Quick manual to summarize this guide

What is Street Photography

Street photography is, of course, a snapshot of urban life observed in its everyday and which encompasses all its aspects: irony, tragedy, unpredictability, cruelty and even beauty.

Street photography, the good street photography is something that documents, that communicates something of a moment captured by the photographer, and therefore also reveals something about the author of the photo. a good street is a revealing moment, a sublime dichotomy of the ES and the world that surrounds it, or at least the perceived one. For this you have to be demanding, with the moment captured, if there is true content or not, if there is a composition worthy of this definition, if the street (the public realm) is genuinely represented and without forcing and overdubbing, and therefore communicating that energy that only the path is able to reveal.

Street Photography is essentially candid photography of people and humanity. So by extension it includes not only the street and the metropolitan space but every public place: parks, commercial centers, subways, elevators, beaches, restaurants, etc.

Street Photography can be with humans or without humans, but the focus is always the humanity that can be found also when there is not a human subject. the visual history of the genre showed us that dogs, cats and other animals, billboards, the sky and the clouds, poles and buildings, shadows on the asphalt, objects can be used to compose a street photo, because it depends essentially from the photographer.

Street Photography often shows the lateral thought of the photographer, so the the creative possibilities are practically endless.

Is it legal Street Photography? What about the ethics of photographing on the street?

Street Photography is legal in almost all the countries that define themselves democratic because it has to do with the right of news and expression, inalienable to every free citizen, as long as you use the pictures for artistic purposes. In fact a photographer can sell prints of them, use them in online articles, and show them in books as you would a piece of art, but you cannot use them for commercial or advertising purposes, where you need a model release from the subject photographed.

In some countries, it is illegal to do street photography without permission from the person you are photographing. In Quebec (Canada) is virtually impossible to make street photography as some street photographers said me. In Germany a person can ask you to delete his photo from the camera. And you have to do it if you want to avoid problems.

About the ethics I consider this topic up to the photographer: your ethics as human being will be the ethics on photographing strangers without asking permission. If you ask me I will say that respect is fundamental and you can’t act as an a**hole. In a general way to proceed I say that I photograph anything is photographable and interesting to me. I don’t avoid to photograph subjects like kids or homeless as a code rule like other street photographers do. I am with Joel Meyerowitz in this and I can’t forget the importance of the photos realized by photographers like Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, Helen Levitt, Robert Frank. Another consideration to do is that if you not consider photographically particular subjects on the streets is just like to delete them from the documentation of life that is essentially the core of street photography.

Life and, life on the street, in particular can be funny and sweet, but we know that can be also sad and absolutely brutal. As a Street Photographer, and I like to define myself a concerned street photographer I document anything is part of the world in front of me and that I consider relevant to be told.

I did have few confrontations all over the years. In that case I stay calm, especially if the person appears very angry and I try to avoid any risk of raising the tone of the discussion. If the person appears reasonable I try to explain my reasons. With other subjects it will be better to cut as soon as possible and avoid trying to explain so much will be useless. A few years ago if someone told me to delete the photo I would have refused in any way. Today, if I photograph digitally, I delete it without problems. Another speech is, of course, if my photo is on film.

How to do Street Photography? And how you convert for real in a street photographer?

Although many are convinced that doing street photography is very easy and that it is enough to go out on the street with a camera, that's not exactly the case. All the best street photographers are individuals with a broad visual culture and this has little to do with technical knowledge which is certainly important, but only as part of the whole.

The visual culture is given by readings, the study of the history of photography and its masters, and an omnivorous curiosity about the world and its happenings. A street photographer feeds on cinema, literature, music. In my case, for example, I corroborate all this with sociology and psychology readings that I have seen how they can be applied to my research as a photographer.

On the technical question: by now you will have understood that this guide is based a lot on my ideas that can be shared or rejected.

Of course Street Photography can be realized with any camera, included the one on your smartphone. I am open mind in this sense and in the past I even published a book of photos made with a phone camera and I awarded in several contests photos made with smartphones.

But then, speaking of my experience and my way of understanding photography, I tell you: I consider film photography to be a fundamental school. I consider myself lucky to be old enough to have lived through that era. If you don’t I recommend you to buy a film camera and having this fantastic experience. You will become a different photographer, I can assure you.

For Street Photography any lens ranging from 24mm to 50mm (equivalent in full frame) can be considered. The preference is up to you and how your eye sees according to your approach and vision. I don’t consider at all zoom lenses.

About the cameras: I prefer small, light, compact cameras. I love rangefinders and today with digital there are those rangefinder styles that are simply fantastic. My preference goes to cameras with dials allowing me to work in full manual, even if I have some point & shoot film cameras and I love to work with.

When it comes to street photography for me the way to go is one camera, one lens. To go light and move naturally.

My recommendation is that you learn to work in manual focus and manual exposure. Use the zone focusing technique. By using in manual your lens you will see how is possible to achieve results different by using autofocus. You can still make great photography in aperture or speed priority and using autofocus, but certain results can be achieved only by going full manual to have full control of the results with your camera. Can the mistake be frustrating? Yes, of course. But I think we as street photographers need to consider the error as part of the game. And the level of satisfaction of photographing in manual is totally different.

Some tips more

In old manuals of the ‘40 and’50 they recommended to avoid the eye contact in candid photography. This idea was completely overcome from the same history of photography. Just think to the work of Garry Winogrand or Vivian Mayer or…Bruce Gilden.

On the street don’t try to hide what you are doing. By staying in your element, that is supposed to be the crowded streets, you will act with a joy and wonder of the world around, with a nice smile, because you love what you are doing, you love to photograph, and you will see how most of the people won't pay much attention to you.

Street Photography goes anytime with the imperfection. The imponderable of the spontaneous scenes that materialize in front of you must make you mature as a photographer ready to capture in tenths of a second. Remember that Street Photography is not about pretty pictures. And the shots don't have to be overly precise: it is more important to capture the essence of the street. I love to use the word energy which is the thing that allows us to give the feeling of being there in the scene even when we simply observe the photograph, perhaps in a beautiful print.

To be street photographer is not something you can’t think to pause. A street photographer is always a street photographer because has now converted his eye into a viewfinder. This means that you find yourself without a camera you can suffer from frustration of loosing that shot. What if you met the shot of the century? For this reason I recommend you to carry always a camera with you. I mean…always.

You can't even afford to have a closed mind. Indeed, you must always have an approach as if it were the first day, as a beginner. Eager, eager to learn, to improve. If you are afraid to get close to a person you have to force yourself to do it. Get out of your comfort zone. Buy and try a flash too. Nothing must be precluded from the desire to learn and improve. And this is valid for a lifetime.

Over time you will want to get consistency from your work. You will want your photograph to be recognized even before your name arrives.

If I was asked to give advice on street photography to advanced photographers I would say: learn to expose for the sky. In fact, I find that, in indulging certain creative cravings, many skies are raped, clearly of a fake blue that does not exist in reality. Why don't many photographers notice what kind of skies they propose? The trend of underexposure has spawned monsters. Now take a look at these photos:

Conclusions

In this selection there are gestures, expressions, reflections, juxtapositions, symbolisms, visual contacts, simply funny scenes...Regardless of what all these images suggest to you, there is one thing that reigns supreme for me: these images speak to me exactly as when, amazed, I photographed them in the street. And this is the most important thing. In today's world we are too used to thinking everything in terms of sharing on social networks. To the point that many photographers forget how is important to make photos for ourselves.

Street Photography is most of all, more than any other consideration, an activity that serves ourselves, regardless of the success with a particular audience that we may encounter by doing it. Street Photography made me a better person. I need it for myself. If for some reason I can't go to photograph for several days I miss it.

To share with others is good. Also going to make photos with other photographers or sharing ideas or prints, exhibitions and festivals is a great thing. To make things for the entire photographic community, just like I do, is fantastic. But the first thing is making street photos for yourself and with yourself.

I really hope that you are appreciating this guide as I am doing in writing it. It is not concluded. I have other things for you.

A small guide to Street Photography PT. 13

A small guide to Street Photography PT. 14

EDOMEX: some street shots