I started my photography in London. That wasn’t out of choice, it was because London was on my doorstep and I didn’t have money or time to travel elsewhere. This ended up being a pivotal moment because despite shooting in different places now, most of my work is still revolving around cities and street photography.
Having had some time to reflect, in this blog I would like to share why I feel that street photography is the perfect genre for beginners. Please keep in mind that this blog is aimed at people who are not sure what they want to photograph. If you already have a clear goal, then this might not be for you.
You can use the camera you have
We all used gear as an excuse when we started out. When I get this camera or this lens, I will put more effort into it, and that’s when I will improve. However, with street photography, all you need is your phone or a basic point-and-shoot to get going. Is it the best approach? Of course not, but in this genre, gear really doesn’t matter that much.
On the other hand, if you decide to kick off your photography with Arctic wildlife, then you will need to spend a lot more money. Some of the photos below were taken on a 3-megapixel compact camera from 2003. The others were taken on my iPhone.
You don’t need special equipment
To tag along from the previous point, the only special equipment you need for street photography is good shoes. You will walk many miles, and you need to be comfortable and blister-free. Street photography is one of the only genres where you don’t need any specific equipment. No tripods, flash guns, softboxes, tilt-shift lenses, grey cards, filters or anything else. This makes the barrier to entry incredibly low, meaning you have no excuses not to go out and shoot.
You don’t need to travel far
Most people live in or near a major city, which is a great place to start. Even if your town is boring, I’m sure there will be somewhere more interesting within an hour’s drive or train ride. Of course shooting in crazy places like Tokyo, London or New York does help, however you don’t have to go there to get started. With other genres, you might need to travel further afield or to more remote places, which only adds another resistance barrier between you and going to shoot.
You can start somewhere familiar
I started shooting in London because it was a place I was familiar with and this removed a ton of distractions and even helped me pick locations. By shooting a place you already know, you’re putting your best foot forward and setting yourself up for some easy initial wins.
On the other hand if you have to travel to some far away destination, you also have the added stress of figuring the location out. Another point is by shooting somewhere you already to know, you will get to know it much better. Prior to photography my knowledge of London was 5% of what it is today.
You don’t need ideal conditions
If you wish to pursue landscape, Astro, on-location portraiture or any other kind of outdoor photography, you will know just how important getting the right weather conditions can be. For most landscape photographers, the weather can make or break the shot.
Although the weather still has an impact on street photography, it doesn’t ruin it, it simply means you will get a different look. This means that rain or shine you can be out shooting. Whether it’s golden hour, midday, cloudy, rainy, foggy, snowy or at night.
You fail fast
From the point we covered so far, it’s clear that there aren’t many things that stop you from going out and shooting. This means that you will do it a lot more, and that means that you will fail faster. You will get all your mistakes, aha moments, fuck ups, lessons and slaps in the face out of the way much sooner, meaning you will progress as a photographer at a far quicker rate.
You learn to observe
When you’re walking through a busy street, you can’t help but observe what’s going on. In many cases, you have to do it for your own safety and to not get run over. Over time, you will start paying attention to little details that will catch your eye. Juxtapositions, fleeting moments, colour patterns, good light, unusual subjects and much more. As you become a better observer, you will start seeing things other photographers simply walk past.
If you ever get a chance to shoot with someone more experienced than you, do it because you will quickly realise that you need to pay more attention. This skill will then carry over into all other types of photography and probably life as well.
You learn people skills
Street photography does not need to include people however if you wish to include a human element, sooner or later you will need to learn how to deal with people and how to read the room. This can’t be taught in a classroom and although books like How To Win Friends & Influence People can get you some idea, the only real learning will come from your experience.
You will learn how to read body language, how to get a feeling whether you’re welcome or not and how to approach someone for a photo. You will learn how to deal with rejection and how to initiate a conversation, and sooner or later, you will also learn how to deal with someone who’s upset or angry. The best bit, these are not photography skills. These are life skills.
You learn to think fast
If you follow any landscape photographers, you know how they do everything fairly slowly and methodically. To be honest, I’m a little jealous because in street photography, you don’t have that luxury. Although there is nothing wrong with working slowly, and in many cases, it’s preferred, there is something to be said for being able to think and act quickly without hesitation.
If you see an interesting subject far away, you have the ability to compose the shot in your head, figure out how you want it to look, adjust the camera accordingly, position yourself in the best place and take the shot. I’m at a stage where all this happens instinctively, and I don’t really think about it as I’m doing it. This is simply a result of years of practice and learning to think fast.
There is no correct method or approach
Many genres have certain rules or specific ways of doing things. Street photography, on the other hand, doesn’t. This is probably the most varied genre that covers many styles, approaches and subject matters. You can have gritty black and white, documentary, abstract, cinematic, with people, without people, with cars, animals, boats, bikes and whatever else you like. This means you can shoot whatever interests you, and that is a big enough reason to shoot in the first place.
You can meet other like-minded people easier
If you walk through any major city, there is a high chance you will walk past a few other photographers. Many cities have their own communities where photographers can meet, chat, learn from each other and shoot together. For example, in London, you have Framelines and UK shooters who organise regular meet-ups, contests and much more. Some of my best friends today have come as a result of street photography, and I’m sure as time goes on, I will meet even more great people. I’d say this is one of the best aspects of photography for me.
