Fortunately, people who make a living on the street are used to having their photos taken and generally don’t take notice of people photographing them.\u00a0 Even if they do, you can explain that you’re a Street Photographer and nine times out of ten they will understand and appreciate the difficulty of your discipline.<\/p>\n
In order to make life easier it pays to carry some dollar bills, rubles, yen, or shiny beads in your pocket in order to tip a performer before you take their photograph.\u00a0 I’ve found these type of subjects to be much more accepting after you give them a dollar or two…\u00a0 It’s only fair, especially if you plan on using the image in a way that would generate a revenue.<\/p>\n A lot of people start out by photographing homeless people and I can’t really say you shouldn’t do that without knowing where your heart is.\u00a0 What I would say is consider why you are photographing them and how you would feel if the situation were reversed.\u00a0 I have seen some really moving photography of the less fortunate done by photographers who cared and wanted to create influential photography that made a difference.\u00a0 If that is what you’re after then I’d say go for it.<\/p>\n For more on the subject of should you or shouldn’t you when it comes to photographing homeless people check out my article Should I Photograph Homeless People<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n If you think of the least intimidating people you run into on the street these subjects are generally where one starts with Street Photography.\u00a0 There is absolutely nothing wrong with picking the low hanging fruit when you are starting out.\u00a0 Building your confidence with subjects you aren’t afraid to photograph will help you be a more confident Street Photographer down the road.<\/p>\n I’ve seen photographers lose interest in Street Photography because they listened to a veteran Street Photographer who told them they needed to get right in their subjects face with their camera or their photos would be worthless.\u00a0 Starting out this way is not for the faint of heart…\u00a0 You will get accosted or even shoved if you aren’t careful.\u00a0 In fact, I wrote an article about why shoving your camera in a subjects face is dumb<\/a>.<\/p>\n Distance can be your friend when you’re just starting out.\u00a0 Now I will be perfectly honest and tell you that you’ll want to eventually get closer to your subjects or you’ll miss a large percentage of great Street Photography shots…\u00a0 But with that being said, there is nothing wrong with starting at a distance and working your way closer as you get more comfortable.<\/p>\n Contrary to popular belief (isn’t that the way it always is?) photographing people from behind can create some really great Street Photography.\u00a0 Granted, it’s rare but when done right it’s great.\u00a0 The tough part about shooting from behind is just shooting someone’s back isn’t that interesting.\u00a0 You’ve got to capture the photograph in a way that conveys a feeling, emotion, or tells a story.<\/p>\n![\"0914_untitled_031\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/decisiveshot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/0914_untitled_031.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nH<\/span>omeless?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/h3>\nF<\/span>rom A Distance<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nF<\/span>rom Behind Or Beside<\/h3>\n