Introduction to Street Photography
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- čas přidán 2. 12. 2020
- I recorded this video in collaboration with Fujifilm for the Cambridge Photography Week 2020. It wasn't intended for CZcams but I thought it could provide a useful introduction for anyone new to street photography
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I've got a great schedule of videos lined up for 2021 and the small income I get from CZcams and from you lovely people is an enormous help in these difficult times when workshops are impossible to run. If you would like to become a patron of my channel - with benefits! - please check out my Patreon page: / streetsnappers
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I'm the Founder and Course Leader at StreetSnappers, an organisation which provides street photography workshops and courses in London and across the UK and in Venice, Lisbon, Prague and Paris. Whilst I'm an Official Fujifilm X-Photographer (ambassador), this channel is for everyone, irrespective of what sort of gear you use - including film users!
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At 83 years old, with a lifetime of shooting behind me, I've finally decided to dip into street photography, and this has been an excellent tutorial at the right time in my photography career. I'm primarily a real estate listings photographer, with portrait work thrown in, so I'm anxious to try this new endeavor. Of course I've subscribed to your channel. Thank you so much for this....
i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account??
I somehow lost the login password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me
@Javion Tadeo instablaster =)
@Rodrigo Darian Thanks for your reply. I found the site on google and Im in the hacking process atm.
I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Rodrigo Darian It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much you really help me out !
@Javion Tadeo Glad I could help xD
About ”Don’t shoot boring pictures”, while I agree that there is very little that is interesting in a picture of a random guy walking down the street or sitting at a cafe, I think a better tip would be to ”Do not share boring pictures” 🙂 Because when someone is new to street photography - perhaps he/she just bought his/her first camera and wants to go out and shoot with it to learn the camera, to learn to conquer his/her fear of taking photographs of people, maybe he/she wants to practice composition and exposure, learn zone focusing etc - so of course they are going to take a lot of pictures and most of them are going to be boring pictures. That is how I started. I have thousands of boring pictures 😁
Even today, 5-6 years after I bought my first camera, most of my pictures that I take can be classified as ”boring”. Some has a good composition and lighting and can be pleasing to look at but can still be classified as ”boring”. Only a very few of my pictures are really interesting or may make the viewer smile when he/she is looking at them.
But when I go out with my camera then I want to take pictures, and of course not every picture is going to be an interesting street photography picture worthy of being published in a gallery or in a magazine, or even on Instagram. It can probably take years or a life time to get a collection of say 100-200 really interesting and good street photographs of unusual moments. And people are not gonna wait years until they start to publish/share their photos. When it is so easy to publish photos online today then people are gonna post all their photos there whether the pictures are insteresting or not.
I would say just go out and take pictures. Take your boring pictures but do also try to look for what could be an interesting photo, AND learn and be better at sorting out your boring pictures. Try not to publish everything. I think this video is excellent at learning or getting a hint at what may constitute as an interesting picture.
You make a very valid point about 'Don't share boring pictures'. I guess we all take them, but the world doesn't always want to see them!
Excellent take. I'd also add that 'boring/interesting' is subjective; it is in the eye of the beholder -- and also related to the fame of the photographer. You and I might take a 'boring' photo of a man walking down the street but when William Eggleston and Gary Winogrand take the same picture it somehow contains deep meaning. *wink*
Good Analogy, appreciate it👍🏼
That's a great point, and it relates to this quote from I don't remember who (I paraphrase): "One of the main differences between a pro photographer and an amateur is that the pro only shows you his good stuff."
That’s a good quote and probably true 😊
You are a great teacher. I'm 80 years old and love your channel. I have learned so much about street photography from watching your videos. I have all of the equipment. I need to get out there and do it. Thank you so much.
One might say that Street Photography is the Jazz of photography.
Really great advices. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
⏰ Timestamps:
03:33 Approach #1 - The "Moment"
06:33 Approach #2 - Artistic Style
11:26 Tip #1 - Are you a Hunter or Fisher?
11:40 Tip #2 - Gear - Keep It Simple (Look Like Tourist)
14:11 Tip #3 - Read The Streets
18:51 Tip #4 - Don`t Shoot Boring Stuff
21:02 Tip #6 - Only Use One Lens
24:47 Tip #7 - Use Projects
29:04 Tip#8 - Set It And Forget It
35:56 Tip #9 - Conquer Your Fears
39:18 Tip #10 - Forget Perfection
Thanks very much Zelkjo!
Honestly, I 100% prefer those "boring" walking people pictures to visual puns. They can be meaningful, at least as part of a series,, as in that they show how people fill their environments with life or just document the every-day life in the streets. Additionally they might be estetically pleasing. Those puns might provoke a chuckle, but really are just empty shells
We should all do what we like doing, whatever it is :-)
The very best Street photographers have an eye for the unusual and humour in every day life. Vivian Maier had an amazing gift for spotting it.
Love the video. What I find from younger people getting into street photography, especially film shooters, 'boring photos' is the in thing. Tripod, shutter release, and boring shot. They think it's disgusting to 'stick a camera in a strangers face'
Thanks - I agree about the reluctance - maybe it's a lack of confidence.
STOP MAKING BORING PICTURES.
Best advice of the talk!
Haha, thanks ;-)
Thank you very much for your open words and practical hints!!
Thanks for taking the time to produce this video, definitely informative and has given me the push to get back out and use the camera again.
Gordon, you're welcome - thanks for watching :-) Good luck with your street shooting!
Thanks so much Brian...that's a great stuff indeed!
I love your channel and your wealth of great advice. I had to force myself to write this comment, because I’m binging your videos at the moment, and can’t wait to keep watching more.
Brian. I’m obsessed with your videos. Very well thoughtful and beneficial. Thank you
Thanks so much. Please stay tuned - lots more to come!
I really love this video, so the second time around was even better! Thank you, Sir!
My pleasure, John - thanks for your support :-)
Excellent advice.
All of this has worked for me since I started shooting street a few years ago.
The eye contact one is huge. If you don't make eye contact they don't think you are interested in taking their photo.
Thank you very much. Great! There is nothing more to say.
thank you for the tips.. I appreciate you taking the time to make this.
My pleasure, Karyn - thanks for watching :-). Happy New Year!
Great video
Loved the fact that you referred to the boring shots that don’t really mean anything or tell a story there seems to be lots of them being posted and shared.
Some excellent tips in this video thanks for sharing it
Best wishes
Tim
Hi Tim - my pleasure - thanks very much for the feedback :-)
Thank you for sharing your interesting perspective and insight behind it , great video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for all this explanation! I'll take its in the next shoots!
So many great learnings in one video. Thanks a lot for sharing
My pleasure, Adam. Thanks for tuning in!
Just so good! Thank you sir! 😊
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I was able to pick up quite a few good tips.
Great to hear!
Great video and great advise! Thanks & Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much
You really explain so I can understand and get excited
Thanks for the feedback, Lee - that's great to know :-)
Love the content and the sense of purpose that you framed for street photography. Thank you
You're welcome - thanks for watching :-)
Great video. I will have to watch it again to make the list of your tips. Thanks
Thanks Marc - good luck with your street photography :-)
Thank you soooo much for your videos! You are the best on CZcams!
Thanks Olga!
Enjoyed this very much,Brian. You presented classic shots from some of the greats. Then you added many of your own which were also great. Have shot surfing since the 60’s. It’s been my career. But I also love doing street. Beach communities provide many opportunities for street work. Thanks for a fine instructive vid here...nice teaching.
Thanks, Mike, for the kind comments. Glad you like the video - please stick around, there’s lots more to come!
Amazing video, thank you!
I have just stumbled upon your channel and I must say I really enjoyed your personal take on street photography, very interesting. Shall look forward to watching some more 😊
Kind of you to say so, Ivan! Thank you, and all the best for 2021 :-)
Love it! Thank you 🙏🏻😃
Wonderful advice.Thank you !
Thanks Jacob!
I’m new to this photography style, street photography. I’m so glad that you have shared your priceless experience and works here. It’s make my next trip with my just bought used Olympus pen f more purposeful. Instead of just shooting candid with no specific purpose, I know knew that I can shoot them either by theme, a story at right the moment, sometimes some abstract blended in, moreover I can make a project, like: I want something printable, as a poster on my living room. This make my next street photography so much more meaningful, instead of hunting here and there and end the day with frustration. Thank you so much😊.
Glad I stumbled across this video
A very good and awesome video with 10 very clear subjects I never was aware about. I can’t find the right words to express my impressions about your marvelous guidance through the whole subject. Thank you so much. There is one idea i got from your video: I understood that you need to keep your mind free on the one hand (i. e. get rid of technical issues like focusing or changing lens etc) but have to be quite disciplined having your tips in mind, beeing patient on the other hand. Working for some years on a project and not loosing fun about it is one aspect of this. The balance between useless shooting and serious watching things around you needs to be found, thats what I feel. All the best to you, Brian. My wishes to you come from Martin Rose, a retired guy from Germany.
Very informative, thank you for creating this.
Excellent Video !!!
Thanks for this video! I just got a camera and this is super helpful!
Great Video! Thank you!
In the 80's I was part of a photoclub in Lisbon and we used to go out for street photography with our film slr cameras.... great times! Yes Lisbon is great for street photography!
Big thanks, Brian. Great Tips.
My pleasure - thanks for tuning in!
Your tips are excellent and you explain things very clearly. Top-notch channel.
Thank you for the feedback Pedro - much appreciated :-)
Thank you very much !! Gr, from the Netherlands !
My pleasure, Max - thanks for your support :-)
Okay, I got it ... I have to start over. This previous period (since the beginning of covid) was getting to know the camera settings ... and also a completely wrong understanding of what street photography is. Thank you very much for the video and I wish you all the best .
Thank you for this great video. In the beginning I thought: "Oh dear, he's going to talk for ages and not show any photos" but it was great!! So informative, instructive and entertaining too! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm not even a photographer, I just really like "street" photography. And now I know why I don't really think much of what you call the uninteresting ones e.g. the person in the shaft of light.
Thanks very much for the feedback, Trevor :-)
Another informative and insightful video. Thanks, Brian! The definition of street photography you mentioned emphasizes 'chance encounters', 'immediacy', 'random moments', 'candid', yet to my shock and somewhat disappointment I've discovered that some of the most famous street photographs were actually staged or heavily cropped after the fact. Take for example the iconic image of the kissing couple on a Paris street by Robert Doisneau; evidently that was staged. He actually hired two models and directed them as to what he wanted and then shot many frames before settling on the one we know of today. Dorothea Lange's iconic image of the migrant mother was also staged and so too were some of Robert Franke's pictures from his famous America series. The photo of the boy with the toy gun by William Klein (included in this video) was also staged. Klein directed the boy to make a ferocious face. Recently I discovered that Elliot Erwitt's hilarious photo of the tiny dog standing next to the legs of a man and the legs of very large dog was heavily cropped from a much larger full figured image, so Elliott didn't see the moment and get down on his belly after all. He made the image in the darkroom.
Thanks for the comments - really interesting. I agree with you and I find it disappointing that some of the 'iconic' street shots were set up. It kills it for me.
I have been really enjoying your videos. I like your approach and way of explaining. I am really wanting a Fuji camera now. Seeing the appeal. Currently have a Nikon D5600. Thanks for all the wonderful videos.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Maria - good luck with your street photography - and I hope you get your Fuji camera! ;-)
Super informative and encouraging - thank you!
Thanks very much, Robin :-)
Thank you
Enjoyed seeing this. Have seen your other videos...always very useful. And let me say here that I highly recommend your book "Mastering Street Photography." I finished it recently. Wonderfully instructive and interesting to read.
Thanks so much Jenny :-)
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts! Also refreshing to hear some criticism on "boring" street photography. Instagram is not the best place to find new inspirational street photography.
Thanks for your comment! Yes, I agree about Instagram - there's lots of very good work on there but you need to look hard to find it!
Awesome content
I really like your videos, i cought my self doing lots of these mistakes when i was in the street capturing pictures. So from now on i'll try going slower. We are currently in lockdown here in Greece and you can't do much but soon things will be better, we will be better. Keep it up!
Thanks for the comment! I hope things soon get better for you in Greece (and everywhere) - hopefully we will all be back on the streets soon :-)
Hi Brian, great informative video. I took up street photography very recently, in fact you have liked a couple of my Instagram photos (mcstreetlife). You made me realise that I have been guilty of taking boring photos also. Love the idea of projects, will definitely take your advice from this video. Thank you :)
Thanks very much Lee - hope it was useful. I love some of your Italy pics on Insta - there's a nice timeless feel to them :-)
Great presentation , great tips as I am contemplating street photography due to a recent health issue which will keep me nature travel.
Thanks Louis. Good luck with your street photography :-)
"This is not a brothel. There are no prostitutes at this address."
Wow, just imagine the circumstances requiring the placement of that sign...
Thanks for this video and some great information and tips!
Sadly, that sign has now been removed but it made me smile when I walked past it every day. Thanks for watching - glad you enjoyed the video :-)
Maybe it really is a brothel and the sign is there for the police. By the way what's the address? Kidding I'm kidding!
Great information-packed videos! I also have your book!😅 I am a Nikon guy but got the X100V and will get into street shooting more rather than lugging the heavy equipment around. I like your emphasis on simplicity.
Great like usually
Thanks Savlatore :-)
There's no doubt, street photography is difficult! I do get frustrated when i get home after walking around for many hours, only to look at boring mundane pictures. I'm trying and i do get some winners but it's hard. I also liken street images to someone who's cooked you a meal, somehow, it tastes better than had you cooked it. Strange analogy but i hope you get it. I do confess that whilst learning street photography i have trodden the same routes as CZcamsrs and taken the same pictures. Cheating, yes, but it does help. I do get a lot of pleasure from taking pictures and at the very least im getting some walking in! Thanks Brian, fantastic video.
I feel your pain and I think we all do. Yes, it's difficult but the great thing is that you recognise a 'boring mundane picture' (many don't). I shoot a lot and in the whole of 2020 I reckon I got about a dozen decent pics. It's a long game - but no less enjoyable. Happy New Year!
I shoot pictures occasionally and thought of doing some personal hobby street photography, but everything on the internet was confusing me with the whole concept.... But today the clutters got a lot clearer.. Thanks..😊
That’s great to hear, Ankit. Good luck with your street photography!
Love this channel and wisdom from a mf'in OG.
Wow... really good info. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you - my pleasure!
Loved this Brian. I am hoping to get my first X100 with my Work Christmas bonus (it's been a good year). I have always been a fan of street photography but haven't really given it a proper go. I have previously mainly shot Gigs, sports and events with a DSLR and 70-200mm lens. As an introvert i am a bit nervous about starting out in street photography but found these tips very useful. Wish me luck!
Thanks Steve! The great thing about the X100 is that to most people it doesn't look like a 'serious' camera and you're therefore less intimidating. It's a super camera - best of luck with it!
great educational video,thank you
You're welcome, Wallace - thanks for watching :-)
Great thoughts and info Brian!
Thanks for watching, Eric!
So good explained! Thumbs up!
Thanks Paul - glad you enjoyed it!
Great video Brian. As someone who has used SLR's and now DSLR'S since 1976, I'm really thinking of selling all my gear for a fixed compact, which will probably be a Fuji camera. As I've got older, I find I'm using less of my lenses, and I often wonder why I even bought it. So the idea of one camera, one lens is so appealing. For me some of the best images of yesteryear were taken with limited gear, I no longer want to be thinking which lens to use, I want to be able to capture that moment as it happens. As you have explained in your video good street photography, makes you more aware of your surroundings, it makes you look and, a good photograph makes you think and question what is going on in the scene. The other reason for me to change, is to go where my feelings are taking me, and that is more street photography and less bulky equipment. Thanks again Brian, your good advice has won me over.
Thanks very much, Richard. I agree - it's all about simplicity and a small, simple camera is all you need to do this well. Good luck with your endeavours :-)
Nice presentation, Beautiful work. Jim
Hi Jim, thanks very much for the feedback :-)
Excelente exposición, muy ilustrativa y muy interesante. He aprendido muchas cosas y he reforzado otras que ya conocía. Le felicito. Un saludo desde Madrid, y si alguna vez quiere fotografiar esta bonita ciudad aquí tiene un guía. Un abrazo.
Lovely video, I also prefer "the moment" approach, but I Iove almost all types of photography, so I try "the aesthetic" approach sometimes.
Thanks very much - glad you enjoyed it :-)
Thanks Brian, really useful 👍
My pleasure, David, glad you enjoyed it :-)
great information, thanks for sharing
My pleasure, Richard - thanks for your support. And Happy New Year!
Great video, really learned a lot. 👍
Thanks very much for the feedback :-)
I don't know what category i fit in. I mainly shoot landscape and nightscape but i dabble in a bit of everything. I think learning different genres of photography can help you what the particular one you love. I use a Nikon z6 II. I bought the 40mm f/2 lens last fall. I love that lens. I think it's a compromise between 35mm and 50mm. I started trying street photography just last summer. I've found that some people will pose for you if they know you're taking their picture. But that's not what i always want.
Great content, very understandable. Subscribed!
Thanks very much, Russ!
Very good Video. You caught me on making to many boring photo’s. But for me the fun in street photography is the way not necessary the result. It get’s me of the couch and as an engineer in a creative mind. And of course i do not need make money with it. Thanx god I would starve to death 😛 regards and merry Christmas from Germany
i have always been interested in photography, even as a child and i went to many museums and galleries with my parents (my father is a designer), but i never really found out what it was exactly that interested me so much in some photos... i have always taken many photos but most of them bored me and i didn't find any joy in looking at them, empty streets, landscapes. it wasn't until recently, after looking at some of the pictures i'd taken over the last few years, that i realised that the photos i did like were photos that told a story, with people in them that i had consciously shot, which i found funny because that was what i usually avoided; i actually usually waited until people were out of the frame because i thought they were disturbing the photo i was taking.... shortly after, i was in my parents' flat looking at the big photo they‘ve had on their kitchen wall for as long as i can remember, which had always fascinated me: a photo my dad took in sri lanka of a man selling vegetables and fruits in a street. and that's when it hit me: those photos you look at that make you see a story behind it is what had fascinated me all along, i had just been avoiding it because i assumed that you just don't take photos of other people. so here i am, taking in all the information i can get, because amidst all this i stumbled upon „street photography“ and it hit me :D💡
the photo that g made me have my eureka moment was one i found between all the ”boring“ photos i had taken in fuerteventura: a man in a hat, working in a salt field, who i had taken a photo of in the moment he had interrupted his work, leaning on his tool, standing next to a salt pile he had accumulated, to answer a phone call.
It's great to have that 'eureka' moment that opens the door to an exciting journey. Good luck with it!
I did a lot of this type of photography, back in the 60s, which we applied the rather ponderous, and not exactly accurate label of "available light." Some of the results, by accident, fell into the realm of "street photography" much of it didn't. Surprisingly when I looked back at the photos I took then, I seemed to prefer those that were more spontaneous. I'm very interested i getting back to this wonderful type of photography again. I must say that I have enjoyed your approach to this subject more so that any of the other presenters.
Thank you so much for the lesson. It gives me a lot to think about. The best is that I can come back any time too see it again. And believe me, I will. Thanks again.
My pleasure, Yngve - I'm glad it was useful and thanks for watching!
I friend has put me onto your channel as I am going on a photowalk with a group soon that is street potography based. I am complelety new to street photography and, to be honest, it does scare me a little although I am an admirer of black & white street. Don't really know where to start but enjoying your videos and hope I can pick up some helpful tips. Shooting with Nikon D3500 and I have 2 lenses 18-55 and 70-300.
Stellar intro into street photography. So many useful tips and concepts shared. Many thanks, Brian!
Thanks again!!
At last, a street photography video that makes sense for us beginners...many thanks 🙏
Thanks Liam - glad it was helpful :-)
Thank you Brian for a very informative video. I normally shoot wildlife, but recently bought an X-T1 and 18-55mm lens to try my hand at some street. Your video gave me some good insights into this subject and although I am 68, I feel that there is so much more to learn. Stay safe - Steve.
Thanks very much, Steve. I have a friend in his late 60s who's just started doing a photography degree - it's never too late. I think anyone who stops learning will get bored very quickly - every day's a school day!!
You are my instructor
Great tutorial for starters. Thank you!
Since you have experience with a silver and black camera bodies, is there any real difference on how people see you? Meaning: does the silver camera body draw easier people’s attention leading to breaking that “moment”?
Hi, yes I think silver cameras are more noticeable - but some look more ‘vintage’ which can have a positive effect. I guess it works both ways!
Excellent, common sense advice!
Thank you for pointing out to where I was getting myself, random shots of people walking in the street need to be interesting and have a point for the viewer. So many, mine own included fail to do this.
Great that you recognise the issue though, Steve, so you're in a good position to turn it around! Good luck with your street photography - it's a long game!!
I love my X100V but lately I've been enjoying an ultra simplistic setup with an XF10, shooting in Program mode and snapshot focus I can just forget about the camera and settings while paying more attention to the scene and composition.
I also love the little XF10 - very easy to 'set it and forget it'!
I do feel that the 50-140 f2.8 approach works well for me.
We should all find what works for us!
🤩😍🤩
In Spain the laws are very restrictive... and we not only have to deal with the lack of confident at times, but also with the illegality of the process itself.
Thanks for your excellent video. If we're doing zone focusing, then we don't need autofocus, right? It seems to me that all we need is auto-exposure, a good viewfinder, and a small quiet camera. I'm just thinking outside the box here. What do you think? I really like what you have to say! I'm going to get your book very soon.
This is one of the best and most complete, reasonably short, extremely well articulated videos about street photography and techniques that I have seen. Thank you so much for doing this!
That's too kind, Dennis - many thanks indeed!
This video is a real blessing to a beginning street photographer such as myself. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this logical and easily-understood tutorial. I feel motivated and certainly more confident having these principles in hand. You have a new subscriber.
Lovely feedback - thanks very much Ethan :-) - (next video coming this week!)
If there are high, middle to low social density times that give a distinctive set of correlations to public space...moment.
Thanks Italo - agreed.
Is this a Fujimercial?
Hi Peter, yes, as I said at the beginning, it was shot on behalf of Fujifilm.
I hunt the light all the time!
You can't go far wrong doing that ;-)
So, when you say "body of work", are you referring to a group of photos of the same subject matter, say Stairs, or Steps?