Street photography artistic techniques. Street photography and reporting. Recommendations. Bright accents in street photography

Each time, going on a photo walk with a camera at the ready, the photographer expects to get pictures that will be reflected in a kaleidoscope of events, a change of light and shadows, and most importantly, a wonderful demonstration of the characters and faces of people, the unprecedented atmosphere that reigns around.

And here lies the catch - how to photograph strangers?

Everyone who went on a trip, especially to foreign countries, watched life, people, faced the question: how to manage to capture the right moment, capture a unique emotion, and most importantly, is it possible to shoot a person at all. Here, of course, there are different approaches for shooting outside the walls of the studio.

This method has several significant drawbacks. The first, of course, is the natural shaking of a heavy camera with a lens in hand. Considering the focal length, the weight of the equipment and the shutter speed, blurry photos will most often be obtained if you do not use or use a very fast shutter speed.

Many, getting out on a photo hunt in the city, prefer to use a wide-angle lens or even a “regular fifty dollars”. An excellent choice, if you do not take into account the human factor. Not everyone and not always wants to be photographed. Here, the photographer may encounter the fact that people will spoil the entire frame with their behavior: turning away from the camera, behaving unnaturally, or even threateningly towards you. You can get out of a difficult situation through simple negotiations - ask permission before shooting, or stock business cards that say that you are a photographer, shoot a genre and you can even promise to send the person your photo by e-mail, unless of course it’s a Bedouin in the desert - it’s better to tell them about the photo magazine.

• Don't stop honing your skills. No amount of communication negotiation will help if the photographer spends a lot of time thinking about what decision to make about the use of focal length, about the shooting angle and aperture value. Before you can almost unmistakably and almost intuitively set the exposure, practice ... on still lifes or flowers. That's who you do not need to ask permission and establish human contacts.

• Confidence inspiring looks, intimate knowledge of your own camera, and respect for those you shoot are the three cornerstones that will help you create beautiful story sketches, capture and remember special moments of life with your camera, and create the most incredible emotional and depth portraits of people. .

Yes! Don't forget to relax and enjoy the process!

Severalspecific advice for beginner genre writers

Where to take pictures?

• roadsides- Pay attention to parked cars with open hoods. The emotions that can be observed in their owners are quite worthy of attention.

• Meeting pointsthat cannot be undone railway stations, city monuments and airports. People meet, people say goodbye, come on dates! And you are right here!

• Slums and garbage dumps - no comment!

When to take pictures?

And about patience...

Wait, wait, wait... patiently wait for your decisive moment, and it will surely come.

Street photography is a separate direction in photography, which differs from other genres in that it does not have staged shots and posing models - spontaneity and improvisation rule here. Sometimes such shooting is called documentary: with the help of street photography, you can capture the moment “here and now”, catch something that will not be there in a second.

Street photography originated in the late nineteenth century, when cameras became more mobile and photographers were able to leave the monotonous studios and take their equipment to the street. Then it was a novelty to capture the world around us - people wanted to show the metamorphoses of that time in the pictures, so they often took pictures of busy city blocks and streets. The first in this genre were such giants in the field of photography as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Garry Winogrand and others - it was these people who laid the foundation for street photography and shaped the trends in this art.

“I can’t stand arranging events and directing. It's terrible... You can't fake the real thing. I love the truth and only show the truth ... "

Henri Cartier Bresson

A lot has changed since the advent of the street photography genre: cameras have become more compact and ideas have become bolder. Now the creativity of a certain photographer reaches the viewer more easily. But the most important thing is that the idea and mission of such shooting remain unchanged.

Photo equipment for street photography

In the 21st century, digital photography has almost completely replaced analog photography - there are only a few adherents of film who appreciate the special magic and atmosphere of grainy shots. There were not just compact cameras like DSLRs and soap dishes, but also mobile phones - devices that have recently been not inferior in image quality to their older counterparts. In addition, with the help of a smartphone, it becomes even easier to take a good shot discreetly - you no longer need to puzzle over how to go unnoticed and not frighten away the subject. For street photography, this moment is undoubtedly important, because this is the easiest way to achieve the effect of spontaneity.

Before moving on to shooting with a film camera, practice with digital and SLR options, which will have compact dimensions.

SLR Cameras

DSLRs will give you the effect you want best, with fast shutter speeds so you never miss the moment, and autofocus so you can focus on what matters most. For such cameras, you can choose a variety of lenses: telephoto lenses for long-range shooting or portrait lenses for capturing faces close-up. The only thing that can bring inconvenience is the rather large dimensions and weight. Taking a photo discreetly will be somewhat more difficult.

Mirrorless cameras

They are good because they have wide shooting opportunities and at the same time are small-sized, like soap dishes. They can be purchased special "invisible" lenses that look like a camera cover. Yes, and other optics for such cameras are small in size - just what we need! In particular, old-school lenses from film cameras are suitable for them - they will give an interesting effect and serve as the beginning of your experiments with street photography.

The disadvantage can only be called the price of such equipment and optics for it, as well as a weak (compared to mirror technology) battery. Perhaps, for people with large palms, such a camera will not seem convenient - but you can always get used to the size.

Digital cameras

A good option for beginners in street photography. Soap dishes are small in size, with which it will be easier to shoot discreetly, as well as a nice price. Of the minuses, we highlight the lack of interchangeable lenses, simplified control (often without manual focus), slow operation of the shutter button, leisurely autofocus. In the case of such cameras, try to opt for models with good aperture and fast shooting.

Legality of street photography

One of the difficulties in street photography is that not everything can be filmed, especially when it is hidden. In Russia, there are a number of laws prohibiting the filming of certain buildings and people, covert filming, and the publication of such images without proper permission. In the best case, you will simply be asked to delete the photographs, and in the worst case, they will apply physical force to you or your equipment, collect a fine, or even give you a real term. The exceptions are pictures taken at public events, when a person accidentally got into the frame, as well as photos taken for state and political purposes.

It is worth noting that you have the right to delete a picture only by a court decision, and not at someone's request. After all, each of your photos is intellectual property.

There are practically no clear and strict rules in street photography: spontaneity reigns here, there is no special photographic equipment, professional lighting, there is no place for staged shots and people prepared for the picture. First of all, try to get real, sincere emotions from people you don’t know from your staff. The tips below will help you make your street photography livelier, more original and more interesting at first.

1. Shoot as much as you can

Constant practice will allow you to learn how to catch good moments and angles as quickly as possible, to adjust your gaze to the right wave. If you obviously don’t get the first photos, this does not mean that you need to give up - good shots are always obtained at the very end of the work, so you need to squeeze out the maximum effort. This rule fits the quote from street photography giant Henri Cartier Bresson that “your first ten thousand shots will be your worst.”

1. Change locations

Even if you purposely look for good shots in only one place, do not forget to sometimes switch to something completely different - otherwise your eyes will blur and stop seeing good moments for shooting. Learn to see interesting things in different places.

1. Do not hurry

Fast moving and street photography are almost incompatible. Sometimes you just need to stop and wait for the right shot. choose a place with a large flow of people, take a comfortable position and start “hunting” - a good shot will not take long.

1. Turn up the sensitivity

When working with a digital camera, you should not be limited to low ISO values. This will help you take shots with a fast shutter speed when you definitely won't get a second chance to capture a moving subject.

1. Movement in the frame

Reception opposite to the above. Lower the sensitivity so that subjects in motion seem to be blurry - a slow shutter speed like 1/30 sec will help with this. This reception is possible even during daylight hours - just remember to close the aperture and lower the ISO.

1. Shooting with wiring

It is carried out using the same slow shutter speed, to which is added the movement of the camera at the same speed and in the same direction as the subject. The surrounding background around the object is blurred, the effect of movement is achieved.

1. The man in the frame is not a panacea

Street photography is not only about people, but about life and its rhythm in general. Find emotions and interesting details where no one expects to see them - after all, the dynamic urban environment itself brings no less inspiration than the person who is in it.

1. Use reflection

A very strong and expressive technique that helps to show and use even more details and space in the frame. With the help of reflections, you can focus on a certain detail, achieve contrast, complement the main picture. Finding surfaces and objects that help you capture these shots is easy: they can be storefronts, cars, house windows, and more.

1. Look up

We are all used to seeing what is at the level of our eyes, so we often do not think that a lot of interesting things are happening above our heads. Catch the scenes from the “bottom-up” perspective, because the outlook and attention of a street photographer cannot lie in only one plane.

1. Avoid the dark

If it seems to you that the lack of lighting will not allow you to take good pictures, then you are mistaken. The night has its own special atmosphere, which looks quite advantageous in photographs. Use street lights, neon signs, car headlights, and even moonlight as light sources. Forget about the flash - with it all the “magic” of the frame will disappear.

1. Don't Forget the Rules of Composition

Despite the fact that the genre of street photography involves the flight of imagination and ideas, and is also based on improvisation, it is very important to follow the basics of compositional frame construction. By observing the architecture of the frame, you show your professionalism and ability to work with a camera.

1. Blend in with the crowd

Dress discreetly for photography - you should not attract too much attention so as not to frighten off the model. The same goes for conversations: try to be quiet and invisible so that the subject does not stop acting natural and relaxed - because many people are afraid of having a camera in their face, which is why people close themselves or leave the place altogether. Try to photograph a person quickly, in just a few frames - no one likes excessive attention and observation for a long time.

1. Try different colors

Some believe that canonical street photography should be black and white. It is not always so. Much more important is whether you were able to tell a story with your photos and convey emotions. As an argument in favor of color photography, one can also use the fact that it can be converted to monochrome using photo editors, which cannot be said about the original black and white image.

These small recommendations are not mandatory in such a huge genre of photography as street photography. They will only help you start moving in this direction, learn to look for the unusual in the ordinary and catch the necessary mood. Over time, if you practice a lot and actively, you can do without any advice: it will be easier for you to find interesting shots, and their number will increase.

The magic of street photography is that it doesn't follow any rules. She notices and captures unusual moments of everyday life. If you've ever felt like taking your camera for a walk through busy city streets or unexplored places, be sure to give street photography a try and try your hand at being a street photographer.

We've rounded up all the best tips to help you get the most out of the genre and create truly atmospheric shots.

Tip #1: Review your equipment and try not to stand out from the crowd

Our first piece of advice is not to draw attention to yourself. Imagine that you are walking down the street and you see a stranger with a huge telephoto lens pointed straight at you. I bet you won't be very comfortable? You need to put yourself in the place of passers-by and try to blend in a bit with the crowd.

Instead of a standard DSLR, we recommend opting for a light and compact camera. Yes! This is the main secret of all street photographers. You need to respect the privacy of the people around you, especially those you are about to film. Arm yourself with a compact camera and immerse yourself in the thick of things.

Instead of zooming, which often compromises photo quality, get closer to your subject. Stop passively clicking the shutter and turning on the zoom, use a wide-angle lens instead and concentrate on being in the right place at the right time every now and then. Don't think about the lens - move your feet instead.

However, remember that people need to be treated with respect, so keep a comfortable distance. Some of the best photographs are those taken very close, literally a few meters from the center of the action. Be observant! Look for interesting objects and plots, dynamics and action - all that is an integral part of the hectic life of the streets.

Most likely, your first impulse will be to shoot everything that catches the eye. Indeed, on the street, so many moments seem extraordinary and worth capturing on camera. However, in street photography, you need to develop a picky editorial eye. You need to be attentive, spend more time looking at everything, watching people.

Instead of coming back with a thousand shots that you have to sort through, try to focus more on quality rather than quantity.

Tip #4: Experiment with different times of day

During rush hours, the streets literally change. Early morning is a special time, because this is the time when you can take unique shots of sparsely populated streets; is there some more and don't forget night photography. Keep those good moments in mind, because in street photography, good moments are everything.

At different times of the day, you will have different lighting conditions. You can come to the same place, but each time you will receive completely different photos. So you should definitely experiment with shooting in the morning, at noon and in the evening. After all, it is light that makes photography special.

Tip #5: Learn to ask permission to shoot, and don't let hostility discourage you.

Sometimes you know for sure that now you will get a super-successful picture - you just need to quickly catch on camera the person who attracted your attention. However, many masters of street photography say that you first need to learn how to ask permission. Of course, the most original and casual photos are usually taken when the subject is unaware and just minding their own business. However, don't be afraid to slow down a bit.

Learn to ask, because you never know what the next meeting will bring ... Let people know that you find them interesting and ask for a portrait shot. Some will immediately agree and even feel flattered that you chose them. Well, if you stumble upon hostility, you know - it's okay, it's part of the workflow. Just don't dwell on it and move on.

Tip #6: Don't miss out on spectacular lighting and interesting combinations

The success of many street photographs lies in the element of surprise. In fact, your task is to shoot places and phenomena that are well known to us, but show them in a new, unexpected light for us. You kind of catch a moment, a fragment of a day that will never happen again.

By spectacular lighting, I mean the play of two opposites: light and dark, light and shadow. This is just a goldmine for many talented street photographers,especiallywhen shooting in black and white.

In many ways, the magic of street photography lies in successful and sometimes completely unexpected combinations - in a strange neighborhood of people and objects around them. Look for an environment that will help convey your message to the viewer, and let it be something slightly contradictory. Human emotions, gestures and facial expressions also fall under this item.

Tip #7: Worried about the legality of street photography?- Relax!

You know, so many photographers are scared away from street photography by the fear of “is it legal”? The only point at which it can become illegal is the use of photographs of people for commercial purposes. If you don't sell photographs, you may well keep street shots in your personal collection.

Well, if you plan to sell photos on photo stocks, you can always mark them with the Editorial category, that is, “Editorial Use Only”. This means that your images do not come with model releases and can only be used for editorial purposes, i.e. to illustrate or highlight an event, news or story.

If someone asks you on the street what you are doing, do not be nervous, but calmly and politely explain to a stranger what you are doing. Smile and remember that some people are just curious why you are walking down the street, aiming your lens at passers-by.

Tip #8: Be more than just a photographer, be a storyteller

You are the silent observer, the creator behind the photographs. You carefully choose objects and plots and work with the context around you. However, remember, you are also telling a story that will never happen again.

There is often an element of storytelling behind the originality and success of successful portraits and stunning street photography. What are you trying to say? Why did you choose these objects for shooting? What emotions are you trying to convey? If it takes the viewer several minutes to view your pictures, then you are doing everything right. Remember to ask yourself these important questions when you are photographing.

Tip #9: Street photography secret - shoot from the hip

Of course, you want to control the process of taking pictures. To get really good shots and winning angles, you need to be able to see what you're shooting. However, don't forget that there are times when this is simply not possible - for example, when you are standing right in the middle of a stunning street scene. Shooting from the hip without looking through the viewfinder is a great way for many photographers to quickly seize the opportunity.

You really don't know how the picture will turn out, but at the same time, you get the original angle. By shooting from the hip, you get more lively and relaxed photos. They can bring you genuine surprise, but remember that this tool is used only in the most extreme cases.

Tip #10: Get in the habit of going out and taking pictures more often

Take your camera everywhere! And when you don't have a camera with you, take pictures with your phone. The truth is that every day brings with it new events: there is always something interesting happening, interesting people pass by, and you are bound to find an extraordinary shot somewhere. All these extraordinary situations and events will not wait until you decide to take your camera with you.

Remember that only practice can bring real results. Street photography is a kind of art. And those who discover the magic of street photography will never be able to look at everyday life the same way again.

I recently discovered an interesting article by American photographer James Maher.

If you shoot a street, it will be very useful to you. For illustrations, my photos.

Street photography is a tricky business. The world around us is rapidly changing, and it takes a fair amount of practice to get it right in the frame.

However, it's not just about practice. Every seasoned street photographer has a number of tricks that make life easier when shooting on the street. These tricks will help you find subjects for your photos so that they are interesting and powerful.

1. Stop

Do you think that street photography is when you take a pleasant walk with a camera around the city? In a way, this is true, but in general it is extremely difficult to walk around, while straining your attention in search of a good shot. You will often simply not be ready to catch the decisive moment. If you try to take your camera out to shoot on the go, your preparations are likely to be noticed. Finally, people usually go in the opposite direction to yours. It's hard to slow down enough to get a sharp shot while still composing the shot correctly. Excellent coordination is required to succeed.

So, it's important to slow down. slowdown! Get in the habit of stopping every couple of blocks for a few minutes. See what's happening. If you want the story to come to you, there is no other way.

Study your surroundings in the most intent way and wait for any situation to arise. You'll be surprised at the number of lucky moments you'll get while you're just standing by.

2. Pay attention to the eyes

If you want to improve your personal portraits, pay attention to the eyes of passers-by. People can hide emotions very well on their face, but their eyes never lie. I've seen too many street photos with expressionless faces. Catch the emotion in the eyes of passers-by.

Direct eye contact is extremely important. It creates a strong bond with the person. I usually try to avoid being noticed, so I often avoid eye contact. But sometimes it pays to wait for the person to look at you. This photo will only get better. Photography will not cease to be objective and impartial at the moment when people take their first glance at you and do not have time to somehow react.

3. Focuson thedetails

Street photography isn't just about photographing quirky neighborhoods or putting as many different people or objects in an intricate frame as possible. Although this is something I see too often in street photos. It's often best to simplify your photos and look for the "little things" - the little hints of life's circumstances that everyone else usually misses. Look at the details: a person's hands, an expression, a piece of clothing, or a single object shot very close and taking up the entire frame. Strong ideas can be expressed through the simplest scenes.

Modern digital cameras produce good image quality at high ISOs. If you're in bright sunlight or shooting still subjects, then you don't need high ISO values ​​like 1600, but in all other cases it will be useful.

If you're using a reasonably good digital camera, you'll quickly notice that shooting at high ISOs will produce much better images despite the higher levels of grain (digital noise). I mainly use ISO 1600, 800 and 3200. Shooting at high ISO values ​​will help you get sharper images thanks to fast shutter speeds and wide open apertures.

Plus, the graininess is great! Just don't make the high ISO image too bright in post-processing. This will kill the photo. When shooting at high ISO, the correct exposure value is extremely important.

5. Find footage without people

Street photography is often mistakenly associated solely with photographing people on the streets. Yes, street photography is about people, more precisely about scenes from the life of the city, but people do not have to be present in the plot at all. There are endless opportunities to take great street photos without people. You just need to look for them.

But don't confuse street photography without people with the cityscape genre. A cityscape is a direct shot of an urban environment, such as a simple shot of the Empire State Building. Street photos tell something about human nature. They contain a message.

Let's take the Layers of the City photo as an example. This photograph shows the changing nature of Manhattan and, in particular, the East Village neighborhood, which is now the city's fastest growing area. The picture shows a gradual change from a shabby past to a smooth, sterile future. This shot tells something about human nature and the nature of cities. This is not just a banal photograph of urban structures.

Night is one of the busiest times of the day. In general, I find nighttime street photos to be more charged with mood and power than daytime shots. You don't need to use flash (although I like the flash-lit view). I prefer to shoot without a flash because I love how everything looks in undistorted artificial light, and I want to capture that great atmosphere that these lights give to the picture.

The main trick to shooting street photography at night without a flash is to find bright areas and wait there (well, shoot at ISO 1600 or 3200). Use light from shop windows and street lights. It's worth it.

Street photography is like good wine; time makes them even better. This is the thought you need to keep in mind when taking pictures. Think about what might change. Focus on trends or things that won't be around in 2, 3, 10 or 20 years. For example, take a look at this photo from 2012, which shows five people reading in a subway car. In any case, this is not my favorite shot, but it quickly "ages" like wine. In three years, filming something like this may no longer be possible, because everyone around will use e-readers, tablets or smartphones. The idea behind this picture is simply fascinating to me.

Street photography today has become a full-fledged genre of photography, and maybe even art. One can argue with the last statement, but you must admit that this is precisely the art - to be able to get a frame that will please not only the author of the photo, but also tens or even thousands of people.

So hundreds of people wander around cities and countries, armed with cameras of varying degrees of advancement. Someone has an ordinary soap dish, and someone carries a camera with them, the cost is comparable to a quite good car. They look like hunters stalking their prey. The booty of a street photographer is a freeze frame of your life, your emotions, an important or not so important event. It is possible that those who were photographed by the photographer will already forget about the fleeting fact in his life in minutes, but everything will remain in the picture.

Tip one: Street photography is democratic and absolutely undemanding to technology. It doesn't matter what camera you have. The main thing is what and how you shoot. You can do street photography without having a camera at all. Modern smartphones allow you to take good pictures.

What does a street photographer shoot and what is the street photo genre about

If you do not talk for a long time, then street photography is about people's lives and people themselves, with their joys and sorrows, with their thoughts and experiences. These are streets, but the streets are not empty, but filled with people, movement. About movement - when we say the word "movement", we most often imagine someone walking or something that is riding, flying. In fact, movement is a broader concept. Thought is also movement. Only inanimate objects are static in themselves. Like death, it is also static.

In the last century, there was such a fashion - to photograph deceased relatives, giving them living poses. Such photographs look creepy - this is an imitation of life and it is unnatural. Death does not move - it is the end, a complete stop. Every life is dynamic. Any living object is in dynamics, even if it just stands and smokes:

Street photography - Moscow 2016

Sometimes street photography refers to any pictures of the city. This is not true. There is a very clear division between urban landscape and street photography. The urban landscape, which I will talk about in the next article, is a separate genre of photography, where the hero is the city itself, its architecture, landscape. Street photography is all about people. It does not matter whether a person is walking, riding a bicycle or a car, just standing there, thinking - the person is the main character of street photography. There is a difference, as you can see. In one case, the main plot is the creation of man, in the other - the man himself.

Moscow - May 2016

The main feature of street photography

Street photography is a complete lack of staging. You don't prepare the stage, you don't force your models to stand there, take such and such a position, smile or cry. You don't even know who will be your model and what he or she will do in a second. Maybe he will cry, or maybe he will laugh, or maybe he will notice you and send you to hell, and even chase you with very bad desires.

Tip two: When shooting outdoors, use telephoto lenses or compact cameras with high magnification. The main thing in street photography is naturalness, and what naturalness when you know that you are being photographed. You are always waiting for a bird to fly out. This is at best, and at worst, people may be vehemently opposed to being filmed. Therefore, it is better to shoot from afar, armed with good optics.

Victory Park - May 2016

Who to shoot and what events to capture

Who to film? A complex and at the same time simple question that can be answered unequivocally - people. People, person, woman or man, children or one child. It doesn't matter who. What matters is how and when. So we come to the most important thing - at the time of shooting. When to push the button and when not to. Here the question is not only in the shooting technique, but there are also aesthetic and ethical aspects. There are a lot of questions, and most of them do not have a clear answer. Each photographer decides for himself. Whether to shoot people at the funeral, heartbroken or not, whether to shoot the expression of feelings of love, rage, aggression or not to shoot. What all street photographers agree on is that you can capture moments of joy and happiness. Is it worth filming the joy of an alcoholic who has bought a bottle or just got drunk, or the satisfaction from a job well done by a hostess who has just slaughtered a chicken for dinner? Difficult. I repeat once again - each photographer decides for himself what is acceptable and what is not.

Tip three: If you want to get a strong shot, then it is best to shoot at holidays or some kind of event. People in such moments are more emotional and hold themselves back less. Watch people at street parties - they are liberated, they think less about how they look. More emotions - better photography.

Hermitage Garden - a feast of food

When to shoot

Any time of the day. You are limited only by the technical parameters of your equipment. You can shoot during the day, morning or night. It doesn't matter. The main thing is that you can see what you want to shoot. But in general, it is better when there is good lighting - it can be the sun, street lights. Otherwise noise can ruin your photo. Although, sometimes noise is added on purpose. But, still, it is worth remembering that the less light, the longer your shutter speed and higher ISO. And also remember that the less light, the more noisy or blurry your picture will be, and maybe both will turn the picture into an incomprehensible mess, a mess. You can, of course, later say that this is such an idea, and they say this is how I see the world. But we are not talking about painting, but about photography, which captures the event. An event, not your state of mind.

Evening Arbat - July 2016

Color or black and white photography - which is better?

Different photographers have very different ideas about color. Someone thinks that street photography should only be black and white, someone admits that street photography can be in color. Actually, the color doesn't matter. Color is not an end in itself and not a canon. What matters is the plot and what you want to emphasize. Let's talk about what color is. Color is our subjective perception of the reflection of the light flux from objects. For a person, there are no identical colors - everyone perceives colors differently. Pink or red - this is understandable, but there are details. Are the details important or not? The devil knows. There are only two colors that we perceive in the same way - black and white. Even color blind people do not confuse these colors. That is, if you want all people to see the same picture in color, then a black and white photograph is preferable. But it's not even about how we perceive color, but about the plot and what we want to convey. I'll give you an example. We film a weightlifter during a push or hold. The veins tense up, the face turns red, the eyes pop out of their sockets, the whole face is tense. What do you want to convey? If only emotional tension, then a black and white version is better. The viewer's eye will not be distracted by the complexion or hands of the athlete. And if you want to convey physical tension, then a color picture would be more appropriate - the color perfectly conveys our physical state.

Street basketball - tension is conveyed not only in movement and emotions, but also in color

I noticed that strong open emotions are better conveyed by color photography. A black and white photo, on the other hand, reveals what people sometimes want to hide. It is possible that this is an erroneous impression, but there is something in it, in my opinion.

Tip #4: Shoot in color. Then, when processing a photo, you will figure out which is better. When you take pictures on the street, you can’t immediately understand what you shot. But when processing a photo, there is already time to consider and think.

About composition in street photography

When we shoot in a studio or take a family photo, we create, build reality and cram people into it. That is, we create reality according to our ideas about how it should look. Street photography is different. We do not create the world around us, but we only observe it and record events in the real environment, which does not depend on our idea of ​​it. A street photographer is not a builder, he is an observer. Attentive, endowed with imagination, but an observer. I note that when thinking about the plot, we can choose a place, a shooting point, adjust the focus - sit in an ambush.

There are two categories of photographers. Some can be compared to an ordinary hunter who wanders through the forest and looks out for game on the branches. It is possible that he will come across only a couple of crows, or a valuable fur-bearing animal may also come across. The main thing is not to fox. Others are snipers, carefully choosing the place from which the shot will be fired. In the first case, a successful composition is a matter of chance, in the second, sooner or later someone will fall into the chosen framework.

And what is better - wandering around the city in search of a plot or choosing a place and time, and waiting? It is hard to say. It all depends on what is happening around. Let me explain. You have decided to replenish your portfolio with photographs of the newlyweds, and everyone does not invite you to the wedding. Excellent. We think, where are these newlyweds found? There are several places in Moscow where you will definitely catch a couple of weddings at the weekend - the Patriarchal Bridge and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself, Tsaritsino, Kolomenskoye, GUM. Now we decide what kind of environment we need. Then it's a matter of technique - we arrive at the place and choose a shooting point - sooner or later, but the young will fall into our frame. The photographer will only have to press a button when a couple of newlyweds or a whole fun wedding approaches the point that we have chosen for shooting.

Patriarchal bridge - Moscow - 2011
The work of a wedding photographer - 2011, Moscow

What is better for shooting - open space, highway or brick walls around. It doesn't matter at all.

Some people think that street photography is zero processing and no cropping. In my opinion, this is wrong. You can crop a photo, and sometimes you need to. Good street photography has a story. Let not invented and not directed, but the plot is present all the same. Life itself gives subjects for our pictures. And there is nothing wrong with the fact that we cut off the excess that does not fit into our plot. The main thing is not to cut off something important that will emasculate our photo and make it faceless.

Street photography - good luck with your shots

That's all for today. Thoughts are over. But this is not the end, but only the beginning and to be continued.