When I was 20, I was dissatisfied with my photography. I felt like I was being limited by where I lived. I thought if I wanted to become a better street photographer, I needed to live in Europe—to photograph the romantic streets of Paris, the back-alleys of Prague, and the bustling streets of London.
If there is one genre of street photography I specialize in, it is street portraiture. I love talking with my subjects, engaging with them, and focusing on their faces. If I started shooting street portraits all over again, this is the advice I would give myself.
One of my passions in life is travel. I love to travel, experience new cultures, try new foods, meet new people and, of course, take photos while I’m traveling.
The 50mm lens has been the 'standard' for street photographers for ages, but is it the best option available? Maybe not. Kai wanted to find out, so he pit the 50mm against a 35mm and 28mm, and went out shooting to find out which he liked best and why.
Are great photographers born, or made? Hearing the story of street and portrait photographers Eriberto Oriol and his son Estevan, you'll find plenty of evidence for both.
There has been a lot of talk about diversity in street photography and, in particular, the lack of visibility for female street photographers in a genre that is populated mostly by men.
Dear Photographer,
This is one of my favourite subjects I love teaching in my workshops, as most people feel awkward about approaching people on the streets to photograph them.
In 2013, 8 wedding photographers, scattered around the UK, decided to get together and take an October trip to Paris. We were to live together for a few days, wander the streets and dedicate each day to street photography. In the evening we would review and critique each others work.
I am a street photographer currently based in Manila, the Philippines. I prefer to photograph the streets alone or with a non-photographer, but on the occasions when I do shoot with fellow photographers, I tend to find myself painfully trapped in conversations about gear.
Bryan Stokely is a street photographer based in New York who has a keen eye for spotting unusual moments. His photos typically show witty and humorous interactions between different things in the frame.
Every great photograph consists of three key elements. First and foremost composition, then lighting and, of course, the moment. Look at any great image and you’ll notice these elements.
Donato Di Camillo's "how I got into photography" story is different. You won't hear it's like at the camera store check out counter, and we can pretty much guarantee it's nothing like yours. That's because Di Camillo developed his passion for photography behind bars.
Street photography is one of the easiest genres to get into, and one of the hardest to build up the courage to actually try. Hopefully, this quick video by VSCO Academy will show you just how simple it can be to start capturing great street shots.
I recently had the great pleasure of shooting fashion photography for the first time with Suede Brooks (model), fellow photographer Bil Brown (he arranged it all), as well with stylists and makeup professionals, and Cindy (creative director, and lighting assistant).
So, you are an aspiring street photographer? Street photography has become an important part of your life, and now you want to shift your passion to the next level and want to study Photography? Forget about it. I had exactly the same thoughts a few years ago. Here are the reasons from my personal point of view that changed my mind.
It might sound like a provocation, but it's not. Notice the little difference: I am not asking if you have got the brains for street photography, I am asking if you have got the brain for it. The single “s” in brain(s) is the difference. A huge difference.
Many people would agree that this year’s presidential contest is one of the most polarized and combative in living memory. For that reason, it felt particularly important to me this year to be in Cleveland and Philadelphia capturing the people and events that would surround the candidates and conventions.
I’m not sure what motivates other photographers, but for me there’s usually a good bit of wanting to do something established—something that I’ve been drawn to and respect or even love—in a different way. In a better way, if I dare aspire.
In July 2016, the UK-based initiative Cafe Art handed out 105 Fujifilm disposable cameras to homeless individuals in London. Of the 99 cameras and 5,000+ street photos returned, 20 were chosen by a panel of expert judges.
If you’re like me, you might have a hard time staying inspired in your photography. Here are 7 tips that have personally helped me.
BMW's headquarters are an iconic landmark in Munich, Germany -- the uniquely designed complex was deemed a protected historic building in 1999. Munich-based photographer Skander Khlif visited the tower and shot a series that studies the light, shadows, lines, and silhouettes.
I really love the combination of street photography and rain, since rain changes the mood and the city completely. As a result, the most mundane things turn into drama, mystery, and poetry. Here are 3 lessons I've learned about shooting in the rain.
Hey streettogs, if you want to learn some practical tips and techniques when shooting on the streets, check out the video above, or read more to see all 15 tips.
“Being a man [street photographer] is way harder. People will think that you are a creep if you take photos of children and women.” – reader comment on my last article on public privacy
“Hey, don’t take our picture!” a young woman yelled out from her group to me a few days ago. I told her I didn’t take their photo—and it was true, I was just facing them playing Pokémon Go on my phone as many others were also doing in the park that day. But, often I am doing just that.
I've been a street photographer for a while now, and I would like to share what I believe are 3 popular misconceptions about street photography -- things I've seen pop up over and over.
Here's a 3.5-minute film by SmugMug Films about the life and photography of Dave Powell, the street photographer behind the photo blog ShootTokyo.
For street photography, the choice of cameras and lenses is, simply put, huge. So where do we start? What IS the best lens for street photography?
Street photography ethics are a touchy subject and I am not talking of street photography rules but rather more how photographers choose to behave. When shooting (candid) street photography in London or anywhere else, many street photographers seem to leave their values at home as soon as they head out to photograph strangers.
This post will probably sound harsh to some, but I think it's needed as street photography has a problem. It may be because of a so-called renaissance in street photography in the past few years, or just the fact it’s become fashionable, but the sheer number of terrible photos is quite impressive.
What is the best camera for street photography? What do you recommend? That is the question I get asked most.
Photographer Ludgero Filipe recently spent two years living in Paris, shooting tourist portraits to make money while roaming the city for street photography. The 5-minute video above is a short film with some memories and some of his favorite photos from his time there.
Pike Place Market. The oldest running market in the United States, since 1907! Home of local fresh produce, fresh seafood, fresh flowers, arts and crafts, book shops, antique shops, the original Starbucks, a gum wall as well as restaurants that offer food from all over the world.
Remember your first time taking photographs? I'm talking about before you joined Reddit or a camera forum, before you started posting pictures to Instagram or sharing them with your friends. The time when you considered yourself a hobbyist. The time when you were considered a tourist in your own neighborhood.
When I started photography nine years ago, I didn’t have a problem going out and finding inspiration. Everything was so new and, subsequently, there seemed to be no end to the ideas I felt I could produce. Looking back, I can see that my work wasn’t particularly indistinguishable from many others—there was no depth, no originality.
Here’s a short and sweet 4-minute video that’s packed with 23 different “ninja tips” that can help you in …
I was at John Wayne Airport on Friday morning before the sun rose, heading to a training event in Colorado. Whenever I travel by air and I’m waiting in the airport, my mind takes me back to an article that ran in a photography magazine in the early 1980s when I was a young photographer, still in school, and hoping to make a place for myself in this industry.
The messy legal battle surrounding the life's work of nanny and amateur street photographer Vivian Maier may finally be coming to a close in less than a week.
I teach a lot of street photography workshops for a living. I’m always wondering, “How can I best empower my students, help them build their confidence, and ultimately make better images?” Honestly, the most important way for a photographer to make better images is to build their social skills.
I’m like a lot of photographers. I want to shoot more often. And one big reason I don’t shoot as much as I like is that I waste too much time reading about gear.