10 Street Photography Tips For The Rest Of Your Life

There is a ton of advice out there regarding street photography from camera set up, editing as well as philosophical based discussions around the topic. However if I had to boil it down to a concise list that will make the biggest difference to you, this would be it. 

Invest in good trainers

I would argue that a good pair of trainers will do more for your street photography than any fancy camera. Your Leica will become nothing more than a paperweight if you can’t even walk across the road to take a photo because you have blisters. Joking aside, street photography involves a lot of walking and because you are focused and doing something you enjoy, you can find yourself easily racking up the miles. Personally I will walk anywhere between 10 and 15 miles a day. In the summer it can be even more. I can tell you from personal experience that if your feet hurt or you have a blister, the last thing you will care about is taking photos and it will ruin your day. So get a good pair of trainers. 

Keep it simple

Ive mentioned this before but keeping it simple is important. So either go out with just one zoom lens or with no more than one or max two primes. The moment you go out with 5 different lenses just in case, you will spend more time trying to decide which lens to use next. Or even worse kicking yourself for why you didn’t have a wider lens on your camera when that amazing subject walked right past you. Think about where you’re going, look back at your work from similar locations and make a calculated guess on which lens might be best. If you’re still not sure, just take a zoom lens and a 50mm prime. 

Learn your gear inside out 

You’re better off using a 5 year old point and shoot that you know inside out, than using the latest flagship mirrorless that you have no clue how to operate. In my 121 workshops i see so many people who are almost fighting with their camera and getting in their own way. You need to be able to operate your camera blindfolded and every interaction should be subconscious. Every time you are are trying to remember which button you assigned to the focusing, you are either missing shots, cocking up shots or just getting frustrated. So whatever camera you have, research everything about it and make it an extension of your hand.

Become a good observer

One of the biggest skills you can have as a street photographer is being a good observer and being able to read the room. What I mean by that, is the ability to stand back and observe people in the city, their behaviour and how everything interacts. This will allow you to plan ahead and put yourself in a position where you can get a great photo. Also this will allow you to spot interesting and out of the ordinary characters or events as they develop. Finally being a good observer means you can read the room. What I mean by that is having a good gut feeling to whether you are welcome or not. This will help you to avoid conflict when you can sense that you are not welcome but also get closer to the subjects if you sense that you are welcome. 

Develop your people skills 

Street photography is a people based art form. Sooner or later either you will have to interact with people or they will interact with you. So having good people skills is a must in order to make the most of positive interactions and diffuse any negative interactions. If your excuse is that you are introverted, then that’s a shit excuse and will get you nowhere… in photography and in life. So start to study people skills, take courses, read books and start to make simple interactions like a smile. Over time your confidence will grow and you will still be an introvert, but an introvert who can become an extrovert for a couple minutes when needed. 

Stay curious 

We’ve all been guilty of this especially myself. You find a great part of town or a nice route for a photo walk and you just repeat it over and over on autopilot. Or you take photos of the same subjects or scenes because they have become easy. I am also guilty of this. However stay curious to the world around you. If you see a random pocket of light or anything which even remotely catches your attention, go and explore, work the scene and try to see if you can make something from it. Always evolve and always explore new things to photograph or new ways to photograph the same thing. 

Focus on photo albums and not single hits 

So many of us dream of that one photo that changes everything or that one instagram banger that will go viral, or that one print that will sell out. But the reality is that these once in a lifetime photos dont happen very often. So every time we head out to shoot, if all we care about is that one amazing image, we will in most cases come home disappointed. Also for many of us photography is a way to remember our travels and where we live. So rather than just having a few single hits, wouldn’t it be better to have an album? What I mean by that is a collection of different images which together tell the story. So for example you can have an establishing shot, a subject shot and a detail shot. The establishing shot tells you where you are. The subject shot focuses on something of interest. The detail shot focuses on something random which is insignificant but when combined with the other two elevates the collection.

Go somewhere you enjoy or you want to photograph… not just somewhere that’s popular

I know this sounds bonkers but how many of us go to photograph locations just because that’s where everyone else goes? So we end up going to the same places but maybe we don’t enjoy taking photos there? A good example is my relationship with night photography. There is no denying that most cinematic photos that we are seeing on instagram are all taken at night especially in the winter when it’s raining or snowing. If you have been following me however you would see that most of my work is on bright sunny days. That’s because I simply don’t enjoy night time photography at all no matter how much I try. Especially if it’s in busy areas like Soho on a Friday night when it’s full of drunks and noise which I personally can’t stand. However this winter I been trying to head out more at night and although I got some ok photos, I just didn’t feel excited about it. My point is focus on what you enjoy taking photos of and although i do suggest trying everything, don’t force yourself to shoot in conditions or locations which you don’t like just because everyone else is doing that right now. 

Learn to enjoy the process…. not the end result

If you are being paid to deliver images, then this does not apply to you at all. However the rest of us, we do photography as a hobby, as an art form and as a means to get out and explore. So why on earth would we put so much pressure on getting the shot, that we end up getting stressed and not enjoying the process. Unless you stage everything, street photography is a luck based endeavour so having any expectations will just ruin your day. So focus on enjoying your day out, prioritise the experience over the end result. Be it using a camera that you enjoy over one that some technical gear nerd recommends. Or even planning a photo walk that goes past your favourite restaurant so you can pop in for a meal. Whenever i go out to shoot, I have my music or a podcast, I go to my favourite parts of london and I just enjoy the walk. I stop for coffee, for food or even to look inside a museum. Basically I am prioritising the enjoyment of a day out with my camera and the process of photography over getting the shot. And the funny thing is all my best photos have come from those days. Talking about this now makes me really wanna grab the camera and head out… might do that in a minute. 

Put yourself and your camera in front of interesting subjects, locations and light 

If your photos are boring, it is probably because you’re not putting your camera in front of anything interesting. If you want soft light, then shoot on sunny days when the sun is low. If you want cinematic shots, then shoot when it’s raining or foggy or in low light. If the town you live in is boring, then go somewhere that’s more interesting. The best cure for creative block is jumping on a plane, train or in your car and going somewhere new or different. I know this is easy to say as someone with no life responsibilities and enough income to travel. However there is always something you can do. If you live in a small village then catch a bus to the nearest big town. Or vice versa, if you’re from a big town, then find a way to get to the nearest small village. Basically focus on putting your camera in front of interesting locations, subjects and lighting conditions.