Street Photography: Candid Portraiture

Course details

Street photography is an exercise in the art of observation: paying attention to the theater that goes on in every city and town, and capturing moments that tell stories. In this course, photographer and educator Steve Simon hits the streets of New York City to share insights on the art of candid street photography, from gear choices to shooting techniques. Steve shows how to immerse yourself in the thick of things, overcome your nerves, and adjust your camera to respond as quickly as possible. Along the way, you'll get an inside look at some of the most photogenic locations in New York City: a busy Midtown intersection, Highline Park, Times Square, and the 9/11 Memorial.

Learning objectives
Street photography gear
Shooting with a long lens
Photographing a crowd
Focusing on people
Getting permission to photograph someone
Shooting people in motion
Photographing people in a sensitive or significant place
Reviewing images in post

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome to Street Photography
02 - Reviewing the gear used by a street photographer

1. Working Shots in a Busy Intersection

03 - Introducing the street and shooting with a long lens
04 - Photographing the crowd at 57th street in NYC
05 - Taking the studio onto the street with a white background
06 - Reviewing the images from the busy street location

2. Shooting in an Urban Park

07 - Exploring the goals and techniques for shooting in a busy urban park
08 - Focusing in on the people and the scenes of the urban park
09 - Reviewing the images from the urban park scene

3. Photographing Interesting People

10 - Getting permission to photograph someone
11 - Working the street scenes in Chinatown
12 - Working shots of people skating and traffic
13 - Reviewing the images of interesting people and places

4. Working Shots in a Culturally Significant Location

14 - Shooting in a busy, culturally significant part of the city
15 - Photographing people in a sensitive or significant place
16 - Reviewing the images from Memorial Park in NYC

5. Shooting a Fast-Paced, Low-Light Street Scene

17 - Shooting a hectic urban street environment in low light
18 - Working a busy urban street scene in low light
19 - Reviewing the images from Times Square

6. Reviewing the Final Selects

20 - Looking at the final images from the street shoot