Street portrait photography skills

Lead: Every street photographer has his own experience and shooting skills, such as waiting, framing, speed, continuous shooting, finding easy subjects, etc. I hope the following shooting techniques can help you capture the most beautiful moments on the street.

1. Don't go, wait a minute.

It is generally believed that street photography needs constant walking. In fact, you have to keep walking and observing to have more chances to find possible objects or scenes. This is true, but constant walking will bring a new problem, that is, you can't compose while walking. The street is constantly changing. If you keep walking, you can't see clearly.

Taipei/East District Photography: Ethan Chiang

But when you are still, you will have a faster reaction speed in the face of sudden scenes. Also, street photographers usually shoot people's expressions in the opposite direction of the crowd, so do I, but walking in the direction of the crowd will make it more difficult to grasp the sudden shooting time or an expression, and it will take a long time to master it, otherwise you will just keep walking and miss the shooting opportunity.

The key point of this technique is to slow down, stop and go, wait for a few minutes at the point where you think there may be interesting shooting opportunities, and try not to go. Looking for what? Shooting opportunities, let shooting opportunities come to you. When you wait in a crowded street, you will suddenly find a bunch of pictures to shoot.

2. Pay attention to people's eyes

The eyes are the windows to the soul, from which we can see a person's mood. This skill is not easy, it needs to be bold enough. When the subject looks directly at the camera, the picture is usually very powerful. When I first came into contact with street photography, I was completely afraid to shoot in front of people. I tried to avoid eye contact. I still dare not shoot in front of strangers.

Seoul/Hongda Photography: Ethan Chiang

My method is to find the object I want to shoot, then raise the camera, and when they turn around and look at the camera, press the shutter immediately. That moment is the most real. After a few seconds, the object should avoid the camera. Try not to make eye contact after filming. If you know, just nod and smile. Don't look down at the camera and get out of here.

Attention to detail.

Street photography is not just about shooting misplacements or cramming a bunch of special people into the picture at once. Usually photographers will find a good opportunity for composition or dislocation in the street, and take pictures when people come in, but they can actually pay attention to some small details as much as possible.

When we are looking for shooting opportunities on the road, we often only notice the composition of a relatively large block, such as a complete person, the building behind it, advertising posters and so on. Next time, we may try to look at people's shoes, some expressions, some interesting gadgets on them and so on. Many nervous pictures are actually completed with the simplest composition.

Step 4 increase brightness

Personally, I will try my best to keep ISO 400 bright. I hope there is less noise in the photo. Now the noise processing ability of digital cameras is really too strong. I seem to have seen a camera with brightness of tens of thousands, and there is no noise.

Seoul/myeongdong Photography: Ethan Chiang

The advantage of high brightness is that it can improve the shutter speed and take clearer images on changing streets. But still pay attention to the noise problem, unless you prefer photos with a lot of noise. But sometimes noise can add more to black and white works? Smell? .

5. No? People? We can shoot something else when we get there.

What do street beats in stereotypes often need? Personality? . That's right. What if street photography is missing? People? I really feel something is missing, because this photography mode is to some extent recording human nature. But in fact, there are many shooting opportunities on the street and no one is in it.

Seoul/Namdaemun Market Photography: Ethan Chiang

This is not to say that street photography can become landscape photography or simple architectural photography. Does street photography have nothing to do with it? People? Related. For example, the cultural evolution of a certain area in the city, the lifestyle of people in a certain place and so on. Even if there is no clear person in the photo, you can still feel that the photo is to be passed on? People? Smell.

Use artificial light sources

In the past, I used to shoot only during the day, and when there was no sun, I put my camera away and went home, but I gradually found that night was actually the most fun shooting opportunity. Although the light damage is so rampant that you can't see the stars at night, it is a great light source for street photographers.

There are many artificial light sources in the street, such as neon lights, signboard lights, street lights, traffic lights, car lights and so on. I remember a photographer said that you can take photos with a little light source, and sometimes the photos taken at night will be more dramatic. Try not to go out next time, but please be safe. The way to enhance the success rate of night shooting is to increase the brightness as much as possible or use a flash. Personally, I don't recommend using flash. On the one hand, it will scare others, on the other hand, the light is unnatural, unless you take two assistants and a lamp out to help you light it. .

Taipei/East District Photography: Ethan Chiang

7. Record value of street photography

Sometimes, in addition to taking some interesting and special photos on the street, you can actually see scenes with time value. For example, before 20 12, people usually read newspapers or even books on the mrt. I don't think I will see this photo in two years. Look at the people in the MRT now, 9.5 out of 10 people are looking down at their mobile phones. I usually read books when I take the MRT, but it feels very strange.

The Record Value of Street Photography

In fact, I had this idea hidden in my mind when I was shooting street scenes, hoping to leave some time records for future people.