Street Fashion Photography

Taking Stylish Pictures on the Concrete Runway

Dyanna Dawson, J.T. Tran

• Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781452115375
• eBook ISBN: 9781452129877
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Photography

City sidewalks are a concrete runway of style innovations just begging to be photographed. For beginning and seasoned shutterbugs alike, this handy manual is the ultimate guide to capturing great looks spotted on the street. In breezy accessible text, the fashion writers behind the popular blog Street Fashion Style reveal insider tips on all the essentials: choosing on-the-go camera equipment, approaching and styling subjects, securing model releases, composing and lighting an incredible shot, creating a street style blog, and so much more. Fully illustrated with tons of super-chic example shots, this book offers plenty of practical advice for budding street fashion photographers, plus endless inspiration for style seekers.

ON THE STREET

This subject had an entourage close by, and we had to make sure to have them angled out of the shot. You want as few people in the background of your photos as possible, because they take away focus from your subject.

SELECTING YOUR SUBJECT

Our goal in this section is to give you some basic tips that will help you translate what you love most about someone’s three-dimensional outfit into a two-dimensional photo. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than getting back to the editing room and finding that your photos don’t really convey what made you fall in love with a person’s outfit in the first place. Hopefully, we’ll help you avoid those pitfalls.

Living in New York and San Francisco, we pass hundreds of potential subjects on the streets every day. But usually only one or two individuals in the masses will catch our eye. We consider several factors when looking for subjects to photograph: stand out clothing pieces and accessories, contrasting or bright pops of color, innate personal style, or interesting twists on current fashion trends. Whatever you look for in a model, there’s no “bad” reason for selecting your subject. However, certain elements will translate better onto film than others. Whenever you take photos—be they street style or otherwise—always ask yourself if the images you’re taking are capturing the message that you want to share.

Approaching an Individual

In most major metropolises—and particularly in cities like San Francisco with high panhandler populations—being approached by a stranger on the street can sometimes be a negative experience. So much so that attempting to get an unfamiliar person to stop for you can feel like an uphill battle. As a street style photographer, when you stop a subject, what you’re really asking of that person is to take time out of their day to do you a favor. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts at stopping subjects are met with rejection. You get more comfortable with practice.

A simpler outfit can be enhanced in a photo by shooting against a background with more intricacy, like the buildings in this shot with many lines and windows.

It might sound counterintuitive, but when we stop people on the street we generally won’t introduce ourselves right off the bat. Expect people to have their guard up. If you start with a long-winded explanation of who you are and what your photo project is about, you’ll sound too much like a salesperson. Your subject may be skeptical. Instead, break the ice with a compliment. Approach with a smile and tell the person why they caught your eye. “I love all the brilliant colors you’re wearing” or “I adore that vintage bag. Would you mind if I took a picture?” It’s sweet, simple, and straight to the heart of matters. There’s usually no need to wax poetic about how great the person looks. Get right to the point and ask for the photo.

Once you’ve got your subject disarmed and agreeable, feel free to introduce yourself properly. Always carry a calling card and a friendly, yet professional demeanor. You never know who might be a great business contact later on down the road.

It’s unlikely that the exact spot at which you stop your subject will have the optimal photography conditions. Don’t be afraid to ask the person to move across the street or around the corner. Make sure to explain to your subject that the reason for the move is better lighting conditions, less foot traffic, and so on. The more involved you make the subject in the process, the more obliging they will want to be in helping you capture the perfect shot.

Be considerate of your subject’s time constraints. Ask them if they are in a rush. You can’t expect to drag them all around the city looking for the perfect background. If you try their patience, it will be written all over their face in the photos.

The last thing you want is for your subject to look stiff and uncomfortable in the photographs. It’s your job as the photographer to make the person you are shooting feel relaxed. This can prove a particular challenge when photographing someone who is especially reluctant or camera-shy. Taking the emphasis off of them as a person can mitigate this. There is a subtle, yet distinct, difference between saying to someone “You look great” and “That outfit/purse/hairdo looks great.” While most of us would probably prefer the former as a compliment, the camera-shy person responds more positively to the latter. Taking the emphasis off of them tends to make them more relaxed in photos.

Tips for Making Your Subject Feel Relaxed

— Start out by asking to take a photo of a particular article, such as shoes or bag. Lead up to the full-length shot. This approach will put your subject more at ease.

— Ask them questions about their outfit. Be conversational.

— Remember, these are NOT professional models. Be courteous of body issues, because many people are self-conscious about physical imperfections they feel they possess.

— Don’t be afraid to take candid shots.

Approaching a Group

More often than not, you will find that a subject who’s caught your eye is traveling with companions. Approaching a couple or a group of strangers can sometimes be more daunting than stopping a person who is walking alone. If you find that the whole is greater than its individual parts, you might feel inclined to photograph the pack. Group compositions of friends that dress alike can help drive home a theme or trend that you’re trying to convey. If you have the time, we recommend getting some individual shots of each person in addition to the group shots.

But when one subject stands out above the others, don’t feel too timid to ask their friends to step out of the frame. Or better yet, separate your subject from their crowd by asking them to move around the corner or across the street. You can always say that it’s for a different background.

BACKGROUND

Whatever is behind your subject will be the background of your photo, or in other words, the canvas you are painting on. It’s important to have a good canvas, but it’s even more important to remember this: in street style photography, the subject of the composition is your model, NOT the background. Don’t work too hard to get the perfect beautiful background. It’s more important to have a background that doesn’t have distracting elements that detract from your model’s outfit. Beautiful settings ar...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• The Nuts and Bolts of Photography
• On the Street