Street photography must be some of the most fun photography ever. So, here's a thread for it and I hope you will contribute some of your street photography images.
Key elements are spontaneity, public places, timing, get the right bits in, emotional impact of some kind, and personal empathy with the subject. Can be with people or of people or without people in the picture. You just take your camera and go, no planning, no time to fiddle with settings, no tripod.
I took Christmas lunch today with PHilJ, well-known to the forum, who swiped my D610 and took the first shot below. There is in fact a person in this picture - you! - because you feel you are just walking into it. It feels so inviting!
The second picture I took in the street in Quito. This distant street trader (400mm on cropped) looked over her shoulder only momentarily but to me her face is full of expression.
All the best and looking forward to seeing your street shots!
I have never thought about street photography but now realise it is something I have been involved in without thinking about it. I do take pictures in the street, albeit, mainly for the overall image and not so much for the human content.
Nikon D80, 1/80 sec, f7.1, ISO 250, 52mm lens equivalent.
This next one is not so much "Street" but, one assumes, still qualifies.
Fuji S602, 1/400 sec, f5.6, ISO 160, 44mm lens equivalent.
The final image is when Street Photography was just that. It is taken in the late 40's, early 50's, when the local photographer would set his camera up in the street and snap random passers-by. He would then post the images in his shop window and if you saw yourself and liked the photo, you went in and bought a copy. My grandmother was obviously an easy mark, as I have several taken at different times. Here she is with my mother, striding along Burntisland High Street, while out for a bit of shopping.
Ask yourself, "What's most important for the final image?".
In recent (digital) years, street photography appears to be possibly the most abused photographic genre. The majority of images posted on the Web as 'street' appear to be nothing more than random shots of something in a street, probably because they are nothing more than random shots of something in a street.
Those also appear to be the sort of photos most susceptible to causing a serious case of the 'Emperor's New Clothes syndrome' in some viewers, yet several, if not all, of the key elements listed by Jeff in Post #1 are often missing from many such images. However, the second capture there, that of the old lady, looks like an example of a good street shot.
Keeping that list in mind, and taking the time to look through and study the many and varied examples shown here: http://www.vivianmaier.com , might help us all to see and better understand what good street photos should be about. (If I ever manage to take just one of similar content and quality, I will be happy.)
I enjoyed the Vivian Maier portfolio though they do seem perhaps a little dated now but that's only me. However the editor says something very interesting - to do street photography you need a peer group which of course is what in part this forum provides. The other thing he says is that you need loads of practice: shoot shoot shoot. My hope is that we don't have to produce top shots for the forum all the time, mind. I never could. But for the forum to be fully what it is we should upload our best attempts and hope to receive feedback. Perhaps we could add the two key factors together and say: shoot - post on forum - shoot - post on forum?
Here are a couple of attempts at street - one I took yesterday at the outdoor café at British Camp on the Malvern Hills which I consider pretty awful but with hints of possibility and the other taken in Pulau Ubin - a jungle island off Singapore - which , well, what do you think? Cheers all, Jeff
(Dec 17, 2015, 03:40)Jocko Wrote: The final image is when Street Photography was just that. It is taken in the late 40's, early 50's, when the local photographer would set his camera up in the street and snap random passers-by. He would then post the images in his shop window and if you saw yourself and liked the photo, you went in and bought a copy. My grandmother was obviously an easy mark, as I have several taken at different times. Here she is with my mother, striding along Burntisland High Street, while out for a bit of shopping.
Jocko, I've got a couple of photos exactly like that from the late '30s, one of my grandparents while they were dating and one of my grandmother and her mother (both taken on the streets of New York City).
Thanks for explaining the process. I wondered how the subjects eventually made the connection with their photo.
My contribution using a newly acquired Pentax Q7, with its 8.5mm f/1.9 lens at F/8 for 1/80sec. and 1600 ISO ---
A tiny easily carried mirrorless CSC, a LOT lighter and less obvious than my other Pentax which is a K20 with battery grip/
Jeff, the young lady certainly reflects the word "merry" in Post #5. I think the 2nd image is not only a good street photo, but also a good photo - I like the appearance of the image, almost the painterly effect of a tone-mapped HDR photo.
Dan, I agree with John - it's the 1st image for me (and it would probably also be good as a contrasty mono conversion).
When out and about, I shoot a lot of "street" and have been doing so for as long as I have used a camera. Especially when in foreign lands, street photos can convey the real "character" of the location. having done it for years, it comes naturally to me but I do understand that someone just starting out may find it difficult or intimidating to just point their camera at total strangers. To break the ice, just catch the attention of your subject, (presuming a static shot,) and gesture with your camera to ask "may I?" A nod and a smile will be the usual response. It will become easier with practice. It also helps to use an unobtrusive camera. No-one likes to have a great big DSLR with a n enormous tele zoom lens pointed at them, so I use either a small P&S camera or a small mirrorless such as my Fuji X-T10.
Just get out there and shoot! Then show us your shots.
Just another thought: It occurs to me that there are two other genres that are often confused with "Street photography." These are "Urban landscapes" and "Environmental portraits." Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the three. True street photographs usually include people doing amusing things or in juxtaposition with others or other elements in the frame and who are unaware of the camera. However, this is not written in stone, as some good street photographs do not include people at all, but may have objects or features of structures as the subject.
Urban landscapes are photographs of an urban scene which can include crowds of people, crowded sidewalks or gatherings and which depict the overall scene with emphasis on the buildings, bridges or roads.
Environmental portraits are photographs of people illustrating their activity or work in a particular environment or location. A portrait of a coal miner with a face blackened with coal dust comes to mind. The treatment is usually more formalised and posed than a candid street photograph.
Photo club judges sometimes find it difficult to define the three genres especially when judging competitions where the entries may comprise of all three. There are, however, no hard and fast rules, but if you are trying to improve your street photography skills, it may pay you to decide which type of photograph you are going to create before you release the shutter.
Not really John, there are different ways to do this, here is how I did it. Duplicate the Layer, won't work otherwise, Then, hold down Control Key, and T, Left click on mouse, adjustments triangle will show, hold down Ctrl again, this limits the movement to working area, push the top right in, till it's as wanted, then, no Ctrl, pull the middle to fill area, easier to do than explain!! Cheers. Ed.
