Photographic opportunities come to those who take the time to observe carefully.
Here are some street photography tips and techniques which I am certain will be useful to some of you, based on my own experience as a street photographer used to capturing Londoners and London as a city for now over a decade.
Street Photography Tips and Techniques:
1) Slow down to increase your focus
This is probably the most important. We live life at such an increasingly fast pace that it affects our ability to notice things. We walk on auto-pilot in streets and areas we’ve covered countless times. So my first tip is to take a deep breath and maybe walk a little slower than you normally would. Relax.
“To take photographs […] is putting one’s head, one’s eyes and one’s heart on the same axis.”
2) Observe in all directions
We can at times get tunnel vision when we walk from A to B. Change this by regularly stopping and look up, down, left, right and even behind. (But don’t do this while walking!)
3) Be well rested and alert
How well rested you are will affect anything you do in life and that includes the ability to notice photographic opportunities. You go to work, you've had a bad night and it seems the whole day goes wrong, well it's a bit the same with photography.
4) Study everything around you
Actively acknowledge everything you look at. Also consider not only looking at things for what they are but also look at the aesthetics of shapes, lines, contrasts and shadows and how that all falls and comes together in the viewfinder.
5) Find your inner child
As adults we see and dismiss things out of habit or assumptions. Be curious, open minded and amazed.
6) Trust your gut feeling and always remain a step ahead
Try to anticipate what is about to happen and unravel in front of you. Also trust your instinct. Ever wondered what brought you an opportunity, or why you are in a certain place at the right time?
7) Windows of opportunity
What I really mean here is that windows actually can offer great opportunities. I have quite a lot of street photography shot through windows either from inside or out. It is a great way to re-invigorate your street photography when you feel out of ideas.
I wrote a more extensive article on the subject: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH WINDOWS
8) Forget your preconceptions
Assuming that it is worthless to visit a particular place based on preconceived ideas is a barrier. Places change constantly and people who populate areas do too. Visiting places you wouldn’t necessarily consider interesting may yield unexpected results. This could also simply come from leaving your comfort zone. Ever noticed how new places, for example when you go on holidays abroad, always seem full of opportunities?
9) Revisit places you think you already know
Having just mentioned the importance to get out of your comfort zone, it’s a good idea still to revisit places you assume you know too well at regular intervals. Sometimes just a shift in mood from one visit to another can motivate you to shoot differently.
10) Purposely look for the small and easily missed details
Look in the detail, you will see what others may have missed.
11) Get a little lost
I wrote an article for Fstoppers on the importance of getting lost and wandering. One of the best things you can do when heading out for a street photography session is to go without a plan and without a map. Just walk and when given a chance between a street you know and one you don't... choose the one you don’t and go explore.
Final words...
Observation is a skill and like any other skill, the more you practice the better you will be at spotting things and capturing them.
Creativity is the same, it needs to be trained.
Be sure to read my article on the subject: How To Strengthen Your Creativity
Remember above anything else to simply enjoy, photography should be fun!