5 Essential Tips for Street Photography Beginners

by George Finlayson

Street photography is a type of photography that aims to document everyday life. If you’re set to master street photography, give these tips a go and you’ll be on the right track.
Unlike other types of photography, street photography is generally about taking candid photos of people in public. It aims to capture stories and emotions without the influence of the photographer, which is, let’s all face it, not an easy thing to master.
But don’t lose hope! Every great photographer starts somewhere. To help you get started on your journey to becoming an impressive street photographer, follow these essential tips.

Overcome your fear

Not just any fear — your fear of of taking photos of random people in public. Capturing images of strangers is easier said than done. There’s always this sense of privacy invasion when doing candid photography. It’ll surely be uncomfortable, especially when you start getting different kind of looks from people. This is not surprising as there are those who’d rather not have their photos taken without permission.
To avoid this, you can always ask permission. Remember, street photography is generally about taking candid images. This means that there will also be times when your photos won’t be candid. But don’t worry. You will still be able to tell stories and photograph emotions even if you ask permission through street portraits.

Be an observer

By being aware of everything around you, you’ll be able to find the perfect stories for your photographs. Not only that, you will find it easier to compose images and decide on what to include in the frame to complete your story. It’s best to train your eyes and mind to observe your surroundings early on and develop it further as you continue to hone your technical photography skills.

Choose the right gear

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), there isn’t one perfect camera for street photography. The right gear is what you’re comfortable at using: a DSLR, a point-and-shoot camera, a mirrorless camera, a film camera, or your smartphone camera. It’s up to you.
Of course, they all have upsides and downsides. But you’ll find the ideal gear to be just what you need to take the images you want to take. It’ll feel right — like it’s an extension of your eyes, like it fits perfectly in your hand.
So don’t be afraid to try different cameras and see which one works best for you.

Be patient

You’ll need a lot of patience when taking street photographs. Waiting for the right moment is key to having a good photo — you’ll need to wait for the subject to move, to look into the camera, to do something unpredictable, and more. Sometimes, you’ll even have to wait for a subject to walk into the frame of your photo!
Take your time, and you’ll be rewarded with nice images.

Get out there and shoot street photos!

Nothing will happen if you only read articles like this and not put everything you have learned into practice. The best thing to do to improve in street photography is to take street photos. Make sure you have your camera with you all the time so when the perfect moment presents itself, you’re fully equipped to capture it.
Street photography is interesting and fun but challenging at the same time even if you have the best cameras for photography. If you want to be successful in this type of photography, all that’s been discussed here will help you reach that goal. Happy shooting!