As opposed to candids, with street portraits there is usually some degree of interaction with the subject. Even though the subject may be a stranger there is perhaps even some direction involved. The idea is to create spontaneous portraits of people and encounters.
I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” –Bruce Gilden
Street portraits can of course be a surprise to a subject, a subject who hasn’t necessarily “agreed” to be photographed and isn’t posing as such (as in much of the work of Bruce Gilden) but the main point is that the subject is indeed aware of the camera.
If you see someone you feel would make an excellent subject for a portrait, approach them and ask for permission. Make them laugh, show them you’re a real person and you think they are interesting enough to be photographed. It is better to ask and get rejected, than to never ask in the first place.
Don’t be shy.
- Try using flash to separate your subject from the background
- Better to ask than to have regrets
- Anyone flamboyant probably likes being noticed
- Try full body, close-ups and different lenses to see what works best for you
