4 skills you need for better street photography
When you first begin to practice street photography you may spend your time concerning yourself with the best cameras for street photography and learning all the tips and tricks you can find to make you a better street photographer. While that type of research is valid, it won’t teach you the fundamental traits needed to become a good street photographer - this article will.
Editors note: If you prefer to watch the video version of the topic, scroll to the bottom and hit play.
I’ve practiced street photography for over a decade and in the beginning, I consumed books such as Street Photography Now and The Americans by Robert Frank. I overdosed on pictures in the hope they would give me a better understanding of how I could become a good street photographer.
Of course, educating myself did help a lot. However, none of my research taught me about the type of life skills I would need in order to make the best possible images. In fact, the only way I could learn about the fundamental skills I required was through time and experience.
While there are many skills needed, I’ve narrowed them down to less than a handful. None of them have anything to do with how you use your camera or what type of camera you use. Instead, they’re skills you must develop within yourself – let’s take a look.
Follow Them Frames
Patience in Street Photography
Having a strong level of patience is essential for anyone wanting to succeed in street photography. If you think you’ll leave your house and get the perfect shot, you’re in for a difficult awakening. Sometimes days, weeks or even months may pass before you get a shot that you are really proud of.
That’s just the nature of the beast that is street photography. We have zero control of what will happen on the streets, we cannot dictate a scene, we can only patiently observe and ensure we have the right eye when a captivating moment presents itself.
The reason patience is so important is because it’s very easy to become deflated when you’re not getting the shots you want. In reality you need to be addicted to the process of shooting candidly, rather than the outcome. With patience and passion you’ll eventually get everything you need.
Consistency in Street Photography
If you’re shooting street photography once or twice a month, don’t expect to develop your skills quickly or to get that many good shots, if any.
Alongside patience, it’s important you remain consistent with your practice. That means taking your camera with you everywhere you go and taking time at least once a day to make street photographs.
You’ll need to be disciplined and you’ll also need to be prepared to shoot even on the days you don’t feel like it. It’s important because creating consistent daily habits trains your eye and allows you to be more aware of the potential frames around you.
Think of it like going to the gym, one or two sessions a week won’t get you in the best shape possible, so you also have to go on the days you can’t be bothered. The same is true with street photography, especially if you want to become the best version of yourself in the craft.
Confidence in Street Photography
Confidence is very important in all aspects of life. When it pertains to street photography, the unfortunate truth is that the timid street photographer seldom wins.
To be confident means you’re able to put yourself in positions that make you vulnerable, or in a situation where you need to calmly explain why you’re taking candid photographs of strangers on the street.
It doesn’t mean being rude or disrespectful or jumping out of alleyways and thrusting your camera in the face of a passerby. You need to be self assured and confident in your practice and don’t feel guilty or embarrassed by what you’re doing.
Bonus Skill - Empathy
I think the best photographers have a deep awareness of how other people think and feel. Those with high levels of empathy know how to document emotions in their work, and they’re able to do it in a manner that keeps their subjects' dignity intact.
If you struggle to connect to the feelings of others, it’s going to be very difficult for you to capture emotions within your work. Developing empathy comes naturally for some, while others have to work hard at it. However, if you’re not a total psychopath, with time and effort you can improve your skill of being empathetic towards others.
Building Empathy in a Fractured World by Jamil Zaki is an excellent book for anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of empathy and how to develop it within themselves.
Final Thought
You should now have a better understanding of the fundamental traits you need to develop if you want a long lasting and successful relationship with street photography.
Of course, continue to educate yourself with technical skills and the tools you’ll need to practice the craft, but if you don’t have the above traits as the foundations of your practice, you won’t get very far in this craft. However, if you do build these skills, everything else will come together and you’ll be able to create the street photographs you’ve always dreamed of creating.
What do you think are the core skills every street photographer needs? Do you agree or disagree with those mentioned above? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.