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6 Basics of Street Photography

Are you interested in capturing photos of places or random people?

Capturing people in their natural environment is not easy.

We as humans are shy and when we see a camera, we try to hide our real emotions.

Sometimes it gets difficult to approach and photograph complete strangers.

You need to have an eye to capture photographs and some luck too.

In this article, I will tell you what street photography is and six basics of street photography one should know.

So, let’s begin.

What is Street Photography?

Street Photography is not just about capturing photos on streets. But it is about candidly capturing life and human nature in public areas. Contrary to its name, you can do street photography anywhere; be it beach, museums, coffee shops etc. Street photography is the most publicly available form of photography. You don’t need hi-fi cameras, or models to capture great pictures. You even don’t need people to be present for an image. The spontaneity is celebrated in the street photography.

6 Basics of Street Photography

Like other form of photography, street photography also has some basics that need to be followed to be true to its essence.

1.   Composition and Light

You need to compose the scenario before shooting a photograph. Bring in all the elements in a photograph to get the desired result. You need to see ahead of the main subject and combine other anchor subjects or elements to create a story in your image. Also, see how the light hits your subject or how you can play the element of light and shadow together. You can look for pockets of light diffused by surrounding buildings. Look out for the colors coming out of the darkness in your composition.

2.   Capture Silhouettes

Silhouettes give a complete new meaning to the photographs. It is a great way to anonymously capture subjects. Find a strong backlighting and then wait for a subject to pass in front of it. Wait for the right moment and the right subject to make your photograph outstanding.

3.   Shoot from a distance

As a beginner, it is better to shoot from a distance until and unless you feel comfortable to interact with the subject. You can find better composition when shooting from a distance and it will give a more natural look to your photograph.

4.   Wait for the decisive moment

To do street photography, you need to wait for the decisive moment. For instance, the right moment when the subject enters your frame, or when the bus passes the street. As a photographer, you need to capture that exact moment based on your intuition and quick reaction time. Once that moment passed, you missed a beautiful photograph.

5.   Show Gratitude

While doing street photography, there are instances when the strangers’ eyes met yours. In that moment, you should always show gratitude towards them. Without their presence, your photograph might not be the same.

6.   Showcase your work

One of the street photography artists, Mirko Karsch has his own website to show his portfolio and interest in street photography. It is always good to have your own website or page where you can show your photograph skills and get honest reviews from people. But remember to compress the images so that your website loads faster.

Now, you know the basics of street photography so you can try your hands on it and remember practice polishes your photography skills.

Zipmeme

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