5 Common Mistakes When Taking Street Photos

The street is a great setting for photography. It allows the photographer to capture some interesting moments from the city life. There are lots of things happening, even in small neighborhoods, but making great dramatic photographs in this environment is not an easy task. In continuity with the series about common mistakes in photography, this article will discuss common mistakes in street photography. Knowing these mistakes and avoiding them will help you achieve better street photos.

1. Not taking the time to observe the scene. Often, photographers don’t take enough time to observe the scene before they start shooting. This is a mistake, because some things are not very obvious and you can easily miss some interesting moments. Although sometimes you might be in the right place at the right time, don’t rely on luck to capture impressive images. Instead, you should take the time to prepare the shot by observing what is happening near you. Through observation, you will be able to anticipate what is going to happen, and this will keep you prepared for capturing interesting moments. The first image of the article and the following two are great examples of what you can achieve by observing the scene around you:

2. Not getting close enough to the subject. Although you shouldn’t draw too much attention to you while taking street photos, you should get close to your subject when composing the shot. You should give the viewers the feeling they are being in the middle of the action, and this can be achieved by getting close enough to the people you are photographing. Try to blend with the crowd as much as you can and take the shots from where the action is happening. By doing so, you can achieve great images, like the one below:

3. Not interacting with the people on the street. Street photography is all about people and their interactions. When practicing this type of photography, people will usually notice you are photographing them. Some will be comfortable with it, others not. It is always better to interact with the people on the street to make them feel more comfortable and act more natural, which will help you get better photographs. A smile can be all what you need to interact and communicate with others.

4. Not choosing the right location. The best street photographs are those showcasing human interactions and behavior. To capture such moments you will need to choose an appropriate location. You should choose a location where you will have a lot of people, like a busy street, a square or a transport station.

5. Not experimenting with different angles. One way to make your street photographs more interesting is to try and take the shots from unusual angles. There are great examples of street photos, where the shot was taken from a low angle. You can get interesting results if you hold the camera lower than the level of your eyes, or even at the ground level.

A great example of a different angle is the image below:

Photo by duchesse-2-Guermante