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street photography tips, london street photography, london photography

Storytelling in street photography: Developing subjectivity

Cinema, as an art, has long been using camera angles to create either objectivity (the act of distancing oneself from the scene/subject) or subjectivity (the act of associating oneself with the scene/subject). And indeed, the choice of camera angle will have a deep impact on how the viewer will eventually experience the scene and the story. Will they observe at a distance or will they feel part of the action? Will they identify themselves with the subject or will they react to this confrontation?

Understanding when and how to develop subjectivity is key to creating impactful street images. In this chapter, I analyze and explain the difference between objective and subjective viewpoints: how we can achieve them, and what effect they will have on the viewer. Ultimately, my goal is to help you decide what angles and viewpoints will work best to support and amplify your potential story – thus generating greater emotions and impact with your images.

1. The omniscience effect

Behind the idea of omniscience lies the principle of showing the big picture. The viewer is given the opportunity to see the scene in its entirety. Long-range and medium-range shots are best fitted to create that effect. Shots that are at eye level (not higher, not lower) will provide the most objective point of view, while lower / higher shots will create interesting subtleties in the way viewers perceive the overall scene. The key to omniscience is to integrate all meaningful elements into one shot: the subject of course, but also all the surrounding context that will extend the story from that of a man alone, to a man within its environment.

Omniscience primarily results from large range shots, taken at the most natural angle possible (straight, eye level etc.)

In the above image, viewers are shown the entire winter scene, emphasizing the loneliness of the subject. Without the context of the bridge and fog, that feeling of loneliness would be less strong. It is by distancing oneself from the details that we can see the big picture. The lonely figure exists because of the lonely city – both elements resonate and respond to one another to create a more cohesive story.

2. The experience effect

In films, many scenes are meant to make the viewer feel at the center of the action. As the camera follows the actors, we are often given the impression that we are moving along with the camera… following their every step. When two characters discuss together, we feel in the middle of their conversation – yet the characters never actually look directly at the camera. Most of these tactics will, at least, enable viewers to experience a scene from the inside, not from the outside. And this is where the magic happens in cinema: from being a mere observer, we become an invisible actor: we are forced into the story whether we like or not.

Experience: Getting close and personal

When you do get closer, your images will often become more experiential. Close-ups and mid-range images tend to bring the viewer in the story, more so than images taken at a distance.

In this example, the man in the foreground anchors the viewer in the story: the viewer feels as if he was looking through the eyes of this man, and observing the winter scene from his POV. Without the man, this image would be less personal, less subjective. It would portray an urban winter scene from which the viewer is a mere observer (i.e., omniscience effect).

Experience: Shifting the point of view

Tilted orientations, compared with straight orientations, generally add strong subjectivity to your images. When done so meaningfully, the POV becomes highly subjective, as if the viewer was really part of the scene: observing and taking part in the action, yet unobserved – invisible.

In this image, the addition of a low-level angle (the camera is looking up at the man) creates additional emphasis on the subject – making it look more important and imposing than he really is. It also clearly reinforces the subjectivity being created here.

Experience: Learning from cinema as an art

The closer you get from people, the more “voyeuristic” the experience will be, and the more strongly your viewers will experience the scene from the inside – as if they were there, invisible actors of a story that they do not control.

This shot shows a very intimate scene between two lovers, a scene that we can appreciate from very close, not unlike tactics used in cinema to allow viewers to enter the story and identify themselves with the subjects.

3. The connection effect

The connection effect relies primarily on establishing direct eye contact. By doing so, the photographer establishes a strong relationship between subject and viewer – as if the viewer could read the mind of the subject, and as if the subject could see beyond the frame – perhaps even into the mind of the viewer. That connection is so strong in fact that it can be disturbing to the viewer at times. When there is a connection effect, camera angles can strongly influence the feelings associated with the subject and the scene. Taking a shot at eye-level puts the viewer and the subject at the same level – and consequently, establishes a peer to peer relationship. Lower or higher angles will change the equation, resulting in different types of feelings.

Connection: Looking eye to eye

When subjects are looking straight into the camera, a strong relationship gets established. The level of the camera will then determine the nature of this relationship. If the image is shot at eye-level, a sense of equality gets created. Viewer and subjects are on one equal foot – looking eye to eye, peacefully or intensely, depending on the expression of the subject.

Connection: Generating emphasis with low-level angles

Taking your subject from below (what we call a low-level camera angle) will in fact dramatically emphasize your subject. Not equal anymore, the person will appear bigger than real, provoking a shift in perceptions and emotions.

Oftentimes, the viewer will feel overpowered or overshadowed by the subject – associated with a sense of superiority, strength, charisma.

Connection: Minimizing the subject with high-level angles

The opposite is also true, as cinema has shown many times. Shooting a subject from above will result in minimizing the subject, giving it less importance, less strength. These types of angles can generate a sense of vulnerability, of a need for protection. It gives a sense of inferiority to the subject who appears to be lost within the scene.

Hope you enjoyed the reading! To the next chapter, I wish you a very good day :)

Storytelling in street photography: 5 rules for embracing the moment

Capturing the moment is a matter of seconds, even less. There are so many parameters and variables to take into consideration that it can sometimes feel impossible to achieve; and when we finally get that perfect shot, we may tend to believe that we’ve been lucky. Well, believing so is a mistake. Luck is important of course, but ultimately, it is your attitude to openness and possibilities that will determine your success. In other words, let’s give “chance” a chance to come upon us by choosing the right state of mind.

In this short chapter, I wanted to bring to your attention 5 rules that I believe will enhance your journey into street photography. By following those rules, you will start to see so much more than what you’ve seen so far: not relying only on luck, but on yourself, on your inner capability to seize opportunities, and to capture this ultimate story. So trust yourself, first and foremost. Be fearless, be focused, be ready. The world is made of so many opportunities – we just need to look around and be brave enough to seize them.

Key rules:

Become fearless
Never lose focus
Forget the technique
Fail often, try again
Embrace mindfulness

Rule #1: Become fearless

Easier said than done, granted. It took me two years to learn to be fearless – fearless of people, of the rain, of the night. It’s natural to fear, but it won’t take you anywhere. Eventually, it only deters you from enjoying the experience, and will fill you with never-ending regrets.

The key is to understand that nothing bad can really happen to you: slowly, by getting a little more fearless every day, you’ll discover treasures of bravery in you. And little by little, you won’t fear anymore – but it takes time and determination! In practice, you will meet a range of emotions from the people that you shoot without prior authorization. Don’t let yourself be deterred by that – just smile, and move on. From experience, they most likely won’t run after you.

This shot for me represents a turning point. I was shooting at a distance for quite a while, until I got bored with my own fear. I positioned myself very close to that woman, drenched by the rain and half hidden by the night, and I got one of my favorite shots ever. The woman looked at me, surprised at first, annoyed next. What I did? I moved on. I just smiled, and moved on. And I left my old fears behind, forever.

Rule #2: Never lose focus

Opportunities can arise everywhere, at the most unexpected moments – there’s so much you can do to anticipate that particular instant when all elements will come together, perfectly, and meaningfully. Therefore, talented photographers remain focused all the time when they’re out shooting: they let go of distractions that may take them away from that perfect story.

When I am out shooting, I sometimes feel that nothing else exists but me and my camera. My eyes keep scanning the environment looking for opportunities, while my mind is immersed in a fantasy world of my own: a world where new stories come to life.

Yes, I have learned to remain focused, at all time. When I saw the opportunity to shoot that little girl in the bus in San Francisco, I pre-focused my camera on her, and waited for her to turn her head. When the flow of light came by the window, I shot instantly. I had no idea that the bus would turn at the next crossroad, allowing light to flow in freely. But I was ready, and I was focused.

Rule #3: Forget the technique

Street photography is a matter of half seconds – rarely more than that. During that period of time, you need to focus, compose, and trigger the shot. This is why shooting in manual is almost impossible for most street photographers: you just do not have the time to adjust that many settings. Think of it this way: you may be quick enough to adjust one variable – whether this is speed, ISO, aperture, focal lengths or focus distance is your choice. The second variable is your own body: getting closer, getting lower, changing your viewpoint…

All this also takes time. Therefore, I would highly recommend to minimize the technique when doing street photography. Focus on seeing the picture, rather than achieving technical perfection – and as importantly, let go of your old manual habits or you will systematically miss the moment.

Like many of the shots that I have taken with my Canon 60D, this image was shot using a large aperture (f2.8), and automatic speed and ISO. My only decision was to come closer or not, which I decided against to keep the meaningful context of the crowd of customers. The waitress disappeared 2 seconds after, which was just enough time to get that image.

Rule #4: Fail often, try again

Waiting for the perfect shot before shooting the trigger will only get you that far. So many good shots have come from less than perfect circumstances, from an intuition of good shots – but definitely not certainty of it. Because there are so many variables that we can’t possibly anticipate, we are bound to fail often. However, if you don’t give it a try, what are the odds of success?

I truly believe that this is through trying and practicing that we can get better results. Consistency in the effort is at least as important as talent in street photography: so go out and try. Don’t be afraid to fail, it’s ok. We fail often, and we try again.

I personally shoot a lot – taking maybe 300 shots per 1.5 hour session. A really small proportion of those will ever see the light of the day, of course, but I am often surprised to see how some of the less “wow” shots can turn out to be on my computer. In fact, I rarely know what will make a great shot vs. an average one before actually taking the shot, and sometimes after analyzing the entire scene at home.

Rule #5: Embrace mindfulness

Mindfulness means being in the present – not looking in the past, not thinking of the future, but being, physically and psychologically, in the present and the present only. What this means for a street photographer is simple: stay open to the unexpected, the unpredictable. Never expect anything, just watch and see; this is by doing so that we can let miracles happen.

If you go out with a clear and preconceived idea of the perfect scene, what are the odds that you will find it? Not only will you wait for something that will never happen, but you will fail to see other opportunities arising all around you. If you know so badly what you want, why don’t you stage it? There is no value in trying to force destiny: things happen, or they don’t. Instead, anchor yourself in the present moment, and let the world surprise you.

This is by practicing mindfulness that I was able to take this shot – not consciously realizing its potential, but intuitively feeling that a story was born. I had never attempted to take this type of shot before, but the idea came to me right when the bus was passing in front of this woman. I took one single shot, it was the right one.

And never forget the rule of all rules: Never take it for granted. Keep in mind that you’ll be told many things in street photography, but that only you can know if that’s relevant to what you want to achieve. So never forget that: you’re in control of your art. Do whatever you like, cross all boundaries, deny fundamental rules. Play and experiment. Never surrender to the biggest voice in town.

Have a good day, and to the next chapter!

What is the purpose of street photography?

Fernanda asked me this question recently, and I found it hard to answer right away. Indeed, I believe that the answer lies not in the genre itself, but in your personal definition of it and, to be specific, your own vision for your work. It is therefore a very personal question – not a question entitled to be answered as a group. Because if it was to be answered by all of us, as a group, we would find out that this purpose – or supposed impact of street photography on the world – can be radically different depending on the photographer. And this is the charm of street photography: there is no single written answer to everything. You have to find your own path, beyond the boundaries that are being imposed on you.

You have to find your own purpose for it.

Let’s think for a second about the possible purposes for doing street photography. To my knowledge, there are broadly two trends in street photography resulting in two very different purposes:

The first purpose is social and cultural in essence. Some street photography groups maintain a clear purpose for their work: impacting society by documenting life and the world as it is today, to be seen by everyone, and most importantly, by future generations. Their work intends to document, to show, to reveal to the world what’s going on, what people do and look like, what our generation is all about. Their vision is driven by the possible impact that their images may have on society at large: changing or expanding the way people see society and humanity around the world. And giving future generations the tools they need to understand how the world has evolved over time.

The second purpose is simply artistic. For many other photographers, street photography is not a social scheme (like photo journalism or photo documentary for example), but an art in and of itself. In that sense, the purpose of street photography for these people is that of art – to change the way individuals see the world, and themselves, according to the author’s vision. In other words, those photographers are not interested in changing society, but conveying novel emotions and feelings with their art. They do not intend to document, to record, or to show what is: they’re more interested in conveying their personal vision of the world, their personal take on it. And their higher purpose is simply to touch people with their art – to open the door to their imagination, to their feelings and memories.

For anybody knowing me, I clearly belong to the second category. My world is not that of a documentary, but that of dreams and forgotten memories. Therefore, I often find myself at the edge, at the border of a genre so characterized by rules, do’s and don’ts that seem imposed on my, assigning a purpose to my work, assigning a vision for the collectivity. Anyone knowing me also knows that I can’t care less about collective thinking. And I don’t find myself fulfilled because I am part of a group of self-minded people.

Our strength is our diversity – our diversity of styles, thinking, and purposes for doing what we do. And through this diversity only can the genre survive and evolve. Therefore, there is no one single purpose for street photography, but many. As many in fact as there are street photographers. And the more you think about it, about what drives you personally, what you want to achieve with your own images, the more you will find your vision – and escape the narrowness of a genre that is still searching itself.

Good luck in this journey, it is yours only.

StreetHunters' list of most inspirational street photographers: Time to vote!

I am so very honored to be part of this list of 75 inspirational street photographers! While I don't judge myself mature and influential enough to end in the top 20, I am still very thankful. Very, very.

And I encourage you to discover this list of great street photographers yourself, get inspired, and vote if you like them!

http://www.streethunters.net/blog/2015/04/01/vote-for-the-20-most-influential-street-photographers-of-2015/

Storytelling in street photography: Learning to see possibilities

Here’s my philosophy: Street photography is a journey which starts with the willingness to see the world differently. Below is the introductory chapter of my ebook Storytelling in Street Photography, Creating Impact, and is all about seeing… which is where you should start.

Street photography is not about capturing the reality as it is: it is about, as we say, turning the mundane into the extraordinary. I am not talking about post-processing, but about vision: what you see and feel is what you will want to express. And unless you commit to see the world differently, you won’t create any meaningful street images.

Seeing the world differently means paying attention to what others will not see by themselves, should it be the simple reflection of a woman in a bus window. It means looking at that city that we know so well, and yet discovering it for the first time, each time you’ll go out on your own. It means being able to see some form of beauty in the most common things, in the most common smiles, in the most common eyes. And it means not only seeing, but feeling – feeling deep inside us that a story is born, right in front of us.

So how do we know when this happens? What should we be looking for exactly? The decision to shoot – and all subsequent decisions around framing, speed, depth of field etc. – is a very intuitive process. Yet, we can train our mind to recognize opportunities, and, in doing so, allowing us to become better photographers. This first chapter provides an overview of what I consider myself to be opportunities in street photography.

1. Unique expressions of life

At the very heart of street photography, the keen observation of human expressions is a talent that can well pay off in a striking picture. Candid expressions that will create a strong impact on viewers are those that tell a story and convey a specific emotion: either through direct eye contact with the camera, or through the capture of well identified facial and body expressions. Many expressions and emotions can be captured on everyday people; one just needs to look carefully…

In this image, I particularly like the intensity of the eye contact between those two girls and the camera. The beauty of her candid smile almost brightens up the sadness of the rain falling on the city. This expression really turns a conceptual umbrella scene into a human story.

2. Striking faces and attitudes

Some people, by their attitude and their physical presence, tend to eclipse everybody else in my eyes. And crossing their path brings about deeper feelings, at the intersection of their stories and of my own. I do not see them for who they are, but I see them for who they could be, within the realms of my own fantasy world. Whatever you feel about this person during those random encounters, it is this feeling that you will need to remember, process and express through your photography. And this is this very feeling that will make your capture unique, timeless, memorable.

I saw this woman by the window of a shop, one Saturday afternoon. I instantly felt transported into another world, a world of iridescent beauty and timeless mystery. This is this very feeling that I have tried to express here, in this image.

3. Uniqueness in the crowd

Shooting crowds is very difficult, and is an art all and by itself. But finding a unique subject within the crowd can also be very rewarding. The context and story that provides a crowd is worth many words: the most important thing being to find and isolate this unique subject appropriately. There are several techniques that one can use to make this happen. You can change the settings of your camera: either choose a large aperture to produce a shallow depth of field, or identify a non-moving subject and decrease the speed to get the crowd in motion. You can also isolate a subject through colors or differentiated tones, if they happen to be distinctive enough.

In this example, the closeness to the subject and the effect of stillness vs. motion of the crowd clearly identify the woman as the primary subject. The umbrella as well, as an all-encompassing element, brings up clear focus on the woman vs. the busy surroundings – at the same time separating the subject from the background while bringing all elements together, in a cohesive manner.

4. Interconnected stories

Last, but not least, the human element in your images can be dramatically improved with multiple, interconnected stories. The most sophisticated street images will play not across a single layer, but across multiple layers. In those images, photographers not only isolate a clear and distinct subject, but also create connections across multiple human elements in the frame. When those stories are, apparently, disconnected, composition elements can work very well to establish that connection and tell an interconnected story.

In this example, the two stories are connected by the overall line created by the stairs in the background. The shadow adds additional dynamic and acts as a strong point of entry into the picture: first leading the eye to the woman with the child, then taking us to the other woman through the intermediary of the stairs.

5. Urban geometry and architectural line

The contrast between harsh architectural lines and soft human lines provide the basis for interesting story telling. Lonely figures passing in front of immense architectural buildings tell stories of loneliness in the city, while highly graphic elements emphasize the modernity of our urban surroundings. When using urban lines and shapes to create dramatic geometry, it is important to give space for the human story to happen. Stagnant compositions where people could be erased without hurting much the story are not human stories, they are architectural stories.

In this image, the repetition of shapes between the bridge and the body of the person creates a strong connection between the two; it is as if the man was bent in synchronicity with the bridge, forming a symbolic whole. The subject absolutely belongs to the image, seemingly fighting with the bridge against the winter wind.

6. Complementarity of colors and shapes

Colors that complement each others are appealing to the eye and to the mind. They tell a story of their own, a story of harmonious contrasts, of duality and complementarity all at the same time. While neither colors nor shapes create stories on their own in street photography, they add that extra dimension that can help tell greater, more impactful stories.

In this picture, the color version is very strong because of those complementary colors: the cyan talks to the pink in an invisible dialogue, along with the shapes that seem to contradict each other – the roundness of the umbrella against the very polynomial shapes printed on the background wall.

7. Dramatic light and clair-obscures

Photography is all about light. In fact, photography literally means “writing with light”, and the amount of light going into the lens is what, in definitive, will determine your exposure and the resulting image. But light, as a composition element, is also incredibly fascinating; added substance or tension can be born out of great use of light and darkness. Light can take many forms, and play many roles, as we will see in the next chapters. In definitive however, understanding how to take advantage of the light is critical – and following the light is an important first step.

This image was taken in a fairly usual street in Chicago, full of parked cars, with little interest per itself. But those figures crossing the street in front of the overpowering light is all that was needed to transform the ordinary into a picture seemingly out of time and space.

8. Patterns and repetitive elements

Repetition of human elements or objects can become a story in itself, especially when that repetition is unusual or unexpected. But when thinking about patterns and repetitive elements, it can also be interesting to integrate elements that “break” the patterns: such as a tiny human figure set against a highly symmetric architectural setting. Or the façade of a large building only interrupted by the sight of a man looking through one of the windows.

In this image, the repetitive forms created by the human bodies are as ironic as the subjects themselves: cut from their heads, looking alike but for the colors of their clothes. More complex than what the eye is accustomed to, this image creates interest beyond the repetition itself, and the irony is not lost on the viewer.

9. Atmospheric settings and weather

What creates atmosphere is hard to describe, and could possibly become a whole chapter in itself. There are, however, easily recognizable elements that you can leverage: architecture backgrounds telling stories of the past, interesting artificial lights that leave part of the picture in the dark, as well as rainy and / or foggy weathers bringing a mist over the world. Whatever this is, pay attention to the world around you and look for opportunity to add mood to a potential human story.

In this picture, taken fairly recently, the soft contrasts created by the light of a rainy day, and the particular architecture of the large and old building all contribute to taking the viewer into another time, another age, far away from today’s busy city life. This atmospheric charge really makes the shot – telling a widely different story from the real and the mundane.

10. Mysterious nights

Nights are as mysterious as you want they want to be. Artificial lights and areas of darkness can tell stories of another time, filled with this incredible atmosphere that only the night can bring. The most mundane scene turns into a film noir or a fairytale, depending on your mood and imagination. Fantasy, strangeness, drama: you can borrow so much to those magnificent lights falling on the city half asleep, all of sudden as foreign as a faraway country. The way the world gets transformed at night makes it an incredibly powerful time to shoot and tell unique stories.

In this image, the lights of the bridge, along with the atmospheric snow and half-darkness falling on the subjects’ face create a deep sense of mystery. And mystery is good: mystery forces the mind to cope with ambiguity, with a story only suggested, never totally revealed. It opens up the door to the personal imagination of the viewer – forcing the mind to fill out the void created by the open-ended story.

You can see opportunities everywhere, but you need to open your eyes and be mindful of them! Till the next chapter, I wish you a very good night...