Street Photography is art

Street Photography is art is a form of art that enjoys high recognition and is exhibited in many galleries around the world. In order to understand the genre, it is important to first establish a distinction from other genres of photography.

Street photography often tries to capture a special moment spontaneously. Therefore, street photography does not require a central theme or thread. Regardless of this, steet photos can acquire a documentary value in the long run.

Documentary photography, on the other hand, deals with a particular theme or story over a longer period of time. Both forms of photography address the subjects of people, places, and cultures in sociological and aesthetic terms.

So there are differences and similarities. Either way, however, a clear demarcation is difficult in the daily engagement with the urban environment.

Street Photography- different styles and their representatives

Street Photography takes place in public urban spaces. It show snapshots of people and architecture and describe milieus. Since architecture creates the spaces in which people move and meet, I consider architecture to be an elementary component of street photography. People do not necessarily have to be the focus of the view.

This is the classical approach of Street Photography Hamburg, developed by Edward Steichen and Eugène Atget, among others, which focuses on urban views. The overall atmosphere of the photographs as well as the power of the surreal is therefore of high importance in classical Street Photography.

This way of working contrasts with the approaches of the new Street Photography, which was influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank. These photographers had access to small and lightweight cameras for the first time. Therefore, it was obvious that the hitherto common approach was expanded to include the human component, or rather, that people were moved into the focus of the images.

About urban photography

Urban stands first of all for a certain degree of built density and various functions of human life, such as living, working, recreation and transport. The urban city is both a stage and an object of social conflict and often has a dark side – anonymity, strangeness, and danger. Ultimately, urbanity is the result of social processes.

In urban photography, which has its roots in classical street photography, people and the environment are interwoven. In this respect, urban photography is a debate contribution to the documentation of contemporary ways of life in a psychological, ecological, and architectural sense. Urban photography and documentary photography are also closely related.

The best places for street photography

Now there is the question of which places are particularly suitable for street photography. Basically, of course, you can do it anywhere. It doesn’t always have to be a big metropolis.

Hamburg for example is wonderfully suited for street photography because the city is incredibly diverse: All districts and neighborhoods have their own charm.

There are countless places and roads that offer interesting perspectives. In addition, you can find whimsical personalities on every corner in Hamburg, which gives street photos a special touch.

Relevant in this context is especially the area around the harbor and the entertainment district.

Finally, I would like to give you two secret tips for taking even better street photos.

1. Use a zoom lens

Certainly, fixed focal lengths have a minimally better imaging performance than zoom lenses. But who notices that? If you were to shoot a subject under exactly the same conditions once with a fixed focal length and once with a zoom, I think 99% of all viewers would not see any difference. But more importantly, does the last percent of sharpness matter at all in street photography? I don’t think so. Good street photos don’t thrive on clinical clarity. The rough and dirty can be quite interesting. Good pictures live much more from framing, beautiful use of light, and a sense of a special situation. Who cares about a slightly better imaging performance?

Let’s move on to luminous intensity. I understand that for portraits, for example, you want to use the fastest possible lenses in order to conjure up a beautiful bokeh. But in street photography, you don’t usually use an open aperture; after all, you want the surroundings to be recognizable since urban space is a significant image element. Furthermore, let’s not forget that the iso line of digital cameras has become extremely good. You can comfortably go up to ISO 3200 or higher with almost all camera systems (APSC and KB).

2. Use JPEG mode

Well, ten years ago JPEGs really weren’t that good. But these days, all camera manufacturers are rapidly building excellent JPEG engines. In combination with sensors that are now first-class, especially in terms of dynamic range and image noise, there is simply no longer a need to shoot in RAW.

In addition, many manufacturers offer the option of preselecting a film simulation (e.g. Fuji, Nikon, and Lumix), which makes the JPEG mode even more interesting. Lyrics meaning: That “insert film” feeling.

And the best is yet to come: using JPEGs saves a lot of time because you don’t have to sit in front of the computer to turn the Lightroom controls. Taking photos is much more fun than editing!

3. Use a small camera

A small handy camera will bring you a lot of joy. Because it has a number of decisive advantages over large cameras. First of all, you can take really unobtrusive photos. Who wants to be caught trying to take a picture inconspicuously? The other reason is practical in nature. It’s just not fun to walk around with a huge camera on long photo hikes. Every gram of weight you save will give you a lot of joy. But the most important reason comes at the end of the day: the image quality of large and small cameras is exactly the same. It just doesn’t make any difference which camera you’re traveling with.

Steps to Taking Street Photography

Taking pictures on the streets is the best way to take pictures in public places. An expert in photography to capture people with a natural element. It will be good for you to take pictures of public places even if you do not shoot public or street photos. There are some considerations before you practice taking street pictures. Here is the information for you.

Find the wide-angle lens and also the telephoto lens of your camera if you take them. Generally, to use extension lenses, you need to have a standard camera. Manual digital cameras will produce large images like a movie camera. And the phone lens also helps in taking pictures with your car that is far from the subject.

Now you can walk around with a camera. You should look at any public place with your special eye. There are many opportunities for images to take place around you. You just see them. You don’t have to make plans by taking street photos, but you have to pay more attention to what’s going on around you. When you take pictures on the street, you have to learn to see the shape. You can introduce the diagonal lines in the text. And you have to make sure that your subject will be among your interests.

Conclusion

Street photography will bring you a lot of joy. Find an interesting place, take a small camera with you and be brave enough to use a zoom lens. You will be amazed by the great results.

Read more: Indoor Photography Tips