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How To Shoot Eye-Catching Street Portrait Photography
How To Shoot Eye-Catching Street Portrait Photography
Introduction
Street portraiture is a fun way of documenting the reality of
life, portraying the genuine, unique, and raw emotions and
activities of people we rarely see in our hectic lives.
Photogrphy
Definition Subject Purpose
Style
Camera
Mirrorless camera
A compact and lightweight full-frame mirrorless camera can interchangeable lenses, which is a necessity for such a
be the perfect option for street portrait photographers, whose versatile style of photography.
work requires a lot of walking. Besides, the larger pixels allow
more light to enter and capture clear and sharp images, even However, the only downside is that it is quite heavy and
in low-light conditions. oversized. Therefore, the camera’s weight increases with
the addition of lenses, which may be a little uncomfortable
The other incredible features, such as the choice of an for some photographers.
interchangeable lens, the touch screen monitor, the excellent
viewfinder, the silent shutter, etc., make it the perfect camera. Rangefinder camera
The autofocus may, however, react more slowly than a DSLR
The excellent faster autofocus feature, along with the
camera if there are no phase detection pixels built into the
combined features of a DSLR and a mirrorless camera,
sensor.
makes a rangefinder camera an excellent option for capturing
street portraits. This camera has high performance like a
DSLR camera
DSLR while having a compact size similar to a mirrorless
DSLR cameras come equipped with all the features a street camera.
portrait photographer might require, such as quick autofocusing,
low noise at high ISO settings, an optical viewfinder, large
sensors, and more. Besides, it supports a wide range of
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They also have large sensors and a silent shutter, which help • Good low-light performance for the night and gloomy
take sharp, clear pictures without letting people know they are day shoot
being photographed. Depending on the model, some may offer • Depth of field scale or preview button to identify the
an optical viewfinder, electronic viewing, or a hybrid viewfinder focus level
that combines the two. • An eye-level viewfinder for a continuous view of the
action
No matter what kind of camera you choose, take into account
• Image Stabilization for minimizing camera shake effect
the following:
• Weather-proof sealing to protect the camera in every
weather condition
• Quick shutter for fast shooting
• DNG.RAW support for convenient use of a converter
• Fast auto and manual focusing for fast response to the
scene
• Fast buffer clearing for continuous shooting with fast
processing
• Histogram displays to adjust exposure levels
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Lens
There are differing opinions regarding the ideal lens for street
photographers. The choice of the lens, however, is a matter of
preference. Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of each lens
will help you choose which one to use.
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Standard lens: The 35mm (for APS-C) or 50mm (for Full- Telephoto lens: Telephoto lens allows to capture closer
Frame) lens has a focal length similar to human eyes. Therefore, images from a distance without making the subjects aware
using these lenses will result in images that are just like what of the camera. Usually, 70mm-200mm is the ideal focal
we see with our eyes. length of a telephoto lens. However, carrying these lenses
through the streets is quite difficult due to their heavy weight.
Wide-angle lens: The surrounding of a person on the street
provides the context for the composition. So, using a wide- Carrying additional lenses will help you avoid any emergency
angle lens, you can capture the surrounding environment within situations. You never know when you might need one.
the composition in one shot. A 28mm-35mm wide-angle lens However, don’t overload yourself with heavy lenses.
can be used with a full-frame camera. However, such lenses
can distort images by making subjects appear wider.
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Other accessories
Among other accessories, the most crucial are additional
memory cards and batteries. You will also need lens wipes
to clean dust or rain droplets from your lens for shooting clear
images.
Camera settings
The main light source for street portraits is natural light. Since
the intensity of natural light fluctuates, working with it can be
difficult. It is also challenging to manually adjust the shutter
speed and exposure level when people change their gestures,
posture, and expressions in a split second.
Hence, use the aperture priority and auto ISO modes to let
the camera choose the shutter speed after analyzing the
scene to deal with this situation. Besides, shooting raw gives
the photographer the option to make adjustments in post-
production.
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2. Shooting Variety at a
One-Location Photoshoot
Every location has something to offer. So, sticking to a particular
subject or direction can make you miss the opportunity of
creating more enticing compositions that you may create by
changing your perspective and vision.
This way, people will trust you more and perceive you as a
genuine person. Moreover, you should show them their
photos and give them your contact information so they can
get in touch with you if they need a copy of their image.
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7. Photograph Someone
from Behind
Street portraits are not only about capturing people’s facial
expressions. Photographing from behind is a great technique
for creating an anonymous or mysterious composition. These
compositions could include anything from a person carrying
an umbrella to a person crossing the street while carrying
a bag to a person wearing designer clothing or sporting an
exotic hairstyle.
So, when taking street portraits, look for subjects with unique
qualities that are worth being highlighted from behind and
result in an exciting composition.
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Conclusion
Shooting street portraits is challenging yet gives a fun experience
for photographers. Wander around and take pictures of people
from your own viewpoint. Try different camera settings, focal
lengths, angles, backgrounds, and other things to understand
the shooting process better. If necessary, research other
photographers’ work to learn how storylines are created.