From Gear to Technique, This Is the Ultimate Guide to Street Photography
Let’s explore the topic of street photography.
From opinion pieces to tutorials, we’ve written a lot about street photography. It’s one of the most accessible genres there is. Naturally, there’s plenty to say about the art form then. We decided to go through our archives and put the best of what we’ve written into one piece. Whether you’re a newbie, enthusiast, or seasoned pro, you’ll certainly take something away from this article.
Street Photography Makes You a Better Person
This year we wrote an article on why street photography makes you a better person. It requires specific skills that go along with certain virtues. And with continued practice, you’ll start to see plenty of transferable life skills. See the article here.
Manual Focus Lenses for Street Photography
We know some of our readers are purists. And we know they love using manual focus lenses! We did a round-up of three of our favorite lenses for shooting street. Of course, all of them give you full focusing control! Take a look here.
Should Street Photography Cover Breastfeeding?
What you should and shouldn’t photograph on the street sparks plenty of debate. The topic mainly focuses on the vulnerable, but as society changes, a new type of subject appears. Take a look at the photographer who documented breastfeeding. Is it ethical? Read here.
Mobile Street Photography
Street photography seems to be the only genre to truly embrace the smartphone camera. Many photographers only use the camera in their pocket. When Sony released the Xperia 1 II, we saw a phone camera with unbelievable quality, making it the perfect tool for street work. Take a look here.
The Uncertain Photographer
Being confident isn’t easy when your shoot street. It takes a lot of guts to make photos of strangers. Because of our combined experience at The Phoblographer, we can tell when someone lacks confidence just by looking at their photos. Here are four signs you need a confidence boost! Read here.
Shooting at Night
It’s a different ball game when it comes to shooting street at night. The earth’s darkness forces you to approach your shots differently. Thankfully, we wrote an article that tells all you need to know for making awesome photos at night. Read it here.
Dealing with Confrontation
If you shoot street long enough, you’ll most likely encounter confrontation. Some people just don’t like strangers making a photo of them. And while most will give you a disgruntled look, some will take it a step further. This article gives you all the tools you need to handle – and overcome – confrontation. Take a look here.
Read from a Pro About the Law
Continuing on the topic of confrontation, Jonathan Higbee shared one of his more memorable experiences. Confronted by a gang of security guards, he was forced to debate the law relating to street photography. What happened? Find out here.
Back to Basics
Naturally, street photography has evolved. What was once a genre of pure documentation is now a genre of coincidences and cliche. Sometimes it’s a good idea to return to the fundamentals of a craft. They are, after all, the foundations of the photography we love today. Read about it in more detail here.
Why Did Street Become Cliche?
There are several factors to why street photography became cliche. But one of the driving forces is certainly social media (more so, Instagram).
Instead of being authentic creators, photographers started following the likes. They see popular photographs on Instagram and think, “if I create a similar photo, I’ll get likes too.” Originality went out the window, and the quality of the craft decreased. Take a look here.
Take Inspiration from Other Photographers
We have featured many street photographers over the past 11 years. People from all over the world have shared their stories and culture with us.
Check out the work of Kuo-Chico Lin, Miguel Valencia, and Tom Souzer. And if you want something from someone with legendary status, check out the work of Daido Moriyama.
All That’s Left Is to Shoot
Above is enough content for you to forget that time exists. But once you’ve finished reading, get off the couch and get outside. Nobody becomes a better street photographer just by reading about it. The real work comes from making the photos. So go outside and start creating!
Think you’ve got street photographs we need to see? Send your pitches to arts [at] thephoblographer dot com.