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About DreamsDiary®
We believe in people’s passions and experiences. Those
moments where you change deeply inside, while doing what
you love. Those moments that are out of routine and somehow
always inspiring.
We believe in enhancing dreamers’ capacity to share and
recount those moments.
To help them to do so, we specialise in improving the skills
every passionate dreamer needs:
- Photographic Techniques;
- Framing the right moment;
- Tell stories that are out of the ordinary.

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Introduction:
About Street Photography
The subject of Street Photography is the human
condition within public places.
Directly, street photography, may not actually include
any people. Though people usually feature directly,
street photography might be absent of people.
It can be an object or environment where the image
projects a predominantly human character.

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Usually, as far as possible street photographers try to
shoot unobserved.
The goal of street photography is to capture scenes
unaffected by the author of the work to show a natural
story and subject.
Story and Subject are perhaps the most important
aspects of a good street shot.

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Ready to
Start?

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With or Without Permission?
Opinions differ widely on this topic.
Some photographers say you should
always ask your subjects for permission.
Others prefer to shoot a candid picture and
keep the scene untouched.
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In the end, I believe, it all depends on the situation.
If you want to capture a close-up portrait of a person
in the street, you should ask for permission, because
you are invading his “privacy”.
Otherwise, I suggest you try to remain unnoticed and
attempt to capture those moments that are so natural
in day-to-day life.

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How to ask for Permission?
There are some tips you should remember
if you are wondering how and when to ask
for permission:
• Don’t go around in large groups. It
makes people feel a little bit tense.
• If you are shooting a portrait, ask for
permission
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• Smile, be open; sometimes this is all
you need.
• Be aware of your subjects, even if they
have already given you permission. If
you spot any kind of distress, stop
shooting and move on.
• Communicate! Its ok to look at scenes
as subjects and be focused on rules and
settings, but you are shooting people.
Talk to them, be interested.

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Anticipate & Be Quick!
A lot of times you will find yourself with great
street scenes and you will have very little
time to capture them.
Keep your camera ready (I often use the
Program Mode to be faster) and be ready to
shoot at every opportunity.
Sometimes you have to anticipate the
scene in your mind and capture it as it
happens.
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Watch the scene change and shoot
Sometimes I’ve found myself following an
interesting subject along the street because
I knew I was going to have a great shot
when exactly the right moment occurred.
Don’t be afraid to wait for the scene to
adapt perfectly to the story you want to
tell.
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Have plenty of memory
Especially if you are staying out all day, be
sure to have enough space in your memory
card to record all the pictures you are going
to take.
You should have realised by now that in
street photography you have to shoot tons
of times and then look back to the pictures
to choose the best.
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Surprise!
The best street shots I’ve ever seen always
involved some kind of surprise for the
viewer.
For example a billboard with a particular
phrase in contrast with a person nearby.
Anything that can tell a story and seize your
viewer’s attention.
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Juxtaposition
This is probably the best tip I can give you!
The best street photographers are able
to convey the humour, irony and beauty
of everyday life, by juxtaposing people
with others and the environment.
For example: One really big, tall man next
to a small, thin one.
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Real-Life Scenes
The best street shots tell a story of a real-
life situation.
This is why you have to choose your
location carefully.
Make sure the place offers you plenty of
potential scenes to capture and stay there
until you have a lot to work on.
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Exposure Compensation
Ok, now it’s time for a couple of “always
true” settings.
Sometimes you will have to use your
exposure compensation, especially if you
want to brighten up a face or a detail on a
dark environment.
(Dial-up the exposure compensation if you
want to brighten up!)
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Deep Depth of Field
In street photography the background is
really important, it is the thing that conveys
the environment and characterises the
picture.
You don’t want to blur it away. So keep a
small aperture. Set a high F-number.
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Don’t be boring
This is more personal advice than a golden
rule.
Especially when travelling, people shoot a
variety of people in “traditional costumes”. It
usually results in really good pictures, but it
doesn’t really describe things the way they
are.
Try to shoot a variety of people from
different social backgrounds and you will
have photographed the people the way they
really are.
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And this is it for this presentation!
On our website this is one of the many FREE resources we offer
to all our visitors in order to improve their photography level.
Plus a ton of articles, interviews, profiles and content that you
will love.
Visit our website at: www.dreamsdiary.co
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