To become an expert in street photography

I'm Joel Nsadha I was born in Jinja, Uganda, a small town on the banks of the Nile. I spent 10 years doing documentary photography for NGO projects and commercial photography for advertising agencies. Currently I live in New York, pursuing my passion for travel photography, street photography, capturing human moments in the places I go. My works are taken with both digital and film cameras, received many awards from prestigious magazines in Africa, Germany and especially awards from National Geography. I also have exhibitions all over the world.

How do I become a street photography expert?

Quite a few of you have asked me and today I will share what it takes to become a professional street photographer. Street photography has been around for a long time. When you look at the work of legendary street photographers like Henry Cartier-Bresson and Whittner Fabrice, you realize that they have commonalities in common. The artistic principles they use to take pictures are very similar but used in their own way. There are some important lessons in street photography that one can learn from these photographers by viewing their work. I will talk about these elements that will help your passion for street photography.

How to be brave like a real photographer?

“How do you approach these people to photograph them?”, this is probably a common question I get from people just starting out with photography. My answer is always “People are friendlier than you think”. Don't hesitate to capture any precious moments that deserve to be saved. When you see something, snap again and then move closer and keep shooting until you feel the distance is enough for you.

More practice will make you more perfect.

This is the most important of any advice I can give on street photography. When I started with street photography, I could start leaving the house at 7am and go around photographing anything I passed by. Thanks to the fact that I don't have my own camera, every time I touch one, I shoot like crazy. The more you go out and shoot, the easier it will be to find your own style.

Practice with lots of surrounding objects such as domes or windows to frame your image. Experiment with low and high angles with different perspectives, maybe even put your camera on the street.

How to set a realistic goal like a professional photographer?

As a photographer, you probably set yourself a goal to pursue for a short period of time. My only goal is that every time I step out into the street every day, I can come home with a satisfactory photo. A perfect moment that made me “wow”. A photo that makes the viewer wonder “how did you take it?”, the goal is to take a great photo. The more I practice, the more amazing photos I get every time I get home. If you are bad at math like me then maybe your thinking will be like mine, at the end of the year you will have a huge photo fortune.

Use the element of art in photography.

These are visual elements of color, shape, line, point, space, material, and parameter. They are applied to photography in the same way as to painting. These elements will make your photo look more artistic. It can be found all over the place when you practice taking pictures, it is important that you experiment and find them.

I will write another separate post to show you how to use the elements of art in photography. (IDesign will also translate this article, hope you enjoy)

© joel nsadha

How do I capture the moment?

The idea behind street photography is that the streets are your canvas. Every second that passes, there are thousands of moments happening that need to be captured. Think about everything that's happening and learn to catch it. Capturing a moment at its best is something you need to anticipate, a skill you need to try and fail over and over again. When I see a person stop and say hello to a friend, I will start shooting, which means I will shoot until the best moment is reached.

I always shoot before something catches my eye. A wrist strap is a great thing, it will help you hold your camera without having to be so focused on holding it. Things that look ordinary can turn into a moment of wonder; someone is trying to stop his motorbike, the waiter is smoking outside at break time,… If you love taking pictures of people, there is no better place than the streets where everyone who are doing their job. Public places like parks, where people are engrossed in their business, are also ideal locations.

How to use light in street photography?

Regardless of whether you are a portrait or street photographer, the way you use light is similar. When the light is strong it will make the dark areas clear and when the light is low the shadows will be softer. Light also has a color temperature that changes during the day. Early morning or late afternoon for warmer colors, giving the skin a warm tone. In the middle of the day there is a blue light that makes everything look cooler. I especially like shooting in the morning or late afternoon because the light makes everything look warm then. Cloudy days give diffused light, and the time when the sun has set and the street lights up is also quite interesting.

Equipment

Whether you're shooting with a digital or film camera, your camera will do what you need it to. You will preserve the beautiful moment with it if you focus on capturing the right moment. I won't go into what camera you should choose for street photography because that's a personal opinion. I don't mind walking down the street all day with a camera as big as the Canon 5D mark III. People who like compactness often prefer the Sony Alpha or the Fuji XT1, XT2.

With street photography, the iPhone 7, iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or S7 can also turn out great. There are quite a few photos I take on instagram that are taken with my iPhone.

Film cameras are also amazing. I use the Pentax K1000 which is an easy to find and relatively inexpensive film camera.

For those who prefer medium format cameras, the Fuji GW690 III is a very good choice. Excellent quality and easy to hold because of its DSLR-like shape.

I hope you can find these tips useful and apply them to your passion for street photography in your own way. We are very happy to receive your comments.

Author: Joel Nsadha

Email: joelnsadha.1970@gmail.com