Capturing Moments: How To Improve Your Street Photography In Melbourne
Street photography is one of my favourite forms of photography of all time. It was the first photography category that got me to pick up my very first camera! Street photography offers a unique opportunity to capture the essence and vibrancy of life, particularly in Melbourne. A city with an abundance of culture and life. From the bustling laneways to the serene parks, every corner of this city holds a story waiting to be told through the lens. Whether you're a novice photographer or a seasoned pro, refining your street photography skills can elevate your craft to new heights. In this guide, we'll explore actionable tips to help you improve your street photography and capture the heartbeat of Melbourne like never before.
Without a further ado, let’s get right into it!
Understand the Essence of Street Photography
To excel in street photography, it's essential to understand its essence. Unlike staged or posed portraits, street photography aims to capture candid moments and authentic emotions in everyday life. Embrace spontaneity and immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne's streets, allowing moments to unfold naturally before your lens. If it’s one element Melbourne has, it’s the livelihood and uncertainty the streets have to offer. I’ve attached some examples in this article, which helps give you a greater visual understanding of what I exactly mean here. The beauty of street photography is the unknown, and this is its essence.
Choose the Right Gear
While fancy equipment can enhance your photography, it's not always necessary for capturing compelling street scenes. Opt for lightweight and discreet gear that won't draw unnecessary attention. A compact mirrorless camera or little point and shoot film camera can be sufficient for capturing stunning street photos in Melbourne's urban landscape. From my experience, I love getting out with my Sony a7iv mirrorless camera. With this, I typically bring my Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art. This lens is simply magic, razor sharp with a wide focal length to capture cafe fronts, street art and more down Melbourne’s tight iconic laneways. When I’m feeling like a film day, I’ll bring out my Nikon F2 with the 35mm f2 Nikkor lens. If you’re feeling shy, absolutely bring a 28-75mm Zoom lens, or a 50mm or 85mm prime. All are great options for a day on the streets of Melbourne.
Embrace Natural Light
Lighting plays a crucial role in street photography, shaping the mood and atmosphere of your images. In Melbourne, take advantage of the city's ever-changing weather conditions to create dynamic lighting effects. Experiment with different times of the day, from the soft morning light to the golden hour at dusk, to add depth and dimension to your street photos. For a city that has “four seasons in a day”, you’ve gotta quickly adapt when it comes to light. You’ll hear often that shooting in the middle of the day is typically discouraged in street photography. However, due to Melbourne’s tight alleyways, this can create really gorgeous, strong beams of light. All I’ll say is, don’t rule out the middle of the day completely. All in all, as long as you expose your scene correctly, you can capture anything, anytime! I touch on this in my mastering exposure blog if you’d like to read up more on the topic.
Focus on Composition
Composition is key to creating visually engaging street photographs. Pay attention to elements such as leading lines, symmetry, and perspective to guide the viewer's eye through your images. In Melbourne, the city's eclectic architecture and vibrant street art provide endless opportunities for creative composition. Experiment with framing and perspective to capture unique angles and viewpoints. However, don’t get too strung up on this. If this is your first time shooting street photography - or your first few times - just practice shooting in a new environment. Composition will come with time and experience. If you want to read more about how you can improve here, I wrote a full article on how to improve your composition in the field here. The best thing you can do is get out there and getting capturing moments! This leads me perfectly into my next point…
Capture Genuine Moments
The beauty of street photography lies in its ability to capture genuine moments of human interaction and emotion. Keep your camera ready and anticipate decisive moments that tell a story or evoke an emotional response. Whether it's a fleeting glance between strangers or a spontaneous gesture on the streets of Melbourne, be prepared to snap that shutter at the perfect moment. I know that learning photography as a beginner can be quite overwhelming, particularly combining that with street photography. With street photography, you have to be ever watchful, alert and ready to capture that decisive moment. That can make it difficult to think about the best settings when on the move, because you’re too busy looking around, not down at your settings! My recommendation, particularly if you’re just starting up, keep your ISO low (100-500 is fine), and a consistent aperture. Anywhere from f1.4 to 8 should give you enough flexibility depending on the result you’re looking for! This will allow you the freedom of only needing to adjust 1 setting on the move, your shutter speed. This can be adjusted as you look through the viewfinder, and quickly adjusted to find your desired exposure. Alternatively, you can always change your camera to Shutter Priority, or “S” on your settings dial. This will take the guess work out of deciding on your ISO or aperture (Note: set a maximum ISO in your camera settings! We don’t want high grain to completely ruin your beautiful photos!).
Engage with Your Subjects (Maybe)
Now this is something I do very poorly I must admit, sometimes not at all. However, building rapport with your subjects can lead to more authentic and meaningful street photographs. In Melbourne, don't hesitate to strike up conversations with locals or ask for permission before taking their photo. Respect people's privacy and cultural sensitivities, and always be courteous when photographing strangers in public spaces. Personally, I prefer more candid shots on the streets. So, in saying this, I rarely approach strangers, because I want that authentic moment captured!
Experiment with Different Perspectives
Don't be afraid to get creative with your street photography in Melbourne, the city has so much to offer! Explore different angles, vantage points, and viewpoints to add visual interest to your images. Get down low to capture unique perspectives of Melbourne's iconic laneways, or shoot from above to showcase the city's dynamic skyline. Sometimes, I like to set myself a little mental note before a day out shooting. For example, I might tell myself, today I’m shooting cafe or shop fronts. This is very much a general eye level point of view. Just food for thought.
Think About How You’ll Edit
This is more of an intermediate/advanced tip, but sometimes getting into the habit of thinking about your current style of photography and how you edit images, helps shape or map out your day of shooting on the streets. Think about your style, how to like to edit your images, what your Instagram grid is mostly of, whatever the case may be, it may help your workflow. You’ll see with the images I’ve provided in this article, they’re mostly quite soft, dark and moody. This is typically something I love showcasing in my street photography. When I’m out shooting, it’s normally quite overcast, with soft light. This is a great time to go out shooting streets in Melbourne. Although, don’t let the weather stop you. Every condition adds an entirely new experience and variable to your street photography. Get out there, and experience them all!
Getting more comfortable with street photography is a journey of exploration and self-discovery, and Melbourne's vibrant urban landscape serves as the perfect canvas for photographers seeking inspiration. By understanding the essence of street photography, choosing the right gear, and honing your technical skills, you can elevate your craft and capture the true character of Melbourne's streets like never before. Embrace spontaneity, try new things, and let your creativity roam free as you embark on your street photography adventure in the cultural capital of Australia.
If you’d like to see more of my street photography shots for inspiration, or would simply like to ask a question, feel free to check out my Street & Urban Photography gallery, or head to my Instagram.
