Blair Academy Photography
Reflect off the sides of buildings!
Try putting your lens right next to a glass building to capture reflection and symmetry in your street photography!
Frame people using foreground!
After you find your subject, look for ways to incorporate an interesting foreground. Try shooting from different perspectives. A higher angle is shown on the left while the photo on the right is taken from ground level.
Show movement in the background!
This may be the most difficult to accomplish. Try using a mid-range shutter speed, such as 1/30, so movement and stillness can be juxtaposed.
Use repetition in the background!
Use background to your advantage and look for interesting patterns and colors. Support your subject by leveraging the background space.
Use the city’s neon lights to your advantage!
Lights, especially colorful ones, make simple photos more interesting. Taking this type of photo is all about timing. Find a colorful background, set your camera to a low ISO, and wait patiently for your subject to appear!
Shoot through windows!
Find your location and wait until someone walks by or positions themselves as you wish. These windows can include reflections, as shown on the left, or just an interesting set up timed so that a subject is framed.
Leverage natural light!
Use natural light to your advantage by shooting at times such as golden hour and early in the morning. Midday will not give especially interesting light because the sun is so far above the horizon. Try using a low ISO and cloudy white balance for similar results during golden hour.
Capture the moment!
Be observant and have fun with this! This photo is interesting because of the way the women is looking at everyone looking down at their phones. The car in the advertisement also creates an interesting effect with the road behind it. Anticipate these scenes and wait for the decisive moment!
