I've been shooting film for a while and my "go to" tip for deciding whether the pic is worth taking is asking myself whether it could be a decent painting, whether I would dedicate hours to paint this very shot. Makes me reconsider the composition, color, light, viewpoint, story and atmosphere one more time before pressing the button
This is great advice! I have a bad habit of taking the "spray and pray" approach to shooting: Taking a thousand pics an hour and hoping something turns out well. This seems like a great way to overcome that problem.
A good tip a professor told me is to not erase right away my photos and let them rest and revisit them later on because at first I may not like them but after a couple of days weeks or months I see them through a new light and may like smith that I didn’t before, love from Mx ❤
To sum up, 1. Always Keeping the Camera Ready 0:43 2. Leave the chaos 2:50 3. Minimize Distractions; Shoot Alone 5:05 4. Don't Be Ashamed of Auto Settings 8:13 5. Accept Failure & Doubt 9:52 I usually shoot alone but don't mind to have photo walks with others because sometimes you can learn something from others.
the main thing that stops me from taking photos is the anxiety and fear I feel of people watching me do it / getting mad or upset that I took their photo. Any tips with overcoming this?
Here are a few tips: 1. Take a look at the laws in your area. In most cases, if you're on public property, you're legally allowed to photograph anyone or thing. 2. Don't be rude. Once you explain what you're doing, most people I have found are willing to help. I was taking street photographs for a college class and took a picture of some people eating dinner outside at a really nice restaurant. They asked if I had just taken their picture and I laughed and said yes. I explained it was for a school project and he asked if he could help by posing. He then told me he was the mayor of the town I was in and if I needed anything to let him know. He also said it was nice to talk to someone as an equal instead of having a photographer either look up to him in a News Conference or take a photograph while doing something personal and using it against him. 3. If people ask what you're doing or to see the photos be honest. Having the website readiily available is a great idea as it not only shows you're legit, but also gives you more hits. 4. Offer them a free digital copy of the photo. This way you can connect with them and maybe gain a new client. 5. Keep the Golden Rule in mind. How important is that photo to you? If you saw a stranger taking a picture of you or your family, how would you react? If you were eating at a restaurant and a stranger were to take your photo, how would you respond?
This will sound cliche, but the more you do it, the less nervous you’ll be as you’ll find the vast majority of people won’t even notice you’re taking pictures. If they do and they have a negative reaction, just be kind, explain what you’re doing, and move on. I’ve never been in a situation where someone who questioned me got mad. A lot of times, they’re flattered. Although, and this is a personal preference thing, you may want to try “shooting from the hip”. I know it kind of goes against one of the tips in this video, but I have found some of my favorite street photos are when I have the camera hanging from my neck and I take a picture without bringing it up to my face and worrying about framing. Sure you’ll miss some shots, but it can be a little less noticeable and the imperfections make the photo more candid.
That last tip really hit home… it’s frustrating at times coming back with nothing to show for it, but there’s something to be said about just getting the mental escape from daily life that ultimately makes it a valuable use of time. 🤙🏼
When my roll comes back after developing and I have one good shot but thats also blurry. Jeez. Wasted time and money? No. Experience! But that moment I cant be so positive.
I am a beginner and I just want to say thank you so much for the encouragement! Especially about shooting in auto settings. I get really frustrated as I'm learning the technical side of my camera and it has stopped me from shooting some days because I feel weird about using auto but it's a good reminder that it takes time and practice to learn it all.
Shooting manual can become quite a waste of time. For street photography it kind of goes against the first point, of being ready to shoot at any moment. As long as you can see the settings that the camera chooses for you in auto mode and they look logical, it's ok to shoot auto. If you don't want to leave all three settings up to chance, you can enter the Priority modes. You can lock your aperture wide open and let your camera choose ISO and shutter, or maybe you decide that you want a slow shutter shot, then you can enter Shutter priority and let the camera handle the other two. It gives creative control over the camera while taking things off your mind and giving you the mental bandwith to think about the shot itself.
I feel the most important aspect of using auto modes is actually metering. You can manually adjust your cameras exposure compensation and set up auto shutter, locked in (at f2 on a 1.8 in my case) and auto ISO with a darker compensation and matrix metering. some scenarios will call for highlight metering, etc, but always take some test shots in your environment and check to see if your camera is hitting the shot look you desire.
I've watched so many street photography tip videos than you can imagine. I didn't think anyone could come out with any more fresh and useful tips - but you just did sir. These are such astounding tips that are so simple we take them for granted. Thank you so much for this. You can tell that there has been hundreds if not thousands of hours spent behind realizing these tips - and you just generously gave them away in pursuit of helping other photographers. You are a blessing.
Thank you so much! I was worried these were things most people already knew about, but I realize there's always going to be people that can hear these things and it will help them out in some way
100% agree with your comments on manual vs. auto mode. I shoot mainly on AP because that's what works for me, but I'm trying to understand and learn more about the manual settings and how to use them in different scenarios. If you just enjoy taking nice pictures and getting out and about with your camera, there's no shame in using auto.
I love how peaceful and calming your videos are. Not only am I learning from you, but your tips are giving me confidence and helping me to keep pursuing. Thank you!
I fell into a fear, a fear of not daring to shoot. Every time I see a set of failed images, it hits me with an internal disgust for myself. Thank you for sharing your personal experience and making me realize that this is all a must for everyone. Now I'm ready to pick up my camera again!
I wanted to take a second to thank you for what you do. Your insight and tips and your genuine enjoyment in teaching what you’ve learned has been so incredibly helpful to me. I even find myself seeing things while out and about and saying “Faizal would probably take a photo of that” lol (specifically said this the other day when I saw a cool reflection in a puddle). You are a big influence and I just wanted you to know I appreciate you. Maybe if I find myself out your way one day, we could take some photos together and I could pick your brain even more about your process. Take care!
Showing people your work is the best way to neutralize paranoia on the street. Thats a good tip for the inevitable moment when someone gets suspicious or angry that you took their photo.
I’m 2 years into my photography journey and your last tip really hit home for me. I think everytime I’m supposed to go out I need to take a bomb photo or shots for a video, in doing this regularly, I’ve been developing my eye and I think it just means I’m figuring out what works and what doesn’t work and that’s progress
Nice to come across a low key, level presentation, no hype, no nonsense just a persons view backed up by some nice images. I like the book marked static page which acts like your business card, ID, and validation
This is so helpful, thank you! I was wondering how you approach strangers on the street once you've taken their photo? Also, how often have you had people question why you're photographing them/others and how do you deal with them? Xx
I also go out with a theme in mind. It helps me focus and look for a particular shot or scene. This is particularly helpful when I start to get overwhelmed in a situation, often shooting like crazy because I’m afraid I might miss something.
Definitely one of your most curated videos. This was really a pleasure to watch. You got everything on point man... the editing, the pacing, the shots, it's really well scripted, wouldn't skip a single part of the video, it never bored me and it kept me focused all the time, that's hard to achieve with today's expectations and hurries that everybody seems to have. I took this video as it was my resting part of the day, loved it, loved it all. My congratulations Faizal you're only improving. Keep up the hard work man, I'm sure this is gonna be your year!!
I've been an abandoned urban explorer photographer for decades and your tip about shooting alone is, at least in my experience - very integral. Having others with me has always proven to be far too much of a distraction. The number of shots I get with others is generally much, much lower - and the quality composition isn't there. I feel rushed, I'm not nearly as observational...my framing is off. And generally every time by the end of the day I regret having gone with someone else. Often I've revisited a location alone to re-shoot...knowing I missed many shots first time around. Good tips...good video.
Thank you so much for this video. I only started photography two months ago and I am super passionate about it and what you are saying here gives my support and encouragement! I started to be focused on everything I see on the streets as on possible composition and search for interesting metaphors or sugets and at some moment I just stopped see it. I think I little over concentrate on that and it's so nice to know that I am not alone in this. I will remember your advice!
I appreciate your perception of photography and the value that you hold in your work. I am a beginner and admire the work that you’ve done and the thought you put behind everything you do! Would love to see how you take the not ideal circumstances and turn them into a positive (ex weather, subject, editing, etc) what do you do when you didn’t get the shot you wanted?
I do agree with the Auto mode (mostly semi-automatic modes like Aperture priority). I've been shooting for month with cameras with EVFs and lots of dials, and shooting full manual is kind of full filling. What I generally do, it I put my ISO to a fixed value that I will generally not change if the lighting conditions don't change either (typically, ISO 200 in broad daylight, maybe go to 800 when it's cloudy, that kinda thing), changing my aperture depending on the type of shot that I want to get and then exposing manually with the shutter speed adjustment until the image looks good in the EVF. Sure, it's a bit slower than straight up auto shutter speed, but not by much and in my experience, slowing down a bit isn't a bad thing at all. Things change when I'm using cameras with OVFs. Typically, I've used an X100, Nikon D60, D7000, and for the 2 first ones, the exposure indicator in the viewfinder is not reliable, since you can't really choose a metering mode. I end up always using aperture priority and under expose by ~2/3 of a stop and I get good exposure 90% of the time. I would rather use manual mode, but the dynamic range of my own eye is so much bigger than the sensors in those kinda old cameras that I don't want to risk it that much.
As an introvert and anxious person, the one time I went on a shoot with someone else, it was a disaster. I was so anxious about how my behaviour - making them wait etc - was affecting the other person, that it killed my creativity. It was a big lesson for me and something I will never do again. To me, there's nothing better than being in the zone.... totally in the moment and for me, that can't happen if I'm worrying about anyone else.
On the money. I love the way you've crafted this entire message. The calm delivery is engaging; so many videos just have too much noise and volume, really gets in the way of the actual message. Your soft, warm, whisper-tech approach reels me in, invites me to listen and take a closer look. Next, totally agree on the strap: I've been looking at longer (around the neck) straps since Xmas, but I never pull the trigger because I love my braided wrist strap - that's where the camera has to live to capture the essence of street photography, not lose those fleeting moments. Third, my personal jury is still out on how much I want to make uninvited photos of people, right up in their face. I think there are ethical issues we all need to explore here, and it can often be elucidated most easily when you ask yourself: how would I feel if I just realised someone had snapped a pic of me? Finally, beautiful work - and I think you've woven the images in here, in tandem with the POV cam footage, expertly. This is a win. Looking forward to more.
I agree with most you've said except for where you put your camera. I hang mine transversal to my body next to my right arm so it doesn't get too much attention and it's very quick to draw. Sometimes I carry it on a shoulder bag because I live in a third world country and there is a danger of getting robbed if you keep wiggling your camera around, but using this bag method do slow me down. Keeping the camera on my body or on my hand doesn't change anything about how fast I can get it since when I turn around a corner something kicks in and a though goes through my mind "this is place catches my eye or something is about to happen" then my camera is already in my hands.
The note about when to shoot with others and when not is so important. I’m still finding my photo tribe (lol) but once I went on a nature walk with someone and took my film camera. I noticed that we were attracted to different things. I gravitated toward fell trees, shrubbery, tunnels, and mysterious things, while he kept pointing out animals and insects. I started bending toward his eye, and realized that what I was shooting was not what I wanted to shoot. I learned that it’s actually more important than we realize to shoot with folks that share your style or aesthetic in some way, or learn how to shoot more on your own, so when you do meet up with folks, you are more confident and intentional on what you want to shoot. Great vid. Thank you.
Faizal Westcott- Unusual name ...... but so matured and simple a video for such a young man- right on the nail .Well done! Look forward to more such wise words!!
The tip about void trips is great. It's like we expect to take prizewinning photos every time... but just getting out there IS the thing! It's exciting.😊
Photography RU-vid has never appealed to me, the videos and guides and tips I watch seem more geared to generate viewership than to help, but this video I think is going to have a larger impact on me than I would’ve expected. Thank you.
He says did I leave the stove on this Video is not only educational but entertaining and well written very professional with a side of fun I’m very thankful to have seen the video and plan to see many more I’m also glad for the community and I hope everyone who see this video had improved tremendously since and glad to share a hobby/passion with such a great community thank you all for the great street photography y’all are amazing!
I am torn between shooting alone where I feel like I am a pink elephant on the street or shooting with someone...the trick is to find someone that shoots in a similar style and neither person is expecting to be next to each other at all times. Wandering off works and somehow just knowing I have my friend somewhere in the vicinity makes it work for me. Sometimes I feel vulnerable when I am in the city, so the friend with me works. thanks as always for a great video.
A couple days ago a friend and I went out to answer the call of film photography. We hadn't gone out to shoot for a week or two and we were both looking forward to this. We both came up empty handed and our motivation turned into getting some coffee and something to eat. My friend is new to this and I asked if he had a good time. He said yes. I replied that part of the enjoyment we experience is sharing the time together doing something we both love and that's taking pictures. So what if we came back empty handed. We still enjoyed the shared experience of going somewhere and taking photos.
Can relate to each and every tip of yours. Specially the last tip. At times I too feel the same when on street and I can't focus. That makes me feel that I can never learn this art form. Thank you so much for re-assuring that this is a marathon and not a sprint.
Just starting to get into Street photography, selling all my gear apart from my X100f, I fell out of love with photography due to having to carry too much gear, I started as a landscape photographer moving to travel and street, I love the new freedom of just the x100f and my phone. Fallen in love again.
Love these tips. I currently keep my camera turned on and my finger on the shutter release while it is around my neck. It is a way to look unassuming, always be ready, and capture a unique - consistent - perspective. With the Fuji X series 28mm lens, it’s wide enough that I typically get what I wanted in the frame.
Faizal, You've shared some great wisdom here. Addressing both practical and psychological tips for those of us who are also drawn to street photography.
I really love the second tip. When I’m in a huge, dense crowd, I’m focused on keeping myself safe. Not that I stop doing that when there’s less people, but it’s easier to do both 😂
Faizal, you are so wise and easy to listen to. You have already taught me heaps, so thank you. It must be wonderful living in, what must be, the queen of street photography citys. I live in a small town in NZ, so it's not so great getting subjects like you do. You have given me a feeling what NY is like, so I'm grateful to you.
This is my first time in your channel and after watching this vid, you’ve automatically become my favorite street photography channel here in youtube. As a new photographer-I literally got my first camera less than a month ago-I got the courage to just go out and shoot. Thanks, man. Looking forward to your future videos!
Thank you, Faizal for excellent tips. If I may add one that has helped me avoid confrontations here is one story by way of an example: I was in Stratford, England and I saw three, white haired, little old ladies in pastel cardigans sitting on a bench chatting together. They looked like clones of one another. Behind was a nondescript but old brick building. The three ladies were deep in conversation. I was at a distance of about 30 feet. As I quickly took the picture, the ladies looked up with concerned looks on their faces. I immediately shifted my gaze to the brick building beyond before I took the camera down from my face. And I kept looking at the building as if I was analyzing it for another photo. Right away, the ladies 'realized' that I was photographing the building, not them. And they continued talking to one another. Often I do stop and chat with potential subjects if they are seated on a park bench. Vagrants are a subject of mine. And I AM sincerely interested in their life stories. It also adds to my satisfaction with the photo to know the back story. I have had a few confrontations and I have to say that being a woman has helped. However a few times I have run into trouble. I photographed children skipping and laughing as they walked home from a New Year's event in Chinatown in Montreal (where I live) and another time of bead bedecked, bystander children at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans and parents became upset with me. One called the police. So I am a bit nervous...but determined when I do street photography. I am going to watch your 'This is for the Nervous Street Photographer' by you right now. Thank you!
8:54 100% agree about not being afraid to shoot with auto. I actually recommend most people start shooting in Aperture prio because it gives you some feeling of control whilst taking away a lot of the risk of incorrectly setting up the config. Then mess around with MF because that’s the next main control setting you’ll want to get comfortable with. You’ll soon start experimenting and having fun with the more in-depth settings naturally. The main thing is you have to be out there to get the shots so be in the world and let your eyes do the work.
You are SO inspiring! Watched tons of „these“ videos. Yours are always more personal, more practical and just make me want to grab my gear and go out. Thank you so much!
Do you ever find that people get upset that you've taken their photo without asking? I know you suggest showing them your portfolio but what about those people who react with anger or upset right away? This is the no. 1 thing that prevents me from taking pictures out on the street.
if you've already explained, complimented them, shown portfolio and they still mad... just say no problem ill delete it and delete the photo. if on film say no stress i wont use that one. I am yet to start my journey but I've shot a lot for news and that's how i deal with it when people approach me
Thank you for this video. I have spent my life wondering, "what if" up until recently. I get discouraged when I think about how little I know about the hobby, and it makes me really question whether my investment in a mirrorless camera was a mistake. I recently went back to school to study journalism, and now in my 30's I feel like I am finally finding beauty in the world around me, thanks to the hobby of photography. Your video gives me hope that I can develop into a good photographer. I have been ashamed to have been shooting in auto, and not able to understand all the settings right away. I plan to continue my journey guided by your content and wanted to let you know that you have made a meaningful impact on me. For that, thank you.
First, congratulations on igniting hope in what you love! I hope you can keep on with your love of street photography. Also, as a street photography enthusiast, I would like to share with you some street photography insights that I hope will help you. I have loved street photography for several years. What I like about it is the great uncertainty of shooting. You never know what touching scene you will see around the next corner. It's also the low cost of time. You don't need to take time off work and travel long distances to get those scenic spots to get a unique and unmistakable image of your city. Plus, if you're in a city you're unfamiliar with, the process of “scanning” the streets will give you a better insight into the city. The street photographer who roams the streets is a natural reader of body language, moving in unobtrusively, snapping a shot or two and then leaving without disturbing the subject or interfering with the location. Practising these skills requires being a master of distraction, being prepared to let down the guard of an unprepared subject with a smile, and the ability to communicate when misunderstood by a sensitive person. If you're not too brave to lift your camera to photograph people at first, try photographing the little animals or landscapes first. The advantage is that they'll never say 'no' to you. Finally, street photography as a hobby doesn't have to worry too much about technique and composition; it's a way to document your life without feeling anxious about your work.
When I lived in Utah I’d go out and find my shots in nature and going out of the way for hikes, but I recently moved to CT and want to try the night life/street style and this was exactly what I needed!
Tip. Make a thumb strap so you don't drop your camera by accident. You can make one from any old camera strap. Put the thumb strap on the shutterbutton side of the camera. Like this you have the camera ready and no bit strap 10 times around you wrist. I dont like camera on my neck anyway. Works really well with a lighter camera.
I don't know you, and prefer nature photography. But i'm seriously inlove with your "aesthetic" (in france we say esthétique so i don't know if it's the same sense, hope so) in the way of making and filming your video. You got like a personnal mix of "vintage" & "modern" video and it's really nice to see !
I loved everything about this video but what stood up to me more was the video it self! I loved everything, from the video takes to the sound track. Very informative and inspirational.
Im only getting into it because I want to do something without overthinking. I can just go out and make photos of things I find interesting, i will get better in it but maybe in a span of 20years, instead of 5 like I push in the other Aspects of my life. This will be a form of art that is pure
I'm a big fan of Roman Fox in the UK where I live and I am so glad he did the video with you in New York which exposed me to your work. As a beginner photographer, I follow a lot of street photographers on RU-vid for guidance, I find your video's enjoyable to watch and they are full of useful tips, which I will take on board in my street photography journey.
Thank you a lot. I am new to photography and just bought my first instant print camera, that’s what feels best for me. I always want to look for interesting places or interesting people and just giving them the photos for them to keep. I want to see their happiness or smile and the thought they might actually keep the photo.
The tip about void trips is great. It's like we expect to take prizewinning photos every time... but just getting out there IS the thing! It's exciting.
Really love this, especially the last tip. Some nights I’d get many I end up keeping, some nights, there is barely any, that makes me doubt myself. I have to remember, its not the result, its more about the process.
My approach is that I am drawn to coffee shops . The compositions both in and out have presented some wonderful images . You know intuitively when the perfect image is present . It is the same on the street . Certain situations present themselves and if I don’t have the camera with me, then I have my phone . I look for situations with people in certain configurations. When in busy areas , I look for somebody that stands out. A tourist taking a picture or sitting on a wall having their lunch. Workmen taking a break and so on. I look to tell a story and I don’t have the luxury of spending time moving through the crowds as I have grandchildren or my daughters with me. I want to capture the decisive moment where possible . A children’s play ground provides opportunities for capturing the grandchildren in some idiliic moment and those are magical . I am happy to photo the family from behind if it helps to tell a story . Once the children would model for the camera but now more often than not just ignore it. In busy streets strangers notice the camera but are confused as to how to respond , which presents some interesting reactions . When I am I zone then I just sense everything that is happening around me, but my eye is trained to spot the shot - no need to overthink it. I enjoyed your video and will be back for more - thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
There’s another advantage to having your camera high up and close to your face. It shows people that you’re not sneaky. The sneaky vibe is something you really want to avoid. In my experience (I’ve been doing this 15+ years), being sneaky is what people get upset about. Logically so, your body language is telling them you’re trying to hide something. I always have a friendly smile on my face, and I’m very transparent about what I’m doing. If someone notices I took a picture of them I usually get a smile which I answer with a nod of thanks. If it’s a bit of tense situation, but you still want to get the image? Keep fiddling with your camera, look through the viewfinder and fiddle again, come across as if you’re someone that just can’t figure it out. Look up videos of Gary Winogrand walking around, he uses the, argument-with-your-camera technique a lot. But! Don’t be sneaky, be innocent, be kind. It’s hard to get angry or upset at a kind person.
when i started street photography i was very kindly gifted a canon FTb for those who don't know its a 35mm film camera and is really simple to use and great to shoot with it really made me appreciate the proses of photography instead of my snapping away on my digital camera i had to be selective it made me almost try harder and sure i messed up a few times but if you can get good at street photography with a film camera u will be 2x as good with something that can do some of the work for you so ye the more work you do when your starting off the easier life becomes but that doesn't mean go and buy a really expensive complex camera don't even need a camera a good smartphone will allow you to get some brilliant street photos. best bit of advice to beginners is make it fun and interesting and you will get good with more practice. happy shooting my fellow photographers.
Thanks for coming back and posting videos again. I honestly enjoy your content so much. There's not a lot of people doing what you do - I'm not aware of anyone!
Always get excited when you post a new video man, such a huge inspiration! just moved to a new country, and doing street photography here is a little scarier when you don’t know the culture and how people will react. Your tips are extremely helpful and make me a lot more confident in just going out and shooting. Keep doing what you do.
That was very very helpful ! Especially the final part since im having a lot of struggle with that lately and was feeling very down after a couple of afternoons shooting, it really reboosted my motivation !! Keep up the amazing work : )
Nice to see someone giving real nice advice. I am fed up with nowadays photographers that say that you need whatever camera, whatever lens and so on. They are not photographers, just snobs pretending to be photographers. A photograph is 99% your skill/talent, and 1% your equipment. If you find yourself discussing or guessing what camera is the best, then you suck at (street) photography and your photos will be forgotten the next day after you publish or share them.
Great advice! Thank you so much! I don't even consider myself a beginner photographer, I just have a camera (Sony a6000) and like to snap some pics here and there. I can really appreciate your tips and advice.
