I have found that I have been enjoying street photography immensely over the last year. So much infact that I got my X100V, kissing that 35mm focal length that matches the eye. 40mm is seen as being the king of focal lengths; this is a great camera for the street. I also purchased a 20mm for my partener’s GX8 micro 4/3, this giving the 40mm equivalent to take her out and show her the ropes of taking photos. I will pass on some tips I have picked up over the years about how to be better at street photography.
Don’t Be Awkward
Hey, I’m not saying you are awkward but try not to be too weird about taking a photo. Awkwardness can come from many places when taking photos of people and here are some tips: Awkwardness can be driven from the person taking the photo, but also from the person having the photo taken of them. This can compound and escalate into a uncomfortable experience for everyone. Having confidence on your side and following the tips below should leave you and thus by design your subject feeling fine.
Prime your settings before you take a photo
You should know your camera inside out and back to front. Having your camera to your face will attract attention if you hold it there too long. You should have your camera settings dialled in for the lighting rather than fiddling with them while you take a shot. I’m not saying that they need to be perfect but should be in the right ball park. Simple things like deciding if there is movement that you want to freeze, then make your shutter go a bit faster: change that 1/60 to 1/200. You might need to then up your ISO or open your aperture a bit wider. Take a quick test photo as you are walking up to something interesting to make sure you are in the right ball park, think if the light changed much from your last photo you took and update your settings from that. Be proactive in your settings, you will thank me later!
Pay attention
When you are walking around taking photos of the street pay attention. I’m not suggesting I or anyone has a crystal ball, but by watching and observing you should be able to see if an interesting moment is coming. You may or may not believe me in this, but you will never capture a moment that is interesting if you have your head buried in your phone.
Take your smallest camera
So it’s funny: I have gone out with my Pentax DSLR with a rather large 18mm-35mm and found that people look at me and react to me like I’m some sort of ghost buster about to steal their soul. The lens isn’t a telephoto super zoom lens, it’s in the ball park of wide angle to something that is roughly the same focal length of your eye.
I have since done a lot of street photography with my 35mm X100V. It’s a small compact digital camera that looks like something out of an antique shop that should take film. People don’t seem to be bothered by this and, by following the steps above, I tend to blend in with the other tourists. Having a quiet leaf shutter also helps as people can’t hear the shutter going off so, if you are quick, people don’t notice.
Keep Your Lens Cap Off
Keep your lens cap off. If you follow the above steps something interesting might happen in front of you, you lift your camera to find that your lens cap is still on, miss the moment and no photo. Your lens cap is there to protect the front of your camera when storing it. While you are walking about you don’t need to worry too much about the front lens element. Bonus tip would be to turn your lens petal (the plastic sun guard) to face out all the time. £3 piece of plastic taking impact is better than the front lens element. You can also buy a UV filter for the front if you are really worried about it or if you think you are prone to damage the front.
Practice
Sounds cliche, but go out with your camera. It doesn’t matter what it is or how old it is or if it’s film or digital or an iPhone: go out there into the street and be confident, use the tips above and you should see some results. Post the photos on social media and see what comments are posted and build on this. You won’t get better if your camera stays in your camera bag or box under your bed.