The Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) teamed up with Switzerland-based Street Photographer Thomas Leuthard as he hits the streets of Salzburg to demonstrate some of the techniques he uses to be a true ninja street photographer. Leuthard arms himself with a discreet Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II mirrorless camera to capture the essence of everyday life as it happens on public streets.Aimed at helping aspiring photographers, who are looking to bolster their Instagram following with some sweet street images, this video runs through 23 tips to consider the next time you're out on a photo walk.
Street photography is like fishing. Catching the fish is more exciting than eating it. -Thomas Leuthard
Leuthards has a long history of sharing his knowledge with his fellow shutter bugs, which includes these four free, downloadable ebooks:
"Going Candid" - An unorthodox approach to Street Photography (The first ebook of Thomas Leuthard where he describes the basic of Street Photography based on his experiences).
"Collecting Souls" - What Street Photography Means to Me (His second ebook is more personal and shows why he follows his passion and how it has influenced his life).
"Street Faces" - The Art of Candid Street Portraiture (This is a ebook about shooting close candid portraits. Something Thomas was doing often in his early stage).
"Exploring Flickr" - (In order to get more successful on Flickr, Thomas did some research about it and wrote it down in this unique ebook).
23 Ninja Tips For Your Next Photo Walk
01. Wear dark clothes so you don't stand out.
02. Use wireless triggering.
03. Don't be afraid to use P mode so you can focus on the shooting instead of settings.
04. Frame your shot ahead of time and wait for the right moment.
05. Shooting in Burst Mode allows you to capture and pick the best frame.
06. Be patient and wait for the decisive moment.
07. Squinting your eyes allows you to see the luminance of a scene and can help you to place your subject in the best light.
08. Take breaks and post to your Instagram to help spread out the posts.
09. Take breaks to back up your work and empty your memory cards.
10. Find new angles by getting down real low.
11. Find new angles by getting up real high.
12. Use a tripod to extend your reach.
13. Shoot moving water, at slow shutter speeds, for a dramatic look.
14. Look for natural frames for your subjects.
15. Make use of alleys and doorways for natural frames.
16. Be selective. Sometimes showing only part of your subject can make for a more compelling image.
17. Use shadows in your images.
18. Use reflections in your images.
19. Don't be afraid to approach people.
20. Be respectful by introducing yourself, offering to email photos, and provide a card.
21. Never delete photos.
22. Remember that black and white works inherently well for street photography.
23. Don't over cook your images with too much editing.
Gear used:
Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital 17mm f/1.8 Lens
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.8 Lens
Sirui T-025X Carbon Fiber Tripod with C-10S Ball Head
G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE ev RaW USB 3.0 Hard Drive with Rugged Bumper
Director: Matthew Rycroft
Cinematography & Editing: Andrea Anderes
The Cooperative of Photography can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Copyright 2016 | All Images by Thomas Leuthard and used with permission. | thomas.leuthard.photography
[via COOPH]
Love Thomas' work, and I've got a couple of his books they're a fantastic resource. Great article and video.
Dark clothes? what about the big crossed ninja camera strap! if is not about the camera, is not about the clothes either.