Street Photography

This week I want to talk about a subject that probably makes many of you nervous, Street Photography. Many new photographers cringe at the thought of shooting street, but if you are a photography student, then I am sure you have had a professor or three tell you that you need to learn to start shooting outside your comfort zone.

College student taking a catnap on the steps in Centennial Olympic Park downtown ATL

 Street Photography doesn’t have to be scary and there are some tips I am going to share with you this week to hopefully make you more successful at it. The key to doing Street Photography is being discreet. You don’t want to be out there with your biggest telephoto lens, trying to avoid human contact because you will make your subjects nervous. Take your camera body and a prime lens like a 35mm or 50mm, these lenses will require you to get more up close and personal, but that is the whole idea. Don’t take a flash with you or anything else that will be intrusive or invasive to your subjects, for Street Photography you want to be a minimalist.

Woman walking and texting on her way to bus stop

 Mirrorless is a good camera to use for Street Photography as most of these models are extremely small and light weight, yet make amazing images. Get up close to your subjects and interact with them, talk to them, get a little bit of their story, build some rapport and you will find that Street Photography is not so hard to pull off.

If you are someone like myself who is fairly sociable to begin with and can build an instant rapport with people, then Street Photography will be easier for you. If you don’t have this natural knack, then take it slowly and don’t try to force the issue with your subject. Be respectful of them and their personal space, you don’t want to drastically interfere with their routine or whatever they are doing, but you do need to interact with them enough to make this process easier. Talk to them about the weather, the local sports team, how terrible the traffic is (especially if you live in Atlanta), or anything else that strikes your fancy. Stay away from HOT topics like politics or religion, I don’t want you getting into a hostile debate or getting attacked by some nut.

As you get more and more experienced at shooting Street Photography and become more comfortable, you may find that you really enjoy shooting it. I know I did during the last two years I worked in downtown Atlanta. Also when you become more confident, some people will actually approach you and ask to be shot as part of whatever you are shooting for, I have had this happen numerous times and it can be a lot of fun!

Rodney here is one of the many people that have stopped me and asked to pose for a street portrait

 The important things I want you take away from this week’s blog post is that Street Photography doesn’t need to be scary. If you keep your gear to the bare minimum and take the time to talk to your subjects you will find that this style of photography is not nearly as frightening as you originally thought.

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Carry Less, Shoot More

Back when I started in photography, I bought lots of gear and started out carrying most of it with me when I went out all day shooting. Many photographers do this and soon learn that it’s not fun carrying all that gear all day long out in the field. Most of the components of your DSLR system weigh mere ounces to a couple pounds and it may not sound like a lot of weight but when you have ALL of it in a bag or backpack, it’s amazing how heavy it all becomes as the day wears on.

Golf ball in my flower bed shot with 50mm

I now try to minimize what I carry when out in the field all day long so I can carry less weight and shoot more. Another advantage of carrying less aside from going on a camera diet is it is a great way to challenge yourself to be more creative with what you have on you. When carrying all your gear, you tens to spend less time shooting and more time fiddling with lenses and it becomes difficult to focus on shooting as you have a hard time visualizing on what you want to shoot and how to frame it.

If I am going out to just shoot all day I want a good, light weight set up that I can shoot a variety of scenes with and I often find myself grabbing my Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM also known as the Nifty Fifty. For me the body doesn’t really matter as all my bodies but one are Canon and I can even use my Canon lenses on my Sony NEX 6 as I have the Canon to Sony adapter.

Atlanta diner owner shot with 50mm

I like the Nifty Fifty set up as 50mm focal length is one of the most popular and most versatile lens out there. It’s great for street photography, portraits, and even landscapes, although it’s not as wide as my EF 17-40mm or my Sony 16-50mm.

Another reason I love the Nifty Fifty is it’s low weight of only 10.23 ounces. My Canon EOS 5 & 6Ds weight close to the same at around 27 ounces, so I keep my total weight to around 3 pounds total. Couple this with my new PeakDesign CapturePRO camera clip mounting system and I can be on my feet all day long with no issues.

Street photography downtown ATL shot with 50mm

 The next reason I recommend carrying less is so that you can become better with one set up. You don’t want to be out in the field worrying about changing lenses, risking getting dust on your sensor and trying to make up your mind what lens will give you the shot you want and then you miss the shot totally. By carrying a simple set up, you perfect your skills using what you have with you. You don’t need to have that zoom lens with you, get closer to what you want to shoot. This not only makes you more creative and builds your skills but you will find that you will enjoy your photography more and do less thinking or over thinking and as a result, less missing the shot. It’s also great when using a lens like the 50mm as you move around more and get more exercise. Who would have thought you could do something you love like photography all day and lose weight and become more fit at the same time. Now get out there and make some great pictures.

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