Street Photography Tips pt. 1
Wear Comfortable Shoes and Clothes
The very first tip I have to kick this off starts before even picking up your camera and walking out the front door. Comfort is something that can be easily overlooked in street photography, and I personally feel it’s one of the most important tips anyone could offer. When you might be walking around for hours on end, there’s no reason you should subject yourself to sore, blistered feet or jeans that are too tight. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you’ll want to go home sooner, and you’ll lose focus on why you’re out in the first place. Be comfortable while you’re out, it’ll pay off in the long run.
Follow the Light
Photography is the art of light, so it’s important to pay attention to it when you’re on the street. Typically, early morning and late day are the best times to shoot, as you’re more likely to have softer light and longer shadows, which create more interesting and dramatic scenes. There’s nothing wrong with shooting mid-day in harsh light, but it’s easier to find more interesting scenes with better quality light. Find patches of light that create dramatic looking scenes, and you’re almost guaranteed to get a keeper.
Focus on Composition
Composition is arguably the most important aspect of photography in general. Without a strong composition, you’ll struggle to grab people’s attention with your photographs. A few easy techniques to follow are rule of thirds, leading lines, and symmetry. Practice the basic rules and techniques, get to a point where you understand when to use them, and you’ll eventually figure out how to break those rules. You can also experiment combining compositional techniques, like using a leading line to a subject on one of your thirds lines. Composition is key.
