Street Photography

Street photography is popular and back in vogue. “F8 and be there.” Shooting from the hip. There is a lot written about overcoming fear of being confronted, how to fade into the background, cultural issues, and the law. Funny fact, if you do this at home it’s street photography, change countries and it’s part of travel photography.

As a working definition, street photography is outdoor, unstaged, impromptu photography of people in urban settings. Jean-Henri Lartigue, Henri-Cartier Bresson etc. are some of the most noted artists that come to mind. The tool of the trade is said to be the ultra expensive and iconic Leica.

That it is easier with a small point and shoot cameras, that for every great shot, you probably walk and exert yourself about as much as a good workout in the gym, is left unsaid.

Then there are photo walks aimed at street photography. I find large groups intimidating and more fun for the chat than the results.  It’s not that photography is or has to be a solitary pursuit, it’s that with so many cameras only inanimate objects don’t react.

In many years of taking pictures I have never really had a problem with taking shots on the street. It is my own wariness of imposing on the privacy of others that is a block. And frankly I think it’s a good thing to be considerate. If you get caught give them your coordinates and offer to send them a copy of your shot. Be aware of local laws. Learn to be unobtrusive. A good hike looking for photographic opportunities is great for your health even if in the end you have not had the photographic results you would have wished.

You can find lots of examples of street photography on my website www.rakmilphotography.com under the rubric People, because fundamentally that is what street photography is about, people.