Mistakes are a part of learning, especially in street photography. However, if you don’t identify and address these errors, progress becomes slow. From technical missteps to behavioral habits, recognizing these pitfalls can significantly improve your photography.
Coming to you from Peter Forsgård, this insightful video examines 12 common mistakes in street photography, breaking them into four categories: technical, compositional, editing, and behavioral. One technical mistake Forsgård highlights is over-reliance on burst mode. It might seem like shooting 20 frames per second guarantees the perfect shot, but critical moments often fall between frames. Forsgård advises learning to anticipate moments instead of depending on luck. Another frequent issue is using incorrect camera settings. In street photography, quick reactions are key. Forsgård suggests presetting your camera for fast adjustments, making it ready for sudden, fleeting opportunities.
Forsgård also discusses the tendency to shoot wide open with fast prime lenses. While shallow depth of field creates a striking look, it often removes essential context in street photography. Including the background helps tell a story, making the scene feel alive. He advises using more depth of field to capture the environment without clutter, emphasizing the importance of balancing context and simplicity.
Forsgård moves into compositional errors, underscoring the problem of not getting close enough. Hesitation leads to loose compositions that lack focus, leaving viewers unclear about the subject. Forsgård also touches on backgrounds, urging you to avoid overly cluttered scenes. He stresses the need to include only elements that add to the story while keeping the background visually clean.
Editing mistakes form the third category. Overediting—such as using excessive filters or saturation—distracts from the photo’s authenticity. Conversely, underediting can leave your images flat and unpolished. Forsgård believes editing should reflect the mood and feeling of the scene, not just its literal appearance. While he refrains from removing elements, he encourages techniques like dodging and burning to guide focus subtly.
The final category, behavioral mistakes, includes overthinking. Forsgård notes that analyzing too much in the moment leads to hesitation, causing missed opportunities. He advocates practice to develop instinctive reactions, reducing the need for second-guessing. Patience is also critical. Sometimes, waiting for the right moment to unfold in a previsualized scene yields better results than constantly moving. That's just the start, so check out the video above for the full rundown from Forsgård.
