2016 PHOTOCHALLENGE, WEEK 13: B&W – STREET

Posted on by

We can’t do a year of black and white challenges without including Street Photography. Street photography is about capturing moments of everyday life in public places. Most often street photography takes place in urban areas, but it doesn’t have to. Street photography is about capturing life as it happens in public places. You don’t  need a street, just a public place.

2nd And Mission//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
If you need inspiration, look no farther than PhotoChallenge.org’s own Jeremy Brooks. Jeremy is one of the most prolific street photographers around. He’s taken thousands of photos in and around San Francisco, and has recently added some street shots from Italy. 

You should also try to watch Finding Vivian Maier. Vivian Maier was an unknown street photographer until after she died in 2009. Some collectors happened on a large portion of her works at a storage auction in Chicago. Once they saw the work, they began to publish it and produced the documentary. 

Untitled//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
The crucial aspect of street photography is timing. You don’t plan shots, so you have to be ready. Check your camera settings and take some test shots to get a sense of how you want to frame shots, and to make sure the lighting works. While your are trying to capture a moment in time, you still have to pay attention to the technical aspects of the shot. The shot above uses long leading lines and the rule of thirds to frame the person walking. The photographer may have planned out where to shoot, but catching the person in the right place is all about timing.
Big Man//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
You can pick a location, but your subjects will change. Don’t try to plan shots, just let them happen. Be spontaneous and random. Many times the subject may not know they are being photographed, other times they may be looking right at you. Regardless, be respectful. Getting a good shot isn’t worth making a new enemy. Shooting in public is perfectly legal in the USA, but laws vary around the world.
different transport

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The rules are pretty simple:

  • Post one original photograph (Your Image) shot each week per theme posted on this blog to Google+, Facebook, or Flickr (or all three). Tag the photo #photochallenge.org or #photochallenge2016.
  • The shot should be a new shot you took for the current weekly theme, not something from your back catalog or someone else’s image.
  • The posted image should be a photograph, not a video.
  • Don’t leave home without your camera. Participating in the 2016 PhotoChallenge is fun and easy.

About Steve Troletti

I'm a Location Scout, Editorial, Nature, Wildlife and Environmental Photographer based in Malibu, California. I specialize in Nature and Urban Nature photography including Infrared Landscapes. The Bulk of my work takes place in the Los Angeles, California area, Greater Montreal Region, Canada, Switzerland, France and Varese in Northern Italy. Ethical wildlife photography is the main priority and focus of my work. A minimum disturbance of the animals, their habitat and the environment is my top priority. This applies as much to total wilderness areas as it does to urban nature environments. Ongoing education of environmental issues and building awareness for the protection of wildlife and wilderness areas around the world is what drives me to document the beauty that surrounds us.