by Carlie-Ann Hare
Rain or shine, film or digital, Street Photography is always something readily available when you feel like picking up your camera and going for a wander. Whether it be somewhere more rural or a bustling city, there’s always something interesting to photograph if you look hard enough.
Capturing the Decisive Moment
Photographing people candidly, you can capture a snapshot of someone else’s every day; capturing emotions, events or even just something beautiful and pleasing to the eye. However, if you have patience and a keen eye, you can use the action of the ‘decisive moment’. The action was popularised by Henri Cartier-Bresson in the 1930’s, after he dismissed the ‘Rule of Thirds’ and other popular means of composition, stating that a photo should be about the subject and timing to record a fleeting moment. Waiting for certain reflections in water or windows, for the sun or the moon to be in specific places, or even just waiting for a particular person to enter the frame, can lead to great unposed shots.
Mastering Movement with Shutter Speed
As well as patience with the subjects, it’s also good to have patience with your camera settings. Upping the shutter speed will freeze people and subjects in motion, keeping everything as sharp as possible and not letting the moment pass you by. Whereas slower shutter speeds can capture the actual motion of the subjects, for example cyclists or children playing, adding depth and movement to an image. It can be useful for street photography to practice shooting from the hip, allowing you to catch more candid and natural poses of people going about their day.
Where Genres Collide: Street Meets Architecture
Many different types of photography overlap with Street Photography, for example portraits and architecture. It’s difficult to shoot Street Photography without framing some sort of architectural element in the surrounding, and it can really add to the background or even on it’s own. Both genres of photography require thinking out of the box and even using unusual angles to get a different perspective in the image, but it's worth noting other elements that go into Architectural Photography.
Framing, Patterns and Light: The Art of Composition
It’s important to think about how much of a building you want to include in the frame, and if any leading lines draw your eyes to a particular part. Sometimes objects like trees/branches and doorways etc, can create a frame within a frame, giving the image a bit of mystery and allure. Repeating patterns and colours can make the subject really pop and different contrasts within the image (light and dark or colour and black and white) can make the photograph more interesting. Also shadows can be used as leading lines or just to add some depth and dimension.
Choosing the Right Gear for the Job
Choosing the camera lenses you want to use is also crucial. Wide angle lenses will fit much more in the frame, but can distort the image in a way that you might not have wanted. Telephoto zoom lenses are often over looked with architecture, but they can capture great details as well as compressing perspectives and backgrounds. If you own both types of lenses, I would personally choose to take both so you are not limited when shooting different types of architecture. I would also think about other kit you might need, for example tripods or monopods, different types of filters or perhaps a portable fill flash. These can all aid in getting the best from your subject. Whilst capturing interesting buildings and cityscapes, you might inadvertently capture a form of Street Photography within the image, bringing it back to the overlap between the two subjects.
Photography is What You Make It
Personally, I believe the two genres to be a little subjective and open to interpretation. I think photographing graffiti or the way light falls onto an object can also be counted in these categories, although some might not agree.
Join My Photowalk in Birmingham This June
If you'd like to immerse yourself in the world of street photography, i'm hosting a female-only photowalk in Birmingham on the 7th of June 2025. On the day i'll take you through Birmingham’s striking architectural landmarks, with plenty of time to capture unique images, ask questions, and engage with fellow photographers. Tickets are only £15 (plus booking fee), and are expected to sell out very soon. Buy your ticket, HERE.
