Learn how to take photos of people

It can be challenging, but people offer infinite possibilities within the frame

People are common subjects within the genre of street photography because they offer huge variety within the frame; through movement, changing

expressions and interactions between one another. Photographing people can also be one of the most challenging aspects of photography. As Richard Kalvar says, it is an unnatural activity “to stick a camera into a person’s face”. So how do you make relevant, engaging work, with real people as subjects?

Candid photography Traditionally, street photography involves little to no interference. It is, as Kalvar says, grounded in real people doing real things, with the photographer taking ‘extracts’ from reality. This approach relies on working with the everyday, as it unfolds. The key to this approach is working quietly and unobtrusively to capture a scene undisturbed.

There are many instances when photographers, though working within the candid tradition, may affect the scene in minor ways. This does not necessarily involve formally asking permission or posing people; it could include any number of small interactions that will affect the relationship between photographer and subject, such as vocalising the scene, interacting with a subject to change their expression, making eye contact and smiling, or manoeuvring the subject into a better position.

Street portraiture

Many photographers use the street as a starting point, a space to find, engage

I think it’s really important to keep trying because sometimes you end up finding interactions with people that are really beautiful Carolyn Drake

Far left: Coal miner after his work shift at Progress Mine in Torez, Donetsk, by Carolyn Drake. Ukraine, 2006.

and photograph the people they meet. Street portraiture relies on chance encounters but also on collaboration between the photographer and the subject (see ‘Candid photography’).

Getting close

Robert Capa’s famous quote – “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – is often given as advice for street photographers. This message can be interpreted in a variety of ways, from physically moving closer to the subject, to having a closer emotional connection to the subject matter you are photographing.

A common trend amongst those just starting out in street photography is a visible distance between the photographer and Above: Barbara, who is homeless, and her twin brother Patrick in City Park, Vallejo, by Carolyn Drake. California, USA, 2017.

their subject, often in both physical and connective terms, because they may be uncomfortable or have yet to identify what they are looking for.

As Richard Kalvar says, you have to “dare” to move in, to fill your frame and make a connection with the subject you are photographing.

Getting consent

Your relationship to the subject may change depending on how much of a connection is made. Gathering consent to photograph (and, more importantly, to publish the work) may be necessary, depending on the location you find yourself in. Whatever the context, you must be well informed about the regulations surrounding photographing people in the location you have chosen.