What makes a good street photograph?

There are countless examples of street photographs - on websites, on Flickr, and in books and magazines.

But how do you know whether they’re good or bad? And how do you assess your own pictures?

Critics applaud some photos, and dismiss others. But are they right?  And on what grounds do they judge them?  All too often opinions seem to be subjective.

Here then are the ten criteria for a good street photograph.

Many of my photos fail one or several of these rules. Few photos are ever perfect in every respect. The rules show you what you can aspire to.

If your photo ticks each of the ten boxes, you have a masterpiece on your hands.

With his degree scroll in hand, a graduate prepares for his photo. They’re usually posed and formal. But here, his baby brother has a tantrum, undoing the carefully stage managed event. Photo opportunities occur in the most unexpected places.

1. There are people in the picture

Look at a book on street photography, and you’ll find images that feature pigeons or buildings, but not people.

Many photographers say that if a photo doesn’t have people, it isn’t street photography.

Some disagree, mostly those who photograph buildings and pigeons.

These photos are sometimes labelled 'still life street photography'. Others say that's a contradiction.

Those photos may be excellent in their own right. But maybe they aren’t 'street photography'.

A stormy moment in Philipsburg, St Martin, Caribbean. It may be a street, but there are no people, which means it isn’t really ‘street photography’.

2. You can see the person's face

You’ll also find street photos that show the backs of people, or only their legs.

It takes less courage to take such photos. And so they lack the hallmark of the true street photographer’s work: a close-up of someone's face.

Taking those photos hasn't required the photographer to stand in front of the subject.

White bread sandwich, mug of tea and traditional snacks. It’s a scene unchanged from the 1950s. Stornoway, Outer Hebrides.

3. You can see their eyes

People's eyes are revealing. They tell us a lot about the individual. And if we can't see someone's eyes, it feels unsatisfactory. We feel cheated.

So any shot in which the subject is looking down, looking away, or wearing sun glasses, so you can't see their eyes, is an imperfect picture.

4. The subjects are normal people, not performers

Wherever you see street performers, such as jugglers, street musicians, or even soldiers on ceremonial guard duty, you will see people taking photos of them.

There are reasons for this. The performers are tied to their spot, and have to entertain the crowd. And the photographer is just one face in the crowd. So it takes little effort to take such photos.

Also, street performers are exotic subjects. Their faces are mobile and expressive. It requires little skill to capture some great images.

But the true street photographer knows that it requires less expertise, so we don’t rate them so highly.

An arresting photo. But it’s the Edinburgh Festival and she’s doubtless an actor. So it isn’t a ‘proper’ street photograph.

5. The picture is interesting

The ideal photo captures a facet of someone's personality.

It isn't enough to get a sharp and well exposed photo. It has to be interesting, too.

A good street photographer has a sense of humour, and captures the whimsical life of the street.

It could be the juxtaposition of contrasting people, or an emotional scene. Typical examples include:

- poor workers in a rich person’s environment

- a calm person in the midst of hurly burly

- people doing something unexpected, for example workers asleep on the job,

There may be a visual pun, relating maybe to a notice in a shop window or the patterns in someone's clothing.

Or perhaps it’s a surreal combination of things that aren't supposed to go together.

Some people criticise these contrasts as clichéd. But each photo is an original work. The juxtaposition of rich and poor people may not be original as an idea, but the execution is always unique because it's a split second in time, a special moment that will never occur again in that specific way.

This woman is carefully counting out her money at London’s Columbia Road market. She rests her arms on the pram, suggesting disability or tiredness. Doesn’t your heart go out to her? Note how she stands out from the dark background.

6. The photo tells a story

The image should convey a message or make us wonder what was going on.

If the photo contains a narrative, it becomes more interesting.

That’s why your photos should show action taking place. It gives us a slice of life. It makes us contemplate what happened next.

It could be two people having an argument. It could be a homeless person seeking alms. Whatever the subject, it should tell a story.

There are no people in this photo, which breaks one of my cardinal rules for street photography. But I was struck by the embarrassed look on the lion’s face, wrapped up in an undignified way to protect him from the fresh paintwork. Humour is a nice feature of street photography.

7. It focuses the viewer's attention

When you look at a street photo, you should know instinctively what you’re supposed to look at. If there are many people in the image, it will probably lack clarity.

As we’ve seen, a picture should tell a story. And that means it needs a hero. Someone needs to stand out in the photo.

Some will argue this would make all street photos look similar. But with five billion people on the planet, each one doing something different every moment of the day, there is a big opportunity to work with.

With bulging stomach, this is a contented man. But what is the woman reaching for? And note that the photographer has been spotted. Outdoor events distract people, making it easier to photograph them.

8. The image is sharp and in focus

Sharpness isn't so critical for street photography as it is for wildlife, nature or portrait photographs.

By the nature of the event, you're capturing a fleeting moment.

And many street pictures these days are shot on an iPhone or smart phone. So they don't enlarge very well.

Nevertheless, to pass muster, your pictures should be reasonably sharp. Anything less is amateurish. A photo that has camera shake or is out of focus is unacceptable.

Some photographers deem themselves ‘creative’ and offer up dull and fuzzy photos. It may be they just can't take pictures.

9. The photo is well composed

A well composed photo has a central theme, and no unnecessary clutter. Any people in the image should contribute towards the photo: they should have a role to play.

The centre of attention should lie on one of the thirds (see Editing).

There may also be an element of framing, such as a tree that leads the eye towards the protagonist.

This is no mean feat for snatched photographs that aren’t posed.

Yet street photographers regularly manage to achieve this. It's partly due to having a 'seeing eye', partly a question of taking enough pictures, and partly the result of judicious cropping (see ‘Editing’).

Divide this photo into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and you’ll see this man’s face lies on one of the intersections. It’s one of photography’s golden rules. Note also the queasy angle of the photo – matching perhaps the man’s senses.

10. It doesn't have an intrusive or distracting background

Professional photographers pay as much attention to the background as to the subject, and amateurs don't.

That's why amateurs have telegraph poles sticking out of people's heads. In ‘Taking better street photographs’, we look at ways to improve your background.

In summary, good shots require bravery and skill

A good street photographer has an eye for a photograph, a steady hand, and a willingness to put themselves at risk. They face people and take their picture, whether surreptitiously or not.

And remember that rules were made to be broken. Take the photographs that appeal to you.