Street Portrait Techniques

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography  •  Street Photography

City streets are more than just a travel route or space to sell goods. The myriad of people from all walks of life, nations, and backgrounds offers a unique photography opportunity. A fact that’s even more true in the case of melting pots like NY! New York City-based photographer Hugh Brownstone takes full advantage of his favorite urban spaces to snap unique portraits. Now, he’s sharing his tips online to help other budding street photographers do the same:

Work on Your Social Skills

Street portraiture is about a lot more than simply technical skills. In fact, it’s more of a people-person game than anything else. The social aspect is one of Hugh’s most beloved things about this type of street photography, though!

…every time I come out and speak to an absolute stranger, find some common ground, and a quick conversation to get to ‘yes, I can take your photograph,’ it reaffirms for me that the world is not a uniformly terrible place…

The concept of give and take — or simple reciprocal interaction — is a key component of his photography workshops and art. Street portraiture is as much about giving as it’s about taking a picture. The give comes in when the subject gets to see the unique image you’ve taken of them!

The Approach

When it comes to approaching subjects on the street, Hugh has his own method. Knowing who to chat with (and who not to) is very important. Doing so mainly comes down to reading body language and facial expressions well and having a little empathy.

Those who seem busy or unsafe should be avoided, whereas those who appear friendly and unhurried are probably a better choice. Once you decide to engage, also make sure to compliment your chosen subject on something notable. Perhaps a tattoo, article of clothing — or whichever unique feature about them genuinely caught your eye to begin with.

Co-create

A natural portrait is unlikely to spawn from an uncomfortable, disengaged interaction. Just like when taking modeling shots, interacting with your subject is key. Not only should you direct them, but you should also encourage and get them to relax.

As your time with them is probably much more limited, you also want to be keenly aware of the frame. What’s in it that’s not working? What is? Quickly scan, pick up any issues, and direct your subject to move into a more flattering area or pose.

Street portrait captured by VD Photography

Be Respectful

Photographs are something almost every single person is very touchy about. Whether due to insecurities, feeling it’s a violation of personal space, or another reason, it’s important to respect those boundaries. If you do need to take a photo surreptitiously because asking would ruin the image, try not to be too obvious or get caught.

You can also show the person the image afterward. But, should you ask and someone says no or asks you to delete the image after you show it to them, do so. Though rare, if they become aggressive after, disengage and walk away.

Set Your Camera up Beforehand

As street photography offers a much smaller window of time than most other types of photography, having your camera ready is a must.

Hugh’s top tips for getting set up:

• Set your aperture, shutter speed, and other settings according to your desired effects. If you want a blurry background, keep your aperture wide. If you’re capturing motion or fast-paced action, adjust your shutter speed.
• Find the right balance between lighting and timing. Early morning, late afternoon, and evening, and when people are out, is the best time to shoot.
• Get your dynamic range right and avoid overblown images by dialing in your exposure and exposure compensation manually.
• To cheat, set your camera to HDR, bracketed exposure, and a quick three bursts.
• Hugh sets his shutter speed no lower than 1/500s and f/1.4 down to f/1.6 or f/1.8.
• He never shoots as high as f/11, as diffraction results. As in, the image sharpness decreases as the aperture narrows.
• For ISO, balance your image context with your required ISO. Even a grainy, low-light portrait can be perfect if it matches the scene.

Network

Once you get “the shot,” it’s time to share it with your subject. If they love it, they might even want a copy. So be sure to give them the details for the website or social media account you may publish it to. They may even reach out and request it even if it doesn’t get displayed.

Photographers tend to show their images or submit these to stock sites, as well. In order to do so, you will likely need a model release or permission. So having that network with your subject’s setup is a bonus. You never know; you might get the chance to exhibit a stunning shot and win a prize!

Wrapping Up

Photography can be daunting enough, never mind interacting with complete strangers. To capture unique street portraits, that social interaction is a must, though. Hugh’s shared his top tips on how to approach subjects the right way to achieve the best results. Try them out for yourself next time you’re out with your camera!