Hello community. I love the look of street photography and want to give it a go. What beginner tips or guides would you recommend? I have a rangefinder with a 50mm lens (film) to play around with if that helps.

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[–] 6 points 5 months ago (1 child)

Look out for cars, they're dangerous.

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  • [–] 6 points 5 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    Do it at night after rain (idk I'm not a photographer).

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  • [–] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    Sometimes you can find a deal on expired film. That allows you to shoot more. The more you shoot, the better idea you’ll have of the qualities of your camera and film.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    50mm is generally a little tight for classic street photography, but it’s fine to get started (27 to 35mm is the sweet spot). People will argue endlessly what counts as street photography, even though it has a clear definition: candid moments on the street involving people. A cityscape or car is not street. Two people laughing at each other is street. A closeup of an interesting face is street. A person aware of being photographed, posing for the camera, shot with a blurry background is a street portrait. Get close (your 50mm makes this a bit more comfortable, but you get a different look). You generally want at least f/5.6, but ideally tighter aperture so you get most things sharp. Good luck!

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 5 months ago (1 child)

    Thanks great tips. I will be nervous to get that close at first but will get over it I'm sure.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago

    Yeah it’s a struggle. But it gets easier. It might help to break the ice if you start asking people for portraits. In general, people might ask where pictures might show up, so it helps if you have a good answer for that (regardless of candid shot or not).

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  • [–] 3 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    Watch your edges, having incomplete or sudden additions of geometric shapes can throw off the focus of a photo. In contrast to nature/outdoor photography where nothing is the same twice, use the advantage of static objects to really frame your shots how you want them to be by scouting locations at different times of day to see how shadows and light will work in or against your favor. Have fun though, explore the corners of towns that others may overlook!

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