As I suppose it happens to anyone who has a Hobbie or hobby, I have realized that each one acquires certain curious customs as they develop it. Surely if, for example, you like to read, you have some curious habits. For example, I always read the last word of a novel before starting it. Only the last. That feeds my intrigue and my imagination, I suppose.
I don’t do it with photography books, to be honest 😉 but what really catches my attention are the initial dedications. I always think about them and spend a few minutes reflecting on them. Why? Because I think they say a lot about the person who has written the book, about the person to whom it is addressed, and many times they also tell us about what we can find in it.
This book starts like this:
This book is dedicated to all the photographers who cultivate this genre and share their images as a memory of life in cities.
Ideal for…
Any photography enthusiast who is interested in getting started in street photography either Street Photography, since this very complete manual leaves nothing to chance, and will guide you in everything you may need to take urban photography.
Based on simple explanations and step by step, you will be able to delve into this wonderful and suggestive world of urban, street photography, or street-photographywhatever you prefer to call it 😉 .
Composition and design
This manual on urban photography consists of 224 pages that are divided into 10 chapters with their respective subtopics. Below, you can see all the topics that this book deals with, ranging from the history of the genre, to the most suitable equipment, the best camera parameters, light, composition, tactics, or editing among others.
Introduction
Jesús León speaks to us in his introduction about how the development of digital photography has led the genre of urban photography to an unprecedented expansion. Phenomena such as Vivian Maier have only increased the fascination felt by this type of photography. All this added to the accessibility of the amateur photographer to all kinds of equipment and information means that this type of photography is experiencing exponential growth.
This book aims, according to the author, to be a guide in Spanish both for the fan who wants to delve deeper and for those who have not yet immersed themselves in this world and want to discover it. All the content is presented in a simple, practical way and with a multitude of images that are an aid for understanding the concepts explained in the book.
Chapter 1
In this chapter, the author offers us an approach to the origin of urban photography, what is its definition and why, through what stages it has gone through and what characteristics each of them has had, as well as who have been the great masters of the gender.
Understanding the history and drinking from the great masters makes us face and understand much better what we are talking about when we talk about urban photography, so it is a highly recommended chapter.
Listed below are the topics covered in this chapter.
What is urban photography?
- Looking for a definition
- Differences and rules
- Origins, history and evolution
- First stage: end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century
- Second stage: 35mm cameras and the decisive moment
- Third stage: Apogee and consolidation of the genre
- Fourth stage: Internet and digital photography
- the great masters
Episode 2
Although urban photography is very free, it is true that there are teams that will facilitate our work better than others. Here you will find all the aspects to take into account when choosing the best equipment for this type of photography.
These are all topics that the author will deal with in the second chapter.
The right team
- Previous considerations
- Which camera to choose?
- compact cameras
- Smart mobile phones or smartphones
- SLR or DSLR cameras
- rangefinder cameras
- Compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses
- On digital or on film
- Choosing a target
- Accessories
Chapter 3
for being one very dynamic photography, Street photography takes a lot of practice to shoot, but with the right settings, it’s true that the street photographer’s life can improve dramatically. In this chapter you will find everything you need to know about camera parameters.
Camera Parameters
- Previous considerations
- Initial setup
- Activate silent mode
- Turn off auto mode
- Disable autofocus assist light
- Disable automatic sleep mode
- Deactivate the rear screen (if we have a viewfinder)
- Activate grid guides
- Use custom programs and controls
- burst shot
- light measurement
- Choose the most suitable shooting mode
- Manual mode
- Aperture priority mode (A or AV)
- Shutter priority mode (S or TV)
- Which mode to choose?
- And what about automatic mode?
- The approach: the keys
- auto focus
- manual focus
- hyperfocal distance and depth of field
- Focus Area Technique
- ISO sensitivity
- white balance
- The use of the flash
- color or black and white
- Type of file
Chapter 4
In this chapter, the author tells us about how learning to understand light is essential in all types of photography but even more so, if possible, in urban photography since, on the street, there are countless lights that we are going to find. In such an uncontrollable environment, we must learn to control light to the maximum to make it our ally in taking pictures.
The light in urban photography
- Previous considerations
- light and time of day
- Sunny days
- Cloudy or foggy days
- days with rain or snow
- night urban photography
Chapter 5
After mastering the technique based on practice and discipline, what will really end up elevating your photographs is a good composition. Through some basic rules, as well as training the eye to see symmetries, lines, shapes, colors, organize the space or control the background, you will be able to free your creativity to create your own style.
Composition in urban photography
- Previous considerations
- Framing and perspective
- rule of thirds
- dynamic symmetry
- The diagonal method
- The point of view
- balance and geometry
- The dot and the line
- The forms
- The color
- Breaking the rules
- analyze the scene
- isolate the elements
- Organize the space
- The contrast
- The bottom
- the imbalance
- the cutout
Chapter 6
The initial fears of all those photographers who enter the world of urban photography are usually associated with the fact of having to photograph strangers in a public space. As Joselyn Bain Hogg says: You need 80% balls and 20% skill (You need 80% courage and 20% skills.)
In this chapter you will find the solution to your fears and tricks to get out of your comfort zone and to lose the fear of photographing strangers on the street.
Techniques and tactics to photograph strangers on the street
- Previous considerations
- Get out of the comfort zone
- Approach Strategies
- eye contact or invisibility
- shoot from the waist
- Techniques of discretion and dissimulation
Chapter 7
Not leaving everything to chance will help us get better photographs. Learning to locate interesting places, to plan or to locate subjects is essential in an otherwise dynamic and almost unpredictable environment.
Planning and selection of urban themes
- Previous considerations
- Locate exteriors
- photograph without people
- locate subjects
- hunter mode
- fisherman mode
- Choosing a theme for urban photography
- Topic Examples
- Planification and organization
- Coherence
- How to start a personal project in urban photography
- Choice of theme
- Set a lead time
- Study and planning
- count on opinions
Chapter 8
Learning to select our images is one of the most complicated parts of urban photography. In this chapter you have some recommendations that will help you in this difficult process, as well as some basic editing tricks to improve your image.
street photography editing
- Previous considerations
- The difficult task of selection
- Organization and tools
- The edition
- the backup
- Exhibition
- Preparation of the digital copy
- Preparation of the printed copy
Chapter 9
The importance of the ethical sense, honesty and professionalism must define an urban photographer above all things.
This chapter discusses this ethical value, as well as current legislation in Spain (it varies depending on each country).
Ethics and legislation in urban photography
- Previous considerations
- The ethics of the urban photographer
- The case of Bruce Gilden
- Anything goes?
- In search of artistic meaning
- Who can be photographed in an urban space?
- what the law says
- photograph minors
- Practical application of the law
- Measures to photograph legally
- Where can you photograph?
- Photographer’s Rights
Chapter 10
In this last chapter you will have the keys to develop your own style and a good dose of inspiration from the best street photographers that exist today, as well as groups and groups to keep track of.
Own style and inspiration in urban photography
- How to develop your own style
- Choose a single theme
- Choosing the right tools
- be more demanding
- Take a million photos
- Enjoyment is the key
- where to find inspiration
- Photographers to be inspired
- Collectives and groups to get inspired
- Urban Photography Publications
- Online videos on urban photography
The best
It is a very book complete In general, it leaves nothing to chance. No doubt will remain unanswered in it and it will allow you to go step by step unraveling all the secrets of urban photography.
Also, it is very well explained. Step by step when necessary, in a didactic and easy way to understand, it has enough example images, and it’s easy to navigate through the book through the table of contents and find what you want if you don’t want to read the book in one sitting.
The constant references and anecdotes to other urban photographers, their techniques and tricks, have also seemed very enriching, inspiring and interesting. Learning from the great masters is a luxury that, thanks to the Internet, we can give ourselves for free ;).
In the last chapter you have a complete list of photographers to follow and be inspired by. Having them so close at hand is a gift and I think it’s a great and generous contribution 🙂 .
Worst
I can’t easily find anything negative to say about this book on urban photography, apart from the fact that perhaps the edition part is somewhat limited. Although it’s not an image editing book, so you can’t blame it too much either ;).
If you are a great connoisseur in urban photography, you will not find that this book is what you are looking for. Since it is aimed at a photographer who wants to enter this world, perhaps not for someone more advanced in the subject who is looking for specific information.
Details
- Number of pages: 224
- Soft cover
- Publisher: Anaya Multimedia (Photo…