Fishing in Times Square: A Street Photography Tutorial

Photography Tips  •  Smartphone Photography  •  Street Photography

Photography in bustling, vibrant urban spaces presents unique opportunities and challenges. The art of capturing compelling street photography involves a combination of technique, patience, and embracing serendipity, as highlighted by renowned photographer Clifford Pickett from Urban iPhone Photography in his recent video tutorial filmed in the heart of New York City:

Times Square, a place bustling with energy and diversity, proved an ideal setting for Pickett to demonstrate ‘fishing’ – a technique in street photography where the photographer chooses a potential backdrop and waits for the perfect subject to ‘walk into’ the frame. Here, the backdrop chosen was a brightly lit billboard of an American flag. A beautiful blend of symbolism and illumination, it created a canvas ready for silhouetted figures to add life and narrative.

Technique and Adaptability

Pickett emphasized the need to adjust camera settings to accommodate the specific lighting conditions. The billboard, being much brighter than its surroundings, necessitated underexposing the shot to create desired silhouettes against the flag.

An unforeseen element, rain, added another dimension to the shoot. With the cityscape slick and shiny, Pickett exploited this opportunity to create dynamic and visually striking reflection shots. By inverting his camera and finding puddles of water, he introduced a unique perspective to the scene, with the American flag mirrored on the wet ground.

The Power of Patience

A major takeaway from Pickett’s tutorial is the importance of patience. Photography is a game of moments, and waiting for the right one is an art in itself. The ‘fishing’ technique requires time and endurance, but the reward is worth the wait, as demonstrated when Pickett captured a perfectly timed shot of a passerby walking into his frame.

Interacting with Subjects

Towards the end, Pickett introduced a more proactive approach, engaging with potential subjects who had been standing in front of the flag for the entire shoot. This highlighted the value of photographer-subject interaction in street photography, transforming random bystanders into deliberate subjects and enriching the narrative of the image.

For further training: The Urban iPhone Photography Course Launch Sale