A photographer doesn’t need to have a camera on hand to be called that, in fact most of the time you take photos with your eyes, you develop them in your mind and then when you have your camera handy you try to reproduce them.
Whether you live in a big city or a small town, you are constantly faced with endless situations worthy of being portrayed: people, buildings, shop windows and whatever happens before your eyes, this can become your next great image.
- But keep in mind that not only instinct and luck are enough to achieve it.
- You will also need a lot of patience and.
- Why not.
- Read the article I have for you today.
- Are you ready?.
Urban photography or street photography? It is one of the most attractive and challenging disciplines you will find as a photographer due to the large number of variables you will have to deal with around you.
Cities are a huge scene that constantly changes actors, sets and stories, every moment something new happens that makes it a great place to go on a safari through the asphalt in search of immortalizing each of its scenes with just your camera in hand.
The difficulty in this type of photography is that not only do you have to take a good photo, take the correct measurement and exposure, and compose the photo, but you also have to do it all in a very short time because if you delay, it will only have been a moment.
And if you add to that, you must not only represent subjects, objects and situations, but you must also do so taking into account the architecture, culture, habits, customs and characteristics of each of them.
You have to manage a large number of items and several of them at the same time if you want to obtain the best results, in any case, do not worry that in practice the teacher is there. After reading the article, opt for a walking camera in hand. If you want your photographs to stand out from the crowd, you need to capture the essence of each moment and work with all the available elements to enhance it and convey it to the audience.
How to get better photos in the city? Don’t worry, keep reading
In this type of photograph, you must not only focus on your protagonist, but combine it with the environment without losing its “personality”. Every person is a world and your job will be to represent them.
As I mentioned in the article “16 ways to make your subject matter”, every great story has a great protagonist and so does every great photograph. Luckily for you, unlike what happens when working in a studio, in urban photography, people and characters are waiting to be portrayed, you just need to be prepared to do so.
But how? The challenge of photographing passers-by in a city is not stealing their photos with a telephoto lens, but quite the opposite: it’s working with them, letting them know you’re there and you’re going to get out. photos of them You will be surprised how many people who, if you are respectful, will be willing to work with you.
The most important thing is that you lose your fear and dare to go out with your camera to look for photos.
It is almost an instinct for any photographer embarking on this beautiful art to want to go out and photograph everything around him. But for you to fully enjoy this experience, you must first prepare. Let’s start at the beginning: the team.
Urban photography doesn’t require large investments in equipment, your pockets can remain calm. Creating great city photos isn’t just the domain of SLR cameras, is there a camera for beginners?and even with your mobile phone’s camera you’ll be able to achieve amazing results. Of course, the better or more professional your team is, the more spectacular the results will be.
As I mentioned earlier, the goal of this article is not only to give you advice on how to produce great photos of the city, but also to lose the fear of taking them, so I recommend you, whatever your temptation to do so, if you leave your telephoto lens in your home or not take many photos with the zoom if you have a compact camera to go unnoticed. The idea is to approach the subjects and work with them, not steal their photos.
So how is the backpack assembled?
Cities are the scene of thousands of works that occur at the same time and deserve to be represented, but taking photographs of strangers can be a risk and not to mention meeting the owner of another person who wants you to have a bad time. It does not mean that you should not be encouraged to take your pictures, but rather to know the risks and that you can be vigilant.
Here are some of the issues you may have so you are aware:
1. Image rights
Taking photographs of strangers on the street is not as simple as it seems, and not because of the action itself of taking a photo but because there are certain rights that you must respect, the main one is the right to privacy of people, which means that you do not You are free to take and post photographs of strangers without their consent, in any case, this does not mean that you cannot take photographs of people on the street, but you should take some precautions:
However, there are some situations where you do not need to request that these rights be transferred to you. Here are some:
If you want a little more information about your rights and obligations as a photographer and those of your models, you can consult the following article 😕 Detailed guide: How to protect your photos on the Internet? Rights, licenses and contracts?
2. Reactions
The idea of a photographic safari through the city is nothing more than an activity for you to enjoy and have a great time. Because the idea that I propose is to interact with the people you want to represent: approach with a smile, ask for permission and explain what you are doing and if necessary, show them the photos you have just taken.
Ideally, you can transmit calm to the protagonists so that they do not feel intimidated or uncomfortable, after all, you want to make the most of it.
3. ft:
No one is exempt from having a hard time thanks to other people’s friends, let alone photographers, whether you like it or not, you should know that you are an ideal target for the usual cost of photographic equipment, so it is better to be prepared. Prevention is always the first thing, so I recommend you take your time and read the following article:?Tips to avoid stealing your camera?
You should not be afraid to go out and take photos, you only have to do it in a responsible way and having taken the necessary precautions to be able to do it calmly and focused on what you do best: take photos.
To get your first urban photos, the first thing you have to do is lose your fear, from there you just have to worry about enjoying and filming your camera, here are some tips to act as a catalyst for your creativity and you can have your best out of it:
1. Arm yourself with courage: While you may feel embarrassed to stop a stranger on the street and ask him to be your role model, you need not be afraid, after all, you are not doing anything wrong.
2. Prepare your smile: the greater the empathy with your models, the better the photographs you take, come and ask if you can take pictures, if they say no, don’t worry, the city is full of potential stars. Friendly and respectful will increase your chances of getting the photo you are looking for.
3. Go out for creative baths: if you don’t feel inspired, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good day to go out and take pictures. When inspiration hits you, you’d better get down to business. Load your gear into your backpack and take a walk. Take a look at the following article if you think you’re running out of ideas: How to get very creative photos (when you have no idea).
4. Photographer-friendly spaces: if you walk into a café and start taking pictures of the number of people seated, they may feel a bit overwhelmed in their privacy, but if instead you have come across the same people in the room. a square, a museum, a cathedral or a monument, surely your reaction will be different. There are places where people are used to seeing photographers doing their work. You can start with these sites until you lose your shyness and gain some experience.
5. Make the most of events: in cities many activities are carried out continuously that you can use as theater of operations, parties, fairs in squares, events, etc. are a great opportunity for you to gain experience. that in these types of events, people will not be surprised to see a photographer document everything, so you will feel more comfortable taking your pictures.
6. Observe the surroundings: when you arrive at a place and before you start filming anything that crosses your path, spend some time analyzing everything around you so that you can imagine what elements you will use in your shots and who you will not. This way, you will have a better chance of getting the photo you were looking for and not just the one you were able to get.
7. Anticipate the following photo: if for each photo you are going to take you have to configure your camera settings to be perfect, when you have finished taking it, it is likely that the photo is no longer there. . Try to anticipate your next photo and prepare the camera for shooting. Sounds hard? The way to learn is to photograph. When the time comes, you’ll do it instinctively. Anyway, I recommend you take a look at the following articles:?Step-by-step guide: How to perform the correct measurement and exposure on your photos?and “9 tips and tricks to improve your photographic composition”.
8. Observe the work of others: One of the best ways for photographers to learn is to observe and analyze the work of others. Take advantage of the fact that, thanks to the Internet, you can review the work of thousands of colleagues without leaving your chair. Take 5 minutes to look at the urban photos in the following article 😕 El Ojo Destranado [Urban black and white photo gallery]? and look for top online photography sites like Flickr, 500px, etc.
9. Photos at all hours: every hour in cities has its particular charm: the lights, colors, shadows, different tones and even people change as they pass. As the clock ticks, the lighting conditions change. Take advantage of the charm. every hour to take your most spectacular photos, if you are not very familiar with the different types of light and how to take advantage of them as a creative element, I recommend you read the following article: 23 ways to use light as a creative element (for when you are not inspired). Go ahead and go out and take pictures anytime.
10. Join in patience: after each walk, you may be a little frustrated that you have not been able to get the photo you were looking for, in urban photography there are very few factors on which you will have absolute control, in fact almost none. Don’t be discouraged, and keep looking for that picture that’s in your mind, when the time comes, it will appear before you. In any case, never stop taking a photo because it’s not what you expected: “Better a photo in front of a camera than hundreds of flights. “
11. No disturb: Always be respectful, but always respectful of those who try to photograph. Try not to be a nuisance to them and it happens as unnoticed as possible. The less you bother, the more natural and spontaneous your photos will be and the better they will be predisposed for you to take some photos. Everyone should benefit from this experience, not just you.
12. Net let the rain stop you: when you see the first drops of rain knocking on your window, you may think your photo ride has been thwarted Nothing further from reality!Rainy days are great for taking those impossible-to-get photos on a sunny day, don’t you believe me?Check out the following article and see for yourself: “Tips for capturing amazing rain photos (with inspiring examples). “. Lights, reflections in puddles, people’s expressions, etc. , are great reasons to be photographed. Put on your boots, grab your umbrella, protect your camera and go out and take your photos.
13. Keep your eyes open: Urban photography is not limited to just taking pictures on city streets, but on the contrary, it includes everything you can find on the road while you are looking for the perfect photo. Go into shops and bars, pay attention to the shop windows, see the buildings and their architecture. Your next photo can be anywhere. Are you going to miss it?
14. Level: To prevent your subjects from being disproportionate, try to level yourself at the same level as the subjects you’re photographing, unless it’s not clear that such a disproportion is what you’re looking for.
15. Don’t miss a beat: rhythm in photography is the rhythmic repetition of lines, shapes, and patterns. The rhythmic photos are very pleasing to the eye of the spectators and invite to browse the photos with more attention, following the rhythm. Take advantage of the rhythm to structure the image, that is, to order the elements in the frame and why not, you too can be the protagonist.
16. Always tell stories: remember that photographs are remembered both for what they show and for what they don’t. The messages they communicate and the feelings they convey are even more important than the image itself. If you want to take pictures that leave everyone open-mouthed, don’t forget to tell stories.
The best photos are there, waiting for you to meet them, you don’t have to travel thousands of kilometers to find them, maybe it’s always been there, around the corner, waiting for you, with your camera, to see them.
The important thing is that you’re ready to take him, wherever he is. Don’t let your camera cover yourself with dust, you’re the one taking the pictures.
I hope they gave you an incredible boost to walk with your camera in search of your next best shot. Don’t forget that it will always be there, waiting for you to find it.