Bad Street Photography Advice
In today’s internet world everyone can open an account and start dishing out advice with or without any evidence to back it up. I think this is good because everyone has their own unique viewpoint, however for all the good advice out there, I have come across a fair share of bad advice too. Of course this is all subjective and is simply my opinion on what is bad advice. You might agree or disagree and that’s totally fine. That’s the beauty of the subjectivity of photography. By all means listen to what others have to say and either apply it to your photography or ignore it completely. This includes my opinions too.
You have the right to shoot anything in the street
I’ve heard this mentioned a few times and although the answer is very nuanced, I’m not sure I can totally agree. Sure, the street is a public space and anyone on the street cannot expect total privacy. Also in many countries such as the UK, you are legally allowed to photograph people in a public space. However just because something is legal, it doesn’t mean it’s ethical. Also just because you have the right to take a photo it doesn’t mean you should. Ultimately your moral compass and intention is what will decide whether you take a shot or not. I’m far from the morality police and I won’t tell you what is right or wrong, instead I will share my approach.
I will not take a photo that:
Knowingly making someone look bad
Shows someone in a compromised position
Will cause embarrassment
Could cause future issues for the subject
Shows a vulnerable person
Shows children’s identities if the child is the clear subject of the photo
Of course if I’m working on a specific project that will somehow give back, then I will consider photographing the more vulnerable members of our society as long as they get something from the interaction and my photos can be used to bring positive change.
Cropping / editing is cheating
I’ve heard quite a few photographers say that cropping or editing your photos is cheating and not real photography. Before I share my opinion I would say that I agree with them only under one strict condition - journalism. If the purpose of your photography is do document an event that could be used by journalists or if it has some kind of historic significance, then I wouldn’t edit or crop. The reason I won’t do that is because I don’t want to remove anything or make something look different to real life. On the other hand if you shoot from a creative standpoint and view photography as either art or personal memories, then cropping and editing is totally ok and no one can tell you otherwise. Master photographers everyone looks up to today also cropped and edited their work in the darkroom so adjusting your tone curve and straightening an image in Lightroom is no more ‘bad’.
It must have people
I’ve heard this one quite often too… street photography must include people. I don’t agree with this because there is a lot more that goes on in the street and not just people. The street includes architecture, transport, still life detail and so much more. To me street photography is about capturing the feeling of being somewhere and showing it to the viewer. In many cases if you just take photos of people, the images will get pretty boring and repetitive. Instead try to mix it up by not only showing the people but the environment they’re in too.
You must use specific gear & settings
I’ve heard some photographers preach how real street photographers only shoot at 28mm and anything that’s not black and white film is not real street photography. I’ve heard that the only true street photography camera is a Leica and nothing else is relevant. This can be extended to camera settings too… “you must shoot at f8 and only use zone focusing”, for example. As you can imagine this is all bullshit. It’s just a bunch of bitter men trying to keep their exclusive little club going for as long as they can. Shoot on any camera you like with any focal length using any focusing technique and whatever aperture you want. This is an art form and not a science that must be repeated a certain way.
