I mastered using layers in street photography through years of practice. It’s a way of seeing that requires a lot of practice and patience to get these kind of layered photos. I think the secret is taking LOTS of pictures of scenes you deem worthy. If theres anything interesting going on, don’t stop shooting. You leave when the scene leaves you. Stay for as long as you can to get that shot! It’s not going to happen in a one and done quick snapshot. You got to keep pushing through and work on your observational skills. It’s all about that foreground, middle-ground, background!
At the end of the day, photography is a visual game and a physical pleasure.
Think: Where must I position myself and the camera for the puzzle pieces to align?
Photography is visual problem solving
Using layers in street photography is the most challenging approach that many people want to learn. Here are a few tips:
- Observe a “scene” – A scene can be anything happening on the street. People waiting at a bus stop, children playing soccer, a vendor selling food at a market, or people exiting a church.
- Be patient. Allow yourself time to watch the events in front of you unfold.
- Pay attention to the background. A successful photo is a legible photo. Cluttered backgrounds are distracting. I tend to find my background first.
- Position your camera. Layering is all about finding that sweet spot at the scene. Where can you position yourself to snap the shutter at the moment the events unfold? These tend to happen at a “choke point.” You can practice your camera positioning at any corner on the street where people are moving in and out as these tend to be active areas.
- Look for gestures. Watch the faces, hands, and feet of people as they move. These observations will determine when to press the shutter.
- Shoot more than you think you should.
- Move around. Maybe it would work better for you to get closer, but sometimes you need to distance yourself.
- Interact with the people at the scene. Don’t be afraid to chat with people. Keep it candid, but making your presence known is not a bad thing.
- Foreground, Middleground, Background. When you connect everything together you will get the instinctual feeling that you pressed the shutter at the right time.
- Never leave the scene. Let the scene leave you. Spend as much time as you need. Some of my best photographs were made with lots of time spent.
This is an example of a successful layered photograph that I made in my backyard in Philadelphia. I spent a few hours here at this scene. It takes a lot of “working the scene” to get everything lined up at the perfect moment. I observed the rainbow from outside of the fountain and was trying my best to position my camera to have it appear in my frame. I realized that I need to face the fountain at a very specific angle in order to have it appear, so I decided to hop in the water and take the risk. A lot of successful street photography requires courage to get the shot. This one came together after a lot of time spent. Luck favors the prepared. Watch the video below to see the behind the scenes from my POV: