SHOOTING TUTORIAL

Try out these steps for a more dynamic street shot, using elevation and focal length as tools

Capture a different perspective on city life using elevation and lens focal length as a tool

The allure of street photography is in the capture of candid moments, which will never again occur in exactly the same way. The same could be said for all genres of photography, of course, but it is especially potent in street imagery. The people and the places with which they are interacting, within the shot, represent an identifiable proxy for our own lives and can stir emotions in a highly specific way.

With that in mind, sometimes looking for unusual angles can be the best way to capture a story and inspire the imagination of the viewer. Being in among the action, capturing it with a wideangle, might create the feeling of inclusion and stimulate the senses, but shooting from afar, in a less ordinary position, can have the power to make us appreciate the details. Shooting from an elevated perspective can enable the photographer to capture more of the scene, and in a way which we would be unable to see at ground level. It helps place all of the elements in context.

There are challenges, of course, and selecting the right focal length, camera orientation, exposure and composition are all paramount. Let us take a look at the main steps necessary to turn a simple scene into a strong narrative, with visual appeal.

ALLIMAGES©PETERFENECH Right BALANCE AND TIMING The re-framed shot has a better detail balance and maintains a sense of order, despite the top-down view. It also has the ideal arrangement of characters AFTER BEFORE

Inset UNCOMFORTABLE COMPOSITION Incorrect framing has created a sense of misalignment, with some of the action on the right being cropped out of the shot and an excess of negative space appearing to the left of the frame

1 FIND A VANTAGE POINT Start by finding an elevated perspective that offers a relatively uninterrupted view of an interesting scene. Scouting a location ahead of time will allow you to find a worthy subject – a stage for characters to walk onto.

2 CHOOSE A LENS Select a focal length range for shooting, which will usually be based on your height and the distance from your chosen area of study. Longer focal lengths are generally better as these will allow you to isolate smaller details in the wider scene.

3 MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION TO START (THEN ZOOM OUT) It’s easy to include too much peripheral detail, so starting with the longest focal length gives you a clearer canvas. Only zoom out if essential detail is being excluded – it’s mentally easier than cropping elements.

6 BURST MODE Shooting longer sequences of images increases your chances of capturing your players in the most interesting arrangements. In this example, burst shooting allowed momentary, but visually engaging, character eye-lines to be captured.

5 ADJUST ROTATION It is possible that you might be disoriented when looking down through a viewfinder – essentially, it’s like a feeling of vertigo. This makes misjudging the horizon easy, so always make sure you’re happy with the camera’s roll position.

4 SPOT METERING Switching to this metering mode is often advantageous, since the top-down perspective exaggerates exposure hotspots – they are harder to overlook, given the flatter view. Spot will help control distracting brightness.