Street Photography - How To Approach?

Street Photography is exciting. In this video, I discuss 3 different approaches to Street Photography.

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⏱Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:13 What is Street Photography?
00:31 What is a Street Photographer?
00:55 1. Action Shooter - Part 1
01:17 Tip 1
01:26 1. Action Shooter - Part 2
01:54 2. Observer
02:12 Tip 2
02:41 3. No People Street Photography
03:10 Gear & Settings
03:27 Gear & Settings: My Favorite Focal Length
03:39 What is Your favorite lens?
03.44 Gear & Settings: Aperture
04:08 My Approach
04:15 Sample image 1
04:31 Sample image 2
04:39 My Personal Project: Traces of Humans
04:51 What is Your Approach?
05:01 Ethics & Law
05:18 Watch Next

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[saviodarmento]

I started doing photography since 2013, then having my first job in 2016. I remembered throughout those 3-4 years, I loved photography so much, capturing everything everyday becomes as fascinating as it can get. But then I too, fell.

2017, I built my own photography label with a friend, who later on went studying abroad so I have to make this work alone. Made quite a name in my peers in 2019, shifting gears to videography and motion graphics. Funny and sad thing about this is, I have made significant profit considering I'm only using a Nikon D5300 with a 17-50mm 2.8 Sigma lens, but unknowingly I have long lost my passion for photography. I started to realize that every single frame I've captured beyond 2017 are just clients' requests - I forgot to have fun, to live, to love.

However, recently I got a job in a corporate company doing data stuff. I decided to permanently and officially close my photography service, only to provide the service to friends & family later on. I soon got busy and stored my camera completely... until today. 1 week prior to this day, I started to watch again many videos talking about cameras, lenses, techniques, tips, and so on. Somehow, it sparked this tiny fuse in my heart - and again, before I knew it, it had turned into a flame.

I found your video on a whim, and your last question got me - "what's your approach?" I realized all this time I have no approach! I only listened to what my clients want, never tried to actually develop my own style. Thank you so much for this, today is the day I am finally back to the game. After everything settles down which might be next month from now, I'm gonna go out there with my old acquaintance, D5300, and get to know each other once more.

To my friends out there who just started out photography, please keep in mind that you have your own approach. Don't let other people's standards tweak your own ideals of your photography. The frame is yours.

[richardpriestley]

A brilliant potted summary of street photography for those of us who may only dabble in the genre. Great advice and very helpful ..

[mariemclaughlan]

I just completed and introduction and a level one in photography.
I just started love street.
Thank you for yiur skill.

[TCizauskas]

Great discussion, Peter. I like how Matti Sulanto once described it: "Street photography is documentary-style, un-staged photography in a man-made, urban environment featuring people or RESIDUAL TRACES OF PEOPLE'S ACTIONS IN VIEW." (emphasis mine).

[EvgeniyBurak]

Usefull video, thnx. My favorite lens for street photogaphy - Fujinon 16-80. But a i also shoot some nice pictures with very long 50-230mm lens. In this regard, I would add the 4th option of the approach to street photography, it is shooting people at a long distance. Sometimes it's safer and morally easier than approaching people closely with a wide-angle lens.

[andreazevedo]

Hi Peter, great video, with simple explanations, good tips and also great street photos from you, particularly the one of me in Lisbon!
Regarding your question, I think I am mostly an observer when it relates to my street photography, nevertheless I try to be sharp if any action is happening around me, and also after meeting you and hanging around with you on Lisbon I have been keen trying to do the no people street photography. In terms of equipment I use my smallest camera (om10iii) with the kit lens, having no prime lens for my Oly, I tend to shoot using between 14 and 25mm focal range.
All the best to you my friend!!

[hoffmannsbilder]

my favorite lens for street is the Panasonic Leica Summilux 1.7/15mm

[d.r.martin]

During my street photo days many years ago, the 35 Summicron on my M3 was my favorite lens. But I happily shot with a 50 and 28 on my Canon TL; and a 28 and 85 on my Nikon FTn. I got great images with all of them.

[smcapps]

The Upstairs Cyclist: The composition and moment are wonderful, but even better is the Cartier-Bresson moment and the story to be told about riding the bike one way and walking it back.

[monozoniko]

Awsome video, also is importat what you mention at the end, depending wich country you are is useful to read about the laws.

[gershonportnoy]

Very nice and uncomplicated video❤🙏 myself also like very much the 20mm lens for mft sensor-specifically the lumix 20mm f1.7.

[bamsemh]

My photo walk and night lens is the oly 12mm f2. Gives me the opportunity to capture the street environment and surroundings 😊

[stevocem]

Nice video, Peter. I generally use manual focusing with a fully manual lens and zone focusing, checking the distance marks on the lens and I mostly don’t use viewfinder to be less intimidating. Mostly f8 shots. My favorite focal length for street is a full frame 35mm, sometimes 50mm, but recently I tried 40mm and it might be a great compromise.

[andreaabout]

Thanks Peter for a great video and info. I use the Olympus 12-40mm mostly at 12mm. I have used my old Oly 70-300mm at the 70mm end for a different perspective in street photography. Also have used my old Rolleiflex TLR on occasion with 75mm 3.5 Tessar lens, I think that is about a 20mm equivalent on M43.

[YossiRan]

Hello Peter,
I like street photography and most of the time I am in the position of the observer. I set my E-M5III with the 12-45mm lens to the composition that I have in mind and wait for people to arrive to the desired spot. I tend to use exposure bracketing because it's hard to predict the brightness of random people's clothes that might come into the frame. The exposure that I set is usually the most suitable, but occasionally I have someone too bright or too dark and I need the other exposures. I prefer color, but I check if the grayscale image better reveals the mood that I want to express.
By the way - the 52 assignments of 2022 pushed me to stretch some limits and improve my photography skills.
Thanks,
Yossi

[andreasbeyer]

I love my Olympus 12-40 pro for street, but sometimes I use my Samyang 85/1, 4. It works very well.

[ruuddirks]

Where I live there are few people around. Actually, there are also hardly any streets. So I have to do street photography during my sparse visits to Helsinki.

[daryljohnson]

Portland, OR has downtown city blocks that are 200’ x 200’ making them immensely walkable. 35-40mm and 65mm seem to be particularly well suited for that area. St Johns in North Portland however lends itself for a full 24-120mm range, wider of you want better pix of the incredible bridge, longer for a few detail images. That being said, 40mm would handle 85% of what I enjoy doing. Thus the 27mm on Fujifilm.

[SolidGray_]

Can I ask, do you have you camera in continuous at all time as to not miss the perfect shot? or you you ride or die on a single shot when you're doing street photography?

[andrewkunyev]

Hello Peter. Thank you for the great videos. I own Oly em1 m2 and curently looking to start in street photography. I would like to purchase a 25mm lens. Unfortunately Oly 25mm f1.2 is out of my reach, so I am considering getting a Leica 25mm f1.4ii. But I have been quite confused by some comments where people say that using weather sealed Leica lenses on Oly bodies may not achieve weather sealing due to the position of rubber rings on Leica lens mounts. May I please ask for your opinion as I do want to be able to shoot in rain. Thank you