Street Photography: 5 Pro Tips

Photography Tips  •  Street Photography

Street photography is where most photographers start their photography journey. After all, it’s in the streets where most of the stories, people, great composition and lighting can be found – and all that for free. But, as convenient as the resources are available in the street, capturing an intriguing street photo takes equal perseverance. Photographer Jason Vong brings to you 5 street photography tips from professional street photographer Kenneth Hines, Jr.:

Use Prime Lenses

Prime lenses force you to move around, and their image quality is usually better than those of zoom lenses. They’re also usually smaller and lighter too, and that’s helpful for you to move around the street without drawing in much attention.

Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode

Don’t listen to what others say. You don’t always need to be shooting in full manual mode. In genres like street photography, you don’t always get the time to fiddle with your camera settings. You need to make split second decisions, and aperture priority mode is perfect for such instances. Set your aperture depending on how much of the scene you want in focus, and let the camera work its magic.

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings

Besides focusing on taking photographs, also be wary of what’s happening around you. Anticipation is a key part of street photography. And, you can do that only when you pay attention to the people around, and the environment you’re in.

“I always try to anticipate where people are going to go, where people are going to walk, what are people going to do, and just be ready.”

Don’t Be a Perfectionist

“Sharpness isn’t everything, break the rules, and just be comfortable in knowing your gear.”

Perfect photos exist mostly in the perfect conditions. But when you’re out in the streets, think of it like being in the wild. Pay greater attention in capturing the right moment. Other factors are secondary.

Visualize The Final Image

“Take your photo and edit in your mind first.”

Before you even press the shutter button, try and visualize the image in your head. Knowing what you want will help you in getting most of the image right in-camera. Besides aiding in composition, visualizing the final image also helps you in determining the type of mood you want to set. This makes post-processing so much easier.

These are some really awesome tips from Hines. Which one is your favorite? If you’re feeling stuck with street photography, you might want to give these tips a try.