STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

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This photo taken of a Greenwich Village shopkeeper always makes me smile, as I believe it represents the soul of that eclectic and atmospheric Manhattan neighborhood. When doing street photography I keep my equipment to a minimum; one camera body and a 50mm f1.4 lens (also try 35mm or 28mm). It is important to keep a low profile while photographing people on the street, and you will need a small and fast aperture lens to shoot quickly and move along. As soon as people realize they are being photographed, the scene loses its natural un-posed look.

In this photograph I quickly composed so that there would be more space on the right of the subject than the left. An easy rule to remember (but feel free to break it!) is to allow more space in the picture on the side that the subject is looking toward. In other words, if the subject is looking right, allow for more space on the right side of the photograph. The opposite is of course true as well. A natural composition has the subject looking into the picture space, as opposed to looking out of it.

A note on street photography: There is a fine line between street photography as art, and voyeurism. While I don't care what you photograph, keep in mind that others might take issue with your activities, and decide to relieve you of a few teeth and maybe your camera. Keep moving, and if a situation doesn't feel right, don't stop to photograph it.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com