Street photography is one of the most feared and uncertain type of photography in which almost nothing is in your control and almost everything is based on luck. A lot of new photographers who like street photography because it’s classy/candid look and feel are very nervous because it demands too much time and luck.

Also the success rate of these types of shots is also very low as you get a lot of crappy shots when you come back home and try to edit them. A lot of factors are there that can go wrong very easily like improper focus, background distractions, photo bombing etc not to mention a lot of time you need to face people’s anger and sometime security issues. But guess what? That is the reason that makes street photography so much satisfying and fulfilling because after so much frustration when you get proper shot it worth a lot. You can easily compete with any professional photographer if you have a decisive street photography shot.

Like any field, if you carefully analyze the problems, you can come up with some workflow that will produce maximum results with very low chances of getting things wrong. I am by no means a pro street photographer but over the time I have come up with a workflow that works for me most of the time.

Look for interesting faces / Emotions.

This is by far the easiest step in getting interesting photos. Look for older people or children. Their faces are very expressive. Also people with unique clothes and emotional state make your photos pop because of their unusual settings.

Look for related or contrasting background and foreground interest.

Street photography is all about complete environment. You should try to guide viewers from subject to background. And to do it seamlessly your background should be related. Highlight your subject but try to put some meaningful and unobtrusive background as well. Don’t try to completely remove it or use too simple background, as it kills the purpose of street photography. Also sometimes a very contrasting background makes a strong visual statement as well. Play carefully within limits.

Look for some truly beautiful geometric composition.

This is where street photography gets visually very interesting. But it’s also very difficult and if you nailed down this aspect you will get a master piece. Composition is always the key.

Look for some tried and tested conditions.

Look for some unique shadows or nice reflections on glass or stagnant water on streets. Contrasting lighting conditions both during day and night is also very dramatic. Symmetry and repetition is also very pleasing to eyes.

Shoot in both Color and black and white

Its very tempting to always shoot in black and white because it looks classic and it suppresses a lot of background distractions. But a part of these two reasons, try to learn other aspects of B&W also like shadows, textures and contrast. B&W tends to look a little more sharp as well. But color has its advantages too. Sometimes a photo with color is more interesting than B&W as its more natural cause we used to see in colors.

Always wait for the DECISIVE MOMENT.

This is by far the most important point of street photography and the whole topic revolves around it and that is why I make it a separate heading and not a pointer .Before clicking just think is it the right time to take it. How it will work if I wait a little longer or If I click a little earlier. If it makes a difference, do it accordingly. This is the point that actually creates a story.

Below are some of the side thoughts that you should keep in mind and that will come handy all the time.

1.       Be courteous to your subjects at all times. Don’t try to exploit them. If they don’t want to be photographed, leave them alone. You will get a million other opportunities. Be ready to say sorry and smile and never confront with local people.

2.       Make yourself familiar with that place. A little planning will never hurt. Try to come to same place again sometime. You will be already familiarized with locations and its settings. That will help you to plan your shot in advance.

3.       Talk to people after you photographed them. Give them your business card. Ask them if they want these photos and send them later through email as a courtesy. Make them friends. It will be much more fun and less daunting.

Conclusion

Don’t expect that every time you go out for street photography, you will get some master pieces. It’s very difficult, so be patient and try to enjoy the whole process of getting shots and not just the final shots. Try to improvise as you learn. These are just few pointers that I compiled because they worked for me. Try to come up with your own tips and tricks. I am working in Middle East where people are generally not very friendly and they are suspicious of camera as well. But if you have a nice friendly smile on your face and you are not intruding their personal space aggressively than its very a enjoyable process and not to mention that final result is much more satisfying.