What Is Street Photography?

Hi everybody. Welcome to Episode 39 of the Photography Explained podcast.

I’m your host Rick McEvoy and I explain one photographic thing per episode in plain English in less that 10 minutes without the irrelevant detail. I have well over 30 years of experience in photography so I do know what I am talking about!

In this episode - What Is Street Photography?

Here is my answer

Street photography is photographing public places and people in public places going about their daily business. Street photography often takes place without the knowledge of the subject, making the images look natural. Street photography is also known as candid photography. Street photography is a specialist genre of photography.

Listen for more, or check out the transcript and even the blog post - so many ways to find out more!

What’s next?
Episode 40 – What Is Product Photography?

Transcript

Hi everybody, welcome to Episode 39 of the photography explained podcast. In this episode, what is street photography? I'm your host, Rick, and each week I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes without the irrelevant details.

My aim is to explain things in just enough detail to help you and I with our photography, and no more. I'm a professionally qualified photographer based in England with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you on my podcast.

Okay I still can't remember the intro even all the way into Episode 39, which is an amazing number. Okay, what is street photography?

This is my answer.

And I'm gonna be honest with you. I didn't really know what street photography was. It's not my thing. So I was interested in finding stuff out about it.

Street photography is photographing public places, and people in public places going about their daily business. Street photography often takes place without the knowledge of the subject, making images look natural. Street photography is also known as candid photography. Street photography is a specialist genre of photography.

Like I say, I didn't know that. I've heard of candid photography, I didn't know that it was now called street photography.

I'm not gonna lie to you, this one has been a bit of a struggle for me, because street photography is just not my thing. But that's not a reason to not explain it. In fact, it's more of a reason to explain it, because I need to learn about it and appreciate it.

I want to learn stuff as well. So let's have a look.
I'm going to start now with something I've started doing recently which is this - I've been putting questions from Google in and answering them, which I find quite interesting, because it's, well we know that these are things that people are asking, so let's get those questions answered right now.

So, what and I keep on saying so which I must stop saying because when I'm reading my transcripts, every sentence seems to start with so.

So what is street photography used for? Just kidding (on the so bit)
Websites, magazine articles, various publications, you know, those photos you see of people walking down a street, that kind of thing? People chatting, people having little moments together?

It’s that stuff? Really that is street photography.

2 Why do I love street photography?
Sorry, I forgot again to say point number one, I quite like numbering things, it gives me a bit of order and structure, which, if you met me, you'd realise I need.

I‘m not gonna lie to you. I don't do it. I've looked into it. And it's not something I'm going to embark on myself.

I think I've dismissed street photography for years, with absolutely no justification behind it. So there's nothing at all wrong street photography - if that's what you love doing great.

It's just not for me. Don't forget, I photograph buildings. I photograph things that don't move without people in them. Well there's people in buildings, but you know what I mean.

3 How do you do street photography?

Well, you just get out there and take photos of things of interest, people doing stuff. I think that's about it really.

I don't want to sound like I'm oversimplifying this, but let's move on.

4 Is street photography legal?
Yes, in general terms. Now there could be some issues around privacy and photographing organisations such as the police, security services etc. But in general terms, taking photographs in public places is, I believe, legal.

You can get into complicated issues around celebrities, what people are doing and everything but my simple take on life is this – if someone wants to take a photograph of me when I'm on a street that's fine. It won't be very interesting, because I'm not a very interesting person.

5 Right What is good street photography.
Well, good street photography. That's an image that's interesting, catches a moment and tells a story. A good photo is one that makes you want to keep looking at it. If you glanced at it and move on then it wasn't a great photo was it?

6 Is street photography creepy?
This is Yeah, this is one of the “people also ask” questions on Google, which quite surprised me.

I've never thought of this one. Is it creepy? No, it's not. But it shouldn't be anyway. But I guess it could be. If someone was taking photographs inappropriately.

You know something I've just learned how to say composition, but failed to say photograph. I'm really worried about my lack of ability to speak my native tongue ha!

No, it's not creepy, but it could be. But it shouldn't be.

Yeah, there are people out there who have, what's the best way of putting it, a wayward moral compass. But I'm sure there are none of those are listening, so yes, I'm sure we're all fine.

7 Another Google question, what is the best aperture for street photography?
Believe it or not f 5.6 was the definitive answer. I am sure F8 is fine too…..

8 What lens is best lens for street photography?
I've got a Canon 24-105mm lens, which I use as a general walk around lens, which if I were doing street photography, I guess I'd use and that appears on the list of most popular lenses. But in general terms lenses in the 35mm to 100mm focal length (that's on a full frame camera), with a large maximum aperture, appear to be the preferred lens of choice of street photographers.

9 What's the best camera for street photography?
What's the best camera - the impossible question to ask? Now I recommend a small and discreet camera such as a Micro Four Thirds camera would be just the thing. Don't forget, if you're using a Micro Four Thirds camera, the 50mm lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera, it's actually 100mm, so just bear that one in mind.

10 Do I do street photography?
See, I've actually researched this - I've gone into quite a bit of detail on it, and I got one of the most structured (not crooked as the transcript thinks) answers ever. So there's some good learning in this one for me. 

Do I do street photography?

No, I do not. I've never done it.

I photograph buildings and construction sites. If I'm photographing a site on a busy High Street, I wait for ages for people to be there. Sorry. If I'm photographing a site as in a construction site, or a building on a busy High Street, I wait for ages for there to be no people there.

I'm sure I could have worded that better, but no, I do not.

11 Can you make a living from street photography?
Well, I guess you can. I'm not sure how to be honest with you because everyone has a phone these days. 

But then again, a phone won't get as good a photo as a proper camera will. I won't say professional camera across as this is quite patronising - a proper camera – that’s fine.

The demand, however, for street images for online uses, because there's more websites than ever, must be higher than ever. So yeah, I'm sure there are people out there who are making an exceptionally good living from street photography.

But I suspect not that many. So yes, you can.

But as with all types of photography, you need to do that one thing and do it very well and become known for it.

12 Do you need specialist knowledge?
No. Anyone can do this. But knowledge will help - knowledge in your photographic technique, processing, your awareness of the outdoors and great locations.

So this isn't specialist knowledge. And that's part of the problem. Anybody can gain that knowledge quite quickly. So yeah, anyone can do it.

Post podcast note – but just because you can do it does not mean that you can do it well!

13 How do I start as a street photographer?
Well, I'll be honest with you, what you need to do is get out and take photos in the street. While you're doing it, try to take different things - don't do the same thing everybody else has done.

I hate that.

Find your own thing. Find your own little specialism

14 Is there any point in street photography?
The reason I put this one in is because I thought that there wasn't. And just by the brief looking into it I've done when I say brief, I spent a decent amount of time looking at it and street photography images, whilst it isn’t for me of course there is a point to it.

It doesn't do it for me, I'm not gonna lie to you, but that doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with it. We're all different. We all like to do different things. It'd be a very, very dull world. If everybody liked to do what I do. Please believe me.

Street photography is just as valid as any other type of photography. And if you want to go out and do it, go for it.

Okay, my one line summary

Street photography is photographing public places and people in public places.

That's my one liner. 

What I want you to do now

1 - Do this one thing, go out and take some street photos.

2 - Let me know how you get on
On Twitter. I'm @rickphoto, you might even want to share a photo there.

3 - Subscribe to my podcast
If you enjoyed this episode. This helps me

4 - Rate and review my podcast
If you enjoyed this episode. This also helps me.

5 – Tell someone you know about my podcast
This also helps me as well.

And as I've said on most episodes now, I do need all the help I can get.

Next episode.
Yeah, according to my script, and yes, believe it or not, I do have a script. I said, I don't know. I'm not sure where I'm going next but then I had inspiration. I'm going to do product photography.

That's quite an exciting one that because I did one product photography shoot that went surprisingly well, and the equipment cost surprisingly little, but I've said too much.

Okay, I'm done.

Thank you
Thank you for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast, check out my website, Rick McEvoy Photography where you can find out all about me and my architectural and construction photography work, as well as my blog where you can learn lots more about photography.

And also check out my Photography Explained Podcast which is nearly finished, where you can find out how to ask me a question, find list of episodes, and also things I'm going to explain in future episodes.

Like I say a lot of work going on with that now and it's looking good. I'm quite happy with it.

This episode was brought to you very much by the power of caffeine. Another unsponsored plug. One day there'll be a name in there.

I've been Rick McEvoy getting a bit of a throaty cold here again, that's not good. Thanks again very much for listening to me and for giving me 11 and a half minutes of your valuable time, and I will see you on the next episode. Cheers from me Rick.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

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