What is street photography?

Street photography is any impromptu photo taken in public that shows someone doing something interesting.

It doesn’t have to be on a street. It could be in a café or at an event.

But it should reveal something about people – something quirky, fun or challenging.

A strange looking man popped his head around a cafe in Los Angeles. A second later he was gone. You need to be always ready.

Who does street photography suit?

Street photography is ideal if you're a people watcher. It allows you to observe people and capture their behaviour.

You need chutzpah, - audacity or even impudence - because you’re intruding on others’ privacy.

And you therefore need to accept some risk. Unlike buildings or landscapes, people are unpredictable and always changing. If you're unlucky you could get arrested or even punched. But most people are programmed to avoid violence.

It’s good to have some charm. If you smile at people, you’ll get away with a lot.

And you need to use common sense. Judge the risks on every occasion.

Street photography suits people who can’t be bothered to spend time honing and perfecting a photo. Studio photographers sometimes spend a whole morning taking just one photo. And portrait photographers love to spend hours retouching their subjects so they look sleek and glossy. But street photographers tend to be bandits, snapping at whatever comes their way.

A young couple walk along the street, she talking animatedly. The camera was pre- focused on a specific spot, and they walked into it.