I am often asked for tips from photographers new to street photography. And to be honest, I am frequently at a loss as to what to share as there are so many things to consider when trying to create a good photograph, regardless of genre.
Nevertheless, here are 5 things that I feel make it possible for me to succeed whenever I photograph.
One Body - One Lens
I find that keeping my equipment simple frees me to focus more on my seeing rather than on my equipment. That is why my camera of choice for years has been the Fujifilm x100 series. Its fixed-focal length of 23mm (35mm equivalent) provides me a consistent perspective to view the world. I do not have to adjust my zoom or think about switching to another lens. Instead, I zoom with my feet and move my body into the position that is necessary to get the shot. Though I will use more than one camera body for a professional job, I will still try to rely on a single camera and lens combination for most of my imagery, switching only when absolutely necessary.
Get My Settings Out of the Way
Before I have exposed a single frame, I will evaluate the light that I am going to be working under and set my ISO and white balance as well as set my aperture for f/5.6. By evaluating the light and understanding how it affects camera settings, I take care of most of the important technical issues. By setting my aperture for f/5.6 and evaluating what the shutter speed, I can determine what ISO is needed for not only a good exposure, but one that will provide me a shutter speed that is fast enough to counter camera shake. With my aperture at f/5.6 I know what direction I need to go to immediately for a wider or smaller aperture. Setting my white balance with a preset provides me consistent and accurate color for all my photographs, even though I may refine my raw files that later in Photoshop or Lightroom.
Feet Comfort
Taking care of my body and ensuring the I remain comfortable is essential for me, especially if I know I am going to be on my feet for hours while making photographs. So, wearing a good pair of shoes is key. I have recently embraced the use of compression socks on the advice of a fellow street photographer and they have been a saving grace for me. It makes all the difference.
Slow Down
When I am in a rush or impatient, it is a lot harder to make good photographs. I am too much in my head, rather than focused on my seeing. All that crazy energy is good for is feeding my anxiety and self-doubt. Slowing down provides me the opportunity to focus on my breathing and consequently my seeing. I will linger on a scene for however long I need to make a satisfying photograph or I will just take a break for a cup a coffee or just people watch. Giving myself the permission to miss the shot can sometimes be the best choice for my photography.
Give Yourself Permission to Make Bad Photographs
Trying to make every frame a great photograph is an unsustainable expectation. It was something that I had to let go of in order to make photography fun and enjoyable. Instead, I make the process of seeing and making pictures the priority. For me, it is about being completely in the moment and taking pleasure in the moments of discovery. If I manage to create a picture that captures that feeling, that moment, it is made all the better.
What are the things that you find are invaluable to your process?
Nick Carver is a working photographer and photography instructor based in Southern California with over eighteen years shooting experience and a professional career spanning more than a decade. Although his teaching and commercial work hinges primarily on digital photography, his passion is fueled by a love for analog film and creating fine art prints. Nick has sought to educate, entertain, and inspire other photographers both in the classroom and through his YouTube videos.
Robbie Quinn is an award-winning, New York–based commercial photographer specializing in environmental portraits. His work, which has brought him to more than a dozen countries, speaks to current issues, including race, immigration, gender identity, and sexual orientation, emphasizing promoting diversity and inclusion.
Rachelle Steele is a Master Photographer based out of Northern California. She is most known for dynamic black and white environmental portraiture and her ability to fill a single frame with design elements of intense storytelling and passionate compositions. Her unique background brings depth and power to her images, communicating something from the eye, heart, and mind.
Joel Meyerowtiz is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in over 350 exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide. Celebrated as a pioneer of color photography, he is a two-time Guggenheim Fellow, a recipient of both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities awards and The Royal Society’s Centenary Medal. He has published over 53 books. His latest release is titled. The Pleasure of Seeing.
Kirsten Elstner is the founder and director of National Geographic Photo Camp, whose mission is to work with youth from diverse communities worldwide, guiding them as they use photography to tell their own stories and develop meaningful connections with others.
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James Payne is a social documentary photographer based in Los Angeles, California.
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Sandy Sugawara and Catiana Garcia Kilroy collaborate on a book project titled Show Me the Way Home. It is an immersive, visual journey through the incarceration camps that held 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War 2. Sugawara and Kilroy tell the story of each camp through original and archival photographs, personal stories, and government documents. It’s a frightening tale of a society that failed to protect its vulnerable.
Jason Langer is an American photographer best known for his psychological and norish visions of contemporary photography urban life. Langer apprenticed with renowned photographers including Ruth Bernhard, Arthur Tess, and Michael Kenna. Langer is known for his fine-art black-and-white photography. His latest book is titled Berlin.
Richard Sandler is a street photographer and documentary filmmaker. He has directed and shot eight non-fiction films, including “The Gods of Times Square,” “Brave New York,” and “Radioactive City.”
Nina Welch-Kling is a New York City-based photographer originally from a small town in southern Germany. Her background in fine art and architecture, combined with a love for roaming the city streets, inform her photographic depictions of everyday life.
Raquel Natalicchio is a photographer from Los Angeles, CA, now based in Houston, TX as a staff visual journalist for The Houston Chronicle. Raquel documents social issues, community-driven stories, political mobilization, and migration across the US/Mexico border. Her work focuses on the universality of humanity, including themes of love, struggle, resilience, and community.
Bob Patterson is the founder and publisher of Street Photography Magazine. For the past 10 years, Bob has produced a magazine dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of street photography and documentary photographers. An early adopter of digital publications, Bob combined his savvy for web design with his personal love for photography.
Larry Niehues is a French-born author and photographer who immigrated to the United States in 2010. While working as a commercial photographer for a variety of brands and publications, Mr. Niehues has tended to his passion for motorcycles, music, and the open road, traveling intensively over the last seven years creating the images that compose Nothing Has Changed, a photographic journey across America that connects the present with the past in ways that make us contemplate our collective future. His latest book is Mississippi Dream.
After graduating from California State University, Los Angeles with a Master of Arts Degree in Pictorial/Documentary History, Mark Edward Harris started his professional photography career doing the stills for the Merv Griffin Show and various television and movie companies. Mark has worked on numerous documentary projects. His latest project focuses on the challenges of orangutans, their habitat, and the people that are helping them to survive.
Matthew Jordan Smith is an American photographer based in Tokyo, Japan and working between Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. He has photographed some of the worlds most famous celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Angela Bassett, Tyra Banks and more. His advertising clients include Olay, Pantene, Revlon, Showtime and HBO.
Barbara Peacock is a photographer and director living in Portland, Maine. Since having started American Bedroom in 2016, she has won the Getty Editorial Grant, the Women Photograph/Getty Grant, three LensCulture Awards, four Top 50 Critical Mass Awards, and was named one of the Top 100 Photographers in America 2020.