Street Photography for Beginners: How to Get Started

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The Two Types of Street Photography

In street photography for beginners, there are two main approaches to capturing people in your photos: with or without their awareness.

1. Portraits with Permission
   In this approach, you engage directly with the people you want to photograph. By asking for permission, a connection often develops that enhances the image and conveys authentic stories. A brief conversation can influence expression and body language and allows you to learn about the person and their story.

2. Unposed Moments without Permission
   In this method, you capture people without them knowing, keeping the moment unfiltered. There’s no conscious expression or posing, so you’re able to capture people’s natural behavior. This type of street photography reveals the real, unvarnished life of the street and shows people in their natural state.

Everyone has to find out for themselves which style suits them better. Personally, I prefer the second approach, as I find it challenging to speak with strangers. Also, the images feel more natural to me when the people aren’t aware they’re being photographed. This way, I capture genuine, unposed moments – the true charm of street photography for beginners.

Tips for Portraits with Permission

If you decide to ask for permission, try to approach the person openly and honestly. Think beforehand about what fascinates you about this person or their style, and mention it:

• Use a Compliment: “I love your style and would like to photograph you if that’s okay.”
• Be Authentic: People often react positively when they sense genuine appreciation.
• Explain Your Project: Mentioning a specific theme or project you’re working on helps build trust and can start a conversation.

This approach not only enhances the image but also creates interesting encounters and stories that give your street photography for beginners a unique character.

Tips for Candid Shots without Permission

If you prefer the candid approach to capturing people in natural moments, the following tips can help:

• Avoid Eye Contact: Both before and after the shot, it’s often better to avoid direct eye contact.
• Move Unobtrusively: Take the shot quickly and act as though you’re focusing on something behind the person. This way, you’re less likely to draw attention.
• Respond Calmly if Asked: If someone asks what you’re doing, stay friendly and offer to show the photo. Explain, “I’m a street photographer documenting the scene. If you’re uncomfortable, I can delete it.”

These tips can help ensure that people feel comfortable and allow you to create authentic shots as a street photography beginner.

Composition in street photography

Good composition is often a challenge in street photography for beginners. The streets are full of activity, and it can be tough to narrow a scene down to the essentials. Try to keep your images as simple as possible and avoid cluttering the frame. Focus on the central subject and eliminate distracting elements whenever possible.

In street photography, the art lies in bringing order to the chaos. It often helps not just to take one or two photos of a scene but to take several. This increases the chance of capturing strong composition and interesting moments. Often, the true composition of a scene only becomes apparent afterward, when you review the images. Frequently, you’ll discover hidden patterns and structures that you hadn’t noticed while shooting. So, take a few extra shots and capture the scene from different perspectives.

The Right Location for Street Photography

I live in a small town, where finding good subjects for street photography can often be more challenging. Here, I usually rely on my smartphone or a long focal length like 300mm to capture shots discreetly from a distance. For beginners, however, I recommend starting in a larger city. The easiest spots are those with lots of tourists, as people are more accustomed to being photographed, which makes it much easier to get started with street photography.

Shooting with a Smartphone

For street photography for beginners, you don’t need expensive equipment. A smartphone has many advantages and is often the perfect choice. The great thing about a smartphone is that it’s so inconspicuous – most people don’t even realize they’re being photographed. While a camera sometimes draws attention, you can capture scenes naturally with a smartphone without being noticed.

Other advantages of a smartphone:

• Inconspicuous: Since smartphones are everywhere, people don’t usually realize they’re being photographed.
• Remote Trigger Using Headphones: Many smartphones can be triggered using headphones, which allows for discreet shots.
• Perfect for Street Photography: The focal length on many smartphones is between 24-28 mm – ideal for street scenes and mid-range shots.

These qualities make a smartphone a fantastic tool for street photography for beginners, especially if you want to capture spontaneous moments.

Shooting with a Camera

Using a real camera also has unique benefits and provides a different experience. Many photographers find it inspiring to work with a camera, as it makes the process feel more intentional. The image quality is usually better, and you have added flexibility in framing and editing.

Advantages of using a camera in street photography for beginners:

• Higher Image Quality: Compared to a smartphone, the shots are often sharper and more detailed.
• Photography Experience: The feel and handling of a camera give you a more immersive experience.
• Flexibility: You can switch lenses to capture different perspectives and depths.

For many street photographers, the feeling of using a camera is irreplaceable. If you want to focus on details or experiment with various focal lengths, a camera offers more versatile options.

1. In the Middle of the Action: Wide-Angle Lens

A wide-angle lens, such as 24-35 mm, brings you directly into the scene and requires you to get close to the action. This approach captures the entire context, and you experience the dynamics of the moment up close. Being near your subject creates a sense of immersion, which makes the images feel lively and full of the energy of the street.

Advantages of a wide-angle lens:

• Dynamic Composition: Ideal for capturing many details and the atmosphere of the surroundings.
• Proximity to Subject: You’re part of the scene, which results in intense and detailed images.

2. From a Distance: Telephoto Lens

With a telephoto lens of 200-400 mm, you can shoot from a distance without being noticed. This discrete approach allows you to take pictures without drawing attention, which can feel more relaxed. The appeal of a telephoto lens is also in its compressed depth effect, which brings people and details in the frame closer together. The renowned street photographer Saul Leiter was known for using longer focal lengths, creating unique scenes with compressed depth and a distinct visual style.

Advantages of a telephoto lens:

• Discreet: You can stay further away and still capture details.
• Compressed Depth Effect: Spatial depth is compressed, creating a distinctive visual effect and making scenes appear more dramatic.

Both approaches have their own appeal, and it’s worth trying each to find which style suits you best.

Examples

Here are a few examples from my street photography explorations.

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