Street photography tips - How to get in the zone

Let's be honest - starting as a street photographer is not an easy task. Getting in the crowd, swept away by the flow of people can be overwhelming. On the other hand, it's exciting to leave the comfort of your home and try to document everyday life and society on the streets. Here I'll share some tips on how to have the correct attitude and make the most out of your photo walks.

Leave your subjects in a better place than before you met them

---

_{Nikon D5300, 35mm | f/4 1/50 ISO 320}

Street photography ethics are a sensitive topic and photographers mostly have the freedom to choose how they behave. For me, how you treat your subjects and knowing your boundaries is extremely important and questioning your work and workflow from time to time is a good reality check.

Always be respectful of your subjects and leave them in a better state after you go in your separate directions. If they see you taking a photo of them, smile, give them a thumbs up or a compliment so they know you found something interesting about them that you wanted to capture. Your experience so much better when you make the subject feel good about themselves.

Warm-up

---

_{Nikon D5300, 35mm | f/8 1/80 ISO 160}

First few photos within the first 10-15 minutes are always the hardest because you either feel uninspired, self-conscious or your trigger finger is still stiff.

That's why it's important to always start with a warm-up, which means just clicking and taking photos that might not be that interesting, but will get you in the zone quickly.

Be in the moment

---

_{Fuji x100f, 23mm | f/5.6 1/320 ISO 500}

Most of us are often so preoccupied with the thoughts in our head that we fail to see endless opportunities around us or forget to actively look for them.

That's why it's important to disable all distractions when you go out there to shoot, which means turning off phone notifications, forgetting about problems and not worrying about future. Adapt to the energy of the place.

Also, I know shooting with friends is fun and makes you feel more comfortable, but if your goal is to be in the zone and take best photos, then shooting solo is the best way to go. It just gives you beautiful freedom to explore everything at your own pace.

Pick your camera settings and forget about them

---

_{Fuji x100f, 23mm | f/4 1/640 ISO 1000}

Tied to the previous point, this is also very important. Usually when the opportunity presents itself, all you have time for is to raise the camera and press the shutter button. Everything is happening so fast in street photography that you can't afford to be unprepared because the perfect scene is gone quickly.

It's a good practice to stick to the same focal length so you always know how your frame will look like and where you need to be to capture the perfect photo. I usually shoot in aperture priority mode, with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125 to freeze any motion and auto ISO. Figure out what works best for your style of shooting and weather conditions and you'll be ready for "the decisive moment".

Enjoy the moment

---

_{Nikon D5300, 35mm | f/4.5 1/100 ISO 100}

There are times when I'm outside on a beautiful day or travelling somewhere and I find myself pushing too hard to get some great photos while forgetting to actually embrace the moment. And let me tell you, it's not worth it. You'll be going through albums of perhaps beautiful photos, but missing the real experience.

Putting away camera from time to time to enjoy that sunset or a snow fall without stressing out is just as important.

---

I hope this was helpful or entertaining. I figured, to spice things up and to work on improving certain aspects of my photography, I'll be doing weekly challenges like:

• Clean background challenge
• Details and macro shots
• Shooting through windows and reflections
• Asking people for portraits
• Photographing gestures
• Finding order in mess
• Posting failures on Steemit
• High contrast light and shadows
• Shooting no further away than 1 meter
• Sequences
• Movement
• Double exposures

Let me know if you find any of these particularly interesting. :) If you enjoyed this post, you are welcome to upvote, comment and resteem it. Also make sure to follow @alcibiades so you don't miss my future posts.