9 Myths About Street Photography
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Loading... - Marek Pokorny
- 14 Jul 2022
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There are lots of misconceptions about street photography made by people starting out or itching to try this ultimately most challenging (unless you want to take boring photos), most rewarding, and most accessible of photographic genres.
I want you out there on the streets filling your SD cards with mistakes, experiments, and ultimately great photos you can be proud of. But first, we need to put some of this “fake news” to bed.
Let’s punch some myths in the face!
Myth #1. You Need a ‘Proper’ Camera
Nope, all you need is something to capture an image! Use your phone or buy a disposable camera. If you only have a few megapixels who cares? — Make it your style! Lean into the grain and the roughness of the pictures. Look at the work of Daido Moriyama, William Klein, and Robert Frank’s The Americans.
There are of course some wonderful ‘proper’ cameras out there that become a joy to use, but they are a luxury for any non-professional photographer. Most smartphones have incredible camera tech these days and “iPhoneography” is an actual thing (other camera brands are available). Although I don’t know why there has to be a distinction between digital, film, and phone photos… I guess photographers are tribal! But a photo is about the content, not the “thing” that facilitated its existence.
As for disposable cameras — there is so much fun to be had with low-fi unpredictable poor-quality film photos. There’s something to be said for the excitement of limiting yourself to 27 frames, never being entirely sure if you wound the film on far enough, or if the last shot you got even made it onto the roll.
Myth #2. You Need to Understand the Technical Side
Nah, today’s camera tech does the heavy lifting for you. Digital and mirrorless cameras have evolved so much that all you need to know is how to switch it to Program Mode AKA P-Mode AKA “smart auto” and how to take the lens cap off.
Now, if you broke into a cold sweat at the mention of P-Mode then mop your brow as it comes highly recommended by renowned photographer Martin Parr who rarely strays into a Priority mode let alone Manual.
You can always learn about the pesky exposure triangle and what the nobs and buttons do on your camera as you go along. Perfect exposure is over-rated anyway. Focus on the creative side of photography first. The rest will follow.
Cameras are only a tool for capturing what you see. When people say, “That’s a great photo, what camera did you use?” I want to roll my eyes. Nobody ever asked Picasso what paintbrush he was using! Or at least I don’t think so. Read More...
