What makes good street photography

SO far in my quest into the land of photography I have tried street

phtotgraphy once or twice. I guess I picked bad times becuase there

just didnt seem to be much for me to take pictures of. Or is it

me? I am not sure what I am looking for when im out like that.

 

SO waht makes good street photography? Are there certain poses or

trypes of pictures I should look for? SHould I be so aware of

asking each single person that in thei world seems to scared to talk

to a stranger let alone take pictures.

 

I tend to not ask many people but try taking pictures fomr far back

but close. I don't like to feel I am intruding on them when Im out

there but at times I cant help but to. Any advice on it? Cuz so

far its come out pretty crappy. But I still keep on until I get

where I want to with it.

It's easy to find an appealing scene, photograph it, and discover that the photo lacks the appeal of the original. But it doesn't often work the other way- you'll seldom take a shot of an uninteresting scene and get an interesting picture.

 

If you don't see any reason to take a picture of a scene or of a person, then don't. I doubt many people take a stroll around the block and come back with rolls of great pictures.

 

What to look for: Interesting (visually interesting) people, faces, places, patterns. Interaction between people. Emotion. Lighting. Humor. Contrast (in subjects, not lighting). Action. Suspense.

Part of it is knowing which street to walk down. Some places simply have more activity and more interesting people. Parks, downtown, and public gathering places are fairly obvious, but interesting people hang out arounn local barber shops, gas stations, fast food places, and such too.

 

Point the camera at the right place at the right time and click the shutter. Conversly, if it isn't the right place or right time, save your film (or megabytes).

 

I haven't ventured into street photography for several reasons, but my gut tells me that getting one good shot out of a roll of film is probably average. Getting a great shot is a little lucky, and getting a perfect shot is pretty unlikely in your lifetime. If you enjoy the challenge, go for it, otherwise find something you do enjoy shooting.

theres no such thing. theres only what grabs you, and what makes you shoot. thats all you need to know.

Hi Tom. I am in no position to give advice, but what I do personally, is find a street I like, then try to discerne what it is about the street that I like, and how I can communicate that to an objective viewer. I should clarify that by street I mean any public place. I find I like laundromats, and quickie marts, coffee shops and bus stops because those are the places I find themes and patterns, and the light is always great in a laundromat. I don't know if any of the above makes sense, but it works for me. Good luck.

Keep your camera in your pocket at ALL times.

Jim, is that a lens in your pocket, or are you...

Go to www.google.com type in "street photography" look at street photographs and find ones you like. There�s info on the web about how other street photographers work. If you don't actually like being on the street or feel comfortable pointing your camera at strangers you're probably barking up the wrong tree. No shame in that�there�s no lack of other subjects, and ways to photograph them.

It takes a good street. But that's still not enough.

Tom,

I am not qualified to mention what makes good street photography, but I have to mention that I saw an episode of the Sunday Morning Show with Tom Osgood a few weeks ago. They were either doing a special on the "America, 24/7" book or the new book put out by National Geographic (each was featured within a week or two of the other). They showed a PJ on the street, decked out in a vest, PJ bag and a camera (rangefinder/slr, I don't know), and his technique was very impressive. He would match the footsteps of the subject, walk next to it, get in close (within a few feet) and would snap the shot within a second, while continuing to walk alongside the oblivious 'model'. As soon as he snapped the shutter, he walked off to the side, expressionless, quickly and professionally. Note that he did not run away like he had just snatched a purse. I think that the subject was too surprised to say anything, or even realize what had happened until the guy was 10 steps away. Maybe the fact that he obviously looked like a professional photographer, and not a stalker, helped.

 

They only showed the guy for a few seconds. To the occasional point-n-shooter, this event probably seemed like nothing special. But to somebody that has some experience in trying to capture street photos (mostly in vain), it was pretty inspiring as well as educational. It really opened my eyes as to how the pros shoot ( at least one of them).

I said this on another thread...<p>

 

Good street shooting takes a lot of practice, ... but, more than that, a love of being on the street and a feel for the rhythm. It's sometimes pointed out that great nature shots come from people who love and know nature, and the same thing happens on the street. You have to be comfortable working on the street, even (to get a little zen), to become one with the street. Then the photos will happen.

Tom,

 

Most importantly, you need to understand people and to develop a philosophy of life. The reason for understanding people should be obvious. The necessity for a philosophy of life may not be so obvious.

 

A philosophy of life need not be formal or revealed to world. It might be totally aesthetic and private. It might be political. It might be something else. But it has got to somehow provide you with a vision that will give you a structure and moral basis for your work--and, besides that, the courage to go on.

 

My favorite painter, Paul Cezanne, developed a symbiotic relationship between his art and nature. He never really talked about it until the painter and critic Maurice Denis stayed with him and pumped him for his ideas. Then Cezanne began to talk about cylanders, spheres and cones, which are not readily apparent in his paintings.

 

Anyway, the real need for the courage to go on will not come from lack of recognition or foul criticism but from the understanding that what you are doing is weird. It is absolutely weird to walk around and take pictures of people you do not know. It is weird unless there is an overwhelming rational reason for doing what you are doing.

 

I came to street photography by way of literature. My inspirations are Chekhov, James Joyce, William Carlos Williams and Raymond Carver who saw profundities in ordinary life. I love Aget, HCB, Klein and quite a few other photographers but it is to literature that I go to renew myself. To confess: I see street photography as being close to fiction. It is an act of the imagination and presumption. You presume to see something. You photograph it. The camera always shows you more than you thought you saw in the first place--but that's another story.

 

On the practical side you do need to be out on the street as much as is possible. You need to keep in shape, so to speak.

 

The choice of camera or cameras is quite open. I favor Leica rangefinders because they are small and fairly quiet. SLRs are fine too if you feel comfortable with them. I started with SLRs and zooms (which I very seldom use these days).

 

So what makes good street photography? Invariably it is photography you believe in. Street photography covers everything that you can possibly find on a street. There are things you'll see into and be moved that most people are indifferent to. That's when the real fun begins.

 

When I said that you need to develop a philosophy of life I should have added that it is something that should come from your involvement with photography and not something that comes to you prepackaged.

 

You do not need to ask people permission to photograph them in public--and I stress in public--unless you will use their images for commercial purposes. Your best bet for avoiding problems is to develop your own ethic. There are situations and people you would not want to photograph for ethical reasons. I won't photograph severly physically disabled people, for example, unless there is a compelling reason to be so. I also do not chase famous people and stick my camera into their private lives.

 

And finally. Don't worry if you are turning out "crappy" pictures at present. Put them behind you, ask Raymond Carver might say, and take more pictures.

 

And I hope you pardon the typos here. It is very late here in Japan, way past my bedtime.

 

 

Good luck.

 

Alex

luckily for me, I live in NYC, so if I feel like I've "...picked bad times..." then it IS me. I

guess your results may vary if you live in Couer D'laine, Idaho.

 

go to places where large amounts of people congregate and are distracted by

something more important than you and your camera.

 

1. farmer's market

2. mutant bicycle festival (google chunk 666, black label bike club, hard times bike

club or bicycle jousting)

3. popular shopping area (SOHO on a saturday) I wouldn't shoot in a mall. They are

private property and it's a HIGHLY controlled environment

 

I've found that if I try to chase after a shot I'm usually disappointed. My best shots

were of events/scenes I didn't even realize were in the viewfinder when I pressed the

button:

 

1. old man bent over, tying his shoe

2. attractive young woman leaning against a wall

3. two boys in a starbucks window drinking their first cup of coffee

 

what I didn't realize was there was:

 

1a. a 'sandwich board" sign with a funny message blocking the man's head

2a. 3 teenagers walking by, laughing hysterically (not a me or the woman, just

something amongst themselves)

3a. 2 aged mobsters, hanging around outside surveying their nieghborhood

 

I think it's called serendipity.

 

I won't ask people's permission any more. I have only ended up with a stilted looking

portrait and I NEVER EVER EVER EVER take posed photographs. There isn't enough

money in the universe to make me do it.

 

"What makes good street photography?" beats the crap out of me. There are two

books called The Tao of Photography. Get the one that has a black cover with a

demon statue on the cover.

 

Technical issues: I use a 35mm lens 85%, 50mm 14%, 24mm 1%. I shoot color

because I'm setting up a digital darkroom and I can turn them into b&w if I want. If

you live anywhere near NYC, there is a gallery in the east village on East 9th street (?).

I don't remember the name.

We have streets with people in Idaho too, but if you find yourself in Cour'da Lene Idaho, you'll probably be too awestruck by it's natural beauty to notice.

Sometimes you can learn a lot by studying the work of a master. One such man has some work on display on this site, Tony Dummett.

 

Take a look at http://www.photo.net/photo/147795

Let me add: check out his entire folder at:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?include=all&photo_id=147795

 

And don't miss his lengthy commentaries on some of the work. Especially the portraits of his now deceased father and mother.

<i>luckily for me, I live in NYC, so if I feel like I've "...picked bad times..." then it IS me. I guess your results may vary if you live in Couer D'laine, Idaho.<p>

 

We have streets with people in Idaho too, but if you find yourself in Cour'da Lene Idaho, you'll probably be too awestruck by it's natural beauty to notice.</i><p>

 

I grew up in Idaho -- and the first time I visited Coeur d'Alene (and BTW, this is the correct spelling) I thought it was a big, gritty city with an awful lot of bad neighborhoods. Must have had something do with the fact that the biggest town I lived in before I was 10 was around 2000 people, and I hadn't spent any time anywhere bigger than about 15000 until I was living on my own. Yes, there are street shots to be had in Cd'A, and in Boise, or Missoula, MT, or Fargo, ND, or Renton, WA. There aren't any in Winchester, WA, though -- the place hasn't got any streets, just the highway passing through between the tavern, the grocery store/gas station, and the Post Office -- and yet you could get some good shots there, too, because there are people there (about 200 of 'em, last time I checked).

Mr. Cook, I looked at Mr. Dummett's portfolio, and it's very impressive. There's a warmth in his work that illustrates his obvious love of humanity. Thanks for directing me to his portfolio.

Mr. Quallis, Thanks for correcting my spelling, that name has always confounded me. How are you adjusting to life in the big city? I was born in central Ca., Steinbeck country, but grew up all over the west coast, mostly in small towns. I've been in Idaho for 13 years, and it feels like home to me. I have many friends who've ended up in NY, but I've never been for a visit. Sometimes I envy those of you who live as close to the center of the universe as anyone. Someday I'll make it out there, but until then, Idaho is a very comfortable place to live.

<i>Keep your camera in your pocket at ALL times.</i><p>

 

No. Keep it in your hands.

>No. Keep it in your hands.<

 

No. Keep it pressed to your eyeball.

The things that make a good street photo are the same things that make a good painting or a good poem or a good play and you have to take the time to learn what those things are.

 

Photographers are people who take. Once you are comfortable with that you will be fine. You never owe your subjects anything. The streets of your town are just as much yours as anyone elses and you have a right to be there. All artists are selfish because creation is selfish and also exclusionary.

 

This sounds harsh but the point is that you have to be comfortable operating in your own skin, in your own world. It is the only way to see clearly out there.

streetphotography

http://the-look-of-love.my-expressions.com/index.html

Pressed to your eyeball, Jim?

 

That's gotta' hurt.

Sometimes you gotta suffer for your art.

Jim, if that's how you shoot street photos, thank God you weren't giving sex tips!