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Writer's pictureIan Miller

Timing & Context

Timing is crucial for street photography. You need to understand when something interesting is about to happen and be prepared to snap it with your camera. This requires a lot of practice and observation. You have to be alert and attentive to the surroundings, and sometimes, you have to be patient and wait for the perfect moment. Other times, you have to be fast and spontaneous. Anticipation is what separates a good street photo from a great one. If you want more tips, you can check out some online tutorials or books on street photography, or follow some of the masters of the genre on social media.


If you want to improve your timing as a street photographer, you have to practice a lot. You have to go out and shoot in different locations and situations as often as possible. You have to train your eye to see the potential in every scene, and your hand to press the shutter at the right moment. You have to experiment with different settings and techniques and learn from your mistakes. You have to study the work of other street photographers and analyze how they captured their shots. You have to enjoy the process and have fun with it.


When you look at a picture, what do you see? Do you see just the colours, shapes, and objects that are in it? Or do you see the story behind it, the meaning and message that it conveys? The content and context of a picture are important because they can change how you interpret and appreciate it. For example, a picture of a smiling person may seem happy and positive, but if you know that the person is smiling in a difficult situation, you may feel admiration or empathy for them. Similarly, a picture of a beautiful landscape may seem peaceful and serene, but if you know that the landscape is threatened by pollution or climate change, you may feel sadness or anger. A picture is worth a thousand words, but only if you know the words that go with it. That's why the content and context of a picture are important.


Spray and pray is a term that some people use to describe a style of street photography where you take a lot of shots without aiming or composing carefully, hoping that one of them will turn out well. It's like shooting a machine gun randomly and praying that you hit something. Some people think that spray and pray is a lazy and inefficient way of taking photos, while others argue that it can capture spontaneous and candid moments that would otherwise be missed. There is no right or wrong way to do street photography, but spray and pray has its pros and cons.

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