Street Photography: Technique

[Aryan]

I am sure many of us here are quite interested in shooting 'daily-life', while some, like out dearest 'Super Moderator' is quite proficient in it. ;) I would really like to try my hands on this field of photography, but I am not so sure how to go about it.

For starters, what kind of lens is best suited for this purpose? A wide-angle lens would ofcourse be the tool of choice here since we want probably as much as we can to get into the frame, but then my main point of concern is - won't it be more like disturbing the privacy of the subject? Moreover, whenever a person sees a camera/ lens pointing towards them, they don't act quite as naturally as they would've if we would've used a zoom lens.

Also, I think using a telephoto lens we can get real candid shots, but then I think the purpose of street photography is not really candid moments, but more of the daily happenings of the subject(s) one shoots.

Anyhow, I would really appreciate if the experts could share some tips/ techniques regarding the same, here. Following are a few pictures I took some time back; just tried my hands at street photography.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2869429205_7e698b054e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2799877447_0d135e0b88_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2800724092_92115f21f6_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/2869429211_443f1d15b6_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2800730998_c9e135ab76_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2799889855_3fca62bed0_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2800739990_404824baa9_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2800741030_a3e161cbae_o.jpg

[KrishnenduKes]

Topic Approved

I do not know if I am proficient at it or not, but I sure as hell am interested in it. In this field of photography, I will try to enumerate what I know...

I try to be as nondescript as possible, physically speaking, not wearing bright colours, red and bright blue are best avoided. Wear dark grays and such like colours. You will not stand out as a sore thumb. Mingle with the crowd, move around, start shooting and keep shooting. Make a photograph, make something out of nothing and make it look outstanding. Start getting at ease yourself. If you are uneasy, you will NOT be able to take pictures. If you feel at ease, people around you will feel at ease.


As far as lenses are concerned, it is totally a personal choice. I like wide and very wide angles on the streets. It gives me depth and perspective. It creates a situation. With a wide angle lens, I try to look for lines or curves that lead to my subject. Choice of lens is totally a personal affair. Maybe the 50 will work out fine since it is a VERY sharp lens and it will give you things that I have not been able to incorporate or create in my style. Maybe I lack that diversity. Maybe you will be able to do something with the 50. When I go out with Saurabh, he carries lenses varying from the 14mm f2.8 (Which I would LOVE to own) and to the 200 f2.8. And I have seen him shoot working men inches from their faces as they work to get the frowns and sweat coming out from within! Gives you the goose bumps when you see the photograph.

As I said somewhere else, keep clicking and people will get used to your presence. When I am putting up the photograph of the man carrying the sac on his shoulders, that is not the first photograph that I clicked. I chose to show that one here from the 17 others that I shot of him. I would move with him, alongside, move away, then slowly draw close. By then he has got comfortable with my presence and the camera. The watchmaker is 1GB full of shots. But then again, a watchmaker is a guy who is focussed and is hardly bothered with what is happening around him. At the same time you must start a conversation with him. It helps. And if they start posing, you just have to tell them, yes tell them that they keep on doing what they were doing and you will keep shooting.

These are the basic principles that I can think of at the moment. 5 days at Old Delhi and 32GB of photographs of people at close quarters and you will get at ease with street photography.

The 'Super Moderator' has put in a few words.

[Aryan]

Thanks Super Moderator for those tips and all the insight. Although I don't have any ultra wide angle lenses, but I would surely try my hands at it with the kit lens as well as the 50mm, and would love to share the results, here.

Thanks yet again; I really appreciate your time and effort.

[KrishnenduKes]

Thanks Super Moderator for those tips and all the insight. Although I don't have any ultra wide angle lenses, but I would surely try my hands at it with the kit lens as well as the 50mm, and would love to share the results, here.

Thanks yet again; I really appreciate your time and effort.

Don't mention it.

And yes, I for one would like to use the 18-55 on the street. It would give some flexibility. But then as I said... to each his own. You might like using the 50mm or the 100mm. They would definitely be interesting I am sure.

[Aryan]

I would surely try such photography with the 50mm and post the results here, as and when I can. :) :)

[shutterbug]

Ken da, i think i asked you the same doubt as aryan, in a p.m to you, about how to engage in street photography without upsetting the privacy of the subject..
I am still very uncomfortable!

[nelson_sanjoy]

Maximum street photographs (by professionals) that I see use the 28 mm /f2.8 prime @f8,f11 or f16 so that everything from near to far is in focus on FF cameras (because of better ISO).

[KrishnenduKes]

Ken da, i think i asked you the same doubt as aryan, in a p.m to you, about how to engage in street photography without upsetting the privacy of the subject..
I am still very uncomfortable!

I still say that if you want to do street photography, you CANNOT afford to be uncomfortable. You have to be outgoing and genuinely "friendly". The "subject" might initially feel disturbed. But with your presence and your constant shooting at close quarters will eventually "smoothen" out differences between you and your subject. I know it is not easy. It is very difficult. I am still trying a LOT to get over these things. Which is why I still go with someone since I am myself struggling with these feelings. Try it out, it works. I also love shooting in Calcutta, Benares... Also, a place like Old Delhi helps. People there are far more receptive there than lets say, inside a Mall, which I find bland and totally uninteresting in any case for shooting. If I find time, I might want to go to Lucknow and discover that city and shoot there, just for the sake of knowing the people of that city and shooting them.

Maximum street photographs (by professionals) that I see use the 28 mm /f2.8 prime @f8,f11 or f16 so that everything from near to far is in focus on FF cameras (because of better ISO).

I personally would love to own and use the 14mm f2.8 for this purpose. But as of now... too expensive.

[nelson_sanjoy]

I personally would love to own and use the 14mm f2.8 for this purpose. But as of now... too expensive.

Would be great to see you with that lens and I think thats the widest L prime or widest prime L that Canon has .Right?

[KrishnenduKes]

Would be great to see you with that lens and I think thats the widest L prime or widest prime L that Canon has .Right?

Yes. I think that is right.

[Aryan]

A few newbie attempts at street photography. :o
Equipment used - Canon EOS 400D coupled with the Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens.

The Charmer
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3278638337_70461f9dc2_o.jpg

Family
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3278638105_ea4ec61dec_o.jpg

The Artist
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3518/3279460534_ed80ca7f4e_o.jpg

That 'look'!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3279459928_7c5ac37f34_o.jpg

[KrishnenduKes]

A few newbie attempts at street photography. :o
Equipment used - Canon EOS 400D coupled with the Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens.


Nice attempts there Aryan.

I would like to add a few things here...

I realised that to be able to be good at this, you have to keep doing it 1. with a thick skin yet be sensitive to your subject's comfort zone. 2. Ignore your comfort zone TOTALLY. 3.Keep doing this repeatedly.

The Snake Charmer photo is not very tough to shoot. He is there waiting to be shot. You probably paid him off after you took your shots :) But you have not told your full story with some text which is also important. There is something to do with Guiness book of records there!

I liked the grainy feel to the family shot there. The photo is nice, I only wish there were something "more" happening there. This is a tough subject though if you are looking to tell a story.

You could have done a lot more with the artist photograph. Go out more often, keep shooting, it is challenging and fun once you get into the groove (like everything else I guess). I am really glad that you are attempting such shots. Needs a lot of guts in breaking the ice. And I know there is LOT of ice to be broken again and again in street photography till you get comfortable with it, at ease.

[Aryan]

Thanks for those valuable comments. I would surely try and hopefully improve. :)

[ashishtamhane]

You may laugh at this, but this technique works for me:

I use a very simple technique to photograph the vegetable market. Its called 'a vegetable for a photograph' :). Its simple. When the family requires vegetables, which is usually on Sundays i got out with them with my camera. My father or mother buys vegetables from the seller while i photograph him. It works because he is engrossed in selling them and thus immune to my Nikon. I also 'inspect' the vegetables and thereby get a low wide-angle shot.

As it turns out, now my interest in street photography is increasing. BUT i seriously lack courage to close in on my subjects. So i turned around to shooting from the hip which did work for a while but later, i found out that i can't really 'connect' with the photos later on.

I think the camera's physical size is a major factor too, as are those huge 'Nikon' and 'Canon' logos on your strap. They seem to intimidate the subjects. The smaller the better. People here are not too used to seeing DSLR cameras and they notice even my relatively big (for them ie) Nikon D3100 which is probably the smallest DSLR out there.

You may have seen this photograph earlier, posting it again here though:

http://www.thephotographer.in/galleries/data/590/LevitMarketPortrait.jpg