The challenges of Street photography





Photographing on the move

Street photos are often formed on the move. Consequently, there will be no time to address the usual photography routines and very often even focusing can become an extravagance. Street life has its own pace. Therefore it will make a lot of sense to record the street life by using what's out there rather than sitting around patiently and waiting for the right light or even worse, the right occurrence. Adjusting to the energy of the streets requires fast thinking and quick reaction. Fiddling with the camera or any extra equipment you might carry around will result in the disappearance of that Kodak moment. As it is, the best results in street photography are often achieved owing to the photographer's exploring eye and/or eagerness and hardly ever to the highly sophisticated equipment.





The mystery

One of the best things about street photography is that it is like going on an unknown voyage. You just never know what you are going to find, or what shots you are going to make. Maybe a nightmare for the average coordinator but such a treat for those who dislike any form of planning. And mind you, most other forms of photography demand heaps of preparation in advance. So there!





The people

Photographing strangers is probably one of the most challenging aspects of street photography. While everybody agrees candid shots are the best deal in street photography, secretly photographing people raises a moral difficulty and should therefore be avoided. Normally the street photographer aims for authentic looking snaps without her getting involved in any way, or changing the nature of the scene. Nevertheless, sneaking on individuals and secretly photographing them is a questionable practice and not only will provide street photography with a paparazzi–like reputation, you might also find yourself in a delicate position if you are discovered. However, a sudden appearance of a camera is most likely to provoke a reaction from the average person. It is a well known fact when positioning the camera in front of them, people tend to drop everything they were previously doing, fix their hair, smile and stare at the camera. Assuming this is not the picture you were longing for, you've got two choices to help you resolve the dilemma; 1) Politely ask the subject to go back to their doings before you came into their lives. 2) Having an assistant will prove to be very useful during these troubled times. The loyal assistant will step in to distract the models away from the camera's presence. What? No good? You don't have an assistant? You don't want to stop and chat with your subjects? Lose no hope, there is a 3rd choice and it might just be the one for you; it may take some practice but in no time you can become a fast shooter. It worked in the Wild West and it can work for you. Basically what it means is that you must adjust to the energy of the streets; quickly recognize your potential scene and grab it. If you are fast enough you'll be able to make your picture just as you imagined it and before the scene changes. You'd be surprised how positive people's reaction can be in the face of your confidence and openness. And it won't hurt employing your cute smile as well.



Constructing [or not] a non-photograph

As the street photographer is dedicated to a fast and easy motion, he will benefit by eliminating any extra equipment [other than the assistant of course]. And so in order to overcome, for example, the absence of the extra lenses, the gadget-free street photographer will gracefully move around to find the desired distance from the subject. And no doubt she will never be afraid of tilting the camera, climbing up or even getting closer to the ground. You can care about the photograph's construction or not. Many people believe it is necessary to study arts and design in order to come up with a satisfactorily constructed picture. But since photography is a tool for both documenting and self expression, the design of a photograph is inferior in importance. What it means is that the composition of a photograph should be spontaneous to the scene and employed by the photographer's vision not by a set of rules for correct design. Not that a basic understanding of composition and design could hurt anyone, but don't let that bother you too much and definitely don't let it be the main factor when making your choices.



What else?

Street photography had been a widely more common practice in the past, even as an art form. But with the appearance of celebrity hunting and commercial photography the interest in street photos [not related photojournalism] has gone into bankruptcy. Once I read an article claiming street photography to be the most difficult type of photography since it requires a lot of walking, it's easy to miss great shots and the street photographer often feels disliked by everyone who is annoyed by the appearance of the camera in front of them. But there is a bright side! Since street photography is mainly an unplanned practice, the street photographer avoids all the boring setup and planning often required for most other types of photography while being rewarded with the thrill of the unexpected.