Street Photography Tips

Mr Ali & Mr. Shah : London

Damiean : Las Vegas

Girls at Barry Island

#3 Ask…you’ll be surprised how many people will say ‘YES’.

You’ll be surprised how many people will say ‘yes’ to being photographed if you ask.

The key is to learn how to strike rapport quickly and get people to lower their defences.
There are a few simple techniques you can deploy here. 

The first one is to make eye contact and smile - it’s difficult for people to have a negative response to that, even if they are a bit wary.

I then follow up that initial contact with a compliment, a positive statement or a question.
So, I might say something like ‘Wow, you look great there, framed in that doorway with that bright coloured wall behind you’, or ‘What you’re doing there looks really interesting, is it a hobby?’ Something that is positive and seeks a response.

I normally keep my camera out of the way at first, so it’s not a distraction. Once you have a conversation going and you feel people are relaxing a little, you can choose your moment to ask for a shot or two. 

Sometimes, you will find that a stranger will be the first to strike up the conversation - never pass up this opportunity. They might have an interest in photography, or be interested in what you’re photographing, either way, if they’ve made the first move the chances of engaging them and asking them for a photograph are greatly increased.

I’ve included a few street portraits in this post. All of the interactions lasted no more than two or three minutes - just enough to engage, strike rapport and get the shot.