Hungry for exercises? In addition to this article, don’t miss our compilation with all the photography exercises you can imagine.
I know few photography enthusiasts who have not been interested in urban photography or Street Photography at some point. But when it comes down to it, the truth is that getting those images of interesting strangers on the street gives us some hesitation. We came out enthusiastic, camera in hand, full of energy, positivism and security, wanting to get some memorable images, but the truth is that as the minutes go by we deflate until we are just a shadow of the confident person we were moments before… sound like you? Well, like everything else, it’s a matter of effort seasoned with a few tricks that can be useful to you 🙂 .
1. Choose and study the place previously
To begin to lose fear, it is usually a good option to choose places with large influx of people. There it will be easier for you to confuse yourself with a tourist and pretend to be clueless, blending into the crowd. Try in the tourist places in your environment, subway or train exits, corners of commercial streets, etc. Once you feel safe, you can progressively seek more interesting and lonely places.
2. Learn about the semi-manual modes of your camera
Do not limit yourself to photographing automatically, since that way it will be the camera that makes the decisions and not you. If you really want photography to be yours, with all its strengths and weaknesses, it’s best to practice with aperture or speed priority depending on the results you want to achieve. If it is a scene with a constant light, you can also dare in manual. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain 😉
3. Work with medium focal lengths (50mm) or less
If you’re terrified of having to get so close to people, try starting with longer focal lengths and with every incursion you make, force yourself to lower it a bit. Surely you have a zoom that allows you to vary the focal length. Do something like this:
- Day 1: I die of shame. Focus 100mm.
- Day 2: I have seen that there is light at the end of the tunnel, yesterday I took a few photos and nothing unpleasant happened to me, on the contrary. Focus 80mm.
- Day 3: Little by little it seems that I am gaining confidence, I feel safe and wanting more. Focus 70mm.
- Day 4: This is my thing, it seems that I’m getting the hang of it. Focus 50mm.
- Day 5: Well, there is no one to stop me, I am a true Doisneau. Focus 35mm.
4. Do an intensive on discretion
One of the things that we carry the worst and that terrifies us the most, is facing bad looks, bad words, having to give explanations or seeing ourselves exposed in public. Although that is our main fear, the truth is that this type of situation occurs less often than you expect. Still, if you prefer to avoid them at all costs, it is best to learn to be discreet.
- The team: The more discreet better. No tripod, flash, reflectors, spotlights, etc. Take only the essentials.
- You: Try not to look like a National Geographic photographer in the savannah ;-).
- learn to shoot from the waist. In addition to being discreet, it will give you interesting points of view.
- Practice with your poker face.
- Avoid the eye contact. We all notice if someone looks at us insistently.
- Show that you photograph something else…
- Or that you tinker with your camera settings.
- And above all, don’t get nervous, that’s the most indiscreet thing you can do 😉
5. Do an intensive on empathy and good manners
If you want to convince someone that you really are not doing anything wrong, the first thing is to convince yourself. Don’t look guilty, you’re not doing anything wrong. If you convey that, people will feel much more comfortable with you around.
- Smile: It works better than you would imagine and many times it “saves” you from having to give explanations.
- take a speech prepared and memorized in case someone asks you for explanations. Why do you do what you do, why do you do it, if you are going to publish it somewhere, if it is a school project, etc.
- HE polite and respectful FOREVER.
- HE empathic. Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.
- If someone asks you to delete their image, do it. Although you can try to show him the picture and offer to send it by e-mail so that he sees that there is nothing wrong with it and thus saves you from having to delete it. It usually works.
- If it doesn’t work, delete it. Don’t “fight” over a photo, if it didn’t have to be, it will be another 😉
6. Ask permission
If you’re really uncomfortable with what others might say or think about you, try start asking permission someone who has caught your attention. Tell him why you want his photo: Because you like his hairstyle, because you do a job on beards, whatever you think. Once you see that people are more willing than it seems to be photographed, throw yourself into doing it without permission, so the photographs will be spontaneous and naturalwhich is what we are looking for in urban photography.
7. Start with “photographable” people
That is to say, street artists, dancers, acrobats… Anyone who works in the street is usually used to having the occasional photograph taken. They are a good reason to start and dust off your camera without feeling so self-conscious. Once you have it down, look for “more” interesting and spontaneous subjects.
8. Don’t forget black and white
It goes like a glove to street photography. Although of course it goes to taste, because it depends on what images are held or not in black and white. Learning to see it is a matter of practice, so if you like monochrome, you already have a place to start 🙂
9. Give your work a title
It’s easier to find something when you know what you want. For example, you are interested in the activities of the elderly on the street. That’s your topic. Or you are fascinated by street vendors. Another subject. Or what fascinates you most is the face of the people waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Another topic… This will help you focus and get more and better results and not feel so lost in the throng of possible images that urban photography offers.
10. Learn to add interest to your images
At first it seems to us that everything is interesting and likely to end up being a great photograph. Over time you will become more critical and demanding and you will see that, unfortunately, it is not that simple. Many times it is not only the person you photograph that is “interesting” enough (visually speaking) but you need to learn to look photogenic backdropsby contrast (old and new, tall and short…), by theme, formal, etc.
11. Study the old masters and the new ones.
Immerse yourself in his style, in his good work, decide what you want to do and why, what is the style that “goes with you” and little by little you will begin to find your own style, your way of doing things.
12. About legality
If Street Photography is your thing, before you go out shooting like crazy, find out what you can and cannot do in your own country. Even more if you go to unknown countries. Make sure you have understood well what you can and cannot photograph to avoid greater evils, or at least to be aware of the consequences of your behavior.
13. Practice
Only with practice will you learn to find interesting motifsTo be fast and discreeta chase the picture Instead of settling for what’s in front of you. Only with practice will you win confidence, fluency, you will learn to discern an interesting photograph from a flat and boring one and you will improve the composition. The more you practice, the more you will fill that photographic eye of yours, so eager to learn.
And you know, if you liked it, it has been useful to you and you think someone else may be interested in this article, please share it on your favorite social network. (Or all at once) Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Thank you so much! 🙂