frame?
- Wait at a corner you find promising, and practice people watching.
- Observe the feet of people as they dance across the sidewalk. Practice timing
- Shoot with less intention. Don’t get caught up in perfection
- Make an effort to just always carry the camera. It’s easy to get out of the groove if you stop shooting for a long period of time.
- Watch life at the bus stop. They’re easy places to make layered pictures
- Get closer. Your photography won’t improve sitting on the sidelines
- Make sure to say thank you if somebody acknowledges your presence while photographing
- If you’re going to shoot flash, I suggest taking the bus to NYC and tearing up their territory.
- The longer you walk, the more you will see, and ultimately the more photographs you will make
- Street photography requires time. You may get a few keepers per year.
- Don’t get burnt out by lack of inspiration or motivation. The motivation is in your legs and moving your body.
- Street photography is both a physical pleasure and a visual game. Treat a composition like visual problem solving. Where must I position myself and my camera to make a successful frame here?
- At the end of the day, stay curious. Curiosity is the goal
- Don’t take yourself so seriously.
- Always shoot more than you think you should
- Shoot first, ask questions later
- If you are anxious or hesitate, that’s good. Learn to overcome yourself.
- When you come home from a photo walk, import the photos right away and just stay on top of the archive. Make selections immediately and come back to them at the end of the month to decide the keepers. Don’t keep a huge backlog. This will make you unmotivated.
- Ask yourself this simple question before going out: “what will reality manifest to be in a photograph?”
- Walk slower than you think you should. I say walk 50% slower than everyone else on the street. Let life flow towards you and don’t rush around.
- Buy books, not gear
- Just stick to one focal length for at least an entire year. I suggest multiple years if you want to truly become prolific.
- Don’t watch youtube videos. There’s not a single channel that will help you improve. Just go out and shoot.
- Experience is the greatest teacher for street photography
- Pattern recognition is critical
- Pay attention to the edges of the frame
- Learn to embrace the mundane nature of the streets
- Repetition is key. By shooting and walking the same lane every single day, you will increase your chances of making something interesting.
- Don’t worry about what makes a “good” or “bad” photo
- Follow your intuition
- God is in your gut. If you stay fasted without eating food, you will have a sharper mind and body connection to stay focused
- Drink espresso
- When traveling to a new place to photograph, stay for at least 2 weeks to one month at a time. Don’t do any day trips and just walk everywhere.
- It will take you around 10 years of practice to understand what you’re really doing. Time is everything with street photography. I think this is important to understand because nowadays everybody wants instant gratification.
- Street photography requires patience
- When you’re walking, don’t check the phone. Just stay in the zone.
- Look for gestures. Watch people’s hands and how they move.
- When it doubt, click the shutter more than less. There’s no such thing as “overshooting” a scene.
- Photograph during the sunrise and sunset. Golden hour is the most fruitful time to make something interesting.
- It doesn’t matter if you walk for the entire day, or just a few blocks for a half hour. Any amount of time spent out there is practice and worth putting the time in for.
- The world is your canvas and the street is a stage.
- Everything is photographable. Don’t limit yourself.
- If you’re looking for feedback, share prints or photos on an iPad with somebody you know in real life. Don’t use online forums.
- Delete your Instagram and carry a sketchbook with you. Keep your photos in it so that you can show curious people you meet on the street. If they ask for your Instagram, just show them the photos in person.
- Less is more. Avoid cluttered background and simplify the frame.
- Strong photographer, strong photographs. Weightlifting is practical for street photographers because it increases your confidence, courage, and ability to hit the streets for long periods of time. I believe the medium is physical first, visual second.
- Keep post processing to a minimum. If you want to shoot color, just shoot RAW. If you want to shoot black and white, try to get it in camera as a JPEG and stay strict with your decisions.
- Setting limitations are good for creativity. Don’t give yourself too many options.
- See the world as a child would. A child is forever curious about everything around them. This is where we want to be.
- Go at your own pace and don’t compare your work to others
- Walk alone
- Fuji X100 and Ricoh GR are good ideas. Any camera will work, but maybe the fixed lens is a good idea for most people because it seems that everyone is too interested in cameras and the boring tech side of things.
- P mode is for professionals
- Don’t worry about the photos you made yesterday, but look forward to the photos you will make today.
- New photos are the ultimate goal
- Don’t worry about avoiding “Cliché” – just shoot what you want.
- Use street photography as a way to give your life more meaning
- Don’t worry about impressing other photographers with your photography. Maybe it’s better if non photographers enjoy your work.
- Snapshot your way through life!
- Just don’t be boring and serious about it
- If the weather is bad, maybe you will make interesting photographs
- Study the masters of photography
- Street photography is an ethos. There are no rules or guidelines
- Learn to make a traditionally successful photo, then break the rules!
- It will take at least 2 years to find your voice as a street photographer
- If you want music, don’t listen to music using headphones. Just blast it from your speaker and spread the love!
- Shoot *through* the moment. Don’t just press the shutter one and done.
- Don’t worry about being decisive with what you photograph. Just shoot it. Stop thinking too much. Intuition is king.
- Body language is critical. Head up, shoulders back, and eyes wide open.
- Luck is made through dedication and commitment to shooting daily
- Follow your personal curiosity
- Be open and honest about your practice
- Look ahead. Anticipate how the potential life will unfold in front of you when you’re a block away.
- Use all of your senses, follow the sights, sounds, and smells of the streets
- Don’t be afraid to interact with people on the street
- Walk somewhere new
- Street photography can be done anywhere. It doesn’t have to be in the literal streets.
- Just go outside and see if anything is going on
- Be loose and fluid. Don’t be so stiff with a camera. Dance along the street!
- Treat street photography like meditation. Don’t think and just be.
- 99% of the shots you take will be failure
- Don’t make eye contact with the people you photograph
- Learn to love the street and the practice of walking daily
- Don’t worry about making a project or following any themes
- Keep your compositions interesting. Don’t always center the subject in the frame. Place subjects on the right or left hand side. Try filling one side of the frame with a face or gesture.
- Follow the light! For what is photography but merely painting with light?
- Embrace chaos and thrive in it
- Forget everything you think you know about photography
- Study the street. You will learn with each new experience.
- You don’t need a big camera bag. Just keep a camera around your neck or in your pocket with a spare battery or two.
- Think about longevity. Don’t think short term. Treat photography as a lifelong pursuit.
- Street photography requires strong intuition, courage, and curiosity.