Street Style

Without a doubt, my strength in photography is taking photos of people when they don't know a photo is being taken of them. I can't get enough of it.


The thing is with street photography is there is always someone to photograph, especially in Brighton. And you have to be bold. Quite often, people will just assume you're taking general shots of the street for a newspaper or news story. Then you get the types (usually after a few drinks) who pose for you and want to be involved, everyone wants a minute of fame, right?












Get out there and see what you come up with - soak in the atmosphere of where you are and shoot for that feeling. I usually shoot with a wide aperture (please see the 'jargon' page if this term confuses you) and with a fairly long lens (135mm usually). Use a fairly fast shutter speed, if it's a dark day you may need to increase your ISO slightly.

Shopping areas are great: people ducking in and out of shops, friends laughing with each other, tired faces. Buskers always make for good street shots too. Then there's the 'cool' part of town where everyone is walking around in the latest fashions. Try parks and the beach too but in the summer I avoid pointing the camera at women in small bikinis for obvious reasons. Take care when taking photos of children too, use your discretion on what could be misconstrued as indecent.

Remember, the law says you are allowed to photograph what you want in a public space so never feel like you're doing anything wrong. Never be shy, look confident with what you're doing, the more confident you look, the less shifty you look.

In the warmer months, take advantage of the golden hour  - when the sun is going down and the streets are bathed in the lovely warm light. I usually have the sun behind my subjects but you can do it either way. Mornings are great any time of year - people out walking their dogs and joggers on the seafront.

Last thing, if you're heading into town to photograph, give me a shout first, I may be up for coming with you!