Increase Your Chances of Taking Successful Street Photos

Monday 28 March 2022, 20:10 by Huub Keulers | 5,746 views | 14 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

The success of your street photos starts with choosing a strategy that suits you.

In this article, we look at three completely different approaches that were also used by great names such as Henri Cartier Bresson, Gary Winogrand and Vivian Dorothy Maier.

You can use these strategies yourself when taking street photos.

Method 1: The location first, then the people

A useful method is to walk through a city and first look for interesting places. Don't just see the world as it is, but also look for shapes and geometry.

Focus on lines that can lead to your subjects or shapes that can frame your image. Stay at these locations for a while and observe first.

Look at what story is unfolding in front of your eyes. See passers-by as interesting actors and the location as a stage.

When you are at an interesting location, also look for lines that can lead to your subject(s).
Henri Cartier-Bresson (HCB) was a master of timing and framing. When you look at the composition of his images, he used vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, curves, shadows, triangles, circles and squares to his advantage.

He paid particular attention to getting the timing right in his images. This interplay of thoughtful composition and pressing the shutter at the right moment makes his images iconic.

To take this image, HCB certainly didn't rush up the stairs. He will have spotted this location beforehand. Then it is simply a matter of waiting until something interesting happens. The lines and curves alone make the whole image very dynamic. The cyclist completes the picture.

An image I took myself on the beach at Ostend. The yellow shower rails act as a frame for the couple walking their dog.

For this photo, all I had to do was wait until something interesting walked through my frame. I framed the image so that the reflection of the church tower and the cross on the right were visible in the puddle. Patience often produces a nice image. Like this girl with her cuddly dolphin and the ripples in the water.

Method 2: Leave it to chance and make direct contact

One of the photographers known for his spontaneous photos of people in public going about their daily lives is Garry Winogrand (born in 1928).

He is considered one of the most important American photographers of the 20th century.

Winogrand completely immersed himself in the energy of his subjects and constantly smiled or nodded at people while photographing them. It was as if his camera was secondary and his main aim was to communicate and make quick but personal contact with people passing by.
He always looked through the viewfinder when he took a shot. It was only for a fraction of a second, during which he adjusted his framing slightly and focused before pressing the shutter button. He was precise, fast and in control.

The funny thing is that he never developed a film immediately after taking the photos. He deliberately waited a year or two, so that he would hardly remember taking his photos at all.

In Winogrand's view, a street photographer's eyes constantly wander around and they respond spontaneously to what they find, rather than consciously looking for specific things. This approach naturally requires more courage and also more knowledge of people and situations than the first method.

You instinctively sense which people are easier to photograph than others. If it doesn't feel right, consider not taking a photo at that moment. You will also take very different images. With this method, it is more about direct contact with people.

Another photographer who used this method was Alfred Eisenstaedt (born in 1898). He was one of the Europeans who pioneered the use of the 35 millimetre camera in photojournalism, allowing him to get closer to his subjects and take more candid photos.

Eisenstaedt was also a master at finding the details that tell the bigger story.

Another strategy that works is to stand close to people and pretend that you are going to focus on something else. Then quickly point your camera to the side, focus and take the photo. Or, as I did for this image, simply point and shoot. The people were so busy talking to each other that I didn't stand out at all. Before they knew it, I was gone again.

Method 3: An eye for detail

Vivian Dorothy Maier (born in 1926) was an American street photographer whose work was only discovered and recognised after her death. She was obsessed with taking photos, which she did for most of her life.

She created incredible black-and-white and colour work from the 1950s until the end of the 1990s. Most of the photos she took were just one shot of a scene. Sometimes, if she thought the scene was really interesting, she took up to 8 shots.

She mainly photographed people who were standing or sitting, but also people she found interesting as they walked past her.

Vivian Dorothy Maier mainly had an eye for details and stories unfolding in the street, such as these two men bending over to look at a cable or hose.

Hk street photos strategy 15 Vivian Dorothy Maier

Vivian Dorothy Maier also had an 'obsession' with men wearing hats and reading newspapers. This combination often appeared in her photos.

When it comes to details in photography, pamphlets have always held a strong attraction for me. While walking through the city of Liège, I noticed this man with his bicycle, leaning against a pillar. One advantage is that people on the phone pay little or no attention to you.

Now it's your turn

Which approach you prefer has a lot to do with your character and what you feel comfortable with. But do step outside your comfort zone from time to time. A small tip: A smile often works wonders when taking your street photos.

Are there any other methods you use? Or which of the approaches mentioned above do you use yourself? Feel free to leave a comment or question here.

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About the author

Huub Keulers is een enthousiasmerende veelzijdige freelance fotograaf woonachtig in Elsloo (Li). Hij is gespecialiseerd in sport-, bedrijfs-, straat-, honden en portretfotografie. Daarnaast is Huub auteur van diverse educatieve fotografieboeken en verzorgt hij allerlei fotoworkshops, masterclasses en lezingen.

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14 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 11:10 | reply
A very interesting article, Huub. I am a fan of street photography and for me, people should play the leading role in it. I love photographing people without them noticing it while they are busy with something. A truly posed street photo is allowed, but then you do miss a bit of spontaneity.
I have not yet found a good solution for dealing with the current privacy rules and portrait rights, however. That can even differ from country to country within the EU. As long as you do not publish the photos taken of people in any way whatsoever, there is no problem. After all, you are not violating any privacy rules or portrait rights. If the recognisable person in the photo is merely part of a larger whole, then there is no problem either. After all, the photo is not focused on that specific person. But what if it is?
Should we then approach the person beforehand or afterwards and ask for permission? The current European privacy legislation does not make street photography any easier, even if you are photographing in the public domain.
Translated from Dutch.

Lauran wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 14:52 | reply
What I always miss in articles about street photography is a section on legislation. You can't just photograph anything and everyone. The law is crystal clear about that.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 16:15 | reply
@Lauran, the legislation isn't quite so clear-cut either. The legislation talks about permission from the people portrayed. But if a person is aware that a photographer is taking a photo of him or her and does not object, it is assumed that tacit permission has been given. But it isn't that simple. The legislation clearly leaves room that a photographer can use to his/her advantage. So it isn't quite so clear-cut.
Translated from Dutch.

Paul van den Dungen wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 17:52 | reply
You may photograph anything and anyone, especially in public spaces. There is no ban on that. Problems can only arise when publishing. It's a shame that Huub Keulers didn't pay any attention to this.
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 20:05 | reply
Your pamphlet photography is really original. nice photo of cyclist in Liège.
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Michiel wrote on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 23:01 | reply
Maybe it makes a difference if, as an amateur photographer, you have no profit motive. What could happen then if you publish the photo without permission on, say, Flickr? At most, you would have to remove the photo.

And besides: put yourself in the position of the person photographed. How would you feel if you came across your own portrait somewhere, life-size? If it is part of photography as art, I have less trouble with it than when I, as the person photographed, end up in some kind of advertisement.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 07:15 | reply
@Michiel, I don't want to offend you, but your response is rather naive. If you publish a photo on the internet, say Flickr for example, and you have to remove it, then the photo has long since been copied by others and backups of it already exist. If you post a photo without permission on, for example, social media of someone portrayed, then you are liable for damages and the person portrayed can demand compensation. Every photo you post on Facebook automatically becomes the property of Facebook (Meta). They can sell it to third parties for advertising purposes. Portrait rights are sacred, so you don't have a leg to stand on if you publish a photo of someone portrayed without permission.
Translated from Dutch.

Lauran wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 08:22 | reply
@Donald, before you respond, with all due respect, first look up the law or get advice from a lawyer or other legal expert about portrait rights etc. Only then will you discover that a great deal is not possible and/or not allowed. For me, this is the end of the discussion because I neither have the inclination nor the time to keep discussing this endlessly. Get advice.
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Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 10:10 | reply
@Lauran, your reaction is also a way of silencing someone. Be brave and come up with arguments. The legislation of, among others, the EU imposes more restrictions on photographers than in the past. Yet the law still leaves room for the street photographer. That room is limited. Those restrictions mainly concern making the photos public. Just assume that I know what I'm talking about, otherwise I wouldn't be responding here.
Translated from Dutch.

Michiel wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 12:40 | reply
(Huub is only writing an article about how to approach street photography)

Given the entire discussion here, what I would really like is an article for once with solid substantiation of what is and isn't allowed. Research into that, then.
What I do know for sure: the EU is not a legislator. Loosely translated, the EU can advise or impose legislation on the member states, but it is always up to the member states to implement it in their own country, within their own legal system.
Translated from Dutch.

Michiel wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 12:46 | reply
Oops, I realize I'm very much mistaken:
A European regulation such as the GDPR is supranational, so directly applicable without the national legislation needing to be amended.

That indeed makes it more complicated again.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 13:47 | reply
@Michiel, I completely agree with you about dedicating an article to the regulations regarding privacy and street photography. I would, however, advocate that in addition to the rules that apply in the Netherlands, the rules that apply in other EU countries also be discussed insofar as they differ from the EU rules and are stricter. For example, there are differences between the rules in the Netherlands and Belgium. Since we are neighboring countries and also partly cover the same language area, a comparison is certainly appropriate.
Nice that you corrected yourself.
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Huub Keulers wrote on Monday 4 April 2022 at 09:51 | reply
Dear people, thanks for your responses. It’s always nice to keep the discussion lively as long as it’s respectful.
I deliberately chose not to write in this article about what is and isn’t allowed by law or from an ethical point of view. That would turn it into a long article, and quite a lot has already been written about this online.
Since I also often get the question myself during my workshops, I’ll see if I can dedicate a separate article to this.

Have fun out on the streets with your cameras
Translated from Dutch.

luc.vc@icloud.com wrote on Friday 8 April 2022 at 11:48 | reply
The light that comes from our sun (and many thousands of stars) reaches our (photographed) subject after 8 minutes and is reflected onto the sensor of our camera, which then converts it into zeros and ones in ever-changing sequences. You can store that numerical data on the computer. The light also reaches our retina and is retained there in our brains.
Long live legislation and bureaucracy.
Translated from Dutch.

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