Be bold and take as many photos of a scene from as many angles as possible
One of the most useful tricks we can learn and master when it comes to street photography is how to work scenes we come across. More often than not, these scenes offer more than one way to present a story to us, and we can say it’s our mission to capture as much these as possible. Eric Kim, while on a photo walk in Japan, explained how it’s done and why it’s a powerful tool for street photography.
If you’ve been taking just one or two shots of a street scene, it’s time to switch up your approach. While there’s nothing really wrong with that (especially if you’re already confident with your shots most of the time), you could also be missing some potentially interesting images if you don’t take a few more. Eric tells us more in one of his recent videos below.
Now, let’s break that down into some key takeaways.
Linger. Let go of your fear that you’re going to get noticed or you’re doing something wrong. Take your time to analyze the scene and shoot in different angles. Move around your subject, adjust your framing, include or take away some elements. Which brings us to the next tip.
There are many decisive moments in a scene. This is especially the case when you’re faced with some interesting spots or subjects, and they’re the main draw of the scene. Scope your location for spots where you can more or less expect decisive moments to occur, and be ready with your camera to take multiple photos of the same scene.
You’re only going to be minorly annoying to your subjects. We’ve tackled this in detail on this post.
Don’t CHIMP. Leave the reviewing of your photos for when you get home. If you keep reviewing your photos throughout your photo walk, not only will it disrupt your flow of shooting, it also puts you at risk of missing interesting shots.
Don’t forget to thank the people you photograph. When they notice you as you work the scene, smile, say hello and thank you. Most of them will appreciate the gesture. Then, keep moving.
If you’re curious about Eric’s shots from this photo walk, you can view all of them on his website.
Screenshot image from the video by Eric Kim
