50+1 Lessons Street Photography Taught Me
I have learned that…
The photographs you take today and everyone ignores may become invaluable in 10 or 20 years.
If your camera becomes a toy, your photography will always come second.
Saying all street photographs that could have been taken have already be taken is like saying all music that could have been written has already been written.
A good street photograph has either an interesting moment or visual depth. A great one has both.
You need to get comfortable getting closer. There is no other workaround for great photos.
The best way to be invisible on the streets is to look like a tourist that has no clue where they are going.
Just because you like a photo you took doesn't mean it's a good photo.
Anyone telling you how to shoot (don’t shot from the hip, never crop, shoot everyday etc) they don’t offer a lesson, they offer an opinion. Do what feels right for you.
The best camera accessory is your camera.
Curating your photos is more important than editing them.
There is a lot of repetition in street photography because it's easier to gain recognition by repeating what already works than to try something new.
The best answer to "Why did you take my photo?" is a genuine compliment.
The fastest way to improve is to stick to one focal length for a few months.
The other fastest way to improve is to study photobooks.
Street photography is a lonely sport but it is also a great way to make new friends.
Don’t be afraid of using high ISO in order to get the shot you need. A noisy photo is better than no photo at all.
35mm is the best focal length to start with.
If you smile when photographing, people will usually ignore you.
Manual zone focusing is the best focus mode for street photography.
You are your work's worst critic. Seek critique from photographers you admire, even if it may be harsh.
Your camera is just a tool. Don't give it more attention than it deserves.
Zoom lenses are bad for your creativity (and health). They cause decision fatigue (and may give you a headache or back pain).
Slightly blurry, tilted and imperfect photos capturing the right moment are superior to sharp and technically perfect shots.
The more you photograph, the luckier you get.
Most people will forget you photographed them.
Photowalks are great for socializing. Photographing alone is great for making photographs.
Overthinking camera settings will make you miss shots. Automate as much settings as possible.
Layering is hard, but layering with storytelling is a different beast.
It's not worth ruining anyone's day for a photograph. If someone asks you to delete their photo, just do it and move on.
The smaller your camera the more you will use it.
Film photography is not better than digital photography and digital photography is not better than film photography
Street photography can be a great way to fight depression, anxiety and loneliness.
Black and white photography is not only for when the weather is bad.
Sometimes photography projects reveal themselves only after reviewing your photographs.
Photographs with reflections are currently overused, overdone and overrated.
A neck strap makes you look less suspicious than a wrist strap.
Don’t always believe what the photograph shows.
Reviewing your photographs weeks or months after you took them allows you to see them more objectively than reviewing them the same day.
More people than ever are doing street photography, but more people than ever are misunderstanding what it really is.
The generic and polished shots with a human as an accessory you see on social media are not street photography.
It's okay to photograph a man or woman walking against a wall. It's not okay to never move beyond that phase.
Sometimes the best part of a photograph is something you never saw when you took it.
Most street photos are better captured in landscape format.
Spending money on photobooks, travel and community events is far more valuable than spending it on gear, accessories or open calls.
Printing your photos (zines, postcards, posters) is incredibly satisfying and improves your perspective. You should try it out once in a while.
The real decisive moment happens when you choose one photograph out of the ten you took of the same subject.
Photographs from naturally photogenic places (New York, Tokyo, Istanbul, India etc) are overpraised and oversaturated. We'd all benefit from seeing more work from smaller towns and overlooked places.
Joining street photography festivals and events will give you a sense of belonging you never thought was possible.
Creating a body of work with an interesting theme and good photos is more valuable than capturing that perfect single shot.
No great photographer was ever established just by winning a single photography competition or open call.
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.You don’t really make any money with street photography and in most cases you are recognized after you die. Yet somehow, it's hard to stop.
