Everything a Beginner Should Know to Improve Their Street Photography

By: James Maher 

Street photography may seem simple on the surface, just a lot of waiting around looking for an interesting moment to happen. However, the reality is that it is one of the most difficult forms of photography. Particularly at the beginning, it can be very hard to improve in street photography.
The best moments don’t occur very often, and when they do, you have to be aware enough to see it quickly. You have to be brave enough to capture it, and your camera has to be set right.
A lot has to go right, but when it does, that’s when the magic happens. There is a specific set of tips that are important to learn early on that will make all of this much easier and, eventually, second nature.

Fear and timidness

1/150th at F8, ISO 1600

Fear and timidness are two of the toughest obstacles to overcome for new street photographers. If you don’t feel this way, then skip to the next tip! But most people have a lot of difficulty with this aspect at first. It takes time to overcome, but the less timid you can become, the faster you will be at capturing the best moments.
No matter how tasteful your photography is, street photography is a little creepy! We’re kind of stalking people on the street a bit. But it’s important to know that we’re doing this for a reason. We like people and we want to create interesting photos of our society.
The fear aspect will get better with time – the more you shoot, the easier it will get. But it can help early on to capture some street portraits to get you comfortable. You will quickly realize how many people will be flattered by what you are doing.
Another important thing to know is how to deal with a situation if you are caught.
I just like to smile and be honest. I tell the person that I was photographing the area and the people and culture, and I thought they looked great! Flattery can get you a long way.
If the person seems uncomfortable after you speak to them, offer to delete the shot. You don’t have to, of course, but it’s the right thing to do.
And always be careful about who you photograph. Sometimes, a photograph is just not worth the chance of getting yourself in trouble.

General camera settings

1/350th at F5.6, ISO 1600

I typically prefer to shoot on Aperture or Shutter Priority settings. Since you are usually going back and forth between different levels of light, this allows you to focus on the scene itself instead of going back and forth on your camera settings. In steady lighting conditions, Manual Mode works very well, though.
Raise your ISO up! I typically use ISO 400 if I am in pure sunlight, ISO 800 in light shade, ISO 1600 in dark shade, and ISO 3200-6400 for dusk into night.
Raising the ISO allows you to have a faster shutter speed to freeze motion. It also gives you more depth of field to make sure you capture the focus correctly, or if you have multiple subjects at different depths.
On Aperture Priority, f/8 is usually my ideal setting whenever possible. It allows enough depth of field but also enough light to enter the camera. And as it gets darker, I will go down with the aperture.
Finally, I always try to keep my shutter speed above 1/250th of a second to freeze motion in people. The key on Aperture Priority is to pay attention to your shutter speed as the lighting gets darker, to make sure that it does not dip too far below 1/250th.

Prime lenses

Prime lenses are made for street photography. They are smaller, lighter, and less noticeable. Also, the act of using a single focal length will make you much faster and more intuitive with the camera. Using one is a key way to improve your street photography.
Zooming constantly will just slow you down and keep you off balance when a moment occurs. With a prime, you are ready when something happens.
I prefer a 35mm and 50mm focal length depending on what I am shooting. Both are wide enough to capture complicated shots that mix foreground and background, and they allow you to get close and intimate with your subjects.

Acting

When some people think of street photographers, they think of the photographers that jump out in people’s faces to take a photograph. It just does not have to be done in that way to get great, candid, close shots. I find the opposite approach to work much better.
I prefer to act like I am just looking around at something above or behind the subject I want to capture, and I carefully get myself in position. They just think I’m probably a tourist looking around, and while they notice me, they continue in their own world without realizing I’m photographing them.
I also take very quick shots where nobody notices. That way, you don’t have to do any acting in these situations. But, acting comes in handy very often.
Finally, you don’t always have to walk around while photographing. Pick an area with foot traffic and wait around. Doing this allows your subjects to enter your personal space instead of entering their space. It also allows you to get very close and nuanced photographs with much less chance of people noticing what you are doing.

Emotion and gesture

One of the keys to creating interesting street photography is showing emotion and feeling in your images. One of the best ways to do that is to capture those emotions and feelings in your subjects.
Pay attention to the looks in peoples’ eyes or the gestures in their bodies. Try to see who is walking around wearing their emotions on their sleeves, so to speak.
I would rather photograph a non-descript person with incredible emotion over the flashiest person just walking down the street emotionless.

Getting closer

This is a general tip for improving most photography, but it is especially difficult for street photography. The closer you get, the more intimate your moments will feel.
But you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself at first. Start from further back and over time, work to get closer and closer. This is a process that can take a little time to get comfortable with.

Spontaneity and intuition

1/250th at F9, ISO 3200

At some point, you need to become fast with your camera to capture some of those split-second moments. Embrace your intuition and work to become spontaneous and fast with the camera.
You will miss a lot of photographs this way and come back with a lot of bad ones (why editing is so important), but the special photographs will be special.
If you feel that there is the potential for a great photograph in your gut, just stop thinking and go for it. The worst that can happen is you will delete the photograph later on.

Imperfection

Unlike some other forms of photography, perfection is not celebrated as much in street photography. We’re looking for real and unplanned moments, and these moments are not perfect.
Sometimes the best way to improve your street photography is to just loosen up.
What matters is that the photograph is interesting and it looks good. Everything else is gravy. If the photograph has those qualities, who cares if it’s skewed, a little blurry, highlights are blown out, or if there’s an element in the way. That’s the real world.
Sometimes these aspects will ruin your photograph, of course, but just as often they’ll ground the moment in reality.

Photograph in busy and quiet places

As you are learning and getting comfortable, it’s very important to practice in busy places with a lot of foot traffic. This gives you many chances for great photographs and it’s easier to work in a candid way as well. This is how to work out the kinks and develop your technical skills and overall awareness.
But it is equally important to photograph in slower and quieter areas too.
These areas can be just as interesting and even more so than the busiest areas. It can take some time to get used to photographing here and figuring out what makes a good photograph, but you will be much better off for trying.

Take photos for yourself

Street photography is about taking something that is internal, capturing it in the real world, and then showing those ideas in your work.
It’s not worth taking photographs that you think other people will find interesting. Ultimately, your work can only become so good that way.
Shoot what you think is the most interesting and forget about everyone else. Over time this is how you will develop a strong and distinct voice.
And most importantly, get out there and shoot as often as you can. That is the real way to improve your street photography.
Do you have any other tips to improve street photography that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments, along with any street photos you’d like to share.

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103 Things I’ve Learned About Street Photography

By: Eric Kim 

1. A good photo asks more questions than provides answers
2. 35mm as a focal length is generally ideal for most street photographers. 28mm is too wide (most people don’t get close enough) and 50mm is too tight.
3. My keeper ratio : one decent shot a month, one shot I am proud of in a year.
4. “When in doubt, click.” – Charlie Kirk
5. When in doubt, take a step closer.
6. You will become a better photographer by asking people what they don’t like about your shots (rather than what they like).
7. A harsh and constructive critique is better than a pat on the back.
8. A good photo critique needs (at least) 4 sentences online. Preferably 8 sentences or more.
9. It isn’t the quantity of social media followers you have that matters, rather then quality of followed you have that matters.

10. Be consistent : stick with one camera, lens, film, or post processing approach to develop your style.
11. Great photography projects generally take at least 5-10 years.
12. Buy books, not gear.
13. The only way money will make you happier in photography if you invest it into experiences (travel, workshops, teachers) rather than material things (cameras, lenses, gear).
14. The best camera bag in street photography is no camera bag.
15. “The decisive moment” is a myth. Even Henri Cartier-Bresson took at least 5 photos of scenes he found interesting and worked the scene to get the one memorable shot.
16. Most famous photographers are only known for their 1-3 most popular images after they die. If you accomplish the same, you have done your job as a photographer.
17. When shooting film, it is better to over expose than underexpose (film has more details in the highlights).
18. When shooting digital, it is better to unexpose than overexpose (digital has more details in the shadows).
19. Street photos of people just walking by billboards is boring.
20. To become a great street photographer you must first understand what a great street photograph is. Study the masters.

21. When shooting street photography with a DSLR, micro 4/3rds, or a compact and you don’t want to worry about technical considerations, just use “P” mode at ISO 1600.
22. Projects are more meaningful than single images.
23. Creating a photo book is the ultimate expression of a photographer.
24. Shoot as if each day were your last.
25. One camera, one lens is bliss.
26. Grain is beautiful, noise is ugly.
27. My favorite films are Kodak Tri-X (for black and white) and Kodak Portra 400 (for color).
28. Bokeh in street photography is overrated. Shoot at f8-16
29. With film, your first 10,000 photos are your worst. With digital, it is more like your first 1,000,000 are your worst.
30. The secret of a memorable street photograph : capturing emotion.
31. A street photograph without emotion is dead.
32. No amount of post processing will make a crappy photograph into a good photograph.
33. Wait at least 6 months to a year before uploading your images to the Internet, to truly understand if is a good photograph or not.
34. When it comes to editing, remember to “kill your babies.”
35. Cheesy titles in street photographs don’t make them any better.

36. Watermarks in street photographs ruin the viewing experience for your audience.
37. Buying a more expensive camera won’t make you a better street photographer.
38. Shooting film will teach you more discipline in street photography (and may lead you to become a better photographer).
39. Street photography is the most challenging genre of photography out there.
40. A great street photograph needs strong content (what’s inside the frame) and form (composition).
41. Shoot for yourself, not others.
42. Spend less time on gear review sites and more time on Magnumphotos.com
43. You can never spend too much money on photo books.
44. You are your worst critic. Always get critique from others, they will help spot the holes in your photography.
45. Sticking with one focal length for a long time will help you better pre visualize your shot and master framing.
46. You are only as good as your worst (public) street photograph.
47. Secret to good multi subject shots : don’t overlap your subjects and look for emotional gestures.
48. How to improve your framing : don’t crop for a year.
49. How to become a better editor : don’t upload photos to social media for a year.
50. Try to shoot at eye level (or extremely above or below) your subjects. So crouch when taking photos of people sitting down, shorter than you, or kids. Or shoot from a very high vantage point.

51. 99% of street photographs are ruined by messy backgrounds.
52. To get cleaner street photographs, first find a clean background and then wait for your subjects to enter the scene.
53. If your mom likes your street photographs, your photos are probably generic and boring.
54. Always carry a camera with you.
55. Street photographs don’t have to have people in them (but generally are more interesting with them in it).
56. You don’t need a Leica to shoot street photography. Be grateful for what you have and use what you got.
57. Spend 99% of your time editing your photos (choosing your best images) and only 1% of your time post processing them.
58. Style in street photography is a combination of having consistent equipment (camera and focal length) as well as “look” (film or post processing style) and content (the subjects you generally photograph).
59. It is better to over shoot a scene then under shoot a scene.
60. “Shoot from the gut, edit with the brain” – Anders Petersen
61. It is always nice to have a shooting partner when out on the streets.
62. “Shoot who you are.” – Bruce Gilden
63. Taking a photo of an interesting character isn’t enough. Try to capture them in an interesting context or with a good gesture.
64. Don’t take photos of homeless people and street performers. They rarely make good photos.
65. Don’t worry if your photos qualify as “street photography” or not. Just aim to make meaningful and memorable images.

66. Telling the truth isn’t the job of a street photographer (it is for the photo journalist).
67. Don’t be afraid to interact with your subjects when shooting on the streets. Not all of your photos have to be candid.
68. You can make interesting posed street photographs. But don’t pretend to your audience that they are candid.
69. There is no one “right” definition of street photography. Define it personally for yourself and just shoot.
70. You often can’t control the scene when you are shooting in the streets, but you can control whether you share the image or not. Case in point : don’t make excuses for the small failures in your photos, just edit out those shots.
71. Don’t respect the critique of other photographers unless you have seen their portfolio.
72. Zoom lenses will prevent you from becoming a great street photographer (you will never master one focal length). Stick to primes (preferably a 35mm full frame equivalent). 28mm and 50mm are okay too (if you can use it well).
73. A single photo can’t tell a story (it doesn’t have a beginning, middle, or an end). Only photo series or projects can do that.
74. The photos you take are more of a reflection of yourself (than of the people you photograph).
75. The importance of looking at great photos : you are what you eat. Fine french cuisine = great photos in books, galleries, or exhibitions. Junk food = most photos on Instagram, Flickr, Facebook (not always, but mostly).
76. 99% of people on the Internet don’t know what a great street photograph is. Don’t always trust the comments, likes, and favorites you get from the Internet on social media sites. Rather, stick around in street photography critique groups (or private ones).
77. You will find the best street photography opportunities in the least expected places.

78. When you see an interesting person or a scene, don’t just take one photo and move on. Aim to take at least 5 photos (or more if possible).
79. Beware using telephoto lenses in street photography. Remember, “Creepiness is proportional to focal length.”
80. Incorporate your own reflections and shadows in street photography. They often make interesting images (look up Lee Friedlander).
81. Photos shot head on have more energy and drama than photos shot from the side.
82. A brief list of great street photographers : Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Daido Moriyama, Diane Arbus, Weegee, Bruce Gilden, Alex Webb, Joel Meyerowitz, Martin Parr, Josef Koudelka,
83. After taking a photo of a stranger, make it a rule to look at them, smile, and say thank you.
84. I never regret taking photos. I always regret not taking photos.
85. It is better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.
86. Be confident while you are shooting and rarely will you have any issues. Be nervous while shooting and you will ruin into many problems.
87. The only person you should try to impress with your photos is yourself.
88. The benefit of getting eye contact in your photos : eyes are the windows to the soul.

89. Don’t make photos. Make connections.
90. The best place to shoot street photography isn’t New York, Tokyo, or Paris. The best place to shoot is your backyard.
91. See your scenes with your eyes and shoot with your heart.
92. If you are working on a project and photographers discourage you by saying “it has been done before” ignore them. Nobody has done it like you before.
93. Street photography is applied sociology with a camera.
94. If you aim to get recognition for your photography you will never get it.
95. If someone gets upset when you take their photograph, offer to email them a copy. Carrying around business cards always come in handy.
96. Don’t just look at photos, read into them.
97. To double your success rate in street photography, double your failure rate.
98. The photos you decide not to show are more important than the photos you decide to show.
99. Rather than creating photos to please your audience, find an audience that will be pleased by your photos.

100. Street photography isn’t a contest about how many followers, viewers, followers, exhibitions, books, cameras, lenses, and fame you have. There are no winners and losers. Collaborate with one another instead of competing with one another.
101. Giving away my prints and cameras has brought me more joy than selling it for money.
102. The friendships I have made through street photography is mode valuable than any of the photos I have ever taken.
103. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity – Seneca. Make your own luck.

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5 Exercises to Improve Your Street Photography

By: Jaymes Dempsey  

Do you want to capture amazing street photography, but you just feel like you’re not good enough? Don’t worry, because this article is going to give you five fantastic street photography exercises that are guaranteed to improve your street photography. It’ll provide you with the tools you need to take amazing street photos.
Let’s get started.

1. Find a scene and stand in place for an hour

It might not seem like it…
…but a lot of street photography is about being patient.
In fact, plenty of the best street photos were taken after a significant amount of standing in place and waiting.
You see, great street photography often involves a powerful background with a focal point. And that focal point is often a person.
But to get the right person in the right place is one of the toughest parts of this genre of photography.
So this exercise is designed to make sure you recognize the rewards of being patient.

Here’s what you do:
Start by finding a scene that you like. A building, an alley, an interesting background of some sort. Make sure there’s a decent amount of foot traffic.
Then previsualize. Where would you like your main subject to walk into the frame? Imagine the precise place you’d like them to be when you take the photo.
Then wait.
Now, plenty of people will walk through your scene who don’t fit with your previsualized photo. Maybe they don’t stand in the perfect place. Maybe they don’t have the silhouette you’re looking for.
And that’s okay. After all, this is an exercise in patience!
However, I recommend you take photos of these people anyway. You might end up with something unexpectedly powerful.
Even if you do get the shot you like, keep standing in place. Stay there until an hour has passed.
Because it’s important you understand, not just the rewards of patience, but how to be patient. So even once you’ve achieved your goal, stand in place, and keep taking photos. See what you can get.
Make sense?

2. Shoot an entire outing from an unusual angle

When you’re just starting out in street photography, it’s very easy to take every shot at eye-level.
Putting your camera up to your face is natural. And it can sometimes help you get over the stress of taking photos in public; you can feel like you’re hiding.
But shooting at eye-level is a recipe for consistently boring photos.
Instead, you want to take photos from many different angles. Different angles are the key to creating a dynamic, powerful portfolio.
So the street photography exercise is simple:
Go out with your camera. And only take photos from an uncommon angle.

Which angles count as “uncommon”?
The low angle is a great start. The lower you take your photo, the more awe your photos will generate because it’ll feel like the viewer is looking up at the scene. For the photo above, I shot up toward the clock tower in an attempt to make the image more dramatic.
Plus, a low angle can often clear the background, making it less distracting. It causes people in the background to fall away, leaving only buildings and sky behind your main subject.
To shoot at a low angle, you have a few options. You can sit down or crouch low. Or you can hold your camera down at your hip.
Of course, you don’t have to shoot from a low angle! If you like, you can try finding a vantage point (such as a parking garage), and shoot from high above.
The choice is yours. Just make sure you get used to trying new angles.
It’ll seriously improve your street photos!

3. Ask five strangers if you can take their picture

One of the biggest barriers to great street photography is your own nervousness.
After all, it’s hard to capture photos of people from a distance, let alone up close. You probably worry about people getting angry or even threatening you.
First of all, you should know that, in most countries, it’s legal to photograph people in public places. So you’re not breaking laws.
But the anxiety doesn’t always go away once you know your rights.
This is where this street photography exercise comes in handy.

All you have to do is go out shooting. And ask at least five people if you can take their photo.
It’s okay if they refuse. It’s okay if they agree but the picture is bad.
The only thing that matters is that you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You’re forcing yourself to see that plenty of people don’t mind having their photo taken in public. And when people do mind, it’s not the end of the world.
This is an exercise that I recommend you try once a week (or until you no longer struggle to photograph people in public).
Because even if you prefer to photograph people without approaching them, knowing that everything will turn out okay will significantly improve your levels of comfort (and, consequently, your street photos!).

4. Only photograph strangely-lit people for a day

If you want to capture amazing street photos, you’ve got to start paying attention to the light.
This is easy to forget about because street photography involves so many variables: people moving fast, cars causing distracting backgrounds, etc.
But you can’t fail to consider the light. Otherwise, your photos will be very inconsistent.
Which brings me to the exercise:
Only photograph people who are strangely lit for the day.

By “strangely lit,” I’m referring to non-standard lighting. The people shouldn’t be lit with standard front-lighting, cloudy lighting, or standard overhead lighting.
Instead, there should be strong backlighting, side lighting, or shadows running through the scene.
By forcing yourself to pay attention to this, you’ll get a better eye for lighting. And it’s the first step toward taking more creative, unique street photos.
Personally, I’m a fan of backlit street photography. So I recommend going out when the sun is low in the sky to see if you can find some backlit subjects.
But you can also shoot people who are walking through shadow. This works especially well if the area around the person is bathed in sunlight, in order to create a high-contrast shot.
Just find some unique lighting, and you’ll do just fine.

5. Spend a week only taking photos of small details

Most street photographers only ever take photos of people.
But here’s the thing:
The streets have plenty of compelling details, too. And a street photographer who can find these details is a street photographer worth watching.
Tiny details lend character to your street photos, even if the main subject is a person. And tiny details can be the sole subject of a photo, as well. You just have to know how to capture them.
This is why your final street photography exercise is dedicated to photographing those beautiful small details.

All you have to do is deliberately photograph little details for a week. Forget about photographing people. Forget about photographing architecture.
Instead, focus on capturing the most compelling details possible.
This might involve creating some abstract photos. Photograph contrasting colors up close. Or photograph spray-painted graffiti.
You can also capture some wider photos: the signs of restaurants, or the front door of buildings. All of these are excellent potential subjects.
Just remember: When you photograph small details, don’t just try to faithfully render the details themselves. Instead, create a compelling composition out of the details. Try to include multiple interesting features.
You’ll take a few boring photos, sure. But you’ll develop an appreciation for the smaller aspects of the city.
And you’ll take some stunning photos in the process.

5 exercises to immediately improve your street photography: Conclusion

Capturing beautiful street photos can be difficult. And for beginning photographers, it can seem impossible.
But if you do these street photography exercises, you’ll notice your outlook starting to change. Street photography won’t seem so difficult.
And you’ll start capturing some amazing street photos.
So get out and start practicing these street photography exercises!

Do you have any other street photography exercises you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments!

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That ending though...

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Editorial Restaurant Photography

By: Matt Dutile 

Chez Oskar in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY

The culture of food is a huge part of our lives in every corner of the globe. Photographing restaurants either in your home city or abroad during travel can be a great “sneak peak” into this cultural corner. Many of the same ideas and principles to travel photography also apply to restaurant photography. You really have to capture the essence of a place – the food, patrons, staff, setting and anything that makes the place unique. Whether it’s gritty down and dirty home food or luxury linens and pampered plating, think of it all as telling an editorial story. Here are a few things to look for if you’d like to bolster your restaurant photography.

The Staff

Who is making and bringing the food and drinks to your table are a big consideration. Look at any magazine featuring a restaurant and you’d be hard-pressed not to find an image of the chef or a server. Especially when either are decked out in some form of uniform or theme-wear. Simply, we want to know the people who are making and serving what we’re eating. If you’re there on assignment from a magazine, you probably have pretty good access to staff.

Waitress at Radegast Hall, Brooklyn, NY

If you’re there trying to build your personal portfolio you probably just can’t start snapping away. Find someone and ask for a manager and ask permission from each person to photograph them. Sometimes you’ll get turned down, other times you’ll find someone who finds it exciting and is more than happy to let you snap away – as long as you don’t get in the way of kitchen business or paying customers. Remember you’re dealing with people who aren’t in front of the camera too often, so try cracking a few jokes or giving them a compliment to try and set them at ease and crack a smile. No one wants to go to a restaurant with a grumpy chef! Bring out those beaming smiles.

The Food and Drinks

Food and drinks. It’s why we go to restaurants. Something different than what we can make at home on our own and often in the company of friends.

Mussels, fries and wine at Chez Oskar

There’s an immense science to food photography, and I’m not going to try and dive into all of it in this article. It just won’t fit. However, let’s go over some of the basic pointers of what to look for when you’re on location with minimal equipment.
If at all possible, I always try to find or ask for a table near a big open window. A nice big, soft natural light source is the best for photographing food and maintaining its coloring. Avoid as best as possible using flash on food. It tends to give it a very surreal, flat feeling while distorting the colors. Crank your ISO a bit if you need to and try to find something stable to brace on.
Shoot a lot of angles – overhead, flat on, tilted, straight, etc. The more the better because it mixes up the feel and you never know what might be just the right tilt for each dish.

Beer, brats and sauces at Radegast Hall

Get overhead and close down your aperture to get the maximum depth you can, or get down low on the same level as the food and shoot very shallow, highlighting one specific detail of the dish. Careful where your focus spot lands here though. I like to try and keep it to the front or first item in view and let the rest fade into blur in the background. Sometimes getting in the middle can work well if you frame it right, but shoot a few frames to check because your eye may feel cheated if that first item in view isn’t in focus.
Do your best to capture the appropriate presentation of the food or drink. Try to nudge an item or two here and there, ask for a little extra seasoning if it gives it a nice flair and ultimately try to order photographic and colorful dishes. Pair it with items that go together, like the photo here with mussels, fries and white wine – common sides to this dish. Or add items like the different arrangement of sauces at a beer and brat house.

Steaming up at Chez Oskar

Kitchen and Preparation

If you have access to the kitchen this can be a great place to get slightly blurry photos of food being flipped in a flaming pan or chefs, fry cooks, sauciers, etc. running around in the daily hustle that is working in a kitchen. Also look for prepped trays stacked next to buckets of ingredients and spices. Expect a bit more grain and much more wide open shooting here because lighting is usually very low and falls in and out of spots from overhead. If you can, try to brace yourself in the corner and shoot at a slower shutter, maybe somewhere between 1/10-1/30 of a second depending on how fast everything is moving. Be sure you’re staying out of the way. Neither you nor one of the chefs wants a face full of burning hot or oily food because you kept moving in a common walking lane.

The Location and Ambiance

A round at Radegast

Don’t forget to capture the overall feel of the restaurant and especially anything that sets it apart from the competition. This can include table settings, tiny decorations, the front of the restaurant, patrons, a sweeping spread of the dining hall, etc. If it’s a festive atmosphere like the photo on the left, find a way to show smiling faces and activity. If the restaurant has a more somber or romantic feel, look for ways to pull that out of the shots. Give the viewer a sense of place. What’s it going to be like when I go here?
If you can answer that question with three to four images than you’re on your way to capturing better editorial restaurant photography.

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How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider

By: Darina Kopcok 

There are a variety of ways to quote on a commercial photography job. Every photographer has their own approach.
If you’re new to working with clients, or even if you’ve been at it for a little while, putting together a formal estimate can be a daunting process. The bigger the scope, the more variables there are to consider.
Here are some line items to consider.

Creative fee

When you’re putting together an estimate for a commercial photography job, I recommend charging a Creative Fee for your labor. This creative fee is the time you spend shooting, but it can also include some post-processing.
Some photographers charge a day rate or a half-day rate. I don’t advise charging by the hours, but I determine how many hours you think you may need to execute a job and multiply it by the hourly rate you would like to receive for it. You may want to top that up by up to 25%, as you’ll find most jobs take longer than you think they will.
As a new photographer, I tried a variety of ways of estimating jobs. When I charged a half-day rate, I often found that there was no such thing. By the time I set up, did all the project management to pull the shoot together and hire the help I needed, it was a full day of work and then some.
Think about how much work you have to do behind the scenes and factor that into your creative fee as well.
One thing I don’t recommend is lumping all your expenses together and presenting it to the client. Giving them one big total can lead to sticker shock and confuse your potential client. They won’t know what they’re paying for exactly.
Breaking it down for them is a good business practice and helps the less experienced clients – say, those with a small business – understand all the work that goes into producing a commercial photo shoot.

Equipment

Some photographers like to have their own equipment they bring to photo shoots. This not only means a couple of cameras and Speedlites, but it can also mean monoheads, stands, and a variety of other gear.
You may have everything you need to bring to smaller shoots, but on bigger productions, you may need to rent extra gear, like several lights and lighting modifiers. You should not absorb this cost. It goes into the estimate.
Therefore, you need to get all the pertinent information up front about what the shot entails, so you know what to take. Make sure you get a shot list and ask all the necessary questions up front.
If you do have your own gear, you can include it in your creative fee and mention it as a footnote on the estimate that it’s included. Alternatively, you may decide to separate it.
You should charge at least a nominal fee for the use of your equipment. This way you can put money aside for any replacements and upgrades you need to do over time.
If a client were to go to a rental house and rent the equipment needed to pull off a commercial production, they would pay hundreds of dollars. And that is just for the tools. What about the skill of the person to handle those tools?
Don’t be afraid to charge appropriately for your services.

Studio rental

Photo shoots can take place in a variety of locations, but if you need to shoot in a studio, make sure that you put a cost for the studio rental in your estimate.
Be familiar with at least three studios in your area that can be rented out and what they charge per hour or day. If at the time that you write your estimate you’re not sure which one you’d be shooting in, put the most expensive one as the cost.
Once you get the go-ahead you can see what is available on the date you’ll be shooting and book the available studio.

Editing & post-production

When working on a commercial level, you may not be the person responsible for editing the photos. If you’re working with an ad agency or sometimes even a magazine, they may have someone in-house to do editing according to specific parameters.
Alternatively, you may be expected to do the basic editing, but someone else may be responsible for further refinement. Be clear on the outset about the expectations around post-production.
The Photoshop required may be complex and require the expertise of a professional retoucher. In this case, you must get a quote from a retoucher and put that as a line item in your estimate.

Archiving fee

Some photographers charge an archiving fee as part of their post-production process.
There is the time associated with uploading and storing images and the process required to back them up. Since you should be charging for all the time you spend on a project, it makes sense to include it in the scope. You can have it as a line item or include it in your creative fee.

Digital Imaging Technician

Depending on the genre of photography you shoot and the nature of the production, you might want to hire a Digital Imaging Technician. Also known as a DIT, they are responsible for backing up everything as you shoot, and for doing quick color treatments or composites on set.
For example, as a food and still life photographer, I always shoot tethered to my computer so I can see a large, more accurate rendition of my image than I can get on the back of my LCD screen. I also sometimes have to work with overlays if I’m doing product packaging, so I can see how the image fits with any text or artwork. A DIT can help with this process.

Photo assistant

I have used a photo assistant since the day I started shooting professionally.
A good photo assistant is indispensable and worth every penny. A photo assistant can help you carry all your gear, work your lighting and run out on errands. Having one on hand saves you time, which in the end is saving you money.
There are professional photo assistants whose sole work is assisting other photographers. However, there are plenty of photography school grads that start their careers assisting and have a lot to offer in terms of technical knowledge and eagerness to gain experience.
Many of them are not even that expensive, so if you can’t get the extra expense approved, I suggest taking a cut for yourself to have one help you out.

Stylists and makeup artists

Depending on the niche you’re shooting in, you may need a stylist. This may be a wardrobe or fashion stylist, or a food stylist.
Food stylists are responsible for shopping for the food and ingredients required for any food shoot and preparing it for the set. Food styling requires particular skills and are an essential part of any team producing food photography. It is not the photographer’s job, as it’s a different occupation and should be treated as such.
Food stylists usually charge by the hour or a day rate, as well as for prep, and often have their own assistants.
Similarly, wardrobe stylists are responsible for the clothing and related props on fashion shoots.
Makeup artists are required for fashion shoots as well, and sometimes on commercial portrait shoots.

Image usage

Image usage is the trickiest part of a photography estimate.
There is no right or wrong answer for how much you should be charging for usage.
When you are hired to shoot for a brand, you still own the copyright to those images. The client does not own them. The creative fee is for the labor to execute the commission, the usage fee is a license that allows them to use the image in a defined way for a specific time period.
How much you should charge is dependent on your market, the visibility of the brand, and how they want to use them.
The Getty Pricing Calculator is a free tool that can give you some idea of what to charge for usage.
However, I have found that there is what photographers should charge, and then there is reality. There is no point in charging a client hundreds of dollars per image if the client is small and cannot pay that.
I always recommend separating image usage from the creative fee. However, often you need to educate the client up front about copyright and what usage refers to. This can be tough if you’re dealing with a small business owner who thinks they own the images because they hired you to shoot them.
Give them an agreement that outlines the usage and make sure they are clear on how and where they can use the images.

If you’ve been struggling with how to price your photographic services, hopefully, you now have a better idea of the types of things you can charge for.

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What You Need to Know to do Successful Restaurant Photography

By: Darina Kopcok 

If you want to be a food photographer, you’ll likely start your career shooting restaurant photography. This is how most food photographers get their start. Restaurants have smaller budgets, so they’re open to working with new photographers.
However, photographing for restaurants isn’t that easy. Not only do you have to be skilled at shooting food, but you also need to be able to shoot interiors and portraits of the chef and other staff.
Restaurant photography can be a lot of work, and there are a lot of ins-and-outs you should know to make sure you don’t end up getting burned by this very specific type of shoot.

Ask for a shot list

Before you can give a potential client an estimate, you need to know what you’ll be photographing in order to estimate how long the shoot will take you. For example, beverages can take longer to photograph than a plate of food, as managing reflections in glass can take time and be challenging.
You should base your estimates on the project scope. If you can’t estimate how long the shoot will take you, you can’t price your services accordingly. Get a breakdown of how many food images will be required, how many drinks etc.
Some restaurants want you to bring in your own surfaces, dishes, linens etc. for a more magazine editorial feel. In this case, note that it will take longer to shoot this type of scene than it will shooting their own dishes on the restaurant tables.

Scout for the location and light

Check out the location beforehand so you know what you’ll be up against in terms of lighting. You’ll also need to figure out where to set up your equipment and workspace. This should be done with agreement from the manager or proprietor.

It’s important that if the restaurant is open when you shoot, that you’re as unobtrusive to the patrons as possible. See if the client can close off a section of the restaurant where you can work without bothering anyone, and vice versa. 

Discuss styling the food

When shooting for restaurants, you should make clear on the outset that you’re not a food stylist and therefore are not responsible for how the food looks.

Food styling is a different occupation. It requires a separate skill set from photography. Your job is the lighting and image capture, not the plating of the food.

Of course, you should always be aware of garnishes and stray crumbs, and generally, make sure the food looks its best for the camera. I’ve been known to send back a sloppy looking burger or two.
The point is that clients need to make sure their chef is up to the task. Otherwise, they should hire a food stylist to guide them. A food stylist can be pricey and not feasible for an already tight budget. In the case that a client refuses to hire one, they should know that the look of the food on the plate ultimately falls on them.
Make sure you state this in your contract. You have a contract, right?

Bring a food styling kit and some basic props

While you won’t be plating and styling the food, you should still bring along a basic food styling kit that includes items such as tweezers, cotton swabs, and small brushes to tame errant garnishes or clean unwanted crumbs and drips from the plate. You want to do the best job you can with what you’re given.

It’s a good idea to come prepared with some props as back up. Bring a stack of linens in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and maybe some cutlery. Sometimes clients want their own tables, flatware, and dishes shot as they are experienced by the patrons, but many have a branding direction in mind that requires a specific look or ambiance. 

For example, when clients wanted me to create dark and moody images for them, I bring in small, dark dishes and vintage cutlery – the opposite of the large, white dishes you see in most restaurants. 

Use a tripod

If you shoot only in natural light, be aware that most restaurants are too dark for food photography.

You’ll need to shoot by a window and use a tripod so you can decrease your shutter speed and make a longer exposure. This won’t work for photographing people, however, as they will be blurry with a slow shutter speed.

If the images will only appear on the web or in social media, you can crank up the ISO and fix the noise in your images later in post-production.

When I scout the location, I try to take a few test shots and see how they look in Lightroom before making my lighting decisions.

Shoot horizontally

Have a conversation with the client about how they would like the images shot. Most restaurants only need images for their website. Interactive web design often requires that images be shot in landscape orientation.

If the client will be printing some of the images on a menu, this may require a vertical format (and a higher resolution). Make sure to discuss the best picture orientation with the client. Make note that if they want both, it can take you up to twice as long to shoot the images, as not only will you have to adjust the camera, but you’ll have to recompose each image.

Shoot tethered 

I always hook up my camera to a laptop so the client can view the images captured by my camera. Shooting tethered allows you to see a larger, more accurate rendition of your shot than you can get from the screen on the back of your camera. You can use Lightroom or Capture One Pro for tethering. Make sure you have a high-quality tethering cord. 

Work with the client

Ultimately, you want to produce good work that makes the client happy. For this, the client needs to be involved in the process. They must be present at the shoot to provide creative direction and approve the images that are captured. That way, they can’t come back and tell you they don’t like them, or that they don’t align with the branding or aesthetic they had in mind.

I have a clause in my contract stating that I will not begin a shoot without someone representing the restaurant present. Also that the client will forfeit the deposit if I need to pack up my things and leave. Believe me, you don’t want to get into this situation. 

Collaborate with the chef

Involve the chef in the process as much as possible. When you make an appointment to scout the location, ask if you could meet the chef.

Making the chef feel like an important part of the process can make a big difference in the outcome of your shoot. The shoots that end up being the most easy and fun are the ones where the chef is enthusiastic about working with you and making the food look its best for its moment in the spotlight.

One more thing. Before you set foot in the restaurant with your camera, make sure you have liability insurance. Many restaurants won’t always think about this, but bigger clients will often ask for proof of liability insurance. If someone trips over an extension or tethering cord and decides to sue the restaurant, you can be included in that lawsuit. 

Shop around for the best insurance for you, and read the fine print carefully. You need insurance that is specific to the photography industry so you can make sure you’re covered in the types of situations you will be faced with.

You should also insure your equipment against theft, loss, and damage, including that from fire or flood.

Restaurant photography can be a great way to start building up your professional portfolio. Just make sure to do it right to avoid any headaches along the way, and to get your clients to hire you as their preferred photographer whenever they update their menu.

Do you have any other tips or experiences you’d like to share with us about Restaurant Photography? Do so in the comments!

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5 Tips for More Professional-Looking Food Photography

By: Suzi Pratt

In an age where iPhones are shooting stellar images and high quality DSLRs are coming down in price, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for food photographers to make a living as professionals. As a food photographer in Seattle, I’ve noticed that many of my clients have become opinionated about what makes a good photo, and in many cases are shooting right next to me with their iPhones. I take it as a positive sign that clients, and most people with smartphones, are becoming more informed and educated about photography, but there is of course the notion that this could very soon make professional photography even more undervalued.
So, what’s a professional food photographer to do? Here are some tips to help make sure you capture quality food photography images that attest to the value of paying you, a professional, to do the job.

Tip #1: Don’t use natural lighting

Natural lighting is fantastic, and I still try to use it as often as possible. However, many of my clients have realized the value of using natural lighting and tend to shoot their iPhone photos in naturally lit areas. Taking into account the quality of iPhone photos these days, it’s not unusual that their cell phone photos look pretty darn good, even compared to my DSLR shots. To make sure your photos always look unquestionably better than those taken with a cell phone, use natural lighting less and do some experimenting with strobes and off-camera flash.

Tip #2: Shoot in dark spaces

Taking tip #1 into consideration, take full advantage of your professional-grade camera’s low lighting capabilities, and/or your strobe lighting knowledge, by shooting dishes of food in spaces where iPhones have a slim chance of performing well. This is also a good opportunity to incorporate some of the unique features of the restaurant’s interior spaces, into your main shot.

Photographed in an extremely dark space, this photo wouldn’t have been possible without a 

DSLR and strobe.

Tip #3: Use a macro lens

While cell phone cameras are becoming equipped with better features with every new release, many still can’t shoot quality macro photos the way that DSLRs can. Use this fact to your advantage and make a macro lens your best friend when shooting food photos. Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal, and capture the details of the dishes you’re shooting. These photos may not be exactly what your clients have in mind, but at the very least it’s always a good thing to show them an alternative perspective that reminds them why they hired you.

Tip #4: Be a creative director and/or food stylist

Most amateurs approach food photos very statically, opting to shoot dishes from a seated position or overhead. Very few will get creative and incorporate people, props, or activity in their shots. This is your opportunity to shine as a food photographer. Move beyond standalone food photos and use your creativity to make a more dynamic shot. Ways to do this might be capturing action shots, adding a beverage or extra silverware in the shot, or even working with chefs to help them plate dishes in ways that will be photographically appealing. These skills are also part of the reason your client is hiring you, so don’t be afraid to exert your creative authority.

Tip #5: Shoot tethered

A very simple, yet highly effective, way to come off as a polished, professional photographer is to shoot tethered. If you’re unfamiliar with tethered shooting, it is basically the act of connecting your camera to a computer or tablet, which allows your clients to see your shots on a screen just seconds after you’ve pressed the shutter. This might sound intimidating, but it’s a very simple way to make sure that you and your client are on the same page throughout the photo shoot. It also invites your client to actively participate in the shoot and give you feedback and their own ideas. Tethered shooting is very easy to do using a USB cord or even Wi-Fi technology if your camera has this capability. If you have the means to shoot tethered, definitely consider offering this service to your clients.

Tip #6: Transmit photos via Wi-Fi

If you have a client who is shooting alongside you with their iPhone, chances are it’s because they want access to photos for immediate posting on social media. Do yourself and your client a favor and offer to send them images on the spot using in-camera Wi-Fi, or do a few quick edits and transmit some shots directly from your computer if you’re shooting tethered. Depending on your agreement with your client, you could even charge a little extra for these services.

Over to you

Do you have other tips for offering more professional-looking food photography that outperforms iPhones and other amateur cameras? Let me know in the comments below!

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