What You Can Learn From Three Influential Street Photographers

Eric Kim is a photographer that has a super informative blog about street photography and he has been writing about the subject for years. He also teaches workshops all around the world. Here is his website and YouTube channel to check out.

Sometimes You Can Ignore the Rule of Thirds:

What I love about this shot is the fact that he hasn't placed his subject on one of the thirds and the vibrancy of the colors combined with the pose makes the shot very interesting. 

Finding an Interesting Subject Is Just the Start:

Despite the obviously interesting subject, what makes this shot great is the fact that Kim has chosen to keep the background in focus to really highlight how bizarre this setting is. It definitely helps to tell the story. I love the lighting in this image and the warmth of the shot that gives you a sense of setting too. 

Find Different Perspectives:

The perfectly chosen angle here creates the effect of three men for the price of one. It is a very noisy image and the choice to grayscale it gives it a very vintage look, which adds further mood and adds more drama to the shadows that are cast onto the escalator. 

Yanidel

Yanidel has traveled all around the world to do street photography, but is mostly known for his work in France. His blog is a great place to look if you want tips on what gear to use.

Move People:

I love how Yanidel has played around with movement in this shot as his main subject is mid-stride and is actually slightly over the mid-point of the frame. Similar to Kim's shot, by keeping the background in focus we also get more of a sense of this bustling Paris street. 

Reflections Can Work For You (Sometimes):

Once again we have an interesting subject (and I dare say that whilst your eye is drawn to the sleeping man, the woman's eyes are almost perfectly in line with Fibonacci's golden ratio too). For me, the most effective part of this image is actually the reflection that glares back off of the window which gives a sense of the fact that these subjects are on display to the public. 

Eye Contact:

Often street photography captures people who do not realize it. In this case, Yanidel has his subject staring down the lens for a powerful effect. The use of shallow depth of field and the subtle blurring of the first woman leads your eyes to this point and makes for a more dramatic and powerful shot.

Martin Parr

 

Martin Parr is a Magnum photographer and has his own unique photographic style. He is known for photographing seemingly dull things and enhancing them with vivid colours. He has managed to stay relevant even after switching to digital around the turn of the millenium.

Look For Crazy:

Sometimes you see an image that really makes you think. This, for me, is such an image. I have no idea why this man is looking through his binoculars at an airport, but it makes for a great, quirky shot. The subtle contrast between the blues in the lower half and the reds in the upper half is incredibly satisfying. 

Widen:

A lot of the most popular street photographs I have seen came out of a portrait lens (and 9 times out of 10 I would say this is a better lens for shooting people), but every now and again the wide-angle lens creates a shot that the portrait lens simply cannot. Here we see a story of families at the beach which could not have been told as perfectly through just one couple shot with an 80mm. The beautifully centered couple makes for a great focal point to the shot as well.

The Walls Can Talk:

Rundown buildings often make for incredible shots. There is an atmosphere that really translates into the photo here somehow that brings the shot to life and tells a story of people that is rarely focused on. 

Now that you have seen the pros, you should get out there and experiment with street photography too! Which is your favorite photograph from the selection and who is your favorite street photographer?

All images used with permission.