Urban places are busy and have a lot going on at all times. This makes it a great place to capture amazing photographs of the street scenes, which is essentially the life happening in urban spaces, but candids, so the people are not aware that they are being photographed. Besides people, there are so many other elements and subjects in urban locations that are interesting subjects for photography if observed closely, and some creative thought is put into it.
Here are some urban street photos, along with a few quick tips to capture stunning photos when you are in an urban location next time.
1. Light
Light plays a huge role in photography, and it applies when capturing urban spaces. The golden and blue hour, along with overcast days, are great for urban photography.
Midday
Although urban spaces can look stunning during the golden and blue hour, you can wisely choose perspectives and subjects to capture urban photographs during the day as well, including midday. Look for directions of light, how they illuminate the subject, and the shadows they cast, and try to avoid clipping details, especially highlights, unless they are necessary to make the photo. Contrasty images are possible during midday, and this mood and atmosphere cannot be achieved if you shoot when the sunlight is soft or golden.
If shot from the right angle and perspective, you can capture beautiful silhouettes by backlighting your subject using hard light.
Golden Hour
The long shadows and the soft golden light are the highlights of photos captured during the golden hour. You are in for some dramatic photos if you look carefully and capture the shots from the correct vantage point, angle, etc.
Blue Hour
After sunset, the ambient light has a deep blue shade and will contrast perfectly with the warm lights from the buildings. Use this opportunity to capture interesting street scenes and urban photographs.
2. Reflections
If during or after the rain, you walk along the streets, especially in urban areas, you will come across puddles that have interesting reflections that may sometimes even look abstract. Besides, there are reflections in buildings, mirrors, and others that can be photographed uniquely in urban spaces.
3. Compositions
Compositional guidelines that can be used to capture street scenes are many. Starting from the rule of thirds to symmetry, frames, reflections, contrast, juxtaposition, lines, geometry, and so on, the possibilities are endless, and you will find something unique in every frame. Use these or a combination of these compositional guidelines to capture interesting urban photos.
Frames
Look for interesting frames through which you can shoot your subject or use it to frame your subject. Frames are everywhere in an urban space. You can even use light and shadows to frame your subject.
Light And Shadows
Instead of photographing the person/subject, try a different way to capture the subject – their shadow.
Lines
Use lines to lead the viewer's eye to the subject or frame the subject.
4. Architecture
Architecture is the main attraction in most urban spaces. You can go wide and shoot an entire structure or zoom in and capture the closer details or abstracts. Look for colors, contrast, shapes, forms, patterns, geometry, etc., when shooting architecture. You can also use a human element or more to show scale or use the juxtaposition to deliver a message interestingly.
5. Capture Details
Every street and urban space across the world is unique. You find interestingly different things in places that truly have something to do with that particular location. Interestingly capture these details, and if possible, try to include the surrounding areas a bit to give a sense of location.
6. Include Lines
Lines can be found everywhere in urban spaces. Sometimes there are too many boring lines that can be broken and made interesting with the help of an element or subject. For example, too many horizontal lines can be broken using a vertical or diagonal subject and it will add a lot of interest to an otherwise static frame or scene.
7. Long Exposure
Long exposure in street photography may sound unusual, but it is a great way to show movement and add a dynamic mood to an image. You can capture long exposures of vehicles, traffic lights, or people, depending on the story you are trying to capture.
During the day, you may need an ND filter to capture long exposures in the street, and during the blue hour or night, you can lengthen the shutter speed to capture movement. Keep your camera stationary to get sharp photos, and also remember long exposure can add an intriguing mood to the photos.
8. Silhouettes
Silhouettes, if captured well, can add a lot of drama and interest to an image. You will need to backlight your subject, which means you will need to shoot into the light to capture interesting silhouettes.
Look for relevant compositions to capture powerful silhouettes in urban locations. You can also frame them interestingly, for example, with light and shadows, for meaningful and stunning results.
9. Street Scenes
Capturing street scenes in urban spaces, although quite challenging, can be executed with some practice and by learning to remain discreet as a photographer. Most of the photographs are candids, but if you are someone who can approach strangers, share a smile and learn a bit about them, then you can capture posed street photos that bring out the subject's personality.
Learn to isolate frames or subjects in order to bring focus to the main part of the scene. It is not only people but birds and animals that make up an urban space. Look for details as you walk around and capture all the interesting frames that you can. In scenes where there are quick actions, use burst mode so that you can select the best frame later.
Culture And Traditions
When in a different location or country, try to photograph locals and capture frames that show the local culture and traditions. This is what makes photographs interesting.
Perspective
Do not always shoot from eye level. Try different perspectives and angles to show more of a scene and story. A higher or lower vantage point and a different angle can make a huge difference to an ordinary photo.
Look For Interesting Scenes
Frame your subjects through interesting things or look at them differently. This will help to make a normal frame more engaging.
Play With Light And Shadows
There will be a lot of opportunities to play with light and shadows in an urban setting. Light from in between buildings, shadows of buildings and other architectural structures, and the geometry created by them will all help with capturing unique urban street scenes.
We hope these simple tips will help you to get out and capture some interesting frames in urban areas. This can be taken up as a challenge when you are running out of ideas because street scenes are different every day, and the people you come across will be different. Practice the art of seeing things differently, and you are sure to capture some stunning urban photographs.
