Street photography is tough. The way I see it, there are at least two approaches by which to achieve success. One requires stealth, quick reaction time, finely tuned powers of observation and anticipation. It requires an intimate comfort with your camera of choice. The other method is to engage with your subjects. Play with them. Get in close. Get to know them and gain their trust and then ask or feel confident that it’s OK to take a photograph. This is a much more conspicuous and honest approach.
I recently read the excellent article published right here on 35mmc by Scott Ferguson – Photochemical Graffiti – a play on the similarly titled Led Zeppelin album. In his article, Scott describes how in his earlier days in this genre, he was too shy, lacked confidence and felt that he was taking too much of the subjects time. Judging from what he photographed on the day of his street adventure, he’s obviously come a long way. Check out his article.
Me on the other hand……
I struggle with street photography. Mightily. I employ the stealth method. I’m a coward. And that unfortunately makes the whole enterprise more difficult. Last month there was an outdoor music festival in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. I arrived on the scene in the later afternoon poised to take some photographs of people doing what they do. I loaded up my Leica M3 with some HP5 + and attached a f4 – 90mm Rokkor lens. A good and proper stealth approach. I could keep my distance. As usual however, this led me to feel as if I was stealing photographs. Cloak and dagger stuff. I felt that it was I that was being watched and not doing the watching. Just look at the guy in the photo below! What was he thinking as I shot this rather innocuous image of a lady shopping his wares?
I continued on that afternoon taking a few more marginally interesting- or perhaps boring shots like this. But, I WAS being watched! See!
And some like this like this. Ho hum.
But stay with me as I’m about to change gears here. I hope you appreciate the humour. (If there’s one thing missing from 35mmc, it’s a sense of humour 😉)
Nearing the end of the film roll I came across the scene as photographed below. I just couldn’t resist! Employing all my powers of observation, anticipation, stealth and a certain level of comfort with my gear, I aimed and fired. So here’s my contribution to the canon of street photography. In keeping with Scott Ferguson’s play on Led Zeppelin album titles I’ll call this one “In Through The Out Door”. Please don’t think less of me.
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Jonathan Leavitt on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
There should be no such thing as street photography. What Henri Cartier-Bresson did was “surrealism” but he wisely avoided the term because he knew no one would hire a photographer who called himself a surrealist. He called it “à la sauvette“
Daily life is cliché. The photographers’s job is to seize those moments when life briefly organizes itself into a poem.
It is impolite to shove a camera in peoples faces without their consent. And it doesn’t produce good photographs, unless you love startled and angry expressions. If you feel uncomfortable doing it, there’s probably a good reason. You will often get better photographs with permission
Polite stealth, discreet observation, is the way to be go. The idea that you must get closer and shove a camera right up into someone’s face may be true for news photography, but with grab shots you need someone’s implied permission, even if it’s just eye contact or a knowing look. Some people like being photographed.
Streets are the worst place to find photographs. The background is distracting, and the lighting is not good, except at night.
If I can be excused for promoting myself, please allow me to plug my book, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird“ at Brilliant Graphics press.
David Pauley on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
Richard Arbib on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
Jens Kotlenga on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
But when I do go for a street spree I use the clandestine approach: iPhone or M-Leica, 28mm wideangle, zone focus set to maybe 1,5m, aperture f/8. And then I get up real close and shoot "in-your-face". Very few of my subjects even notice what I'm up to, nobody has ever complained. This sometimes results in images that seem authentic. You might want to check out some of this here:
https://www.jens-kotlenga.com/urban/street/
Cheers,
Jens
Art Meripol on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
Russell John Rosener on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 02/09/2026
MAWAR88 on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 03/09/2026
Tommy Bolland on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 03/09/2026
Jeffery Luhn on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 03/09/2026
OMG! I've seen that same lady at Wallmart! Now that is a fine example of a situation where it's better not to ask if you can take that shot, especially that pose. I liked your perspective on street shooting, although the term means so many things to so many people, that it's never going to be narrow enough to apply. The approach I find most enjoyable is to spot interesting people and ask them to pose. Then I direct them. It's safe to say that some of the best spontaneous photos are planned. Another approach I use is to find a particularly interesting background and ask passersby to get into the shot. I really enjoy sending them a scan of even a print. I've tried to be a photo sniper, but I end up with bad angles of disengaged people. As a photojournalist for many years, my job was get right into the action, and that meant pushing to the front of crowds viewing a disaster. A grieving mother, distraught soldier, joyful kid, shocked observer, angry protester, etc. Two arms length away is an ideal distance, and even closer with a wide angle. Intrusive? Absolutely! Did I ever get attacked? Of course! Do I use that approach now? Never. But I do like to get close with permission. On the other hand, I love photos that are taken on the fly and show humor, juxtaposition, or anything that catches the eye. If I'm after that, I always go with digital because pixels are cheap. Thanks for your pix and perspective!
Scott Ferguson on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 07/09/2026
First, many thanks for the kind words! I didn't arrive at my most common currrent 'style' of shooting overnight -- it took a lot of trial and error, with the emphasis on error, before I landed on a way of connecting with my subject matter that allowed for my rudimentary skills, and got photos I found interesting. I spent a couple of months attempting 'stealth' style street photography, and my ratio of interesting shots per roll or session was pretty miniscule. I credit masters Vivian Maier, Joel Meyerowitz, Lee Friedlander with skills, patience and innate sensibility at where to look for a beautiful image or special moment, even a 'cheeky' one like your final frame while not feeling like I was wired to work well that way. An argument with and East Village punk about consent, and a chance encounter with the great Jamel Shabazz led me to my current approach, which is to look for people who catch my attention and walk up and ask if they'll let me photograph them. Then while I'm shooting them, I chat with them to get to know them a little as well as buying time to fiddle with controls of whatever all manual camera I have with me that day. As I talk I'm frequently taking multiple light readings, forgetting to take the darkslide out of the Hasselblad, and letting them know that I'm slow while I try to focus. I think I come off as a fiddly and earnest amateur, which is 5-10% a deliberate 'act' on my part, and 90% reality at this stage of my development as a photographer. When it works well, it all gets them to relax and get a little beyond the typical 'mask' pose people adopt for snapshots. When it doesn't work well, I can be out of focus, improperly exposed or fail to get beyond a superficial posed portrait in the city. Yes, street photography is hard, but I think it's endlessly rewarding, especially in a place like New York that has an endless supply of interesting dreamers and characters, so it never gets old to go out and meet and photograph some new ones.
Comment posted: 07/09/2026
Cem Eren on Street Photography is Tough
Comment posted: 09/09/2026
1) Engage if possible, stalking, disconnected photographs rarely improve the silence.
2) Do not embarrass anyone including yourself.
3) Elaborate the second rule in post processing wisely though things may seem funny or whatever.
So it is about being honest with yourself and what you do. The counter parties will sense it and the comfort will come afterwards. Don't they say, sometimes how you do is more important than what you do :).
Comment posted: 09/09/2026