In order to significantly improve your street photography, repetition helps tremendously! Focus on a certain aspect and shoot it over and over again. That way, each shot gets you closer to the vision you have in mind.
Back in 2013, I set myself the challenge to do something creative with just the lower part of the body. I dedicated a few photo walks to it. Even though it was a bit challenging at first, this philosophy eventually brought my vision to life.
Street photo 1: this was my first try to create something
Day 58/365 by Vijce | Düsseldorf, 2013
What you see above was my first result. I analyzed the street photo and wrote down these flaws:
- Too many people (at least I wanted to focus more on one person for the final shot)
- Legs are all over the place and not harmonic
- Clothes are not really that interesting
- The backlight wasn’t strong enough
Street photo 2: added more backlight, less people & a better scenery
Day 72/365 by Vijce | Düsseldorf, 2013
I was rather happy about the way I captured the legs. However, I knew they could look even better. Further flaws:
- Scenery is a bit too compressed for a dark silhouette
- Headlights of the cars could be stronger
- Could feel more vibrant and alive
Street photo 3: captured a faster subject & bigger scenery
Day 72/365 by Vijce | Düsseldorf, 2013
To get a better feel for shooting someone that’s running, I captured this subject. Of course, he should be cut off more. I was happy that I got better at creating a bigger scenery. However, these flaws remained:
- Lack of natural contrasts between subjects and background
- Backlight is too far away
Street photo 4: yes, yes, yes, finally!
Bresson by Vijce | Düsseldorf, 2013
Yaaaaay! That’s the vision I was chasing during all these photo walks. It just felt amazing when I brought it to life through constant repetition.
The silhouette really stands out from the background. The scenery is not too big and not too small. Headlights from the cars in the background wonderfully illuminate the subject and scenery. It really feels like a polished version of the ones I captured before.
I hope these street photography tips help you bring your street photography shots to life. Focus on a certain idea or aspect and constantly work on it. That way, you’ll not only master a certain aspect, but also street photography in general!
About the Author
Vijce is an award-winning fine-art street photographer and coach based in Amsterdam. His label Eye, Heart & Soul empowers fine art street photographers worldwide. Make sure to check out his street photography workshops and connect with EHS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to level up your street photography game! This article was also published here and shared with permission.
